Take a left at Albuquerque

We up a couple places in Texas and New Mexico. We're in Arizona now. But not for long. In fact I am almost willing to bet that by time someone reads this we will be elsewhere. We've abandoned our vehicle. If we happen to find a 2002 Ford Focus somewhere in the middle of nowhere, it's likely ours. Shame you more than likely won't be able to tell that it's a Focus...we burned the whole vehicle. The fire might even still be burning for all I know. We've given up traveling along the road. We've taken to flying. Just commercial flights. Nothing fancy. Like with everything else we have a system worked out. Our flight itineraries will be difficult to trace. By time someone is on the trail they'll already be about 9 steps behind.

This last week got kind of boring...after the first few jobs the rest lost the excitement! We're looking at something bigger now, with higher stakes....what exactly do I mean? that'll be for you to figure out in the days to come....

Something for Sunday

Today we did something different. We hit up a fast food joint in Oklahoma. We were bored and since it was Sunday our options were limited. We knew fast food would be easy. We sat around for awhile inside the facility to make sure they had a decent amount of cash in the drawer. It still wasn't much, but it was something and it was easy. I don't think there was anyone over the age of 21 working in there. They didn't care whether we took the money. They gladly gave it to us just as long as they weren't harmed. We didn't even go far. We left and came back to watch the police arrive at the restaurant while we sat across the street. Gaear knows how to cover tracks really well. They had no idea we were right there, almost in plain sight. They thought we were just some of the onlookers. How funny is that?

I've never found anything to be so much fun. Am I a little twisted mentally for thinking that? Probably. Almost definitely. Nevertheless, I feel so alive! Last Tuesday, after we successfully completed our first job we went out to celebrate a few hours down the road. It was St. Patrick's Day, so everyone was hitting up the bars. I watched all the people around and thought of their meaningless lives. They probably were out to escape from their stress and worries. I had no worries. I was a free man! I'll die before that freedom gets taken away.

"We rob banks"

It's been 15 days since my last entry. Half a month. Half a lifetime.

Robbed two banks this week. Met a guy last week in Missouri named Gaear. He used to be a bank teller. He's familiar with the system. He needed a partner for the jobs, I needed money. We had a common friend whose place I happened to be staying in at the time. He came in, I was upstairs and overheard some talk. At first I thought it might be best to hit the road and stay somewhere else. But why should I do the same thing I've always done? Why live conventionally? This is what I left Minnesota for. Something like this. I needed to live. Have some fun.

I approached my friend, he vouched to Gaear for me. I became the partner he needed.

So why would I go to the trouble to type all this in a blog that anyone can read with my name attached? Because I WANT people to read this. I want people to know my name and to know what I'm doing. Gaear feels the same way. The police haven't even come close to catching us. We got pulled over twice for speeding but still managed to avoid suspicion. We need more of a challenge. So every few days I'll write in this blog telling EXACTLY what we've done and where we've been. Whoever reads this will know our names and every detail of our travels. What they'll have to figure out on their own is where we plan on going and what we plan on doing. We've randomized everything. Nothing about us will be predictable. We have a plan.

If you happen to read this, feel free to show the authorities. Show everyone. We want them in on the fun.

35 south

Just finished work. I have almost everything ready. At least everything that I need. I'm putting a lot of stuff into storage. I have a buddy who got me a discount on a unit. He said he might be able to work it out so I don't have to pay anything. i'm not counting on it though. Some day I'll come back. As of tomorrow, I'm hitting I-35 and heading towards Texas. My life is up in the air and I'm not sure which way the wind is going to blow. I'm kind of glad I started this blog. It gives me a method for creating a chronicle of my travel. I dont know when I'll have access to a computer next. I have no laptop. Maybe i can sneak into a library or Holiday Inn Express somewhere. We'll see.

