Skip to main content

Opulence

I recently went on a business trip to Las Vegas - I had not been there in almost 14 years. While I was quite exhausted, (even at the start of the trip), I was not so tired that I could ignore the opulence around me.

Below are the paper cranes hanging from the ceiling near check-in. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures of the ceiling and walls. Everything screamed wealth and luxury.



Even the soda bottles were swanky, no regular bottles for this crowd, no sirreee.

 
 In the picture below, not sure you can see, but at the front of the hotel there was a wall of water. So even though the water may be recycled, just the mere thought of the energy and water required to make that go, made me feel a little bit sick.

Those little signs in normal hotel rooms that say "We are trying to save our planet, please hang linens if they do not need service", didn't exist here.

And those bazillion plastic bottles that conferences supply the attendees? Only the garbage for those - no recycling stations.

So, this business trip has helped me discover 2 things about myself:

  1. Displays of wealth makes me uncomfortable.
  2. Blatant disregard for conservation coupled with the obvious, over-the-top affluence is disgusting. 
 I'll get off my soap box now.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fitness Photo Shoot

Fitness after stage III breast cancer Plank on ball in silhouette Why a fitness shoot? I am not a fitness model, nor am I ripped like one, but I wanted to do a fitness shoot for a few different reasons: 1. As a reminder of how far I have come At the 5-year anniversary of my diagnosis of stage III breast cancer, it seemed a good time to remind myself how far I have come since I went through the trauma of diagnosis and treatment. That no matter how low I felt at the time, I came through it. Not all my sisters made it and many are still struggling today (shout out to my IV-leagers - those living with stage IV,  EVERY DAY). 2. As a reminder of how much the body can do It is a moment for me to acknowledge that while there are things I still cannot do, there are things I could not do when I first started lifting weights, that I can do now and THAT is amazing to me. When I first started weight lifting maybe I could do shoulder presses with 7.5 lbs, now I can do more t...

Job Search2: Networking etiquette..

On which I have a few ideas.  As my husband keeps telling me, I won't get a job by spending hours in front of the computer submitting applications to online job postings.  The best use of any job-seeker's time is spent talking to friends and acquaintances and letting them know that you are looking for a job and what your skills and interests are. So here is what I found tricky about networking: How hard to push?  Working parents are busy, so if I asked a friend, who is a working parent, about a position I had seen at their company, do I ask a second time? How soon after? And what if there is another position - do I talk about that too?  If that friend is very enthusiastic about getting more information for me on a post then I hear nothing, what then?  Is it realistic to think they'll get back to me?  I find it difficult to broach the topic again.  I might ask a second time but for me there is no third time. What do I trade in return? In the net...

What is your 'bread & butter' conversation?

I am anxious to get back to the playgroups with my Moms group, and talk with some of the other moms because I want to know what they talk to their husbands about at the end of the day. If I were to truly tell my husband what goes on with my day? Well, the conversation would be inane and irrelevant. Gunnar: "How was your day honey?" Big smile. Me: "You know the usual. Lucas got up late this morning and was crabby because he didn't have enough time to play before breakfast and Liam pulled off my tiny earring, you know, the one I was so excited about getting because I thought he wouldn't notice it, and I could wear earrings again? Anyways, he pulled it off, and I grabbed it from him and set it down so I could deal with him appropriately, and I forgot about it, but when I went back to look for it I couldn't find it. It might have gotten wiped off the table when I was cleaning, so I spent part of the day sifting through the garbage looking for it, then I looked ...