December in Las Vegas

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Today we are taking off for Utah to spend a good old-fashioned Christmas with my family. Ha ha! It's not really old-fashioned at all, but we do have a lot of fun. In the last few weeks I've marveled a bit more about life in Las Vegas during the holiday season in December. Here are some observations:

• People have been very friendly in all the stores I've been to recently. Some of my co-workers begged to differ as they told of their own shopping horror stories last week, but in the places where I frequent, I've noticed workers and customers have been at the very least patient. Most seem even better tempered than that! I wish I could be positive about the endless lines everywhere...
• It had been terribly cold in my classroom and other places on campus--like the teacher's lounge. I finally took a lap blanket for times I was working at my desk. In the teacher's lounge the temperature had been observed at 56 degrees. Last week the breaking news on TV was that the temperature was going to go below freezing for the first time since a year ago. How can I complain about stuff like this is amazing to me. I can't help it if my blood is so thin from 100+ degrees for months at a time.
• Yesterday I walked down the street to run an errand. I had a fleece jacket on over a t-shirt. I hadn't even made it out the gate of the apartment when I regretted wearing a jacket. Seriously.
• I pulled into the driveway to my apartment complex today driving rather fast (to cross three lanes of traffic) and almost ran over the gardener who was--GET THIS--planting flowers!! Although the pansies are quite pretty, it does seem so unnatural. I wondered if we could have a normal looking grounds for the winter time with dead flowers and brown grass (yes, all the grass is green) if my rent could be lowered.
• I never saw a palm tree until about five years ago. Now they are so common place to me. (Although they are not indigenous to Las Vegas.) It totally amuses me how all the homes and business put lights on the palm trees! It looks really cool!
• It's unfortunate that when one gets used to the flashing lights of Las Vegas that pretty Christmas lights just don't inspire awe. That breaks my heart.

Well, off to run my last minute errands. Tomorrow I'll be cold in the toes, but warm in the heart with my family around me!

Happy Holidays everyone!!