It's All Good?

Often in the face of adverse circumstances it is psychologically healthy to tell yourself "it's all good".  However, I am not under adverse circumstances as I write this, but I think society is and in that regard it's quite the stretch to say "it's all good".

I am referring to the parole of one Orenthal James Simpson, better known as O.J. Simpson, the Butcher of Brentwood who will soon be ending his stay at the Lovelock Correctional Facility in Nevada.  Now I can make an argument supporting the State of Nevada in this decision if I frame that argument in terms of they don't want him in their state any more.  I wouldn't in my right mind make this kind of argument as that he's been more of a liability to society than an asset.  What O.J. Simpson proved to the world is that you can get away with murder if you have the money for a legal dream team.  I honestly thought he was going to skate again when he burst into that hotel room in Las Vegas but I was proven wrong when I posted that in a predecessor blog (and I don't mind being wrong in that instance.)

But still, why turn him loose?  So what if he's been a model prisoner.  Is Charles Manson a model prisoner?  I don't hear very much about him but California at least keeps that guy away from the rest of us, because they feel he's a threat.  So the question really here is, is O.J. Simpson a threat to society?

There was some interesting speculation on Tucson talk radio last week, that from the morning hosts of KNST Garret Lewis and his team.  They feel he will be back in the custody of the Department of Corrections before too long, but there was disagreement on how he was going to get there.  One said it would be a DUI.  Another said it would be from some sort of physical altercation.  I can't remember what the third theory was.

Regardless of whether or not O.J. goes back to the slammer, to this day I still will not rent from Hertz due to their previous association with him.

Yes, I know he was running through airline terminals for Hertz long before he whacked his wife and Ron Goldman.  Yes, I know Hertz dropped him quickly after he was up on charges.  Yes, I know it's been almost a quarter of a century since he called Hertz the "Superstar of Rent a Car".  Even though I am not a full blood Kraut, I can be just as stubborn as a fullblood when I want to be, and on this one I want to be.

I will back off on this provided Hertz does one thing:

They advertise a rental called the "O.J. Special", where you can rent a white Ford Bronco for a weekend, and have a fake beard and hidden compartment for a passport and revolver.  If Hertz can own up to that mistake like that, then at that point I'll have respect for them and not rent from anyone else.

Leap Year Day 2016

Greetings, and welcome to Leap Year Day for 2016.  Most of the time it comes around only once every four years.  There are exceptions.  The year 1900 didn't have one and neither will 2100.  Year 2000 did, as that the rule is that the century year has to be divisible by 400 before it qualifies for a 29th of February.

Anyway, as of one week, I have been in the new job.  It's working out well so far though I'll be glad when the training is behind me and I'm doing some real work.  I have sat in on two meetings and been able to provide engineering input.  The tradecraft of engineering itself doesn't change all that much from company to company, but processes defined by work instructions can and will contain a different recipe, if you will, as for getting something done.  There are still change orders and design reviews, but technical requirements and specifications are developed differently and we have a different set of standards that we have to abide to.

I am still somewhat overwhelmed by all of this.  My new employer has been rated as one of the best 100 companies in the world to work for, which is a vast improvement over having to leave two of the worst 100 companies in the world to work for.   I am transitioning back to a 9/80 work schedule, which means every other Friday off, which helps the work-life balance.  I am learning a great deal about the specialized medical devices that we develop and manufacture, and even though I am no longer a satellite engineer or developing test requirements for circuit cards, I am now part of the global war on cancer, and I think what I'm doing is very important.  I have this eagerness to delve right into things and to move the company forward.  I am in the capacity of a contractor, but I hope this leads to a long term job. 

I still get the occasional nightmare that I'm back in Las Vegas.  I hated the place, and still do, and it may be a while before I am back.  That could be next year sometime as that Sheila and I really did enjoy exploring the small towns of Nevada, and I'd really like to see Rhyolite again.

One other note, and this is getting us back to the topic of February 29th.  My father-in-law had his birthday today, which is something he doesn't get to have as much as most of the rest of us do.  We were over there earlier this evening for a celebration. 

That's all I have for now.  I owe a phone call that's long overdue, and I also want to turn in early.

The Move from Nevada is Completely Complete

The move is now finished!  The credit card billing addresses were finally updated; the electricity to the apartment is now shut off, and this morning I visited the Motor Vehicle Department to register the truck back into Arizona, and once again there is an Arizona plate on the rear (Arizona does not issue a front plate).

