Sunday, June 08, 2008

Weekend of 6/7-8/08

People wonder why I go back to Nevada so much. The reason is I always have so much fun! On the way back I think about all the stuff I did so today I wrote (most) of it down. I left a little out on purpose, and probably left a little out just because I forgot. It was actually a pretty tame weekend, but there was still lots of friends and family, great times, bad decisions and fun.

(if you want to skip ahead to the fun stuff, look for "Tape the video camera to the rear view mirror..." late Saturday.)

SATURDAY:

- Wake up, rush out to Basque festival parade to take some pictures. I haven't been to one of these in years. I found Clay and his family so i hang out with them.

- Back home. Mom make's my favorite cream of wheat. The trip is already worth it.

- See family and dog, hang out at Basque festival, and see old friends at that throughout the day.

- Dinner with Mom, Dad, Grandpa Buckie and Elaine at (Basque restaurant in Winnemucca). A couple picons before dinner, lots of great conversation and catching up.

- Unlocked a few levels and Mom's Mii on Mario Kart so she can play as herself. Character name, "mom"

- Graduation house party in a house my Grandpa built with an interesting crowd that I haven't hung out with much.
- Dinner at Model T with America and her step-daughter. Nice to get to know her finally.

- Winnemucca seems mostly dead again. I go to the basque festival dance and see some faces i haven't in a while including my favorite High School teacher Mrs. Kennedy. Her son just graduated and she is having a GREAT night. I always love seeing Mrs. Kennedy :)

- Over to the Sage. Not much going on again but I have a drink and talk to the bartender for a while.

- Next to the Mineshaft. Ask people if the town is so dead because of the shootings a few weeks ago and they think so too. I have one drink and skip out the back avoiding goodbyes.

- Go home for a minute, take the A/C unit out of the back, pick up my flip camera.

- Drive away from the town and look at the stars from the back of the pickup. It is a perfect night. If you have never seen this I can't really explain what it looks like, and my camera can't picture it. No clouds and no moon. I can see the milky way.

- Tape the video camera to the rear view mirror and go boonie crashing (aka off roading) on my fav road behind the high school while listening to "Coward of the County" by Kenny Rogers. (note to self: when video taping a bonnie crash, better to not use high beams. When you bounce that much it just shoots the light too far and up too high).

- The video is not as exciting as you would hope.

SUNDAY:

- Breakfast with mom and dad, homemade by Mom :)

- The next morning I am talking in the front yard and Dad comes out and says, "I just got a call from Bud Vetter. He says that one of our tailgate's is behind the high school. You wouldn't know anything about that would you?" Apparently I boonie crashed so hard I bounced the tail gate off. So I hop in the truck to go get it. It still smells like all the sage brush I ran over last night.

- Pick up the tail gate (only one strap broken, not that bad) and wash the pickup.

- Lunch with Dan and Ferd. Sandwiches in the park. Dan's conversation is odd and inspiring (in the oddest way) as always. Ferd lives in the moment like no one I have ever met. He is my oldest friend, and a gift. We get sandwiches and eat by the river in a park.

- Hang out with brother and his family for a few.

- chased a small dust devil that was throwing tumbleweeds in the air.

- Drive back to California.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love this weekend! Love to hear about what you are up to and how you appreciate every little moment. I am blessed to call you my friend.

And, you are right, this was a pretty mild weekend for you. ;)

Nikki said...

It almost makes me want to spend a weekend there - except it has been 19 years since I lived there, and I don't have the family and friends there, so it would just be sad and lonely.

I'll probably buzz through by myself this summer on the way to Boise and take in some of the sights, and again on the way to Elko with friends this fall.

MorsaJones said...

i'm in need of a weekend like this, for sure.

Unknown said...

Hi Zach,

I found you...finally. Your impressions of Nevada are warm, if not surprising, in some way. I am always drawn to the earthy smell of the river and the long gravel roads.

Zack Sheppard said...

Elisa C is that you!?!?! I have been hoping I would find you again! If you are the Elisa I am thinking of (from the Mucc, sat next to me in Government class) I actually called your parents in Winnemucca last christmas hoping you might be home for the holidays. If you want you can email me at zack75 [at] yahoo.com. :) If you are not that Elisa, then who the hell are you? You should email me and tell me :P

Unknown said...

Zach, it is me. I keep getting your emails bounced back to me. Arrr...so please shoot me an email me at ecarlsen@mac.com

I'm in Portland now. Living a beautiful and full life. It's so cool to connect with you.