Unexpected Luxury - A Daily Newspaper
/We were walking through WalMart the other day (yes, WalMart) when a young man offered me a free copy of Nevada's largest daily newspaper, the Las Vegas Review-Journal. I accepted. He also offered me last Sunday's paper. Again, I accepted. He suggested that I might want a daily subscription. Probably not. “Well, it's only $8.99/month, home delivery is free and I'll give you $15 in WalMart gift cards, if you subscribe today. You can cancel any time.” Uh-oh … he had me at $15 and cancel any time! I signed on the dotted line, paid my first month and used my $15 in gift cards at the check-out.
We haven't had a daily newspaper subscription since we lived in Wisconsin … 17 years ago. I know it's outdated to purchase a hard copy newspaper (probably ecologically unconscionable, too), but there's something to be said for spreading out the newspaper and poring through it as you sip your morning coffee. There's something somewhat sentimental having newsprint ink all over your hands.
So I brought my free newspapers home and started reading. I learned lots in less than an hour. It seems that Cuba's prized cigar tobacco crop is in jeopardy. New, more ethnically and physically diverse Barbies have just been introduced to the market. The Clydesdales were in town. Peanuts, Dilbert, Blondie and Garfield are still in the comic section, but the political cartoons were much funnier. I would not have googled any of these topics, so combing the newspaper provided some interesting information … useless, but interesting.
I discovered that a new national monument would be opening soon near Las Vegas - Tule Springs Fossil Bed National Monument. Established in December 2014, the monument aims to protect “paleontological resources that span the last 250,000 years, including the last two Ice Ages. Entombed in ancient muds, the fossilized remains of Columbian Mammoth, Camelops, American Lions, three species of Extinct Horses, and Ground Sloths can be found.”
I also stumbled upon a scenic 62-mile drive along the shores of Lake Mead. Northshore Road “offers desert panoramas, colorful sandstone formations, rugged mountains and sweeping views of the lake.” Sounds good to me. The $20 entrance fee is waived for holders of the National Parks Senior Pass … like the ones we have. Sounds like a good outing possibility.
Last, but certainly not least, after studying the paper's TV guide, I realized that with hundreds of channels available, there was nothing worth watching this week … and I didn't even have to channel surf to figure it out.
I wasn't sure if the rest of the family would be as enthusiastic as I was about my decision. Mary put in first dibs on the crossword puzzle and the coupons. Karen was interested in using the newspaper as packing material for our upcoming move. David has been perusing right along with me each morning as we sip our cuppas. Since the first two months end up being free, I think we're gonna bask in the luxury.