Las Vegas past, present, and future. I lived in Vegas in the 1980s, and I’ve visited my mom and dad here until my mother passed 18 months ago. Las Vegas has changed, and I have a feeling it will change more in the future. In the 1980’s even the idea of a Pro team there was laughable. I visit now and I have friends that live in marvelous condos in the sky near or far from the Strip. UNIMAGINABLE when I was there. I’m back for a week to screen our short film LOVERS at the Hollywood Dreamz Film Festival at the Palms.
I wonder if my mom and dad can come from heaven (I’m pretty sure they are in heaven). Some of my family’s friends will be there; people who loved my parents like I do. Maybe mom and dad will stop into the Palms for a couple drinks and some video poker. They won’t be visible to me, except in my mind’s eye where they’ll be bantering about why did dad hold the “kicker” on the draw. 4 Aces with a 2,3, or 4 that’s what they’d want. I’ll tell you a secret I don’t have to keep anymore–mom had one of those old fake bottomed Campbell’s Soup cans where she kept her winnings rolled up stashed away in the kitchen cupboard.
Las Vegas is not the same with my parents gone, but I’ll have a good time with my friends and our film. I’m still playing some video poker while I’m here, and rooting for those same 4 Aces with a “Kicker”. My mom hit a lot more Royal Flushes than dad, and she never let him forget it. A Royal is a lot to ask for especially when I am blessed to have our film screen. Certainly I’d take a Royal, but I’ll just be happy being here with people special to me.
As Carla would say “GO LOVERS”, and then she’d ask me how my video poker was going, and she would end by saying “yes, your mom and dad are there with you somehow”.
