When I began research for What If They Lived?, James Dean and Marilyn Monroe intimidated me. They were, and still are, legends, and how could I write about them when so much had been written about them already? So many biographies, so many essays, so many analyses of careers abruptly ended. What could I bring that hadn't been brought before?
As I read some of those biographies from beginnings to unfortunate endings, I looked around, and I was the only one reading whichever biography was in front of me. I was the only one figuring out how to shape my essay. I was the only one in that room learning more than just the tidbits that made them famous, a glimpse into who they actually were at times, the humans they were. It made it much easier because I wasn't looking to compete against anyone to be the King of All Knowledge of Hollywood Gods and Goddesses. These two were among 18 essays I had to write, and I couldn't worry about how I would be received among those who know so much about Dean and Monroe.
That experience makes research for my second book much easier. I know that the first movie I'm going to write about created a major trend in Hollywood. Yes, this was the one that started it all. But I'm not going to worry about how my writing might be perceived by film historians who perhaps have delved far deeper into this particular decade than I ever have and ever will. For one thing, these movies are generally forgotten against what came after them (and in one instance, what came before the three sequels) and what is offered in theaters today. I have as much room to maneuver as I want. I'm sure there are ideas for my book that I haven't even thought of yet, but which may reveal themselves as I keep reading, keep watching those movies, and outline the chapters.
I've been thinking about this because of my current workload: I have one more movie to watch and take notes on, forming questions to ask those who I find for interviews, and I think there will be a lot of people, based on my notes for the three previous movies, and the beginning and end credits for these movies, names that go far beyond "Director," "Screenwriter," and "Starring." I still have to re-read the novel on which the first movie is based. I read it many years ago, but want to again to get a good grasp on the material, and I have a major reason for doing so.
On Tuesday, I will be embarking on what I never imagined in all my years of writing movie reviews, in the eight years I've lived in Southern California. This feels like the pinnacle of my love for movies, like it's one of the reasons I wrote all those reviews, and my first book. It's not all downhill from there, but besides the interviews I'm hoping for, it's going to be damn hard to top this.
I will be visiting the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Margaret Herrick Library in Beverly Hills. They have scripts for all four of the movies I will be writing about, and they could very well have been used during production. I will be holding history that means so much to me. And that I've gone from watching these movies many, many times on videotape to watching them on DVD to holding these scripts come Tuesday is stunning. It'll prepare me if I get the interviews I want, to be stunned for a bit and then get right to it. Right now, I can be stunned for longer than that because Tuesday is the only day the library is open until 8 p.m. I'll be there quite early in the day (It opens at 10 a.m.), and I don't necessarily need all that time, but I do need a cushion of time because you're only allowed paper (notepads and notebooks count as that too) and pencil (Pens can leak, and there's movie history in that building!), and not only have I not used pencils in years, but my handwriting is still crap, which is why tonight, when I watch the final movie in the series and take notes, I'm going to write more carefully. Same goes when I re-read the novel tomorrow and take notes.
The library also has a transcript from a screening of the first movie that the Academy held in 2006 with actors from it. I hope to find treasure in those pages. And the scripts were written not just with theatrical exhibition in mind, but also television broadcast, because there was an hour or so of extra footage filmed for each of the three sequels that was for TV only. That footage has never been released on DVD. The executive in charge of the sequels was well-versed in television, so he knew how to get even more value out of these movies.
I'm writing this book for myself first. I want to know how various scenes were staged. I want to know how various actors coped with some of those scenes. I want to know the technical details because a lot of them are really a sight to see onscreen.
After I've found all that out and wrote down everything that I've found, then I'll edit for readability. A first draft is for me. A second, third, fourth, whatever, and final draft is gradually for readers.
I'm no different from any other author: I want my books to sell well. I'd like to make some money off of my writing. But I love that on Tuesday, I will be at the Margaret Herrick Library, holding history in my hands, both Hollywood and personal. I didn't start writing when I was 11 because of the thought of great gobs of greenbacks. I started writing because of that kind of experience. You can't get it any other way. It's the reason I still write.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Walgreens Movies
I keep up on pop culture, music, movies, TV, the latest best-selling book, but I'm slow to get to them. You won't find me waiting hours and days in line for one movie, nor dressing up and going to various geek conventions (though I have a yen to go to one, if there is one in Las Vegas, to see what it's all about), nor waiting until midnight to be one of the first to get a copy of an ultra best-selling book. Meridith did that once with Dad for one of the Harry Potter books, but for her, like me with conventions, she just wanted to see what it was like, and experience it once. She just went that one time, never again to the ones that followed.
But I am curious about pop culture when it stops being in the zeitgeist. I don't wait purposely until a book or a movie is out of favor, just that when it's popular, I'm usually always busy with other books and movies. For example, I knew nothing of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close when it was published, and I plan to read it soon, not because of the movie, but because I finished Greyhound, about an 11-year-old boy traveling alone cross-country, and I was curious to see what the kid is like in Jonathan Safran Foer's novel. I've also got Unstrung Heroes, Franz Lidz's memoir about being influenced by two eccentric uncles while growing up, and I sought that out because I love the movie that stars John Turturro, Andie MacDowell, and Maury Chaykin, one of my favorite actors. It's in my DVD collection. I especially love, and get a little teary at, the scene in which Uncle Arthur (Chaykin) explains to Steven (Nathan Watt) why he collects balls that children have lost: "You know how seashells hold the sounds of the ocean? I think balls hold the sounds of the children who bounce them." I never thought of it like that, but I do think like that about a lot of things in life.
On Tuesday, Mom and Dad had a late-afternoon doctor's appointment, which meant eventually knowing exactly what shade of white the waiting room walls were, while enduring another crappy movie on the TV, which this time was the remake of The Karate Kid, starring the son of stage mother Will Smith.
Then after the appointment, having finished reading Fool Me Once by Rick Lax (I started reading it that morning), we went for wings at Wing Stop (Their Louisiana Rub flavor is quite possibly the best flavor they've ever had), and then to Walgreens to pick up Mom's prescription.
We really only go to Walgreens if a prescription is needed or if Mom finds something she needs at a lower price there, such as lipstick or something for the bathroom. I like it because they sell DVDs for cheap, from $3.99-$5.99. They remodeled the Walgreens near us, putting the books and magazines against a wall near the register, and moving the DVDs for sale into a smaller plastic square display in the aisle where seasonal and discounted items are sold.
Most of what they offer I either already have, such as Swing Vote, or don't want, which is most of what they have. I don't fall into the hype trap that so thoroughly dominates mainstream entertainment because I like to discover books and movies on my own terms. I'd probably make a crappy book publisher for that reason, which is why it's better that I write.
I found two movies in that collection, one that I immediately snapped up: Talk Radio, starring and co-written by Eric Bogosian, and directed by Oliver Stone. I've always liked Eric Bogosian as a stage performer. I wish his novels had the same impressive power his stage shows do. His novel Mall was populated with characters whose personalities were too thin, and when I heard that a movie was going to be made of it, starring Vincent D'Onofrio, Chelsea Handler, and Bogosian, I immediately hoped that it will be better than the book.
I'd seen Talk Radio many years ago, and loved how deep Bogosian got into this manic talk radio host. This had to go into my DVD collection.
