Fallout...

Today…The fallout from my co-worker announcing her resignation yesterday, for a new and hopefully better job. I am sad to see her go. It looks as though the foreseeable future will suck…I will be taking on all of the front office duties until a replacement is found. If rumor is true…her replacement may be in the pit bull’s immediate family…which means there will be two diva’s instead of one to deal with. My own job search will now intensify…dramatically.

I think it’s interesting how blind some people can be! There was lots of anger and shock at my co-worker’s departure…what can we do to make it better here for you….blah…blah….blah. On and on…too little, too late. The pit bull, of course, was the only one not surprised…and she was ecstatic. Of course, she has engineered all of the mayhem leading up to the resignation that Big Spender held in his hand. Her immediate response was “I want my aunt to interview for this position.” Which is basically what we have suspected all along….she has other people in mind for our jobs. So…she keeps telling us that…if she were us…she would find somewhere else to work. At last count…my co-worker has been invited to leave 3 times, and I have been invited to leave twice. Well…she is getting what she wants…and I hope she chokes on it.

She has turned a pleasant, interesting place to work, into a place where we dread coming each day. A place where our supervisor’s idea of supervising is making sure that we know that she is in TOTAL control of our lives. The appreciation that we used to get has been replaced with nit-picking and criticism of EVERY thing that we say and do (including our clothing and the way we say “good morning”). Every opportunity to tell us how we have failed, and how inadequate we are, is used to the fullest extent possible. We work our butts off, while her main talent is delegating her work to us. Then there is the issue of her 64 hours (at the big bucks), which wouldn’t be so bad…if she didn’t take every opportunity to flaunt it in our faces.

They say time heels all wounds…and I believe that it also wounds all heels…what goes around…comes around. I hope it hurries.

Be Well!

The Lake House...

What a nice day this turned out to be! Slept in (8:15), then showered, cleaned house a bit, unpacked from our 'untrip', then read for a while! Marvin spent the morning trying to load music on his mp3 player...which turned out to be trickier than it sounds.

Around 1:30, he gave up and we went to The Good Egg for breakfast/lunch, then on to Ultimate Electronics, Pier 1, and finally to the 13th St Warren to see The Lake House! What a good movie! I don't care what the revues say...GO SEE IT!! Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock are perfectly matched and capture the hearts of viewers...from the get go! I left the theater, dabbing tears (of joy) from my eyes! One revue said that the movie wasn't good because it was based on an impossibility...SO FREAKING WHAT? Take a good hard look at reality sometime....it ain't what it's cracked up to be honey!! I'll take a good, old fashioned, fantasy anytime...something that makes me smile at the end of the day!!!

After the movie, we stopped in at Petland to see Bubbles (so dubbed by yours truly) a perfect, spunky, fiesty, tiny, white Maltese puppy. Then on to Heavenly Snow to top off the afternoon!

After a quick shower...we will settle in to watch either "Rumor Has It"...or "Family Stone"! We watched "Ringer" last night...it was hilarious!!

The forecast had called for storms this afternoon...they didn't materialize! Perhaps, that is a sign that a cloud free week (metaphorically speaking) is ahead of us! I know we can use it!

Be Well!!

Freaky Friday...

Aren’t words weird? I guess that’s why I like them so much! Take the word Freak for instance…when I typed it just now…I meant that today is a weird Friday…strange..out of the ordinary. When I was a teenager…a Freak referred to a person who did lots of drugs…oddly enough…Freaks were considered to be totally trustworthy, dependable, and ‘good people’. I guess this was primarily because of their own level of paranoia…towards ‘the man’. Anyone who had such a dislike for authority…could definitely be trusted…right? Interestingly…two of the definitions that Webster gives us are ‘a person who uses illicit drugs’ and ‘HIPPIE’. There are lots of kinds of Freaks though…circus freaks…freaks of nature…mall freaks…

Well…I just got a call from my dad. The news is bad…there is a tumor on my step mom’s spine that is pinching it. They are rushing her to Tulsa now in order to begin radiation ASAP. So far…a treatment today, another one first thing tomorrow…and we don’t know what from there. On top of everything else…she fell off the porch after arriving home late last night. My dad’s voice kept breaking…which broke my heart.

