The Miletus Special

Good evening everyone.  Make sure you're comfortable - this is going to be the longest, most multi-topical posts that I've done in quite some time.  Think of this as a "ramble with paragraphs" (if you will)...  Miletus, who has been one of this blog's loyal supporters from the start, has been waiting for quite some time to read something that doesn't revolve around poker and football.  I'm not saying that I'll totally omit those topics, but I'll try to include some other ingredients tonight.

I'm coming to you from the book at the Mirage again.  As I begin typing this, I'm watching the Fresno State/New Mexico game.  I've got Fresno (-5.5).  I'm watching the action, resuming typing when the game goes to commercial.  I suspect that this will put a dent into what I'll cover tonight, but I still expect to be here well after the game ends, recharging my phone and completing this entry.

The walk here today was unexpectedly pleasant.  The high for today in Las Vegas was supposed to be 99 degrees.  The forecast for the next 8 days doesn't have the temperature getting out of the 80's.  The nightly lows that have been in the 70's are supposed to dip down into the 60's.  Fresno is down by three at the half, if you're wondering...  Anyway, when I left my apartment today, it was REALLY OVERCAST.  In other words, it was perfect because it wasn't 99 and sunny.  This was like the opposite of when you've been looking forward to that last piece of cake or pie, only to find that somebody else has eaten it.  I was dreading one more really hot walk to the Strip, and when I opened my door, BAM..., cloudy with a nice breeze...

I remember the first time that someone thought that I was COMPLETELY STUPID...  So this happened twice today on the way here, and you can only imagine how many times it's happened in the almost two months that I've been back in Las Vegas.  I walk up to the busy intersection, and I push the button so that I can cross the street when the signal light rotation allows.  I even push the other button (every time) so that someone else who isn't even there yet will be able to cross the street in the other direction if they happen to walk up to the intersection.  So this guy walks up behind me, and OF COURSE he presses the button too, because I wouldn't have thought of that.  Not only that, but he keeps pressing the button, like THIRTY TIMES (no, I'm not exaggerating).  He's repeatedly hitting the crossing button like we're in some real life version of Frogger or something...  Later I'm standing across the street behind Harrah's.  If you're on my Facebook or Twitter, I'm standing in the exact spot where I took those photos of the 'High Roller' ferris wheel.  Of course I've pressed the crossing buttons, and now I'm waiting when this older couple comes up behind me.  We're behind casinos (Harrah's, the Venetian, the Quad) and there's gonna be traffic, and you're gonna have to wait for the crossing signal to change.  They've been standing to my left, and after a few seconds (predictably), the lady dips behind me and hits the button.  I immediately turned to her, stared, and EXCLAIMED, "WOW..., I would have NEVER thought of that!!!  Pressing the button..."  Okay, we all know that I didn't say that, but someone needs to give me some credit eventually...

Could you PLEASE learn how to walk?  Whenever I've thought about doing a miscellaneous post, this has been the annoyance/pet peeve/action that has repeatedly required all of my restraint not to kill someone that has sparked that thought.  People are oblivious and have no self-awareness (redundant?).  If I had a dollar for every time that somebody just STOPPED while walking, knowing (maybe not) that there are a bunch of other people walking behind them.  Ugghhh...  Just as high on my list of favorites (and I still want a dollar per) is people who aren't looking where they're walking.  They'll be on the Strip looking at the attractions, or they'll be in the casinos..., LOOKING AT THE ATTRACTIONS, or they'll just be talking to each other, etc..., and you better be careful, because they might walk right into you...  Another of my favorites is pairs or groups that are taking up more space than they should (walking side-by-side when the space available does not give people approaching from the opposite direction any path to pass them, etc...).  As I've continued to encounter this, I've just decided it's best for me to come to a complete stop (and no, no one has run into me from behind for suddenly stopping - clever though), and then they can just walk right into me if they choose.  NOTE:  I haven't become a vegetarian or anything since returning to Las Vegas, and someone's gonna know that they walked into something if the crash into me.  Strangely enough, every walker has altered their path to appease my disgruntlement...  :)

Okay, Fresno State has won by 11 (yeah me!), and I've decided that it will be more prudent to continue studying my football so that I'll have the ability to feed myself (without having to find a job), so I'm going to stop here for now.  However, I will try to produce more non-gambling posts in the near future.  As I'll surely mention again next week, my blog turns three on Sunday, and it is also the birthday of my niece and nephew, Nikole and Dillon.  The twins may be older than three...  :)   Have a great weekend and I'll see you soon!  Sorry it wasn't longer Miletus...  ;)