As it was, my 16th wedding anniversary was June 29th, and my wife wanted to go to Reno....I said, "why not go to Virginia City??....its only a few miles further..., she said, "does it have casinos?? Sure I said......just failed to tell her thare was a doins until we were packing up the car....I think putting my vest and hat in the car was probably a givaway, but we had a great time....and I am still married as of today.
Karla and I went into this place (Delta Queen I think) Friday night and as it came to pass, I seated myself next to a Viginalte from JCB, and him and the bartender decided to give my wife a great anniversary present, Long Island Ice teas of about 120% alcohol......she had a great time, and on Saturday while I was at the Clamper building with the brothers, she staid in bed complaining of "the flu".....yeah I remember having "the flu" at some previous Clamper outings.....in any case, they really know how to party....Nevada Style....and they show Californios a good time.
Humbug Jeff greated me at the Clamper building Saturday, remembered me from a whole 5 minute talk I had with him at Sonora, and I ran into Dickhead Dunker and Kookie Young from LeBeck. When there is a doins in Virginia City, the Clampers take over the town, every bar is awash in red, and the alcohol flows through the night, at least at the one casino that stays open 24 hours....and down in 7 mile canyon where the doins was held.
Attached is a note from JCB's Humbug, Jeff Johnson...and pictures of pbcs being paraded down both B and C streets in town..
Lester
In case you wondered
Dada was a huge success and everyone is happy but it was anti climatic.
It was more fun for me planning it
All the pholk at the Cortez bonded
Pete Buchan made a killing cleaning out his soul attic
The events in my part of town never materialized Except Thursday night Fire spinning and Asa Gilmores Tvs and the viking funeral
Friday night I had like 5 visitors
Saturday night I hoped to participate with my friends downtown but I never seen them
Then Sunday everyone said "where were you, we looked for you at the train station?"
Dada frightenly reminded me.....
I guess Deja Vu isn't a bad thing
Everybody else who didn't flake had a killer time
I had the time of my life in Virginia City
I have a Large metal ball about 3 feet in Diameter I welded a chain to that I can barely carry my self
The symbolism was not lost on the brethern when I had the PBCs drag it back and forth in front of the meeting hall
All my officers made me look good except My Hangman had all the little jobs done but totally dropped the ball on the control of the 601 crew and Initiation of PBCs
So I got to do my job and the best parts of his job
After they were all signed up and we releived them of 55 bucks we marched them to the Julia C. Bulette monument for a lecture on Julia by the Angel of Piece, Mr Johnny Gunn
Then I lead the parade of Pbcs down C st
Find attached a picture of a VC Miners Union parade in the 19th century on the very same street.
Coyote Tony, the head of the DPW at Burning man held the Umbrella for me so the Humbug was in the shade all day
I knew as I looked back at the parade, Cops in front and behind, PBCs on a rope, Cheering redshirts, a little dog and the puzzled expressions of Turistas, I would never get this opportunity again.
Then we deadicated the plaque to the Union brothers who fought for the rights we take for granted
Brian Lewis, who is a Socialist (But I like him anyway) and still his Union rep on the UPRR gave a speech about being proud to be from the working class
Guy Rocha, our Nevada State Archivist made an appearance
Then we loaded them up and took them all to the Hanging Gardens of ECV lode no# 2
I never saw the movie but I read The Narnia books
In a scene not unlike when they sacrificed Aslan on top of the hill a crew of treacherous red shirted cretins climbed out from under their little rocks and cleared a spot on top of the ridge but obscured by pinion trees from Town
I had the Pbcs move a big concrete slab and my Bruka friends brought a gallows in their truck
I made the candidates haul their own gallows up the to the top (And braid themselves a rope)
My Hangman was cowering at the bottom of the hill
I was horse from hollering at 601s which is the Hangman's job
I took the pbcs to where they could see our new land.....drop off into the canyon
I told them, someday this will all be yours
Then I herded them back to the gallows
The Hangman says he left it cause it might start a forest fire or some one might steal it
That is like burying your talents and telling the Humbug
''Grand and Noble Sir, I know you to be a harsh man, reaping where you do not sow and gathering where you scatter no seed, and I was afraid some Poor Blind Candidate might trip and fall and went away and hid the rope at the hall,
See there it is all safe and sound''
My Hangman, I said, Be not afraid, but the rope shall set them free
How else do they grope in darkness?
That is why you make them hold the rope ......
Meanwhile the brothers were restless and could taste justice in the air
We blindfolded the PBCs with Kotex taped to their face and hung them two at a time
The Entire Host Screaming and hollering at the top of the hill overlooking six mile canyon and the Carson Plains
What shall we do with them Brothers?
Ka Chunk, Lou or Dundas would yank the pin and they'd drop 4 inches
We'd cheer and drag them off into the shade under the State Tree and drag the next two up, some 43 of them
I had ten to go and I see a couple greybeards at the bottom of the hill gesticulating at me
I went over, they were gnashing their teeth, pulling out their hair in red sack cloth
We're going to lose our charter, start a Forest fire, Violate an Orifice, hurt some one or worse, they will be late for dinner...Oh my, in the name of Saint Vitus and every widder he holds dear, stop the Sacrifical Slaughter!!
Look guys I said, If I stop now Ten guys will be disappointed, that isn't fair
We had an odd man out so I climbed the gallows too, blindfolded myself, and Proclaimed, "I regret that I have but one life to give to protect and Console the Widders of the World''
What shall we do with them Bretheran?
We had the Hall of Comparitive Ovations on the Spot
Some Poor Blind Candidates wait without
Verily Verily without sense shame or Hope.....
Back at CAmp I checked in with the Greybeards
They were Grumbly but the grub was served on time; (THough my responsibility, through no fault of my own.)
They had nothing to bitch about
That makes them Grumbly too
I walked out on a knoll looking down on the Happy Multitude standing in line for the Grub
I Pumped my fist into the air in the sign of the Well Jackass like a Viking Chieftain and hollered,
I acted all disappointed,
That is what I wanted to hear
All Clampers are Officers of Equal Indignity
It was kind of like Braveheart or something
Sunday night I was returninng the key to an owner when A former director and a founder of Artown waved me over to their table
They congradulated me on my successful Art show
She gave me 400$ she owed me which was great because I had 5 borrowed dollars on me I was afraid to spend and he asked me how downtown Reno can keep the momentum they have for their little "Arts district"
I said ''Keep it Simple''
He said, ''You know your neon fish were a turning point in the downtown redevelopment
The fish were the Art project that brought people downtown for the first time.''
Geez, Thanks guy, That was only 6 years ago and you never mentioned it before.
It is amazing what you can accomplish when you stop the whining and just rub it in some psuedo government entitie's face
(to See the fish, search neon and Jeffrey on Youtube.com and click the option that includes the text. It shows a bit of river, the old version has the flaming spade)
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