On Tuesday morning, we wandered over to Gary's new casa to check it out. With a big-screen TV and 90 bottle wine refrigerator next to it, he's livin' the vida loca. We checked out his crib, which is nicer than he deserves, then headed up the road to Virginia City.

Backstory: In 1975 or so, while I was still in grade school, Leisa and her friend, Claudia, hitchhiked from Phoenix to Virginia City. They needed money to buy sleeping bags. You can ask her for all the details at leisab1 @ earthlink.net. Seems to me that even back then, K-Mart or Woolco in Phoenix sold sleeping bags. You don't need to go to Virginia City to buy sleeping bags. Anyway, she and Claudia decamped in Virginia City for many weeks. Since I've known her, Leisa has spoken fondly about those times, although without much detail. Apparently, there was a succession of cute guys, suitors for her affections, and the details she provides to me regarding these sordid assignations are few and far between. We went to Virginia City--Leisa's old stomping ground.

Leisa and Claudia slept in a room above a bar, on mattresses on the floor. Downstairs in the bar, the band's staple was Jerry Jeff Walker's "Jaded Lover."

Well, it won't be but a week or two,
You'll be out lovin' someone new.
It must have happened a hundred times before.
And I can see you been spreadin' yourself thin too.
It's a lonely stage we been goin' through.
Don't get up, I can find my own way to the door.

Chorus:
Well, I can see you are an angel,
whose wings just won't unfold.
Tune up your harp; polish your old halo.
Well the only kind of man that you ever wanted
is one that you knew you'd never hold very long.
You're sittin' there cryin' like I'm the first one to go.

Well, you may have had thirty lovers behind you.
Baby, I can feel you, but I sure can't find you.
Seems like you would have found your own self by now.
But late at night your old lovers' tears come back,
faces in your dreams, fingers in your back,
voices of the memories, cryin' out loud.

Chorus:
Well, I can see you are an angel,
whose wings just won't unfold.
Tune up your harp; polish your old halo.
Well the only kind of man that you ever wanted
is one that you knew you'd never hold very long.
You're sittin' there cryin' like I'm the first one to go.

(Up a step)

Ah, what a joyous sight to see you in your sleep.
I believe I'm leavin'; I'm in too deep,
and that seems easy enough for a man to say.
But we would never agree if we talked all night.
Things are gettin' kind of heavy. I'm travelin' light.
Goodbye you jade lover, you undercover queen for a day.

Chorus:
Well, I can see you are an angel,
Whose wings just won't unfold.
Tune up your harp; polish your old halo.
Well the only kind of man that you ever wanted
is one that you knew you'd never hold very long.
You're sittin' there cryin' like I'm the first one to go.
Tag: You're sittin' there cryin' like I'm the first one to go.

(Spoken:) Think about it darlin

I'm going to argue "fair use," and that I'm not violating any copyrights by putting the lyrics up here, but I don't think I could put the .mp3 up here without the RIAA busting me. And I think "thirty lovers" is an understatement as far as Leisa and Claudia were concerned!

We started looking for a building with a "balcony where we sat out every night after the tourists had gone." Leisa remembered it had a door to the side, leading upstairs. It's a short street, and we soon found it.

It's Leisa and Claudia 2.0!, sitting on the stoop. Another shot of the hotel/bar.

Leisa worked in a Mexican restaurant as a waitress [!] for a couple of weeks, and that was the next order of business, to find the place she worked.

It's changed, but L recognized it and graciously allowed me to photograph her in front of the place.

Virginia City's a cool town, and in the short time we had there, I wandered around and took a few photos of the old architectural details.

Such elaborate supports. Follow them down, and they're 130 years old.

The new mingles--somewhat uncomfortably--with the old. Shoutouts to Gary for calling this to my attention! And speaking of "new and old," I love this home loan place. No home inspector in his right mind would give this a clean bill, nor would any rational lender allow you to borrow to buy this, yet it houses a loan office!

Check out the thing in this doorway.

As Hannibal says, "closer."

It's probably got something to do with the fact that Dad used to work for the Post Office, but I really like this next juxtaposition.

The FedEx truck broken down in front of the Post Office.

Here's Gary, holding Sparky!, while I take their picture.

As we were heading back to the car, I stopped to take a photograph of this wall, as I am a disciple of Budweiser, when I noticed the birds overhead.

Like something out of Hitchcock.

Only one stop left to make on the way back to Carson City. With the Wake-up Bunny in the car, it was obligatory.

As I reached for the sign to place the Wake-up Bunny atop it, the gate buzzed automatically. Neither of us availed ourselves of the opportunities within. [Brittany and Sarah, in unison, "eeewwwww."]

We headed back to Gary's house to prepare for the afternoon ahead.