Veteran's Affairs Plus W/ David L. Washington

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Dave Washington 0:50
good day Las Vegas, this is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host. I got a couple of special guests today. I actually had planned to have three. That's with my grandson, David Washington, the second Destiny Washington, granddaughter. And then Chris is in the studio with me this seems like you're beating on something destiny, I need you to kind of just sit still if you would. All right. All right. Cool. Look, again, pleased to have you guys. And as I mentioned to you guys at the at the Father's Day function, I say oh, let me get my grandchildren on. And y'all got other things to do. And I'm still trying to plan it to make sure I get you on. So destiny, please tell our listening audience. Again, this is Veterans Affairs. Tell us where you were born and where you went to high school.

Destiny Washington 1:42
Born in Las Vegas, Nevada, and went to Western and Trinity High School.

Dave Washington 1:49
Trinity. So yes, so were you a student athlete?

Destiny Washington 1:54
Yeah, play day Yeah, play basketball playing different things. Kind of like to be active. So moved around a lot and doing different different things. Try baseball just you know, anything.

Dave Washington 2:06
Right? I know one of the things that I'm proud of you about distance, you always been an entrepreneur had that entrepreneurial spirit. So what's going on in in that venue for you at this present time.

Destiny Washington 2:19
Just pretty much getting my gear up and things and doing learning still with my photography. But that's pretty much coming along just getting more clientele and people that's more retainers where people were coming around more a position, like on a consistent basis. So not doing small. I'm trying to go into more bigger gigs and not smaller things. And that's kind of what I'm working on now. So just agreeing to meeting the right people in just kind of networking.

Dave Washington 2:47
Okay, cool. Well keep it going and like I say, I know that you're here to to some type of orientation. So one other quick thought I'd like to get from you know, Destiny. What do you think about the baseball team coming to Las Vegas and where it's going to be located? Give me your thoughts on it real quickly.

Destiny Washington 3:07
I mean, I'll, uh, like that we get in the baseball team of professional team but I guess location wise, I mean, they're not the greatest team so I mean, it's not us building our team I wish they kind of went somewhere else just because of all the prices and how everything's going up and it does it affects everybody that's local wise. And we don't get that we don't see that nothing's really bumped up for like raiders and all this stuff being here. I mean, it has some maybe other people or things on the strip but not for the local base. I mean, I have my foot in just been working as a been working there but not being not having the access that some people have this in a stadium or just different like venues is harder so I think he's to me, they would have been more house outskirts. I like things more on the outskirts. I feel like it would just be more Vegas. If it was out.

Dave Washington 3:59
Yeah, for me, I just think this trip is already so overly crowded and just to have them there. It's just I don't know, it's gonna be quite interesting. But anyway, this love you appreciate your time and I know you gotta get to that orientation. So you want to say hello to you.

Destiny Washington 4:17
On Good day, you know, I'll talk to y'all later. Yeah, yeah. Good. Good talk.

Dave Washington 4:23
Alright, this Take care.

Chris Washington 4:25
I have a good one. All right.

Dave Washington 4:28
All right. Christopher parks, born and raised with Las Vegas, Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada. Been

Chris Washington 4:33
here. My whole 32 layers live in 32 years. Yes, sir.

Dave Washington 4:38
So where did you attend and graduate from high school?

Chris Washington 4:41
I attended shutter ridge and centennial. Got my diploma from Centennial High School. Centennial. Yes, sir. All right. Been there. sports athlete you know played basketball football.

Dave Washington 4:57
All right. Yeah, you were you Student Athlete. Yes. So I know you were playing basketball pretty well, even at your height, didn't mess around. And he had an injury as I recall. Yeah.

Chris Washington 5:09
tore my ACL, my three year high school. That was a setback for sure. Because I was at the at the time I was, you know, of course on varsity. I had, like, just start to get my footing with, you know, my coach at the time. And some of my my new players that was, you know, because I hadn't made varsity my sophomore year as well. I didn't play as much, which was fine. You know, I got the experience. But my junior year was going to be my year and tore an ACL, I think it was three games into the season. So that was pretty much a death for my senior and junior, my junior and senior year.

Dave Washington 5:51
So what are you doing job wise now career wise? What's what's what's on the horizon?

