Desert Beauty
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Posted:Oct 17, 2012 12:05 pm
Last Updated:Oct 20, 2012 10:29 pm
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About 30 miles down the road from this place is the nuclear test site at Mercury. Sad to think about.
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7
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Hoover Dam
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Posted:Oct 17, 2012 11:55 am
Last Updated:Oct 21, 2012 10:46 am
5403 Views
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The birdseye view.
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13
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I've Done Seen About Everything....
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Posted:Oct 14, 2012 10:43 am
Last Updated:Oct 17, 2012 1:08 pm
5395 Views
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...But I swear to you, Vegas is just about the biggest freak show I have ever seen in my life. I am both enthralled and repulsed by it all. I love the fact that people are happy to just be whomever they want to be, but it makes me wonder if that is who they truly want to be, or if they are just doing it for the attention.
I mean, I am all about people letting their freak flag fly with pride. But there are some people in this town that might think about flying it at half mast once in a while. Just sayin'.
Last night we took a little tour of some 'off the strip' bars. And sitting here this morning, thinking back on the days that I used to drink heavily, I can see why it is a good thing that I no longer drink. Because if I did still drink? I am pretty sure I would have needed a bank loan and bail money this morning.
We went to Freemont for a while. Went to a place called Mermaids, that had ZERO mermaids. I felt cheated. There wasn't even a photo of a mermaid in the place that I saw. Not even a mermaid slot machine. There was, however, so many people that I had to go back outside. I was feeling confined to the point of paranoia.
There was another place that had very cute young women, scantily clad, who were dealing cards, and in the center, there were more very cute, scantily clad young women dancing. Not one set of Barbie tits to be found amongst them. I was pretty impressed! And it was awesome that the dealers and the dancers rotated to one anothers position on the floor. They would deal, then they would dance, then they would deal again. I can see where that would help keep their obvious boredom somewhat at bay. I did find a great deal of irony in the fact that the male dealers and pit bosses were dressed in the style of 1930's era gangsters. Talk about truth in advertising.
We wandered about watching the whole revolving herd of people. Ladies, if you are coming to Vegas? Please please PLEASE, do yourself and your feet a favor. Leave your CFM's in your room unless you are going to a show or dinner. I watched some very young women in obvious pain, hobbling up and down the streets in shoes that are not meant for distance walking. I noticed that very few of the ladies who were working were wearing heels with anything more than a three inch heel. Speaking of the casino employees, I really felt bad for most of them. Sincerely, not a single person I watched or interacted with seemed anything more than fed up and miserable. I would hate to think about spending 8+ hours a night being in that kind of mood. I bet shrinks here are simply rolling in the dough.
So we went off the strip, and into other parts of the city. The people we saw working there were much happier.
The first place we stopped in was a gay club. And it had some of the hottest bartenders, clad only in Calvin Klein 'tighty-whitey' style undies. I had some water and just took in the show with a smile on my face. Not much was happening there, it was still fairly early by Vegas standards, so we went to a couple of little shops, I purchased some souvenir stuffs and then we went to another club just across the street.
Holy shit.
It was here that I started to miss drinking while alternately being grateful I no longer drink.
The crowd was a mix of straight, gay, lesbian, and transgendered folks. The waitresses were wearing skimpy lingerie, the waiters were shirtless gym rats and let me tell you, the service was first rate. When the Tawdry one had a shooter, I asked the shirtless lad to make it a good one,because it was her last night in Vegas for a while. He stuck the test tube full of alcoholic wonder in the waistband of his pants, bent her over the seat, and poured the contents in her mouth, then sealed the deal with a kiss that would have set wet wood ablaze.
As I said, I was happy that I wasn't drunk at that point. Because if I had been, I would have hit every server in the place to see if they could top that. Yes, I can see where Vegas could be a lot of fun...
The night ended at that club. I am not the party animal I once was, and by the time midnight hit, all I wanted to do was come home, put on my jammies and read my book for a minute and fall asleep.
