I've been in town six months and I still don't feel like a local. I still get excited watching Las Vegas related shows on TV. I still get excited hearing about upcoming trips. I still read the freebie magazines. And you would not believe how excited I get at work driving around the airport ramp and looking at the hotels and mountains. I even like watching passengers in the airport arriving and departing. I'm like a kid in a candy store.

Sometimes I can't believe that I am really here. I try not to get into a predictable daily grind. I'm very slow to get out and see all there is to see and do all there is to do. My new to-do list is more about visitng places that might not be around much longer, such as Bob Taylors Ranch House or The Golden Steer or The Frontier Hotel. I've spent a lot of time driving around discovering areas outside of the tourist areas that may be of interest. I actually have too much time on my hands. I've even considered a part time job...just to keep me busy and provide an excuse for not going out all the time.

I don't gamble near as much as I used to when I was a tourist. I play a lot of video poker on my computers and I've discovered how bad I actually play these games. I used to be pretty good in the 9/6 JOB games. The games these days are pretty new to me. I've put a lot of time and money into my house. The house is almost 30 years old. It was taken care of pretty well. I still have long term plans for a lot of work. I've replaced a lot of appliances. I have a lot to do on the electrical system. I work in my garden. My spa needs some attention if the weather ever dries out. The spa is pretty old and not very energy efficient. I've had it turned off for a couple of months and my electricity bill has taken a sharp dive. I might have to dispose of the spa. I'm living well within my means. I am not afraid to admit that even though I make very good pay at work, my house payments are about 4 times what I was paying in Texas. So there is a lifestyle change for me. I'm still paying the bills and living pretty high on the hog. I have put a serious dent in my daily waste of fun money. For the first time in 15 years I have a budget...of sorts. If I want to play around on a weekend, I need to cut out a couple of steak dinners during that week.

Work is going very well. My first 3 months I was on probation. If I were to have showed up for work late, called in sick, made a mistake at work, or any other minor mishap, I would have been sent back to Dallas. During that time, I had to become recertified on our Head Up Guideance system, engine run, taxi, and power checks on the engines, airport security tests, and other paperwork nightmares. I was worried so much about all of the stuff I had to have completed in those first 3 months that I was worried about ulcers or a heart attack. That's all behind me now. Now I comfortable in being number 2 in seniority amongst the aproximately 50 mechanics.

My friends and family are taking my move quite well. Most of them see me as an excuse to travel to Las Vegas. There's always someone I know with plans to come to town. I don't have enough vacation days or money to pretend I'm on vacation everytime a friend or relative comes to town. They want me to stay up and party all night long and have deep gambling pockets like I did on my vacations. I can do that on occasion, but not everytime someone I know passes through on their vaction. Once a month...MAX, prefereably once every 2 or 3 months. A dinner and some 25 cent VP is the most I can do on a work night. I have a nephew in Seattle who's wife just had a baby and a lot of relatives from Texas will be driving out to Seattle for that and are looking at Vegas as a stop along the way. Even with 2 empty bedrooms, I do remind my friends and family that this city is the home of hotels giving the most bang for the buck. I might even run across a situation where my family stays in my house and I get a hotel.<g>

Some things are very easy to adapt to, such as the local Home Depot or Walmart, street names, and areas that ALWAYS flood during the rain. Some things are harder, such as driving irregularities and what is open 24 hours and what isn't. Here are some things that have had a big mental impact on me...

Television local news reporters often use the word "cops" instead of "police", "guy" instead of "man", and "kid" instead of "child". The newscasters are very casual in talking to each other and often make jokes with each other. And they aren't very good jokes either, otherwise they would playing the MGM instead of Carrot Top.

I did have a strange dream one night. I helped my neighbors implode their house and I was preparing my house for implosion.

In my hundreds of trips to this area, I had never heard the term "avalanche" associated with local news.

As far as food goes, no BBQ, no Mexican food, no fried chicken, no chicken fried steak. At least not the good stuff. I'm willing to accept that these foods are prepared in different ways in different parts of the country.

No home town professional sports team has unique consequences, even though there a lot of wanna be gangsters wearing Oakland Raiders clothing. Many locals places have multiple TVs to cater to a variety of teams. I worry about our mayor trying to get a pro baseball team. Any old team some other city doesn't want will do. I really don't think we need a crappy baseball team.

