Sunday, September 25, 2005
Ordinary in Las Vegas
My lovely wife Tami had never been to a hockey game, so we attended a preseason contest between the LA Kings (as close to a home team as you'll get in Las Vegas) and the Colorado Avalanche. There were quite a few Avs fans in attendance, in spite of the announcements about "Staples Center Thanks You for Attending . . ." Staples Center? Oh, yeah. That place. Never been inside, but I know right were it is if I ever want to go there. But my point is that, although the arena is attached to the MGM Grand Hotel, Casino, Mall, Zoo and Tourist Trap, it is an entirely normal and ordinary place where you'd expect to see something like a hockey game. It is remarkable in Las Vegas for its total banality. No glitz, just the usual ads around the rink and small Jumbotron hanging from the ceiling. No gambling, no mostly naked women (they'd freeze, anyway) and nothing particularly glamorous.
One oddity: shortly after the game started there was a penalty assessed for "inciting a fight" and two more for "fighting." It's two minutes for the inciting, six for actually fighting. Hockey just isn't what it used to be. The rest of the game was very clean hockey, with only a few minor penalties for tripping and such.
We left after two scoreless periods as I had to get to work. But, for the record, the Avs broke a 1-1 tie 57 seconds into overtime. (There was the extreme excitement of watching them replace a glass panel during the second period, however, so the evening wasn't all dull.)
I came to work on the Las Vegas Monorail. Three bucks one way, five round trip. Some drunken tourists got on at the Flamingo, and got off at Harrah's. I felt sorry for Harrah's. You know how much fun it is to be obnoxious when you're drunk? If you don't, good for you. If you do, stop it! Oh, well, this is Vegas; be as drunk as you want. Just do not, and I mean this in all sincerity, let Metro (the cops) catch you driving drunk. If you do, your vacation will be extended, all expenses paid, and it may be a while before you get to drive again. Of course your hotel won't be quite as nice, and the buffet really sucks I'm told, but you will get to stay in Vegas on us.
Nevada is funny that way. I could take you to a place where you can quite safely and legally spend your weekend drinking, gambling, and whoring (yes, whoring is legal in most of this state.) However, if you violate one of the laws we do have, then you should know that mercy is not a quality noted in abundance in Nevada court rooms. (Except for speeding outside of school zones and construction zones. As I've said before, if you're from East of Nebraska, I'd advise you to just take a cab. It can be scary to drive here if you're not used to it. Californians have trouble keeping up.) Besides, there's the "most state of the art monorail in the country" to ride. Thirty bucks for a ten day pass. You know, for a tourist, it'd be worth it, although it does have a sort of Disney like aura about it. I guess the drunks are there to let you know you're on Las Vegas Boulevard, not Main Street USA. (Wherever that may pop up next.)
One oddity: shortly after the game started there was a penalty assessed for "inciting a fight" and two more for "fighting." It's two minutes for the inciting, six for actually fighting. Hockey just isn't what it used to be. The rest of the game was very clean hockey, with only a few minor penalties for tripping and such.
We left after two scoreless periods as I had to get to work. But, for the record, the Avs broke a 1-1 tie 57 seconds into overtime. (There was the extreme excitement of watching them replace a glass panel during the second period, however, so the evening wasn't all dull.)
I came to work on the Las Vegas Monorail. Three bucks one way, five round trip. Some drunken tourists got on at the Flamingo, and got off at Harrah's. I felt sorry for Harrah's. You know how much fun it is to be obnoxious when you're drunk? If you don't, good for you. If you do, stop it! Oh, well, this is Vegas; be as drunk as you want. Just do not, and I mean this in all sincerity, let Metro (the cops) catch you driving drunk. If you do, your vacation will be extended, all expenses paid, and it may be a while before you get to drive again. Of course your hotel won't be quite as nice, and the buffet really sucks I'm told, but you will get to stay in Vegas on us.
Nevada is funny that way. I could take you to a place where you can quite safely and legally spend your weekend drinking, gambling, and whoring (yes, whoring is legal in most of this state.) However, if you violate one of the laws we do have, then you should know that mercy is not a quality noted in abundance in Nevada court rooms. (Except for speeding outside of school zones and construction zones. As I've said before, if you're from East of Nebraska, I'd advise you to just take a cab. It can be scary to drive here if you're not used to it. Californians have trouble keeping up.) Besides, there's the "most state of the art monorail in the country" to ride. Thirty bucks for a ten day pass. You know, for a tourist, it'd be worth it, although it does have a sort of Disney like aura about it. I guess the drunks are there to let you know you're on Las Vegas Boulevard, not Main Street USA. (Wherever that may pop up next.)
