Living in Las Vegas

I didn’t feel anything, but I wish I did.  I don’t want to experience a California style earthquake, but I think a mini little Vegas-sized shaker could be fun.   Shortly after 7am this morning residents of North Las Vegas, Aliante and Nellis Air Force Base were jostled by mother earth for about 5 seconds.  One lady commented that while she felt the quake, her father in the other room and her neighbors didn’t feel it.

I did not know it, but Las Vegas has 7 fault lines running through it. This particular earthquake was along the Arrow Canyon Range fault that runs northeast along the northwestern side of I-15  I also didn’t know it, but Nevada is third most earthquake active state.  Apparently Nevada experiences thousands of earthquakes each year that are too small to feel and hundreds that could possibly be felt.  I knew we have mini earthquakes sometimes, but I didn’t know we were this shaky.

On a side note, this is my 100th post!

I never thought I was much of a racing fan until I went to my first race last year.  For some reason that I cannot explain, I really enjoyed being up close to cars going that fast.  I liked how loud it was. I might even let my DH get the game for his Playstation.

Obviously, I am not alone in my fasicnation of fast cars, as the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is expecting to top out at 150,000 fans this weekend. Here is a link to buy tickets. The following is a brief schedule of events at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for NASCAR weekend:

Friday, Feb. 27 (zMAX Pole Day)
9 a.m. Neon Garage and Ticket Gate C open
10 a.m. Ticket Gates A, B, D, E, G, P open
10:30 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. Sam’s Town 300 practice
Noon - 1:30 p.m. Shelby 427 practice
1:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Sam’s Town 300 final practice
3:40 p.m. Shelby 427 qualifying (two laps, all positions)
7 p.m. Neon Garage Closes

Saturday, Feb. 28
8 a.m. Neon Garage and Ticket Gate C open
9 a.m. Sam’s Town 300 qualifying (all positions).
9 a.m. Ticket Gates A, B, D, E, G, P open
10:40 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. Shelby 427 practice.
11:20 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. TV exhibition run.
11:45 a.m.-12:50 p.m. Shelby 427 final practice.
1 p.m. NNS driver introductions (Security clear pit road).
1:30 p.m. NNS Sam’s Town 300 (200 laps, 300 miles).
5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. Richard Petty Driving Experience Rides
7 p.m. Neon Garage Closes Sunday, March 1
7 a.m. Neon Garage and Ticket Gate C open
8 a.m. All Ticket Gates open
8 a.m. - 9 a.m. NASCAR Pace Car Rides
9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Speedway Children’s Charities Track Walk
9:30 a.m. Gate opens for Driver Introduction passes on front stretch
1 p.m. NSCS driver introductions (Security clear pit road)
1:30 p.m. NSCS Shelby 427 (285 laps, 427.5 miles)
5:30 p.m.(approx) 600 Racing Events (Legends Cars, Bandoleros, Thunder Roadsters)
7 p.m. Neon Garage Closes
There is going to be one extra challenge facing fans this year, the I-15 North is under construction from the Spaghetti Bowl to Craig Road.  LVMS general manager, Chris Powell is asking locals to take alternate routes.”The idea is to bypass as many people as possible by the Spaghetti Bowl,” he said. “We’re asking people, more this year than ever before, to heed our advice.” Radio station KDWN-AM 720 will also have traffic updates. The Las Vegas Review-Journal has a  very detailed rundown of everything NASCAR related that is going on in Las Vegas this weekend, including all events, driver blogs, maps and where to park.  Enjoy!

How about a little celebrity gossip for hump day?  Breaking news . . .  Criss Angel and Holly Madison have called it quits.   Officially 117 days after their public appearance at the premiere of Criss Angel’s Cirque du Soleil show, Believe, they mutually decided it’s over.  According to E!, “She was very much in love with him, and they’re still very close friends. It was a conflict of schedules.” 

Holly has basically moved into Criss’ Las Vegas home and they were often seen out clubbing on The Strip. I always thought they were kind of an odd couple, or maybe I was just so used to seeing her with Heff.  Not that her being with Heff wasn’t also odd, but just in a different way.

