Nothing To See Here!

My partner said I unnerve people. Apparently not talking when you have nothing important to say around here is a bad thing. Everyone is accustomed to people rambling on about nothing simply for the love of hearing themselves talk. It happens at every meeting I attend. People take an hour to say what should really only take a few minutes tops.

I pointed out the benefits of opining briefly and sporadically. People are so shocked to hear you talk they actually listen to what you have to say. But on the down side that creates an increasing pressure to think you must come up with something brilliant before saying anything. Sometimes people just want to know who you are and what you're about. What makes you human? What makes you like them? What common ground do you have?

This is an intermittent blog to talk about nothing important. I'm learning a new discipline here people! Nothing important happened today. Lots of talk of dirty business and politics. I'm renaming Las Vegas "Dirty DC of the West." I know. It's horrible. But it's true. I spent enough years in DC to recognize cutthroat tactics and corruption. It created just enough paranoia to keep me on my toes. Nobody in this town gets anywhere if they don't know someone or have their hands in someone's pocket or around their throats. Everybody talks. Talk here is crazy. In fact, talking is all they do. I have yet to see anyone follow through and do something they actually say they're going to do. Ok, that's not true. There are a select few who do what they say they're going to do and don't just sit around drinking scotch, smoking cigars and stroking egos. Those people usually end up being my friends and business partners.

Enough about nothing on Las Vegas.

I love the desert. Always have. As long as I'm within driving distance of an oasis that is. Not sure where I developed my affinity for the heat. I assume it had something to do with having a dry sauna growing up. I love the heat. It wasn't really hot in Sao Paulo growing up. But I remember enjoying the poolside naps on the hot concrete. Of course that concrete didn't fry eggs like it does here. I can't even run outside here in the summer. Not because of the heat coming down, but because of the heat radiating up off the ground. My whole body feels like it's melting into the pavement. So I swim more. Lots and lots of swimming. I still run, but only on the treadmill. As soon as the afternoon temps drop below 90F I'll take it outside again. But aside from not being able to run in it, I love the heat. I like the hot nights too. I don't actually live IN Las Vegas. I live 20 miles southeast of Las Vegas so I can't see or hear the city. It is quiet and peaceful. If I wasn't terrified of scorpions, tarantulas, and vinegaroons I'd probably sleep outside every night.

We've got a mountain sheep problem though. They think they own the place. Apparently they do, because it's a huge offense if you actually hit one. And for some reason they're also a tourist attraction. People stop and stare at them for hours. I wonder what goes through sheep brains while we're standing around snapping pictures of them. I'll tell you what goes through their heads - a whole lot of nothing! Like this blog. I apologize if you came here expecting something of substance. Not this time, my friends. This time it's a whole lot of nothing.

Well, not entirely nothing. I am, in fact, working on relieving some of the pressure I feel to always say something important. So consider this my exercise of the week.

Move along.

Nothing to see here.