Variety of bad drivers 24/7 creates a defensive attitude for me. I fully expect my Corvette to be seriously wrecked or stolen in the next 12 months. I don't want it to happen but I am mentally prepared for it. I just hope that it will drive okay. If it drives okay, I don't care what it looks like. If someone is driving bad, you never know what level their incopetence is at. It could be related to a gambling loss, lost tourist, immigrants with no concept of driving in America, no sleep, new to town, or preoccupation with money and or sex. Add that to more popular causes like drinking, rush hours, in a hurry, cell phones and sightseeing. And let's not forget people on legal prescriptions who can't walk a straight line, but are legal to run over a bus stop full of innocent people. Another insight I got just today was that the drivers are so bad that the immigrants who are just playing monkey see-monkey do think that kind of driving is okay, so that's why they do it. I guess if you learn from an idiot, you act like an idiot. EVERY day I see someone sweep over 3 lanes of traffic and turn off the street in length of about 2 or 3 car lengths. You can see a car stopped at a red light and still change lanes 3 times before the light turns green. Are they lost, preoccupied, or what?

Free Tip...Wanna cause a wreck? Stop at a yellow light.

Just as bad as the bad drivers are jaywalkers, bicyclists, and those micro mini bikes.

Thunderstoms, lightning, funnel clouds, and hail are a big deal here.

A lot of locals lead a fantasy life complete with double standards, denial, and huge egos. I was a little shocked by this one. For instance, a friend and co-worker that went to high school here is an Eagles fan. Around the super bowl he was talking smack to everyone about how the Eagles were gonna kick some tail, how bad the other teams were, and on and on. After they lost, people would ask him what happened to his team, and he would get quiet and pout almost like he wanted to cry. A lot people here can dish out the smack, but they can't take it.

I still can't accept Arizona Charlies and Stratosphere as the same owners.

In Texas, a north wind means cool temps, a south wind means warming.

There's a lot of irresponsibility in this town. But there's a lot of fun to. I'm here to enjoy the fun and I'll work around the other stuff one way or another.

Any questions?

JMT - Wow! What an interesting post! I've often wondered what it would be like to live in Las Vegas - I daydream about it all the time. You've given me a pretty good idea of what it might be like if I ever moved there.

It's nice that you still get excited about being there, seeing the hotels and mountains, and exploring some of the off-the-beaten-path places.

I've often wondered if I'd be tempted to do a lot of gambling if I ever lived there. You say you're not gambling nearly as much as you used to when you were a tourist. When you first moved there, did you expect to do a lot of gambling on a regular basis? Or did you plan on cutting it down?

I know what it's like to move to a new place and have a lot of visitors who expect you to stay up with them partying all night long. When I first moved to Chicago, I had a lot of visitors and they really wore me out - I'd be out with them most of the night and then have to go to work the next day while they slept in. My advice to you is that you need to be honest with them. If you only want a visitor once every 2 or 3 months, stick to that - explain your situation and give them recommendations on affordable places to stay if you don't want to put them up. Hopefully, they'll understand. I found that being honest, while never easy, made things much easier for me in the long run. And I didn't make myself miserable trying to make everyone else happy. Don't feel guilty about doing this - you need to take care of yourself first!!

I was interested in your comments about food. Obviously, I'm not from Texas and am not used to BBQ and Mexican food like you are. But I've thought some of the stuff I've had in Vegas was pretty good, especially the Mexican.

Your bad driving descriptions gave me the chills. I grew up in Buffalo where most people are defensive and courteous drivers. Moving to Chicago and dealing with the drivers here took some adjustment. While driving in the city of Chicago isn't bad, the suburbs are just as you describe it in Las Vegas. And when I've driven around Vegas, I can attest to what you write about. No fun at all - I feel for you here!

In your last paragraph, you write, "there's a lot of irresponsibility in this town. But there's a lot of fun too." Here's my big question - are you glad you made the move?

Thanks again for the great post! --Mike

JMT,
Even if you rent a car in Vegas, it doesn't take long to relize not to stop on Yellow. If you do, thier will be aleast 3 of the cars behind you resting in your trunk. Yellow is more a mild suggestion, a suggestion that is to be taken very lightly. Sharon freaks out on the roads in Vegas. I often suggest she wear a blindfold or ride in the trunk. It's not my driving either, it's those 3 lane changers, right infront of you at 70mph to make a exit ramp 40 feet in front of you. In PA, we like to talk trash about the Jersey drivers, but They got nothing on the LV drivers.
How about the rubber necking? My word, it's bad in Vegas. Many times you'll see car wrecks on both sides of the highway at the same time. You know someone was looking to see what was happening on the other side of the road, and not paying attention to thier side.
That Eagles fan that did all the trash talking...he's an imposter. Any true Eagles fan relized we where in a fight, a real tough game. We've all sat through seasons where the wheels came off, and in the back of our minds are always fearful of this.
So, what kind of part time job are you thinking about? All I have to say is, no one better slip me a magazine on the strip with your picture on the cover! LOL

JMT, Wow! It is nice to get a locals perspective. We have also wondered what it would be like to live there. I think its great you still appreciate all LV has to offer.

