I'm an Older American now. And while I'm not super happy about that notion, a 15-second interaction with a total stranger put it into perspective, and even makes me laugh a little. I'm still constructing my 'Get Off My Lawn' sign, but now it'll be a little more tongue-in-cheek.

It's more the circumstances of my sixtieth birthday that have be feeling a little melancholy. My boss decided that my speech has not improved enough after a mild stroke last summer, so he officially let me go, leaving me with no health insurance. I was on unpaid leave, but still had benefits, which I really needed for the first time in my life. Those expired on January 31, just two days before the tens digit in my age turned from 5 to 6.

So while I can now add the word old to go with my other adjectives fat and broke, I really didn't want to spend my milestone birthday alone. I had been kicking around the idea for a few days, and I decided, even though I really don't have the money, to drive three-and-a-half hours, and go to Las Vegas.

I literally cannot remember the last time I had been there. I lived in Salt Lake City in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and would drive through often when I went to visit my mom in Palmdale. I don't recall being back since then. Some things are still the same, but wow, the city is a lot bigger and a lot different. The Super Bowl is also there this coming weekend, so I figured to experience a big football vibe. It was still a little early for the ticket holders to arrive, but you saw plenty of people wearing Niners hats or Chiefs jackets.

When I made the decision to go, I was looking for a place to say, and saw great rates at the Tropicana. In addition to the cost, this was perfect for two more reasons. For one, it fit the 'old guy' theme. New in 1957, Elvis Presley's Viva Las Vegas was filmed there. It was a popular playplace for Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Junior, and Frank Sinatra. Scenes from The Godfather and others were also shot there.

The Tropicana is also scheduled to close for good in April. The plan, which is in motion, is to tear it down to build a new ball park for the Oakland A's. Architect's renderings have not been released yet, but from my ninth story window, I could imagine sitting behind home plate, and seeing the castle of Ex Caliber, and the replica Statue of Liberty from the New York New York out beyond the center field fence. Maybe some kid, who is in high school now, becomes the A's center fielder, and makes a catch right where I was sleeping. The stadium is supposed to open (we'll see) in 2028.

I didn't do a lot of gambling while I was there. The blackjack and roulette wheels were a little too pricey, but I played some video poker, and left some money on the Super Bowl. In all my previous trips to Nevada, whether it was Vegas, Reno, or Tahoe, I've never seen a show, so that was tops on my to-do list. A new attraction, called The Sphere (photos below) was sold out, so I was advised to see something by Cirque Du Soleil. I was thinking more in terms of a popular entertainer. Penn and Teller were at the Rio, and I was delighted to learn that Rich Little still performs at the Tropicana (I wasn't even sure if he was still alive), but only a couple days during the week.

I decided on Beatles Love (I think that's the official title), a Cirque Du Soleil show at the Mirage, which features acrobats, dancers, and other performers, in a theater-in-the-round setting set to Beatles hits, mostly of the early and mid-1960s. There is so much going on, that seeing it a second time would be just as enjoyable as the first, if not more. The only problem is, you don't always know where to look. The stage in the center has theater, look up and you'll see the high-flying stunts, and if that isn't enough, there are video screens around the theater featuring everything from old video clips of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, to Beatles style Yellow Submarine-type animation, to several LED effects. The show was about 90 minutes, and you won't look at your watch (or phone) once.

That show has been at the Mirage since 2006, so although I had never heard of it, it's been around. I think the last time I was there, the Phoenician was pretty new. Now, next to it, is The Sphere (at first I thought it might look like the bowling stadium in Reno). Inside, it's supposed to have the best acoustics ever for a concert, but the big feature is its million LED lights, which are computer programmable and can generate super sharp images, which constantly change. As I was walking toward it, the image was a giant yellow emoji with the faces changing. I must have stood there over half an hour waiting for that to come around again, but it never did. U2 is performing a series of concerts there, but not every weekend. When they are not there, the Sphere Experience sells out, demonstrating what the place is capable of.

I did a lot of walking there. Just to cross the street on The Strip, at most intersections you have to go up an escalator (or stairs) cross over a bridge, and then down the other side. The Tropicana is diagonal from New York New York, so you have to do that twice. I decided to wait until this moment to check my phone to see how many steps I took, but according to the app, I took 22,769 steps (9.7 miles) on Friday, and 19,600 (8.35 miles) on Saturday. No wonder I have a blister on my heel.

I didn't walk the entire time, and this is where my interaction with the stranger comes in. I was riding the monorail, and a young man, maybe 30, was sitting across from me. We made eye contact and he said, "What's up O-G?". He didn't know it was my birthday. He didn't know my age, my circumstances, or anything, and I gave a generic response, and that was it. A few minutes later, he kind of did the same thing with a young black man sitting near him, except he called him Homie. I thought to myself that I guess that fits. He's a homie, and now I'm an O-G.

So I'll be the first to admit that I'm not up on the language that young people speak today, but I thought O-G meant Old Guard. It kinda does, or at least the meaning, but the internet tells me that O-G, coined by rapper Ice-T, means Original Gangster (or Gangsta), defined as someone who's incredibly exceptional, authentic, or 'old-school.' Calling someone an O-G is apparently a sign of respect (It doesn't quite say 'old dude' but I think that's what they are getting at).

I might run with this O-G thing. It could mean Old Geoff. I mean I know I'm not getting any younger, so why not embrace it, right? (I'll just keep telling myself that). I'm back home now, and reality is setting back in. Got to find a job, probably a new career, and some health insurance, so this O-G is for hire. I do say that I'm not completely over the hill yet, though. Last thing I did in Vegas before leaving town was riding the roller coaster at New York New York. I also remembered to look to the side when you go through the 360-degree loop so you can see Las Vegas from upside down.

Six more weeks?: My birthday was Friday, February 2, which was Groundhog Day, so I keep up to date with Punxsutawney Phil (I even met him ten years ago). Even though southern California and most of the West is getting hammered with heavy rain, Phil came out of his burrow and didn't see a shadow, which means an early spring.

More Phil: In case you get confused about what Phil seeing a shadow means, just remember to think it through logically, and then know that's the one that's wrong. I mean if Phil sees a shadow, that means the sun's out, right? Which should mean that it's warm, meaning an early spring? No, seeing his shadow means six more weeks of winter. This year. Cloudy. No shadow. Early spring. Go figure.

New math: A postscript on this age thing. I don't know if 60 is the new 40, or 50, or what, but if you calculate age 60 in base twelve, it comes out to 50. I'm going with that.

My two-night home was once a playplace of the Rat Pack, but will close for good in April. This is the proposed stadium site for the A's, so I slept in what might someday be center field.	This isn't a giant RV. It's a photo of Allegiant Stadium taken from my car as I'm leaving town. This is probably the closest I'll get to the Super Bowl again. I also picked the wrong weekend.
I didn't get into this, either, but The Sphere from the outside is still very impressive. Inside, it holds 20-thousand for a concert. It opened last September. U2 is doing some shows there.	One show I did get to see was Cirque Du Soleil's 'Beatles Love' at the Mirage. There's no real good way to descibe acrobats and dancers choreographed to the Beatles. Imaginative and amazing!
Blatant commercialism? I guess with 1.2 million lights it's kinda cool.	Turning the side of the Luxor into a billboard? This is just flat-out wrong.

Photo: I didn't take the 'Welcome to Vegas' picture, but I took all the others. Lots of 'Sphere' photos I didn't use, and I was too cheap (and didn't wanna see) photos of me on the roller coaster.