Day Nine of the Vegas Adventure

We are spending the night in Terra Haute, IN. We just ran out of time trying to get to Lady's parents house. We should get there for breakfast since we are about 140 miles away. Driving today was good. No weather or problems. But time changes, a truck wreck, and construction combined with the 65 mph speed limit to keep us from reaching our goal. Lady once again was text queen. Wild Mom tried her hand at backseat navigating once she got her hands on the road atlas. We only missed three turns.

We should be home late Tuesday night if all goes well.

Day Eight of the Vegas Adventure

Well, I am writing this late since today's travel was really long. We left Vegas and drove until we were in Guymon, Ok. That was a long day ... some 858 miles. The trip home started early and very quiet for the first part. We sure hated to leave and start the journey back to reality. We had good weather and the traffic wasn't bad. In Tucumcari NM, we headed northeast to intersect with I-70. In Oklahoma, we started seeing the remnants of last weeks snow. Some places were still snowed in. A lot of businesses were closed. Lady quickly and effortlessly slipped into text mode and kept busy the whole day. Wild Mom tackled the crossword puzzles and crafts. It was nice cruising at 80 mph and the Toyota did very well and the mile per gallon stayed around 26.

Day Seven of the Vegas Adventure

Well, like all good things, it must end and we head home tomorrow. Saturday was a very relaxing day. We went to the Venetian and had lunch at the sidewalk cafes. We ate at Wolfgang Pucks cafe. The food was very good and very filling. The entertainment varied from renaissance singers and dancers to living art. We topped off the meal with some sorbet. After returning to our room we split paths as I headed out to bowl and Lady and Wild Mom headed to a show. No, it wasn't Chippendale's or Thunder Down Under. Bowling went well and as usual and I wasn't last and I did win some money. Now it is time to wait and dream about next year. I fought with the strikes but I was deadly on splits, picking up every one of them ranging from 5-7, 2-10, 5-6 and a myriad of double wood spares. Lady and Wild Mom really enjoyed the show. It was a collection of skits from illusionists, magicians, acrobatics, guys flying in the air and comedy. The little cafe downstairs makes a mean bagel-ham-cheese-egg sandwich and breakfast burritos.

Well, time to get some rest since we will be hitting the road early for the ride home. Still not sure of which way we will go since the weather is so messed up.

Day Six of the Vegas Adventure

Well, the fun continues. We drove the Vegas Strip at night and saw all the lights. If course there was a zillion people hanging around doing nothing important. That is except for the working girls. Who else would dress like that? Bowling was fun and I did ok. I wish for more but delight in the fact their were others with higher averages do a lot worse. I did manage to win a few side pots ... so that helped. Looks like the tournament schedule is:

2010 - Reno Nv.
2011 - Reno Nv.
2012 - Baton Rouge La.
2013 - Reno Nv.
2014 - Orlando Fl.
2015 - Wichita Ks. (25th consecutive tournament)
2016 - Reno Nv.

So it looks like a lot of fun. We did go to the Venetian Casino and saw the sights. They have a small Italian town built up including the river with Gondolas to ride in. This is all on the second floor of the building. The room is painted like a sky and is extremely real looking. When we first walked in you would think it is real, we did until we realized it was dark outside. The Sorbet was great and they had a Violin, Flute, Guitar trio playing love songs. They were really good. Saturday, we will go back and eat lunch there in a sidewalk cafe. We have been sitting here planning some more vacations ... that is fun. Lady is just taking in all the sights and keeping busy. Especially with the text messages. Wild Mom is her usual self. We have a fridge full of leftovers as she keeps bringing the doggie bags home. Today is laundry day so the washer and dryer are in full swing in the other room.

Well, time to run and get ready for Saturday.