The old gray mare just ain't what she used to be.
Oh yeah...the guy in the pic?
I think his brother lives here in Vegas. He was probably 7 foot tall because he had on a pair of glittery pink Mary Janes with a 6 inch heel. He was dressed in a nude leotard with a pale pink bikini over the top of it.
His upper body had roughly the same amount of hair one would expect to see on a bear.
He still wasn't as entertaining as the Santa Claus that was dancing in front of a bandstand when I was here in June.
Vegas is kinda like a carnival in my mind. Fun and entertaining for a minute, but it would drive me to madness in a very short time if I were to try to live here.
We are on the road in the morning, so I will catch up with everyone sometime mid-week.
For photographic evidence of our misadventures, go check out tawdryaudrey!
Love, peace, and bacon grease ya'll!
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Yet More Delays
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Posted:Oct 11, 2012 5:04 pm
Last Updated:Oct 29, 2013 7:56 am
4657 Views
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And this one is going to take a bit longer~ The end of the Tawdry and Wild Road Show has yet to be completed. I am off tomorrow, headed back to Vegas. This time we are taking the southern route back, through AZ and New Mexico.
There may be time, and a collaborator, in Nevada. I happen to know of a lovely patio that is blissfully quiet in the mornings.
Time will tell. But if I don't get any written, NEVER FEAR! (Lol, as if...) I will be returning to my regularly scheduled blogging no later than Monday. And I have read all your lovely comments and I will reply to as many as I can tonight, but I have things that I have to get done before tomorrow. So if I miss you, please know that I will get back to you as soon as I have ten minutes to call my own!
(I was going to run some photos up, but since this place is acting like always, it is taking too long. I am now on a third attempt to get this photo to load.)
These handsome gents were standing in a field along a road near Stockton Lake.
[image]
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Delays, Delays, Delays
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Posted:Oct 10, 2012 12:07 pm
Last Updated:Oct 11, 2012 5:18 pm
3973 Views
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Popping in to say that segment 2 of the Road trip tale will have to be on hold. Got a broken computer, so I am sharing a computer. Which means I am pretty much kept to writing while everyone else is out of the house with work and school. So part 2 will continue tomorrow! (Or maybe tonight after everyone goes to bed.)
And with that, I am off and running again!
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5
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DO NOT....
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Posted:Oct 9, 2012 11:37 am
Last Updated:Oct 13, 2012 6:07 pm
4784 Views
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...Get back in this car. This is where you will be riding until we are out of Kansas.
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10
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Oh Look!
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Posted:Oct 9, 2012 11:29 am
Last Updated:Oct 11, 2012 5:23 pm
3332 Views
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Another wheat field!
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The Highway Adventures of Tawdry and Wild, or; A Wild and Tawdry Road Trip
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Posted:Oct 9, 2012 11:11 am
Last Updated:Oct 14, 2012 7:25 am
5557 Views
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Once upon a time there were two gypsy girls; Tawdry and Wild.
They met under mysterious circumstances during a clandestine meeting held beneath a full moon at The Firegodz Rib Shack, where they were required to bathe in barbecue sauce and offer themselves up to the Gods as a cure for the munchies. What started as a friendship bound by barbecue sauce soon grew to be a sisterhood of two.
Chapter 1
Kansas
Tawdry, the very urbane and stylish brunette pictured above, had gotten bored with her life here in the Midwest, as gypsies do from time to time. So she thought to herself; "What does a very stylish and urbane girl need to do to get a little excitement, where does she go to find high adventure?" Of course there was only one answer. She needs to visit the hottest, most happening slab of concrete in the desert!
Yeah baby, that's right. She was headed to Las Vegas. Sin City. The Devil's Playground. Where anything is possible and fortunes are made and lost on the turn of a card, and in less time than it takes to shave your legs.
