"The Whole Town's a Trashcan!"

Years ago at a BTO concert in Las Vegas, which is where I am at now, I got to hang around with the band during their meet & greet, and chit-chat with them and with their then merchandise manager, Bob Self.  I've known Bob for several years.  We knew each other in San Jose, we met again in Vegas, he's now in Colorado and I'm now here back in Vegas.  We're still in touch, mainly via the forum on Randy Bachman's website, and we've spoken on the phone as well.

Anyway, this show was on Fremont Street, between the corners of what used to be the Fitzgerald and what is now still the Four Queens.  After the show, at one point, Bob's wife asked "Honey, where's the trash can?".  Ole Bob, crusty and loveable as he is (he looked like Danny DeVito 25 years ago) said "The whole town's a trashcan!".  I still laugh at that; he doesn't remember saying that, and I was with Sheila along Fremont Street earlier this afternoon where I told her this was where Bob called the town a trashcan.

We have been here for two days, and in some ways Bob was right.  We were in North Las Vegas apartment hunting yesterday morning and found the place, and we went to the Strip after that.  I wanted her to see New York New York, which has that neat inside area with the bars and restaurants.  Our being impressed with that area of North Las Vegas though was eclipsed with what else we saw on the Strip.

The Strip isn't anything like it used to be in the mid-80s when I first saw it, and it's changed from when I last saw it in 2008.  It seems as if they're demolishing hotels and rebuilding new ones faster than Major League Baseball does with ballparks and as modern as it might look, I really don't like it.  I don't like the sleaze factor that you see, and Bob's quote about the whole town being a trash can kept coming back.  I told Sheila that too much more of that and I would be wanting to go back to Tucson to retire.

Today we went to Downtown.  Both of us saw Fremont Street before they remodeled the whole thing.  Both of us are glad in one way that they did it but sad in another way that they did.  I've always liked Downtown; and it was nice to stroll up and down Fremont and people-watch.  We had a nice buffet at Main Street Station although there's only so much of Fremont Street that you can take too.  We figure on being back there from time to time when she comes up to visit.  She'll be up for my birthday next month.

As for the move.....today we learned that we got the lease, and I move in on 11/24.  The place where I'm at now is functional and will do, but the apartment will be much better and I'll be glad to be out of where I'm at now.  There are eating places within walking distance, but once I'm in NLV I plan on eating home cooked meals again.

It will be a spartan existence.  I'll be sleeping on an air mattress until I buy a bed and have it delivered.  I have no furniture up here so I might be sitting in lawn chairs or a beanbag chair.  We don't want to start moving things up here until we're really sure this is where we want to be.  I figure that I'll be with this firm for some time, but I'll admit I'm going to see how it all works out with them.  My previous employer has gotten worse with how they are treating their people, and I'm hearing similar stories with other companies.  I did not sense that with the firm that I'm joining though I do expect that the job will be intense......in a good sort of way. 

We think some areas of North Las Vegas are great places to live.  We also think the same thing of Henderson.  The further you are from the casino districts, the better off you are, and it would be like living in Scottsdale.  I'm not sure though if the move will be permanent.  The Tucson housing market isn't the greatest right now for a seller, and the market here may pick up again (the bubble burst big here in 2009). 

Sheila goes home tomorrow, and I've got four days on my hands where I'm going to have to get inventive on things to do until I start my new job.  I might start writing lyrics again, though I also could see exploring the area some.  I could do the dam tour, but I think I'll wait until Sheila comes back before I do that.  I might drive out to Pahrump to see what's there, or I might go to Rhyolite...which I last saw in 1993.

Las Vegas is known for coin shows and perhaps I should go to one this weekend if there is one going on.  There is always something going on here.

But I might also stay in and read, as that Bob's quote might come back to me again if I go out.