Had a vivid and uncomfortable dream last night where I had gotten back together with A and in the middle of it, realized what an awful mistake it was. She was worse than ever in regard to her narcissistic tendencies, and had weird little runic, sort of Satanic face tattoos, symbolic of who knows what. I liked being around Everett again, but I found her insufferable whil outwardly acting very happy to be back with her. This dream is undoubtedly triggered by removing every single photo of A from every hard drive I have, an activity that has been hilariously enjoyable. In looking at various pics of her, I am appalled by my repeated realization of how unsuited we were and how fake I was for the six years we were together. Live and learn. But it's distasteful for me to encounter my ability to be so fake and falsely, outwardly compliant with the appearances.
I think some of the energy in the nightmare was also triggered by my Master of Ceremonies role last night in presenting a group of seniors from the school where I work as they in turn presented their final capstone projects. I have done the MC thing so many times at school events, running graduations, performances, etc, and it is just awful. One of the things I really miss about teaching at the college level is there is a distinct lack of these fake, enthusiastic community events.
The above, a literal scene of highs (Mt. Whitney at 14,505 feet) and lows (Badwater Basin, 282 feet below sea level), the look from Dante's View in Death Valley National Park. (Which truly should be renamed Timbisha Shoshone Homeland National Park).
The banner image for this post, a crystal clear, completely clean empty glass, outside The Aquarius Casino in Laughlin, Nevada. Sometimes, when I am botanizing in that part of the US, I stay at the casinos in Laughlin, because, from Sunday through Thursday, the rooms are often incredibly cheap. How dreary and desperate Lauglin Nevada is, you'll just have to imagine. The glass is always 100% empty. Although, once, on a trip through there when I was still an active alcoholic, I won $300 in a single hand of Omaha High Low 8 or better, with a straight flush to the 9 of hearts. Two other players were in the hand, one of whom had the ace high flush, the other on a low draw to the nut low that never materialized. It was a dream scenario, and was the only time I ever wished I was sitting at a no limit table.
After I got sober, I lost my taste for limit poker, but I think I would enjoy playing in tournaments again, with low buy ins and no rebuys. Tournaments are super strategic and really do reward studied play, most of the time, especially in the early donkey-ridden field. Plus, with a low buy in and no rebuys, that's it. You can't lose more than whatever tournament buy in you put up. Some of the local tournaments here feature $30 buy ins with enough players that finishing in the money starts at about $300. However, tournaments also take hours, and hours. Currently, that kind of time is not even a remote possibility.
An example of mojave landscape worth braving Laughlin casinos for.
Today is the 74th birthday of iconic session bassist Leland Sklar, whose work is everywhere, but he's somehow the perfect foundation on Billy Cobham's impeccable album, Spectrum. Also featuringL Billy Cobham - drums, percussion, production, Jan Hammer - electric and acoustic pianos, Moog synthesizer
Additional personnel on "Quadrant 4", "Taurian Matador", "Stratus", and "Red Baron"
Tommy Bolin - guitar, Echoplex
Lee Sklar - electric bass
Additional personnel on "Spectrum" and "Le Lis"
Joe Farrell - soprano and alto saxes, flute
Jimmy Owens - flugelhorn, trumpet
John Tropea - guitar on "Le Lis"
Ron Carter - acoustic bass
Ray Barretto - congas
György Sándor Ligeti also born on this date, 1923. Eever since I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey, when it was in re-release in theaters when I was 14, I've loved his music. This is perhaps my favorite version of Lux Aeterna.
Wendy O. Williams, born on this date, 1949.