And as it is with all really good adventures, there was a need for an accomplice. And that is where Wild comes into the story. As the counter balance to her stylish and urbane self, who better than a girl who is an uneasy mix of nerd and diva?
After many weeks in preparation for the blessed event, safety check for the Circus Wagon, accommodations for sleeping, and joint staff meetings for which roadside attractions were on the 'must see' list, meetings where countless glasses of the finest 'cardbordeaux' were consumed, they were set!
The sunrise shone gloriously in the rear view mirror as they were leaving, like an omen of wonderful things to come. Hopes were high, caffeine was coursing through their veins, and for several hours the journey was indeed productive.
And then: Salina
Now I am sure many readers know that Salina, Kansas is something like a dividing point in the state. From Salina eastward, the Flint Hills are simply gorgeous, the terrain is rolling and green. From Salina westward? There are two things, wind farms and wheat fields. And while both are pretty to look at, after you stare at them for 250 miles or more you start to look a lot like "The Scream" by Edvard Munch.
So it was decided that brunch would be good fortification, to strengthen themselves against boredom that causes bad decisions to sound like Pavlovian theory.
Someone should have warned them there would be cowboys in Salina.
They pulled the circus wagon into the filling station that was filled to capacity with trucks. Big trucks, little trucks, trucks with mud flaps, trucks with cow manure...and tight jeans as far as the eye could see.
Distraction from the job at hand, so to speak.
Since the day was rainy, and harvesting was out of the question the place was simply crawling with male forms of all ages, shapes, and sizes. It was a whole lot like being the proverbial in the candy store. Much time was lost as they smiled and flirted their way into the hearts of the cowboys. The official count was lost, but it is known that they bought at least 3 tanks of gas, and lunch for 47 cowboys, because lets just face it; Good cowboys ain't cheap, and cheap cowboys ain't good.
Money well spent on an afternoons entertainment, that would later bring them to regret.
But as with all things, the realization that they were burning daylight at an alarming rate and they still had the sodden desert of wheat to cross before arriving at the castle of the suave and debonair Sir Ricardo of Aurora for the evenings rest.
"To the Circus Wagon!", cried Tawdry.
And with that, they were off, leaving a filling station full of TRULY well satisfied and happy cowboys with smiles on their faces.
Because that old adage is true, mens hearts are most easily touched via their stomach. (Or a really sharp knife, but Tawdry and Wild are not the types to be mean. Well, at least Tawdry isn't. Wild has more issues than ten years worth of Nat Geo, but the Diva in her finds the sight of blood distasteful.)
On and on rode the intrepid adventurers drove, the wagon racing at break-neck speeds of 75-78mph, like the wind they flew through miles...
and miles...
and yet more miles...
of wheat.
Into a land where rocks and trees are touted as tourist attractions. Into a world where only country music radio stations exist. Into the land of eternal boredom.
Maybe it was the wheat. Maybe it was Wilds whining about the wheat. Maybe it was Wilds teasing about needing an atlas when you have a gps on the dash. Maybe it was the sudden realization they both had about the cost of the cowboys and the rapidly dropping gas hand.
But there, at a rest area just across the Colorado state line, Tawdry snapped, threw Wild from the car and threatened to strap her to the hood for the remainder of the ride.
Naturally this meant war.
And so there alongside the freeway, the battle of the titans began. There was scratching, biting, hair-pulling, hissing and spitting, insults about shoe choices were heard for miles across the waving golden wheat.
A crowd began to gather, and odds makers were taking bets as rapidly as phones could be answered. Soon vendors appeared and popcorn and peanuts were selling like hotcakes. The parking lot was rapidly filled, and cars were lined up all the way to Arriba along the side of the freeway.
On and on they battled, drunkenly staggering in the muddy grass, both so weary and so sore, yet each unwilling to concede.
The Army National Guard soon arrived to disperse the crowd, and call a cease fire to the raging battle. Both Wild and Tawdry were promptly sent to the bathroom to pee and fix their hair and makeup, because frankly? They looked frightfully like Alice Cooper with all that runny mascara and unkempt hair.