Then I found an unusual-looking DVD case, because of its cast: Henry Winkler, Sally Field, and Harrison Ford. It was called Heroes, from 1977, and according to the back copy, Winkler is a Vietnam vet who travels cross-country to open a worm farm, and Field is a woman he meets on the way, with Ford playing Winkler's army buddy. This used to be the kind of movie I'd look up on the Internet Movie Database to see who else was in it and what the general reception was toward it, but no. I want to find out fully on my own how it is. The screenwriter, James Carabatsos, is a Vietnam vet, and this was his first screenplay. He later wrote Heartbreak Ridge for Clint Eastwood, and Hamburger Hill. Points so far for credibility with Winkler's Vietnam vet character.
Jaws began to rapidly change movie marketing when it was released, and I'm sure it went full tilt when Star Wars was released in the same year as Heroes, so this could very well be one of the last small movies that Hollywood was willing to take a chance on. I guess they were less risky back then, but then, the '70s were a time when Hollywood was willing to be bold.
I haven't watched Heroes yet, but I think what made me buy it just to see it was that Winkler's character goes cross-country. I like those kinds of stories, people searching for something in life, or forced by circumstances to go on the road. It may well be a cliche of sorts in movies, but it endures because humanity wonders what it must be like to be somewhere else. Heck, I've been thinking about that for eight years. It also endures because the world is so incredibly vast, moreso than any movie can show. The road leading out of Baker, straight into the Mojave to Las Vegas, is stunning every single time because there's so much desert. It stretches so far in opposite directions. It's a creative wonderland for me because I think anything can exist in the desert. Riverboats too, like the casino we saw once on the way into Vegas that was designed as a riverboat, that was closed and boarded up, and the next time we drove into Las Vegas, the riverboat was torn down, gone. The reality of the riverboat being gone was obvious, but a riverboat seemingly disappearing into the desert like that is pure poetry to me.
Going back to the beginning of this entry, it's like science fiction for me. I'm becoming more interested in it, but I'm moving slowly, seeing what fits me, what worlds, what writers, what movies. Blade Runner has been one of my favorite movies for many years, long before I became interested in science fiction (It must have set something in my mind). I liked Tron: Legacy when I first saw it, and became a huge fan of it when I saw it again on DVD, to the extent that I own a diecast model of the Recognizer. From this, perhaps I'm interested in dystopian science fiction.
I've seen a few episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and while it's not likely that I'll become a Trekkie (or Trekker or whatever the hell isn't considered offensive to devoted Star Trek fans), I liked the vast imagination I felt from it, all those universes out there to explore. I'm not sure yet if spaceships beyond the Enterprise would interest me, but I'll eventually find out.
Time moves fast enough, and I like to wander slowly, never rushing for anything I'm told I should see, never rushing because millions of others are. I'll get there. I like to think that when I do, there'll be more room for me to wander.
But I am curious about pop culture when it stops being in the zeitgeist. I don't wait purposely until a book or a movie is out of favor, just that when it's popular, I'm usually always busy with other books and movies. For example, I knew nothing of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close when it was published, and I plan to read it soon, not because of the movie, but because I finished Greyhound, about an 11-year-old boy traveling alone cross-country, and I was curious to see what the kid is like in Jonathan Safran Foer's novel. I've also got Unstrung Heroes, Franz Lidz's memoir about being influenced by two eccentric uncles while growing up, and I sought that out because I love the movie that stars John Turturro, Andie MacDowell, and Maury Chaykin, one of my favorite actors. It's in my DVD collection. I especially love, and get a little teary at, the scene in which Uncle Arthur (Chaykin) explains to Steven (Nathan Watt) why he collects balls that children have lost: "You know how seashells hold the sounds of the ocean? I think balls hold the sounds of the children who bounce them." I never thought of it like that, but I do think like that about a lot of things in life.
On Tuesday, Mom and Dad had a late-afternoon doctor's appointment, which meant eventually knowing exactly what shade of white the waiting room walls were, while enduring another crappy movie on the TV, which this time was the remake of The Karate Kid, starring the son of stage mother Will Smith.
Then after the appointment, having finished reading Fool Me Once by Rick Lax (I started reading it that morning), we went for wings at Wing Stop (Their Louisiana Rub flavor is quite possibly the best flavor they've ever had), and then to Walgreens to pick up Mom's prescription.
We really only go to Walgreens if a prescription is needed or if Mom finds something she needs at a lower price there, such as lipstick or something for the bathroom. I like it because they sell DVDs for cheap, from $3.99-$5.99. They remodeled the Walgreens near us, putting the books and magazines against a wall near the register, and moving the DVDs for sale into a smaller plastic square display in the aisle where seasonal and discounted items are sold.
Most of what they offer I either already have, such as Swing Vote, or don't want, which is most of what they have. I don't fall into the hype trap that so thoroughly dominates mainstream entertainment because I like to discover books and movies on my own terms. I'd probably make a crappy book publisher for that reason, which is why it's better that I write.
I found two movies in that collection, one that I immediately snapped up: Talk Radio, starring and co-written by Eric Bogosian, and directed by Oliver Stone. I've always liked Eric Bogosian as a stage performer. I wish his novels had the same impressive power his stage shows do. His novel Mall was populated with characters whose personalities were too thin, and when I heard that a movie was going to be made of it, starring Vincent D'Onofrio, Chelsea Handler, and Bogosian, I immediately hoped that it will be better than the book.
I'd seen Talk Radio many years ago, and loved how deep Bogosian got into this manic talk radio host. This had to go into my DVD collection.
Then I found an unusual-looking DVD case, because of its cast: Henry Winkler, Sally Field, and Harrison Ford. It was called Heroes, from 1977, and according to the back copy, Winkler is a Vietnam vet who travels cross-country to open a worm farm, and Field is a woman he meets on the way, with Ford playing Winkler's army buddy. This used to be the kind of movie I'd look up on the Internet Movie Database to see who else was in it and what the general reception was toward it, but no. I want to find out fully on my own how it is. The screenwriter, James Carabatsos, is a Vietnam vet, and this was his first screenplay. He later wrote Heartbreak Ridge for Clint Eastwood, and Hamburger Hill. Points so far for credibility with Winkler's Vietnam vet character.
Jaws began to rapidly change movie marketing when it was released, and I'm sure it went full tilt when Star Wars was released in the same year as Heroes, so this could very well be one of the last small movies that Hollywood was willing to take a chance on. I guess they were less risky back then, but then, the '70s were a time when Hollywood was willing to be bold.
I haven't watched Heroes yet, but I think what made me buy it just to see it was that Winkler's character goes cross-country. I like those kinds of stories, people searching for something in life, or forced by circumstances to go on the road. It may well be a cliche of sorts in movies, but it endures because humanity wonders what it must be like to be somewhere else. Heck, I've been thinking about that for eight years. It also endures because the world is so incredibly vast, moreso than any movie can show. The road leading out of Baker, straight into the Mojave to Las Vegas, is stunning every single time because there's so much desert. It stretches so far in opposite directions. It's a creative wonderland for me because I think anything can exist in the desert. Riverboats too, like the casino we saw once on the way into Vegas that was designed as a riverboat, that was closed and boarded up, and the next time we drove into Las Vegas, the riverboat was torn down, gone. The reality of the riverboat being gone was obvious, but a riverboat seemingly disappearing into the desert like that is pure poetry to me.
