Dinner with Fred.

Fred, an associate from Arizona, was in town last week for VIAD 2.0. We decided to have lunch at my favorite place in town - Amore's Taste of Chicago:

"The place sure looks different with the expansion." Amore's Taste of Chicago is a place I hold near and dear to my heart. I worked there a few years way back when and I still love her like she is my own - "Yeah, it definitely looks bigger. Not as intimate as when I worked here," I comment to Fred as we are being seated.

We take a few minutes and thumb through the menu. It was pointless, we already knew what we were going to order - "Give us two dinner salads and a medium pepperoni with extra mushrooms," the waitress asks what kind of dressing we would like for our salad - "Two ranches both on the side," I add before Fred can say anything - "Just water for our drinks - Sweetie," I add before she can ask.

"That girl is kind of cute. Do you think she would make a good girlfriend?" I ask him as we watch our waitress walk towards the bar - "She would probably make a good girlfriend for you if you were twenty years younger. How old do you think she is? Twenty two, twenty three." I thank Fred for reminding me of my age - I then ask - "Are you having fun on your tour? Are you finding it informative?" He tells me that I am a very interesting person and have a unique outlook on what the future will resemble. I tell him - "Thanks, I think?"

Our food arrives and we keep the conversation to a minimum while devouring it. After finishing...he says - "Someone is a Cub's fan." He was referencing the back wall of the establishment - which has multiple murals depicting the Cub's world series win last season. "Do you think the Royal's can pull it out this year? Win one more before they break to band up?" I ask quizzically. Fred is an intense Royal's fan, and has been for many years - "I don't think so," he tells me as he waves our waitress over - "They sure are exciting to watch though. Who knows? Maybe we will see a Royal's versus Cub's series. That would sure be fun."

As we are leaving we run into Rick. He is the brother of Joe (owner) - "Are you having fun in our grand city?" He asks Fred as I introduce the two - "We just cruised around and looked at the landscape; we are eating at the finest pizza joint in town for lunch; the Royal's are a game out. I tell you we are having more fun than should be allowed," is his reply. He smiles at both of us and says - "It was good to meet you Fred. I will see you around Mr. Village Idiot." As we are pulling out of the parking lot...Fred comments - "That guy Rick we just met. He seems like an interesting guy." I shake my head, laugh and say - "You have no idea good sir." He then pulls on to Durango and we head south for two blocks before turning west on Flamingo.

Riding around Las Vegas with Fred.

Fred, an associate from Arizona, was in town last week for VIAD 2.0 - We decided to take a drive around town - "Bang! There is seventy five thousand dollars right on the side of the road." With a statement like that I was bound to attract his attention - "What are you talking about?" He says with a hint of curiosity. "Right there! Seventy five thousand. That restaurant we just passed - Chang's. That restaurant is easily worth seventy five thousand dollars a year in revenue if it sold its food online. Guess what? It doesn't."

As we drive further down Decatur towards Chinatown I yell, once again - "Bang! See that restaurant over on the right. The one with the dark awning. That is Yeng Yeng's. There is another seventy five grand laying on the side of the road." We turn on Spring Mountain and are now driving through the heart of Chinatown - "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! 75k there! 75k there! 75k there!" I chant as I point my finger at a slew of restaurants clustered together on the corner of Spring Mountain & Arville - "All those mothercluckers right next to each other. None of them sell their food online. I can get all of them!" Fred looks around and says, "I agree with you they're certainly plenty of dining establishments in Chinatown. How many do you think there are in this little stretch?" I answer, "Fifty, maybe more," he then says - "None of these guys sell their food online?" I answer - "That is affirmative good sir." We turn right on Wynn and head towards the Rio.

The behemoth.

I gave Fred, an associate from Arizona, the future home of the Las Vegas Raider's tour (right now it's an empty lot). He was in town for VIAD 2.0 last week - "You see this big empty lot on the corner up here. I want you to turn in there - I want to show you something." He makes the requested turn and now we are driving parallel to what currently is a 67 acre dirt lot located on Russell just west of the 15. "Take a good look at her Fred. In no less than three years time we will be staring directly at the grandest stadium in the world."

The Raiders are scheduled to move to Las Vegas at the beginning of the 2020 season. The timeline for stadium construction states a November 1st, 2017 start; with an estimated completion date of June 30th, 2020 - "So that's where the new stadium will be. How big of a lot did you say this was?" I told Fred what I read in the paper - "Sixty seven acres." He shakes his head for a minute and says - "It doesn't look like that much," he then takes a deeper look as we are circling the NW perimeter - "On second thought it's pretty long and extends back to the freeway. Yeah, I can see sixty seven acres here. But not much more. Where is everyone going to park?" The parking schematics for the future home of the Raiders states there is only room for 12,500 cars. NFL protocol states a minimum of 25,000 spots for game day parking - "They say they are either going to build up; trolley people in from the strip; or level the buildings around them for additional parking - I don't think they have quite figured it out yet."

