Michele

I love going to First Friday. Downtown Las Vegas has become one of the hottest spots for artist, entertainers, the tech savvy and Vegas locals. This First Friday a DJ and his dancers rocked one street while a live band invoked a dance circle around the corner. The local vendors had all sorts of goodies to sell and sample. Grab a cup of  Las Vegas inspired coffee or buy a  handmade candle. There are free galleries to visit and affordable art for purchase from prints to originals. Support the Las Vegas local artists, First Friday is every first Friday of each month.

Coffee

Handmade candles.

DJ and Dancers with some kind of spaceship party bus?

Gotta love it. If I were only brave enough to venture within.

The line to get into Insert Coins was really long due to the First Friday event. Being a gamer and having once worked for Jillian’s in Washington, I had high hopes for Insert Coins. Unfortunately the place was loud, dark, small and had numerous broken machines. There was only one working pinball machine we played with friends only to find the scoring was off or maybe I’m just naturally awesome at pinball and no one wanted to continue playing me. Whatever the issues, we thought our money would be spent better at any one of the numerous arcades throughout Vegas. Insert Coins has potential to be a neat little weekday hang out, the weekends are just too busy to be enjoyable and the amount of broken machines that were there was disappointing.

Random drunk peeps.

The bar at Insert Coins, video games to be played from above screens.

The only working pinball machine.

The Space exhibit flyer we had gotten in the mail sparked my interest and it became my mission to finally visit the Springs Preserve. It was the day after Valentines and the weather was unusually cold for Vegas. What better day to go. When we arrived at 333 South Valley View there was hardly anyone there. Happily we were greeted and given a map of the 180 acre site. Overwhelmed with the size of the park, we started down a path between a man-made canyon (complete with sounds of the wilderness) towards the Origen Experience where the Space exhibit was being displayed. A lovely man pointed us toward the viewing room where we were to watch an introduction film about the history of the Las Vegas Springs and how the preserve came to be. Once the video was finish we noticed there was art displayed on the walls from local students. We spent about an hour admiring the talent of these young artist before entering the Space exhibit.

Space: A Journey to Our Future

Spinning in the space “ride” was dizzying. After we experienced how it would be like to exercise in space, we played with some of the interactive exhibits. I learned about the different types of light used in telescopes and I tried to build a spaceship to Mars.

The Space exhibit will not disappoint you and will be at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve until May 13, 2012.  If you want to miss the crowds try going on a weekday, but remember that if you want to go to the Nevada State Museum it is only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Dutch and I spent a great deal of time exploring the Space exhibit and when we saw how much more there was to seewe knew we couldn’t do it all in a day. Thankfully, we were given a map at the beginning of out expedition… otherwise we would be completely lost in the huge complex. I couldn’t believe how wonderful of a place this was and how inexpensive it was. Once we were finished with Space: A  Journey to Our Future, we stumbled across the outdoor living animal collection. I didn’t realize how much life was out in the desert!  It is mostly rodents, lizards and scary venomous bugs, but it’s very fun to explore.

Back inside we discovered the Natural Mojave Gallery. We learned about flash floods, geological formations, and about the vegetation of the Mojave desert. The Flash Flood exhibit demonstrated the dangers of flash floods by having you in a room with the flood!  It’s not to be missed.

Sustainability Gallery

The Sustainability Gallery was my favorite of all we saw. I really love the idea of children learning about recycling and saving valuable resources. I really don’t see why we all can’t live sustainable lives. Get your kids involved.  This exhibit is inspiring!

The Gardens features “junk art” by David Thompson. We didn’t know what to expect when we finally reached the Gardens. We were not disappointed. It was really fun to make out all of the “garbage” the artist used to make art.

A library for visitors is located in the gift shop. We didn’t get the chance to visit the Spring Cafe this trip, but it looks promising and the view of the strip looks great. The Spring Cafe’s hours are Monday through Friday 11am to 3pm, and Saturday and Sunday 11am to 4pm. I was so happy to finally make my way to the Springs Preserve. I look forward to going back during the Summer! If you would like to share your story about the Spring Preserve contact Michele@Localvegas.com and become a featured storyteller on our Local Vegas website!