Going back to the beginning of this entry, it's like science fiction for me. I'm becoming more interested in it, but I'm moving slowly, seeing what fits me, what worlds, what writers, what movies. Blade Runner has been one of my favorite movies for many years, long before I became interested in science fiction (It must have set something in my mind). I liked Tron: Legacy when I first saw it, and became a huge fan of it when I saw it again on DVD, to the extent that I own a diecast model of the Recognizer. From this, perhaps I'm interested in dystopian science fiction.
I've seen a few episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and while it's not likely that I'll become a Trekkie (or Trekker or whatever the hell isn't considered offensive to devoted Star Trek fans), I liked the vast imagination I felt from it, all those universes out there to explore. I'm not sure yet if spaceships beyond the Enterprise would interest me, but I'll eventually find out.
Time moves fast enough, and I like to wander slowly, never rushing for anything I'm told I should see, never rushing because millions of others are. I'll get there. I like to think that when I do, there'll be more room for me to wander.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Tidbits from the Second Issue of The Henderson Press
It's not enough for me to simply keep on hoping that we soon become residents of Henderson, or, rather, as quick as possible. I'm not any more connected to Las Vegas or Henderson like I want to be. So I've begun pulling books from my Las Vegas stack, reading Fool Me Once by Rick Lax, which I read in one day yesterday, and starting today on Super Casino: Inside the "New" Las Vegas by Pete Earley, published in 2000. The year never matters to me because I want to study every decade of Las Vegas, including before it was the Las Vegas we know.
That covers Las Vegas, but what about Henderson? I've drooled over our future apartment, fondly remembered buying that toy flour truck at Smith's in Henderson, and marveled at how much there is near the apartment to explore. I need to strengthen that connection I feel with Henderson. Last October, I wrote an entry about what I had learned from the first issue of The Henderson Press, dated September 23, 2010, but hadn't written about any more issues. That changes now, because while I still wait, I want to not only know more about my future hometown, but to feel even more for it, more excitement, more pleasure that will undoubtedly multiply once I'm there. It's not a matter of eight years in the Santa Clarita Valley making me want anywhere but here. I've been to Henderson before and I love what I saw. I know that I could easily be part of it, finally part of a community in many facets.
From the second issue, which spans October 22 to November 11, 2010 (They were not yet a weekly paper), I've learned:
- There was a dance troupe from the Las Vegas Indian Center called the Red Hand Dance Troupe that performed at the dedication ceremony for the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge which is perched over Hoover Dam. An Indian center seems to me to be further proof that Las Vegas is open to anyone, a great change from the shameful racism in the city in the 1950s.
- The article about the ceremony notes that it was private, with only the O'Callaghan and two Tillman family members and those who worked on the bridge attending, and "a public event was held two days later with nearly 20,000 well-wishers attending." That would have made quite an article. Report what happened, get some quotes from Nevada and Arizona residents, and tourists, and get a sense of the atmosphere of that event as well. But with this being the second issue, I suppose space was at a premium.
- There's a Clark County Museum on South Boulder Highway, which is all about the history of Southern Nevada. Googling it to find out more, I saw a listing for the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum at McCarran International Airport, at 5757 Wayne Newton Boulevard. History never fades here, it seems, and I'm finding more and more to do in Southern Nevada!
- An arson fire caused $300,000 worth of damage to a two-story, five-bedroom, 3-and-1/2 bath house, and even with how short this story is, it's apparent that the reporters care about the stories they write. There are more details in this one story than most that I find in The Signal, which may not be a fair comparison considering how much more Henderson has than the entire Santa Clarita Valley, but if you like where you live, then you care about what goes on in your city and in writing about it too.
- Skyline Restaurant & Casino on North Boulder Highway, offers, at least at the time of this issue, live entertainment every Tuesday through Sunday evening, with Vic Saladino performing in the evenings, and The Dummkopfs performing Thursday and Sunday afternoons. My friend Google tells me that Vic Saladino is a blues musician and The Dummkopfs are a comedy band. I think I'll check out the entertainment there. I want to see what every casino in Henderson offers.
- In the corrections box on page 3 is this: "The Henderson Press corrects its mistakes. Please bring any errors to the attention of Jeannette Carrillo, editor." "Mistakes," "errors," that's fine, but I hope they don't go full force on a thesaurus like that for any same-meaning words that fall close together.
- Also, this issue is "No. 1, Vol. 2."
- Shell has a lube center and car wash on South Boulder Highway at Palo Verde Dr., south of Smith's. It already feels easy to find decent food in Henderson, and it's nice to know that there are more gas stations there than there are here.
- In its efforts to be environmentally friendly, the City of Henderson, according to reporter Jeremy Twitchell (so far my favorite Henderson Press reporter), "is replacing 28,000 street lights with energy-efficient induction lights that are projected to save more than $15 million in energy and maintenance costs over their life." This is the first time I've ever been interested in street lights beyond artistic effect, but then, anything under Henderson jurisdiction has my interest.
- There's a shop called Henderson Hobbies on Water St. I e-mailed the owner, asking about diecast cars and trucks. Even though I'm not there, I want to map out what's available because I plan to buy less online and more in-store to support my town's economy. (At 11:45 p.m.: The e-mail address bounced, which likely means that Henderson Hobbies went out of business.)
- An 11-year-old named Samanatha Chang came up with the winning name for the 6-foot-tall puppy statue at Heritage Bark Park: Barkules (pronounced like "Hercules"). This paragraph was most impressive to me: "Parks Superintendent Doug Guild presented Chang with a certificate of achievement, as well as a prize package. Prizes were co-sponsored by the Galleria at Sunset, Levi Strauss, Tracey Ford Perry Photography, Madame Tussaud's Las Vegas and Rave Motion Pictures.
Galleria at Sunset is the main mall in Henderson, so there was likely a gift certificate for the mall. Levi Strauss, probably jeans were involved. Tracey Ford Perry Photography is billed as "Fine Art Portraits," so undoubtedly a free session. I highly respect how Madame Tussaud's reaches back to Henderson, never forgetting about those who live in the area. And Rave Motion Pictures is a theater chain that has one location in Las Vegas, the Town Square 18 on Las Vegas Boulevard South. Free tickets, I'm sure.
- Downtown Sewing Machine Co., offering sewing machine sales and repairs, at 155 Water Street, Suite 130. You'd never hear about sewing machines here. To me, that's a further sign that Henderson is filled with regular people, with little shallowness. I hope so anyway.
- At Prestige Assisted Living, Henderson City Councilwoman Gerri Schroeder presented a certificate of Congressional Recognition to Sophie Maselko Sojka, who turned 100. In the Santa Clarita Valley, age is to be feared. In Henderson, it's a natural part of life.
- I spotted another ad for Coo Coo's Cafe - "Home of the Funky Monkey Frappe." Instead of waiting until I'm there to find out what's in it, I found the website and the menu. It's a "blended mocha frappe with a whole banana added." I'd try it, but I'd first dive for the "3 Cheese Omelet Quesadilla," which is made with two jumbo eggs, swiss, cheddar and provolone cheeses, and served with salsa, sour cream, and a fruit cup. Sure, it's not enough that our new apartment complex will make me feel like I'm truly home, but this place just has to serve a quesadilla that I'm now craving. I love having such issues.
- The electricity bill at the Lexus of Las Vegas dealership on West Sahara Avenue is $30,000 a month. I always wonder about those bills for casinos.
