I want you to read this item first so that you don't miss it, even though I think it will appeal more to the guys who read my column. To commemorate the grand opening of the first-ever Las Vegas Playboy Club, The Palms is releasing limited-edition Playboy Club casino chips. Beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5 (that's tomorrow for those of you who are "date challenged"), the $5, $10, $25, $50 and $100 denomination chips will be available on gaming tables and at the main casino cage.
The commemorative chips will feature iconic Playboy imagery including Hugh M. Hefner, circa 1953; the Playboy Mansion, Hefner's 30-room gothic Tudor Home in Los Angeles; Big Bunny, Hefner's private DC-9; and Marilyn Monroe, a centerfold shot that appeared in the December 1953 issue as Playboy's "Sweetheart of the Month." For more info visit www.palms.com.
The following day, the Playboy Club will re-emerge at the top of the Palms' new Fantasy Tower as the centerpiece of a multi-level entertainment complex that features high-end gaming, dining and nightlife. In addition, a new restaurant concept, Nove Italiano (pronounced no-vay), and Moon Nightclub will be unveiled. The club and the restaurants will be a welcome addition not only to The Palms, but to Las Vegas as well and I wish them all good luck.
SCARY STUFF
October is Halloween month and for the next few columns I'll be mentioning some scary stuff going on around town. The first is the news that Freddy Kruger has moved to Las Vegas from Elm Street. So has Crystal Lake's unstoppable monster Jason Voorhee and
Leatherface, his chainsaw-toting sidekick from Texas. The three most-frightening horror movie characters in Hollywood history are now scaring guests at the New Chamber of Horrors, Live experience at Madame Tussaud's Las Vegas.
Characters of Fredd ("A Nightmare On Elm Street"), Jason ("Friday The 13th") and Leatherface ("Texas Chain Saw Massacre") are portrayed with special effects and live actors to create the some pretty scary maze experiences as you walk through a number of themed environments. Sounds like spooky fun.
LIFE IN LAS VEGAS
Received the following via the Internet recently and thought it would be fun to pass it on for anyone planning to move to our town, or even for visitors. See what you think.
First, it's pronounced LOSS VAYGUS, nev-ADDA (not nev-AH-da). It doesn't matter how they say it in other places, You live HERE Now.
Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Las Vegas has no set traffic rules. There's no book about them. All you can do is get in your car and hope you survive! It's impossible to drive around a block and wind up on the same street that you started on! The Chamber of Commerce calls this a "scenic drive." The 8 a.m. rush hour is 4:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The 5 p.m. rush hour is 11:30 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning and ends some time late Sunday night.
If you actually stop at a yellow light, then you cannot be from Las Vegas. You may only apply your brakes when the end of a yellow light and the beginning of the red light create a "pumpkin-orange" hue. For the most part, you can do anything you want, as long as it isn't in a school zone. Rainbow Boulevard has THREE exits from the 95, this just makes giving driving directions to newbies more entertaining.
There is also a Lake Mead "Drive" and a Lake Mead "Boulevard" and both run east/west but are 30 miles apart. You have to be specific when you say "the corner of Lake Mead and ..." Again this is just another way to harass the 5,000 newcomers every month.
The 215 beltway intersects on the north and the south with many of the same streets, such as Jones/215, Decatur/215 and Rainbow/215. You must be specific in your directions or the repairman will end up 25 miles from your house. Ditto for newcomers. Many major roads just end abruptly in somebody's garage, a Home Depot, a casino or McCarran International Airport runway and start again after the interruption. That was done to encourage you to "see the sights" and meet new people.
Never attempt to access any road after an apocalyptic event like rain, blowing dust or a three-day weekend. Once a year, when it rains, the Las Vegas Wash and the City of Las Vegas become as one. The wind blows every day and it is impossible to live in Las Vegas without some kind of allergy drug.
Construction on I-15 and U.S .95 is a way of life and a permanent form of entertainment. No highway or major road will ever be completed. Get used to it!
And, yes, we all know that man in a teddy and a tiara on Fremont Street. His name is Leslie and he probably makes more money than you do.
And, these are my favorites:
You know you're from Las Vegas, Nevada, when ...
• You think a red light is merely a suggestion.
• All of your out-of-state friends start to visit after September but clear out come May.
• You think someone driving wearing oven mitts is clever.
• You think six tons of crushed rock makes a beautiful yard.
• You notice your car overheating before you drive it.
• Your house is made of stucco and has a red clay tile roof.
• You no longer associate bridges with water, only shade.
• You know a swamp cooler is not a happy-hour drink.
• You can say 115 degrees without fainting. (But it's a dry heat!!!)
• Every other vehicle is a 4x4.
• Vehicles with open windows have the right-of-way in the summer.
• People break out coats when temperature drops below 70.
• You discover, in July, it only takes two fingers to drive your car.
• The pool can be warmer than you are
• You can make sun tea instantly.
• Kids will ask, "What's a mosquito?"
• Dogs will ask, "What's a flea?"
• People with black cars or who have black upholstery in their car are automatically assumed to be from out-of-state or nuts!
• You notice the best parking spots are determined by shade instead of distance.
• The air conditioner is on your list of best friends.
• You realize that Valley Fever isn't a disco dance.
• In summer the water from the cold water tap is the same temperature as the hot one.
• You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
• Sunscreen is sold year round, kept at the front of the checkout counter, a formula less than 30 SPF is a joke, and you wear it just to go to the mailbox.
• No one would dream of putting vinyl/leather upholstery in a car.
• And no, we do not live elsewhere and commute every day! People actually live in Las Vegas.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Good luck and I'll see you on the Strip. And don't forget to check out www.valleyblogs.com
If you have a question or a Las Vegas experience you would like to share with my readers, please e-mail me at lennylv@cox.net. Please include your full name and the city or town where you live.
