Mesquite, Nevada

Growing up my dad liked to take us on family vacations at least once a year! We often went to New Mexico and California. We had loads of family in both places and all along the way. We would also take trips out to Wendover, almost regularly. When in Wendover, my sister and I would go through almost as much in the arcades as our parents would in gambling. My dad especially liked Black Jack, commonly known as 21. I am told he also liked to play craps and roullette and was pretty good at both. He was never into poker at all and did very little on the slots. I have many memories of these trips, but the one thing I would like to focus on this posting is the trips to California during which we would always stay one night in Mesquite, Nevada. We all liked Mesquite much better than Las Vegas, which is too big for our taste. We all liked Mesquite much better than Wendover, too! I really can't say why we liked about it better as kids, there wasn't as much by way of arcades (which I'm a sucker for) and Mesquite was always HOT HOT HOT to us, like take your breath away hot, gasping for air when we get out of the car! I DO NOT like hot weather!!! As I got older and was able to play Bingo there, it was even more fun. Now, if Wendover would get some bingo out there, our viewpoint may just change! Ok, maybe not...

In March 2003, my bestest friend and I took a road trip to Mesa, Arizona (that could be a whole other blog post in itself, lol...already mentioned here) and along the way back spent the night in Mesquite, Nevada. I could not believe just how much Mesquite had grown since my last trip there in 1994. I loved it. I went home and told my mom about the changes and growth and in a matter of weeks her and I took a trip to Mesquite. Mother's Day weekend that year, we moved her down to live there in the Bluffs apartment complex. She lived, worked and played bingo...AND got sick.

In October 2004, she was taken from work to the hospital (yes, they have their own hospital now). I went down the next day and stayed for two weeks. It was beautiful fall, so thankfully not HOT, weather. I went to a multitude of appointments with my mom trying to figure out what exactly was wrong. During that two weeks, I began to have promptings (impressions, whatever your word of choice) that it was time for her to have family closer. I knew she was not willing to move back to Salt Lake and my sister was not going to move to Mesquite. So Steve and I decided that we were ready for a change and took the plunge to move to Mesquite ourselves. A few weeks later, he took time off work and went down to Mesquite. He had showed an interested in wanting to be a dealer, but ended up getting a job at Virgin River in the sportsbook. So we teased him that he was a bookie instead of a dealer, lol. Right after thanksgiving 2004 we moved all our stuff down and also lived in The Bluffs apartment complex.

The following June we found the perfect house with a wonderful landlord out of CA. We all moved into the house together and were there until we moved back to Utah right after thanksgiving 2006. In August 2005, I started working at the Mesquite Library, part of the Las Vegas Clark County Library District. I absolutely loved this job! Of course, anyone who has been reading my blog knows I loved to read, so why wouldn't I love working in a library?! Also in August 2005, Steve, still working at Virgin River, changed from working in the sportsbook to working in the slots department, where he worked until we moved. Mom worked at the Oasis hotel front desk, ending her employment there as a supervisor working the graveyard shift as Night Auditor!

In getting this post ready, I asked mom what her favorite thing about Mesquite was and she said the weather and being able to play bingo pretty much whenever she wanted. Her least favorite thing was the lack of stores and other entertainment without having to go to St George or Las Vegas. She says she finds it ironic that before we moved down there she went to St George more than Las Vegas and after we moved down we went to Las Vegas more. I told her it was because then she didn't have to drive in the Las Vegas traffic! I do the driving, unless Steve is with and then he will usually drive. Of course, with the traffic and my knowledge of getting around, I usually did drive when we went to Las Vegas, anyway.

I asked Steve the same two questions. He didn't know what he liked the best, although, my guess would be the small town atmosphere and the weather as he doesn't so much mind the heat. He said his least favorite was the smoky-ness in the casinos where he worked. I said I thought he would have said no trains nearby. He said, "That, too!"

As for me, my favorite things there...the ward (we miss you tons and tons, Bishop Reber), the library system (I do have to openly admit, though, that the Bunkerville branch is my favorite), playing bingo to blow off steam whenever I wanted and could, and the small town atmosphere. My least favorite thing is easily the HOT weather, although, after living there, it really wasn't so bad, after all! I realized that if you just move there during the winter by the time it gets really hot, it isn't that bad and it DOES NOT take your breath away anymore! So, with that in mind, my least favorite thing was not hearing my beloved train sounds! Otherwise, I miss Mesquite terribly! Steve and I both still keep up with the goings on by reading the Mesquite Local News online several times a week!

Oh, did I forget to mention that pretty much as soon as I post this, I am leaving for a weekend trip to Mesquite with my mom?! YAY!!!