- Another full-page ad for Johnny Mac's Restaurant & Bar, in business for 28 years, which boasts "the best wings and pizza in town." Meridith's set on trying the wings. I think we all are, since we'll be trying everything in the years to come.
- There's a Hawaiian food truck called Island Breeze. They do events, and they also park outside Island Sushi and Grill on South Eastern Avenue, which supports the business. I'll be there and I'll try Hawaiian tacos.
- There's an Outdoor Picture Show at The Green in The District at Green Valley Ranch (long names, but worth it), which offers free popcorn and Monsters, Inc. on October 29, and Alice in Wonderland on October 30 (It doesn't say which version). It's still going on, and this most recent October they had The Incredibles, Ghostbusters II, and Casper, among other movies. I want to go to at least once next year.
- I know this is a Henderson newspaper, so this is to be expected, but it's nice to see a quarter-page ad from Henderson Libraries with the heading "Your All-Access Pass," touting the library card. There's six locations, including a cubbyhole at the Galleria at Sunset mall, which I will happily hang out at whenever we're there, though not as much as I did at the Valencia library because this is my home mall, so I'll always walk around, enjoying all of it.
- There's two full pages of coupons. Downtown Sewing Machine Co. offers a $10 gift certificate, Skyline Casino is pushing an $8.95 all-you-can-eat large fried shrimp special, the late Henderson Hobbies is giving 10% off all model rockets, and Johnny Mac's has one for $10 for a large one-topping pizza.
- Thinking about needing a car when I get to Henderson, I looked at the nearly full-page car listings and no one at that time is selling a Toyota Corolla. I want one because it's the most comfortable car I've ever been in. The prices on these listings also severely cooled my book-buying habit. I'll have libraries again in Las Vegas and Henderson anyway, but I've got to cut it if I happen to find a reliable-enough vehicle for $4,000-$6,000. Stop laughing. I'm still naive, but I'm learning.
- It's fun looking at the real estate ads because I don't have to think about any of these. We've got that apartment in Henderson, and don't have to worry about any of the costs that would be incurred with these houses. I will pay my share of the rent there, of course, and I'm thinking that when I do move out, I'll seek an apartment, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was in the same complex, considering that they've got a basketball court and a gym there and the grounds seem very well-maintained from what Mom and Dad have told Meridith and I.
End of the second issue, and that felt really good. I've Tivo'd The Good Wife over the final three weeks before holiday reruns, but haven't watched them yet because my research and my books always get in the way, save for Jeopardy!, The Big Bang Theory and returning interests in The Simpsons and Family Guy, which is when they step aside. They'll also step aside for this, reading all these back issues of The Henderson Press. This I can keep up on much more easily than The Good Wife.
That covers Las Vegas, but what about Henderson? I've drooled over our future apartment, fondly remembered buying that toy flour truck at Smith's in Henderson, and marveled at how much there is near the apartment to explore. I need to strengthen that connection I feel with Henderson. Last October, I wrote an entry about what I had learned from the first issue of The Henderson Press, dated September 23, 2010, but hadn't written about any more issues. That changes now, because while I still wait, I want to not only know more about my future hometown, but to feel even more for it, more excitement, more pleasure that will undoubtedly multiply once I'm there. It's not a matter of eight years in the Santa Clarita Valley making me want anywhere but here. I've been to Henderson before and I love what I saw. I know that I could easily be part of it, finally part of a community in many facets.
From the second issue, which spans October 22 to November 11, 2010 (They were not yet a weekly paper), I've learned:
- There was a dance troupe from the Las Vegas Indian Center called the Red Hand Dance Troupe that performed at the dedication ceremony for the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge which is perched over Hoover Dam. An Indian center seems to me to be further proof that Las Vegas is open to anyone, a great change from the shameful racism in the city in the 1950s.
- The article about the ceremony notes that it was private, with only the O'Callaghan and two Tillman family members and those who worked on the bridge attending, and "a public event was held two days later with nearly 20,000 well-wishers attending." That would have made quite an article. Report what happened, get some quotes from Nevada and Arizona residents, and tourists, and get a sense of the atmosphere of that event as well. But with this being the second issue, I suppose space was at a premium.
- There's a Clark County Museum on South Boulder Highway, which is all about the history of Southern Nevada. Googling it to find out more, I saw a listing for the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum at McCarran International Airport, at 5757 Wayne Newton Boulevard. History never fades here, it seems, and I'm finding more and more to do in Southern Nevada!
- An arson fire caused $300,000 worth of damage to a two-story, five-bedroom, 3-and-1/2 bath house, and even with how short this story is, it's apparent that the reporters care about the stories they write. There are more details in this one story than most that I find in The Signal, which may not be a fair comparison considering how much more Henderson has than the entire Santa Clarita Valley, but if you like where you live, then you care about what goes on in your city and in writing about it too.
- Skyline Restaurant & Casino on North Boulder Highway, offers, at least at the time of this issue, live entertainment every Tuesday through Sunday evening, with Vic Saladino performing in the evenings, and The Dummkopfs performing Thursday and Sunday afternoons. My friend Google tells me that Vic Saladino is a blues musician and The Dummkopfs are a comedy band. I think I'll check out the entertainment there. I want to see what every casino in Henderson offers.
- In the corrections box on page 3 is this: "The Henderson Press corrects its mistakes. Please bring any errors to the attention of Jeannette Carrillo, editor." "Mistakes," "errors," that's fine, but I hope they don't go full force on a thesaurus like that for any same-meaning words that fall close together.
- Also, this issue is "No. 1, Vol. 2."
- Shell has a lube center and car wash on South Boulder Highway at Palo Verde Dr., south of Smith's. It already feels easy to find decent food in Henderson, and it's nice to know that there are more gas stations there than there are here.
- In its efforts to be environmentally friendly, the City of Henderson, according to reporter Jeremy Twitchell (so far my favorite Henderson Press reporter), "is replacing 28,000 street lights with energy-efficient induction lights that are projected to save more than $15 million in energy and maintenance costs over their life." This is the first time I've ever been interested in street lights beyond artistic effect, but then, anything under Henderson jurisdiction has my interest.
- There's a shop called Henderson Hobbies on Water St. I e-mailed the owner, asking about diecast cars and trucks. Even though I'm not there, I want to map out what's available because I plan to buy less online and more in-store to support my town's economy. (At 11:45 p.m.: The e-mail address bounced, which likely means that Henderson Hobbies went out of business.)
- An 11-year-old named Samanatha Chang came up with the winning name for the 6-foot-tall puppy statue at Heritage Bark Park: Barkules (pronounced like "Hercules"). This paragraph was most impressive to me: "Parks Superintendent Doug Guild presented Chang with a certificate of achievement, as well as a prize package. Prizes were co-sponsored by the Galleria at Sunset, Levi Strauss, Tracey Ford Perry Photography, Madame Tussaud's Las Vegas and Rave Motion Pictures.
Galleria at Sunset is the main mall in Henderson, so there was likely a gift certificate for the mall. Levi Strauss, probably jeans were involved. Tracey Ford Perry Photography is billed as "Fine Art Portraits," so undoubtedly a free session. I highly respect how Madame Tussaud's reaches back to Henderson, never forgetting about those who live in the area. And Rave Motion Pictures is a theater chain that has one location in Las Vegas, the Town Square 18 on Las Vegas Boulevard South. Free tickets, I'm sure.