Chris Washington 5:57
At the moment, I work at the Cosmopolitan, I'm pretty much a runner for the warehouse department. I like you know, we make sure that basically all the restaurants there, get all the product, food, why, you know, beverages, anything that helps out the restaurant, you know, to function daily, you know, so we important job there. Yeah, I

Dave Washington 6:22
remember when I first got out of the army, I went to a gourmet cook school because my I was a cooking arm and one of my goals was to become a gourmet cook. And I got hired at the old MGM. That was, that's now the horseshoe. And when I went there, they placed me in the hills Hall. And I had eight hours to feel and supply the pantry for the cooks in the hills Hall. Eight hours, four hours, I was done there. So I go to the chef Pierre, sous chef, you don't take me know, eight hours to do this job. You say, Okay, Washington, we're gonna give you a raise, gave me a raise. And he said, You're gonna go out, I was gonna help solve again. I was told to go out and do dish up as people come in and help the dish up their food. So shortly thereafter, they realize I know how to use them saucepans and I can flip them eggs. I could, you know, I could basically be a fry, cook, whatever you needed me to do, I could do as far as a cook. So I said, are you gonna give me a raise? Because he asked me to relieve the cooks, I say, so we're getting another raise. I said, No, he's just got to raise a few months ago, Washington, I'm not giving you another raise. I quit on this path. Married with Children. Just when thinking you know, when you're young, you just do things. Yeah. And but thank God, I had already taken the fire examination, and got picked up a couple of weeks later. And the rest, as they say, is history. Would you talk about when you're young, because I think I must have been, maybe 2324 had been out of the army for a couple of years, and just kind of hotshot and hot headed and

Chris Washington 8:10
a but it all worked out in the end. You know, that's how I look at it. Maybe that was something that was meant to happen, you know, it didn't work in your favor. But at the end of the day, ends up being a better outcome, I think, no doubt

Dave Washington 8:24
about no doubt about it. But I was just, again, I always think back one. And you always have to make reference and go back in your own history. When you see your children and grandchildren make decision. Like what was why they do that. And I know some of y'all probably will say, Well, why would you quit your job you didn't have anywhere else. But it's very interesting legacy. It did work out for the better. In fact, I was a firehouse, cook, so didn't have too much problem, because you know, people don't mess with him cooks me.

Chris Washington 8:55
So but you always have to, you also have to, you know, we all have to learn to make our own mistakes, too. That's something that you've taught me, you know, of course, my mom, my dad, you know, pretty much the whole family, like we have to make mistakes. And for us to be a better person in life in general. You know, if you don't make those mistakes, you might not ever, you know, get to the point where you really want to be

Dave Washington 9:24
absolutely well, I recall, many, many years ago, you know, close friend Monroe was one of my fire service mentors. And you know, they always gave gifts to Chris and in the other grandchildren destiny. In particular, David was still really young, but anyway, they got down to getting a gift from from mine and Brenda and Chris decide he gonna renege on the whole thing. And I said, Chris, you need to be a man of your word. You say you're gonna do something. You said I'm not a man. That's It will be a boy you word. The bottom line is be about your words, they'll be saying, you know, do something in, turn around, and don't do it. And as you say, I'm not a man will be a boy of your word. That works for me. Yeah, so what do you what do you think about the world today, all the things that are going on, just in general.

Chris Washington 10:23
Um, I think it's a lot, you know, you know, being born and raised here in Vegas, you see a lot. And it's just as sometimes hard, you know, just being a man in general in the world, you know, sometimes people want you to be a certain way, or look at things a certain way. And if you don't do that, you know, or go by their standards just isn't right. You know, and I think that you should be able to, you know, live your life the way you want to, you know, and sometimes, like, with the way the world is going, like, everything is being it's more expensive, you know, it's hard to, you know, right now feel like, everyone, if you're not making $100,000 a year, you know, you struggling, almost, you know, you have to work two or three jobs just to survive. And I'm not one of those people that, like, I won't let the job be my life. Right? Yes, I want to be able to take care my family, yes, I want to work, you know, and do the things that I need to do, but also want to be able to enjoy my life. Travel, see the world, you know, and it's harder to do that. I feel like now because of the economy, you know, everything is higher. You know, gas has gotten kind of went down just a little bit. But, you know, even with that, you know, food is higher, you know, just trying to go by, you know, a bag of chicken, you know, it's crazy, you know, like, I think we I tried to go get a 10 pound bag of chicken wings, and it was like 40 bucks. It's crazy. Seattle. Uh, you know, Marcia buys all the food is and I want the smart final to you know, so like, it's just is getting ridiculous on how some of these prices is with some of this stuff. But, I mean, what can we do so far? Right?