Thanks for the insight,
Karen

Congratulaions!! It is nice to know that a transplanted Texan has become a true "Las Vegan" and the envy of Talk Vegas. See ya in a few days for a more vivid description of some of your exploits.

JMT,

Thoroughly enjoyed your post about life as a local in Las Vegas. Since you moved there, TV has been infused with more information and vitality than I could have imagined and it's been great.

Love to hear that you are still enthused about LV. It could have been very scary making the move you did and then regretting it. Nothing replaces first-hand knowledge of ANYTHING and we on TV are getting the advantage of your knowledge.

IMO, enjoy yourself. Work around a house is never done and will wait, if not for you, then someone else.

Once again, so glad to hear you are soaking up the surroundings and having a good time doing so.

Sounds as though Fred and Beth do more gambling 2 hours away than you do living on top of it.

Beth

Hey there, JMT

What a great idea - a 6 month trip report! kinda a trip of a lifetime report.

It was really well written and thought out, all the details.

do you think you will change your mind about the spa when the really hot weather hits?

I can imagine your house costs are higher than Texas. When we were in Blue Diamond, we saw a 1000 square foot house on an acre that just sold for $410k.

And - I think your thought of the family staying in the house and you staying at the hotel is a great one! (Although Mike really had the right idea on being honest with the family, when we first moved to upstate NY we had so many folks wanting to come and visit to go to Niagara Falls (2 hours away)

Thanks, JMT, I really enjoyed it, especially your descriptions of the drivers - what we all have experienced there.

Thanks for the positive feedback. I get bored really easy and I would hate to have a "been there, done that attitude". I'm really glad that I made the move. I just wish I had done it sooner. OTOH, what's done is done. Some day, I hope to look back and say that I'm glad that I made the move in 2005 before things got too expensive.

I might start gambling more when I master the double double bonus on my computer. I play it at the nickel level at the Orleans sometimes when I go there for the breakfast special before work. I play it enough to know that I don't know all the correct moves. I never thought I would play a lot at the casinos. I sorta expected that I would find a favorite casino or two or three and gradually build up my points to an extremely high level over time.

I'm not really looking for a part time job. Maybe a job/hobby. Maybe volunteer work in something I like. Maybe I can sell myself...as a tour guide. Give people the rapid tour in a Vette, one passenger at a time. I have driven by the Red Foxx house many times. It's real close to the airport, near Russell and Eastern. I don't want "a job" as much as something to do that I would enjoy.

My house here was $240k. In the DFW area, you can get about the same house, neighborhood, etc. for about $75-100. If I were to buy a house in DFW for $240K, I could get a much better neighborhood, much newer house about twice the size, with a big lot.

That brings me to another point. There are not that many upper middle class neighborhoods that are far away from lower class neighborhoods. It seems like everywhere is within a gunshot away from a high crime area. And so what if you live in a gated community with $800k homes if it is 2 blocks from a liquor store, right next to a bus line, an empty lot on one side, a budget hotel 3 blocks away, a half empty strip mall 1/2 mile away, a few bars around the corner, several apartments nearby, and neighbors that sell drugs, neighbors that sell sex, and neighbors with kids that are in gangs. There have been some very bad crimes within gunshot of my house that made headlines. Most have been crimes of passion rather than random violence. Stuff like shooting a spouse in a Walmart parking lot or running over a spouse with a car in a car wash. I often hear about homes in other neighborhoods that I looked in where gunfire erupts in the streets over drug deals or people found executed in their home.

I remember when I was looking at homes, I went to some new developments in the 200-300k range. I drove around and saw the people looking at these homes. I saw a lot of people that I didn't want to have as a neighbor. Is grunge a word, because that's what crossed my mind watching people walking into the sales office. That's when I decided I wanted an established neighborhood.

