Living in Las Vegas

As I sat here wondering what to write next, a thought popped into my head. Another year, nearly over, living in Las Vegas. It was New Year's Day and I looked at my calendar, realizing I hadn't put up the new one yet. Just two more months and my tenth anniversary would be here. Already! Then the thought, would I still make the same decision to move to Las Vegas knowing every sordid detail I know now? Hey, now that's a good topic!

Some days it seems like I have always lived in Vegas. Other days it feels like I am new all over again. Like a foreigner from a far distant land. This happens because Las Vegas is ever-changing. Not only her landscape, but the people who inhabit her also.

When my daughter and I moved here in 1997, I came ahead of her to get us set up. Fortunately my mom and an old family friend both lived here already. Between them they knew the basics to help me get started. This was a deciding factor for choosing Las Vegas. There are plenty of stories all over about making a fortune in Vegas and brings most dwellers here. Personally, I just wanted a new start for us and to be near family and friends; whether it was Las Vegas or Podunk Iowa. No offense meant to anyone from Iowa!

My daughter, Danielle, was insistant that if she had to move to Las Vegas it would be once her Freshman year was over. My mom was insistant I stay with her until I went back to get my daughter once school was out. Thinking It would give me a place to stay while looking for a job and an apartment, plus I would have time to acclimate my daughter better. Without too much more thought, I agreed on both ultimatums to make everyone happy.

Talk about weird moments in life! Picture this: You're 36, parent of a teenager yourself, have not lived at home since you were 17, managing life as an adult. You have survived some rotten apartments in crappy neighborhoods and a**hole boyfriends, nursed chicken pox, asthma, etc. Made it through two years of college while parenting a toddler. But you know you need to provide better for the future so......

Now you're living with your elderly Mother, staying in your dead father's room. Your Mom refuses to take any money from you, wants to baby you including reminders to wear your coat and dry your hair. "But Mom I just came from 32 degree weather - it's 66 outside right now and the sun is shining" you reply. "That's alright it's winter (for another 7 days) and you might need your coat" she informs me! Okay, so I take my coat. This among many times, I find myself doing things I normally wouldn't and constantly reminding myself it's only for a little while longer.

Surprise, it wasn't! Let's put it this way, by the time I was ready to head back and get Danielle, the reality I wouldn't be her roommate anymore was a bit distressing for my mom. My dad had been gone for two and a half years before I came to Las Vegas. For 60-something years mom had always had a husband and kids to take care of - then one day it was just her and the cat. Now she was contemplating lonliness again or taking on a teenage granddaughter fulltime. I guess you know which decision won out. One I might have to rethink if I could have a do-over.

It was tough for nearly four years sharing a bedroom and bathroom with my daughter, but we had lived in one-bedroom apartments before. When you are a single parent with no child support, you are forced into sharing a lot of things. Only this time if snoring became a bother - one of us sleeping on the couch was different. My mom would go to bed early and get up before the sun came up. This wasn't normal for us. So invariably, Danielle or myself would be woken up twice each morning. The first time when mom would turn on the tv and all the lights in the house, signaling time to find a quiet bed and then again when the alarm went off for the normal daily routine. I am not the shiniest-happiest person at 4:30 in the morning in any timezone!

It was also hard sometimes living with two separate generations: the one before you and the one you've created. There were fights of jealousy. I felt pulled in two directions, my love and loyalty to both of them stretched very taut some days. My daughter as a growing adult and my mom with her vast experience and words of wisdom. In other words two know-it-alls. Danielle and I had some very serious arguments about respect and admiration for her elders. Especially the opportunity to know her grandmother before another relative was gone forever.

The day my daughter stood on the steps in her cap and gown with her high school diploma in hand was a proud moment for any single parent but especially me. We truly didn't know if she was going to be allowed to graduate on time with her class. Right up until the day before graduation. The mathematics part of state competancy testing was tougher for her than any other subject. She had aced all the other subjects on the first try each time but not math. Well neither had I in school, but I helped as best I could. After commencement, my mom remarked to Danielle that she ought to have a copy made for me also, since I had earned that diploma just as much as she had only I hadn't gotten to walk across the stage.