It was a strange day to say the least. Months earlier, I decide to change my party affiliation from Democrat to Republican just so I could help Ron Paul get the Republican nomination. Not only did I to change my affiliation, but my boyfriend, Dutch, decided he too would join the ranks of the “Paulbots”.

I received my voter registration card a month before the election, but Dutch did not receive his.  Thinking it was to come in the mail later we did not think anything of it because we both filled out and mailed our cards on the same day.

I did not preregister. This was my first Republican Caucus. Though I did not preregister my name was still on the Republican roster. Yay! Dutch was not. For some reason his registration was lost. I found out my precinct on the internet (my precinct 1617, the caucus location was at Durango High School, 7100 W. Dewey Dr.) and Dutch drove me there, but my name wasn’t on the list!

I had to go inside to a special area to find my name. Line A-D… still 🙁 not on the list. Then I had to talk to a women who looked like she had something better to do.  I gave her my ID and she wrote down my name. She called someone to verify (I thought they would at least have a computer). She hung up the phone and stared into space. She tried again. Nothing, she didn’t even make eye contact. Another voter was having a similar problem. I asked her if it was easier for me to go home and bring a print out. She looked at me with wide eyes and said “Yes.”

I hopped in my car and I was off to print out proof of my registration. With the printout in hand, I came back to the caucus.  By this time about 30 minutes or more had passed. I showed my printout to some volunteers and they told me it was the wrong piece of paper. Frustrated, I asked them to double check… this time I even brought my voter registration card. Still no luck, I had to go back to the site manager only to be told I had to wait. By this time it looked like the delegates were finishing up. I was still ignored.  She didn’t even give me any eye contact as I stood and waited. Finally another volunteer offered to help, and the site manager just yelled at her and said she was busy and that I had to wait. So I sat. I waited. New lines where forming to donate to candidates. Cash or Check signs posted and it looked like the delegates were already voted on. I sat and watched as people threw around money. I still don’t understand what they were doing. I decided to leave, because I wasn’t being helped at all.  Afterwards I really felt sick about the process. I woke up extra early to be a part of this and I did not get any help. None of the volunteers knew what was going on. The site manager was very disorganized and rude. I think High School elections are more organized. At one point she was yelling at a volunteer to get an envelope that she had.

The caucus was negative and I felt like they did not care about my vote. It was like I walked into a secret club. It makes me wonder if I’d dressed up for it, maybe I would have been treated better? Maybe I looked too Democrat?

Disappointed, I went home. Later on that night I got a call from one of Ron Paul’s supporters telling me of a special Caucas being held at 6pm. I decided to try again. This time there was a huge turnout! They couldn’t cheat me out of my vote. The bad news was no one could vote for any delegates.  While waiting in line a bunch of news sources claimed Mitt Romney the winner already. It was a circus. Once we all finally got into the conference room it was packed and most of the folks there were Ron Paul supporters. I met five people who sat directly behind me who experienced what I did earlier.

What we had to sign in order to vote.

The Declaration of Participation (below).  After standing in line for over an hour, each voter had to sign the Declaration of Participation. Many people who did not qualify were turned away because this special caucus was meant for people who could not attend the morning caucuses due to their religion. I still do not understand why, because hardly anyone there was an orthodox Jew. The place where we held the vote was a private Jewish school, Adelson Educational Campus.

Here are some videos I took at the caucus.  Sorry for the poor audio.

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We need to make the voting process easier so we are not intimated with voting. It is our right. There are many people who think that they don’t matter, but the reality is we all do. Regardless of a voter’s skill level, we are all responsible for the future of America. I say this because I read criticism regarding the voters like “idiots shouldn’t vote” or “voters should be required to take a test”.  It is a shame so many people stay home because of fear. The Constitution begins with “We the People” not “We the smartest People” or “We the Elitist”  or “We the Republicans” or “We the Democrats” .  WE THE PEOPLE need to change America one vote at a time.

If you haven’t been to a Renaissance Fair you are truly missing one of the most fulfilling experiences in life.  The Age of Chivalry is celebrated every year in October, usually at Sunset Park, but this year it was held at Silver Bowl Park by Cashman Center. The turkey legs were great and the entertainment was exquisite. Bravo knights and knaves, looking forward to next year.

Live blacksmith who told us stories of yore while making stuff.

Ahoy there matte, a ship in the grass! The ship was “shooting” at another!! Very loud and really fun.

