Eversince we moved up here, people have been asking us if we frequent the casinos - the answer is no, we only go when we have guests in town, like this past Friday night. Our friends Rana and Andrew and a couple of their friends came up for a visit and some skiing and we took them out to the Eldorado for some Reno fun. None of us gamble big so we took out $20, went to a blackjack table and managed to play for at least an hour! I won $5, Andrew won $20 and Charlie, who was breaking even up till the very last hand, decided to bet it all and lost it all. It was a fun night of small gambling, maybe we will visit the casinos a little more often ;)
Well, shockingly I'm headed to Reno in about 1hr, while Karen is treking in Nepal. The contract came together, after a humilating whiz quiz as Justin K. calls it. But enough of existential angst - the point of this post is that I've posted some new thumbnail postings... look on the right hand side under Pictures.
Well, I moved out of Reno last night. How long does it take one to move? Weeks of planning perhaps, packing, sorting , trucking etc? Last night it took exactly 1 hour, and I had the S4 trunk fully packed. I had half a beer with John, then hit the road.
I guess that the months of packing, moving out of our old appartment enabled that, but its pretty nice to be able to head out of town so quick. I'm now in Mt.View, preparing for the journey.
Well, as Karen learns Spanish in Barcelona, my hotel-living phase seems to have drawn to a close. I moved in with a co-worker John, who had an extra room and offered it up. Although I can't expense my living expenses like I can in hotels, hopefully the new situation will be slightly more stable. And it comes with a washer and dryer.
Well, I've been avoiding posting, since I'm not truly traveling. Though I do live in hotels....does that count? Packed up the Car in Mountain View from Karen’s house and headed over the Sierras on Monday, Oct 7th, 5 AM. The unfortunate realization that I don't indeed have a place to live besides hotels for the next few months is sinking in.
My current digs are the Plaza Hotel in Carson City. Thought I'd give it a try, since it's close to work, have a good weekly rate, and a kitchen. I had been staying in the luxurious Sienna, which I far prefer, in Reno. They have free high speed internet access, pool, spa, and workout room. Needless to say, the Plaza has been a big let down, including an adventure in buying my own food this week, and finding there were no pots to cook with in the kitchen. They stopped providing them, according to the front desk, because they were routinely stolen.
I'm headed back to the Sienna fo' sho, even though it will cost me 70 miles a day on my leased car that is nearly out of miles!
So, though its not really traveling, you may look forward to several months of dreary posts about Nevada lifestyle... or perhaps I'll save it.
I went to the Carson City post office yesterday, in a slight lull in the madness that has been work. I had approached the post office in Reno the pervious night (9/16/2002) - with the intention to mail my quarterly federal income tax. When I arrived at the Reno post office at 9:30 pm, I realized I had no return address on my tax return envolope. Furthermore, I realized I had no address - besides a hotel I leave every week. Hmmm.... I retreated to consider my options.
Here's the dilemma - 8.25% California state tax. I live in Nevada right now, and will for the next several months. I don't have a home in California - and therefore don't want to pay the taxes - but there is no official way to transfer out of state residency into migratory/homeless status. Ed Pinto (my accountant) said I had to at least an address/drivers license to transfer... I figured the best I could come up with is a PO box. The guy at the counter seemed surprised when he asked for my address and I said I don't have one... suggested write "homeless" in the address line and I did.
I want to find out if I can register a Nevada drivers license as a homeless person? I doubt it...maybe I'll take this up as a cause.
Go ahead and write me a letter - though I'm not planning on checking the box for a long time: PO Box 20170 Carson City, NV (not sure of the zip code)
Drove through the washoe valley from Reno. Sun setting, green fields dotted with cows .... a sandy bottomed valley, hard scrable, sand and weeds and grass. water from the winter snow pack fill up the shallow lake on the valley floor - which is pumped to irrigate grazing land for walking hamburgers. I'm red eyed , cruising in a dodge neon - really between work and hotel in a semi mindless state, not at work, not at "home". I live in world of emails, spreadsheets, lines of code, databse tables, electonic networks. ah, verily, this is life, the eternal momement, which is also scheduled in my outlook calendar, repeating itself at 1:30 pm every week day.