I suppose I had better start with Las Vegas. Well now I can say that I have been there. It is not my kind of town – and it does seem more of a town than a city. We stayed in a really beautiful hotel…. My room was huge, bathroom with everything I could wish for – mind you at the moment all I wish for is hot and cold running water, but you know what I mean, and a view over the golf course complete with fake waterfall (I asked and you are not allowed onto the golf course unless you are playing golf). Most of my time was spent in the Convention Centre – big aircraft hangar type building – trying to smile winningly at passers-by so they would stop and sample our wares. Pretty quickly learnt to identify the “cameramen” (khakis, lots of pockets, bags over every shoulder and always a hat of some description), the “film lovies” and the “I am completely knackered and just walking in a zombie like fashion to the nearest exit”.
I also helped build a house – Habitat for Humanity was there in the carpark building a house with volunteers from the show to help boost their profile. The house was dismantled at the end and moved to a site where it will be completed and handed over to a family. They aim to provide housing for families who would struggle to meet a standard mortgage so they get an interest free loan on a low cost home plus they have to volunteer for 300 hours – helping build other people’s homes. They were a bit sniffy about the fact their houses were NOT for homeless people but “decent hard working types” as the shirt who formally handed the house over at the end said (OK he was not from Habitat for Humanity). So I did try and spread the word that homelessness is not just about rooflessness but that there is a continuum from not being able to afford a basic mortgage through living in insecure and unsuitable housing then sofa surfing to living on the street and it is very, very easy for anyone (except the very wealthy) to find themselves slipping down the slope, ie the wrong way. Anyway off the soapbox, I had great fun working with a couple of guys in taping out a patio area (after putting in a couple of windows). I have to say we got a bit carried away with ourselves and attempted a Moroccan tile design using only electrical tape in red, white, blue and black…. If only we had had more colours.
I did spend one evening going down the Strip and took photos of the lights… and another evening downtown. This area although tackier did have a bit more of a real feel, and a really exciting light-roof screen where on the hour they showcased some animation to a popular tune. We had “American Pie” and “We are the Champions” (so I was able to join in the singing and swaying).
I will post some pictures but the small rodent who normally powers my internet connection is evidently having a slow day.
And that is all my news… well all I can think of just now… and in case you were wondering it is SCORCHIO!
I also helped build a house – Habitat for Humanity was there in the carpark building a house with volunteers from the show to help boost their profile. The house was dismantled at the end and moved to a site where it will be completed and handed over to a family. They aim to provide housing for families who would struggle to meet a standard mortgage so they get an interest free loan on a low cost home plus they have to volunteer for 300 hours – helping build other people’s homes. They were a bit sniffy about the fact their houses were NOT for homeless people but “decent hard working types” as the shirt who formally handed the house over at the end said (OK he was not from Habitat for Humanity). So I did try and spread the word that homelessness is not just about rooflessness but that there is a continuum from not being able to afford a basic mortgage through living in insecure and unsuitable housing then sofa surfing to living on the street and it is very, very easy for anyone (except the very wealthy) to find themselves slipping down the slope, ie the wrong way. Anyway off the soapbox, I had great fun working with a couple of guys in taping out a patio area (after putting in a couple of windows). I have to say we got a bit carried away with ourselves and attempted a Moroccan tile design using only electrical tape in red, white, blue and black…. If only we had had more colours.
I did spend one evening going down the Strip and took photos of the lights… and another evening downtown. This area although tackier did have a bit more of a real feel, and a really exciting light-roof screen where on the hour they showcased some animation to a popular tune. We had “American Pie” and “We are the Champions” (so I was able to join in the singing and swaying).
So I may be one of the few people to spend a week in Vegas and not even touch a casino chip… but I know my luck, have an elementary understanding of the theory of probability and absolutely no understanding of poker. I would rather stand in the street and give cash to strangers walking by. As for the people who sit for hours with the one arm bandits – it seems a bit dull to me and I can’t help thinking (in a totally non-judgemental way of course :)!) that they all looked very lonely and slightly desperate.
I should add here that, with one notable exception, everyone I met was lovely, friendly, interesting – and that includes at least one native Las Vegan whose grandfather came to the area as a explosives consultant for the Hoover Dam.
I think Vegas is like a big shopping mall (oops centre) for the rich, and I do dislike big shopping centres. Expensive, artificial and uninteresting.
I should add here that, with one notable exception, everyone I met was lovely, friendly, interesting – and that includes at least one native Las Vegan whose grandfather came to the area as a explosives consultant for the Hoover Dam.
I think Vegas is like a big shopping mall (oops centre) for the rich, and I do dislike big shopping centres. Expensive, artificial and uninteresting.
On the other hand I loved Chicago. Fresh air, trees (lovely spring trees), exciting skyline, loads of green areas in the city, rivers running through…… and I didn’t even get to see any of my initial reason for wanting to go to Chicago, the electric blues. Maybe another time! I did go to the Art Institute – American Gothic and a Matisse exhibition (and yes I bought another view through a window … I can’t help myself), and I went up the Sears (now Willis) Tower and even stepped out onto the glass platform (not for very long though), travelled on the “L”… I would definitely recommend Chicago as a good place to visit.
I must say that it was wonderful to get back home, sleep in my own bed and see my dear little cats – and Mohamed of course. I have caught up on my sleep and got my body clock back in the right time zone and pretty soon we will start building. We were going to start last week but our neighbour asked if he could borrow the workers we had lined up to start working for us. It was supposed to be for a couple of days… which turned into a week. We now have all the iron, cement, bricks, sand and gravel necessary so it will be quick work to throw up the walls and pour the roof. Mohamed has also found a joiner who can make us some nice doors and windows… though I haven’t seen them and sometimes Mohamed’s idea of nice is spot on and sometimes way off (for me anyway) so I shall wait and see.
I will post some pictures but the small rodent who normally powers my internet connection is evidently having a slow day.
And that is all my news… well all I can think of just now… and in case you were wondering it is SCORCHIO!
