Technically this story starts on Friday 9/10/04, but that's not as interesting. A lot of people have been talking
about what they were doing on 9/11/01 and what they were going to do this year. I figured that, instead of looking back
morbidly on the past, I'd dive headlong into delusional thought and drive out to Arizona to play the lottery. The 9/11/04
drawing had a cash value of $34million (still no winner) and that would have been around $20million after taxes. I don't
mind spending too much money if I'm living in a fantasyland of of winning the lottery. Well, crap, someone has to.
And I'll do it again on the 25th if there is still no winner by then (and see Jaggedy Ann in Vegas that night). Back
to the story.
Friday, at work. I'm deciding whether to go to see Common Rotation at The Hotel Cafe (which I had one bad
experience at) or drive to Arizona a night early and see Jaggedy Ann in concert in Boulder City, NV and crash in Vegas for
the night. Cross over the Hoover Dam (first time there) and then head down, get the tickets and head home. Then
if I have time, head off to see The Trainwrecks Saturday night.
Well, It's 6 o'clock. I've printed out directions to the place in Boulder City. Normally when going
to Vegas, it takes 4 hours and I take the 101 to 134 to 210 to 15. Well, each of the first three had multiple accidents
to get through. The Jaggedy Ann show started at 11pm. I'd never make it that way. I leave work a little
late at about 6:20, drive home and pack a bag. I decide to try to take a different way. 405 to 5 to 14 to 138
to 18 to 15. I don't have the directions, but I can wing it. And if it gets bogged down, I'll turn back and see
Common Ro instead. They were going on a little late as well. So I leave home around 7:20pm.
As I reach the top of the tall mountain on the 14, I see lightning in the distance. I finally find a weather
station that tells me there is a bad storm in the desert, right where I'm heading. But it looks like I might skirt it.
I go through a few spatterings of rain, but nothing major. The scary lightning storm miraculously dies just before I
reach it. I reach Vegas at 11:30. I'm late, but it's rock and roll and bands never go on on time, at least
not the late bands. So I follow the directions from Mapquest.
Mapquest is usually good. It showed me the actual location (without which I really would have been screwed)
but the directions to it stopped barely inside Vegas, when I had to go somewhat far southeast of Vegas. I'm driving
around on back roads lost for over 15 minutes. Ugh. Evenually I get back on the highway and guess my way to Boulder
City. I get there and stop at a gas station for directions. As usual, (I'm not cocky about much, but I am about
my ability to get places without directions) I'm only 3 blocks away from the bar. It is now offically 9/11. I
drive around the block and do not see the bar, but I see Gayla, Jaggedy Ann's lead singer. I pull into a parking spot
and see people unloading amps. I'm not happy. I missed the show. But I tried, right?
I go down to this basement bar called Matteo's and see Gayla and say hi. She tells me they have a whole
other set to play and that the PA sucked so I didn't miss anything. They rocked out on 12 songs and then I helped get
their gear out. As you can see on their page, they have big stuff for a basement show. Well, my night got much
better. I drove back to Vegas and tried to stay in a cheap Motel 6, but they were sold out, so I stayed next door at
the way too expensive Travelodge, but at that point, I would have paid that much just to use a bathroom.
I wake up and am back on the road at 11am on 9/11. I drive around Vegas a bit looking for Angela's place
since, yet again, I forgot her number. I have since written it in the wallet! I then failed to find a Denny's.
I have a thing about eating at Denny's in Vegas since it cured a horrid hangover back in '98. I must always do it.
Well, I didn't, but I survived and had buffet Chinese food instead.
I headed south to Boulder City and the Hoover Dam. See the pics below. I took most of them while driving.
I've gotten very good at the point and shoot without actually looking at it shot. I still bet it doesn't make the other
drivers too happy, but most of the way was relatively empty. I thought the Beware of Ram sign was funny off on the Arizona
side. I stopped somewhere down the 93 and took some more pics of a lake and surrounding mountains.
Way more eventually than I expected, I finally made it to my usual lottery store on the 40 just north of Lake
Havasu. Got my tickets and ate yet more chicken for lunch and made my way back home. I get home, drop my bags
off, get back in the car and drive down to Fais Do-Do to see The Trainwrecks play at 8:30. I get there at 8:15.
They put on another great little set and then 8 of us, including their drummer Jason, head off to eat.
Roscoes Chicken and Waffle is one of those restaurants you have to experience as much as eat at. If you
don't like chicken, waffles or even just southern food, have a drink (no alcohol after 9pm!). Jason and I got flicked
in the arms and elbows and I got my ear twisted (and then got some lovin') from one of the waitresses because we apparently
were raised in barns and kept putting our elbows on the table. I'm sorry mom, but I was never actually eating at the
time. A lot of fun was had. Turns out that one of the other guys at our table also used to work for Angel, but
he started after I left. Jason also pointed out that apparently that guy and I have the same laugh.
We aren't sure if that is good or bad. He changed his laugh. Oh, and I learned that Drea DeMatteo is very attractive
in person. But no pictures were taken during the part of the evening.
I got home on 9/12. Sunday was spent sleeping and watching football. I was still tired on Monday.
I saw two rock bands in two states and drove at least 450 miles between them and ate one hell of a lot of chicken.
So, what did you do on 9/11/04?
