Vegas Voice 11-17 web

By: Vicki Wentz / Vicki’s Voice
Yesterday, my Dad turned 91 years old. I
guess it’s a big deal, but really, we expected
nothing less.
Speaking for myself, a world without Dad in it is truly unthinkable.
I mean I start to think about it, and then I reach this sort of wall, and
can’t go any further.
I need to work on this because there will eventually be a world without
my Dad in it. Dad has had vascular dementia for 3 years, and we lose
him a little more every day. I know I have to work on it, but, not today.
Since Ohio State was playing Penn State (we are fierce, born-andraised
Buckeyes) my brother-in-law, Gregg, brought a gigantic TV
screen and set it up on the deck so we could watch together.
The deck was covered with leaves, so my nephew, Ian, volunteered
to blow it off. My Dad has a big-Mama blower, and when Ian started
it, several things happened: the TV screen immediately fell over; two
little field mice who’d been hiding in a leaf pile came racing out which
alerted Rosie (the dog), who charged across the deck at the exact
moment Gregg was sprinting to the fallen screen. Rosie cut in front of
Gregg, who tried to avoid her and stepped down on one of the hickory
nuts that are covering the deck, and he went airborne.
I looked out the window in time to see the screen on the ground,
Gregg flailing through the air, the dog beneath him hot on the trail
of the mice, who, wisely, had split up, causing Rosie to hesitate (Rosie
is quite overweight due to Dad’s feeding her half of everything on his
10
Ninety-One Bottles of Beer on the Wall, Ninety-One Bottles of Beer
November 2017
plate at every meal).
As Gregg landed, Ian let the blower go and ran
to help him get the screen up, but the blower was
still blowing, which thrilled Ian’s son, James (age
3), who immediately grabbed the blower hose
and began blowing the leaves around the picnic
table, but failed to take into account the paper
cups, napkins and plates on it - as well as the two My Dad
Chrysanthemum arrangements - all of which went
flying over the railing and into the yard. (Meanwhile, I’m thinking if
I’d known there was such entertainment outside this window, I’d have
made popcorn.)
Susan (married to the aforementioned Gregg and organizing the
aforementioned table) tried to grab the paper products flying through
the air, while holding down the tablecloth, and my brother, John,
bellowed at little James to put the blower down RIGHT NOW, but this
just caused James to turn toward him, blowing John so hard in the face
that he had to retreat...over to the wine table.
Having assured himself that Gregg would live, Ian tackled James
and wrestled the blower from him, triggering copious tears from James,
which brought his mother, Caroline, running from the screened porch.
Evidently, one of the mice had decided to hide under the porch step
rather than risk trying to outrun Rosie (it needn’t have worried; Rosie
is a sprinter, not a distance runner) but the slam of the screen door
spooked it and it ran out just as Caroline did, and being a sensible
mice-avoider, Caroline screeched and leaped over the terrified mouse
toward James, assuming the mouse might attack him.
I was eating chili by this time, and I swear I snorted it right up my
nose. Then, I turned and realized Dad was sitting beside me, watching
the show and laughing his 91-year-old fanny off.
I hugged him - hard; he put his arm around my shoulders and
squeezed. “There’s nothing as wonderful as having all you kids here,”
he said. I loved that moment.
I just closed my eyes and hugged my Dad and he hugged me back.
How many more times will that happen? I’ll think about that...
tomorrow.
WOW - World of
Wonder
By: Dianne Davis /
That’s Entertainment
WOW – World of Wonder, a visually stunning
fast-paced variety show is delighting audiences
at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino Showroom. It is
feisty and fun with colorful costumes, exceptional 3-D
animation complete with holograms and beautiful sets.
More than 30 artists dance, flip, fly, balance, amuse and
entertain in this whimsical variety show.
The thin thread of a plot is carried by a nerdy guy
chasing a dream. The show includes a visually stunning
scene which begins in the grand ball room of the Titanic
with elegantly dressed dancers and unique special effects
as the ship sinks and our main character escapes to the
next fantasy scene.
Photo courtesy Denise Truscello
The performers are certainly up to Vegas standards,
but the star of the show is the 3-D animation on stage
and on both sides in this 180-degree presentation.
Ships. Elephants, Venice - all beautifully and artistically
projected.
Some of the songs are familiar like “What Would You
Do with a Drunken Sailor” or “I Like It Here in America.”
The scene in Venice included “That's Amore” as well as
an amusing chef with a large derriere doing the plate
spinning routine that we must have seen dozens of times
on the old Ed Sullivan Show.
The living statues were visually stunning. America's
Got Talent alum Silvia Silvia (a tiny lady in her 60s!)
with the special talent of shooting apples off heads with
a cross bow will have you gasping in anticipation and
fear.
And then there was the roller skating act. We've seen
two skaters on a tiny platform, circling at fast speed, but
here it is three in that tiny area. We were sitting close to
the stage in fear that one of them would fly into our laps.
Wow has energy, spirit, a variety of acts, colorful
costuming, and what you want in a Vegas show – the
WOW faction.
In addition to The Vegas Voice, Dianne Davis is
a reporter for Sun City Anthem TV (SCA-TV)
specializing in entertainment and is a columnist
for www.lasvegasroundtheclock.com.
11