...Eating a lot

Summer vacation means.......

Ready for another vacation part two

Ready for another vacation part one

Just a few pics from the September, 2010 Nevada trip.
How about some damn good food? NOT in the photos are a couple
of lobster tails, more ice cream, chocolate samples at
a chocolate factory, a shrimp stir fry, some of the best
Italian pizza I've ever had, a breakfast with home grown eggs
and all the fixings, cheddar popcorn, nacho popcorn, caramel
apples that are huge, and more. The king crab legs in the
middle photo are an APPETIZER at the Conductor's Room,
Railroad Pass, Henderson Nevada. Yummy stuff.

Vegas stories, part five

It Rained

Tuesday morning, I called a friend that was staying in another
room at the hotel. "It rained this morning" she said.
"Oh" I replied.

Going down into the casino several employees looked at me
over the course of the day and remarked, "Did you notice
it rained this morning?"
"Oh" I replied.

Visiting another friend that night, her husband remarked
that it had rained that morning.

Three days later having lunch with some other people, all
of them commented on the fact that it rained Tuesday morning.

Living in Missouri it's just something I take for granted,
all the moisture. I had forgotten what a big deal a little
rain is (officially 1/100 of an inch) in the desert.

Vegas stories, part four

In Business

Several times while in Vegas and surrounding areas
I was approached by people, dollar in their hand,
to sell them a cigarette. Each time I told them
to keep their dollar, but they insisted. Considering
the low tax I pay for my cigarettes in my state a
buck would actually buy me ten cigarettes. I'm sure
in someone's eyes (the state or the feds) the cigarette
for a buck transaction was illegal. As I've told my
husband on numerous occasions, there are so many laws
anymore I probably break ten of them unknowingly
before I get out of bed each morning.

Vegas stories, part three

The Door

When I got my room at the Excalibur, I was later than the rest,
as it wasn't ready earlier. I had left my luggage in a friend's
room. So after I got checked in, I went straight to my room.
Tried the door with both keys - nope. Straight down the hall,
there was a security guard. Went and told him I was unable to get
into my room.
He came with me and watched my earnest attempts before taking
one of the keys and opening it right up. 'Thanks' I told him.

Went and retrieved my luggage from the friend's room and went
back with it to my room. Got out my keys, tried the door again
and again, and nope. Started mumbling under my breath.

A couple of guys that worked there were walking by.
"Are you sure you have the right room?" One of them asked.
"Yep" was my reply, without looking up.
One of them came over, took the key, and opened the door right
up.
Ugh.

Friend and I went out - we went to In and Out Burger, Wal-Mart
and Target (for snackies and stuff). I told her we needed
to stop at my room first so she could open my door for me, LOL.
Thankfully I was able to get the door open then and didn't
have too much of a problem the rest of the week.

Vegas stories, part two

Valet Guy - What Are the Odds?

Saturday night, my last night in Vegas, I was going to be alone
for the first time on the trip. Didn't bother me in the least but
I was delighted when a friend called and told me they were on their
way to spend a few hours with me on my last night there.

For those that don't know, Vegas on a weekend can get kind of crazy.
The parking lots get full and you need a room key to get your
car parked. My friend wanted me to meet them as they drove up so
we could present my room key to get the car parked. No problem, I say.
Ha!
Waiting on them near valet, which was backed up several cars deep,
they called and said they missed the turn and would be there shortly.
So I waited and watched.

A valet guy noticed me and asked if he could help me.
"Nope just waiting for friends" I said. He then asked me about my shirt,
a Bakersfield baseball t-shirt, and we talked awhile about that.
Hehe.
There were at least ten to 15 guys working valet that night.

So valet guy left, and I finally saw the friends drive in. I went
over and got in their car as they were in the wrong lane, and we
went around again.

Pulled up to valet, friend has room key in hand, and
GUESS FREAKIN WHAT?
SAME VALET GUY that was talking to me earlier. He says,
"Hey I remember you - I was talking to you and you said you were
waiting on friends."
We told him we changed our minds about going out.
I told him friend can't drive for shit.

Valet guy laughed and parked the car.
What are the odds of that happening? To get the same guy?
Mama mia.

Vegas stories part one

I brought back many stories from Vegas, but let's start
with the ride home.

3:30am Sunday, September 12th, I took my suitcases to the
front of Excalibur and hailed a cab. Climbed in with the
cab driver and told him, "Airport the fastest way please."
He asked me, "Do you know the fastest way?" I replied that
I was familiar with the area and yes, but offered nothing
more than that.

