more tidbits

It would be very nice if the Chiefs pulled one out in Dallas. Head into bye week with a 7-2 record and a hefty lead in their division. I drove by the Raiders stadium site recently and saw a few things going on. November, 15 is the big launch date for the start of construction. I'm looking forward to seeing it come to fruition. It will be good for Las Vegas in many ways. It will help the town get past the hangover of the massacre.

I was watching this guy on local news and he was commenting about the trade deficits our country suffers with most of the Pacific Rim. China alone is three hundred billion plus. Let me get to the point. The main reason I supported Trump is his vocal stance on China and how much they have gained and we have lost because of current trade policies - "We are getting screwed folks, and they are laughing at us. Have any of you ever asked yourself why we can't sell stuff there? I am going to cut a much better deal for the country when I am president...believe me." I am ready for him to make good on his campaign promise.

The eight grand hit.

My buddy Bute in Houston got in to a fifteen month no interest sweepstakes that entailed his money back if the Astros win the World Series. We are not talking chump change. Houston winning would put eight grand back in his pocket. I chatted with him before the start of game seven last night and it was obvious he was pumped up:

"The bastards are going to give me a heart attack village idiot. I don't know how much more I can take. They went seven with the Yank's and now another game seven. I'm serious. Everyone around me is trying to calm me down." I tell him to chill and everything will be okay no matter if they win or lose - "I have been waiting a long time for this to happen amigo. It's like how you always tell me you want to see the Chiefs win the Super Bowl. Plus I have eight grand riding on it."

Eight grand will elevate anyone's heart level. I told him to relax again and just enjoy - "No matter win or lose I have enjoyed the Astros this year. They have been good for the town." Bute's neck of the woods saw some damage from the hurricane and he has described some of the places in town as Mad Max like - "I'm ready to get that money!" He then tells me to thank Junior for Alex Bregman. He was referring to our friend Junior in Albuquerque and the Astros third baseman who is a native as well.

"It looks like I will be headed to Phoenix for Thanksgiving. Jamie, Cathy & the nieces are going to dads and then Cathy's niece is getting married over the weekend. I'm looking forward to it. What are your holiday plans?" I thought a change of banter would be calming for him - "Spending it with the family," he replies. He then asks how old Jamie's kids are nowadays - "Emily is a freshman at UMKC and Makaila is a sophomore in high school. They are both doing well and I am looking forward to seeing them over the holidays."

The talk turns to something more than baseball or money - "It's not just the money. The Astros have brought a lot of welcome relief to the town. People here deserve a title, and I know the cardiac kids are going to bring it home for us." - I am happy to report Houston won and Bute is relishing the moment. I hope the Chiefs win the Super Bowl one of these days. To me it would be like an experience Bute is having now. I will definitely be at the parade when it happens!

Flamingo & Durango shooting + Steve Wynn + Fans fighting

I met a guy who is originally from North Carolina a few years back in Las Vegas. We have become very good friends since. He came over last night to watch the game and have a few cocktails:

"I heard a guy got smoked in your neighborhood. I thought you lived in the nice part of town." He was referring to a shooting that happened yesterday morning at the corner of Flaming and Durango - "It doesn't matter what part of town you live in. You can get smoked anywhere in Las Vegas," I reply, I then add, "Do you still carry your gun with you everywhere you go?" - "Damn straight I do. It is better to have a gun and not need it than need a gun and not have it. That has always been my philosophy," he replies.

"Have things returned to normal on the strip since the massacre? I mean as normal as it can be." James works security on the strip and has been stationed at Mandalay Bay the last week for a convention - "It is kind of weird to be honest with you. Nobody is talking about it. It seems to me like business as usual. I did hear Steve Wynn has upped things quite a bit at his places. Bag checks and metal detectors. My buddy at work said the Wynn properties are loaded with a lot of ex Israeli commandos working security." I read an article the other day where Steve Wynn stated a shooter would not last three minutes at his properties. I told James that and he says - "Hopefully, he never has to back that proclamation up."

We change the talk to football and he tells me about a fight he got in at a Panther's game when he lived in North Carolina - "I was younger and a lot meaner back then. They were playing the Giants and a bunch of loudmouths from New York were in the seats in front of me. They wouldn't sit down and you know how people bring fences to games with a big wooden D on them. He kept shoving that thing in my face. I tried to be polite about it, but they were drunk. So I grabbed the prop from them and smashed it. The next thing you know it was on. My buddy and I were swinging it out with these guys in the upper deck. Security eventually got there and threw us out. It's a good thing all this was before cellphones came along. If not I'm sure I would have been on the Internet two minutes after it happened." I was laughing so hard while he told the story I damn near fell out of my seat.

paranoia

"I don't know what's going to happen man. But I want to have my kicks before the whole shit house goes up in flames."

~ Jim Morrison


I chatted with my friend Mad Max from Kansas today. He indicated a while back he was planning on attending the rodeo at Thomas & Mack in December. I was checking to see if he still planned on doing such - "I wouldn't set foot in Las Vegas for all the tea in China, not after what happened. I have decided it is better for me to stay in my neck of the woods." I wasn't surprised the massacre reignited his end of the world diatribe. After all, that's why people call him Mad Max - "Isn't anyone out there paying attention. How does a guy bring that much weaponry into a place like Mandalay Bay and no one is the wiser?"

