Bob's Corner
Sometimes, although many readers would argue that it would be more correct for me to write, “All the time,” I don’t know where this column will head. My fingers and brain can work independently of my consciousness, and so one never knows what will come forth. Or fifth.
For some obscure reason I was reminded recently of road signs we saw in 1970 while on a family vacation. We were in Las Vegas, N.M., which reminds me of another topic to be addressed here just below. Anyway, our three children were quite young, which has nothing to do with the sign we saw. But the sign read, “Do Not Pick Up Hitch-Hikers. (Courtesy of the New Mexico Institute for the Criminally Insane.”) Needless to say, Jan and I cranked up the windows, locked the doors, and left the area. Kinda’ scary.
My minirant, if you will, has to do first, with the shortening of names of many locales, including Las Vegas. A lot of people invariably refer to “Vegas,” a slang term that hurts my ears. Also, Las Vegas, Nev. (which some cleverly change to Lost Wages) is not the only city with that name. (See Las Vegas, N.M. above). By the way, Las Vegas, N.M. originally was called Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de Las Vegas Grandes (Our Lady of the Sorrows of the Great Meadows). Quite a mouthful. On the other hand, besides five fingers, we find that Las Vegas, Nev. translates as “The Meadows” or “The Grasslands.” Whatever.
Moving on, we find that there are those who call San Diego “Dago,” which also hurts my ears. I know, these matters don’t rank highly on the list of world situations that need attention. It’s just my rant.
Oh, and let’s not forget Los Angeles, which nearly all of us shorten to “L.A.” I suppose that’s OK. Especially when reviewing information about the city’s original name. Some say it was El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula (The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the [River] Porciuncula). But some now are saying that the settlement simply was named El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles (The Town of the Queen of the Angels.) Whatever.
Still moving on, we touch on a distant relative of mine, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, who led the first European expedition to explore what is now the west coast of the United States. In September 1542 he arrived at “a very good enclosed port.” It now is known as San Diego Bay.
I’ve been to Cabrillo National Monument many times, especially growing up in San Diego. Not enough room here to talk about it this week though. Actually, I think telling you the rest of the story from that 1970 trip that included Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de Las Vegas Grandes would be enlightening. Maybe next week.
Whatever.