Please pray for them.
Be Well

Thursday...

8:00-This morning is starting out strangely…apparently we have a new cleaning crew and things are amiss…and a missing…

9:00-Reports and tickets are finished, all without incident. However, voices are raised and there is trouble in the air…! Holy cow…door slamming has begun. At least it isn’t directed at me this time. That is a good thing…if it ever is again…I will walk. Like Sweet Baby James says “The walkin man (woman) walks…!”

1:41-Lunch was good. I had another Heavenly Snow today. Creamy Coconut flavor and Ice Cream flavor, poured over crushed ice, really was heavenly! I now have a punch card with 4 holes punched! After 9…I get a regular free…after 12 I get a large free!! Cool beans! I have only actually been there 3 times…but, (hold on to your hat), Wednesdays are double punch days!! Yea!!

I drove back to work and sat in the car eating my ice…reading my book…and letting the sun warm me! It was fabulous! I kept my phone within easy reach…but no calls from anyone desiring to hire a crazy woman.

2:45-The call to hire a crazy woman came…but…they wanted to pay her less than she is making now…so…she will wait for another call.

3:00-This entire day has been one long succession of closed door meetings and attorney conference calls. My question at this point would be, “How many meetings does it take to screw a partner?” I’m sure the answer will be forthcoming.







Be Well!

Another day...another 50 cents...

Morning reports are finished…waiting for copies to be faxed in from a wayward broker to complete tickets. So far it is a quiet morning…but that can change in an instant.

The sky is not cloudy…but it is a bit hazy…almost overcast. I am anxious to go to the post office this morning…

I had hoped that during the post office run, I could return a call to a prospective employer who left a message on my home phone last night…alas…I got his voice mail at 10:00 and again at 1:15. I guess I will wait until Wednesday to try again…I don’t want to irritate him before I ever meet him.

I took a bond bid downtown this afternoon, then went on to the bank. The sun was shining and the breeze (about 40 mph) felt fabulous!! It was very hard to come back to work.

A customer came into the office this afternoon, and by the time he left I wanted to smack him. He was a big, loud, boisterous man. He bordered on rude, just in the way he spoke to us. His wife came in with him and she was a tiny, sweet, quiet oriental woman. He swept right by her in the hallway, and she followed meekly…like a puppy. As they sat in the broker’s office…she sat with her chair about 3 feet behind his. I wanted to march in there and pull her chair up even with his and tell him to “KNOCK IT OFF!” I realize that there are cultural differences…and she may have been doing what was comfortable to her…but she isn’t less than him…and I wish she knew it.


Be Well!

Monday funk...

The day dawned dark, cloudy, and rainy…perfect for a Monday. A funk has set in…almost imperceptibly…it took over my thoughts. As I sat, typing away, I realized what was happening. Now forcing myself to smile…I am hoping that I will begin to feel a smile inside too.

The weekend was good, although it began with a trip that I had intended NOT to be an all day affair. We left Saturday around noon, to go to Ark City for ‘a few hours’…we got back home sometime around 9:00 p.m….sorry guys! Even though it took longer than we planned, it was a good trip, and we did have fun!! We laughed and talked all the way there, and all the way back, and had a good visit with everyone who we stopped to see! I always have fun when we go anywhere together!!

Church was good on Sunday, then we went to Outback Steak House for Father’s Day lunch…which was excellent! After lunch, back to our house to swim and soak up some sun for a few hours! That was really great!!

Supper was Pizza Hut delivery (not Digiorno). The kids headed home around 6:30 or so, and we spent the rest of the evening watching TV.