Ain't that the truth. And if you really want to tick off other drivers, do the speed limit and watch the back-up of traffic you'll cause. And you'll know that you are the number one driver as you get a visual display of your skills from the other drivers as they raise their naughty finger and proudly show it to you. :p

And the ones that really get me are the ones that get in the left turn lane and decide they didn't want to make a left turn. So the left turn arrow turns green, they move their car to the right lane as much as possible, which only leaves about a 2-3 foot wide opening for the drivers behind to squeeze their full size car through. Now the left turn light is red again and no one behind the idiot was able to make a left turn. Now the light to go straight turns green, the idiot that just blocked the left turn lane takes off, leaving all the left turners at the red light for another full cycle of the light.

Wow, JMT. Hearing you describe all the stuff going on not too far from your home gives me an even better understanding of why that house in Blue Diamond was $410k. Small town living, clean air, kids playing in the streets, and 30 minutes away from Vegas.

Joe,

Interesting post.

Are you able to park under cover at work? Have you bought one of those covers for your dash?

I seem to remember a law being passed in Vegas a couple years ago that you could get ticketed if a cop saw you speed up to get thru a yellow light?

Have you given slot clubs your new local address yet? A very good friend of mine who moved to Vegas about 3 years ago, seems to get much better promotions as a local.

It seems you bought your house right after the huge appreciation hit. I know you were looking for several months, How much do you think prices went up from when you started looking until when you bought?

I park in a parking garage. I give the slot clubs my address as I visit them and give good play. I haven't spent considerable time in any joints on the strip, so even though I played a little at Caesars, Flamingo, Monte Carlo, Sahara, and others, I'm still a nobody to them.

Most homes went up about $100k from the time I started looking and dropped about $20k before I bought. I haven't followed the market closely, but it seems homes in my hood have increased about $10k since I bought.

<<<but it seems homes in my hood have increased about $10k since I bought. >>>

Yeah, but that's just the JMT standard increase, that happens no matter where our JMT moves. I heard a rumor that after JMT moved out of his Texas hood, the prices of surounding homes actually dropped 10K. LOL

Seriously, being a new home owner of 1 1/2 years it's hard to know what prices have increased on your property. I mean the whole time your working on your place, and that adds value too. Taking out the lime green shag carpet alone should make the value jump up!

JMT, your probably wise to wait to sign up and give the new address to some of those casinos, wait for a sign-up promotion.

Very interesting report. Thanks.

JMT

Just over 5 years ago now I relocated from Mass to IL. It is certainly not as exciting a city as Vegas, but I have the Ilinni here, and my job.
And oh my, the fans here for this team are like Red Sox fans in Mass.

I'm just wondering if you miss anything from where you once lived, and how you deal with it.

Karen

That's a great question, Karen. Obviously I miss some foods, and that's documented to excess on this BB. There's nothing physical I miss like a certain park, lake, or whatever. I miss a lot of friends and family. I overcome that with more friends, more phone calls, and occasional visits, plus I stay so busy around the house that I don't have time to miss much.

I do miss the two Corvette Clubs that I was in. We had a lot of fun most every weekend with shows and racing events. I still keep in touch with them and read their websites to stay on top of what they are doing. There are clubs here too, but it's not the same. I saw this situation coming a long time ago and traded in my car that was good for shows and racing. In it's place I have a car that is better for touring the mountains, parks, and also makes a good daily driver to go to work and back.

I've only gone back to Texas once, to close on my house that I sold, and I really didn't have to do that. I stay busy enough here that I don't even think about going back for a vacation.

Again, great question. I wish I had a better answer.

Here's one for ya JMT. When you lived in Texas, you went to Vegas for vacation. Where ya gonna go now?

Death Valley, Area 51, Zion, Bryce, Kaibab, Grand Canyon, Route 66, Lake Mohave, Lake Mead, and more. Of course my plans are more detailed with ghost towns, natural scenery, specific stops along the way. I think I have enough to keep me busy for about 10 years of my vacations. I'm sure I'll make trips to Texas and Georgia for family matters. I'd like to fly to the west coast and take a train ride up and down the area.

Another beautiful train ride would be from Sacramento to Reno in the winter ... well, the first part isn't that wunnerful, but the mountain part is something like the third steepest grade in the US, and it can be rather spectacular through the snow.

I first read your 6 month report in Tahoe and have been meaning ever since to thank you for a very thoughtful, unique post.

I remember a story this winter about an Amtrak somewhere near Reno. It couldn't make it in the snow. So they dropped the cars at the nearest station, and headed back towards good weather. The people on the train had to catch a bus for the rest of their trip. A bus ride through the mountains with icy roads is not my idea of a vacation.

I like my snow high on a mountain far away from me just like it is now, or on a post card.