Hello

Reno, Nevada, USA -- I'm with Anna in a hotel-casino-resort in Reno. It's both our standard getaway and our standing meeting place. Whenever Anna is on her way back from someplace in the desert, and I've remained behind in San Francisco, she comes back through Reno and I find a way to meet her here, and we celebrate our reunion at this hotel. We've done this ever since she was teaching in Idaho. It's our extremely non-punk hedonistic getaway, where we are likely to encounter exactly no one whom we know.

In this case, Anna went on an eleven-day roadtrip through L.A., Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City, chasing her favorite band, the Killers. I flew out to meet her for our last real holiday together. We'll have one more weekend after this, and then I'm off to Spain.

Highlights of the weekend: She painted a lot, I studied Spanish, I lost a good deal gambling despite a couple of pleasant interim wins. The days are very hot, and if we go outside, it's to sit by the pool in the morning, when the hotel casts a shadow. By 10:30 it's 85 degrees and I head inside.

Next week: I retire from my career as a tech writer, and I start packing.