somewhere around barstow

I have a ticket for a Sunday presentation of “The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical” this Sunday at the La Jolla Playhouse on the campus of the University of California at San Diego. Ann has a ticket too, as do her sweet friends Katie and Al. We’ll drive up to La Jolla from San Diego, and Katie and Al will drive down to La Jolla from Carlsbad, and we’ll meet and go see the show.

Yesterday I pulled my copy of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” out from the bookshelf. It’s one of the seven of Dr. Thompson’s books I have with me here in Hillcrest. I’m planning to read it, at least lots of it, before Sunday. Seems like a cool plan and prodigious use of a 74 year-old’s time. Interesting fact – my copy of Hunter’s “The Curse of Lono” is signed by him, handed to me after we spent an hour or so chatting in the way-back of a flight from San Francisco to Chicago. I believe that was 1985. He wrote this, among other things, of our conversation – “I will go out in the world a wiser and better-armed man. ”

I go to these meetings sometimes, and quite often someone will speak or yell out, saying, “Read the book.” Like you won’t get this, you may be lacking, if you don’t read the book.” ‘The Book!” I always assume whoever’s telling me what to do is talking about “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” So, okay, this week I’ll read the book.

I’m not crazy about being told what to do, and fortunately have a built-in “don’t give a rat’s ass” filter which blocks and shuns nearly all that stuff. Hunter was like that too. I loved his writing. I love his writing. As a fellow writer. The opportunity to see a musical about his life is very cool. I’m lucky.

Here’s Hunter – “….but being absolutely certain that no matter which way I went I would come to a place where people were just as high and wild as I was: No doubt at all about that.”