When I first moved here in 1999, I couldn't wait to get the California plates off the truck.  I went in one morning to re-register, and they made me surrender the back plate (they let me keep the front) and I went to get the driver license taken care of in another visit.

Nevada also made me surrender the back plate when I registered the truck there in December 2014.  It was faded from years of exposure from the desert sun so it wasn't collectible, in my opinion.  To my surprise, MVD didn't want the Nevada plates, but offered to have them destroyed if I wanted.  I wanted to keep both of them to add to my license plate collection, and they will be eventually displayed in my garage (I rotate the display frequently) and I'm glad to be adding a new Nevada design to the collection.

The Nevada common plate currently in use is a decent design, and looked good on the truck, and in one way I regret that it's no longer there.  There is no shame in having a Nevada plate on your vehicle like there would be if you had a California plate.  Of course, the commemorative Las Vegas plate that is offered by Nevada advertises that you live in Trashcan and like it, and I'm not sure that it's a good thing if you drive a vehicle adorned like that out of Clark County. 

In other news, the background check on me is now done, and I report to my new employer this coming Monday at 8:00 AM.  The commute is the only drawback, however I'm good friends with two of the managers of Quik Trip, and one of them delights in distributing $2 bills for me.  I've been a fan of the $2 bill for several years, and now that I'm back in the Old Pueblo I'll be ordering straps of these from my Wells Fargo branch.  I'll see if I can get Eisenhower dollars since he likes those as well.  It's free advertising for his store and he's told me on occasion that his customers get a kick out of the "odd" money.

Tomorrow morning there is one more visit to MVD to get my title updated (I'm adding Sheila to it), after which I finally get to goof off a little.  I'm having lunch with Tim O, who is one of the first friends that I made in Arizona.  I've also got a lot of yardwork to do, and I plan on getting some of that in as well.

It's really great to be home.  There are a few more people I need to reconnect with. 

You *can* go home again!

One Year as of Tomorrow

Tomorrow will mark the one year anniversary of my arrival in Las Vegas.  I was accompanied by Sheila.  We left Tucson after church, and drove up, arriving after nightfall had overtaken Las Vegas.  We checked in to a place on Tropicana Avenue, not knowing that we were in the underbelly of town.  Immediately we had to go to Walmart for supplies, putting up with the rude drivers originally from southern California who run red lights and go the wrong way in parking lots.  There were lots of panhandlers and illegal commercial ventures taking place.  And I was fast realizing that Bob Self was right about the whole town being a trashcan.

The rest of the week was spent arranging for a more permanent place to live and for some sightseeing.  Sheila had to return to Tucson a few days later, and I was faced with the unknown of a new job and the uncertainty that comes with a new job, as well as not having her around.  Those were not good times and I try not to think about them.

Now it's been one year.  As of tomorrow.  I wasn't sure early on that I would make it this far but I have.  I have longed for home all this time, but with the damage that has been done to this country by the politicians of both parties, I am here for the foreseeable future.  It's looking better than it did a year ago but the industry is in real trouble.

But I still don't like this place.  One of my co-workers told me that this place would grow on me.  Well, it hasn't.  Half this town is out to cheat the other half of town, and as long as visitors come here to get cheated, that's never going to change.  Legalized gambling will bring tourist traffic but it also brings problems that do not exist in other jurisdictions.  There's this libertarian streak inside of me to where I personally think that I should be allowed to gamble if I do it in moderation, but with what I've seen here in the year minus one day has me frequently wondering if we would be better off without it.  I can understand the Nevada mentality, but I feel out of place here most of the time. 

As for what the next year will bring..........I've thought about it some.......I've thought about it a lot..........and I make no predictions nor will I air what's on my mind at this time.  It is what it is, and I find myself praying a lot for the strength to deal with it.

It hasn't been all bad.  I've made some good friends here and I've gotten to work on some very neat things.  The work that I've been doing has given me some of the most satisfaction I've ever had in my career.  And I've gotten out there a few times to explore Nevada, which I think is a great state as long as you're not in Las Vegas or Reno. 

But I don't see myself as retiring here any more, and my sights on where that is has now changed.

The Month That Was

May is winding down to an end here.  It's been one of the better months.  Sheila flew up here on the evening of the 5th, and on the next day we were out on the road first thing in the morning.  We drove up to Reno on US95, retracing some steps that I had done many years ago.  Not much has changed in that stretch between Las Vegas and Walker Lake, which I last saw in '93. 

