Though it was neither erotic, nor a luau, it was bunches of fun to shoot. I could have met contract requirements with one roll of film, but ended up shooting three anyway, because it was so damned much fun.Clubbers I'd never met, or even seen, and certainly not photographed, kept coming up to me asking if I was "the Brian guy" who was shooting clubs. For those of you not there yet, us old guys really like pretty girls smoking us with flattery. At least I like it alot. The girl whose nose we're looking up in this picture was one of them. She said my stuff was "...so artistic..." then went on to complain that most photographers were just old perverts. When I told her that, I too am an old pervert, she replied that I was "...at least an artistic pervert."

Others I recognized from a few of the other clubs, and a couple of folks from various bookstores and places I lurk around in my spare time.

Click the pic to see the rest from that party. Or click this, or this. Isn't HTML fun?

Anyway, I had to go to Chicago for a two hour meeting, so I flew there last Wednesday, planning to fly back on Thursday. As you all saw on the news, hundreds of flights out of Chicago were cancelled on Thursday and Friday. Thursday, after cancelling and not being able to get a confirmed flight out anytime soon, I found a hotel (30 miles away) and got the last Avis rental car, and crashed about 4AM. Waking about 1PM on Friday I investigated flying and trains and finally decided that being as I had a perfectly good rental car (Chevy Cavalier) I'd just drive home. Not wanting to waste a trip, I figured I'd drop in on my mother in Jamestown, N.D. then stop at "The Pit" in Billings.

Mom wasn't home, so I left her a note. Jacque and Les, Lexi, Fuji and even Pilot were, however, at the pit. And true to their boast, they welcomed me in, let me sleep for a few hours and were hospitable as all getout. 'Course I knew that, having dropped by every once in awhile since January '98.

The guy in this second picture IS NOT Andy (AKA A.Jay, Pilot or Mr. Douglas). He isn't. Certified. Really.

If you click on that picture, you'll get to more of my club photography. Clicking this - (*) - works too.

Anyway, I had a real nice trip on the way home. On one stretch through Idaho on I-15 I'm pretty sure the car never got below 90mph, and it touched 110mph a few times. Not bad for a Cavalier with an automatic, though it is generally a downhill run.

Got home Sunday around 3:30 PM, having spent 52 hours, including the visit, and some sleeping time to cover the 2650 mile trip.

This weekend I'll be shooting something different. I'll be shooting a Rockabilly venue with a real live band. Tiny dancefloor, big patio, I'm told. This will be for Strobe Light Diaries, Sign On San Diego.

I'll also be shooting some of my regular haunts. A local model, known here, may be joining me. If she dances in the light, she gets pictures. And if she comes along, I get arm candy. It sorta works out pretty good.

Anyway, despite my relative silence (broken by outbursts of pseudophilosophistry and such) I am very much alive and well. Gonna start shooting fashion again, pretty soon, too.

-Don