My Own Private Oasis

The question I'm asked most by people from other parts of the country (except central Texas, where I hear it's cold AND icy!) is, "Are you keeping warm?" Well, here at the Oasis RV Resort and Campground, things are pretty cold outside, but I'm keeping fairly warm inside. Yesterday, as promised, I did go get a space heater--at Lowe's, of course (keeping the profit "in the family," so to speak, since my son works at a Lowe's in Maine). And let me tell you, it's made all the difference! It's a ceramic heater by DeLonghi, and it's a beautiful appliance in every way: it has a very sleek design, it has high/low/automatic modes, it oscillates, it has an 8-hour timer, AND it has a remote! All this for only $24.99--it's been a long time since a product got my attention so thoroughly. This is one that does the job and does it well AND attractively! The last product that impressed me as much as this was my hand-held Yahtzee game by Milton-Bradley!

But DeLonghi isn't paying me for a testimonial, so let's move on. Let me tell you something about where I now live. It's one of about 15 RV campgrounds in Las Vegas, and I was right: they're all located somewhere near the Strip--and NOT anywhere near the Summerlin area where I work. I have a 20-mile commute each way, and as long as I'm in this motor home, that's pretty much going to be the story. I am very happy to report, though, that from what natives tell me, I've picked one of the best of the 15 places. A number of people have either stayed here themselves or have had friends/relatives stay here, and they pretty much unanimously recommend it.

So, since I'm here for at least the next three weeks, let me tell you a little about it. It's huge, for one thing: about 700 sites. I found out the other day that the really pretty ones (lots of trees, shade, etc.) are for the transients. The long-term residents--and I'm far from the only one who's living in a motor home and working full-time somewhere in the city--are grouped together in an area that the transients never see. There are only occasional trees, and there is still a lot of coming and going, even though RVs here stay longer. But, since I'm not here most of the time, I'm not too worried about it. I may change my mind when it warms up (which will be soon, I hope!), but for now, it's fine.

There is a huge clubhouse in the middle of the campground. It's trying to be a glamorous resort-type building, but it's just a little bit past its prime and trying just a bit too hard. There's a ballroom and a bar (I hear), with live music on Fridays and Saturdays. That's not something that would draw me, but it's here for those who do like it. There are two pools (I've seen one), though they're the last thing I'm interested in these days! There's a deli there--complete with 8 slot machines! Tuesdays and Thursdays, you can play Texas Hold 'Em poker at either of two poker tables that are set up in the main lobby. When I was in there on Thursday paying my mailbox fee, there was a grandmother playing while she babysat her little granddaughter--and everyone was happy and having a great time. Sort of family night!

Tonight I did my laundry at one of the four "comfort stations," though I wouldn't say that was the most appropriate name for them. My brother showered down there and said the showers were very nice (mine here in the motor home was just too small for him). And the laundromat was certainly adequate, with four washers and dryers, but it was pretty cold in there.

Oh, and I should say there's security 24/7 around here: you have to stop at the entrance when you're entering, so that they can read the tag on your windshield and wave you in. And there are two or three security vehicles that are constantly making the rounds here. I certainly feel

Okay, so that's a bit about this place. However, I have to tell you, I'm only giving it a grade of C+. And that's because I'm paying for 28 cable channels as part of my site rent, and I gave them an extra $80 for 3 months of high-speed internet--and after 10 days, I don't have either one! There is evidently an on-site IT person (the son of one of the managers), but he only works 8-5 each day (and not on weekends), and of course I'm gone from 7:30 to 6 every day. Clearly someone has to give here, and it can't be me. I'm going to give him one more chance to give me an evening appointment, and if it doesn't work out, I'm going to get my money back for the wireless and have something taken off my site rent for the cable. I have my Sprint PC card, so I can get on the internet without their wireless feature (though it's twice as expensive), and I can get a few (snowy) local channels--enough for what little TV watching I do. I’ll keep you posted on this one!

Enough for now. Soon (when it warms up and there's daylight when I get home from work) I'll have some pictures of this fantastic area. For now, though, take my word that even a commute to work is exciting when you've got the 360-degree mountain vista to admire every morning! I’ll tell you something about the Yucca Mountain Project itself in my next posting. It’s quite a place!