We stopped off at the "Area 51 Alien Center" in Amargosa Valley, which has an interesting souvenir shop.  I had been up there in early March and I wanted Sheila to see it.  After she bought some goodies for the kids, we continued on, stopping again in Rhyolite.

Rhyolite is the very first ghost town that I have ever visited.  I was disappointed when I saw it the first time long ago, when I saw those ghost statues near the first building you see.  I couldn't remember if the grotesque statue purporting to be a nude blonde was there back then........it is now, and I hope the model was able to sue for damages.  This time around we spent a half hour exploring the ruins and taking lots of pictures, and I enjoyed it much much better.

Our next stop was Goldfield, the county seat of Esmeralda County.  Esmeralda per the latest figures has some 780 or 820 residents, and 268 of them are said to be living in Goldfield.  The diner we stopped at in 1993 was still there and my recollection is that you could have anything you wanted on the menu, as long as it was chili (and not bad chili either).  About half the buildings, maybe more, have long since been abandoned, and a few of them are in the state of restoration.  The County Courthouse was along the main drag and on the other side of the fence I noticed inmates playing basketball, though the chain link fence had slats in them so that you wouldn't have known they were there unless you really looked.

Upon Tonopah, barely inside Nye County, we encountered thunder.  Yep....and some rain, but not a lot of it.  More rain was had when US95 put us back into Esmeralda County and it was in short sessions of sprinkles.  I didn't remember Walker Lake being that huge.  After Walker Lake, it was uncharted road for us all the way up to Fallon, which I had never been to before.  We liked Fallon and we are now considering that as a retirement venue.  An hour or so later, we arrived at the Siena Hotel in Reno, where we stayed for a couple of days.

The Siena wasn't there the last time I had been in Reno, and that was in 1997.  It was modern and the staff professional.  However, in the parking lot there was a panhandler, and some cars were broken into overnight on our last night there.  We weren't hit, but for some reason those in the row closest to the hotel were.  The telltale signs of window glass told me that five or six had been hit.  Also, there isn't much casino floor security in the Siena as that I was accosted by a panhandler in the men's room.  I didn't say a word, and couldn't find a security officer to have the mendicant ejected.

The next day it was off to San Jose to see my parents, Mark and his wife, and Chip and his family.  After a Mother's Day lunch we were on the road and were able to make it back to Vegas late that Sunday evening.  Monday we visited the Luxor since Sheila wanted to see that, and we hung around Downtown after that.  She flew home Tuesday afternoon, and vacation was over the next morning.

For the Memorial Day weekend, I was back in Tucson for a short visit.  There was more time with our grandchild, and time of course with the cats, who realized that Daddy was home and that meant one more person to boss around.  Oh, they were nice about it, wanting all sorts of love and attention, in addition to a fully stocked food dish. 

Anyway, this was a good month, and it is ending on a hot note.  Las Vegas hit triple digits this weekend.  Good thing all those years in Tucson acclimated me to heat. 

One of my projects should be to post photos of Rhyolite and Goldfield.  It might take two or three postings for both.  So, I guess I'd better get busy and get those pictures on my computer, and resized for blogging.

That's all for now.

Don't forget to pet a dog or a cat!

Coming Out of Spiritual Exile

About six or maybe seven weeks ago I made the decision to start attending church here.  It was something that I had been telling myself that I should do.  I had only been to one service since the one I was married at, and I was thinking then that it was just time to go online, locate a church, and drive to it one Sunday morning.

A review of the churches in the church body of which I am a member showed four or five sister congregations out here to choose from.  One is down in Henderson and two were on my side of Las Vegas.  I chose the one down in Summerlin, and came out of spiritual exile.

The rest of the day I was feeling really good about things for quite some time.  I have been going back since on most weekends when I am here in town.  I missed last Sunday due to a bug that I had the day before, but I made it today.

I really wish Sheila could have been there with me on those Sundays I've made it.  I know she would like this church, but the one we have back in Tucson is also right up there and I still regard that as my church.......even if I have to attend a different one while I'm exiled here in Nevada away from my home.

This morning was really great.  I met a couple that I knew at my then church in San Jose.  I hadn't seen them in nearly 30 years.  They have retired to Las Vegas, but make occasional visits to San Jose.  Sheila and I will be in San Jose for a vacation before too long, and who knows, we may run into them again.