Day Five of the Vegas Adventure

Well, we have arrived. The drive across Hoover Dam was awesome and crowded. The sheer size is breath-taking. We only had 104 miles to drive today so it was easy after the last three days. We arrived at the Resort and it rivals the cruise ship in features. The room ( 2 bedroom suite) has two bedrooms plus a fully stocked kitchen, sitting room and dining room. The bathroom is bigger than our room last night at Days Inn. The spa tub helps take up room along with the glass shower. We ate lunch at Harrah's, played Keno (no luck) and then came back for some rest. I may have to try out the massage facilities on the 2nd Floor on Saturday after my bowling experience. They have pool tables, air hockey, WII, Xbox centers and other game places for the gamers at heart. Too bad the kids didn't come along. The pool is big and a very active place. They have poolside activities much like the cruise ship. They are setup so that you can have a great time without ever leaving the Resort Complex. Tonight we will go to the 10pm showing of "The Blue Man Group" at the Venetian and Saturday night we will go to a Variety Show at Planet Hollywood. I am really looking forward to the BMG show it has been about 5 years since I last saw their show. Wild Mom is chilling out with her feet propped up while Lady is exploring all the amenitites of the Place. They even have an Arts & Crafts place ... that lit up Lady's eyes. Vegas has really grown and the traffic is nasty. We have used the shuttle bus or walked all we can. We are located one block off the Strip but can see the lights very easy.

Time to rest and get Ready for Tonight.

Day Four of the Vegas Adventure

A long day, we went from Amarillo Tx to Kingman Az. Rolling along at 80 mph helps too. I managed to drive 107 miles today without touching the brakes. The day was great with no weather and clear blue skies and the low 60's. There is not much to say since the terrain was mostly desert and very little trees. I did like just looking at the terrain and seeing so many different things. I was disappointed that we didn't get to see any wildlife as we drove through that desolate place. The highest elevation we reached today was 7250 feet. I think so far we have drove through the reservations of Cherokee, Hopi, Zuni, Navajo, and several others I can remember. Custer would have been proud of me not losing my scalp. Flagstaff did have some snow on the ground. From Seligman Az to Kingman Az (some 90 miles) we drove on the historic Route 66 instead of the Interstate. What was nice was that each town had a Historic Route 66 building with vintage cars all around it. Some of those cars were really nice. We ate lunch at Sky City Az. and had to really work to keep Wild Mom out of the Casino. The highest I paid for gas was $2.17 in Flagstaff but the highest we saw was Clines Corner NM at $2.49. Good thing I didn't need gas there. Tomorrow will be really easy as we only have about 101 miles to go. Lady and Wild Mom did pretty much the same thing as the previous days. Princess must have worked today since Lady only got 750 texts. Wild Mom must have chatted with most of Florida as she kept the cell circuits busy. Lady didn't like the elimination results so she will have to watch it next week and hope.

Las Vegas ... here we come.

Day Three of the Vegas Adventure

Well after a restful sleep in Little Rock Ar., we are going to try out the beds in Amarillo Tx. We even manged to get here in time for Lady to see the eliminations on Dancing With The Stars. We ran into a very hard rain just west of Fort Smith Ar. There must have been a hundred frogs killed as that frog strangler of a rain came down. They predicted hail, lightening, and tornadoes but we saw none of those. After we got through it the sky cleared and we had a beautiful day for driving. It was 72 degrees and sunny as we cruised the Interstate. At one point I went almost 100 miles without touching the break. For the day my average was 70.2 miles per hour. The highest gas price was $2.02 per gallon. We did contribute to Dennys as we ate breakfast there. Not much changed for Lady and Wild Mom. Well, Lady did forget her camera in Little Rock so we will have to arrange to have it sent back to us when we get home. We had dinner at Texas Roadhouse in Amarillo and it was very good even after Wild Mom sent it back to be made into charcoal. Mine was medium rare and very juicy. Once again ... I ate too much. I am trying to figure out how to squeeze a midnight snack at Whataburger. Tomorrow we will try and make Kingman Az. but I fear we may only get to Flagstaff Az. Especially if we have to stop a lot. The Toyota is doing quite well as a road car. I even got 29.1 miles to the gallon on one tank today, the rest averaged 25.5.

Let me see if I can recall anything from home. #1 is counting and recounting our bowling winnings from the Sunday Night league. #2 needs to get dog-washing refresher course. He could even call Wild Mom and update her on Muffin. Peanut's working days are drawing to a close as the week ends. Starr is having a blast moving and cleaning the old apartment. Not sure what Princess did today, surely wasn't work, since she text Lady at least a 1000 times today.