Criss Angel’s show is performed at the Luxor and it’s a theatrical type magic show based on the works of Houdini. Tickets start at $100 and the show is almost 3 hours long.  Prior to the Holly/Criss split you could have caught Holly in the audience, but now that she’s gone, I am wondering if it would be worth the price.   I am also wondering it Heff’s going to take Holly back?

My ipod is still pissing me off. I won’t go into the details, but let’s just say . . . it’s pissing me off. On a good note, during my search to resolve these ipod issues, I ran across a page over at Las Vegas Weekly where you can download MP3s of local Las Vegas bands.  Cool, I didn’t know you could do that.  And there is a really big list!

Psudeo Angel by As Yet Unbroken is #1 on top downloaded songs of the week.  The band Poppermost takes the next three spots, with songs Lady in Waiting, Isabella Vina and Kristen.  The most recently added songs to the page are Drag Me and Million Dollar Baby by Ayala.  Drive Machineis on the top of Las Vegas Weekly’s local band guide.  There’s even some stuff from The Killers.

This might be the answer to my ipod problem and also a way to get into the local music scene a little bit.  It also makes me curious what other places have free local band MP3 downloads like this.  This might be a whole untapped source of music for me!

I have never heard of this before, but apparently it’s not the first time a library system has done this.  The Henderson Library District is opening a branch in the Galleria mall.  Normally, libraries cannot afford mall space, but in this situation, the library is getting a great deal from the Galleria at Sunset mall. Galleria Marketing Director Heather Valera said, “We wanted to give them a great deal on their lease terms because we see the library as a great service for shoppers and a great source of community outreach — a way to support the community.”

This Saturday is the grand opening. The Galleria branch is going to be located on the first floor next to where Mervyn’s used to be.  There will be a reading lounge area in the courtyard in front of the library and, of course, free wi fi.  This branch will carry mostly popular literature and children’s books. but, like all the other branches, you can order books online or from any branch, and pick them up in just a few days.  I have been dying to read Restaurants to Check Out so I think I might head over there this weekend and see if I can get it.

I personally think this is going to be a great idea.  When running errands, lots of times I like to hit up the mall and the library on the same day, so this is going to be perfect!

As a recent purchaser of a laptop, one of the most fun features is, of course, the portability.  Finding wireless internet access around Las Vegas seems pretty easy so far.  Finding it free has not been too bad, but a lot of places charge that I thought were free.  Like pretty much all hotels and Starbucks.  I thought if you purchased a room, you usually got free wireless in internet access, but it turns out you  have to pay around $10 a day.  And to get online at Starbucks, you have to pay for their service, which is $20 a month.

Fortunately, I did find quite a few places that you can get online for free such as McCarran airport, Panera Bread, Buffalo Wild Wings, all the libraries and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.  Also, if you are on the Strip, try the Fashion Show mall, Sugar & Ice Coffee Shop in the Wynn, the monorail stops, Denny’s by the Mirage, and the lobbies at the Palazzo, Venetian and JW Marriott.

For more specifics, I Love Free Wi Fi, Las Vegas Free Wi Fi Hotspots and Vegas 4 Locals for some detailed lists of free Wi Fi hotspots in Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas Art Museum started out almost 60 years ago as an art league.  It turned into a fine arts museum in 1974 and then in 1997 moved to its current location on West Sahara. And now on February 28, 2009 it will be closing its doors. 

Patrick Duffy, president of the museum board said, “We’ve tried everything to keep this afloat. It’s just a challenging time. The economic climate has eliminated several of our donations.”  However, he did say the museum will keep its name so that when the economy improves it can re-open, but there are no specific dates yet.

The final exhibition is called “LA Now” and it is currated by David Pagel.  It features 20 artists from Los Angeles and “is designed to showcase the artistic achievements of the artists individually rather than start with a theme, and fit the art into that.”

I only had an opportunity to visit the Las Vegas Art Museum one time, but I thought it was a really nice museum and I am sad to see it go.