* * * * * * *

In some ways I identify with the Hebrew nation as described in the Old Testament.  They left Egypt, and went to go wandering in the desert for 40 years.  When that time was up, they left the desert to enter a land flowing with milk and honey.  Then after a collection of centuries, they were carried off into Babylonian captivity, and then returned after 70 years.

The story of the Exodus has fascinated me for a very long time, and I've had something of my own personal Exodus.  In my case I left a land flowing with milk and honey to enter a desert, but Arizona was something of a promised land to me.  I love Arizona and I miss being there.

However, I probably ought to be reading up again on their Babylonian captivity.  I feel sometimes like I am in my own counterpart to it here, having to be in Nevada so that I can stay in the workforce; not knowing how long this will last or if I will ever make it back to Tucson.

My employer is thinking of opening up another plantsite in Phoenix, and I've already put in for a transfer there, should they want Vegas people to go down.  My new boss said that I could go, but that he'd need me up here for two or three days a week.  I'm fine with that, as that if I'm working in Phoenix I could see Sheila every weekend.

* * * * * * *

I've known Sheila for over two years now and she is still continuing to amaze me.  I go Downtown every second or third week here to get out of the house, and although the people-watching is even better there than what you can see at an airport, it would be better if she were there with me.

* * * * * * *

As I've stated, I don't know how long my time here will last.  There may be a rationale for staying here, and moving out of Tucson.  I'm not sure that I like Las Vegas all that much, but Summerlin is nice and that's where my new church is.  I've heard lots of good things about Henderson, but that's too far away from my job for my liking.  I have made a couple of visits there, and really need to go there a few more times to get a better feel for it. 

I would have no issue retiring in Nevada, in and of itself.

I just don't think I want to retire in Las Vegas.

 

Over the Hump to Pahrump

Last Saturday I drove over to the unincorporated Town of Pahrump, which is situated in Nye County, and about an hour or so from Las Vegas.  I had been curious about it for some time as that it's been a candidate retirement location, and that a lower cost of living might be had there.  I took something of a roundabout way to get there, as that I wanted to come in from the north, and leave by the south.

After taking care of the things here that I needed to take care of, I headed north on US95, passing thru Indian Springs and its nearby correctional facility as well as the entrance of Creech Air Force Base.  I was headed for the junction of US95 and Nevada State Highway 160. 

 The junction arrived some 40 minutes later, and I found myself going down a road that I had never driven on before. The state highway was in good condition, even out in the middle of nowhere. I surmised that the revenues we get from legalized gambling was one good reason why our roads are good here as I rolled on down the blacktop with the expanse of the Mojave Desert around me. The sky was blue and clear, the scenery having a beauty all its own, and the mileage sign that I saw back at the junction was indicating 27 miles of this road before I was at my objective.

Coming into Pahrump from the north wasn't really all that impressive. I was prepared for that, as that a co-worker who I go on lunchtime walks with (and who is also new to Nevada) was telling me a few weeks ago about his drive there. It reminded me of Eloy, Arizona, which some folks regard as an armpit, though as far as armpits go neither Eloy or northern Pahrump have anything on Blythe or El Centro, which are two towns chasing after Bakersfield and Stockton for the prize of being the Armpit of California. Anyway, as I got closer to central Pahrump, it was looking a great deal more modern than what I had seen a few miles previous. There was an Albertson's, a Walmart, a strip mall that looked like it was less than a few years old, fireworks stores (several of them), gas stations, and the Pahrump Nugget Casino.

I checked out the Walmart, which was one of those that had a grocery section.  I also visited the Albertson's, the Smith's supermarket, and the Pahrump Nugget Casino to purchase some gaming chips for the collections that Sheila and I both have going.  I thought about driving into the People's Republic of California to check out Shoshone, but I didn't.  I did drive down some residential streets and saw the new construction that Ron had been telling me about.

The real treat was the drive back to Vegas along NV160, which afforded me the opportunity to marvel at the scenery and rock formations that one encounters at the mountain pass that you drive over. Once back in Las Vegas, the traffic of course thickens up some, and there are always a few drivers out there who want to prove to everyone that they're much better drivers than Richard Petty or Kyle Busch. I wasn't panhandled in Pahrump, but when trying to buy gas here there was someone who insisted he was out of both gasoline and money and he needed a few dollars.........right.........like he just happened to run out of both upon arriving at the other side of the island?