After talking to my dad on Saturday evening, we are concerned that my step-mother’s cancer is probably active again. She is showing a marked decline in motor skills and memory…within the past week. We knew that it would happen eventually…but it is very hard to think about. She has done so well…for so long…that we have become complacent. My heart breaks for her and for my dad…and there is not one single thing that we can do to ‘help’. This can’t be ‘helped’ or ‘fixed’, but it must be endured. She is one of the strongest people that I have ever known. In spite of everything…she always smiles, and her reply to “How are you feeling?” is always “I’m doing great!” Please pray for her and for my dad…she is the love of his life.

Be Well!

Looking forward....

Friday! Yea!!!!!!!!!!! This has been a long week and I am NOT sorry to see it end!! Although…HORROR OF HORRORS…I forgot to wear jeans this morning. It has been suggested that I go to Wal-Mart on my lunch hour and get jeans or capri’s to wear this afternoon. My co-worker is feeling a bit out of place…she is in casual Friday jeans…and I am wearing a ‘compliance’ skirt and top with heels. I’m thinking it over.

It appears that there was only one error in all of the frantically entered tickets yesterday…and it was not mine! So…I am doing the dance of joy this morning (inside).

The pants situation was resolved…Marvin came to have lunch with me! That is always a happy thing!! And…I didn’t have to go try on clothes in a stuffy fitting room!

3:31 – Big spender gave us ½ hour off…we get to leave at 4:00…after he made sure that we weren’t going to expect to be paid for the time. I would gladly have forfeited two or three hours of pay in order to get off early…it’s not the money that bugs me. It’s the fact that we have put in a helacious week, and there isn’t even enough appreciation for the ‘over and above’ things that we have done to give us 30 minutes paid. People suck.

Oh well…it’s not going to mar my weekend!! Onward and upward!! Hopefully, news of a new job by next week! For now…on to Red Robin for dinner with the most wonderful family on earth!!!!!!!!

Be Well!

The Two Stooges Mail a Package....

What a day! This morning started out slow…then…bam! It hit like diarrhea at 3 a.m.! It all started about 12:45…by the time it ended at 3:10, we had done 32 bond ,order entry tickets. It was all so fast and furious (about half of them weren’t set up yet), that I am terrified to find out (tomorrow) what kind of error rate we had. Thus far…only one MSRB report has resulted…and that was just to confirm what seemed, to them, to be a questionable date…but it was correct. By 9:00 a.m. Friday…we will know for sure. If there were errors…there will be a conference in the aisle…with the ever popular ‘now ladies…we cannot make errors!’ speech. If there are no errors…if we did everything perfectly…not one word will be said. Sad huh?

Lunch was hurried today…I took a faulty toner cartridge back to the re-packer and picked up a new one, then went over to a packaging store to have my dad’s father’s day gift boxed, and mailed to him. I still had about 20 minutes of lunch time left, so I stopped at Target and bought a skirt (yes…it is my third ‘compliance’ skirt this week), and a pair of slides (gasp)…I have been having shoe withdrawal. I got back to work with 5 minutes to spare!

The trip to the packaging store was rather amusing…it could have been entitled…”The Two Stooges Mail a Package.”

I walked into the store, and went directly to the card rack to select a Father’s Day card to enclose with the gift, then took my place in line. While I waited, I scribbled a quick note inside the card, then put it into the envelope and sealed it.

My turn came, and I handed the man behind the counter a three foot long, wooden airplane propeller, with a clock in the middle. He took it to a table, backed away a bit and sized up the situation. I watched as he selected a long, skinny box, then took the propeller and the box to the bubble wrap dispenser. After some speculation, he decided on the bubble wrap with the huge bubbles and began to wind it around the propeller like there was no tomorrow.
“That sucker is never going to fit into that box.” I thought as I watched.
Having used at least two yards of the stuff…he finally taped the edges down, picked up the box, and attempted to stuff it in. Twice, he looked up over the top of his glasses to see if I was watching, then he laughed one of those “I’m such an idiot” laughs (which I actually invented), then he took the whole thing to the shrink wrap table and girdled in all that bubble wrap with shrink wrap! The look of victory on his face was priceless! After several minutes of pushing and tucking, the propeller was in the box! He then cut the box down in length (it was about 8 inches too long), and taped the whole thing shut, with massive amounts of 3” wide tape.