Dave Washington 12:22
Yeah, you know, America is a capitalistic society, and that generally, people are more driven by profit. And they're really caring about the people, unfortunately. And I think that somehow we've got to get better people in office, in general to me, in fact, on the show previously, where I had Miss Anna Bailey, I talked about the bone stock that the supreme court threw out, I'm like, What are you doing on me? I don't know child care about people. What what do you need with a, with a rifle a gun that's gonna shoot anywhere from 500? Because I did a little research on it today, like 500 to 800 rounds are what? That's military type stuff. Yeah. Makes no sense.

Chris Washington 13:04
It doesn't. And like you said, we were not able to even like, just go about life, you know, you have to worry about so much. Every everything being hired, like you said, that's that's just ridiculous, you know, like, and I feel like the government don't care about us for sure. You know? Because I mean, everything is tax like and even taxes was gonna get higher, like, how does taxes get higher, you know, like,

Dave Washington 13:36
we're doing a lot.

Chris Washington 13:37
This is crazy. You know, I just don't

Dave Washington 13:41
understand it. Again, Las Vegas. This is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5, jazz and more. Hey, my granddaughter destiny on earlier, she had to get to an orientation she had to participate. So in the studio, got Chris parks, the second eldest of our grandchildren, David, the third eldest, he was going to be on the show, but he had to work and was able to get off at this particular point in time. But anyway, as far as David David, I used to watch them all grew up and how they would deal with athletics and David is B. We call them little David, he, you know, he's no longer little David. But when I watched David play football, David was not one who wanted to get physically involved. He wanted to be hit. And he wasn't much on hitting people either.

Chris Washington 14:29
Yeah. David has never been that aggressive. I don't know like, you know, David has a love and spirit. So I think with that he he isn't naturally aggressive, you know, and at the you know, I think too, he didn't really have anybody like, technically his age that like he was always around, you know, me and destiny. We pretty much grew up together. We was fighting, though I've ever a few times you have That's a check for finding this stuff like that. And, you know, I remember it was vividly I picked on David David, maybe three, I was like 10 or something like that. And I picked on David and destiny stepped up for him. And then me and her got into it at the UK pub. So you know, but, you know, like you said, David has never been that aggressive. And with us, I felt like me, it definitely always had more aggression, too. And I think that's part of the reason, you know, us fighting each other, you know, with us being able to grow up together. You know, people used to always think we was brother and sister, you know, so Well, you

Dave Washington 15:39
know, as far as David David and I used to he was my Road Dog. We go to the barbershop they'd be waiting on David. Where's Little David? Where's Little David? Because David knew all the stats. Yes. Yes. All the different sports and he still does. Yeah, yeah. He's now when it comes to, you know, getting aggressive. When David gets to talk about his team. That's really aggression comes in, oh, he gets he gets gets busy. But excuse me. I know that, again, as far as, and that's one thing that we try to tell our other children with children. That is, the youngest one is going to be the one that's gonna get picked on More times than not. And we tell them, it's gonna be okay. In fact, we had a little incident when we were over in South Africa down in Cape Town, where it was a mirror in Jonathan's old his door against was an eighth his brother that came out here. I'm trying to remember his name. But anyway, their daughter is much younger. And they just, were just picking on him. They was picking on her and they got a little upset. And we're watching the dynamics, because one thing for sure, that's just the way it's gonna be dead for sure. And you have to watch children and make sure that they don't overbearingly harm and make the younger one feel totally out of Yes. And that's what we saw. And it was like, I'm trying to remember what it was Nathan's youngest brother's name. He and his wife came here to Las Vegas. Yes. Jonathan and Andre. Andre. Andre. Yeah. Yeah, they were they were they were visibly perturbed by how they would treat my daughter. And we're like, that's what they do. Yeah. But as long as you don't let them, you know, go overboard. And then also give some explanation as to what's going on. Because when we saw it, it was like too late, they would just and I'm only saying this Las Vegas because y'all don't know. Because I want to be respectful. And let me tell you that. When you get down to siblings, it's just something that happens sometimes where they'll have their little skirmishes. But the bottom line when it's all said and done, they work it out. Now tell me Chris, I know you're into athletics, to sports, etc. One thing I truly believe is that young folks, male, female, black, white, they better be careful, because when I saw the the NFL stats, they say they went up, they increased their their their take on sports betting by 4%. But I found out they had dropped the limit to 18. Yes, well, you know, from 21, he had to be you could be minimum of 18. And actually do online gambling, like what the heck is it all about them? Well, again, I've already said we're a capitalistic society. Yes. It's a lot of things are driven by money. But in terms of the upcoming schedule, if it what do you think? And I don't want to, I know you look at your cowboys. I mean, me and your grandma could care less about you and your dad a big tab. Always always. So give us some perspective. Um,