better off

I was driving through St. Paul yesterday when I saw a huge crowd of protestors around the capitol. They all looked like students. I didn't think anything of it....people stand around that area with signs and such all the time. When I went by again, I caught a glimpse of their signs. I rolled down my window while i was stopped at the light. I couldn't pick up on much of what they were saying nor have I bothered reading a paper to read precisely what it was about...but I noticed it was something related to budget cuts for education. I thought it was refreshing to see people with purpose rather than the usual protestors supporting or opposing various obscure and controversial political topics. I hate politics. But when I saw these people I was sad. Here were kids wanting to do something with their life and being held back because of money. I became even more sad for myself when I realized i don't even have anything I want to do with my life. These people's future is at the mercy of the state and mine is at the mercy of my apathy. They're better off than me.

My last day of work is Friday. I plan on leaving town Saturday. Not sure what I'm doing yet.

flipping on the blinker

I didn't sleep one second last night. I couldn't. My life is at a crossroads and I'm finally figuring out that i want to make a turn rather than continuing straight ahead. I'm quitting my jobs at the end of the week and leaving this place. Gas is cheap again....if I'm ever going to do this, now is the time. I'm tired of Minnesota. It's cold. Maybe I'll head towards Florida, or maybe Mexico. California might be nice. What I'm going to do is uncertain. All I know is that I have to get away....I can't make anything of myself here. A change of location will create a change of heart. I'm waiting to see what that change will bring.

something cool

I need a career. Not a job. A career. I’ve had jobs. Many jobs.  But for all the hours I put in, what do I have to show? I have this tendency to take positions with the least amount of responsibility. I jump around between several jobs as well, but mostly stick with retail or food service. Why haven’t I spent my time doing something for myself? I should try to land a managerial position or maybe go back to school to do something cool. Like engineering. I don’t actually want to go into engineering, it’s just an example, but my point is that I need something fresh and invigorating. Maybe I should just quit working altogether! There’s other ways to make money….

...

I did something new today. I was driving through a rural area of Minnesota, where the landscape was flat and monotonous and completely covered in snow as far as the eye could see. Who’s to say how the brain works and why one thought leads to another which leads to another which ultimately leads to some sort of action or decision, but my decision in that moment was to stop along the road and just aimlessly observe the barren wasteland before me. I would say something poetic to describe the feelings such a plain sight can invoke, but I don’t consider myself to be a good enough writer for that. I started thinking about that Japanese girl I mentioned last week and how she was convinced there was money buried somewhere out there in the snow. I wondered what kinds of things were actually covered in the snow. What was the landscape underneath like? There was a million – no, probably closer to a trillion – details that could describe the landscape but it was all invisible. Now there was only a couple words that could describe the land: flat, pristine, white, etc.

Then those thoughts led to this one: what areas of my life am I cruising by without considering what’s underneath the surface? What am I missing out on? What am I taking for granted? Notice that these questions aren’t “Am I” questions, but “What am I” questions.

I'm waiting to arrive at the next thought.

Don't mistake me for an existentialist

I’ve hit one of those spots in life where things feel different from the way they’ve felt before. Isn’t it weird how our mind evolves and our attitudes alter along with it without any specific catalyst? It just happens. I’m at one of those checkpoints where it happens and I’m asking myself new questions and rethinking old ideas; trying to make my life worth something.

I read a news article about a Japanese girl who saw some movie where someone buried a large sum of money. Apparently she thought it was real and traveled from Tokyo to North Dakota to find the money but ultimately froze to death in the snow. Such a damn shame of a pointless death that is. You think her life was equally pointless?

10 Random Things About Me

1. I hate when people abbreviate my name to R.J.

2. I attend a fitness center regularly.

3. I love to snack on peanuts.

4. I am on a bowling team with my buddies Walter and Donny.

5. My first job was at a car dealership.

6. I once had a local girl in Paris kiss me in the subway right in front of her boyfriend.

7. I have a sister who is a psychiatrist.

8. My first girlfriend was named Hillary.

9. I am a big Minnesota Wild fan (hockey).

10. I accidently squished a frog earlier this week.