Still In Shreveport, Louisiana (12 March 2019)

I've been in Shreveport since March 8th. I haven't done much since the first day when I arrived, which was probably the most eventful. I've been working on music, and I've finished a few beats. I'm getting better at using the Maschine MK3. I got lost the first day I arrived. I was looking for a gas station, and I drove a bit too far. After asking an older African-American man for directions, I eventually found the gas station. I think I surprised the man with my loud engine. Because he looked quickly over his shoulder as I pulled up beside him on the curb. He was walking a young boy who could have been his son or grandson. The man had a salt and pepper beard, and he was tall and thin. He had a brown beer bottle that he sipped on periodically while he walked down the street. He wore jeans and a black t-shirt, and the boy was in green camouflaged sweat pants and a t shirt with a cartoon logo on the front. The man pointed me toward the nearest gas station in a strong Louisiana accent that sounded like his mouth was filled with chew tobacco, and after following his directions I was lost again. So, I drove in one direction, and, logically, I believed, I would have to run into a main street where there was a gas station. After a few dead ends and one closed road, I found a main street with light signals and mild traffic. The drive was good. I had a chance to take in the local neighborhood just west of Downtown Shreveport. The houses looked like they were built one hundred or more years ago. They were in that old, American southern style. Most of them were high off of the ground on stilts. I'm not sure if that's to prevent flooding or to make them easier to repair. Most of the houses had white panneling on all four sides, and a few had red or white brick columns along their front porch. The streets were mostly empty except for that older man, and a few people walking along the roads. When I finally made it to a gas station the streets became busier. The gas station was right along a Louisiana state highway. It was a Shell station on the corner of Hearne Ave and Hilry Huckabee III Ave. What a name for a street. As soon as I drove up to the gas station my car stuttered and died. I'd had problems with the car the entire trip. I wasn't sure of the problem, but the fact that I have AAA made me feel at ease driving. They'll tow me seven miles in any direction. So, I wasn't worried too much about my car breaking down. I have my tools with me. Honestly, I'd been anticipating mechanical failure. I'm pretty sure that there's a problem with the battery. But, I'm no mechanic, and it could be a number of things wrong with the engine. The gas station was sketchy. There was a tire shop right next door with a few dudes working on older p-o-s piles of metal. I wanted to change my clothes because I'd been driving for a few days. I got a pair of jeans out of my trunk, under clothes, and a gray striped collared shirt I'd bought at the Montclair Good Will before I left. I anticipated spending the day downtown, which I did. I filled up my gas tank, and when I cranked the ignition the car started right up. I'm guessing that the engine was hot, and needed to cool. I spent the day downtown. This was the first day I arrived.

I've been having problems with my gym membership. When I went to the gym in Shreveport, they told me that I needed to update my payment option and sign my membership agreement. They said that I would have to go all the way back to California to update that information. Which wasn't an option. I'm going to finish this trip, and I'm going to make it home successfully. The only thing that can stop me is if the car breaks down to the point where I'm unable to fix it. If that happens, I'm ready to take a Greyhound back to California. I've heard of people hitchhiking. I can never hitchhike. People seem nice and freindly, but no one can read minds, and you never know another person's intentions. I haven't been worrying about the car lately because it's been running good. It is a little shaky on the interstate, but I think that's just because of the engine. The guy at the gym was a tall white guy with a muscular build. He had an air of authority about him. Later, I found out that he was the manager. The middle manager; the most hated person in working class society. He let me know that there was a problem with my account, but he let me work out that day after we called my home gym. I ran a little on the treadmill, and I cycled for about twenty minutes. I always work up a sweat, and it's nice to take a warm shower. Being and feeling clean is an essential quality of happiness. I've been going to this Pizza Hut here in Shreveport. They have cheap beer and free internet, as well as A/C. The workers are a bit googly eyed, but they're never rude. I'll sit there and drink about ten dollars worth of beer; that's about four beers. I even bring out my Maschine, but usually, I watch the news, which gets tiring, and I'll mix my songs I worked on the night before. I'll also watch a few MC battles. I liked watching them make the pizzas. They have a process. They get the dough out of the freezer, flatten the dough on the worn metal pan darkened by the numerous cycles through the oven, lather the dough with the thick red marinara sauce, sprinkle the mozarella cheese over the sauce, and add the toppings sequentially: extra cheese, meats and vegetables, they run the prepared pizza through the conveyor belt of their large steel oven custom made with Pizza Hut colors and logos, and, lastly, they put it in the brown box. They repeated this process over and over again. I sat there and watched them as I periodically drummed and played on the pads and scrolled the four directional push controller on my Maschine while sipping on my two dollar draft beer. I was thinking about getting a job here in Shreveport. When I bought a bottle of gin at the local liquor store called Thrifty Liquor, the cashier told me that they're hiring. That would be my dream job. I'd enjoy all of the discounts I'd receive. Although I really enjoy drinking a cold beer, I want to lose weight, and beer contains nothing but carbohydrates. I've been doing liquor lately, and I don't feel as heavy the next morning.

There was a storm for a few days out here. the rain in Louisiana is heavy and filled with dirt. After the rain was gone, my car was covered with splotches of dirt left from the rain. Driving along the highway gave me insight on why the rain is so dirty. Louisiana is covered with swamps; muddy swamps. Many of the rivers are muddy as well. I was disappointed that I didn't see a crocodile. But, I'm sure that I'll be back to Louisiana. I was a little late for Mardi Gras this year, and I plan on making it up next year. If New Orleans is anything like Shreveport, then, I'll make sure I get a good sleep before I make the trip next year.