Forever 21!

There was this big clothing store, for women only, I think, in Chinook Center, called Forever 21. I don't think it's there any more. Maybe it is. Maybe not! I went there once or maybe twice with The Lady. Now she's gone and it's been years, I barely go to malls. Malls are not meant for single people or perhaps I should say single people going by themselves! You could be a single person and go with your single friend or family. So why did I bring up this Forever 21 store story? Because number 21 indicates the fact that today marks the 21st year of my arrival in Canada.

I marked this months ago and promised myself to do something special but all I did was going to work, getting a haircut and picking up a few items from a Safeway! I clearly remember the 21 years ago, the night I stayed at this Super 8 Motel and the thing that I was doing and the conversations that I had with people, some of them might not be alive now. I also remember that it was not as cold! I do believe in global warming but I do clearly recall that it was not as cold as -17 ℃ (≈ 1.4 ℉).

The good thing is I have a job now although I don't know how long it will be available and also I have a meeting come up and why I call it a meeting because the lady whom was asked out told me that we could go " as friends! " and I accepted that. There might be another possibility but I will find out about that tomorrow. 

(Photo: The entrance of a Forever 21 clothing store. I read it filed for bankruptcy in 2019 but I don't know it was for the Canadian operations or all. Doesn't matter here!)

Visiting Las Vegas (3)

Las Vegas, and generally the State of Nevada, is not just about gambling and other so-called adult entertainment. Not that there's anything wrong with them. You can enjoy every other thing that you can imagine. That's why I'm planning to go again and I'm neither a gambler nor a smoker! These two seem to be the things that people enjoy the most in Las Vegas and probably the rest of Nevada. Not to mention alcohol and prostitution, of course. 

One of the interesting places that we ran is this military-motivated(!) place called Battlefield Vegas. I don't want to get to the whole argument of gun control and mass shooting that the US has been facing for years but Americans loved this place because there's a shooting range, store and outdoor display. make sure you check this place out, even if you're not a shooting fella! They have nice stuff, and their outdoor display is interesting too. 

Two of many military vehicles on display in Battlefield Vegas

I have been wanting to buy a nice M-65 jacket for years and haven't been able too. These guys didn't have it and told me to check a surplus store in the city. We didn't have time for that.

Photography is another hobby that if someone is into it, they could find lots and lots of places to take photograph. There is everything from nature and architecture to people and food! Not to mention great restaurants. We unfortunately didn't have time to check many restaurants, rather than Gordon Ramsey's Pub & Grill and Urth Caffee but it will certainly be in my next trip's list. In fact, I would like to make this list for my next trip, which I hope I can make it again next year, although it might seem excessive:

1) Go to Gordon Ramsey's Hell's Kitchen. Booking might be needed.

2) Watch a Golden Knights game. This should be interesting as the arena is fairly new. So is the team! 

3) Go up to the tower and probably have a coffee or a meal there. I think early morning and night will both be good times.

4) Have one or two hikes and photography in nearby regions. 

5) See one of the shows.

6) Go to Frenchman Mountain.

7) Go to Valley of Fire State Park.

It shall take as low as $500 out of your account only! Add to that the cost of flight, hotel, transportation and gifts you'd buy for your loved ones! 

(Photo, top: This interesting light rail transit system connects major hotels, but we didn't ride it)

Visiting Las Vegas (2)

This is a continuation from the previous post: We then spent a little time to look around, but we needed to get our stuff out as we had planned to stay only for one night. I'm not a gambler. So there was no stopping at any tables or machines, but Alphonse was being tempted and played a couple of times. The next challenge of ours (the first one was finding a good breakfast place!) was to get the damn rental car which Alphonse had booked because he didn't want to drive his fancy SUV on a mountain road! The fact that he later denied it! We had to get the damn car and then drive to where Alphonse had parked his car, transfer the personal belonging to the rental, park Alphonse's at a free(!) parking spot and drive the rental. By the time we did that and had our lunch it was almost 17:00, two hours after the planned time to head out of the city and drive to the town of Tonopah! I saw two Gordon Ramsey places quite close to each other and they both were in or within the vicinity of the Caesars Palace. One of the reasons that I preferred to have our breakfast outside the hotel or outside any gambling area, for that matter, is that smoking is allowed in all these places, and you can feel the smell and see the smoke inside! For lunch we simply ignored this fact and when I approached Gordon Ramsey Pub and Grill, I was told we had to wait half an hour. We didn't mind. Alphonse used this opportunity(!) and played one of the machines. 

You see lots of nice and luxary cars in Las Vegas, many from California as it's close and many people come for entertainment. This electric BMW caught our eyes. Alphonse liked it a lot although he drives an almost Porshe SUV

An investment of $20 gave him $0.56(!) he didn't even bother to go to the cashier and handed it to a guy who was sitting close to us!We then went to Gordon Ramsey's Pub and Gril as our time had come up. The first impression was nothing special: Regular Western Bar, ill lit, to save money on electricity bills and probably make it romantic(!) at the same time. The service was prompt though. Menus were brought over quickly, and the servers were pleasant. The prices were and still are(!), Gordon Ramsey's prices! I think we both ordered, the least expensive or the second least expensive item on the menu! I had Fish & Chips and Alphonse had the Chicken Tikka Masala. Both the meals came after not much of waiting and they look and tasted almost fresh. My meal was very filling and that was mainly because of the amount of potato I had! The only problem with the meal was its Green Pee Puree which lacked any seasoning! Gorson Ramsey fans who watch his shows know how many times he says SEASON & TASTE, SEASON & TATSE. 