- Downtown Sewing Machine Co., offering sewing machine sales and repairs, at 155 Water Street, Suite 130. You'd never hear about sewing machines here. To me, that's a further sign that Henderson is filled with regular people, with little shallowness. I hope so anyway.
- At Prestige Assisted Living, Henderson City Councilwoman Gerri Schroeder presented a certificate of Congressional Recognition to Sophie Maselko Sojka, who turned 100. In the Santa Clarita Valley, age is to be feared. In Henderson, it's a natural part of life.
- I spotted another ad for Coo Coo's Cafe - "Home of the Funky Monkey Frappe." Instead of waiting until I'm there to find out what's in it, I found the website and the menu. It's a "blended mocha frappe with a whole banana added." I'd try it, but I'd first dive for the "3 Cheese Omelet Quesadilla," which is made with two jumbo eggs, swiss, cheddar and provolone cheeses, and served with salsa, sour cream, and a fruit cup. Sure, it's not enough that our new apartment complex will make me feel like I'm truly home, but this place just has to serve a quesadilla that I'm now craving. I love having such issues.
- The electricity bill at the Lexus of Las Vegas dealership on West Sahara Avenue is $30,000 a month. I always wonder about those bills for casinos.
- Another full-page ad for Johnny Mac's Restaurant & Bar, in business for 28 years, which boasts "the best wings and pizza in town." Meridith's set on trying the wings. I think we all are, since we'll be trying everything in the years to come.
- There's a Hawaiian food truck called Island Breeze. They do events, and they also park outside Island Sushi and Grill on South Eastern Avenue, which supports the business. I'll be there and I'll try Hawaiian tacos.
- There's an Outdoor Picture Show at The Green in The District at Green Valley Ranch (long names, but worth it), which offers free popcorn and Monsters, Inc. on October 29, and Alice in Wonderland on October 30 (It doesn't say which version). It's still going on, and this most recent October they had The Incredibles, Ghostbusters II, and Casper, among other movies. I want to go to at least once next year.
- I know this is a Henderson newspaper, so this is to be expected, but it's nice to see a quarter-page ad from Henderson Libraries with the heading "Your All-Access Pass," touting the library card. There's six locations, including a cubbyhole at the Galleria at Sunset mall, which I will happily hang out at whenever we're there, though not as much as I did at the Valencia library because this is my home mall, so I'll always walk around, enjoying all of it.
- There's two full pages of coupons. Downtown Sewing Machine Co. offers a $10 gift certificate, Skyline Casino is pushing an $8.95 all-you-can-eat large fried shrimp special, the late Henderson Hobbies is giving 10% off all model rockets, and Johnny Mac's has one for $10 for a large one-topping pizza.
- Thinking about needing a car when I get to Henderson, I looked at the nearly full-page car listings and no one at that time is selling a Toyota Corolla. I want one because it's the most comfortable car I've ever been in. The prices on these listings also severely cooled my book-buying habit. I'll have libraries again in Las Vegas and Henderson anyway, but I've got to cut it if I happen to find a reliable-enough vehicle for $4,000-$6,000. Stop laughing. I'm still naive, but I'm learning.
- It's fun looking at the real estate ads because I don't have to think about any of these. We've got that apartment in Henderson, and don't have to worry about any of the costs that would be incurred with these houses. I will pay my share of the rent there, of course, and I'm thinking that when I do move out, I'll seek an apartment, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was in the same complex, considering that they've got a basketball court and a gym there and the grounds seem very well-maintained from what Mom and Dad have told Meridith and I.
End of the second issue, and that felt really good. I've Tivo'd The Good Wife over the final three weeks before holiday reruns, but haven't watched them yet because my research and my books always get in the way, save for Jeopardy!, The Big Bang Theory and returning interests in The Simpsons and Family Guy, which is when they step aside. They'll also step aside for this, reading all these back issues of The Henderson Press. This I can keep up on much more easily than The Good Wife.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The Target, Kmart Super Center, and Albertsons Score
On New Year's Eve, Mom's birthday, at Pacific View Mall in Ventura, we turned toward Target after leaving Calendar Club, where Mom had been looking at page-a-day calendars, looking for a new one since Wonderword wasn't published as one for the new year.
I wanted Target because this wasn't the one in Valencia, nor the one in Golden Valley that I still haven't been to to see what Matchbox cars they have there. This was also a Target fitted to the mall, with two levels, with us entering the second level which had electronics and the toy aisles.
I fairly breezed to the toy aisles, finding where the Matchbox cars were, and a lot of what I already had. I didn't need the desert vehicles, I didn't need an ambulance, I didn't need a police car, because the former was a different from what I wanted and the latter two are fairly typical of any city. But I did find a green Matchbox flatbed dump truck, which is what I count as a working vehicle because it can be driven distances, unlike a tractor or a backhoe, as I mentioned in yesterday's entry. Plus, the orange flatbed lifts up to its highest angle toward the back. I still marvel at that only being $1.09.
Yesterday, on the way back to Pacific View Mall for Mom to pick up a calendar she wanted at Calendar Club, we stopped at Kmart Super Center because Mom wanted to try the Pepsi Icee that Kmarts seem to have. By now, you can tell what I was thinking when we parked in that Kmart lot.
I went to the toy aisles, and saw a "Camping Adventure" five-pack that had a camper transport vehicle, but not enough true working vehicles. I couldn't get used to them. At the same time I found that, I also found a gray "Quick Steam Cleaners" van, with the slogan, "Call the Professionals First!" I could imagine the equipment in the back of this van, and so it was mine.
There was also a clearance section in one toy aisle with bins you could dig through for toys at 50% off. There were a few Tron: Legacy figures, and I remembered going to Big Lots the day before and seeing many of them, turning one to the back and finding that a figure had apparently been made of Castor, Michael Sheen's delightfully charismatic club owner and one of my favorite characters in all of movie history. Researching online, I learned that either the figure was rare or had never been made. My theory is that the first wave of Tron: Legacy toys came out before the movie's release, and then when it didn't do as well as Disney hoped, there were no more toys made, with Castor being the second wave if the movie had been more successful according to Disney's standards, which were understandable with an estimated $170 million dollar budget, and a $172 million dollar gross in the United States, though it did make $400 million worldwide. But I would have loved to have that Castor figure, though I guess I'll settle for the film strip bookmark I have with Castor on it from a seller that used to reside on Etsy, but now sells her bookmarks on Artfire. I use that bookmark now for all the Las Vegas books that I'm reading one after the other in anticipation of always-hedonistic days ahead.
Even knowing about the fate of the Castor figure, I still looked through what Kmart had and found nothing of Castor. In one of the bins, though, I found a diecast model of the Recognizer, those flying upside-down wide U-shaped machines that hunt and capture rogue programs in Tron City. The yellow tag on the packaging said "Reduced - $2.00." I got it for $1 (50% off, remember), and with the Matchbox steam cleaning service van, the total was $2 and minor change. Can't beat that for a collection. I'm thinking of keeping the Recognizer in front of me when I'm researching and writing because though the machine is used for malevolent purposes, I'm hunting for what I want to profile in my next book and just like the Recognizer brings the rogue programs on board, I'm bringing all that I learned into my mind and into notes, swirling it around, looking for the combination that works for me. I've got the skeleton of the book down, but now need to make a proper outline to figure out the path for each chapter. To me, the Recognizer is a reminder of tenacity, of unceasingly working to get what you want. I can't do "unceasingly," since I need some time for other things, my working vehicles collection notwithstanding, but I embrace the same spirit for better purposes.
