A Week in Vegas Already

Except for the first night we were here it’s only been in the high 90s . It doesn’t feel as hot as the 80s in Indiana. But at 9:00 at night it is still in the 90s. Funny how much cooler it feels when the sun goes down.
Mentioned that we took Willie for a good car wash, but didn’t mention what was in the waiting room of the car wash. Always a place to gamble here. Even in the grocery stores.

This city never ceases to amaze me – some of the main city streets are 12 lanes wide. This does create a problem though – drivers seem to think they are on freeways and traffic moves about 60 miles an hour. And this city has the worst drivers in the world. The other day there was a pickup driving in the 3rd lane from the center just in front of us. He suddently decieded he wanted to turn left - and away he went across in front of everyone. And he made it. People expect that here. And a yellow light - it just means STEP ON IT! When - not if - there's an accident is usually is pretty bad. And the people running across the streets in mid-block. Use your head people.
(When there is no smog) you can see for miles. So different from the 1 ½ lane roads enclosed by trees where we live. Love the mountains around the city – so many colors [of rocks] on them. The city has been doing a lot of planting along the sidewalks and in the center dividers. Looks really nice.
We took one quick drive down a short distance of the strip. The new City Center (I think that's what it is called) section is almost done. Most of the buildings look finished. The building with the We Vegas sign is one of the new ones. As are all the ones you can see behind it.

The pedestrian walk is over Las Vegas Blvd at Tropicana. The only problem with it being almost done is - when it is finished estimated by the end of the year 8000 construction workers will be out of work. BUT lots of service workers will get jobs.
I love the Hooters Hotel – the palm trees on the building are painted shadows.

At least the planted ones are real.
Finally finished registering Jennie then got her windows tinted so we have most of “our business” done here. Silly me – nothing is ever as easy as it sounds. It took five, count them, five, trips to the DMV to get Jennie legal. Every time we got there – we got a different clerk and they decided that we needed something else. The original bank it was financed with in Indiana didn’t sign off on the title. Luckily we found some real helpful people here in a BofA here who were willing to take the time to call Indiana and get things straightened out. Very nice of them. Did get real neat license plates they have a white mustang on them and say “Wild and Free” kind of like us. And the last two numbers on the plate are my favorite NASCAR number “18”. Yah! Even the colors of it match Jennie's paint. I blocked out the first two numbers......
Simple things please simple people.
Had dinner Wednesday night with our oldest and youngest sons and their wives. Excellent dinner and a good time. Oldest lives in California in the mountains. Youngest here in LV.
I’ve been to three of the big bead stores here – got stuff that is hard to find other places. And went to one of the quilting stores to get some directions for something I want to make. Bill very patiently waits for me while I check everything out. So that's how we have managed to keep busy for a week.

Thursday we had the windows in Jennie tinted. It will help to keep her cooler and it will keep inquisitive eyes out. One of the tinted windows with a reflection of our neighbors 5th wheel.
Also makes it easier to use the computers without the glare. This is Bill’s set up before the tinting.

I went out to lunch with two of my good friends who live here. We used to work together in LA. Got caught up on each others lives. And we were united in the thought that we were glad we retired when we did.
Another day we spent hunting for a front hub cap – somewhere along the trip we lost one on the highway. Didn't find it. Also spent time on-line looking for the Stick-on-Provinces (Canada) map – guess no one makes them any more. We’ve got the US and Mexico.
Drove down the Strip last nite. It’s always pretty at night. Tacky during the day but pretty at night.
The back side of some of the hotels.
Lots of traffic as usual and a big police presence – that was new. Maybe this afternoon late we will go down there and spend some time.
Today we are getting Jennie washed and waxed. And for the first time in a long time I’ll have to use the parks laundry. Don’t realize how convenient the washer/dryer in Alfie is until I don’t have it.
My toe is somewhat better. Still looks and feels like a block of wood. Very misshapen. Like I tell Bill – only the first couple of steps each time hurt – then it’s okay to walk on. But those first few steps are a real bi**h.