Reno 911

Who came first: In n Out Burger or In n Out Motel?
Last weekend I went to Reno again to visit my cousin, who plays in symphony there on occasion. The plan was to rest up Friday as I still hadn't quite recovered from the day in the blazing sun followed by the all night commute. I even bought sleeping pills. We stayed at the Silver Legacy, the towering multi-faceted casino/hotel next door to the El Dorado. While my cousin practiced and went out, I tried, and failed, to sleep. The pills made me hazy but not sleepy, not like percoset, vicodin or valium. So I watched the Discovery channel - a doomsday show about a comet hitting the earth, and who is there talking but prof. David Sattler, the expert on the psychological affect of disasters. I helped him to create the Inter'l Tsunami Museum exhibit in Kho Lak, Thailand.

Saturday I met up with my friend Kim. We tried to go to the beer/brew and music fest outside the hotel but it was just too freaking hot. After walking around a bit we went to her mom's house on the other end of town, had lunch at a chain brewery, looked at the new I-phone at the Apple store. I checked my email while there. No one seemed to miss my presence in Washington. Went back to her apartment and then decided to meet up later.

I found my cousin after the show at the edge of the stage drinking wine with a cellist next to the trash cans. Odd how in Reno open containers are not a problem. In WA they force all alcohol consumers into a cage. I don't get it. We had more wine at a place that is coffee by day and wine by night.

Kim and I decided to go to a Latin night club, Coco Boom. I spoke a little Spanish but less than I used to. She found us some boys to dance with, Hondurans. We were the only whites in attendance. She had written an article about the place and had passes. There were two main areas, one with a huge rectangular bar. The first guy I danced with was getting a little too chummy. Kim's partner for the evening immediately found me another friend, and he was cute, but smelled like wine and cigarettes. We left as I was getting tired and it was almost 3am. Again.

Sunday Catherine and I tried to find a way up to Lake Tahoe to escape the heat, and after looking online (over $40ea. round trip), found out the only feasible way was to rent a car. But it was already the afternoon by that time. We had fun playing in the river. I got water-shy Catherine to jump into the river with my bodyboard. It was so much nicer being wet. I wore a long sleeved linen shirt and with that on and wet, I was almost cold in the 103 degree heat. An alternative-music style band started playing by the river. Catherine eventually found me and we listened, although the band never said their name, only that they were having an album release party a the Nugget.

After getting cleaned up we headed out for Basque food. I'd never had it, and I liked the Picon liquor. Two older couples were at our table. The men started flirting with us. It was quite entertaining.

Down on fourth avenue we admired the kitchi-ness of the area and even snuck inside a weekly hotel for a look around. Secure, my ass!













We saw a guy who does bookings for musicians who was playing at a rather hip club in this funky neighborhood. We decided to shell out the $12 cover for the all ages venue. The first band was kind of -eh- but his band, "Who Cares" was an interesting setup. 17 year old rapper, him on sax, another guy on keyboard. Album Leaf headlined but they must all be deaf. During soundcheck each member wanted more on THEIR mic, to the point where when they played, it was unbearable. The floors were vibrating. I'm surprised the old wooden roof didn't collapse.



After that we went to the Roxy where Catherine knew the piano player, Paul. I had a chocolate raspberry martini. Yum. He had funny songs, and did "I blog alone" for me. Do I need to comment on that?

The next morning I went for coffee with Kim at Java Jungle, and who should be working there behind the counter but the lead singer from the first band at the venue from the night before. Only in town three days and I felt like a local.

Random Reno stuff: The Best Drug Store was for lease and empty. I guess saying it twice didn't impact sales. Neither did being next to a wedding chapel.