One positive note in moving to Vegas, the economy was very similar to my chosen hometown. Though wages were higher here and that helped out a lot. Back home I had been doing private housekeeping along with live-in caregiving for chronically ill people for several years. I attempted the first few years in Vegas to keep up the self-employment but it became too unstable at providing steady income. I finally had to make the decision to find work in the public sector again.

Quickly discovering that no one wanted to hire me in housekeeping. I thought the casino's would scoop me up quick but even with all my experience in housekeeping and supervisory no fish were biting my line. Plus to work in a casino or around any gaming you must provide Sheriff's cards, TAM cards, Alcohol Awareness cards and I didn't have any. I hadn't ever needed them. Private cleaning companies were shy also. Employers are afraid of being burned here. Vegas has become a corporate commerce as opposed to past days when the mob ran everything. Despite being a Right To Work state, Nevada employers will usually make you sign a non-compete/non-disclosure contract for nearly every industry. Guess there were scores of corporate thieves or amateur's stealing clientale when the corporations took over.

It wasn't too difficult to find a decent job. Other than cleaning and caregiving, I have aways worked in some administrative capacity since starting to type at twelve. My new job included being the only woman in a truck equipment company. The best parts were: the company was small, all the guys were nice and the dress code required jeans and boots. For once I landed on my feet the first try. Then nine months into my job, the boss announces he is selling the company the following week to a competitor. A done deal already - all the employees were shocked! Several were angry and refused to stay on when the sale was final. Not me though, I loved my job and remained on with the new company.

Two weeks after the announcement, my appendix nearly burst and I had to have emergency surgery. Scared doesn't begin to explain how I was feeling. I had a new boss with a huge company, no insurance card in my name yet and if that weren't enough I would have to take time off work to recover from major surgery. I was timid when I had to make that phone call from the ER. Everything turned out fine though. My old supevisor agreed to stay on until I returned to keep my work load current. The new owner sent flowers and my new supervisor sent me a little money to help out with bills while I was off work. Of course like anthing else that fuzzy warm feeling didn't last. The new owner began downsizing and restructuring after he had the company for nine months and my job was eliminated first.

From here on let me summarize the things, good and bad, that I have learned in nearly ten years as a resident ....

Las Vegas can be a tough place to make new friends. It is a transient town with the flow of population moving out nearly as fast as they move in. The U.S. has been called the "world's melting pot" and that moniker is nowhere truer than in Vegas. Every local that makes the city their home is from somewhere else in the world. I have met fewer natives over the age of 30 than the fingers you can count on one hand. And even though I have made good friends the reverse has been true too. We have good and bad people in this city and being creative helps make good friends and lasting relationships. Thank goodness for the internet and co-workers, two great methods for meeting local people that do not involve bars and organized religion. Once again, no offense to anyone who frequents bars or organized religious activities.

Despite urban legend, most locals do not live and/or hang out in casino's or even on the Strip as a rule. Why would we? If you were a cocktail waitress would you hang out at work after you were off the clock? Yeah, me either. I always save my visits to new casino's, shows, museums or anything relating to the Strip until family or friends come to our fair city on vacation. This way I can appear to be tourist on the outside and tour guide on the inside. It makes for an interesting day. Besides there are plenty of other places to have fun.

A nice thing about living in Las Vegas and the surrounding area is that no matter what your hobby or passion may be, you can find a way to enjoy it here. If you love to snow ski, camp or hike you can drive to Mt. Charleston every season of the year and it is always cooler. If you love boating, water-skiing, camping and fishing you can drive to Lake Mead or Lake Powell to enjoy your weekend or vacation. Red Rock Canyon is an especially beautiful area for all types of outdoor activities including mountain biking, picnicing, watching the sunset in the evenings. The city offers terrific shows, museums, art exhibits, world famous restaurants, etc that can be perused in other large cities across the country as well as Las Vegas.