My Fish & Chips dish at Gordon Ramsey Pub and Grill. Now I regret that we did not try Hell's Kitchen! It has already been added to my list

This was forgotten for this part of the meal. Then we decided to have Apple Pie and coffee for our desert and this time it took a bit longer than what we expected. When the pie came, I didn't notice that they were not actually pies! Alphones actually pointed at that, and I ignored it because were at Gordon Ramsey's! It was warm and delicious with a scoop of ice cream on the top! It definitely was not the Apple Pie we had ordered(!) but silly me already had started and it was too late to ask to take the Puddings back! After the disappointing hike to Boundary Peak, which in fact was not a hike, was only a drive up a very narrow mountain road, we head back to Las Vegas and there were a few hours to spend. We decided to go to Strat which is the tower, and we went but because the net says $24 and they wanted to charge us $36, we didn't! While it sounds cheap, it was mainly Alphonse who seemed disgusted by these cheaters who advertise something and charge something else! I'm aware that it is a selling technique. People go all the way to the place (restaurant, supermarket, etc.) and see the actual price is way higher than what they had read. Mostly go ahead. Alphonse though despite having a steady and secure job, which he said he would retire there, having a second part-time job which makes him a good chunk every month and his wife working, still is very careful with what he spends on! We then went back to Luxor, the hotel-casino which has been designed based on the Egyptian Pyramids and Sphinx. The design inside and outside is not bad, but we wanted first to eat something and that turned to a disaster! We looked around and we were not searching for a whole meal, we were just looking for something light and found a few places on the second floor including a pizza place and that was a bad mistake! The piece of shit was asking $9 for a slice! Alphonse got something else, a little cheaper from the assholes and I ended up in the nearby Starbucks! I don't mind spending money on good food but that much for a slice of shitty pizza? No way! I was given a ride to LAS airport after that. I'm not a shopping maniac but I found some of the items in the airport as much or even better than the city.

(Photo, top: Trump Hotel in Las Vegas is off the boulevard but must be nice to stay in. Expensive though. Maybe I try the next time I'm in Las Vegas!)

Visiting Las Vegas (1)

My plan was to change my flight to sometime earlier but when I checked the website, there was nothing available. Living less than 15 minutes from YYC (you to judge me however you want!) I relaxed in the afternoon and around 17:00 I decided to head out. Bad mistake! There was an incident on the highway, and I first panicked! Then I said to myself that even if I reached there 45 freaking minutes from the flight, I'd be fine. The congestion was cleared after nearly 10 minutes, and I was at the airport shortly after that. That, then, I should say, was the easiest entry to the US for me! There was only one lady at CBP counter, and I spent there as much as 10 seconds! 

The flight was alright. I guess what the airliners, and specifically WestJet, do is they make the flight comfortable to Las Vegas to encourage people to go there more often! I remember my flight to Houston last year and I didn't have the leg room that I had on my flight to Las Vegas! And it was just not this year. It also was the last time I was there, 2019. 

Alphonse picked me up at LAS shortly after I had landed, and I have to mention that my phone died immediately after the plane touched down! The telephone didn't die. It was the damn service, which there's no point to discuss it here. I got connected to the airports Wi-Fi and called Alphonse! Finding him took only 10 minutes and we drove to Conrad Hilton where he had booked our room. 

I quickly left my items inside and went out to have a look around while we had time. 

I don't remember how much they charged at Urth Caffe for this piece of cake but that was not bad. I only regret that I forgot to eat the flower, I think! 

I had thought the weather be kind of warm, but I had closed my eyes to one fact: We were in the middle of the desert. The good thing is I had my jacket on. We were looking for a good place to eat but to our surprise every good restaurant, which I had read their review, was closed! McDonald's, Deney's and so-called Mexican place were open around the hotel. We tried, the last two! Or perhaps it's correct to say that we tried Deney's, and I tried Tacos El Gordo, a cheap and subpar place! Cheap not in terms of price but the value of what you pay for! The place was full of mostly Latinos and I'm sure that there were happy. I just wanted to see how the food tastes. Alphonse was smart and skipped it! I regretted that later! 

My first plan the next morning was to avoid the mistake we had made the night before. Alphonse wanted to eat in one of the restaurants of the hotel but I asked one of the hotel's staff and she was nice enough to lead us to Urth Caffe! It was a busy place but worth waiting a few minutes. I've gotta say it's a very nice cafe and if you're late forget about having a comfortable table! No wonder why there's no sign outside the building! These guys need no sign and no advertisement. Their service speaks for itself and once you're there, you can't go for something lower than that. I asked for refill as their coffee is really good and they filled it for me twice! 

