Category: American Musings

The only wind in my hair was the air con on full crank.  My next question was about the suspension…it seems pretty hard.  Yep, said The Operator, the only suspension this car has is the seats…they were very comfy, thank god.  An hour in, Rosie was still grizzling about the roof, The Operator said the only way we can travel with the top down is put both cases in the back seat with a seat belt around them….Rosie was pondering this when another red Chevy fresh from the airport collection depot pulls up along side us….sitting in the back seat was a pink polka dot suitcase next to a manly tartin one, belted in and all ready for an adventure…it screamed ‘stupid tourist hiring a convertible and not thinking about where your luggage goes’…it looked that stupid Rosie quickly abandoned that idea.

Rosie was mortified when getting pizza delivered one night, young Whipper paid the lad at the door and waited while the delivery boy sorted through his bum bag for $1.20 change under the light of the moon cause he wouldn’t turn on the porch light….Rosie called out, ‘give the lad a tip!’  Whipper replied with ‘be good to your mother’ and held his hand out for the change….

The trailor parks do exist, the High Schools with the date of the Homecoming dance on signs outside, cheerleaders and the school band practising on the playing field while the football squad runs drills, totally real.  The Baywatch lifeguard huts with bronzed lifeguards on patrol watching over the bikinied beautiful on the golden sands…(come on, what did you expect, it is California), are totally real.

The Operator has always met the deadline, this includes deviating from the eight lane Ventura Freeway 101 when driving from Vegas to LA , picking a random offramp and looking for a gas station with a convenience.  Every off ramp must have a service station or fast food restaurant nearby….right?  Says a lightly sweating Rosie….We were always lucky!

Americans are not the nicest when on holiday themselves….we see them as loudmouthed, irritating, sneaker, tracksuit and sunshade wearing fat arses.  We roll our eyes and say ‘oh, they are American’, and that statement absolves them from their complaining and whinging about whatever.  But, Americans in America are lovely.  They are all assertive and articulate but in a good way, the message and the point comes across and there is no mistaking what is being said.  This transcends all races and classes, the beggar on the street is just as articulately engaging as the suit wearing businessman.  We could take a leaf out of the American education public speaking and annunciation curriculum, especially being a nation of mumblers ourselves!

Rosie and The Operator had greatly anticipated their return to Vegas 10 years after their first visit.  That first time was awesome, the bright lights, the bustle, the action, the sights, the city that never sleeps.  Was it that good because we were ten years younger, or, had Vegas itself aged ten years and was reaching jaded middle age along with us?