Anyway, I am a better person now, having seen something as simple as this small town that I had never been to before until today. 

I plan to go back before too long, and this time allocate some time for checking out Shoshone and possibly a little of Death Valley.

Life's Events

The month has been up and down so far with the good and the not-so-good.  A great moment of joy was had on the 3rd when Sheila's oldest daughter gave birth to a baby boy, making Sheila a grandmother and me a grandfather by virtue of marrying into the family.  I was pleased as punch to see a picture of the little guy when he was barely an hour old.  I kept looking at it and realizing that life itself is a miracle.

Then there was news of some complications with the young one, but within the few hours the complications were showing signs of self-correction and the day after we knew that the new family member is doing OK.  I am going down to see him on the 27th.

At work, we seem poised to do some great things that have never been done before.  These are things I can't talk about, but you'll read them in the news if you know where to look.  There is most definitely a market for what we're offering and my challenge as an engineer is to help get the product to the marketplace.  I'm having loads of fun working there.

As for Las Vegas itself, I was Downtown yesterday strolling around and people-watching.  I saw the usual collection of panhandlers and weirdo street performers along the Fremont Street Experience.  No, I didn't gamble, but I found a nickel on the ground so I was able to come out ahead.

I took a different way home, mainly wanting to check out this Salvadorean restaurant that was on Main Street, a few blocks north of Downtown.  I figured I would drive by it and see if I could get a feel as to whether or not I would want to go inside sometime.  What I found out was that part of Main Street was a real trashcan of a neighborhood, and of course I was remembering what Bob Self had to say about Las Vegas. 

That of course obliterated the positive view of southern Nevada that I had when I went out on a drive to Amargosa Valley last Saturday.  I hadn't been up that stretch of US 95 since July 1993, and I wanted to re-acquaint myself with that area.  The mountains in the distance had this signature scenery to them, and in a few places it was a lot like being out in the middle of Cochise County back in Arizona.  I'm thinking that I should go out there again, but I'll likely wait until I have new tires on the back of my truck, and I want to put that purchase off until I'm in the next billing cycle of one of my Visa cards.

Meantime, I can report that the weather is finally warming up.  We had an unusually cold and wet winter in Las Vegas this time around according to a ten year resident here who I cross paths with at work.  I spend most of my lunch hours walking around the campus with another co-worker; I do 1.7 miles each day unless I get the wild hare to leave the plant for lunch.  I have discovered some great eating places that I can get to and back before my allotted one hour for lunch is up, and I'm thinking it's time to check out one of them.........that being the Bacon Bar (it's tempting to go there for breakfast tomorrow). 

That's going to be it for now. 

What Might Have Been

I can now make this public.

Last October, when I was still out of the workforce, there was something else going on behind the scenes with respect to my then job search.  I was working hard on getting the Nevada gig, but simultaneously there was a possibility in Texas as well.

Shortly after the 4th of July, I noticed an open requisition for a Product Line Engineer position with General Dynamics in Kilgore, TX.  General Dynamics has been a company that has survived mergers and downsizing in the defense market while simultaneously avoiding a buyout from someone else.  From what I can gather from them, they have always been a well-managed company, knowing when to sell off product lines and when to acquire others.  It was something of a surprise to me to learn that they had operations in Kilgore in the communications satellite market.  I read the job description, thought "I can do this job!  But will they think that?", and applied.

A few weeks later I had a telephone interview.  It was at a low point in the job search, and my recollection is that I was not yet aware of the opportunities that my pending employer had, and as far as I could tell the phone interview went well.  They told me it would be three weeks or so before I would hear one way or the other.

In the interim, I was pressing forward with the search, and the machinations to my landing in Nevada got under way.  I sent them a resume, I got a call from their Human Resources department asking me to apply online, and then later on I scored a telephone interview.  That went well, and as soon as I was being invited to fly to Las Vegas the GD folks called.  They wanted to talk further with me too!  They wanted me there the same day that Nevada wanted me here, so I had to tell them there was a conflict.  They accommodated my request, and so I had one on-site interview right after another.

I knew in my heart I wanted the Nevada opportunity.  I didn't really want to go out to Texas, but I figured that I had better, because I didn't know then what Nevada was going to do.  It turned out I got the offer two days before I had to fly out to Texas, after which I *really* didn't want to take that trip.  But, I was committed, I had given my word, and so I figured I would go out there and do my best.