Buffets in Las Vegas are still a good deal.  They aren’t as cheap as they used to be, but hey, what is? You get your drink, appetizer, entree and dessert all in one price. Of course, the serve yourself aspect makes for it to be a somewhat disrupting and not really a super relaxing dining experience.  But sometimes a buffet is exactly what you need. Suprisingly, there is no buffet open 24/7 that I know of.  The only one used to be at the Boardwalk Casino on the Strip, but that placed closed a couple years ago.  I ate there once, and there is a reason it was only once.

 I’ve been to a couple buffets this month.  Tonight, we went to the Main Street Station buffet. I have actually heard good things about it for years, but just never went.  The ambiance was a little different than the average Strip buffet. It just has more of an older, downtown vibe.  It was seafood night, so that meant shrimp and lots of snow crab legs.  The food was good and there were all the standard buffet choices.  If you’re downtown and looking for a good old-fashioned Las Vegas buffet, this would be the one to pick.

Last week, I played hooky from work and we headed over the Boulder Station buffet and had breakfast.  They recently remodeled and it looked good.  Very modern.  The breakfast buffet it a great deal. $5 with your player card and they serve breakfast until 11am. First thing, I always head over to the omelet station where you can get a freshly made omelet with your choice of toppings. Yum!

I think I am having a mid-week crisis or something.  I am still feeling the need to rant, I can’t get my ipod to work, I had to stay late at the office again and my financial situation is just complete chaos. 

 So, in an effort to lighten my mood,  I thought I would go over some of the best things about Las Vegas.  Please note these are my random thoughts in no particular order and subject to change based on date, time and my mood!

1.  Gas stations, convenience stores and most grocery stores are open 24/7.  It’s just comforting to know, if/when there is a midnight emergency (beer, ice cream . . .) you can just run down to the store and get what you need.

2. No last call. If you are partying at a bar or club in Vegas, trust me 2am comes and goes with no problem.  As you know, I enjoy and appreciate uninterrupted partying.

3.  Awesome hotels and casinos and spas. I have seen and stayed at some really cool hotel rooms.  It’s so fun to just get a room, relax and be a tourist.  The Strip can be fun if you’re not driving or trying to cross it in rush hour traffic. 

4.  You cannot get lost in Las Vegas.  Vegas is completely surrounded by desert and mountains.  If you hit either make a U-turn and drive back into town. You will eventually find your way, trust me.

 5.  You can make U-turns at most intersections. This comes in handy  for the directionally challenged.

6.  If you are hungry, there is a restaurant to fit your every mood.  I have had the opportunity to enjoy some incredible meals and dining experiences here in Las Vegas.

7.  You do not need a winter wardrobe.  In fact, air conditioning can be a little over zealous in the summer and I actually need a sweater year round.  But I do not own or have a need for boots, gloves or a scarf.

8.  All the good concerts come into town.  And of course, there are always good shows on the Strip.

9.  Friends love to come visit.  Although I do like to get out of town occasionally, it’s always nice to have friends come here.  Then we can just go out and have a good time without all the hassle of traveling.

10. It’s sunny 24/7.  It’s a desert, you can pretty much count on it always being sunny.  We’ve been had a few rainy weekends this winter, and that one snow day, but that’s about it, you can count on sun every day.

I don’t know if it’s because I live in Las Vegas or what, but I really love to party.  I love to get dressed up, go out, have a few drinks and laugh and just let loose for a little while.  I work full time, I am married, I have two  little kids, does that mean I have to stay in on the weekends? My errand running, kid picking up and grocery store shopping never ends.

I guess what I am really wondering is if all the awesome partying in Las Vegas is taking me away from things I really need to.  And when is it time to hang up the teeny purse and say no more?  Is it age, mindset, number of kids ?  If I lived in some boring city with nothing to do on the weekends, would my closets be cleaner and the errands all ran? 

Probably, but I don’t care.  I have had way too much fun out here and Las Vegas is a great city to live in while you are young and can party.  I am going to live it up while I still can!