Spanky's Place

9:20AM, PST Bah! I've been at a client site for the last week here in Reno. I'm going to be on-site next week as well. Travel costs (and PIA factors) being what they are, I decided to simply stay over the weekend. My brother and his wife live in Turlock, CA, which is about a 3-4 hour drive from Reno. So I figured I'd get up early this morning, check out of my hotel, and drive over the mountain (I-80 Donner Pass) to spend the weekend with them. I'd get to visit with them, and I'd save my company some $$ on air-fare/hotel costs. Double bonus.

...Or so I thought...

My plan started out well; in that I got up early, showered, packed, and checked out of my hotel. I gassed up the rental car, stopped by Denny's and picked up some breakfast to go, and headed out of town. That was some 3 hours ago.

In my haste/excitement to go visit my brother, I neglected to check the weather. Mother Nature, it seems, has decided I shall not visit this weekend. Interstate 80 through Donner Pass (so named for the tragic events that befell the Donner Party) is now closed due to heavy snowfall, unless of course you have chains or a 4x4 with snow tires. Which I do not. The southern route, which goes through Carson City and then west just south of Lake Tahoe, is under similar restrictions.

So I have returned to Reno, where I shall spend the weekend. I can't check in to my hotel until 3 PM. So I'm cooling my heels in this bar for now. At least I can get some work done while enjoying a Bloody Maria (heavy on the Tabasco). Nathan has issued a developer's challenge (employees only), which I intend to win. I'm not sure if the tomato juice / tequila "energy drink" which I have beside me will help or hurt my mad coding skilz; but I intend to find out.

If you've never been in a casino at 9 AM on a Saturday morning; it is an experience worth having. You get a whole different class of people at this time of day. Weary, bleary eyed, fueled by mixture caffeine, alcohol, and left over adrenaline; these folks are serious, die-hard gamblers. Non heavy hitters, the cast-offs and remnants of late evening revelry. Blue-grey cigarette smoke wafts about in a lazy haze above a nearby Baccarat table, at which are seated four middle-aged Asian gentlemen along with two battle worn, not-quite middle-aged professional ladies in heavy make-up and sequined halter tops which reveal a bit too much of both body and intentions. These are not people whom time or society forgot; rather they have forgotten time and society. There are no clocks in casinos, these people are the reason.

Whoah. Sorry about that. I think I'm starting to channel Hunter S. Thompson. On top of which I just remembered that sitting in the back of my rental car is the growler gift set of Ichthyosaur IPA I purchased the other night at Great Basin Brewery for my brother and his wife. Which I cannot deliver because I'm stuck here in Reno.