As far as I can tell it went well too.  I liked driving down the rural roads in that area between Kilgore and Longview, where I flew into.  I made a wrong turn and saw even more of the countryside, and upon correcting that mistake I was able to locate the hotel.  I then went out to a Mexican restaurant and learned that I didn't really care for Tex-Mex cuisine.  Years of Arizona have spoiled me on what Mexican food should be like, and I had plenty of exposure to Sonora style, Mexico City style, and New Mexico style (New Mexico style's the best!).  The next day I showed up for the interview.

The people there at the plant, and who I met while exploring the area, struck me as the nicest people you're ever going to meet in the United States.  I found myself enjoying that Texas hospitality, and thinking that if GD were to make me an offer I couldn't refuse, I might have to turn down the Nevada offer.  The only glitch that gave me pause was that General Dynamics had had layoffs the year before; one of my would-be co-workers let that slip.  The learning curve wouldn't have been that difficult and within three weeks I could have been making some key technical decisions.  But that layoff remark bothered me, and with 60% of their sales being to our own military (and other sales to foreign military) I wasn't sure what their business base would be doing.

After the interview, I drove back to the Longview airport, phoned Nevada, and accepted their offer.  I was glad to have seen Texas, but the work in Nevada was more appealing, and I knew that if I didn't take it I'd be missing out on some really neat stuff.

Meanwhile, I never heard back from Texas.  Not until yesterday. 

The verdict?

They have decided to cancel the requisition, and to not fill the position!

It is not unheard of these days to interview for a job, and to never hear back.  Not even the form rejection letter that some companies seem to delight in sending out.  I wrote it off to that, but couldn't have helped but wonder what kind of life I would have had in Texas.  Sheila stated she would support my decision to go there, but she was really hoping I would choose Nevada.  I don't regret my choice one bit, but the wondering about Texas was along the lines of Texas lacking the concentration of drivers native to southern California who help make life in southern Nevada miserable.  I could write a few pages on southern Californian drivers but I don't plan to do that anytime soon.  Besides, if I were to write about them, the drivers in Boston are liable to get angry for not getting noticed by me for their driving habits, and if I'm going to make people angry I've already got something else picked out to write about that would irritate an even larger segment of the population.

So, what might have been in Texas, besides nicer people?  Plenty of hunting and fishing opportunities (I'm sure Nevada has them too, but maybe not as many).  Mexican restaurants that are somewhat better (if  you want good Mexican food in Las Vegas, you have to go to Taco Bell).  A slower pace of life.  That's what might have been.

But as it is, most of us will go to where the money is, and the money is right here in Las Vegas.  I wish there were more of it, but it's a good way to make a living, and I am learning a great deal about human spaceflight that I would not have learned had I not taken this job. 

I can wonder about what might have been, but I think I'd be better off if I ponder some dreams instead, and turn them into reality.

Some Random Thoughts; 1/11/15

In the wake of the tragic shooting at Charlie Hebdo, Organized Media and the liberal left have been in a panic over two things.  One of them is that the mainstream of society will associate this terrorist action with Muslims, and another is that the right wing might gain control of France.

France for years has been a socialist paradise.  Free health care (if you can get it), 35 hour work weeks (if you can find a job), six weeks of vacation a year (if you have a job), and gun control that's so strict that even a percentage of the police aren't allowed to carry guns.

Could it be that the real fear is that they know a socialist paradise does not protect the individual citizen, since the needs of the State come first?

 

* * * * * * *

I'm waiting to see if one of our own politicians will be blaming the NRA for what happened in France.  The NRA is a formidable opponent to the proposed UN treaty that's targeting "small arms".  Watch for one of them to come forward to say, "if only this treaty had been in force this would never have happened!"

* * * * * * *

Organized Media and those who let Organized Media do their thinking for them are telling us that we shouldn't be offending the Muslims.

Yet these are the same people who have no problem with Christians being offended.  Example, federal money being used to fund "art" depicting a crucifix in urine.

They will deny that they have an anti-Christian bias, but try asking them about having federal money fund an art project that has the Koran submerged in urine, or an image of the Prophet Mohammed defaced. 

Watch them change the subject if you suggest that.  That is, if they don't turn and walk away from you.

* * * * * * *

Living in a state that has legalized gambling will present you with images that you are not likely to forget.

I keep thinking about that 40 something woman that I saw in a casino last month.  She was trying to withdraw funds from an ATM, and saw the message on her screen that informed her that her daily withdrawal limit had been reached.

