Week Four in Las Vegas

My fourth week in Las Vegas started with my second visit to the United Church of Christ in Henderson. This time, the crowd seemed smaller and less enthusiastic. The pastor’s sermon was longer and I noticed several people, me included, nodding off at times. It was sunny, but cool day and it just seemed like a lazy Sunday.

That afternoon, I spent some time in Starbucks researching shows that I might go to and take Pam to when she visits the third week in March. Because it is spring break season, a lot of the name entertainers’ shows that week are already sold out or close to it. There is a same day discount ticket service and we may take our chances with that.

That evening, I decided to watch the Academy Awards ceremony and part of the red carpet lead in. I had seen over half of the best picture nominees, so I was curious to see how they would do: “The Irishman”; “1917”; “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”; “Marriage Story” and “Little Women.”

Later that evening, I started watching a Netflix series called “Messiah” and it is an interesting concept. The series opens in an embattled part of Damascus, Syria, that is being heavily shelled during the current civil war. As residents try to stay under cover to avoid the bombing, a mysterious man appears and begins to preach in a square as the bombs and gunfire surrounds him. There is a lull in the shelling and hundreds of people gather to listen to him.

The man talks about peace and love and has an engaging quality about him. He has long, dark hair, a beard and a compassionate yet serious looking gaze. He strongly resembles the paintings and drawings of Jesus we are used to seeing and his message sounds much the same. Eventually, he leads a group out of the city and across the desert to the border of Israel where they seek asylum. I’ll stop here and recommend you check it out on Netflix.

That night, I heard some rain and looked outside to see the patio was wet. I was the first rain I had seen in over two weeks in Vegas. This area only averages about 10 inches of rain per year compared to the 40 inches or so that I am used to in Ohio. I’ve noticed that the definition of partly cloudy here means a few clouds in the sky, not what we think of in Ohio.

Monday, I found an interesting coffee shop in downtown Henderson called Public Works. It has an interesting vibe and free refills of coffee. Plus, they play a very eclectic mix of music including jazz, Motown, folk and so on. I have been there a couple of times and plan to go more.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I attended my second week of classes at The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNLV. Two are related to history, one about the American West and the other about the history of Nevada. The third class is about comedy in film and it is my favorite. This week we saw “It Happened One Night” starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert.

After the film, the instructor expressed surprise that the class didn’t laugh as much at this film as we did the week before at Mae West’s “She Done Him Wrong.” My opinion is the Mae West’s film was funnier because it had a lot of zinger double-meaning comments that were bound to provoke more laughter among an older crowd.

After class, I took a drive around the UNLV campus that is located a couple of miles away from the famed Las Vegas Boulevard, a.k.a., “The Strip.”  The campus is very compact and surrounded by an urban neighborhood full of all kinds of restaurants, shops and other businesses. It reminds me of the area around the University of Akron.

I saw an In-Out Burger restaurant and decided to make my first visit to this West Coast staple. I was not disappointed by the delicious double hamburger and fries. I now see why this chain is so popular.

On Thursday, I drove an hour north through the Lake Mead Recreation area to The Valley of Fire state park. It is a stunning area with the road lined with red sandstone formations. Driving up the the highest area in the park, I could see all kinds of different colors and layers in the hills and rock formations. It was well worth the trip.

On Friday, I got a little taste of home when I found a Panera Bread restaurant not too far from where I am staying. I enjoy the soup there and also free coffee refills.

More to come next week.