(Photo: Conrad Hilton on Las Vegas Boulevard when I and Alphonse spent a night, not together[!] of course. I'm not gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Nice Hotel)

Disappointment in Nevada

This year which has less than 2 months to end has been quite disappointing in so many different aspects. I failed to get my CWB Level I Inspector Certificate, which is not a big deal and everyone can get it. I asked the Blue Eyed Lady out and she said no! and I had two miserable failed hikes! I have written about the first one and now I have to add another one: Boundary Peak! 

Boundary peak, as the name suggests is a mountain at Nevada-California border and we had a failed attempt this morning! Why? Because we selected a wrong time of the year and didn't have the right gear! We left the town of Tonopah early enough in the morning but there were two major issues which both stem from the same source: Snow! The piece of sh*t Ford SUV (Explorer ST) that we had rented and that was because Alphonse didn't feel like he should have driven his fancy Porsche SUV(!) was useless because it was skidding and then got stuck in snow like a stubborn mule in mud! We were lucky that we were able to get it out and parked it at the side of the very narrow road and walk up. 

Hiking up wouldn't have been the right decision because the snow was too much. Alphonse suggested to go up because he felt that we had come for nothing all this way. We went up for as high as 100 m. and then I decided to go back. I didn't want to walk in snow when I had no gaiter and even boots! We went back to Tonopah and had our lunch at Burger King. Then we checked the old cemetery and then our last stop was the mining park in the town. We thought now that we had failed our main goal then we shall at least see around the town. 

A view from the top of the hill which used to be the mine with both the Sate of Nevada and American flag

The mine at the time brought some glory to at-the-time struggling area. Gold, Silver, Lead and Copper for years brought wealth to the area which is estimated up to $2 Billion worth based on today's inflation. Unfortunately places such as this which as kilometers away from a major entertainment center (Las Vegas) don't get enough attention. How in the State of Nevada, which has a revenue of more $5.44 Billion, and that's all from different entertainments, would go to a small town, 3 hours northwest to see a mine which ceased its operation more than 100 years ago?!

Our dinner, which was after a break, mostly for Alphonse who wanted to have a nap, was served to us at this place called Hometown Pizza but that was a let down too! We were happy that the place had a Salad Bar and that was despite the fact that nothing, except two or three items looked very fresh, but when the Pizza was brought over and we each tried a slice there was nothing but the word bland. The sauce, the cheese and no other ingredients had taste. It was like your were chewing something without tasting anything. I'm not going to write more about the place but adding that you shall stay away. That a disappointing food experience added to a disappointing day! 

(Photo, top: This is part of the Queen Canyon road which takes you to the trail-head of the Boundary Head but we had to walk up due to the amount of the snow. The damn SUV was not going up)

In Tonopah, NV

 It's23:05 here in the town of Tonopah in northern Nevada now that I'm writing and I'm getting ready to go to bed in a few minutes. It was quite an adventure that we got here from Las Vegas which will be told later but tomorrow is supposed to be a challenging day. A day for hiking and I don't want another failure. So I'm going to bed and will write later. 

(Photo: This areal photo of the town was found in the motel we are staying, The Clown Motel) 

Mr. Know-it-All

There's this a*shole, from the client's side, who has started getting under my skin lately and that bothers me a lot, of course! He doesn't do anything but the stupid things he says, his unreasonable and meaningless requests, his lack of knowledge and his general behaviour are all senseless and irritating at the same time. This is a fatf*ck who is proud of his hanging belly(!) and truly resembles a moving garbage bin! If someone ever invented a garbage picking machine/robot which would basically just walk and cleaned out the street or area, would certainly resemble this piece of crap. All the businesses around the work area benefit from this pile of s*it. Nothing satisfies me more than kicking him so hard in the face that he would be on the ground unconscious and would stay in a hospital for at least a week! Would I be so dumb to do that?! No! Why? Because a motherf*cker filthy whore is not worth having a criminal record in the country! I will do something, verbally, to him one day that he burns really well though and I've said things to him a few time but I'm careful because he's a representative of client.
I tell you one story about this filthy fat disease-carrying rat but in order not to reveal the identities, I change the detail a little bit, as always. Once we had a process to do something for the project. A person was hired, came and did this task. There was a total of six pieces needed to be worked on. All six of them failed! Obviously the guy was an unskilled, useless, sh*thead. Here then the guy of our story comes and I'd like to call him Mr. Know-it-All and you're about to know why. He takes photos of all six pieces and goes back to his hole and then comes back out and tell me that there is this issue and that issue with these pieces! It appears that the motherf*cker, fatf*ck has gone to his computer, uploaded the photos and used Google Lens! This feature of Google enables you to know many things about the item which you have taken photograph from, if you didn't know it already! It tells you what it is, where you can buy it, if it is sold, etc. Now everyone all of a sudden is an expert on everything! This is the word we're living in now and despite all that I failed the last exam of my certificate and now I would have to start over, if I wanted to be certified! 

(Photo: Jack Nicholson in a scene of movie The Departed is talking to DiCaprio about the rat that he believes is inside his organization. He uses the term gnawing which means something that persistently bothers one! That is what this guy is, as well)