Las Vegas…the playground.
Photo: Deborah L. Carlson
Unsplash
Archive for the ‘Las Vegas’ Category
Eve…a short story
Eve was allergic to apples, but not reptiles. She was also allergic to Adam, who never wanted to go anywhere, or do anything. The snake told Eve stories about freedom, making her own decisions, not listening to others, especially males, who would enslave her and worse, define who she was.
The snake said his name was Harry, and that he was on his way to Nevada to build a place called Las Vegas, where people would go to play and have fun, while losing money, but walking away with wonderful memories of acrobats and dancing fountains. He also told her about run-on sentences.
Eve, was intrigued.
Harry told her things were going to change, now that humans had crawled out of the sea. He said he had been waiting a long time, eons, to be exact, since Vegas wouldn’t be worth anything until people were alive and looking for a good time.
She said she understood why future humans wold be interested in a place like that. Then she looked at Adam, who was napping under a tree. “He NEVER wants to do anything. I’m so bored,” she said loudly. “I’ve been making flower crowns and rubbing mud on myself, to stop the insects from biting me, but that’s about it. I go for walks, but it’s easy to get lost, since there are no signs, maps, borders, streets or GPS’s.
“You’re brilliant,” shouted Harry. “I shall add spas, to the hotels in Vegas. Spas that will offer mud baths and all sorts of things, to people who are wrapped in terrycloth.
“What’s terrycloth?”
Harry explained and Eve nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
“I have a lot of ideas,” said Harry. “I’m going to build cities, like New York, Chicago, LA and a couple of other places. I’m going to invent neon gas and electricity, so I can light up the world and part of the sky, but it won’t be easy.”
“Can you do all of that by yourself? asked Eve.
“Sure. I’ll use magic, but if you want to help, I wouldn’t say no. After all, you have hands.”
“Good point,” she snickered.
“What about him?” she asked, looking at Adam.
“Paper hasn’t been invented yet, so you can’t leave him a note. Truthfully, he might not notice you’re gone until he needs something. A lot of men are going to be that way in the future.”
“Really?”
“I’m afraid so,” hissed the snake. “This place is going to be violent and war like, with death everywhere. That’s why I’m going to build Vegas, so people can forget about their lives and just be idiots and do stupid things, while walking around a strip in the desert. Everyone in the world will know about it. It’s going to be wonderful and people will love it, as long as they wear comfortable shoes.”
“Can we leave now?”
“Sure,” said Harry. “I don’t see why not. In fact, if we leave now, you’ll never have to have children and watch one of your sons kill the other one..”
“Oh, good,” she said. “I don’t think I’d like kids. Do they have them at Amazon?”
“No, Eve, they come out of your body.”
Eve threw up behind the tree where Adam was sleeping. “That’s disgusting.”
“You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” she said.
And that’s how fabulous Las Vegas came into being. Thanks to a really cool snake, a woman who knew a good thing when she heard it and a lot of acrobats and bars.
Photo: Steffano Ciociola
Unsplash
The Flamingo…Chicklets and Las Vegas
I haven’t taken the chicklets to Vegas in a couple of years. We always stay at the Aria, since they took all the fun out of NY, NY years ago. But the chicklets love to visit the Flamingo everyday, because of the beautiful birds, koi, and garden area. They were going through old photographs and found this one. Now they want me to take them on a vacation. I’ve explained that we can’t go, because of the virus, so they are thinking of having a Las Vegas party this summer.
The Stage Crew built the Flamingo on Wheels for the baby chicklets, because some of them wished they could have gone with us. Now that all the chicklets have seen the photo, they’re getting the flamingo out of storage. I’m sure the party will be fun, and the Stage Crew is already drawing up plans for slot machines that take corn kernels. They said the roulette tables will be a snap.
The entertainment is going to be spectacular and very flashy, according to the costume and entertainment committees. Still, they admit, it won’t be the same as being there. The Sound Committee is going to work on a machine that will make a lot of noise, so the chicklets will think they are in the casino.
Truth be told, the chicklets spent most of their time in Vegas, shopping and going to shows. Pressing the button on the slot machines hurt their beaks, and the One Arm Bandits had them sitting on top of the machine, then jumping onto the lever. Lots of accidents and not much fun. I think they lost six and a half dollars between them.
They love the fountains at the Bellagio and sit on the railings peeping with glee and chirping to the music. They also love the street artists, especially the violinists. Two of them were hypnotized by all the flashing lights, which was a problem at first, but we worked it out. But because of that, the Lighting Committee is going to be very careful about how they light things up.
The excitement is spreading, and the Cooking Committee is setting up a meeting with the hens about the menu.
