Las Vegas is So Much Fun!
😊We just returned from a week in Las Vegas with two close friends (Don/Louise). What a wonderful time we had. I have to say that I didn’t expect to see that much glitz & glitter. Things cost a lot out there, but if you look, you can find reasonable prices. Most of the shows we attended were reasonably priced, but then again, we did not see any of the big-name stars (Midler,Deion,Jones,etc). This was the wrong time of the year for them I guess, they all were out of town. Besides, they cost at least $100, and we were looking for tics in the $40-$50 range. Our only excursion out of Vegas was to the Hoover Dam. The dam was quite impressive, and I could recite a lot of facts about it that even I will forget in a couple of weeks. The employees there love to play with the word “Dam”, Dam Guide, Dam food, Dam steps, etc. At first it was amusing, but somewhere along the line it became annoying. Guess I should say I was glad to get out of the damn place (I wasn’t. I enjoyed the visit). As we all know, vacations, normally, include a lot of good eating and this vacation was no exception. I was trimming down as we flew into Vegas and fattening up when we flew out. I could tell by the way the plane strained to get airborne. We were told while there, the name Las Vegas meant “The Meadow” in Spanish. This place is in the middle of the Mohave desert. There are no meadows around. We were told that the town did not begin to grow until the railroad came through and then the Hoover Dam construction was started, and 5,000 men were employed. Camps were built for their families, and the town started to expand. After the dam was completed, I imagine they had to come up with a plan to keep people in the middle of the desert, so they came up with the idea of legalized gambling and prostitution. I guess that did the trick. As you walk the sidewalks of Vegas, there are lines of guys trying to hand you a business card with half-naked women on them and phone numbers to call. They do not care that you have an attractive woman holding your arm. They will shove that card in your face. They have vehicles going up and down the streets with seductive women on a billboard, begging you to call. I’m guessing the term “Sin City” was coined for Vegas. The biggest reason to go to Vegas? For me, it was to see, perhaps, the ritziest city on earth.
😊My Vertigo seems to be getting better. The weather has been cold here, and I have been running on our machine upstairs and lifting weights. Both of us are anxious to get back to the Noland Trail. Jerilyn was a little apprehensive because of a broken foot (July). We are planning on doing the trail this coming week. Meanwhile, there are plenty of inside projects for me to do. Tax time is fast approaching, and preparations are underway for that dreaded task. I’m looking for a better result than last year. The meltdown of the economy has all of us worried. I must say, I still do not understand the bailout of the banks. I know that if our government was bankrupt and went to the banks for a loan, they would say, “You don’t qualify for a loan! You’re broke.” Now, let me see, if the table is reversed, why do they deserve a loan from us?
😊As most of you know, I spent 43 years working at our local shipyard, mostly in finance, but toward the end, in the computer operation’s area. During the 80s and 90s, the shipyard’s attitude was that they needed to balance their navy work with commercial work, in other words, don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Unfortunately, they were unable to do that and are in the unenviable position of being purely a defense contractor. If you are a banker and most of your loans are to unqualified borrowers, or you make cars and all of them get poor mileage, what happens to your business when your primary customer falters? I gotta stop this. My head is starting to hurt!
😊Jerilyn & I read the Upper Room before turning in at night. Last night’s message was that we are responsible for all of God’s creatures. We have four birdfeeders and two bird baths. I now know why we have them. I currently have 7 people on my prayer list. I wonder if The Lord ever tires of hearing my pleas for them? He at no time says so, but he is a compassionate God. I’m sure he would not at any time be rude. With close to 7 billion people on this earth, have you ever wondered how he handles all those requests? The thought overwhelms me.
