Stream of conscious...

I'm headed to Las Vegas for a work-related conference, and I haven't been there since, oh, 1982. Growing up in Utah, my family passed through town every other year on our way to Disneyland, and I'm not sure I want to see how much Vegas has changed. From what I've seen and heard, it's a completely new city--yes, I want to see the Bellagio fountains, catch a show, see all the big new hotels, but I want to visit old town, too, and the less touristy parts. I hear there's an outdoor museum of old show signs and neon light displays--The Killers filmed a music video there, and it looked really interesting from what I could see.

Wayne as my grandparents knew him. Danke Schoen.

My grandparents vacationed in Vegas fairly frequently, and were acquainted with Wayne Newton. Every time they attended his show, he'd point them out and welcome them by name. I believe he has a couple of assistants who are solely in charge of spotting regular fans so he can publicly acknowledge them. "Congratulations on your fiftieth wedding anniversary, Ed and Gladys! You make a beautiful couple!" How this trivia made a home in my memory is a mystery to me, but I know I'd feel downright giddy if Bono gave me a friendly shout-out on U2's next tour.

A shout-out for Chelle?

Sometime in my late teens, we drove to Vegas while I was reading Stephen King's "The Stand." You can only grasp how creepy that was if you've read the book. (No, the ridiculous made-for-TV movie starring Molly Ringwald absolutely does not count.) I still get spooked even thinking about that scene in the desert. I can't deal with horror nowadays, but I'll say this: if you think Jack Nicholson was scary in "The Shining" then give the book a read for even more spooky kicks--it's better than the flick. I do not kid.

Oh, two more novels that left an impression on my young and impressionable self: "The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice, is set in New Orleans and worth the read simply for the richly colored location descriptions. Thanks to her, a tour of the Garden District is definitely on my list of things to do before I die. Robert R. McCammon is famous as an author of horror novels, but his work "Boy's Life" isn't horror, but rather a coming-of-age tale narrated by a young boy. I'm not telling you another thing about it--if you haven't read it, go buy it or check it out from the library. Back when my friend Cam lent me her copy and insisted I read it, we passed it around so many times that the pages were falling out. Y'know, now that I think about it, I might just read it again this summer.

Which brings me to another thing--one of the best college courses I took (and actually attended on a somewhat regular basis) was a literary criticism class taught by one of my favorite professors. She talked about how the beauty of reading and re-reading a poem, novel, or play lay in the fact that each experience is unique because while the work itself hasn't changed, the reader has. I think that's the general idea behind scripture study, philosophy, or Shakespeare--it's not necessarily the repetition, but the multiple layers of meaning that reach out at different times and speak to the reader. I've heard many people say they can never read a book or watch a movie a second time, but I think that's kind of sad. Michael and I both love "Fight Club" and we've seen it several times--with every viewing, we catch something new. Repetition wise, however, I do admit to repeatedly admiring Brad Pitt's ripped bod.

Great movie.

Alrighty then. Not much for staying on topic today, am I? Have to go and polish my toes for the trip.