Saturday was the big day for the Darius Goes West charity poker tournament.  I was excited but very much concerned about the venue.  The Hard Rock underwent some transition in the past couple of months, moving from the 18 table poker lounge to an 8 table poker room just outside the pit, next to Wasted Space.  The dude Troy that I dealt with was no longer around and the people involved had no idea what was going on.  They couldn't find the contract we signed (unfortunately neither could I), they had no record of the deposit I made, and they basically denied every promise that they made to us back in April.  They didn't promote anything, they lost our signage, they stood us up for a walkthrough, and overcharged the shit out of us.  Needless to say they won't be getting my poker business ever again and I'm pretty sure that Lisa won't be hosting an event there ever again.  Due to these things and a bunch of people being out of town the turnout was disappointing, and there was some miscommunication that frustrated people, myself included.  

Besides all that, most of the people there had a great time and we raised some money for a cause that I believe in.  We can cure Duchenne's in my generation and I'm going to do everything I can to have that dream realized.  I learned a bunch this year and things will be different next year.  After the event was over Karri and I went home with my three new pieces of art won in the silent auction and chilled out.  Hours of conversation later the sun was starting to come up and we finally went to sleep.  

She was supposed to leave Sunday evening.  It took about one sentence to convince her to reschedule the flight to Monday.  Flying out of Vegas on Sunday is for the masochists only.  With a full day ahead we went to the lake, intent on Kingman Cove on the Arizona side.  We aborted that plan when we saw the line of cars extending past the Hacienda.  It would have taken an hour to get through the Dam traffic.  The bridge is complete and I think they're supposed to open the new highway soon and it can't come soon enough.  We went to the old standby, Sail Beach on the Nevada side.  

Turns out that the lake level has dropped faster in the last two weeks than it ever has before.  It's dropped about 30 feet in the four years I've lived here, perhaps more, and is down over 130 feet from its high point twelve years ago.  Lake Mead is the water source for Las Vegas valley.  Back in 06 they (maintenance staff and park rangers) said that it would take a bunch of years of above average snow pack in Colorado to bring the water level back up.  We had that in 07, 08, and 09, and it dropped every year.  The old intake spot is almost out of water now... it was designed to suck from the bottom of the lake, now it's taking in algae and whatever else grows on the surface.  Solution?  Turn the lake into a bathtub.  They've invested over six billion ($6,000,000,000) into a project that drills a hole down into the ground, out under the lake, and up to make a basin like a tub to more effectively drain the water out of the reservoir.  What happens when the lake runs out of water?  Clearly the population level of Las Vegas is unsustainable, especially when we've dilapidated over 15% of the water in the past dozen years with above average snow packs in our water sources.  

Anyway, since the level has dropped so rapidly while I've been gone, turns out the bogs extend much deeper into the shoreline than they have ever before in my experience.  I generally drive about thirty feet off the water looking for a good spot to park, and driving across rocks as usual I said, "Oh shit..."  Karri looked at me funny as the truck buried itself in mud.  Up to the engine compartment on the front end in mud, on solid ground at the ass end.  Too bad that side was irrelevant since it was weightless (being a truck), we had to depend on the 4WD to get us out.  It didn't.  "Now what?" she asked.  "I have triple A."  

"Sweet, call em," I said.  

"Uhh... then what?"  

"Then we have a cocktail."

I mean, we got stuck in the mud on the shore of an awesome lake at a great time of day with perfect weather.  Of all the places in the world to get stuck, I think we picked the best one.  We plopped out a chair, poured a jack and diet and cracked a beer, and watched the sun set.  Unfortunately the tow company took a bit longer than expected, but again... of all the places to get stuck, I can think of worse.  

We eventually got winched out after dark, headed into Boulder City to grab dinner, and didn't have enough so returned to our original mission:  Kingman Cove, this time for a campfire.  Love that place, we went, enjoyed it, and I drug her kicking and screaming out of the place at 1:30 am.  Her flight was at 2:15pm Monday.  She didn't want to leave.  I didn't want her to leave.  "How bout I come with you?"  

"Really?"

Yes.  As I write this from Los Angeles.  Didn't want her to leave.  So I went with her.  Cause she had to.  Tomorrow she has to get outta town and I'll head back to Vegas, but it has been nice to extend this visit a few more days.  

Peace and good luck,

Devo