Ha ha. When I came to Seattle this time, I was expecting to eat fresh blackberries from the bush. Blackberry bushes are everywhere here, but it's a late summer. There are berries, but they are still green. (I ate one anyway).

I drove around the town last night, and still, I heard no music.
Nothing much has changed since we left here just two months ago.
I did start unemployment.
Its impossible for me to get those people to understand that I'm a Contract Programmer.
According to those guys, I'm an employee, and therefore, I must have filled out an application for employment.
They said I must fill out three applications a week to maintain unemployment.
--- I haven't filled out an application since 1989.
So, I am thinking that I'm going to have to lie to keep unemployment paying. Thats just not right though. Filling out applications is a counter-productive method of finding work. Employers find me. I can't find them.
I guess what's really irritating me is that I am forced to pay up to 6% of my gross for insurance that I can never, in all honesty, ever qualify for. Plus, having to drive to Washington to get unemployment compensation for a multi-state claim is incredibly bad.

It is a condition of their unemployment insurance, that the person has to call from a Washington phone.

We stayed at the HorseShu in Jackpot, NV. Jackpot is a casino town on the Nevada/Idaho border
The rooms are very cheap ($39) and very nice. This mountain has live entertainment and is open 24x7.

Last year I worked in California, Washington and Kentucky.
I worked in California last, but it doesn't count, because its in my last quarter.
Nevada unemployment insurance claims are done on the phone, and it takes hours.
Even though I live in Nevada, Nevada won't process my claim because I didn't work here.
Washington will process my claim,
but, I have to call from a phone in Washington to set things up.
They said I should not use its insurance because I quit to take a better job. It will delay my claim.
They said they'd only use Kentucky's unemployment.
I'm not sure if there is a message here. 
Why do I have to call from a Washington phone to set things up?
hmmm.

I took my Mustang in to Gaudin Ford yesterday to get an extra key and remote made. The sales rep says $24 for the key, and about $40 for the remote. $64 dollars so far, right?
He mentioned my Universal Belt needed replacing, and I asked him how much.
He said $80 with labor. I said okay. I'm thinking, with taxes, its $150 tops.
So, he writes me up an estimate for $190.
I told him, man, thats high for what you said. He said, we write them higher than they will be.
We waited for three hours, and they arrived with a bill for $380. I'm serious!
He said, well there's taxes and all. And said "NO", there is a problem, and I started getting loud. Your estimate says $190, and he said, no, that says $290. It had a suspicious looking 1 on it. I said, THATS STILL WAY TOO HIGH!
He said, oh, wait, there is a problem, and he comes back with a bill that says $310.
He said "There, its right at my estimate, I think I did a good job".
I said, "Man, you know didn't do right".
The last time I was in Vegas, Ford County screwed me.
I took my F150 in for its Air Conditioner not working. They put a charge in it, and gave me a bill for $400.
- Maybe, I wouldn't have minded if they didn't use inferior refrigerent.
The stuff they used didn't even have leak detector in it. I can't even find where you get bottles of refrigerent like that.- Maybe, I wouldn't have minded if when I took it back in again, they didn't quote me $1,200 for a new compressor.
I eneded up having to buy a $10 bottle from Auto Zone, and charging the system myself.
And then there was the time we went to buy an $8,000 car off their lot.
With the paperwork, the car came up to $30,000.
I LIKE FORD VEHICLES !
But if you have one, you'd better be willing to fix it yourself.

Honda's are mighty fine vehicles.
I wonder if all Ford Dealers hustle their customers. I was hoping/thinking it was a Vegas thing.

---

Not much has happened on the job search. I'm not giving an all out effort on it yet though.

Nothing much has happened on the job front. Someone called me about a job in Minnesota.
I couldn't understand him, so I asked the guy to send me an email.
I got emails from Nandita, NanSuresh Babu Malli, and Dharani Rham all about the same opening. I also got emails from two different people from svsservices about Florida. Hopefully, the only openings I've submitted for is RJ, LordT, and Chev.
Finding a contract can be gloomy work if you try to make it happen. 

If they don't drink, gamble or have money for the shows ? This I've wondered often while living in Las Vegas.
I think I've seen most of what this desert has to offer.
I've camped  out everywhere, seen the hotspots, and even have my own secret 4x4 places.
It would take months to visit all of the casinos in Vegas.
In those months, more casino's would have been built, while the ones you visited would have been remodeled. 
Since we've been travelling, within a few blocks
- the Cannery (a high rise casino) was built
- The Nevada Palace was leveled.
- A Super Walmart has opened
- The neighbors that wanted to move got stuck, the ones that didn't got foreclosed on
- The roads that were under construction, with the cones and equipment, haven't been touched.
There's always something going on in Vegas.