The end of our hours of errands brought us to Albertsons after dinner at nearby Chronic Taco, where I had the breakfast quesadilla with chorizo that I had been craving for a week and a half after having it for the first time two weeks prior. They serve it all day and it's worth it at any hour of the day. At Albertsons, since this wasn't the usual Albertsons we go to, I went right to the toy aisle and found resounding success. At the other Albertsons, there was a five-pack of vehicles belonging to a car repair shop, including a white tow truck, and two regular trucks that I didn't want. The set was $7 and change, and I didn't want to pay for two vehicles I didn't want. That same day, before this Albertsons, Mom said I could buy the pack and donate the two trucks to Goodwill. Leave it to mothers to instantly find the logic that didn't seem so obvious at the time, particularly since I donate a lot of books, some that I had just bought but had read them and determined that they wouldn't be part of my permanent collection. In this Albertsons toy aisle, I found a "Service Center No. 12" pack with a black tow truck with a blue hook, far cooler than that white tow truck I thought I wanted so badly.
There's also a tan "Service Center" truck with a hitch in the back, a blue "30 Minutes or Less Tune Up Service" truck, a green "EcoFuel Intl." tank truck with a black tank, and a nacho cheese-yellow "JC Body & Paint" van saying, "We take any make or model" under the logo.
None of these five vehicles will go to Goodwill. I paid $7 and change and got exactly what I wanted and more. I'm deeply satisfied with every single vehicle I have, and can admire them, play with them, and enjoy them, thinking no further of expanding my collection until we move, and that includes big rigs and Hess trucks that I had when I was little that I want to have again. If there happens to be another working vehicle I find before we move that I really want, of course I'll snap it up, but I don't have that electric desire for any other working vehicle like I did for the tow truck.
I love that what I did as a kid never faded, just waited patiently in the background. To think it all started again with that flour truck I bought at Smith's in Henderson.
I wanted Target because this wasn't the one in Valencia, nor the one in Golden Valley that I still haven't been to to see what Matchbox cars they have there. This was also a Target fitted to the mall, with two levels, with us entering the second level which had electronics and the toy aisles.
I fairly breezed to the toy aisles, finding where the Matchbox cars were, and a lot of what I already had. I didn't need the desert vehicles, I didn't need an ambulance, I didn't need a police car, because the former was a different from what I wanted and the latter two are fairly typical of any city. But I did find a green Matchbox flatbed dump truck, which is what I count as a working vehicle because it can be driven distances, unlike a tractor or a backhoe, as I mentioned in yesterday's entry. Plus, the orange flatbed lifts up to its highest angle toward the back. I still marvel at that only being $1.09.
Yesterday, on the way back to Pacific View Mall for Mom to pick up a calendar she wanted at Calendar Club, we stopped at Kmart Super Center because Mom wanted to try the Pepsi Icee that Kmarts seem to have. By now, you can tell what I was thinking when we parked in that Kmart lot.
I went to the toy aisles, and saw a "Camping Adventure" five-pack that had a camper transport vehicle, but not enough true working vehicles. I couldn't get used to them. At the same time I found that, I also found a gray "Quick Steam Cleaners" van, with the slogan, "Call the Professionals First!" I could imagine the equipment in the back of this van, and so it was mine.
There was also a clearance section in one toy aisle with bins you could dig through for toys at 50% off. There were a few Tron: Legacy figures, and I remembered going to Big Lots the day before and seeing many of them, turning one to the back and finding that a figure had apparently been made of Castor, Michael Sheen's delightfully charismatic club owner and one of my favorite characters in all of movie history. Researching online, I learned that either the figure was rare or had never been made. My theory is that the first wave of Tron: Legacy toys came out before the movie's release, and then when it didn't do as well as Disney hoped, there were no more toys made, with Castor being the second wave if the movie had been more successful according to Disney's standards, which were understandable with an estimated $170 million dollar budget, and a $172 million dollar gross in the United States, though it did make $400 million worldwide. But I would have loved to have that Castor figure, though I guess I'll settle for the film strip bookmark I have with Castor on it from a seller that used to reside on Etsy, but now sells her bookmarks on Artfire. I use that bookmark now for all the Las Vegas books that I'm reading one after the other in anticipation of always-hedonistic days ahead.
Even knowing about the fate of the Castor figure, I still looked through what Kmart had and found nothing of Castor. In one of the bins, though, I found a diecast model of the Recognizer, those flying upside-down wide U-shaped machines that hunt and capture rogue programs in Tron City. The yellow tag on the packaging said "Reduced - $2.00." I got it for $1 (50% off, remember), and with the Matchbox steam cleaning service van, the total was $2 and minor change. Can't beat that for a collection. I'm thinking of keeping the Recognizer in front of me when I'm researching and writing because though the machine is used for malevolent purposes, I'm hunting for what I want to profile in my next book and just like the Recognizer brings the rogue programs on board, I'm bringing all that I learned into my mind and into notes, swirling it around, looking for the combination that works for me. I've got the skeleton of the book down, but now need to make a proper outline to figure out the path for each chapter. To me, the Recognizer is a reminder of tenacity, of unceasingly working to get what you want. I can't do "unceasingly," since I need some time for other things, my working vehicles collection notwithstanding, but I embrace the same spirit for better purposes.
The end of our hours of errands brought us to Albertsons after dinner at nearby Chronic Taco, where I had the breakfast quesadilla with chorizo that I had been craving for a week and a half after having it for the first time two weeks prior. They serve it all day and it's worth it at any hour of the day. At Albertsons, since this wasn't the usual Albertsons we go to, I went right to the toy aisle and found resounding success. At the other Albertsons, there was a five-pack of vehicles belonging to a car repair shop, including a white tow truck, and two regular trucks that I didn't want. The set was $7 and change, and I didn't want to pay for two vehicles I didn't want. That same day, before this Albertsons, Mom said I could buy the pack and donate the two trucks to Goodwill. Leave it to mothers to instantly find the logic that didn't seem so obvious at the time, particularly since I donate a lot of books, some that I had just bought but had read them and determined that they wouldn't be part of my permanent collection. In this Albertsons toy aisle, I found a "Service Center No. 12" pack with a black tow truck with a blue hook, far cooler than that white tow truck I thought I wanted so badly.
There's also a tan "Service Center" truck with a hitch in the back, a blue "30 Minutes or Less Tune Up Service" truck, a green "EcoFuel Intl." tank truck with a black tank, and a nacho cheese-yellow "JC Body & Paint" van saying, "We take any make or model" under the logo.
None of these five vehicles will go to Goodwill. I paid $7 and change and got exactly what I wanted and more. I'm deeply satisfied with every single vehicle I have, and can admire them, play with them, and enjoy them, thinking no further of expanding my collection until we move, and that includes big rigs and Hess trucks that I had when I was little that I want to have again. If there happens to be another working vehicle I find before we move that I really want, of course I'll snap it up, but I don't have that electric desire for any other working vehicle like I did for the tow truck.