To be fair, a crummy thing about Las Vegas is that on any given weekend of every year there can be as many as an extra 250,000 tourists. This isn't counting the mega conventions/events that take over the city several times a year either. Las Vegas economy relies on the conventions such as Comdex and CES or events like NFR and the AVN awards to keep taxes lower for her residents. I know every year I appreciate that we are not forced to pay state income tax and that our sales tax is still lower than some large metropolis'.

Building has been booming here in las Vegas since the day I arrived and the pace hasn't let up yet it seems. Housing prices remain as competitive if not better than other large cities, especially in California. Last year for fun I began watching the trends via Yahoo! and MSN. The zoning areas and zipcodes have changed a few times on us. Across the street where there were once empty dirt lots for practically ever, now stand a high school and a shopping center. So many complained that the building of the school and shopping center would lower the property values and bring crime. It hasn't happened. A long-time neighbor who bought his condo at the same time as my parents was ready last spring to move back to his home state. He sold his condo for 112% profit. In fact many have sold for a good profit across the city but, as far as I know, so did the entire country.

For many naysayers that do not believe in Global Warming, I say pooh! It is very easy to see in Las Vegas; the change in the weather cycles not to mention the rapidly declining water levels at Lake Mead are proof enough. We no longer have monsoons each Summer and is very vital to our yearly rainfall average. As a result the valley has been in drought conditions for six seasons now. I am not sure who said it but: "The undoing of Las Vegas will be water." I don't doubt it either.

Our Spring and Fall seasons have shortened dramatically. They were both the best times of year too! Winters are much colder since my arrival and several times has produced snow that is remaining longer each time. For example ten years ago the snow wouldn't stick when it fell to the ground and recently in some areas it didn't melt for an entire day. I am not a weather expert and to most that doesn't sound too terrible or awful but it is a sign that our environment is changing, even slightly.

Sunshine and Summer temperatures remain strong and high as ever; some years record-breaking triple digits. After all these years I still don't mind the Summer temperatures in the desert. In fact it helps with a casual attire attitude in most offices here. It is routine to see bare arms/legs or a little toe cleavage in a nice sandal. I believe that as long as your daily outfits remain tasteful and work appropriate every one should be allowed to be relaxed and not so uptight in suits day in and day out. Although it isn't uncommon for some Sin City applicants to show up in stained frayed jeans, skirts that could be called "micro" or tank tops with spaghetti straps and the wrong kind of cleavage popping out to apply for a Reception position. At other times I have had some ask me for a pen and then a cigarette for after they were done. Have I mentioned the ones that have showed up for interview's with their kids in tow and expected me to A. Proceed with the interview or B. Could you find someone around here to watch them while we are busy? Most of the incidents were very rare to be honest, but it has happened right here.

The worst parts about living in Las Vegas I have to admit would be rudeness and customer service. After spending twenty years living in the Pacific Northwest where most everyone is laid back and neighborly I still cannot excuse the rudeness and lack of customer service at times here in city businesses. I have walked out of a store or restaurant feeling like the clerk was about to cuss me out instead of thanking me for shopping there or I should be apologizing to them. A few instances that I felt were so particularly heinous that I: no longer spend my consumer dollars in their establishments, have written letters to head corporate officials and try to ask my friends to support me in my decision. Maybe one of these days my passive picketing will no longer escape their notice. And then again, maybe not.

So to answer my own question back at the beginning, Yes I can say I would still move here. Like any other town or city across the entire globe, Las Vegas has it good and bad points. It is a city just like any other large city, no matter where you travel. We have our poor and our rich but, there are also plenty in between. Sin City was intended and built as a playground for adults but is quickly becoming a great place to raise a family. Corporate America is alive and well in Las Vegas, but......

For how long?