Moody Blues

Do you change moods as frequently as babies need their diapers changed?

Are you happy one moment, then at the drop of a hat your world spirals into a funk that you just can't shake?

What causes this, and why are people unable to stabilize their emotions?

Anyone who knows me well will agree, I have my moods. Most folks will also concur that I am mostly a happy and outgoing person. On the rare occasions when I get in a funk, I tend to let it roll off me like water on a duck and I get right back to the task at hand. Living life in the best way I can.

Throughout my life I have had things that have tested my funk-o-meter. When I lost my grandparents, and a few of my dogs, my emotions hit the same place that most folks do I think. I still have fond memories of celebrating Christmas at my grandparents house, or snuggling with my Husky in Alaska, but I don't let it bring me down.

I certainly try not to let day-to-day things affect me. People can be jerks, idiots, morons, and many more colorful names I can think of, but when I take a step back outside my own little box, I know that at one time or another I have probably been that way towards others too.

This is why I am very forgiving when it comes to others. Many people react to the situation they are in. A lot of times people actually don't like the way they are acting, but it seems to take control of them and lead them into an emotional circus where they are the ringmaster.

Too many times I have been in an airport when someone has missed a flight, or the flight has been delayed, or their bags have been lost.

The fact is, the airport is a great place to test your patience and emotions.

I do a fair amount of flying, and this is an example of my level of tolerance.

First of all, I look at most things as it not being the fault of the person I am dealing with. This person in front of me did not break the aircraft, they did not lose my luggage, and they certainly did not make me miss my flight because I arrived at the airport too late. Why should I take out my frustration on them?

Most of the problems people get angry over are of their own making, and its exactly this reason they they get so mad. In reality, they're pissed at themselves, and they just decide to redirect their anger, and their frustration with their own stupidity, onto someone else.

Many people are weak in their ability to control themselves, and this is especially glaring when they fail to control themselves in public places.

How proud your family must be when you rant and rave and scream at an innocent clerk that is probably the one trying to help you.

I'm really curious at what these people go home and think at night as they lay awake on their beds. The scary part is, they are probably still angry at that sales clerk, or whatever the problem was, and can't get to sleep because it is still bothering them. These people are frightening, and really need to seek help.

If it sounds like I am talking about you, take a long internal look at yourself and recognize that the whole planet is not out to make every one of your days miserable. You may have a serious problem and have not even realized it.

Of course, I believe people who exhibit these traits probably will first of all not be reading something like my blog. They are too wrapped up in their violent thoughts to sit calmly and read a good book much less a blog on the Internet. Perhaps another trip to the fridge for a beer will help. Sure it will, because alcohol won't affect your mind at all will it?

What can the rest of us do? Should we start a support group for sane people? Should we band together and snicker at the raving lunatics when we see them yelling and screaming their displeasure with life in the most public places they can find?

If these are the ones who have escaped captivity, imagine what the ones still barricaded in their homes must be like?

Yikes!

Last Night In Vegas

The conference over, my friend had gone home, and I was all alone.

For the past few days I have been craving steak. As I sat in my hotel room, I was contemplating going to a restaurant and eating steak by myself, or just be lazy and head to Pizza Hut here in the hotel.

Then I remembered the "Toby Keith Bar and Grill" at the Harrah's hotel/casino.

Last night, when my friend and I were heading through Harrah's, Toby Keith's looked like a place where everyone was having a good time.

When I arrived, I bellied up to the bar and sat down to have a burger and fries (my usual traveling fare). Soon into the night I struck up a conversation with a woman from Oklahoma named "Liz", who was in Las Vegas for a special education conference. Next, came a guy visiting from Scotland named Gordon, and finally, a couple from the Los Angeles area (their names escape me at the moment).

We all hit it off great and we talked for a few hours. It turned out that both ladies were working with special education children and from that moment on they were inseparable.

The others of our little group drank most of the night. I did too, but I was just drinking soda since I don't really care for the taste of alcohol. The couple had the bartender take our picture, so hopefully I'll be able to add those pictures to this article in the near future.

The bartender's were a fun bunch, and they spent the evening juggling bottles, and doing some amazing things. One such trick was setting up a row of cups and then pouring drinks into al of them at the same time from a stack of mixing tumblers. At least, I think that's what you call those metal cups they mix drinks in.

Let me digress just a bit from Toby Keith's place to tell you about another bar my friend and I were in.

One night we were walking the strip and wandered into "Treasure Island". At a bar just inside the casino we had a great time talking to the bar tender. He showed us the pour spout on the bottles and told us that each spout had its own IP address, and that as they poured drinks it tracked the quantities. Being the geeks that we are we thought this was pretty cool.

I am constantly impressed by the places I find computers and technology. It seems nothing is left non-computerized these days in some form or fashion.

Now back to Toby Keith's...

At one point some nice-looking women entered the place and approached the bar. One of the guys I was with decided we should all have our picture taken with them so we all went over to ask.

One lady was celebrating her 50th birthday, and another was celebrating her 46th birthday. They were from the Seattle area. With any luck these pictures will make an appearance in this article as well.

Shortly after this wild night it was time for me to turn in (or apparently to just come back and blog about it). So I left my new friends to continue drinking the night away, and headed back to the Excalibur so I could get everything ready for the journey home in the morning.

As I lay me down to sleep, I can say that this was one of the better nights I have spent in Las Vegas. I doubt any of those folks that I met will ever read my blog, or indeed even remember me, but they all contributed to this being a successful evening.