I love that what I did as a kid never faded, just waited patiently in the background. To think it all started again with that flour truck I bought at Smith's in Henderson.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Day 6 of a Four-Week Pleasure Cruise
We four are standing on a section of sidewalk overlooking part of Ventura Harbor, in front of a large fishing boat that's firmly anchored, yet slowly drifts to the dock and away from it repeatedly. I've got a butter pecan ice cream malt, and Meridith's got a cotton candy/bubble gum ice cream malt (which turns purple, her favorite color, when both flavors are combined), both from Coastal Cone nearby. We're right near the Fisherman's Memorial, which faces the parking lot that's adjacent to Andria's Seafood Restaurant, which was prohibitively expensive for us this time. It's the afternoon of New Year's Eve, also Mom's birthday. Being at Ventura Harbor Village used to feel vivid, exciting in parts, with much to look at in all the shops. It doesn't anymore.
Before this point, we went to Pacific View Mall, which Mom wanted to go to as a farewell before we finally left the Santa Clarita Valley for good (It'll happen soon enough, I hope), and she wanted to see what calendars the Calendar Club store had. I like that mall because most importantly, it's not Valencia Town Center, where you can walk around but feel throughout that you can't touch much, unlike Galleria at Sunset in Henderson where you can go anywhere in that mall and feel like it's yours to explore. Pacific View Mall actually feels like a mall, not just a collection of stores separated by escalators. There's Sears, Macy's, JCPenney and Target as anchors. The second floor is wall-to-wall carpeting. It's not a mall for me to embrace because outside of the Santa Clarita Valley, I always feel like a tourist wherever we go. California has that gift, good or bad.
At Target, I found a Matchbox flatbed dump truck, which I snapped up for my working vehicles collection. That's as far as I go with construction vehicles. Bulldozers, mixers, backhoes and others do a lot of work, but generally in one place. A dump truck has to get from one place to another. You can't drive a backhoe down the 405.
After that was Super Panda Buffet at the corner of the mall property. We've been to it before, and Mom decided to go there because Andria's was far too expensive and at least here, the price for all four for us was a lot more than what we could have gotten at Andria's for the same price. Plus, we could all find something we liked there, and we did, save for the hard-boiled egg I had at the end which was in the fridge in its shell for too long, with a gray color around it.
Back at that section of the harbor, after air hockey with Meridith, two games of Galaga, and two games of Cruis'n USA (I wish it had been Cruis'n Exotica, like at the roller skating rink in Ventura the year before last, because I liked rolling under that landing 747 at that Hong Kong airport), I thought about the entire day, had liked what we did, but it didn't feel like it used to. And I realized what was missing.
The many times before that we were at Ventura Harbor Village, there wasn't as much hope as there is now in moving out of Southern California. So being there, being somewhere completely different from where we exist ("Live" is a word that should be used when you're happy with where you are), we threw ourselves into the experience, which wasn't hard. This time, the pleasure was muted, because we know better things are coming in our lives.
Even so, it's places like Ventura Harbor Village that saved me from feeling insane from where I exist. It's true that in order to do anything interesting in the Santa Clarita Valley, you have to leave. Thank goodness for those options.
Before this point, we went to Pacific View Mall, which Mom wanted to go to as a farewell before we finally left the Santa Clarita Valley for good (It'll happen soon enough, I hope), and she wanted to see what calendars the Calendar Club store had. I like that mall because most importantly, it's not Valencia Town Center, where you can walk around but feel throughout that you can't touch much, unlike Galleria at Sunset in Henderson where you can go anywhere in that mall and feel like it's yours to explore. Pacific View Mall actually feels like a mall, not just a collection of stores separated by escalators. There's Sears, Macy's, JCPenney and Target as anchors. The second floor is wall-to-wall carpeting. It's not a mall for me to embrace because outside of the Santa Clarita Valley, I always feel like a tourist wherever we go. California has that gift, good or bad.
At Target, I found a Matchbox flatbed dump truck, which I snapped up for my working vehicles collection. That's as far as I go with construction vehicles. Bulldozers, mixers, backhoes and others do a lot of work, but generally in one place. A dump truck has to get from one place to another. You can't drive a backhoe down the 405.
After that was Super Panda Buffet at the corner of the mall property. We've been to it before, and Mom decided to go there because Andria's was far too expensive and at least here, the price for all four for us was a lot more than what we could have gotten at Andria's for the same price. Plus, we could all find something we liked there, and we did, save for the hard-boiled egg I had at the end which was in the fridge in its shell for too long, with a gray color around it.
Back at that section of the harbor, after air hockey with Meridith, two games of Galaga, and two games of Cruis'n USA (I wish it had been Cruis'n Exotica, like at the roller skating rink in Ventura the year before last, because I liked rolling under that landing 747 at that Hong Kong airport), I thought about the entire day, had liked what we did, but it didn't feel like it used to. And I realized what was missing.
The many times before that we were at Ventura Harbor Village, there wasn't as much hope as there is now in moving out of Southern California. So being there, being somewhere completely different from where we exist ("Live" is a word that should be used when you're happy with where you are), we threw ourselves into the experience, which wasn't hard. This time, the pleasure was muted, because we know better things are coming in our lives.
Even so, it's places like Ventura Harbor Village that saved me from feeling insane from where I exist. It's true that in order to do anything interesting in the Santa Clarita Valley, you have to leave. Thank goodness for those options.
Real Reinvention
(I was going to write about my mom's birthday last Friday, which became day 6 of a four-week pleasure cruise, but this comes first.)
On the cover of Fool Me Once: Hustlers, Hookers, Headliners, and How Not to Get Screwed in Vegas by Las Vegas Weekly staff writer Rick Lax, a man looks at a smiling woman standing on a corner of Fremont Street against a brightly-lit casino background, white lights almost blinding. Is the woman smiling at him because she's genuinely interested, or is she thinking of more sinister plans? Is he dazzled by her only or do the lights behind her and the atmosphere around them make him interested and he'll find out that he was only interested in her in that setting?
Las Vegas is full of fantasy of all kinds available to everyone. You can find your pleasure here. But as you either go to Vegas more and more, or you become a resident, the fantasy begins to peel back. You come to a point where you have to separate fantasy from reality. There is reality in Las Vegas, but it's more a matter of adjusting what's to your taste. For example, I love Carnival World Buffet at Rio. I always look around in happy shock, wondering if I died and it's my first day in Heaven. But I can't go there all the time. I'd be right back to what I weighed in 2010 and then about 215% more than that (Outrageous estimates are made up by a professional, so please remember to always estimate with caution).
For people who move to the Las Vegas area, such as yours truly soon enough, you can reinvent yourself. You can keep only what's important to you from past experiences, what will truly benefit you in your new life, and then dump the rest. No one knows who you have been. You're free of what you once were, of insecurities you might have had, of what has bothered you, which, for me, is the Santa Clarita Valley.
For the past few months, as Dad has applied for many jobs in Las Vegas, I've enthusiastically told Meridith over and over that you can reinvent yourself in Vegas. We have so many chances to do what we want. But I didn't listen to myself. I thought being a middle school campus supervisor while reading and writing on the side would be enough.
Dad had a very successful phone interview on Friday for a job that has three positions available, and he was only one of three people interviewed. There's a very good chance that this job, which he'd really like to do, could be our supersonic ticket out of here.
This job combines Dad's decades of experience in teaching and working for Southern Bell/BellSouth. He'll be doing exactly what he wants, and he'll be a lot happier. What about me? A campus supervisor? Is reading and writing after work and on weekends and teacher workdays and holidays enough? No.