Beautiful

A Lil Princess at her finest ...

It is worth a second look ...

Day Two of the Vegas Adventure

Day two has ended as we spend the night in Little Rock Arkansas. Lady needed to get to a TV to see Dancing With The Stars or we might have made Fort Smith AR. The day started off with breakfast at the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge. As usual it was great and we started the trip stuffed ... more business for the rest areas. Also many plans were made for the next time we pass through Pigeon Forge. We met up with a friend ... Blue ... in Memphis TN. He drives an 18 wheeler for Prime Inc. We had a great dinner and spent a couple hours talking. At one point today, Lady was texting so much the keyboard just leaped across the car. Lady spent most the day reading, texting, sleeping and sewing. Wild Mom did her usual ... knit, read and sleep. It is amazing how many snacks she has squirrelled away in the backseat. I spent the day driving ... fun! Gas has been pretty consistent hanging around $1.85 per gallon. We haven't drove through this area much since we left Blytheville AR in 1978. So the changes have really changed the looks but we were still able to find things that we could remember. Tomorrow we hope to make Amarillo Tx.

Day 1 of the Vegas Adventure

Well, the first day of the trip is over. We are in Pigeon Forge. Better yet, they have no wireless so you are reading this later. The trip was uneventful except for the 90+ minute delay in Bristol as the NASCAR race ended. 10 mph on the interstate was dumb. I won't even go into my feelings on this topic. Sunday before the trip was good. Lil Princess looked georgeous in her green and white dress. While we went to pack and leave on the trip, Lil Princess and Lew went to some friends to play with the baby goats and rabbits. Lady and Wild Mom are doing good except for the snacks ... before we reached I-81 they were into them. For the most part Lady slept (partially because of the sun) and Wild Mom knitted. Three times, the person passing me got pulled over for speedin. When you pass a trooper and then he pulls out and flips the lights on, even if you are innocent, the old heart races until you realize it was the other guy. That is also a great way to keep awake cuz the adrenalin does flow faster. Just so you the reader isn't disappointed, we did eat dinner at Denny's. Hopefully tomorrow we will make Arkansas and spend the night. Well, it is 7am ... time to wake these sleeping beauties ... later.

Time Marches On

Well, five days till we hit the road to Vegas. Wild Mom is now here with us. We drove to Pigeon Forge last Friday and brought her back to Virginia. Of course we ate at The Old Mill and did some shopping first. The only down side to the whole weekend was that it rain the whole time. Coming back the trunk was crammed full along with half of the back seat ... and she packed light! We had to cut the shopping trip short since the car was full already. Lady is ready to go and anxiously awaits the day we leave. Though the grandkids will be missed ... we will have a blast and enjoy every minute of the trip. I wish a couple of my friends would be able to make it to Vegas for a visit but it seems doubtful.

Peanut and AJ are now in their own room downstairs. Wild Mom was happy to have somewhere to sleep other than the futon in the living room. Today, she even bought a small lamp so she could lay there and read at night. No change for #1 or #2 ... the job market is so quiet I even wonder if it exists. Since we were out of town last weekend we did not see Lew or Lil Princess. But we will get to see them this Saturday before we leave. I did manage to get a dress for Lil Princess and I will post pictures soon. Starr is still enjoying her job and has even managed to squeeze in a move to a new apartment. Wonders will never cease to happen ... I wonder what will happen when she turns 30? A pink dress with lace ruffles?

The bowling season is over for the leagues. The youth team finished in second losing the title by one pin. Ever doubt that one (1) pin counts? The adult team finished in the middle of the pack above .500. So that was good though it gives us room to improve next year. I did manage to get my goal on Sunday by rolling a 619 in the morning and a 655 that evening. The last series gave me enough pins to get my average to 185 for the year. A far cry from the 169 two years ago. I am hoping the slump is over and I can get back to where I belong ... in the mid 190's.

Work is the same ... a big pain. One project ends and they drop another one with a even shorter deadline. It is amazing how with just a couple of days left till we leave and the number of people that call me for computer work. It never fails. 5 people called me yesterday and today. Some of them I haven't heard from in almost a year. It is almost like the computers know my time is limited and take advantage of it.