That look of despair and panic on her face is something I will never forget.

* * * * * * *

Proponents of legalized gambling will tell you that it will bring money and jobs into your state.

That's very true.  Billions of dollars come to Nevada each year.  The roads here are in good shape, and I pay no state income tax. 

However, the entrepreneur who founded my new employer didn't make his money from gambling.  He made it from another business, having recognized a niche need for that industry that he filled.

I can't say that my job depends on legalized gambling, and I think that might be a good thing.

As for those billions of dollars that are coming here, I haven't gotten a single dime.  I do indirectly benefit from the good roads and lower tax burden.  But I'm not convinced that gambling should be legal. 

* * * * * * *

How has legalized gambling helped Atlantic City? 

Last I heard, the slums are still there.

* * * * * * *

Yet...........I'll have to admit that playing the nickel slots are a lot of fun, as well as shooting craps.   I haven't done very much of either since I started living here.  I don't like the $5 minimum bet that most casinos here have on the craps table.  I did visit a casino in Henderson that my boss told me about that had a $1 limit, and thirty minutes later I was up $4 when I quit. 

I guess craps isn't as much fun if it's legal where you live.  It seemed like it was much more fun when I was a resident of California/Arizona. 

* * * * * * *

I am becoming convinced that federal legislation is needed to prohibit Microsoft engineers from being near any hardware or software that is used to fly spacecraft or aircraft. 

How many planes would suddenly crash if Microsoft were to write code for aerodynamic control?  How many rockets would blow up?  How many manned spacecraft would find themselves stranded in orbit?

Microsoft engineers definitely need to be kept away from flight articles.

* * * * * * *

That's all, folks!

My Last Post of the Year

Well here we are.  One year is about to end and another about to begin.  I'm having a quiet evening here at home, like I usually do.  And I'm glad that I'm not in Las Vegas for this one, as that not only is the weather there colder than it is here, they're going to have a higher concentration of crazies than my quiet neighborhood here will.

As is usually my custom, I'm not going to make any resolutions.  There are some things I want to do next year, and I'm going to call them goals.  I'm also going to reserve the right to let those goals be overcome by events.

One.  I have a new state to explore and to write about.  I have already made some visits Downtown to people watch.  Most casinos are great for people-watching as are airports, but with casinos what you see is simultaneously entertaining and depressing.  But there's more to Nevada than casinos.  There's ghost towns.  There's a national park up by Ely.  There's some scenery in southern Utah and the Arizona Strip.  I need to make use of the opportunity to see these things as that it won't be for another six to eight months before I decide what's going to happen house-wise.  I have Nevada tags on the truck but am keeping the Arizona driver's license since Nevada law allows me to do that since I own property in Arizona.

Two.  Mark is moving to Chattanooga.  I want to get out there and see him.  I don't know if that will happen as that I haven't yet accrued vacation, and I'd like the finances to recover some.  Once January is behind me I'm hoping that it will. 

Three.  I really need to, in my spare time, start writing the essays to complete the "Money Series" that I started a long time ago.  That will take some more offline research, but the trouble I have is that there are too many things I like to do and not enough hours in the day to do them. 

Four.  My apartment is livable, but needs some furniture.  I figure on visiting thrift stores to help me out with this.  For starters I need some chairs and a computer table.  A new computer table can be scored for $40 if you know where to look, and I may pick one up when I'm back "apartment" (not "home"!) next week if that chain exists up there and they still have some in stock.

Five.  I want to tour the Hoover Dam.  I have toured it before, but that was back in 1986.  I'd really like it if I could wander around unescorted to check it out, but I'll have to settle for escort.  Besides, where I work, I can wander around unescorted and walk inside life-size spacecraft mockups, and few people get to do that. 

I'm sure I could come up with more, but will stop here with that. 

 

* * * * * * *

Our wedding will be in the not too distant future.  I'm not going to announce the date here but I'll announce it after it's happened.  Fortunately we are not being bombarded with unsolicited advice on what we should do.  We're going to do it our way.  Period.

 

* * * * * * *

Don't forget to pet a dog or a cat.

