Girls weekend in Vegas. You hear that phrase tossed around a lot! Well you must know that’s not something I’d normally be involved in. But now that my newlywed daughter is living there, we are having our own style of girls weekend and it’s interesting to see this part of the world outside “The Strip”. Ordinary circumstances and lives beyond the neon, glitz, and excess.
- We came down two months ago to celebrate my husband’s 60th birthday and to do Christmas gifts with daughter and hubby. We stayed at an ordinary hotel in the north side but went to a show at the Wynn followed by an extravagant buffet dinner late in the evening. Nearly closing time. We ate and selected desserts from a vast array of the most exquisite goodies! We had a table looking right in to dessert central. Cakes and bars and candies were being sliced, frosted, and arranged right up til 9pm… Then closing time came. Gears switched rapidly. 50 gallon garbage cans were wheeled in and tray after tray of freshly made cookies, candies, cakes and pies were dumped! We were horrified and discussed quite fervently what a waste! And we imagined it was playing out all over town. Like blasphemous heathens they nonchalantly poured chocolates, sprinkles, and fondant covered everything.
Today I flew in after noon and had to wait a couple of hours at the airport for my sweet girl to get off work. So I made the best of it. I ate lunch. It wasn’t good. I wandered through the entire terminal observing people and looking at the historical artifacts that normally I would rush by. The history of aviation is very interesting and McCarran airport has lots of memorabilia. I sat and charged my phone. Walked around. Scrolled through Facebook. Texted. Checked emails. Recharged. Used the bathroom. There was a voice in the bathroom over and over saying “You have a good day!” When I went to wash my hands there was a custodian – a cute little black lady, cheerfully wiping down sinks and she says “You have a good day!” I tell her she sure is sweet and cheerful. She says, “if you got it you spread it”. I thanked her for cleaning the bathroom and she was pleased.
Promptly at 3pm there was a brigade of custodial workers doing a Changing of the Guard routine. Those getting off shift were tired but cheerful and chatting. The crew coming on were energized and ready to go. Those getting off chatted and sat down and talked about their lives or work – right in the empty gate area where I was trying to charge the phone. Friendly banter. Teasing. Laughter. Camaraderie at its finest.
I went to the curb at 3:30 and awaited my chariot and princess. She arrived and we went to her apartment and rested with a BBC nature show.
After dinner at a Thai place, where we drank from a coconut!–
we shopped at a couple stores off the strip and ended up at Target. When we went to check out a little grandma about 4’11” was behind us in line. She was over 80 and I asked if I could help load her groceries into the conveyor belt and she thanked me. Two frozen pizzas. Two boxes borax. Some fresh fruit and canned goods. She said thank you again and “I didn’t want to stop after work but better today than tomorrow.” WORK? I asked incredulously. Where do you work? She named a famous casino! I asked what she did. Clearly this lady was way too old to labor. “I deal 21”. Blackjack!! This tiny little grandma deals cards at a casino! I’m trying not to be shocked. I say “That must be interesting” and she agrees.
So today I observed the ordinary lives of people whose life work is about travel and entertainment. People living on a shoestring who see all the waste, excess, and I’m sure behaviors of every kind. And here I am with my girl who’s motto is “Never have an ordinary day” (Keebler elf quote)! So tomorrow the spa…
©Belindabotzong2019