My magical tennis shoes and staff ;).

Funny story…

The Romans

Jesus was even there.

Belly dancer who play with fire!

And there was the “Posh” experience.

The “Posh” potties are on the left.

Every Year Mix 94.1 host Bite of Las Vegas in October.

It has been two years since I smoked a cigarette. I started smoking at a young age. Trying to fit in with my friends I took up the habit when I was 16 years old. Most of our parents smoked which made it easy for us to obtain a cigarette here and there. If I knew then the horrible struggles I had to go through to quit, I would have never started. I was a promising young athlete at the time, but cigarettes really sent me down the wrong path.

Peer pressure is no joke. It was the summer of 1995 and I was visiting my best friends. I was shocked when Joann and Linda told me they had been sneaking smokes from their parents for a few weeks. I protested, but soon I felt I was being too harsh toward my friends. I took up my first Marlboro red, my head went light and I was buzzed. I laughed with my dear friends and we didn’t think much of it. The whole summer we stole cigarettes from our parents and found ever opportunity to smoke. We even had a code word! Pretzels = cigarettes. When school started back up I wasn’t able to focus during my studies and I couldn’t run as well anymore. The withdraws for a young hormonal teen were horrendous. Often I was mean to my family.

It wasn’t until I was about 22 that I wanted to quit and it took me seven years. You really need to want to quit. I actually believed I enjoyed it and it became the background of my life. Unthinkingly buying packs at 7-11, stocking up on cartons from the PX and smoking every change I could get. I smoked while driving, when I had a cup of coffee, after sex, in the bathroom, waiting for something, after eating at every meal and always while socializing. It started to cut into my sales at work. I would be busy smoking and as a result I would lose on a sale.

I would quit for a few days, would think I could have just one and I would end up starting back up again. Your mind must believe you are not suppose to be a smoker you can not justify to smoke for any reason. You should be aware of your thoughts as you are breaking your habit. Have a bag of nuts like almonds around to snack on. Chew gum.

Keep busy and put off having a cigarette as long as you can. If you have to smoke only take a few drags and do not finish the whole cigarette. Know when enough is enough. Make new habits. Understand smoking is bad for you, unattractive, and expensive. Look at pictures of lungs, read accounts of cancer, read health risks of smoking and ask yourself if you want to life longer. Just think, that cigarette you are about to smoke is shorting your life! Constantly remind yourself of the negativity of smoking and you will soon become strong enough to over come the addiction.

Once you stop smoking you will realize all of the positive benefits like, living longer, tasting food, breathing right and saving money. It is going to be a hard addiction to kick, but with willpower you’ll be able to do it and help your friend in the fight against smokers. Remember parents who are smoker: You have children who look up to you!

The reason it took me so long to quit is because I was always around it. I worked in a club, I drank coffee and my boyfriend smoked. My boyfriend and I quit together. We were short with each other, but we were aware it was the withdrawals causing it. If you have a partner to quit with, be each other’s support and you will make it through this difficult time. There are other thing you two can do besides smoke ;). It is going to be hard to stay positive so be aware of what this addiction has made you become.

You may want to take a few days off from work to sleep some of the addiction off. Exercise is an important element in quiting. Exercise and learn to breathe right. Keep busy. Remember if you must smoke, take a drag or two and put it out. Stay away from triggers during your first month of quiting. Example of some of my triggers were other smokers and drinking. There are some medications you can get from your doctor to aid you in quiting, I however do not recommend them. I tried to use medication myself and ended up even more depressed then I have ever been in my life. It has taken me a year to get back to my normal balance. Remember depression may result in more smoking! I’ve used the gum, but it always gave me too much nicotine causing me to smoke again, and more! With E-cigarettes, I am not convinced in the science and I don’t want nicotine in my system at all. Nicotine is an addictive drug! E-cigarettes are just another way to inject poison into your blood!!

The solution which worked best for me:

Every morning I would wake up and I would not have a morning cigarette. I’d have breakfast, then take my dog for a walk while listening to music or an audio book. Whenever I would think I wanted a cigarette I would push the thought away and I would look for something else to do. If the craving got really bad I would pop an almond in my mouth. When it got extremely difficult I would take a drag or two always reminding myself my life was shorting and I was better then cigarettes until finally I didn’t need them anymore.