 

No.....Not the Whole Town

Yesterday Sheila and I did some driving around and we saw some neighborhoods west of here that we liked.  They looked a lot like my neighborhood in Tucson, with the only drawback that I could think of was that it would take me some time to get to work since I'd be further away from the freeway.  I'll need to explore a little more of North Las Vegas and Henderson.  There's plenty of time for that later on, as that my next few days will be spent making sure that my new digs will have the utilities turned on effective my move-in date of 11/24.  I may rent where I'm at now for that whole week in the event that something goes wrong.  I'm thinking it might take two trips from "here" to "there" to move the things I've acquired since I arrived here.

Sheila is back in Tucson, and me, I feel like I'm away from home on a business trip, like I've been so many times before.  I spent several weeks in San Diego once when I was managing a satellite tracking facility that was set up at Qualcomm.  I spent three weeks in the Waco area of Texas providing launch support.  I've had three trips to Japan, the middle one being five weeks.  I've had more trips to Los Angeles than I can remember.  I am no stranger to hotel rooms or long term residence inns, but there is no place like home, and I look forward to being in my own bed Thanksgiving weekend.

A lot of people who know me are somewhat on the envious side that I have a job in Las Vegas and they don't.  I know of some people here who really enjoy living here.  If I could have one of those houses in a nice neighborhood like I saw yesterday, I could enjoy it here, and not miss my house in Tucson since I would have an equivalent or better one here. 

I can understand why someone who doesn't live here would love to vacation here.  Las Vegas is famous all the world over; I'm sure due to legalized gambling and the movies that feature this city.  In the mid 80s I really wanted to come here bad for a trip to see what it was all about.  I got to do that in 1986 and again in 1993, and although I enjoyed it, the reality is that three days in a casino district is enough and you want to be somewhere else.

I might be in the minority here, but I'm thinking that the Las Vegas of the 50s and 60s was in some ways a lot better.  The slot machines were mechanical and paid out in coins.  I've read where silver dollars circulated here.  I'm sure Glitter Gulch, a nickname for Downtown, was quite the exciting place to be.   All of that's changed now.  In some ways I like the change and in other ways I don't.

I'm sure that Sheila and I will be having lots of date nights Downtown.  There are a few places on the Strip that she still wants to check out.  She hasn't yet been inside the "Pyramid" (Luxor Hotel).  There's still Venice and the Bellagio to check out (I've been to the real ones in Italy).  I plan to take her there on her future visits.  When the kids come for the weekend, I want them to see the saxophone player Downtown, Carl Ferris, who performs there almost every night.  I might just end up being one of the few residents who vacations here from time to time.

As for gambling........a few words here.

There was a time in my life, such as in my early college years, that I thought gambling was great.  I wasn't yet 21 but I couldn't wait until I was so that I could go to Nevada and gamble.  I saw Nevada as a quick means to make a lot of money real quickly, and to have fun doing it.

At the age of 19 we went to Nebraska, in the summer of 1978, and I remember begging my dad to try out a slot machine since there was this chance of getting a whole lot of free money out of it (we had stopped in Reno for gas).  He relented and put in a quarter, or maybe it was a dollar bill, came up empty, and then asked me if I was happy.  We were then on our way to Nebraska.

On the return leg of that trip, we had stopped in Winnemucca.  I knew that I wasn't old enough, but I really wanted to try out some slot machines that were across the street from where we were staying.  I announced my plans.......my dad was going to go ahead and let me learn the lesson while my mom cautioned me to be safe since Nevada has a higher crime rate.

I walked into that casino, acting like I owned the place.  I went to the cashier and asked to buy a roll of nickels.  She said "good luck to you" as she handed me the roll, and I went on my way to make some free money.....or so I thought.

I went at it with a nickel slot machine.  At one point the security guard was looking at me, like maybe I wasn't really old enough to be playing the machine......which I wasn't.  I glared back at him with a "you leave me the **** alone!" look and he never came over to challenge me.  I continued at it, getting small payouts here and there.

Then I ran out of nickels.  They were all gone.  After the course of ten minutes or fifteen minutes or whatever it was, I had lost $2.00.  I then decided to walk back across to the motel.  I felt like I was cheated.  The casino was rigged.  They cheated me out of two dollars, and I was somewhat torqued over that.  The bastards stole that money off of me, and I wasn't going to get it back.

It wasn't until some years later that I gambled again in Nevada, although legally.  I probably should tell you some more gambling stories in the posts ahead.

As for whether or not I'm gambling now.........let's just say that as a soon to be resident, I tend to view casinos more for their dining and buffets and people watching more than for anything else.

I can't see the point in gambling, as that it's a good way to be separated from your money.

"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.