Ten Great things about Las Vegas

Any of you who know me well, know that I have not been the biggest fan of living in Las Vegas. One friend told me that she learned to like living here after eight years. Well, I have been here for nine and I guess I don't hate it as much as I used to do. Especially since we moved two years ago, I have liked it much more. I decided to make myself think of things that I like about this here town, in some sort of self help exercise. So here goes:

1. You can watch people playing the slots while you grocery shop or get a slurpee at 7-11. This used to phase me, but now I hardly even notice.

2. You can see the beautiful skyline of hotels with all their flashing lights while you sit in the football stadium at the high school.

3. You can have the opportunity to test your gardening tenacity with the soil here that is filled with calcium deposits. I once attended a gardening seminar, where the speaker said that if you have $100 to spend on your garden, spend $90 on new soil.

4. You can save money sometimes spent by others on extreme sports. If you want an exciting adventure, just drive through town or on the freeway, and you are more than likely to have a near death experience.

5. You don't have to pay any state income tax. Of course you are getting what you pay for and you will see it in places like your children's school.

6. You don't really need a dryer for 9 months of the year, just put your wet things outside for a few minutes and they will dry in a jiffy.

7. You don't need to worry about having a high maintenance hairstyle. The wind here will turn any hairdo into a tangled mess much of the time, so what is the point.

8. You can find many ways to spend your extra cash, such as higher car insurance and electric bills.

9. You can watch a movie and then go bowling without moving your car, cause guess what, both activities are at the same casino and nowhere else.

10. You can easily get a tan, if that is something you are interested in. Of course whether or not you are interested, you will get more than your fair share of UV rays.

11. You can be part of one of the fastest growing cities in the country, with 7000 people moving here each month. Of course this makes for more traffic and longer lines everywhere, but hey the more the merrier, right? (OK I threw this one in as a bonus)

Well sorry for my sarcastic tone. There are some really good things about living here, I just have a hard time identifying them. I think that one of the things I dislike the most about Vegas, is that I have no immediate family living here. That is something that has turned out to be a lifelong sorrow of mine as I have never lived close to family my entire married life. I just need to get over it because it is never going to happen and so I guess it wasn't meant to be. At least I do have some dear friends here who are like family to me and that has made living in an unbearable place, bearable. So perhaps I do like living in Las Vegas after all because I would never have met these friends otherwise.