Chris Washington 18:57
if I'm being honest, man, I think the Chiefs is going to three peat. You do I do. patch them all just special man. And they have their defenses returning pretty much their entire defense. Most of their secondary was was young yet last year, if I'm not mistaken, first second year players and they want it. And Patrick mahomes barely had anybody to throw the ball to so he has a few more weapons this year. The defense is returning. Yeah. I honestly don't see anybody derail him. San Francisco, you know your team. They have a really good chance. But I'm kind of nervous because I did see something other day that they might not resign Brennan, I think one of the receivers, which I think will be a mistake because I think he's, they're technically their best receiver, even though they still have debo, you know, debo is more of like a Swiss army knife, you know, he can play receiver running back, you know, play the slot. You know, if he was big enough, he can even probably play Titan. But I think you need that, that number one go to guy that, you know, whenever things, you know, break down, you have somebody that you can go to other than just like a running back or a tight end as well.

Dave Washington 20:34
So do you follow WNBA? At all? No. Yes. DEF. So what do you think is going on with the ACES right now?

Chris Washington 20:39
Um, I think is just, you know, they back to back champions, you know, everybody is gunning for and they don't, they don't have one of their best players in Chelsea. Great. Right. So and I think that plays a big part because Chelsea great. She sets the tone, you know, she makes sure the pace is right. You know, even though Aja Wilson is the best player in the league to me, you still need that tone setter, you know, somebody that can, you know, controlling when it's getting out of control, you know, or slow it down or when or speed it up when need be, you know, so yeah,

Dave Washington 21:19
I love her passing game. I mean, she's good. I mean, she, she can shoot outside, she can go to the hoop. So she's got the complete package, complete

Chris Washington 21:28
package. And I think that's what they're missing right now. She because, you know, she's a true floor general. She's a, you know, she's a true point guard that has the ability to score, you know, she kind of reminds me of Chris Paul, a great floor general, she can shoot, she can dribble, she can pass, you know, if she needs to score she can, you know, like, that's how Chris Paul used to be when he especially when he was in New Orleans, you know, he averaged not 10 assists, but he was the best player too. So they needed him to score. So he averaged, you know, from 20 to 25. You know, maybe not all the way up to 25. But, you know, in that range. Once

Dave Washington 22:05
again, this is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host in studio with me today is Chris parks, my grandson, second eldest of our me and Matias 12. Grandchildren, we get six girls, six boys. Thanks to Ray Ray and Aaron. And a little boy was about a house the other day What a character if all he wants to do is eat em him in case and got that in common? Yeah, one thing I've liked about KJ, talking about KJ KJ got the complete package. Yes. As far as playing basketball, and Tyson and I'm putting it out there for you guys in cases. Man you need to get in shape. Okay, son likes to eat and I don't think he I think he's, and I say this in front of his dad case and as a football player. And I know his dad, you know, probably don't want him playing to get your head cracked down. But he can play and he's not aggressive when he plays basketball. I

Chris Washington 23:02
think that's a I think they're both both can play football, like KJ has the ability to play receiver or corner, just what his height, you know, now of course, he would have to pick up some weight. But like just his, his his his his stature. You know, he could play football in soaking Kyson, I think you know, I think what it is they both just levers of the game of basketball. You know, sometimes that happened like, like basketball was my favorite sport. You know, I I ended up stopped playing baseball because of it. Which now I regret. Yeah,

Dave Washington 23:39
I don't know if you remember Fred Fred heron. The I do. Fred told me you and David Wood natural baseball players. Yeah. And But David gonna go over here and, and, David, you're not a point guard because you got to be able to drink with both hands. And I never saw David develop it. Now. I want to talk real quickly. And also, this guy's talking about? Yeah, these are my grandson. This is Veterans Affairs plus on any 1.5 Jazz and more caring. Now Karen is smart. Yes. Karen is not an athlete. And I keep telling Karen but you're smart. And sometimes you just got to outsmart people.

