New World

Guess I'm starting up this blog again...  I've changed the title to   New World because that is what it is now... a new world.
So much has changed since the last time I wrote anything.  It's a new world now.
2005 was 7 years ago... Wow! 7 years.  
Now there is only me and Gus and Geronimo, looking out over the Pacific Ocean and living the dream.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas is a pretty cool city.
Lots of people and buildings and stores and restaurants and casinos and lights in a rather compact area.
The weather rocks.
It can be seen from space at night when all the lights of the strip are lit.
There is an Apple Store here where I am now employed.

View through sliders in living room

This is the view out the sliding glass doors in our living room. What a hoot!

Six days in Vegas

Wednesday was spent waiting around for the furniture to arrive. Around 3:00 the big truck pulled up outside our door and two large beautiful black men unloaded the beds, dressers, lamps, kitchen table and chairs and livingroom furniture. It was all arranged according to my directions. After they left we realized the couch and chair were probably rescued from a dumpster. They are pretty ragged. Thursday Dad called to tell them we wanted something better. They said they'd bring a replacement today (Monday). But they were a no show. Saturday I finally got around to putting all my clothes away and found my dresser had a drawer whose front that just fell off when I went to pull it out. It also must have been rescued from the dumpster. The kitchen table is nicely hidden by the beautiful table cloth I bought and the too low chairs are heightened by the pillows I bought for the seats.
I've been driving around Las Vegas and find it is filled with not only casinos, but liquor stores, cigarrette stores, fast food, slow food, 7-eleven's and Starbucks broken up by strip malls with grocery stores, dollar stores, and more eating selections, check cashing stores, banks and gyms. Actually, anything you could possibly want is found withing a short distance from anywhere. I found a Thrift store where I got a pretty nice blond wooden desk for the desktop computer for $25.00. It's the nicest piece of furniture in the apartment! Good thing I have a van.

I had an interview Thursday at a school that was dangerously close to the Outlet Mall and went to the Saks Fifth Ave. Outlet store afterwards. Expensive visit. But I now own two more pair of slacks and a pair of really cool shoes. The interview was good, the shopping was great.

My airport wireless network wasn't working properly so Friday I took a trip to the Apple Store at the Fashion Show Mall on the strip to have it checked out. And filled out an application for a job while I was there. My talk with the manager was very encouraging. I'm now waiting for a phone call for a real interview there. My airport was adjusted (for free) and I celebrated by stopping by the Godiva store across from the Apple Store and buying expensive chocolates.

My first trip to Boulder Station, across the street, was after returning from the Apple store. I found Dad handicapping in the horse book. After a couple of races he and I went to the big Buffet for lunch and had a variety of food and then another variety of food and then some dessert. Dinner wasn't necessary that night.

Today is Monday and I waited for the phone call from Apple, the furniture rental truck and a letter from Clark County Schools. None of them happened. But I managed to redo my resume for Apple with lots of bling. Dad went to the Y and signed up for the winter.

The weather has been very very nice. Rain is expected this week. We'll see.

Flagstaff & Sedona

Happy Halloween! We spent the last two nights in motels without high speed internet service so I kept Cosmo (that's my laptop's name) closed and resting. Saturday night was spent in Shamrock, Texas. In the pan handle. In the bible belt. Of course there was a bible open on the dresser for us to read while we were there. I've stayed there once before. When on my way to visit Julia in Los Alamos, New Mexico. We stayed at a different place than I stayed bere. The Irish Inn is a pretty big place just off I-40. Big room. Dad ate sausage and biscuits for breakfast Sunday morning. I could hear his arteries hardening as he ate them. Going through Oklahoma Saturday we passed a field of huge windmills. I think those are pretty awesome. I hope we can use those all over the country someday along with solar energy. Then tell the oil companies to take their product and shove it where the sun won't shine.
Yesterday we planned on staying in Albequerque, New Mexico, but we had gained two hours Saturday from the time change for Dayligh Savings and crossing a time zone, so we continued on towards Gallup. However, we stopped for gas in Grants, New Mexico which was only about 50 miles before Gallup, and decided it was a good place to stop for the night. We checked in to a Econo Lodge that was rated 3 stars in the AAA book, but was actually a 1 star at best. Not the greatest motel ever, but whatever. It was around 3:30. I read, Dad took a nap, then we went to dinner at a diner.
That night, around 11:30, I woke to a young woman screaming and screaming from a room near ours. They weren't blood curdling screams, it was like she was talking and screaming at the same time, but in great distress. I couldn't make out any of what she was saying, it might have been another language, but it went on and on. There was a constant banging throughout her screaming too, as if someone were banging there fist into a wall or her head into a wall...or something. I was tempted to get up and see what exactly was happening, but was afraid to. It was all very violent sounding. Then I heard a door open and another guest yell, "Settle down out there!" The screaming slowly subsided and things grew intermittantly quiet for awhile. Then I heard several people run past our room (we were on the second floor) and then loud knocking on a door nearby. Oh, the excitement in the wilderness of New Mexico! I had trouble sleeping for awhile after that, but eventually drifted off again. Dad said he heard the screaming too, but paid no mind to it.