So on the way to the airport cab driver tells me he is
from Indonesia, and I am his very first fare EVER. Wow.

Driving along on Tropicana, we suddenly encounter police
cars with at least 3 blocks of the road closed due to
an accident or something. Cab driver curses under his
breath. He makes a turn around and goes up a side road
to bypass those blocks. When he gets on the detour, a
residential street, he floors it. I'm not sure what the
speed limit is supposed to be but I'm pretty sure it wasn't
as fast as we were traveling! Get to the airport, he
drops me and my luggage at the door. I give him a good
tip as I am his very first fare. Yes I wondered if he told
all his passengers this, but oh well. He'll remember me.

Checking in was uneventful. Made my way to security.
Security.
I was patted down in security.
O-kay. I really don't care at 4:15am.

Get to my gate somewhere around 4:45. How did I do this
so quickly? Oh yeah the cab driver :) Okay plane leaves
at 6:30, that leaves snooze time.

EXCEPT for the Allegiant gate employee. Little Miss Chipper.
She arrives, coffee in hand, saying a loud boisterous 'Good
Morning' to everyone she passes. I hate morning people!
Then she starts announcing everything about the flight - and it
isn't even 5am yet. By 5am I knew how long the flight lasts,
who the pilots were, how much potato chips sell for on the
flight, and much much more.

FINALLY we board.
Found my seat, buckled my seatbelt, and settled in for a
snooze. Oh wait. Miss Pissed Off gets on the plane and
wouldn't you know it - her seat is directly in front of
mine. She starts off bitching to her poor husband how
someone else's suitcase is in her assigned luggage bin.
She sits down and it's just yip yip yip for awhile.

Then the pilot announces we have a mechanical problem and would
be delayed. Seems there was no water pressure in the bathroom
sink. 5 minute delay he says. Right I say. Sigh. 15 minutes
later the mechanical people decide they don't know what's wrong
and need to just drain the tank and put wet wipes in the bathroom.
5 more minutes they say.

We take off over 1/2 hour late.
'Not a problem' the pilot says. We'll make it up in the air.
Okay time for that snooze.

Halfway through the flight, I'm guessing somewhere over Kansas,
Miss Pissed Off starts yelling for help. Seems another man in
her row was having a reaction of some sort. Flight attendants
come, pilot comes. I thought for sure we'd be landing in Kansas
so he may get medical attention but he fortunately was okay.

We arrive at the intended destination about 20 minutes late, but
otherwise alive.

Airplane story

Before I boarded my flight to Vegas, I was
checking in at the airport. The check in guy
asked me if I had a preference for a seat. When
I said no, he asked if I'd mind sitting next
to an emergency exit. I made a face, I was
thinking about the extra leg room but he didn't
know that. He said, 'You have to be able
to lift 40 pounds.' I thought some more. He
said, 'You can lift 40 pounds, can't you?' I
paused, smiled, then said, "Well I can lift
forty pounds but I'd be too busy screaming."

He gave me another seat not in the emergency
exit row - LOL.

Vegas trip

Receiving unconditonal love.




Giving unconditional love.


Seeing mountains again.


Eating well.


And of course,

Entertainment! :)

Still recuperating from my six days in Vegas.
Having been there several times before, I played
it a bit different this time. This is what
my Vegas trip meant to me!

Just us girls etc.

When I've had conversations lately with different people,
the subject of me going to Vegas always comes up. I'm
asked "Who are you going with?" (Like they'd know them
anyway, seriously, why ask, but I regress). I always
respond with 'Oh just us girls.' Love that! Every woman
need some girls to hang around with!

You know it's pretty cool. I just discovered a young
relative's website and that girl is just like me in so
many ways! I should have been her mother! And I'm
discovering that I'm not the only one who feels the way
I do about certain things, and I'm certainly not an
oddball because I do feel that way. Neat!!

I wish I could just wring it into people the importance
of integrity and owning up to one's mistakes early, not
putting it off any longer than necessary. Especially if
it involves someone else. Too many things are just
needlessly destroyed by lies etc. I've seen it over and
over and over. And it continues to happen (not to me)
time and time again. Everyone makes mistakes, own up
to them as quickly as possible and get it over with.
Lying just seems to postpone the inevitable, and also
make it so much worse. Off my soapbox!