Jail was a very educational and inspirational experience. I’m going to tell you all about it but first can I just share something with you? This is my mugshot. I know what you’re thinking. What kind of lunatic puts her mugshot on the internet? Well, this lunatic made it her profile picture on Facebook. It’s … Continue reading The Downtown Dozen
Category: homelessness in Las Vegas
The War on the Poor
As predicted I was arrested on January 20th, 2020 while protesting. It was a very educational experience and it confirmed a lot of my fears about these unjust ordinances. I have every intention of telling you about the protests, the night in jail and the chaos since in the next few weeks. I'm going to … Continue reading The War on the Poor
My Brother’s Keeper
I am at war with the Las Vegas City Council. I am so upset with the passage of the second recent law designed to fine and incarcerate the homeless that I find myself unable to write about it right now. I need to calm down to prevent my blog from turning into a manifesto. In … Continue reading My Brother’s Keeper
Easy Peasy Lemonade Squeezy
We are in the middle of what I hope is the last heat wave of 2019. As I write this it is 109 degrees out. We have had yet another record-breaking summer. In August, we had twenty-four days with temperatures exceeding 105 degrees, that's more than in any previously recorded year. We are several days … Continue reading Easy Peasy Lemonade Squeezy
The Egg and I
You can add this to the many statements that I never imagined I would make. I am a chicken person. What I mean, of course, is that I am a big fan of chickens. The animal, more than the meat they provide, although I appreciate that, too. I enjoy chickens. I love watching them peck … Continue reading The Egg and I
A Family Affair
It's been a long winter, here in Vegas. It's been snowing, which is very unusual. We had a snow day, which never happens. Temperatures have been low and the wind has been near constant. No one here knows what to do with the snow and that goes for our homeless community as well. We've been … Continue reading A Family Affair
From Rags to Breeches
Just over eight years ago, I was twenty-seven years old and pregnant with my first child. My due date had come and gone and I was driven entirely by hormones and a strong desire to jumpstart labor. I was sitting in a pew at Mass, between my husband and my sisters. I should have been … Continue reading From Rags to Breeches
In Defense of Street Feeding
In a blighted part of the city, that most people avoid, is the Corridor of Hope. Although the name wasn't meant to be satirical, when you see the worn tents and cardboard lean-tos littering the sidewalks and empty lots, it is impossible not to see irony in the name. There, in the Corridor of Hope, … Continue reading In Defense of Street Feeding
It Can’t All Be Hookers and Sunshine.
We all love a good Vegas-adventure tale; strippers with a heart of gold, underdogs betting it all on red, buddies having a wild time and learning a valuable lesson. It is the stuff that fantasies, hit movies and bachelor parties are made of. I would love to tell you that Las Vegas is all inspiring … Continue reading It Can’t All Be Hookers and Sunshine.
B-A-N-A-N-A-S
B-A-N-A-N-A-S I grew up one of eight kids. Being the youngest, I was the last to go to school and when I started, I had half-day kindergarten in the afternoons. Every morning, after my siblings dispersed, the house got quiet and I had my Mom to myself for a few brief hours. Some of my … Continue reading B-A-N-A-N-A-S