Fear And Loathing In Logandale: It's WHERE?

Had to go to a family wedding last weekend. Was glad to do it, it was important for my wife to see her nephew married, and I love her family. They are awesome people. I was very happy for John.

The problem was that one of my oldest friends turned 50 this past weekend, and his brothers, who are also friends (one was my, Best Man) flew in from out of state, and I couldn't see them. When, Deb could still see, it wouldn't have been a problem. But since it's a long WALK to Southern Nevada, I had to do the driving. Life is about choices. And since I want to stay married to this woman, I made the right choice.

The wedding was in the LDS Temple in St. George, Utah. No way in heaven or hell, I'M getting in there, so we're just attending the reception in the brides hometown of, Logandale, Nevada.

Turns out, Logandale is about half way between, Mesquite and Las Vegas, and is not just some little, wide spot in the road. But a, "Big Assed" suburb of Las Vegas! Who knew? It's far enough south of I15 that as many times as I'd been through there, I'd never seen it.


So, I'm spending last Saturday night in a Ward House in rural, Nevada. Those of you who know me well, or have known me a long time are now, "LYFAO" at that statement. Go ahead, it IS funny.

I remember a quote from the 70's off the back of a, Marshall Tucker Band, or maybe, Charlie Daniels Band album, "Here's to whiskey and women and SATURDAY NIGHT. Pistols and poker and hellacious fights" (emphasis mine) that I tried for a long time, to live my life by. Now? Not so much.

Whiskey is consumed at home, not in, The Green Parrot after hockey games, been with the same woman for 27 years, Saturday night is when I watch, COPS, I still like pistols, but don't have to wear one everyday, don't play poker anymore (but I did take the Casa Blanca for $100 playing .50 Cent roulette on Saturday afternoon) and it's been many, many years since I've even been CLOSE to having to get in a fight. I gave up ice hockey AND law enforcement. Those two things will pretty much take you out of EVER having to get into a fight at my age.

We spent Friday and Saturday night in Mesquite because our condo in St. George was booked. If I'd known how close, Logandale is to Las Vegas, I'd have just spent all 4 days there. But I booked us a room in the casino. Big mistake.

I gave up smoking cigarettes about 9 years ago. And even though I smoke 1 or 2 cigars every week, you don't, intentionally, inhale cigars. And they just smell different, even when my garage is FULL of cigar smoke from me and Phil and EJ, "burning one down", I don't have any trouble breathing. Not so with second hand cigarette smoke.

Our room was on the same floor as the Casino. And even though it was a good 200 yards down the hall, the room smelled like smoke ALL THE TIME! It was awful! And it was awful at $145 a night! I couldn't wait to get the hell out of that place!

We had lunch there on Saturday, and it sucked. The food was marginal, the service was shitty, and the prices were way too high. Please avoid the, Casa Blanca Casino in Mesquite, Nevada if at all possible.

I have to give some, "props" to Mesquite as a town, though. They now have a Wal Mart. And as much as I hate everything ABOUT, Wal Mart from their labor practices to their merchandise, if it had been there when my dad moved there in the early 2000's, he would have STAYED there and not come back to SLC. He loved Wal Mart, but he was cheap bastard, and right winger. Would have made my life easier in 2005 and 2006. And the place was nice to spend a couple of days in. The new discount liquor store is awesome (thanks to my buddy, Diane for the tip). Even found some Korbel brandy I haven't seen outside of California.

When we got there on Friday afternoon, it was 80 degrees, and my wife decided she wished she had packed some shorts, it gave her a place to go buy a couple of cheap pair without driving back to St. George or on to Las Vegas. Yeah, our Audi was the ONLY Audi in the parking lot. I guess those rich folks who bought golf retirement places in Mesquite don't shop at Wal Mart? Imagine that?

We spent the next 2 days at one of our time share's in Las Vegas, and it was great. Sunday, we rolled into town really early and of course hit, Trader Joe's in Henderson. Bought ten boxes of their vanilla, almond, crunch cereal because my kids can go through a box a day. And if my son's soccer buddies are here? More than that. So if I want any, I have to buy enough to hide some.

In N' Out for lunch, then, Costco for gas and checked into the condo. Why are all the, In N' Out Burger's so far away from Murray in THIS valley?

A month or so ago, when I knew we were going to the wedding, I got on the Internet and found out that, Penn & Teller work on Sunday night. BONUS! I got VIP seats, 4Th row, for about $100, which is less than I paid to see, Chelsea Handler in SLC last summer.

I know what you're thinking. I'm a prick for taking a blind woman to a magic show. Guilty as charged. But it was important to me, so she agreed to go. And she actually had a good time. They were really funny. And Teller tried to get her up on stage at one point, but when we explained, "the situation" with her eyes, he was very gracious and said, "I understand, and I'll find someone else". He CAN talk, he just doesn't in the act, it's part of the schtick. Did anyone NOT know that?

And the show was so funny, and so clean that I would take my kids or my mother to it and be fine with it. On top of that, they were out in the hallway after the show, talking to fans, signing autographs, posing for pictures, totally gracious and approachable. If you ever get the chance to see them, you should.

Spent Monday hanging out on the patio of the condo, reading a magazine and enjoying 80 degrees. Went to dinner that night at, Capo's. A great restaurant Phil and I found in December when we were down there, with my old friend, Melissa Timmerman and her husband, Mike and her sister, Mary. It was a great weekend.

But, I'm glad to be home. I always am, after traveling.