I give my opinion on the matter - "All you have to do is break down everything and put it in a suitcase. No one at the resort is going to know. They don't have metal detectors at the door or anything like that. Casino security is more honed in on trying to catch people cheating is my assumption. A maniac with tons of guns isn't at the top of the list - I would guess, and I'm just guessing, they thought something like the massacre was never going to happen. You can't live your life thinking something like that is going to happen. Who wants to live like that?" Apparently, he does - "You have been calling me an idiot and every other name when I tell you the country is headed towards guerrilla warfare. Answer this for me genius. How many other motherfuckers are out there who could go postal at any moment?"

"How am I suppose to know that?" I then add - "Look, like I said, people can't walk around life thinking the worse. I certainly don't think that way." Like I said earlier, his end of the world rhetoric was back and as prevalent as ever - "I will not go to a place that won't allow me to carry. I know I can't bring a weapon with me to Vegas, so I just have to rule it out. Now, if one of these motherfuckers wants to come to Northern Greenwood County and try their luck. Well, at least I will be well equipped to respond. The last thing in the world I want to be is a sitting duck."

I reassure him the odds of being caught in a One October sort of tragedy are highly improbable and encourage him to reconsider coming to Las Vegas for the rodeo - "Sorry my friend. Not going to happen," he then adds, "You know the thing that sticks in my mind most about the slaughter. I'm a country music guy and I can see my girl dragging me to something like the Route 91 festival if we were in Vegas - From now on I go no where without a weapon. If it's not allowed...I don't go!"

The end of the road for best buddy & me.

A tear came to my eye as I watched him load the last of his things into the truck - "Best buddy, it has been an awesome experience reconnecting with you the last couple months. I just have one favor to ask before you leave town. My neighbor has been giving me the friendly eye for a while and I want you to slam her before you leave town and tell me what it is like. If I was a younger man I would do it, but now I am too old for the awkwardness such a tryst would cause. It's not a good idea to you know what where you feed. Do you understand what I mean by that statement best buddy?"

Joel bedded scores of women in Las Vegas, so one more for the road isn't any big deal in my opinion - "She just got home dude. Go knock on her door and ask if you can borrow a cup of sugar. I guarantee she'll get the hint and all will be good." He's the only guy I know who would have a chance, but it wasn't in the cards - "Dude, I still have a bunch of shit I have to get done. I just don't have the time," he answers with a smile, "Besides, I am leaving all this shit behind me. Why don't you do it?" I again tell him the you know what where you feed story, and how I have to live here - "Come on dude! I know she wants it. Run up there and slam her real quick. All you have to do is ask best buddy," I encourage once again.

"Sorry, no time for it. If I had more time I would seriously consider it,"  I tell best buddy he must be slipping with the ladies - "Please," he then adds, "I have a list longer than my arm of women who can rebuke that. I just don't have the time." I wasn't buying his pressed for time excuse - "Look, man, all you have to do is go knock on her door and tell her you want to borrow a cup of sugar. It will take you thirty minutes at tops. I will watch over the truck while you take care of business. I want you to do it and let me know what it is like. That's not asking too much best buddy." Again, he complains about time and how he'll have to pass, he then adds - "Dude, the truth is I have to take care of one of my girls in about two hours. Then I am headed to Denver and plan on getting there just in time to watch the K-State game tomorrow. I don't have the energy or extra Viagra to satisfy your request."

We bear hug each other and I tell him to drive carefully and to say hi to everyone in Kansas for me, I then make one more request before he leaves, "There is one thing you can do for me before you leave town since you won't slam my neighbor. I want you to admit that you and I are best buddies. Can you do that for me?" I have been trying to get him to say it since he moved in and he has refused. This time he refused with a smile - "Give me a hug you silly bastard." We hug and he says, "It is time for me to hit the road. I will text you when I get back to KC." As he turns the corner and drives out of sight. A thought comes to me - "Who is going to be my best buddy now that my best buddy is gone?"

BFFF's

"Oh, you're the best friend that I ever had. I've been with you such a long time. You're my sunshine and I want you to know my feelings are true. I really love you. (Ooh) Oh, you're my best friend."

My best friend ~ Queen

"Best buddy I finally figured out our theme song. Queen sings it. Do you know the song I am talking about?" My first cousin Joel has been doubling as my roommate and new best buddy for the last month and a half. The time we spent together has solidified, in my mind at least, our best buddyship - "Jesus dude, you need to give it a rest," he then adds, "You are not my best buddy. I'm sorry to tell you that." Needless to say, he is not interested in any best buddy song - that's alright - I know the truth. "What was that movie where they said they were BFFF's (best fucking friends forever)?" I then add, "That's what we are and nothing will change it," - "Pineapple Express is the movie," he then exclaims, "We are not best buddies. I'm leaving town in a couple of days. I can't be your best buddy if we're not going to see each other anymore." This whole best buddy thing means a lot more to me than him. That's alright though. He's my best buddy, at least until he leaves town, and that's just how things are. 

Clown town & the Chiefs.

I have been pulling a certain gag since I was a kid, and it's as funny as ever. My favorite trick is to get up quickly from the couch when I hear someone entering and re lock the door before they can actually enter. Last night I decided to pull the gag when I heard my cousin unlocking the front door -"Okay dude, It was funny the first ten times you did it. You really need to get some new material," I open with a wide smile and say in between my laughter - "Jeez, best buddy. I was only fooling around. Lighten up."

The talk immediately turned to Chief's football - "Best buddy, they waited too long to start playing and then a fluke play went the Steelers way. I can live with it in the regular season best buddy. It's just when they lose like that in the playoffs is when it really hurts." Joel grew up in the heart of Kansas City, but somehow became a loyal Bear's fan. KC is his second favorite team - "That loss doesn't mean much," he then adds, "They're going to lose a few games. The important thing is to maintain home field advantage for the playoffs. And they're still looking okay on that right now."