Diva Las Vegas Baby

I am listening to the swish and whirs of our dishwasher and it occurs to me how my city upbringing has made simple, commonplace items seem very luxurious. I am even somewhat humbled by the excitement these little things bring me, taking me back to my childhood self, when dreams were big and the cup overfloweth with possibility. For instance, I remember the first time (though I can't recall the exact place) I had a sink with the hose attachment - this was big, this was like on TV, the mother dutifully cleaning the pots and pans after a family meal, little Johnny sneaking up behind her, giving her a little scare, she turning around in surprise with the hose in hand, giving little Johnny a playful spray of warm water, the two sharing a good laugh, cut to a closeup of bottled dish detergent, Mom and little Johnny dripping wet and still laughing in the blurred background, and then back to our scheduled program. I mean, this was suburban ecstasy. I remember I was in a hotel on tour wh...

Brooklyn, Valedictorian, Class of 2007 PetSmart, Las Vegas, NV

In three days Brooklyn graduates from obedience school. She's been going (or rather WE'VE been going - let's be honest, the class is really for us) for the past five weeks and it has been extremely informative. But there are times when my husband and I step out of ourselves for a minute and just have to laugh. What the heck are we doing in a puppy class in Las Vegas!?! All of us dog owners, standing up in a closed-off pen, cooing our dogs' names, trying to get them to sit, or lay down, or shake. Brooklyn is definitely the life of the party, she just bursts into class in leaps and bounds, literally. Her best friend is Kiko, a male Chihuahua who belongs to our other married friends in the show. They love to rustle and tussle, and then they french kiss, Kiko biting Brooklyn's tongue. Then there's Crypto, who is a bit manic and nervous, although I believe he's opening up and calming down. He's a white, close-shaven little dog, perhaps a Maltese, I r...

My husband has been having a time locating the Hip Hop / Spoken Word culture in Las Vegas. A few Hip Hop concerts notwithstanding, the underground scene is either non-existent or so subterranean that only the mole people know its coordinates. There have been open mic nites and spoken word slams that my husband has penciled into his calendar, only to find upon arrival that the venue is closed, the event is postponed, or the talent is lacking. Last night, our first night off together in weeks (besides our weekly day off), we planned to check out an open mic Spoken Word slam that he heard about weeks ago. Once we got to the venue, there was no sign of human life anywhere in, out or around the club. Apparently, the event is moving to another venue and the new nite is TBA. And while there are lots of shows and night clubs here in Vegas, you really have to do some homework to find something different to do. Disappointed, we headed to our safe haven, the movie theater, only to find the...