People Are Weird: Vegas, Part 1

So last week Hot Guy and I went to Vegas. Hot Guy because he had to go to a convention and me because I'm still a spoiled only child  lucky enough to have parents willing to watch the kids for five days. I'm not even sure where to start.

Originally I was going to start with my anxiety about leaving the kids. The farthest/longest I had ever been from them previously was for a two day conference in Philadelphia. Which is less than 2 hours away by car. And Hot Guy was with them. This time involved writing out detailed plans for my mom, sort of like writing sub plans back when I was a teacher. Though I think I was better at it then. Anyway, then I had to fly across the country. But when I considered that the only way to completely alleviate the anxiety would be to skip a trip to Vegas with my husband, I decided to ignore it instead.

Which prevented me from writing anything at all.*

Though that's not the sole reason I didn't write in Vegas. I also hate typing on the iPad almost as much as I hate typing on my cell phone. And my hotel charged for the internet. They didn't even have wifi - or 3G - in the fucking lobby. So I didn't have high hopes even if I was willing to pay the ridiculous prices. Which I wasn't. Plus, I was mostly busy.**

Vegas has the best people watching ever. And I say this as a person who grew up outside of New York City and has spent quality time in Amsterdam. I was so tempted to take pictures of my fellow visitors, but I felt like it would be mean. Unlike staring and taking notes and making fun of them on my blog. Normally, I can't just sit somewhere by myself, unless I have something to read. In Vegas, though? I hardly read anything at all. Just watching some guy get arrested, or speculating on whether the scantily clad were actual hookers, was fascinating enough.

You know what was disappointingly un-fascinating, though? The street performers. One would think, being in such an entertainment mecca, that the street performers would at least be okay. But they were awful. Most of the people stationed on the Strip were just guys with costumes, who stood there and waited to be tipped by tourists taking their pictures. Like if you have a good Halloween costume of a famous character, you could go to the Strip and make money. And if you didn't have a costume, you could go to the Strip and make money by playing an instrument and/or singing poorly. Undoubtedly it's not enough money to live on, which just makes it even more depressing.

Of course, competition from hordes of drunk people might make it harder to be an inspired performer. And one thing you can definitely find on the Vegas Strip - even at 7am - is hordes of drunk people. Of all ages. With all kinds of outfits on. Doing all kinds of things. Yeah, no wonder the street performers are so dispirited.













*Until now that the trip is over and the anxiety is completely gone. 
**Or hungover.