I met a local one year, they had never been and were excited for it. I offered to give them a ride and just get them started but they crashed and burned the first night. It’s too much for a lot of people. They really don’t understand what they are walking into.
We need to be ready for a first day that is going to last 24 hours in up to 110 degree desert heat. We will burn 4-5 thousand calories walking 8 miles and dancing for hours at a time.
It’s no small thing. You have to be ready and smart about hydration, sleep, and alcohol and drug use. You could die, and some do, every year.
This is a real desert. When you fly here you probably didn’t fly in from another desert, so your body may be in shock until you can aclimate. That won’t happen in a single day.
“Or dress-less”
But they really haven’t told you how to be ready for the 3 day party in the desert combined with the Las Vegas gambling, drinking, clubs, pools, it’s a lot.
“I get the point.”
“Jersey Shore.”
Goombas?
“I’m sure the girls are nice.”
“All these bitches out here with their lame signs… Well, I guess you know where your squad is.”
I don’t need a squad like that.
“It’s so much drama. I don’t need that.”
Alcohol and cocaine are not good choices. I don’t know if that turns people into assholes or if they are assholes and that is their drugs of choice. I do know if you do that for extended periods of time in the desert heat and expend energy you will become dehydrated and you are at high risk to have a heart attack.
“Happened more than once. 34 year old dude thinks he’s so tough. Heart attack at 5:00 AM after drinking and taking massive amounts of stimulants to counter the alcohol and sleep depravation.”
This is always sugar coated. Nobody in the media wants to tell it like it is. The kids parents don’t want to hear it either, they really don’t. They want someone to blame besides their own son or worse, themselves. It’s just a generic message of some tragedy but they don’t tell you about lack of personal responsibility and poor decision making.
“I remember an airline stewardess scolding us as we landed in Las Vegas.”
‘Welcome to Las Vegas. Be safe and make good decisions!”
As if your life depended on it.
“And totally a fantasy. No woman is taking you anywhere, it’s the other way around.”
It will be blasted a thousand times over for that ‘fantasy’ and the joke will be to sub in some other ‘fantasy’ so you see how ridiculous it it.
“It’s pretty though.”
Fantasies usually are.
“If your dad loves you, then you won’t make sandwiches? I’m confused.”
A little bit.
But it won’t be. That’s a mean joke.
“It’s funny because it hurts. It hurts because it’s true.”
Maybe.
“Yeah, on paper. Raised until the third grade then outta there.”
One of these guys has a bullet hole in his chest. That’s for real. Just hanging out at a party and bam, gunshot just missed the lung. Lucky.
“Doesn’t sound lucky. People who shoot people at parties need to dissapear forever.”
These are good guys. I think so. We just arrive together. Once inside it is dark and loud and I just wander. I’ve learned how to do this. The first time at EDC I got whiplash from looking at every face, trying to recognize my friends in a sea of faces. Now it feels like swimming in a sea of people.
It doesn’t look like much when the sun is up. Same in the morning. I don’t wanna see the sun, it breaks the fantasy of wonderland that happens all night long.
“It sure looks different in the dark!”
“Maybe you should try some of that Ai writing.”
They don’t use all the lights at first. They keep turning on more lights and displays as we go. By midnight every light is going and it is like a new day started, with neon, lasers, and fireworks.
You can really feel the energy building up.
I’m so sorry we get separated so quickly. You say don’t worry it’s ok. I think if you aren’t holding someone’s hand they can get lost in the darkness and the sea of people. I won’t try to find people or even come with someone again. It isn’t ‘fair’ to them.
“We learn.”
Zedd fans sing along. There are a lot of them!
“I’m curious.”
Doesn’t matter what the outcome is, I just want to know who you are. Why do you do what you do and I am wondering that in a very positive way, it isn’t critisism. I have no interest in bad people and why they do what they do. I am interested in good people, exraordinary people. I want to share some small piece of your life, whatever it is you want to share.
“In this place time they just say ‘extra’. She is so extra with her Kandi making. It is short for extra ordinary. Special.”
It may seem random that I am in your inbox or dms but it really isn’t. You did something to catch my attention. The first thing is always ‘you exist’.
“Discovery is the first step. I discover you exist, then I show you that I exist. Then we share. Who are you?”
What are you looking at?
“I think special. I made these. I put my name on them and chose the beads because they look like space and glow in the dark. It took a month to get the pieces and them make them.”
“Not as young as you think.”
She protects her image so I will too.
“White hair?”
We will see you in the clubs too, if you come a day or two early. The casino’s want you to come early, they have parties all week before. You might be seen too.
“Don’t wear yourself out before the weekend even starts.”
“There are girls with bigger boobs and cat ears that light up. Looks better in slo-motion.”
Like Baywatch
Jerry looked. No comments. Obviously, he sees the same flaws and room for improvement I see. What is he looking at and he has no comment? That’s not like him, he’s the director and producer. He’s got an opinion. What does he see here?
“I think it is just jealousy in his eyes. Looks like the scene from Psycho where he drops the business card. Controlled jealous rage. He wants to be you and that doesn’t fit because he’s so much more successful.”
Well, he can get revenge by going out and having his own fun. I know a woman he can make a deal with.
“His girlfriend.”
Oh, I was thinking of our girlfriend.
“And if you start with Dani in a skirt, there’s Extra Extra in the bunny ears. She’s not famous yet but she will be.”
“Make the ordinary Extra!”
It helps if your starting point is a little extra on its own.
This is the VIP section. There are raised platforms and actual bathrooms to use if you pay more. You are more likely to run into friends in these smaller places, if you all paid extra.
“It looks like you are happy together. At least both of you are happy in the same place time.”
If you can’t tell, does it matter?
At that moment. That’s real. I can tell. I think I can tell now.
“That’s what you think.”
This kanji symbol is for Ai
“Not helpful.”
Google translates that to ‘like’ but that is incorrect. This Kanji symbol is the word ‘Ai’.
“Artificial Intelligence?”
That’s a coincidence. The meaning of this kanji in this context is love. She’s wearing a necklace from either China or Japan and it means love.
“Oh she’s a nice girl. Understated but here she is at EDC – all night – all by herself. She’s strong, brave, goes and gets what she wants, and doesn’t have to say much about it.”
Is that what you think?
“Yes.”
“Probably does that for a lot of guys.”
At EDC I wasn’t feeling so good at one point and we rode a ride that turned my stomach. Normally I would be laughing but not this time. And I wasn’t charming either. I wasn’t my best self.
“You know people are so hard on themselves, they think their hair is out of place or makeup isn’t quite right but to other people they don’t even notice.”
Still, you can be charming and energetic or you can be sick and boring. I wish there were a groundhog day.
“You really can’t know. You try, that’s all you can do. If it isn’t up to you and you don’t know why then just say they weren’t right for you. After all, if they were the right one, they wouldn’t have noticed you weren’t feeling well or whatever. Sour grapes is a self protection thing.”
How did you get so smart?
“What? Things are happening. Is this special?”
We need a talk with La Maligna. I think she’s behind this.
“Behind, hahahaha!”