They were then questioned extensively on matters of National Security, deemed a threat only to themselves and released into the wild again.
Weary and heart-sore about letting their tempers get the better of them, they hugged and said 'sorry' having both decided it must have been caused by the fact that they were suffering the psychological affects of their time in the barren wheat desert.
Besides, they had bigger fish to fry. How were they going to fuel the Circus Wagon? They formed a plan to search the car for change in the seats and floorboard, in the hopes that they would be able to reach Sir Ricardo's castle.
They unloaded the many suitcases and camera bags and searched for an hour. At the end of their endeavors, they had found $1.47 and several fuzzy Altoids. Things were not looking good for them at all.
But just after they re-loaded the last suitcase, as they were getting in the car, Tawdry looked to Wild with wonder and joy in her eyes. An envelope fluttered under the windshield wiper, like a moth trapped in a spiderweb.
Grabbing it quickly, Tawdry and Wild cried out with relief! Their salvation was at hand, literally. It seemed that one of the spectators to their epic battle was in fact, a billionaire philanthropist who had been so pleased by the sheer magnitude of the insults and blows that the girls had been hurling with such force, that he had left them an all access platinum credit card and a phone number. The attached note also included an invitation to come and repeat that same fight naked in a pool of eggnog at his private estate in the Hampton's on Christmas Eve.
The jury is still out. Wild thinks they should, because seriously, who DOESN'T want to spend Christmas in the Hampton's? But convincing Tawdry to release her high moral standards is taking longer than anticipated.
And onto the highway the roared, fuel tank filled, all tensions drained and hopes soaring again. Both were filled with excited anticipation for what adventures would await them when they arrived at Sir Ricardo's!
And thus concludes today's chapter.
Tune in tomorrow for Chapter 2- Colorado, and see what happens when the girls finally come to understand the meaning of "Rocky Mountain High"
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11
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House Finch
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Posted:Oct 8, 2012 10:37 am
Last Updated:Oct 13, 2012 6:50 am
3844 Views
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Did you know that the redder the males head is, the more likely he is to mate? Females select males based on the red coloration of their head.
Sing on my little ginger friend! I am sure the ladies were just swooning over him.
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6
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Picnic Companion
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Posted:Oct 8, 2012 10:15 am
Last Updated:Oct 12, 2012 8:22 pm
3528 Views
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Just around the curve from where I shot this photo, there is a picnic shelter. I am not sure if I want to picnic with Elks at this time of the year...the males are starting their rut. And I know if it comes down to a battle between this guy and me? I might as well drop trou and kiss my ass good bye.
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3
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Field of Dreams
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Posted:Oct 8, 2012 10:06 am
Last Updated:Oct 14, 2012 7:34 am
3738 Views
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I actually got off my lazy ass and went hiking yesterday. There was a twenty acre field full of wildflowers with a path mowed through it at the conservation area I hike all the time. Mr said we should run through it singing "The Sound of Music", but I had to veto the idea...If I am running, something is chasing me...true story.
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4
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Sunrise in a Mirror
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Posted:Oct 8, 2012 9:10 am
Last Updated:Oct 13, 2012 6:30 am
6070 Views
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I am in a contemplative sort of mood this morning.
Maybe, it's because Autumn is here. There was a time in my life that this time of year signaled the onset of very dark and very angry depressions. From 2004 to 2009, I only seemed to find any joy in life when Spring arrived. And while I still live for the sight of crocus bursting through the snow every year, I came to terms with the demons that fueled these states. While the memories of old battles come back to me with a word, or a sound, or even certain scents....I no longer have an emotional response, other than a bittersweet smile at the I once was. There are scars some of us have, that will never truly be healed. The only option that works is finding whatever means it takes to come to terms with the past and its haunting memories.
I had to learn that a memory only has the amount of life you allow it.
