Since I've been known to rant about things and be negative a lot of the time, I thought this week I'd share something positive. Two weeks ago Jen and I went to Vegas for a few days of vacation. I have to say this: I love that town. At least the Strip - the downtown "experience" is a bit lame, but that's just me. I know that some people think Vegas is a pit of sin with nothing but gambling and whores, but it's so much more than that now. Sure, that stuff is prevalent, but to me those things just add to the whole Vegas vibe. I had a few recurring random thoughts over the course of the week while in Vegas, so I thought I'd share and get other people's take on them (feel free to comment):
1) A few years ago I thought it might be fun to work in Vegas; I enjoy it there and I've never worked at a tourist destination where people choose to go to have fun (working in IT you deal with people who aren't happy or they're telling you what is broken with their technology - I thought it might be nice to work somewhere where people actually want and choose to visit). I'm over that now. I don't know if it's just because I'm getting older or because I live in a bubble (I don't use public transportation, I work with a small group of intelligent people who are similar to me, and the few select people I choose to be around in my free time are also similar to me), but I realized while in Vegas that I have a very low tolerance/patience level for the general public. I don't know why, but it seems like the most annoying people always end up sitting next to me on a plane, bus or shuttle or stand next to me while in line. I try to be nice and keep to myself while in public, being cognizant of not being that annoying person to others. Other people are not as courteous. I don't want to sound egotistical (too late, right), but I think the majority of the population is just not very smart. I couldn't work at a tourist destination because I'd have to be around stupid people all of the time. I think constantly dealing with idiots would would suck all of the fun out of and ruin Vegas for me.
2) There is always music playing in Vegas. Music is played in all of the casinos and music can be heard while walking down the Strip. I'm a big fan of music, so I really enjoy this. It's like having a constant soundtrack to your day. I noticed that it wasn't from a local radio station or XM/Sirius because I never heard any commercials. I was curious to know the details of this music - if each hotel did their own mix, if they hired a company to do it, etc., so I asked our concierge. She had no idea and said that nobody had ever asked her about the music before (I thought that was weird), but she did give me the phone number for the hotel audio & video department. I called them and they were really nice and answered all of my questions. They use a company, DMX (www.dmx.com) for all of the music being played at their property. They have personalized music channels made for the different areas of the hotel (lobby & hallways, pool, restaurants, clubs, bars, etc.). I wondered if I would enjoy working for this company (as you can tell I often evaluate whether I would enjoy working in certain professions and assess the negative aspects of each profession). I really like music and I think it would be fun to research and get new music for mixes. But then I thought, "What if working at that type of job took all the fun away from music for me?" I've never taken a job in something I've had a passion for so I don't know - does working a job that was once something you did as a hobby take all of the fun out of it? I would think eventually every job, no matter how fun it is, turns into just another job with its downsides. I wonder if the music researchers who have worked for DMX for a while now hate music and can't stand listening to music in their free time?
3) At first I thought it would be fun to live in Vegas - there's so much to do and so many places to eat. After thinking about it though, I don't think living there would be as fun as I initially thought. Sure, you'd see a lot of shows and all of the big concerts play in Vegas, but you have to deal with the tourists and I think that would get old quickly. I wonder what Vegas locals do for fun? Normal things would no longer excite you after being there for a few years because you've experienced everything the town has to offer. It's like Michael Vick having dog fights - I see how someone gets to that point. When normal activities no longer entertain/excite you, you need to kick it up a notch in order to feel something. I bet partying with Vegas locals is either really wild and/or dangerous, or they do really boring things like go camping or go out to the wilderness where it's quiet in order to get away from the hustle of their hometown.
4) I like thinking about and knowing back stories of people I come into contact with. It helps to know why they act a certain way and how they got to where they are currently are in life. While in Vegas I found myself wondering, "How did these people choose to work here?" I'd see a young, attractive girl in her mid-twenties working as a cocktail waitress in a casino and her nametag would have her first name and her hometown listed underneath (I guess to show that people come from all over to work in Vegas). How did this girl from Colorado get to be a cocktail waitress in Vegas? Did she come to Vegas to be a showgirl and it didn't work out? What's her plan for the rest of her life? Not that I'm saying waitressing isn't a good living - I just wonder if people have ambition to do more, or are they happy with their current gig?
Anyway, that’s about it for Vegas. We had a good, relaxing time; we ate well, saw some shows, went to some clubs, and hung out at the pool. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Song of the day: "Put On" by young Jeezy & Kanye West. It's a good song - yes Kanye is using Auto-Tune, but his verse still works. The "Put On Remix" has a verse by Jay-Z which always makes a song better. Jen & I have had conversations on whose verse in this song is better - Kanye's or Jay-Z's. I said Kanye’s; she chose Hov’s because his verse goes with the theme of the song and Kanye's doesn't. To each their own I guess.
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