I will post about our trip ... so stay tuned. Who knows, maybe even a few pictures.

Time gets Shorter ....

Well, I guess spring has finally arrived ... so it is time to put up the jacket and get the shorts out. The worst thought is that the grass will start growing and before long the dreaded mower will have to come out and a weekly chore starts up once again. One more week of Bowling left and our Sunday's will be free for a about 10 weeks. The Youth team is in first place and the Sunday Night team is in the middle of the pack. Wild Mom should be starting her journey here sometime this week. We are supposed to pick her up in Pigeon Forge next Saturday. Peanut is happy as her new room is about done. Once the paint dries she can put the furniture together and set the room up. That also means AJ has a new are to explore and make his mark. Then we will have a few days to get the old room done and ready for Wild Mom. Lady is ready for the road trip about as much as I am. It is nice just to get away for a bit from the drama of normal everyday life. #1 and #2 are still waiting for the job fairy to visit. Lew and Lil Princess spent the weekend with us and we were in constant motion. We will miss them while we are gone ... but not enough to take them with us! Starr is doing well just working and getting healed up. We are proud she is hanging in there though the job is not the ideal one ... but it is a job and a paycheck.

I haven't drank any caffeine for two weeks and surprisingly I didn't have any withdrawal problems. especially considering how much tea and coffee I drink on a daily basis. I imagine my mood changed some ... but I am so lovable in the first place.

Only two weeks before we head for Las Vegas. I am looking forward to the drive out there and seeing the countryside once again. The last time we made that trip was 1990. Gee, have we been in Virginia that long? 19 years? Good thing I am ageless or I would feel old.

By time Obama undoes everything Bush did, we will be back to the Clinton Years. I said a small prayer today when Obama said that programs would be judged on their scientific value and not on their moral value. Why do we try so hard to destroy our values and play God our self? They also said the number of Christians are decreasing and the number of people believing in an unspecified higher power is increasing. Are we forcing History to repeat itself?

Brrrrrr

Well, it is snowing and everything is white. We got abut 6" of the white stuff. The rest of the week will be cold (below freezing). The weekend was busy on Saturday as we cleaned and moved boxes around. Wild Mom arrives in about 12 days, will life ever be the same? Last week included a funeral for a lady at our church. Normie will be missed, especially I will miss her since she made a wicked BBQ sandwich. Lately the Church has kept me busy. One Sunday morning the Pastor had some business and was late getting back to the servive and I filled in until he returned. Then on Ash Wednesday, the funeral caused a conflict and I stepped in and conducted the service. This is a major change from past Pastor's and their not letting the Lay leader assist. Bowling is almost done. The Adult league has 2 weeks left and we are in the middle of the pack. So finishing much higher won't yeild anything more than we will get now. There is always next year. The Youth league has 3 weeks to go and we are in first. So we have our work cut out on that league. This youth teams seems to click a lot better than the recent past ones. As I said Wild Mom will be here soon in preparation of our trip to Las Vegas. We will head west about the 23rd of March. Lady is also getting pumped to go since she missed the last couple of trips because of work. #1 has had a couple of interviews and is still waiting to hear back. #2, well, he is still alive and not working. Peanut keeps trudging to work though some days are harder than the others. AJ is growing and is on the verge of walking. lately he has been side tracked with his climbing. He is climbing on everything whether it was meant to be climbed on or not. The sofa has a constant stack of pillows across the front of it as he loves to climb up there. Lew and Lil Princess continue to give us laughs and tears. These times make us laugh but sometimes the constant use of "no" dampens the enthusiasm. No new words from Star since her job started. She must really be working hard and making a lot of money. Maybe we should move down there and let her support us. Our cruisin buddies have a new car --- 2006 Cadillac DTS. Sure is a nice car but I am partial to mine.

Work is the same. It has slacked off some but dealing with certain people is a major league pain. Maybe one day the petty wars will subside and everyone just do their job like they should. Cheng and I are trying to get back to our 8 hour days but haven't been too successful so far.

Well, the stock market continues to sink lower and wipe out most of many Americans retirement plans. When will all this throwing of money about ever start showing some ability to stabilize the economy. Maybe he should listen to the Citizens who helped him get there and do what we think will work.