Chris Washington 24:11
And, and you know what, like, you know, chyron reminds me of he probably will never probably be as tall. But Rudy go bear for the Minnesota Timberwolves. You know? Karen, you can tell Carmen isn't like a natural athlete. But he has that want. You know, like, because you know, Carmen didn't even want to play basketball. And now he wants to play. Oh, yeah. He wants to be better. Yes, you know, and when you want something and you go for it. That makes a big difference.

Dave Washington 24:48
Well, I've watched him in and I watched this. I watched his boy get about 810 rebounds, blocked about three to five shots and look,

Chris Washington 24:56
that's all he will have to do that's freshly if he keeps growing like it If he gets, man I pray if he gets about 6768 I don't know if he will, but it's possible, right? If he was, he can literally just be that, you know, you can develop a jump shot, you know, now, of course, you probably have never been a natural shooter and that you can develop it to where you can hit it consistently or when you wide open, right, you know, just just that hunger man and he and you know, want to casein casein and KJ split and mainly casein, he they push them, you know, they make sure, like, even when we outside, you know, in front of the house, they, you know, they're challenging each other, you know, which is good, because if you don't get challenged, you're not going to get better. That's right. You know, and you know, Kyson has been playing basketball for years now, saying, you know, Chiron is just kind of getting started that so with him getting started. And, you know, with Tyson being better than him at this moment, and challenging him. It's just gonna make the world fall.

Dave Washington 26:02
And speaking of that, continuing with sports, what do you think about where they're going to put the new baseball team, just in terms of location?

Chris Washington 26:12
They want everything on the street, like literally is, is crazy. It's I found being honest, I was talking to my dad about it, I think it would have been a better place if they would have put it downtown. Or maybe somewhere like, you know, how they have a the UNLV football stadium, you know, it's off, you know, off campus off a little bit, even if they would have did something like that. Wilson was speaking

Dave Washington 26:36
to that, and you go back to Elysian stadium for the Raiders. Frank Hawkins and Frank, I know you're gonna hear the show, because I'm gonna send it to you. Frank was highly perturbed. Frank wanted to that Cashman field and he wanted to down in the downtown area, because he wanted all the ethnic groups to get a fair shot because you know, when they build them stadiums, everybody around is getting some action. Yeah, yeah, for sure. The various bits, and frankly, he was highly upset when he when he moved it. But anyway, as we get ready to close out, Chris looked over my director and produce a whiz, he gave me the four minutes and three now so any, any final thoughts or on anything that we've talked about today, once again, Las Vegas, this is Veterans Affairs, plus on any 1.5 js and more, had my grandson Chris, in the studio, Destiny On the phone, David couldn't make it. But also I plan to have KJ caisson, and Karen on sometime soon, hopefully have now those three in the studio. Go, Hey, Chris.

Chris Washington 27:41
I would just like to say I appreciate you for having me on. And, you know, this is something new to me as well, you know, being able to speak on a radio. But yeah, the overall aspect of just life, I think that everybody should go for whatever it is that they want to go for live life travel, you know, see the world because, you know, we're not all here, you know, like, we're not gonna always be here, you know, so if you, you know, want to whatever it is, you know, make it happen for yourself. Absolutely.

Dave Washington 28:13
Well, I can tell you one of my goals before she gets out of office, is to get Mayor Carolyn Goodman and hopefully, her husband as well. If not in studio, at least, on the line because I think Carolyn will the Goodmans in general to me, and I'm not just saying this because they both looked out for me when I was serving as fire chief, but they're just generally good people to in my way of thinking they've already always treated me and Marsha with the utmost respect, even though sometimes I was being attacked by various people because the decisions that I made but once again, this is Veterans Affairs plus on 91.5, jazz and more. And I appreciate my grandson Chris for coming in studio and participating in discussion about a few things about life so thanks a lot Chris. necessarily

Chris Washington 29:03
appreciate you too.

Dave Washington 29:06
All right. We'll talk to you well in fact they'll probably be Jean or either Brian will it because I'll be down taking care of my medical health out of town thanks.

Music 29:50
All the smoke in the cylinder hey when they sit on the pavement we