Looking back, I regret all the times I quit for 3 months and start back up thinking I could be a casual smoker then end up being full time again. Two year is a long time to be without nicotine… and it has been great! I have no desire to smoke and I do not miss it at all. People smoke around me and I do mind because second hand smoke kills. Fortunately, laws are being changed and the ugly smoker is no longer in a majority of places. I see them huddled together in their little smoker’s corner and wonder if they realize they are actually killing themselves. It’s been proven folks, cigarette smoke kills.

Hoover Dam, one of man’s greatest building achievements is just 45 mins away from fabulous Las Vegas!  Enjoy the spectacular view while eating a soft serve ice cream twist ( sold at the circular concession stand by the gift shop).
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Parking is free on the Arizona side on the hill.

This is Henry Ried’s Bridge. Even if he owns most of the land this new highway is going through, it is a good idea. The traffic on the dam is very noticeable.

(I am an Aquarius in case you were wondering) The dam has a great history. Architect Gordon B. Kaufmann requested artist Allen Tupper True to decorate and design the walls, but it was Oskar J.W. Hansen who added the “star map” and several of the sculptures on and around the dam.  I admire Oskar J.W. Hansen’s work the most because he based his work on visitors from another world. Hansen wanted his work to express “the immutable calm of intellectual resolution, and the enormous power of trained physical strength, equally enthroned in placid triumph of scientific accomplishment.” because “The building of Hoover Dam belongs to the sagas of the daring.”

The “star map” on the terrazzo floor,  are the visible stars in the Northern Hemisphere as they were when the dam was dedicated by President Roosevelt on September 30, 1935. Future astronomers will know when this dam was built because of this ingenious “star map” regardless of language.

In September 30, 1935 the top of the flag pole pointed to the sun.

There is parking on the Nevada side, but you have to pay a small fee of seven dollars.

Lucky toes!

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From Las Vegas you drive through Lake Mead National Park to get to Hoover Dam. Lake Mead has a lot of Carp, bring bread to feed them. I didn’t get any pictures of Lake Mead for some reason. We plan on camping out there so when we do I will be sure to take lots of pictures.

The Bellagio conservatory is a must see. Every season or when there is a special activity such as Chinese’s  New Year, the Bellagio’s horticultural staff creates a wonderland of botanical beauty.

It was really busy but we managed to take a few pictures.

Me and my dad looking off into the distance. We are admiring the giant butterfly on display…

After the visit to the garden we went around the corner to admire the yummy chocolate fountain.

David and Lisa are having a great time.

April 13, 2010

Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum located in Las Vegas is a great place for those of you who like to take advantage of photo opportunities. It isn’t an expensive ticket, $25 and $18 with local ID. I only wish we could have spent more time taking pictures and posing in front of the celebrities.

For those interested in the artist,  Anna Marie Tussaud was born December1 1761  and died of natural causes April 16 1850. Eight years before her death, Madame Tussaud made a wax self portrait which still is displayed in the front entrance of the museum in London.  Her mother worked for Dr Philippe Curtius, a physician who used wax models to illustrate the anatomy. He later made portraits and taught Marie the art of modelling. During the French Revolution she was saved from the guillotine, but then forced to make death masks for victims of the guillotine which  included Louis XVI,  Marie Antoinette and other nobility.

Madame Tussaud did a model of Benjamin Franklin and is still on display in London. (above) Me and Ben in Las Vegas.

I originally became interested in wax because I recently finished a book about bees… and naturally wax was discussed in one of the chapters. The wax models of today go through a completely different process. A whole range of different sculptors are involved in the creation of todays celebrities. For more information on this rigorous process go to  http://www.madametussauds.com and go to the Sculptor’s Blog.

The Las Vegas Madame Tussand’s Wax Museum has very realistic sculptures.  At times we couldn’t tell who was real or not. The most exciting attraction this museum offers is its haunted house called “Scream!” One of the scariest haunted houses I have been to. I haven’t been to Freight Dome yet, but if it is anything like “Scream!”  then I think I will have to pass.

I have to give a special thanks to my very brave boyfriend, Dutch Boyd. He carried us through it and took my place as the leader. Thank you!

Now for the fun stuff…

Everyone should go see a wax museum!