I think it might be fun. The Entertainment Committee is planning on comedy acts (I’m looking forward to that one) and lots of singing and dancing. They were thinking of doing things like Cirque du Soleil, but no one thinks they can really pull it off, and none of the chicklets are willing to dive into water, or run up and down a slanting wall, like they do in Ká. So it will take some time for them to get everything straight. We just have to wait and see what happens. I’m sure it will be…interesting.
Las Vegas…a poem
Las Vegas
is a special place
where people
live out loud
it’s a kind of nursery
where dreams are born
and die
neon
lights the way
and nickel slots
can make your day
if you can find them
the hotels are gigantic
the casinos keep it dark
no one knows what time it is
the darkness plays it’s part
everything is planned
to get money from their guests
every tiny detail
gets you to divest
there are high end goods
the Eiffel Tower
and Liberty’s little sister
there are rides to take
and bets to make
and women who are for sale
there’s gourmet food
and lots of booze
and noise that never ceases
there are shows to see
and songs to sing
and strangers by the mile
Zeus is there
guarding his lair
and Jimmy Choo’s
selling his shoes
to people wearing
flip-flops
fountains dance
while people prance
to songs by Frank Sinatra
and on the street for all to see
are people wearing costumes
sidewalks are packed
the streets are worse
car lights add to the color
gardens lush
on desert sand
where nothing should be growing
reuse your towels
cuz water’s scarce
just do it for the planet
there’s glitz
and shows
and stars you know
and acrobats who fly
the rooms have views
the showers rock
depending where you’re staying
fantastic violinists play
on the walkways in the sky
and people stop and listen
no one walks on by
Vegas never closes
it slows
but never stops
The Strip just keeps on going
like the hands around a clock
but in the early light of dawn
before the streets are cleaned
when small cards selling women
lay thick upon the streets
its heart it keeps on going
just to a different beat
The Strip looks worn and tired
like the people half asleep
but daytime is a great time
to swim
and dine
and shop
to see flamingo gardens
and parrots in one stop
there’s always something fun to do
the people watching’s great
it’s loud
outrageous
wonderful
be sure to book a date
Vegas…part 2
I turned CNN on for a few minutes. One man made an excellent point. He said that the media has to stop saying it’s the biggest mass murder in the US, the most people killed, etc. He said all that does is make other people want to break those records and we need to STOP doing that. He also said what we lean about the killer in hindsight will not help us stop people from doing the same thing in the future because killers look like regular people and even their families, friends and neighbors don’t see anything wrong with them. He said there’s no way to stop it.
Vegas…
“It’s terrible about what happened in Las Vegas,” my friend said, this morning. I had no idea what she was talking about, since I don’t watch the news. I love Las Vegas and was horrified when she told me what took place. I’m so sorry for all of those people who went to a fabulous place to have fun and ended up dead, or wounded, because a man decided to shoot people…just because he felt like doing it. Over 400 people wounded, over 50 dead and all of them just out for a good time.
I was there a year ago this month. I love it there because I actually feel safe when I’m there. So many people and most of them are happy. We go there all the time. I love walking around in the beautiful weather and seeing all the glitz, the flowers, and overblown hotels. Love the strip in front of the Bellagio because it’s pretty and the fountain is a lot of fun. We stay at the Aria. It’s a beautiful and peaceful hotel. Low on glitz, more like a spa atmosphere and it’s in the perfect spot on the strip. I like places that are open all night and you never have to go to bed because the party never ends. Sure you can only take it for three days but still…
To me Vegas is loud, happy and a fun place to be and that horrible man has taken it upon himself to destroy the lives of the people who went there to enjoy themselves. The lives of those who have lost their loved ones and friends will never be the same. Because no one can be the same once people are gone forever. So not only did he kill people, he killed parts of those who were left behind. I think that’s the definition of evil.
The thing is…we’ll get used to this too. Just like we’re used to a bunch of kids killing each other in Chicago every weekend. We have become desensitized to this kind of thing. The horror and shock wears off quickly because it’s just one more time. One more flood, one more storm, one more mass murder. I couldn’t listen to the thing in the white house give his speech. He lies and someone tells him what to say and hopes he doesn’t go off on his own and say something so insane that the clean up crew has to twist his words to pretend they mean something else. Maybe he gave a great speech but it’s still lies and who could believe he ever cared about anyone but himself.
I’m sorry for the people who lost their lives, the people who were wounded and for the people who are left behind. The people who, when they dropped off their friends at the airport, didn’t realize they would never see them again.
Statue man…
This man was in Las Vegas and I don’t know how he could stand still for so long. It seems impossible and I can only imagine what his body feels like after a day of work. People watch, them talk to them, and put money down for them. He winked at us. LOLOL
Rethinking Life 
Written
on April 20, 2021