look around, choose your own ground

Something woke me up an hour before my alarm this morning. I was in a very deep sleep at the time, and in the resulting fugue state, I thought I was in my own bed. I was very still so my dog wouldn't hear me wake up, and then something in my brain realized that it was way too dark to be my own bedroom (which has lousy curtains and is on the list of things we're remodeling this year) and I remembered where I am.

Years ago, when I traveled a lot to promote Star Trek, I'd be on these multi-city press tours that just kicked my ass, and I frequently woke up with no idea where I was. I started writing down the name of the city and putting it next to the bed, hoping that it would stick in my brains overnight, or at least get rid of that momentary feeling of panic when I'd sit up and wonder where I was. It was awfully weird to feel that way this morning, because I haven't thought about it or felt it in a long, long time.

I couldn't fall back to sleep, so I made myself some coffee, opened up my curtains, and watched the sun spill its light across the condos and trailer parks below me, as it climbed over the casinos on the strip.

I read the paper (how quaint) while I drank my coffee and looked out on Las Vegas, bathed in the cool blue/grey early morning light that I saw at the end of too many days for my own good during the 2006 World Series of Poker.

By the end of the 2006 WSOP, I really hated Vegas (five weeks here will do that to a normal person, I guess,) but I enjoyed myself yesterday, and I'm actually looking forward to shooting our stuff today, and then scouting around the show floor for at least one really cool thing that's currently sitting below the radar.

Comments

[brazos605]

For any normal person, more than a week in Vegas is depressing as hell. And if you start feeling comfortable there during long visits, you really need to be concerned!

[starshine_diva]

Being in Vegas all the time, do you check out all the shows?
Although I guess that gets old after a while too...

[MCeeP]

Wil - you want something below the radar to check out, head over to the DivX booth about 5pm. You'll find a +1 bag of Nerdcore hip-hop :)

[SenseLess]

I still wake up an wonder where I am sometimes but then again I bumped my head..

LOL It's good to have an excuse!

[DebR]

My husband travels a lot for his job and sometimes I go with him and I've had that thing happen of waking up and having no idea what city (or even state) I'm in. It's a very weird feeling.

As much as I like to travel, I've never had much desire to go to Vegas. But who knows, maybe someday...

[DirtyJ]

All you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be.

[tony mcdowell]

when my wife and I first moved to Vegas (about 6 months ago) we were totally in love with the city. Now, we've discovered that Las Vegas is like a cheap prostitute after on too many Guinness -- beautiful as can be when you first meet it but eye-blindingly-ugly once you wake up in the morning.

We're currently planning our escape, but both of us think that it might be nice to visit _temporarily_ every once in a while down the road.

[GDISTORM]

Wil:

We've all had those experiences, sometimes when travelling, sometimes when just back from a trip, and sometimes when the dream life gets a bit too active. I know what that's like though.

So its not just Vegas, but sometimes its just as good to appreciate the place that your in, that in other circumstances, you might not. For example, enjoying a sunrise. Anyway, enjoy yourself, see and experience what you can, and hope you had a good shoot. A few days in Vegas would probably do most some good, just as a change of pace. Take care.

GDI