and by
...did I even neighborhood right? It doesn't look right to me.
I meant
...did I even spell neighborhood right? It doesn't look right to me.
Yep. Loser.
Monday, July 28, 2008
It's just another day in the neighborhood...
...did I even neighborhood right? It doesn't look right to me.
Well, we have been in Vegas a little over a month now, and each day seems to fall into one of three categories:
1. the "Oh, yeah, I live in Vegas. So what?"
2. the "Oh my god, I live in Vegas - pinch me!"
3. the "Oh my god, I live in Vegas" followed by tears.
Today is #1, when yesterday was #2, and the day before was #3. Interesting how that works. I do absolutely love the shopping choices, and the Fresh and Easy grocery store blows my mind (it's awesome, go to it if you have one near you). What I don't like about the shopping choices is that a simple grocery shopping trip turns into a freaking adventure. For example, our Saturday grocery excursion consisted of going to Fresh and Easy and purchasing fresh fruit and veggies, bread, and some fantastic lunch items for Megan (woo!), Sam's to get hummus, asparagus, and milk (you really can't beat $2.50 for a gallon of milk), off to Best Buy to buy a new hard drive (yeah, not too happy about that), and then to Walmart to by things like razors (even though we are trying to wing ourselves off Walmart...but it's soooo cheap). I just wanted to take a half hour, buy groceries, and go home. But no, the gods insisted on it taking 2 1/2 hours - and without children! Lord help me when we have the joy of doing this when we have children - then it will be the whole day! I guess the positive thing is that we only drove 8 miles total for all of the stores, saving on gas. Sweet!
Speaking of gas, it finally fell below $4 - to $3.99. Woo! When we got here, it was $4.35, so we will take any kind of break we can get. If it gets much higher, I'm going to have to ride my bike, which I don't yet own, and that would be difficult.
One thing that OUTRAGES me about this city is the lack of service to those less fortunate. I volunteered for a Meals on Wheels program that UNLV hosts every week during the school year (and a few times during the summer). We went to North Las Vegas to a Salvation Army Homeless complex (where some people live there, others just use a pavilion during the day to stay out of the summer heat). The 250 meals that we took were gone in less that 2 minutes. There were all kinds of people (women, children, all ethnic groups), proving that poverty does not discriminate. On the way back to UNLV, a co-worker told me about the asshole mayor that this city has.
It's no big secret that Vegas is a tourist town, and seriously run by the mob. The mayor seems to be in someone's pocket, because he is allowed to do things that no one should be allowed to do. For example, he buses those homeless and in poverty to North Vegas - literally. His argument is to provide a good experience for tourists and those who are well off. What the f***? The bus system is not run through Henderson, Summerlin, or SW Vegas too much b/c they don't want poverty-stricken people to be at bus stops and near homes (hey, what about people who wanted to take the bus to work? like me?) And if that doesn't prove the guy is a dick, the fact that he helped pass an ordinance to make it ILLEGAL to provide money, food, or coupons to the homeless should seal the deal. During that period, UNLV still did service projects, and ran the risk of being arrested for providing food and clothing to those who have none. Thankfully, that ordinance was determined to be unconstitutional, but to have a man like this run a city is outrageous. I have now volunteered my time every Friday and every other Saturday to do service projects through UNLV - someone has to try to make a difference.
I'll get off my soap box, and get back to work. And hope that those who are 'well off' get their thumbs out of their asses and do something to help people in need.
Well, we have been in Vegas a little over a month now, and each day seems to fall into one of three categories:
1. the "Oh, yeah, I live in Vegas. So what?"
2. the "Oh my god, I live in Vegas - pinch me!"
3. the "Oh my god, I live in Vegas" followed by tears.
Today is #1, when yesterday was #2, and the day before was #3. Interesting how that works. I do absolutely love the shopping choices, and the Fresh and Easy grocery store blows my mind (it's awesome, go to it if you have one near you). What I don't like about the shopping choices is that a simple grocery shopping trip turns into a freaking adventure. For example, our Saturday grocery excursion consisted of going to Fresh and Easy and purchasing fresh fruit and veggies, bread, and some fantastic lunch items for Megan (woo!), Sam's to get hummus, asparagus, and milk (you really can't beat $2.50 for a gallon of milk), off to Best Buy to buy a new hard drive (yeah, not too happy about that), and then to Walmart to by things like razors (even though we are trying to wing ourselves off Walmart...but it's soooo cheap). I just wanted to take a half hour, buy groceries, and go home. But no, the gods insisted on it taking 2 1/2 hours - and without children! Lord help me when we have the joy of doing this when we have children - then it will be the whole day! I guess the positive thing is that we only drove 8 miles total for all of the stores, saving on gas. Sweet!
Speaking of gas, it finally fell below $4 - to $3.99. Woo! When we got here, it was $4.35, so we will take any kind of break we can get. If it gets much higher, I'm going to have to ride my bike, which I don't yet own, and that would be difficult.
One thing that OUTRAGES me about this city is the lack of service to those less fortunate. I volunteered for a Meals on Wheels program that UNLV hosts every week during the school year (and a few times during the summer). We went to North Las Vegas to a Salvation Army Homeless complex (where some people live there, others just use a pavilion during the day to stay out of the summer heat). The 250 meals that we took were gone in less that 2 minutes. There were all kinds of people (women, children, all ethnic groups), proving that poverty does not discriminate. On the way back to UNLV, a co-worker told me about the asshole mayor that this city has.
It's no big secret that Vegas is a tourist town, and seriously run by the mob. The mayor seems to be in someone's pocket, because he is allowed to do things that no one should be allowed to do. For example, he buses those homeless and in poverty to North Vegas - literally. His argument is to provide a good experience for tourists and those who are well off. What the f***? The bus system is not run through Henderson, Summerlin, or SW Vegas too much b/c they don't want poverty-stricken people to be at bus stops and near homes (hey, what about people who wanted to take the bus to work? like me?) And if that doesn't prove the guy is a dick, the fact that he helped pass an ordinance to make it ILLEGAL to provide money, food, or coupons to the homeless should seal the deal. During that period, UNLV still did service projects, and ran the risk of being arrested for providing food and clothing to those who have none. Thankfully, that ordinance was determined to be unconstitutional, but to have a man like this run a city is outrageous. I have now volunteered my time every Friday and every other Saturday to do service projects through UNLV - someone has to try to make a difference.
I'll get off my soap box, and get back to work. And hope that those who are 'well off' get their thumbs out of their asses and do something to help people in need.
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