If Dad can find the job that completely suits him, so can I. I don't want my reading and writing to be shunted to the side. I want it to be the center of my life every day. I'm not going to get that by being a campus supervisor. It's still an option, as I'm keeping all my options open, but it's not my main hope anymore.
I've decided that I want to be a copywriter or a content developer, and I started by applying to be a content developer for Vegas.com. The company matches my love for Las Vegas and their offices are close to our new apartment in Henderson. I read the requirements, and I fit all of them. I have the experience, the computer knowledge, and I know I can do everything they want. They can ask for copy in any style they want and I will work promptly and diligently to match it. Most of all, I want to explore every inch of Las Vegas once I'm a resident and this is one of the best ways to do it.
This is the year to challenge myself and go for what I really want to do, not what I think I should do so I have a chance to do what I want to do. This will keep my writing the center of my life, and make it stronger because of it.
I wrote movie reviews for 11 years, I worked in two newsrooms, and I know Internet media. I'm a little nervous, but I'm ready. Let's do this.
On the cover of Fool Me Once: Hustlers, Hookers, Headliners, and How Not to Get Screwed in Vegas by Las Vegas Weekly staff writer Rick Lax, a man looks at a smiling woman standing on a corner of Fremont Street against a brightly-lit casino background, white lights almost blinding. Is the woman smiling at him because she's genuinely interested, or is she thinking of more sinister plans? Is he dazzled by her only or do the lights behind her and the atmosphere around them make him interested and he'll find out that he was only interested in her in that setting?
Las Vegas is full of fantasy of all kinds available to everyone. You can find your pleasure here. But as you either go to Vegas more and more, or you become a resident, the fantasy begins to peel back. You come to a point where you have to separate fantasy from reality. There is reality in Las Vegas, but it's more a matter of adjusting what's to your taste. For example, I love Carnival World Buffet at Rio. I always look around in happy shock, wondering if I died and it's my first day in Heaven. But I can't go there all the time. I'd be right back to what I weighed in 2010 and then about 215% more than that (Outrageous estimates are made up by a professional, so please remember to always estimate with caution).
For people who move to the Las Vegas area, such as yours truly soon enough, you can reinvent yourself. You can keep only what's important to you from past experiences, what will truly benefit you in your new life, and then dump the rest. No one knows who you have been. You're free of what you once were, of insecurities you might have had, of what has bothered you, which, for me, is the Santa Clarita Valley.
For the past few months, as Dad has applied for many jobs in Las Vegas, I've enthusiastically told Meridith over and over that you can reinvent yourself in Vegas. We have so many chances to do what we want. But I didn't listen to myself. I thought being a middle school campus supervisor while reading and writing on the side would be enough.
Dad had a very successful phone interview on Friday for a job that has three positions available, and he was only one of three people interviewed. There's a very good chance that this job, which he'd really like to do, could be our supersonic ticket out of here.
This job combines Dad's decades of experience in teaching and working for Southern Bell/BellSouth. He'll be doing exactly what he wants, and he'll be a lot happier. What about me? A campus supervisor? Is reading and writing after work and on weekends and teacher workdays and holidays enough? No.
If Dad can find the job that completely suits him, so can I. I don't want my reading and writing to be shunted to the side. I want it to be the center of my life every day. I'm not going to get that by being a campus supervisor. It's still an option, as I'm keeping all my options open, but it's not my main hope anymore.
I've decided that I want to be a copywriter or a content developer, and I started by applying to be a content developer for Vegas.com. The company matches my love for Las Vegas and their offices are close to our new apartment in Henderson. I read the requirements, and I fit all of them. I have the experience, the computer knowledge, and I know I can do everything they want. They can ask for copy in any style they want and I will work promptly and diligently to match it. Most of all, I want to explore every inch of Las Vegas once I'm a resident and this is one of the best ways to do it.
This is the year to challenge myself and go for what I really want to do, not what I think I should do so I have a chance to do what I want to do. This will keep my writing the center of my life, and make it stronger because of it.
I wrote movie reviews for 11 years, I worked in two newsrooms, and I know Internet media. I'm a little nervous, but I'm ready. Let's do this.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Three More Working Vehicles
I thought I'd wait until we were residents of Henderson to expand my toy working vehicles collection. I was wrong.
Target was the first errand for Dad, Meridith and I, with Sprouts and Pavilions afterward, and we were there because Dad needed Imodium A-D or something like it. "Something like it" won out because it was cheaper than the brand.
We were at the register, Dad paid, and as he was leaving, I realized that I forgot to look at the Matchbox cars in the toy aisles. Meridith called Dad to let him know where we were and that we'd be at the car in a few minutes, and off I went, fairly rushing, fueled by my enthusiasm for my collection.
The tow truck still wasn't being sold separately from the car repair service set, but I first became giddy from finding a "Dallas Fort Worth Airport" hazmat truck. Then a green garbage truck with a sun and a green leaf in a white rectangle in the middle on each side, the stem of the green leaf saying "Live better in a clean world!", with "Go Green" under the leaf and word stem.
The back of the garbage truck is slightly open, and you press it down, and it comes back up to its original place. It's meant to be the crusher that comes down to make room for more garbage.
The final working vehicle I found was a water truck, labeled "Aqua King" on the underside. The inside of the truck is full of what's supposed to look like greenish bottles, their tops sticking out like you see on the road. This is one of my favorites.
I love how relatively cheap my hobby is, with these vehicles being $1.07 each. For now, at least, I don't go searching often for mine, and my hobby started by happening to find that five-pack of city vehicles, including the ice cream truck and moving truck, at the same Target. I was just browsing aimlessly.
I still want that tow truck, but now that I've searched on eBay, probably not the one I've been eyeing in that five-pack. There's so many other Matchbox types, including a "GMC Wrecker" released this year, another from 1990, and still another from 2000. I think I've found something to do while working on my writing projects.
Target was the first errand for Dad, Meridith and I, with Sprouts and Pavilions afterward, and we were there because Dad needed Imodium A-D or something like it. "Something like it" won out because it was cheaper than the brand.
We were at the register, Dad paid, and as he was leaving, I realized that I forgot to look at the Matchbox cars in the toy aisles. Meridith called Dad to let him know where we were and that we'd be at the car in a few minutes, and off I went, fairly rushing, fueled by my enthusiasm for my collection.
The tow truck still wasn't being sold separately from the car repair service set, but I first became giddy from finding a "Dallas Fort Worth Airport" hazmat truck. Then a green garbage truck with a sun and a green leaf in a white rectangle in the middle on each side, the stem of the green leaf saying "Live better in a clean world!", with "Go Green" under the leaf and word stem.
The back of the garbage truck is slightly open, and you press it down, and it comes back up to its original place. It's meant to be the crusher that comes down to make room for more garbage.
The final working vehicle I found was a water truck, labeled "Aqua King" on the underside. The inside of the truck is full of what's supposed to look like greenish bottles, their tops sticking out like you see on the road. This is one of my favorites.
I love how relatively cheap my hobby is, with these vehicles being $1.07 each. For now, at least, I don't go searching often for mine, and my hobby started by happening to find that five-pack of city vehicles, including the ice cream truck and moving truck, at the same Target. I was just browsing aimlessly.
I still want that tow truck, but now that I've searched on eBay, probably not the one I've been eyeing in that five-pack. There's so many other Matchbox types, including a "GMC Wrecker" released this year, another from 1990, and still another from 2000. I think I've found something to do while working on my writing projects.
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