So Today we arrived in Flagstaff at 11:30 a.m., checked into a Ramada Inn and took off for Sedona, 30 curvy miles away. The drive there is spectacular. The rock formations are riveting. It took about 45 minutes. Uptown Sedona is very obviously a tourist spot. Lots of shops, motels and restaurants in a beautiful setting. We had lunch at "The Hideaway" off the main street but with a beautiful view of one of the many rock formations surrounding the area. The people are very friendly and willing to talk about the area. After eating, I shopped at a rock store that was next to the restaurant and there was a woman who tried to explain to me the energizing power of different rocks. Then we went to the "uptown" part of the tiny town and I spent a half hour looking at the shops there. Surprise, I bought a purse! And a couple of candles. I wanted to buy some rocks, but felt it was too frivoulous and expensive. I can ALWAYS use a purse and candles.

So now we are looking forward to our arrival in Las Vegas. Dad's got the travelin' blues. He needs to be in one place for awhile again. As do I. Although, I kind of like this seeing the country at the leisurely pace we have been seeing it. We will be staying at Palace Station tomorrow night because the apartment manager wouldn't let the furniture rental place in unless the contract for the apartment was signed first. But he found his free night at Palace Station flyer so we have the room for free. And we can unpack a lot of our stuff tomorrow too. Las Vegas is only 255 miles of mountainous driving so we should arrive there fairly early. Plus we gain yet another hour.

That's the news of the last two or three days. Keep those emails coming! We miss you. I particularly am missing Baxter today because the camping in the Sedona area looked awesome and I know he would enjoy that too.

horses

T'm glad we are winning races, too bad the meets about over.
Sandy and I are going to a casino here in Miami, Ok. Wish us luck.

Miami, Oklahoma

We have arrived at the first exit in Oklahoma...Miami. A small community with five (yes, five) casinos to choose from. We rocketed out of Springfield, Illinois around 8:00 a.m. and slid through St Louis in a fog (literally a fog...or was it smoke...we aren't sure) We had lunch in Marshfield, just outside of Springfield, Missouri (are you confused yet?) at another family diner. This one didn't offer Dad a Senior Citizen discount. But we both had a breakfast plate for $3.49. Arrived here in Miami under sunny skies and 71 degrees. Lovely.
At 6:00 or so, after naps and computer time, we headed to the "Stables" casino where Dad played the horses and I played slots. The laws in Oklahoma are strange and all the gambling (slots anyway) have to be based on bingo or lotto. So the playing is a bit strange on some machines. It's kinda hard to figure out what's happening, but you manage. Upstairs was a crap table that used cards instead of dice since dice are illegal in Oklahoma.
We had a great dinner in the Stable's dining room rather late (8:00) and now, once again, we are exhausted.
Tomorrow we head for Shamrock, Texas. I'm sure there won't be any casinos there!

The First Day

We arrived at a Days Inn motel south of Springfield, Illinois at around 4:00 Springfield time. That's 5:00 Michigan time. Jack collapsed on one of the beds for a nap shortly after. I went out to find gas for my fuel sucking van. The area is south Springfield and consists of restaurants, motels, gas stations, and used car lots with a few topless bars and billiards places here and there. I found a gas stations and got lost coming back to the motel. Almost an hour later I found my way back.
We drove a little over 400 miles and just under 8 hours, which is more than I thought we would. But that is probably due to missing the ramp to 80 south of Chicago while in bumper to bumper traffic on south/west 94/80 where there was major construction going on.
While trying to find our way back to 80 we stopped for lunch to regroup. The restaurant was a local family type place that advertised 1/2 off prices for senior citizens. They even had a separate "senior citizen" menu. Kind of like a kid's menu only for old people.
I'll try to post the pictures we took from there here.
Once back on 80 the ride was smooth and almost relaxing. Except it is our first day driving and our bodies and butts are not attuned to the long periods of sitting. Dad managed to follow my lead the whole way with no problem. Cruise control is a wonderful thing.
We went next door to the Bob Evans restaurant for a soup and salad dinner around 6:30 and we are now both exhausted. So far so good.