It has been a mostly uneventful year. As Jeff Lebowski said, "you know, strikes and gutters, ups and downs." I'm happy to say that for me it's been mostly ups.
Nothing much happened in January. In February we traveled from our home in the Black Hills of South Dakota to meet up with our son and daughter-in-law in Las Vegas during Super Bowl weekend. They live in Connecticut so we don't get to see them all that often. It was a fun, but I have to say that all the glitter and bright lights are not quite as appealing as they once were. Kind of cool to look at, but the vibe has seemed to change once you get inside. Just not as exciting as it used to be.
Luckily there was one copy left of the album I most wanted - the 20th anniversary reissue of The Wind by Warren Zevon. He knew he was dying and some of the songs reflect the deep personal feelings of someone facing their own mortality.
In May I hit the road.
I drove out to Reno to visit an old friend and attend his daughter's gallery exhibit opening.
Alexx is a very talented photographer and artist who was also working on her tattoo apprenticeship at the time. I had been thinking about getting another one...so I did. What makes this one extra special is that it is one of her original designs.
Marty, my friend, took me on a walking tour of the city, and drove me up to up to Lake Tahoe and points in between. We crossed over the California state line at one point, but I wasn't too concerned since I'm sure the statute of limitations had run out by then.
It was mostly interstate highways on the way out. On the return trip I took Highway 50, known as the loneliest road in America. It's an accurate description.
The Battle of the Bands in June made an impression on me. There is so much talent out there that most of us never get to see. I'm glad they still do events like this so the public can experience it.
July was my 50th high school class reunion. It was so great to see so many old friends and classmates, and talk about the old days.
Late summer and fall provided me with the opportunity for a couple of photoshoots which, in my opinion, resulted in some of my best work. I know, not everyone's cup of tea, but my mood at the time.
One of my best and most memorable experiences of the year, and ever, was being cast in a stage production of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. The entire cast was amazing. So much incredible talent on that stage. And - we nailed it!
Other highlights included several fun, if brief, camping trips in "Louise" ....
And I did more fishing than I have done in years. Even did some catching on occasion.
I continued my volunteer work with Feeding South Dakota. Then there was that live music concert way out there on the prairie, and my continuing obsession with exploring old and abandoned buildings.
2023 was aslo a year when I expanded my creative efforts to include experimenting with abstract painting. Mainly fluid painting, and specifically acrylic on old vinyl records.
Another project with old vinyl records invlolved prepping them with a base coat of paint and adding some of my favorite song lyrics and pop culture quotes.
(Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell - if you're among the unenlightened)
So it was a pretty good year. I hope 2024 turns out to be another good one. For all of us.
And...that comment about the statute of limitations...I was just kidding. Probably.
Roger O'Dea 12/31/2023
