It's late in the evening as I type this and hope that nobody wants to use the computer. This is why I usually come to the La Quita Inn in Mesa, they have a computer here that I can check up and see what's going on in the world.
It was 30 years ago that I first was introduced to the desert and since then became a regular visitor in the summer months. It's still has a summer like quality out here, it was 104 today, it was 105 when I was in Lake Havasu City and it was 103 in Bullhead City.
For the most part, the best part of the trip was the Route 66 drive on Wed-Thursday, to which i went out so far into the California desert to seek out the old Road Runner's Retreat out in East Amboy, which is non existant. Then spent an extra day out in Kingman while off the view from Room 220 at the Motel 6 got treated to seeing many many trains pass through town.
I met some interesting folk out there. The old Hispanic dude at Needles to came up to talk to me and thought I was on drugs when I told him I was out sight seeing. In Needles? Gawd ya think I came from the moon. Needles is a ghost town, most of downtown is empty buildings, the only thing worth seeing is the BNSF trains coming through. Tired of Needles, went back into the old 66 through forgotten places such as Essex and Ludlow and the old Roy's Motel Place to which is empty shell of itself. Buildings, rotting in the scorching heat and day light.
Las Vegas, wore out its welcome after meeting one too many black dudes trying to hustle change from myself, since the hotel was in the worst part of Las Vegas Boulevard. No decent food places where i was at and the damn Circle K you had to manuever from pimps, crackheads and more change chasers. Even had some fat black pimp following me down all the way to the Pawnshop made famous on History channel but neither the Old Man, the bald headed dude and Chumley was there but I made a clumsy picture of myself. Even in that crazed look and the outfit couldn't stop the hustlers trying to shake your's up for more $$$.
There's so much more to talk about, but my time is up and I need to let somebody else use the computer. Personal to TAD, I did make a slight adjustment to the Top Ten of last week. One can only take so much Candlebox.....
Late Update:
A few things going on. Andy Williams passed away from bladder cancer at age 84. Sorry to hear of his passing for he was probably the last of the male pop singers of the 50s and 60s era.
Best radio station has been KCDX 103.1. They're mostly classic rock but they have been known to play Choctaw Bingo but not the James McMurtry version plus they played some very off the wall rock stuff in the process. Of course the majority of the stations are you're Cumulus owned or Clear Channel owned garbage that we have back home.
I didn't have time nor the money to go see the dude at Wax Trax in Vegas but I'm sure he'd be very disapponited that I found some cheap 45's at 50 cents at the Half Priced Bookstore in Downtown Phoenix and managed to replaced some of my old scratchy stuff with some better looking 45s. I managed to find a decent copy of Sheila by Tommy Roe at, where else, the Salvation Army in Kingman the other day. I like bargain stuff, not to take away the professional record stores that charge top dollar, but cheaper 45s are so much fun.
The best place to find CDs at Hastings would be the one in Prescott although the one I visited twice in Kingman I didn't find but I did end up buying the new Neil Young book Raging Heavy Peace (Published by Penquin Books, a division of Pearson Inc, which is the place where I work) and so far, it reminds me a lot of the Eric Clapton Auto, speaking from a viewpoint like Eric although Neil is a bit more wordy and all over the place. I only read about 30 pages but it did comfirm that he misses David Briggs very much. Briggs is the producer who got more out of neil when Briggs was still alive. The Prescott had the new Band Of Horses for 9 dollars new but the Kingman store had the new Green Day already used but for 10 bucks. So I took a pass on that. I do give the Hastings in Lake Havasu City props for a bigger bargain selection and more cds to cram into my carry on on the plane ride home.
Of course finally, Zia's, best record store in either Vegas or Phoenix although the Chandler store had a better selection and wasn't picked apart like the one in Tempe, which stays open till midnight. Of course I think I got a discount for wearing my ASU jersey in the store but had to high tail it out there due to a appearence of a hometown rapper who I really have no interests in and the kids were filling the place up. Too old and too smart for that. Fear the fork y'all.
Which ends this with Arizona State going to Cal and beating them 27-17 today, for their first win there since 1997. And Iowa beat Minnesota 31-13 today. Which means Floyd is finally back home to where he belongs.
Final wrap up of Arizona 30 will be done later in the week. Which will include more stories of Vegas, Route 66, trains and getting sunburned out on Crookton Pass in the process.