I think that even though that is now living inside a rapidly aging woman, she still lives. She actually thrives now; inside this woman who is so close to 50 that I have started to acquaint myself with the wonderful amount of benefits awarded to those of us who manage to survive ourselves and this world for half a century. I seriously cannot wait to get my first senior discount. I think it will make me feel like I have accomplished a good deal more than I ever thought I would. When I was a ? Making it to 40 sounded like about 30 more years than I would want to invest in this place.
With proper gratitude for unanswered prayers, as I said earlier, I have managed to survive myself.
Autumn often makes me retrospective as well, so it makes understanding the whys behind my hatred of Autumn and Winter a lot more simple. The death of summer seems to bring out a sadness in me that I cannot explain. It begs me sit down and contemplate my short season here on this billions of years old rock. At one time, these contemplations were akin to unlocking a box of demons. I dreaded it, ran from it, trying to silence it. Nothing ever really worked until I was forced to confront the demons.
I came to terms with the demons that haunted me by spending a winter buried under more snow than I even imagined could exist in one place at the same time. There, nestled in a valley surrounded by the Northern Rockies I had nothing but time and the most raging case of cabin fever in history. I drank, a whole hell of a lot, for a while. (My liver is still not on speaking terms with me.) Alas; this only served to amplify the voices in my head. Voices that screamed my failures in life with such amazing clarity that I could even smell scents and hear voices, sounds...my ghosts were only tiny shades away from becoming real, I stood there in a doorway to complete and utter madness, but I found the strength to take a step back.
I teetered there on the edge of full blown alcoholism for about 12 weeks. I read blogs, wrote blogs, phone calls to my beloved Midwest and East Coast family to maintain the bit of sanity I had left. I suppose I can thank my 'sis', whose alcoholism is far and away one hundred times greater than mine could ever be, for waking me up. A fun morning after working all night spent trying to keep her alive after a bottle of Valium and a bottle of Black Velvet; (A toast to the one year anniversary of her husbands death.) was enough to make me see the errors of my thinking. It also made me take a long, hard look at the things that had held me captive from life for most of my waking days. I had the time and I had the leisure to look at the whole picture, instead of just the horrifying parts, I had time to accept the fact that while there were some things that were in essence blameless, there were things that were entirely my own fault. Choices made by myself, actions taken by myself. I had to face and embrace my guilt in so many parts of my life. And I had to forgive, both myself and those who helped create the train wreck that was 'me'.
I wrestled those demons so hard that there were days I thought for certain they would win. There were days when I stepped back into that doorway, felt almost compelled to step over the threshold of my own free will.
Thankfully, the most wonderful event I have ever witnessed came to my rescue. Spring thaw in the Rockies is a miracle to behold. As I watched the 5 foot of snow dissolve into 4 foot, I broke out of the house with a camera and an idea about a blog I wanted to write. It turned into a love that borders on obsession at times.
I started with short walks outside. Tromping about in 4 feet of snow, with a digital camera and an idea. Taking photos of things that people see every day but rarely stop to notice, or give consideration to.
I would spend entire days in snow looking at this amazing, incredible beauty and actually thinking about what it truly was, what purpose it served in my world. How horrifying and brutal their existence was in comparison to mine, yet how peacefully content they seemed in their ultimately fruitless labors. I started using the world I was viewing through a camera as a way to find a proper perspective for confronting my demons. By the time early Summer arrived, my demons were finally silenced in final manner. I began to see life as something more than this challenge I had to somehow survive, and I reached out, took that leap of faith in myself, and I started to live.
And I find that now, when Autumn beckons me to spend a bit of time in quiet contemplation of my life, I am not frightened at all. It is truly a bit like looking at a Sunrise in a Mirror. I look back on what is past to see only a small girl who still holds all those wild and fanciful dreams of her youth, with a smile of dawning hope on her face.
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To link to this blog (wildnwanton) use [blog wildnwanton] in your messages.
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