To the Biggest Lil City...

Well I must say dear Reno it has been fun.

I am leaving you for now. I have to move back to the southern part of the state. I hate to break our love affair off but sadly like everything in my life this must end. I truly do love you.

I love your weather. I love how I can be cold at 8 in the morning in August. It is the best runs I have ever had. Also there is something about the air in the mornings here. It is refreshing. I will miss my skin not feeling like it is going to burn off when I walk outside. Or how I have to wear a sweatshirt at night, trust me it has not really been hot August nights, hahhah!

I love getting stuck in the snow in my 4-runner, that only has 2 wheel drive. Shit I could not get up my drive way in it. I will miss building snow forts and snow people in your beautiful snow. I will miss the Oranges, Reds and Yellows of your autumn, I will miss the chill in the air knowing that summer has ended and the crunching of the leaves when I walk on your beautiful campus.

And Tahoe, ugh well ugh. There are millions of words to describe you. I have a million and one, here are a few. I have seen beaches and rolling hills, but really there is nothing that can compare to the colors you share with the world. It has jaded me just a bit, I think the only thing that could ever compare is the Rainforest in Hawaii.

My friends I love you as well. You know that already...

So Reno, I shall miss you a lot. I hate Vegas, but it is what it is. I will make the most of it, and well damn, shit, and hell, I guess I have to kick your ass Vegas. It has it's fine points and I do have a secret thrill every time I fly home, but I will never live there. I will never be a Vegas person again. I really just hate it. I love what Vegas was, you have to have some love for your home town, and my home town is not what it was. This will end for sure, I know it, and Then who knows where I will go. It will be far away, and well time will not be spent like people would like to think.

When this is over I will be far away and you will never see me, I guarantee that. This is a mistake for you Vegas, if people think London is far... There are even farther places I can promise that, I will go farther than anyone can think, and I may not come back.

So for now I am raising a glass to Reno, and giving the finger to Las Vegas, and to all who think it is better... You know who you are.

From dirt comes flowers. Pretty ones

Artown and Hot August Nights

So I was reading on rgj.com yesterday about how Hot August Nights may or may not be leaving Reno for Long Beach.

I also read yesterday about how two of the fifteen pianos put out for Artown have been vandalized.

I am going to step on a soap box for a minute.

Hot August Nights brings a lot of money to Reno. WHOOPITYDO! I love going down town and look at old cars. It is a blast. I can appreciate it. An old car rocks my world. It was a connection between my dad and I, '69 Camaro it was Fucking amazing. It was a beautiful car. I seriously though cannot understand why on Earth people are freaking out about this whole thing leaving the biggest little city. There is nothing big or little about this city anymore. Hot August Nights has a optical appeal about it, it is also a business, what about Reno right now is screaming, "Hey look how awesome we look we are flourishing with business!"

The planners of Artown put out fifteen pianos to celebrate fifteen years of Artown. Fifteen local artist decorated the pianos to share their art with the community. Some rat bastards thought it would be great to beat the hell out of and vandalize two of them. It is sad and shows why things in Reno are on more of a decline. I was out last week, riding around with my friend Josh on his tandem bike. (Yeah we were pretty much the coolest people out there on his bicycle built for two.) The pianos brought me joy, hard work and effort were put into them and well shit it was just nice to see people walking up to them and playing them. The pianos were put there for joy and entertainment. Whether you are a Musical genius, a person who only took piano lessons for three years, or a kid just walking up to them and banging on the keys, they managed to inspire. Those bastards should be spanked. (That is right I am saying it!) I respect the artist who sees the positive in it. She now gets to paint another panel for the piano, and that warms my heart.

People are raving and ranting about HAN leaving Reno. Who cares this is not until 2012. Maybe by that time Reno will have it's act together, and HAN will not want to leave. Maybe by the time 2012 rolls around this fledgling economy will be booming again. The mayors of Sparks and Reno should take this as a wake up call. I know if I spent all that money on a car and put all that effort into it why would I want to bring it to a place where there is a condemned building in the background. Your cities are in a decline. If something as big as HAN does not want to stay here, maybe it is time to start cleaning up. How about we start with Virginia Street. I know there is a recession, but from dirt comes flowers. Paint another panel. I love this city, but things need to change, this is getting ridiculous. Things can always come back, so prove it to your citizens, by making some efforts to save this recession ridden city. Stop seeing the big bucks, this is not Las Vegas, this is why I love it here.

Clean it up and fix it. It is what the supporters of Artown are doing, they are trying to make things better. They are trying to make the Biggest little city better. What are you doing? Telling people you are "One Hot Tamale" BFD!!! Clean up your city and prove it is HAN's loss. Start it over and make it bigger and better than it ever was. It is what the people of Artown do, every year they make it better and work towards something better. Even when something bad happened they managed to pull together and fix it, not show how angry they are. This could have been an opportunity to renew and fix as opposed to just talk like everyone else seems to do.

One thing about Vegas is at least Oscar Goodman would be out there fighting for this not just talking (OK so he does talk A LOT). BUT Mayors you have known about this for a while now and all of a sudden you are shocked! You should be spanked, this is your vandalism! You let it run it course and thought things would never change, well now they are. Look at your down town. The Reno beautification project fell by the wayside, and wow we now have condos. Empty condos. What is Northern Nevada known for? Things like Artown, HAN, Street Vibrations, Those beautiful mountains we ski, see and hike in, and GAMBLING. How can people gamble when no one wants to come here and do it because "the strip" looks like a pig sty. If you build it they will come, willingly!

go here http://www.rgj.com/article/20100707/NEWS/100707060 and read about the silly HAN fiasco!

here for the pianos http://www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010100706035

Really People

I wish I could understand why people feel the need to be so mean to baristas.  We are just there to help you and make you coffee.  I am sorry the coffee did not taste as good as the last time.  We can make it over for you.  Just tell us in a polite manner, and gladly we will.  Really the nicer you are to us the nicer we are to you.  

A lady was getting mad at me today because she did the card register thing and thought when she refilled her card she would be getting a free drink.  No this free drink is only when one registers their card.  Not refill it with money.  It is not my job to give you a free drink, but I still did and politely told her for future the free drink is not part of the refilling of the card.  "I get a free drink I get a free drink I get a free drink" is all she kept saying all through the time I am trying to tell her about the great details of the card registration thing. OYE!

Then another man comes in and tells us how Reno is an armpit.  "Where are you from?"  We ask.  Salt Lake City he tells us.  PFSHT, I have been there I would say they are about the same, except the weather in Reno is a little better.  Both places have pretty mountains.  Both places have some museums, and both places have many things to offer.  Not one is better than the other.  Both have their Arm Pit qualities, just like any city.  He said Salt Lake is better than Reno which really got me.  Oh well.  Really though we live here so probably not smart bud!

On another note, I am almost done with the shall of doom.  This thing will haunt me for ever, but Damn I will finish it.  I want to rip out the jitterbug socks.  I am just not as happy as I thought I was.  I can make a better pattern I know I can, I am better this way and also these socks will so much better anyways!  OHHHHH and I joined ravelry today!!!!! woot!!!

On a sad note, no more George Carlin.  Damn, one funny man.  This pissy ass world needs the funny men in them, and when we lose them it just seems sadder than when we lose a news anchor.  Thanks for all the laughs George, you shall be missed.  

I guess I am writing a song today because there are just notes I am playing them.  The bean crew is going to be painting pottery today.  I am the worst painter in the world so if anything this should be entertaining:).  I cannot wait to get us all together and see how we all say and react! It is a different bunch of people but we are all super fun to see and be!