As we are turning away from the site and headed west up Russell, I tell Fred, "You should see the renderings for this behemoth. It will truly be epic when this thing goes up. It will be really good for Las Vegas and I can't wait." Fred shakes his head and says - "They are all in it together. Now you will have the most powerful sports league in the world with a team set up across the street from the strip." I nod and say - "If it wasn't for Las Vegas the NFL wouldn't be what it is today, and now the NFL has finally accepted that. Besides, it will be fun to watch the Chief's play when the Raider's move to town. I live right down the road from the stadium."

My favorite budtender.

"Well, show me the way to the next whisky bar. Oh, don't ask why -oh don't ask why. Show me the way to the next whisky bar. Oh, don't ask why - oh don't ask why. For if we don't find the next whisky bar - I tell you we must die - I tell you we must die."

~ Alabama Song (Whisky bar) - The Doors

If Jim Morrison was alive today and lived in Las Vegas he would change the lyrics to - "Show me the way to the next marijuana dispensary. Oh, don't ask why." Probably not, but it's kind of funny to think about - I went down to see my favorite budtender again. I got to tell you something. He sure is convincing:

"Mr. Village Idiot," he yells as the door opens from the waiting room into the showroom, "Right this way good sir." He waves me in and we head straight to the display case - "How did you like the last strand I recommended?" I nod my head in approval and say - "Marcus, it was superb. Do you have anymore?" He shakes his head and says - "Unfortunately we are out of Kosher Kush, but fear not Mr. Village Idiot I have another strand I am highly confident in." He reaches into the display case and pulls out a smell jar - "This is the world famous sin mint strand. It is grown in the hydroponic farms of North Las Vegas. It has many a satisfied customer to boast of as well. Here, get you a whiff of this and tell me you're not in love." He holds the jar to my nose and I catch a whiff of the sweetest smelling thing ever.

"You are one hell of a salesman Marcus," I tell him as he is preparing my order of sin mint. He answers - "The product sells itself good sir. It's my job to connect people with it." Before I leave, I tell him - "I have been thinking about bringing the blog closer to the marijuana game. That seems to be something a lot of my readers are interested in. You know, give people what they want." As he is handing my change back, he adds - "Mr. Village Idiot, you are right about the 'giving people what they want' part of it. The crowds in here are thicker than you see at the sports book."

Folks, there is a common belief in the dope game a baron or two will be born out of its legalization in the state. Something comparable to fortunes built by a select few at the end of Prohibition are at stake. At this point I have no idea whom it will be. Maybe it springs from an ancillary business brought upon by the dope game. Who knows? Anyhoo, I will have much more on this subject soon.  

My first trip to the marijuana dispensary.

I did something this weekend that was a first for me. I visited a marijuana dispensary in Las Vegas -The recreational use of marijuana became legal in Nevada on July 1st and that has all I have been hearing about since. I decided to wait a few weeks for all the hub bub to die down and now I found myself entering the California Wellness dispensary on the corner of Arville and Flamingo:

The dispensary is housed in an unassuming building that I believe was once a medical supply office. As I walk in I am greeted by a nice young lady, whom I give my ID to - "Give me a moment sir and I will get a budtender for you." A few moments later the buzzer sounds on the door allowing me access to the showroom. I step in and am promptly greeted by a familiar face - "Marcus," I say with a combination of surprise and enthusiasm. "Nice to see the village idiot again. It's been a while." He says with a smile of his own. Marcus is a nice young man whom I would guess is twenty-one, twenty-two. Anyhoo, I first met him when I worked at 7-11. He was one of a number of nice people I met while working there.

I follow him to the display case and he asks - "What is it that you are looking for good sir?" I tell him I want to be in the outer zone quick. He replies - "I have just the strand for you Mr. Village Idiot. It is called Kosher Kush and it boasts of many satisfied consumers." His sales pitch was convincing, so I told him to give me a gram. "What has the rest of the crew been up to?" I ask as he is preparing my order - "Chris is with his girlfriend all the time; Vlad is going to school; Matt is working at Frye's. Everyone is well." As I am leaving I ask how things have been since opening day - "It has been insane dude. People were lined up around the block when we first opened. It's settled down a lot, but you never know in this business. It is so new."

Folks, it seems like you can't turn around nowadays in Las Vegas without running into a dispensary or some other entity selling marijuana. The projected numbers for marijuana revenue are staggering. I will have much more on this subject soon!