Shopping and gambling, Nevada's entertainment

Saturday, February 11^th, 2012

     Oh Sparks, you are becoming so predictable. Little to my surprise, I sat around all day today. This is not to say that I've done nothing, just nothing I'm getting paid for. In the end, I am taking a 34 hour reset, because I can. Even better, they are having me take an empty to Salt Lake (again) since there is all sorts of freight over there. In the industry, we call that overbooked (more loads than trucks). Yes, it has become predictable, which is good in a sense.

      Having figured that I would be down for the day, PTA of 0600 notwithstanding, I did some internet stuff in the morning, then decided to tour around the area for a bit. Honestly, there is not very much to see on this side of the highway. There is the Petro, which is where I do my web surfing, and a bunch of warehouses and heavy equipment retailers. Oh and an industrial tire dealership. All in all, not much to see. A scant mile away across the freeway, however is another story.

      I crossed the road (to get to the other side of course) with an interest in visiting an certain department store. I'm looking to buy a few supplies and such, socks and long underwear ion particular. Seeing as it is already February, the store is not carrying wool socks, nor long underwear. So I bought some soap since I used the rest in the shower this morning. Driving such a large vehicle makes days like this exceptional, in that you can actually get supplies. Sure, there are Walmarts around, but not all of them will let you park in their lots, and have anti-truck gates installed to keep big rigs out. That, and I find that I am usually working way too much to stop for a break, but that has changed for me now. I'm more into making my life a priority over the freight, while still doing the best job I can.

      Not too far from the Target, is an outlet mall. I enjoy visiting the “real” world of consumerism now and again. Some days I feel so out of touch with most of American society. Please note that I am not describing this as a misfortune. Indeed, it may be a blessing in many respects. Everyone looks less gritty, and more done up. In the world of trucking, people don;t shower every day, or put gobs of makeup on to look nice. Heck, just taking time to brush your hair is considered optional for some truckers. (Incidentally, this is why I prefer to keep my hair very short). People on the outside looks pretty, even the guys. What gives? Is there some contest I am missing? I'd just as soon not enter I imagine. Looks expensive and frivolous.

      I ended up coming away from the outlet mall with 2 pairs of nice wool socks for $20. SO that was cool. I spent most of my time wandering around Scheel's an outfitter's store, considering buying a pair of binoculars for whatever reason, mostly because it is sweet to have a pair. Looking at the Moon, the Pleiadies, that bird way over there, whatever. Perhaps some day. Waling out of the complex, a mixed group of younger adults walked past me, and one commented on my awesome mustache. For vanity reasons, I waxed it today and put it into a handlebar. It is so much fun to see how long it has gotten. I plan on having it photographed before I shave it off in annoyance. Yeah, the life of a trucker is simple, but we have little vanities we entitle ourselves to now and then.

      Aside from that, a wonderfully relaxing day with plenty of banjo playing, reading and otherwise helping people whenever I happen to be around. There is a certain satisfaction in helping someone at the right time.

      On the way to post this, I decided to gawk at the gambling downstairs in the casino. I watched people play  blackjack, craps, Texas Hold 'em and slots. The slots bore me to tears. So many hamsters pressing levers to feed their reward centers. Blackjack was fascinating. There is some kind of secret code to playing involving knocks, hand waves and little chips. Apparently you can buy insurance for some reason. I figure that you are gambling, what the hell does insurance have to do with it? That said, the lady dealing was amazing. Very fluid motion in all of her card actions. It was very zen to watch. What really knocked me out was this little button she pushed on a machine next to her. You press the green button and a deck of cards pops up through a trap door. I'm thinking that it is some kind of card shuffler, since she put the other deck in the waiting maw. Very cool.

      The craps table is a complete mystery to me. There are a bunch of squares representing odds and ranges and other stuff beyond my ken. It seems insurance is a popular theme in these games, since there was a stripe labeled as such. I am aware that you throw dice and the dude with the stick tells you what you've rolled, in case you can't count. He rakes the dice together and then does something with them, I got distracted by the lady that came by with a tray of hot dogs. Seriously. Eww. Gross. I'm certainly done with any kind of ground anything put into tubes of dubious edibility. I ate a bunch of hot dogs and brats when I first came back to trucking. At $2.22 for a pair, the price is hard to beat. Now they have become a symbol of all that is nasty about trucking Truly disgusting, and here they are giving them to people putting round trinkets on green cloth marked up with white stuff. Probably money involved somewhere.

      The Texas Hold-em table was a curiosity, since you see it on TV in poker tournaments. I stared for a while, but was told I had to go someplace else to watch. I was apparently standing in “the pit.” I take it this is some kind of forbidden zone in the center of the gaming tables. I do not understand why. Again, probably money involved. There wasn't really a pit. At least, I didn't notice a change of elevation. Perhaps it is subtle, or more of a metaphor for how all the gamers' money sinks into this central location never to be seen again.

      Given that this is a truck stop, I'm a bit surprised that there is not a brothel here. While it is something I would not participate in, I am curious as to how they work. Yes, I know that you pay money for sex. I get that. What I wonder is how they set people up with the prostitutes. What do the employees think of their work, and why do they get into the business? How do they feel after a day of work? Have they found Jesus? Well, I wouldn't ask that last one. Nevada is a strange place, but I will leave here with my brothel questions unanswered, happily so.