Leroy's Before 5:25 a.m.

I left the house after watching cartoons at: http://www.oohbitey.com/ and went to Carrs on N.Lights to take from them 5 cards containing delectible recipes for times when I can afford fresh produce. I drove through the 10 degrees of Anchorage's late December early morning to Leroy's on Fireweed. I ordered Mini Pigs and drank a pot of coffee and poured ten more pages of Visions of Gerard into my eyes. This is the book I am studying, the first in a series of 14, chronicalling Kerouac's fictionalized autobiography. I am not merely reading, but studying these pages, the amazing insanity, the meanful banter of the those remembered through wishful tints of his past. Tonight I read, "...but I always did say that the fact men are, is more interesting than anything they might do--...death is the only decent subject since it marks the end of illusion and delusion--... the whole world has no reality, it's only imaginary, and what are we to do? ...Pray to be kind, wait to be patient, try to be fine. No use screamin. The devil was a charming fool."

This passage is only pages away from the death of Ti Gerard, Jack's older brother. It was perfect for tonight's atmosphere where I listened to people talk to each other, and look at me. One man: "Well," says the gray mustashe wearing a brown and dull yellow guide jacket, "I miss MY wife." He dances with elbows and wrists to 'Everyday People,' and "she's been dead since '86." He sits down to to rolled roast beef and deviled eggs. Slapping a quarter fat tomato slice in his mouth he slugs, "I could never get her to sit down, and if she ever got away, I wouldn't see her for a long time after. I thought I saw her at midnight mass with my grandfather, but he's dead too, you see." Wiping his table with crumbling wet napkin, "Everyone know's I have this disorder."

Outside though tobacco cold drags with the lone server, talking about Village Inn and the mysterious disappearance of Anchorage's mohawks and cool kids we're approched by a native man asking the price of coffee inside. He doddles in, shaking, to the bathroom to run his chapped hands under warm water. Not the best idea, I think, and savor the knowledge that he is worse off. Cruelly. The server says, "He doesn't remember me. He was in here drunk once, I had to kick him out because he sat down at a table of bartenders who were outside smoking and ate all their food. He ate off all three of their plates before I realized it. I made him wait outside after he called me a bitch, for a cab that I called, but since cancelled on him. He waited for three hours before he walked away."

Back inside, there were three friends sitting beside me at the counter. A young black Army gap-toothed fellow ordered fried pork chops, reindeer sausage, eggs with cheese, and french toast. The others tried to order as much as he did, but couldn't get that many words out. Their mouths were preoccupied with conversations about the DMV, drinking and driving away from their failed drivers tests. I told them the story of my friend, Bill Coe, in Panama City who cut dougnuts in the DMV parking lot in the middle of the day. He did this shortly after leaving the Bayfront Apartment complex parking lot sideways, slipping into the neighbor's yard spraying sod and underearth onto the double-paned bay windows.

I left Leroy's, the 10 degrees were still outside, on the air, and "Service Engine Soon" lit the left side of my dash all yellow. Bombing N.Lights west towards Turnagain Point, a 1/4 mile from Earthquake Park, a middle aged woman flipped a thinly gloved thumb. I stopped and hitched her up. "Oh thank you. It's so cold out there. Thank you. I've been out for 30 minutes, I'm headed past Wisconsin if you're going there. So cold out there. This scarf was given to me by the Catholics, it's a good one, look at how big! I could wrap it around my head if I had to. I should of, ya. It's so long. My coat, it's denim and faded, it's long enough to keep my legs warm for a short amount of time. It's so cold out there though. I should wash my hair, but I'll never cut it. It saved my ears tonight. I'll have to remember that in the summer. All these clothes were given to me. Yap! All of them. From my toes and shoes to these glasses. All given to me. Jesus loves me, don't you think? He provides for us that ask. Thank you for picking me up. I came down Minnesota, can't hitchhike there, not really. Dangerous and colder there, don't you think? One night, it was so bad that my tits got cold. My nipples were cold. You know that's cold when your nipples get cold. You can stop at the next road. You can drop me off and I'll run across the road. I'll make it if I'm safe. Thank you for the ride. Jesus loves you too. Are you going to work? Oh, I'll just go. You have a life to think about. There's something astir in you. Drive safe." Slams the car door and holds still until I drive away, making my own left hand turn a block down. She's not far from me even now. I wonder if she's washing her hair.

Boys, there is human material everywhere. I could steal it from the air itself. If I listen with the right set of ears, I can find anything I need. Kerouac also said, "I see no reason for Man--But his value, I buy." I'm-a-go finish this book. I work in 3-4 hours. Only 19 pages to go. Wish me your best.

Peace and Love,
Mungo

Songs of the day: "Donna" - Clem Snide AND "Never Forever" - Built to Spill
`Get em on a loop!