Five Years....Already?!

"A little bit of this town goes a very long way. After five days in Vegas you feel like you've been here for five years." - Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

If that is so, then what does five years feel like? By doing a simple correlation the answer would be five decades, but I think Vegas has a plateau. I'm sure if anyone came to Vegas with the mindset to attempt the recreation Dr. Thompson's experience that they would feel this city hit them back hard on the chin. Excess is everywhere in this town. It is the force that drives it. You come to Vegas intending on consuming as much of the excess as possible, and you expect to be leaving in worst condition. The town doesn't want visitors to stay long. If you stay too long eventually you become what is known as a local.

local - n: a person who lives in a tourism driven town or city knowing all about the activities offered to tourists but rarely part-takes in these activities themselves.

I will admit when I first moved to Las Vegas I part-took in all that this city has to offer. For the first two years I discovered how to get around all the tourist traps to gain entrance to all the high demand events and clubs that only can be glorified in Hollywood movies. I discovered a network of lounges that would have roaming open bars everyday of the week. I found out that a silver tongue and determination can gain you front of the line status and access to any  popular club on the Strip. I learned how to make friends with the DJ's and entertainers so that I didn't have to pay cover charges. I discovered that a professional camera and the line, "I'm here to shoot the band" will get you into exclusive pool parties with free rock concerts. I've been thrown (literally) out of strip clubs. More people know my name than I can count, yet I can't recall who they are. I've seen the sunrise from an all nighter way too many times (sometimes multiple days of the week.). Finally, I grew tired of it all.

I indulged in all the excess that this city gives out for free, and I learned that there is a limit. There is indeed a plateau. Soon all the events and parties start becoming the same old shit with the same shitty people. I began going out less and less until I stopped all together. All these tricks and tips that I learned can't be accomplished on a weekend gateway to Vegas. Only a someone who lives here can learn them, thus continually be transformed into a local. Now I see the city for what it really is. The curtain has been lifted. The glass has shattered. I dislike going to the Strip. I dislike the tourists. The only reason I would ever what to go the iconic Las Vegas Strip is to see the final days of a closing legendary casino/hotel.

Although this all seems very negative, there is a shimmer in the darkness. I see now what Las Vegas means to me. There is more to this place than casinos and partying. There's friends and neighbors. Plenty of activities to do other than gambling including lots of outdoor recreation. It is official. This place has become my home.

Here are some stories and tidbits that I picked up over the years about how living in Las Vegas is much much different from any other place. You may be surprise to know a few of these.

It may be hard for you to believe that Las Vegas has more weather conditions than hot and sunny. We get rain and snow on occasion. It is in fact raining today. Plus it is windy a lot of the time. For some reason it is always the windiest during live shots. I hate it.

Yes it is true this is a 24 hour town. Everything and anything is accessible at any time of the day. Tell me of any other place you can go bowling or to a new movie release at 3 a.m.

You'd be amazed how many times we are meeting people at a local bar in the middle of the day to do an interview for the news. My favorite was when we were knocking on doors in one reasonably nice neighborhood asking if anyone knew a certain elderly man whom has just found dead. These kids ran up to us and told us that their mother knew the man. She would definitely talk to us if we drove over the bar she was at hanging with some friends. It was 6 p.m. Oh, of course we drove over there to get the interview.

Most likely either you know yourself or know someone who knows a stripper.

Casino losses is a bad thing while casino implosions are a good thing.

Flying out of Vegas is great. Flights are non-stop to pretty much everywhere. Flying back to Vegas sucks. Mainly because everyone the flight wants to get sloppy drunk before they start their vacation while you have to return to work tomorrow. I get it you are excited, but please wait until we land so I don't have to hear your slurring demands to the flight attendants.

Mormonism is arguably the most popular religion. No joke

On the other hand you could also meet someone and they introduced themselves like this, "Hi, nice to meet you. This is my wife and these are my children. Oh, and this is my girlfriend." and no one thinks anything strange about this.

Oh Yeah "it's only a dry heat." Well I suggest to go over to your oven turn it on to 120 degrees and stand directly in front of it for 30 minutes.