Rule 32: Enjoy the Little Things.

      Life in the desert so far has been interesting to say the least. It's hard to get used to daily 110 degree weather no matter if there is humidity or not. Cars are always going to be hot as the devils jacuzzi no matter if you have the front window shades or not. Sometimes when you drive it is so bright it is like trying to drive while staring directly at the sun from the window of a space shuttle. But there are some perks to living in this area I haven't found many yet but there are some.
        First HUGE discounts on shows at the casinos. I think that the city of Vegas decided that due to the fact that they brought rampant drinking and gambling addiction to the state they needed to give something back to the state. While I think that is gallant of them I am not really sure it is enough to make up for the traffic jams and all the accidents that happen pretty much every minute of every day. Second there is always the free shows put on by some casinos like a sinking pirate ship and volcano, but nothing seems to be as entertaining to me as what happens when it rains here. Not only do SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS come across the TV before during and after "the storm" but sometimes they text your phone...I am not even sure how they got my phone number or where the texts are coming from. But if it actually does rain... EVERYONE runs from their houses and stands in their drive ways to WATCH the RAIN. On nights like tonight where it did actually rain (most time it sends out all the warnings and  no rain) there is pandemonium in the neighborhood as everyone hoots and hollers and watches the rain and then waits around to see if there is lightning. by the way if there is lightning it sounds like witches cackling out front because the neighbors are so excited they jump from hooting and hollering to flat out boisterous laughter and ohhs and ahhs like there are fireworks. Maybe this is just so weird to me because I grew up outside of Philadelphia and it rains all the time there and not like the "severe storms" here where it rains for 5 minutes and then its done. In PA it POURS for days thunder lightning the works until the roads are flooded the rivers are flooded and houses are floating away. That is Severe weather ... and we rarely had warnings, unless we are already floating down the river on half of a house. But at least the people in Nevada have something to get excited about I guess.

Week 2: Where are the Mad Men when you need them?

       So this may be a weird subject but I have traveled a great deal in the last two years and seen a lot both in the world and through electronic and advertising means but I have never seen anything like the ads here. I was told when I had moved to Europe that I would see all sorts of crazy things on TV including but not limited to rampant nudity. I can honestly see I never saw anything any more nude or crazy than what you would see on HBO possibly even less out there, but when I got here the madness began. The hotel we lived in for a few weeks had Vegas travel booklets filled with maps and must sees coupons and the like. So for days with nothing else to do I paged through them trying to get my head around all there was to see and do in such a small area since I have always lived in farm country. I was not surprised by the ads for drag shows or topless ones because it's Vegas but its the wording for every day things, or family friendly shows that were the most surprising. The first one I found was for the blue man group. It just said "Blue Man Group... No With Balls!" Even they looked pretty confused in the picture but that wasn't so weird a bit tongue in cheek but a giggle worthy none the less if you weren't expecting it.
       Then came the bizarre billboard on the highway across from the strip that just said "Have you been arrested? Lawyer up!" Which is not so much funny as it is a bit confusing because there was no phone number or anything just they saying. There was another not far from that one that said "I AM God Allah Buddah" and a few others... all on the same billboard I think whoever made it was a bit confused to say the least.
        Then for the creme de la creme there is a produce store here called Fresh and Easy. So the TV was on the other day and I hear a commercial about how dinner should be fast and fresh yadda yadda and at the end you just hear "Make dinner F & Easy" which while it is not F****** easy It sure as hell sounds like it when they just put it in a sentence. Needless to say we all did a double take and checked to see what we had just heard. Now I am not saying this is terrible stop making such crazy ads, by all means make life a bit more interesting but it is just like nothing I have seen any where else.