Adventures, Misadventures , Reflections and Profanity

There are many things in life which I enjoy. I like good car shows, barbeque, sushi, waffles, sushi on my waffles (yes really), cartoons, commercials (also yes really) and going to the park to meet the pets of strangers. I also like rap music.  For a little context, I am a 29 year old white woman from Norther Nevada, currently living in Las Vegas. I have literally nothing in common with rap culture and I think I actually understand very little of the lingo used in the genre, but nonetheless, I do enjoy a good beat and a smooth rhyme. There is something fantastically visceral and expressive about the medium of rap music and I have very gradually become a fan over the years.  At the end of a long workday, when I am all stressed out and feeling some aimless, vague rage that comes with fatigue and the daily grind, I like to turn up the volume on some West Side Connection, Digital Underground, or Mix-A-Lot during my long commute home. This is America and I am entitled to lis...

I am from a place called Sparks, Nevada, but 10 years ago I moved to Las Vegas, NV and I have lived here ever since. Tomorrow is the day my husband and I will be driving from Las Vegas, NV to Reno, NV. For those of you who have never been to the wild west, it is a 9 hour drive north across the 7th largest state in the union. It is presently August and this 450 mile drive will take us across some of the the driest, hottest terrain in North America. This might sound like a nightmare to you, but Nevada is my home state. If you have never been here before, there is a lot you don't know, and what you might think you do know is probably wrong. So, here is the skinny on Nevada from an actual local. First things first! It is pronounced Nuh-Va-Duh. Do NOT EVER say Ne-VAH-duh, or the locals will identify you as a tourist and if it is tourist season it is legal for them to shoot at you. The next thing you need to know is that while Las Vegas is the biggest and most populous city in our fine...