"Do you want to know the great drama of my life? It's that I have put my genius into my life; all I've put into my works is my talent."
-Oscar Wilde
I've been carrying around The Gonzo Way since returning from The Last Road Trip. This past week, while TheSpecialOne and I were at Shangri-La, I re-read it.
Anita Thompson {the widow of Hunter S. Thompson} wrote The Gonzo Way from the heart and she did so with great care. I highly recommend it, whether you're a devotee of The Good Doctor's work or are simply curious to learn about one of the great writers of the 20th Century.
The Gonzo Way, written within two years of Hunter's death, is not a book that came easily.
Anita acknowledged that saying, "I had the choice of doing exactly what I was told by several family members who came to the surface after his death and suggested that I stay quiet and mind my own business and leave Hunter's legacy to them."
She added, "I realized I would have to make a conscious choice in the face of opposition: would I be crippled by my husband's death, or would I be inspired by his life?"
I, personally, am happy that Anita followed her instincts and chose to share what she learned from Hunter.
Our friends GreeningAmerica and TurnYourHead&Cough {who I bought Shangri-La from} moved West at the end of July, not long after I returned from The Last Road Trip.
The transition of living at Shangri-La, as a second residence, has been made easier because I was able to work out having them include their furnishings in a package deal when I bought the house.
But, then, there wasn't actually a whole lot of working out to do. TheSpecialOne and TurnYourHead&Cough discussed it when they were on the left coast looking at houses so, when you get right down to it, all GreeningAmerica and I had to do was Agree.
Having a place that's furnished hasn't slowed down TheSpecialOne's shopping. That's understandable, of course, because neither of us wants a home that's a reflection of our friends.
I know my strengths and interior design isn't one of them. I appreciate that TheSpecialOne is able to put together a house in such a way that it reflects a sense of style {which she has and I don't} and is, at the same time, comfortable for me.
Meanwhile, as the new comes in the old goes out, making us very popular with the local charities.
There's one thing that Black Squirrel Run, La AlegrÃa and Shangri-La have in common: one wall in the bedroom where I display matted prints of photographs I've taken of TheSpecialOne, the majority of which are intimate shots. She enjoys having them there and, of course, I love photographsing her.
I spoke to my buddy Al's wife Katie over the weekend.
We've chatted once a week, more or less, since The Master Baiter and I returned from The Last Road Trip, but this is the first time we've talked about a book.
She told me if I want to write a book about The Last Road Trip I have her blessing and she'll give me her full cooperation.
I'll be writing a blog post this week to wrap up the story of The Last Road Trip. I don't have, nor do I foresee making any, plans to extend the narrative beyond that.
The last thing I'd like to share on that topic for the moment is that their kids went to Wind River Canyon to see where I spread Al's ashes. They were pleased and that warmed my heart.
The last few days I considered suspending the publishing of this blog.
Blogging for an extended period of time is a challenge, under the best of circumstances, and the blogging landscape, for me, has been far from optimal this year.
Don't misunderstand me, I know that I've been blessed and am fortunate in so many ways. The economy has made work a real challenge, though, and my buddy Al's suicide has been hard to take.
Ultimately, I decided that as long as blogging is fun it's something I'll continue to do. The therapeutic benefit that's come of late, frankly, doesn't hurt either.
Stay tuned, eh.
There's one thing that Black Squirrel Run, La AlegrÃa and Shangri-La have in common: one wall in the bedroom where I display matted prints of photographs I've taken of TheSpecialOne, the majority of which are intimate shots. She enjoys having them there and, of course, I love photographsing her.
I spoke to my buddy Al's wife Katie over the weekend.
We've chatted once a week, more or less, since The Master Baiter and I returned from The Last Road Trip, but this is the first time we've talked about a book.
She told me if I want to write a book about The Last Road Trip I have her blessing and she'll give me her full cooperation.
I'll be writing a blog post this week to wrap up the story of The Last Road Trip. I don't have, nor do I foresee making any, plans to extend the narrative beyond that.
The last thing I'd like to share on that topic for the moment is that their kids went to Wind River Canyon to see where I spread Al's ashes. They were pleased and that warmed my heart.
The last few days I considered suspending the publishing of this blog.
Blogging for an extended period of time is a challenge, under the best of circumstances, and the blogging landscape, for me, has been far from optimal this year.
Don't misunderstand me, I know that I've been blessed and am fortunate in so many ways. The economy has made work a real challenge, though, and my buddy Al's suicide has been hard to take.
Ultimately, I decided that as long as blogging is fun it's something I'll continue to do. The therapeutic benefit that's come of late, frankly, doesn't hurt either.
Stay tuned, eh.
"My life is the polar opposite of safe, but I am proud of it."
-Hunter S. Thompson
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