Time for the label now…

“Name?” he asked.
“V….. S……..” I replied, then spelled it out for him.
“Address?” he asked.
“Mine?” I asked.
“Yes…” he said. So I gave him mine.
“To…” he answered. So I gave him my dads address, then I gave him my dad’s name…spelling it out also.
“Who’s that?” he asked.
“Uh…my dad.” I replied…wondering what business it was of his.
“That address should be in our database…” he said.
“Excuse me…?” I said.
“Well…your name was here…” he mumbled, staring at the screen.
“Okay, I’m not sure what we’ve done…but my address is…..and his is…..and I want to send this to HIM.” I offered.
“Ahhh…” he replied, “I see..okay.”
Finally finishing the label, he announced the cost, I wrote him a check, and as I handed it to him he saw the envelope in my hand.
“Did you want that to go with the package?” he asked.
I was struggling not to double over laughing at the ridiculosity of this situation.
“Yeah…could you put it inside?” I asked…my face almost straight.
He turned to look at the finished product…in all it’s taped up glory…and I have to hand it to him…he did good!
“Sure…” he said, “not a problem!” He then picked up the box, slit the end open, stuffed in the envelope and taped it all up again!

Tomorrow sometime, my dad will receive the ugliest package ever sent…with enough tape around it to secure all the noses on Mt Rushmore, and enough bubble wrap to protect his entire house…the next time it hails! Happy Father’s Day!!

Be Well!

Sweet Baby James...

The drive to work was nice this morning…James Taylor sang my blues away as the sunshine warmed my arms. I am dressed totally in compliance with her highnesses wishes today. Of course…I look like a dork. My co-worker came in somewhat distressed…hoping she wouldn’t be in violation. She spent the evening worrying about her wardrobe…I spent it buying additions to mine. I feel like sending someone a bill.

Onward and upward…! Today is the first day of the rest of my life…and the first day of what will most likely be a long and frustrating search…so it begins! My resume is in the hands of a professional, and I will proceed from there. I am encouraged this morning by a magnet on my pencil holder that states the following:

“You can’t make footprints in the sands of time if you’re sitting on your butt. And who wants to make butt prints in the sands of time?”
(Thank you Bob Moawad)

So…off my butt (so to speak), and on my feet! Even though I feel a sense of relief at having made the decision to move on…words can’t describe the dread…or the knot in my stomach. There is always the possibility of jumping out of the frying pan…into the fire. Having seen the trouble that Marvin had getting another job…I am also concerned about how long I will sit here in the frying pan. But…I am ‘borrowing trouble’ as grandma would say…so…here’s to positive thinking!

Be Well!

The pit bull bites again...

It never fails…come to work in a good mood…they can trash it in an instant. It seems that our mode of dress is unacceptable now. What next? At this point…who cares? I prayed about where God wanted me to work on the way in this morning…asking for guidance. I asked that He would show me where I should be…give me a sign…just help me know…I think He just did. It doesn’t matter what we do…or how hard we try…it isn’t enough anymore. I have lengthened my skirts (of my own accord) since I came to work here, I iron my clothes every morning, I don’t wear flashy stuff, and only a minimal amount of jewelry. It seems that my blouses are objectionable now…and my co-workers as well. We expected something like this…a strict dress code was suggested and shot down a few weeks ago. We thought that she would simply implement her dress code a piece at a time, as a result of not being allowed to make it ‘policy’…and that’s what is happening. It appears though that it doesn’t apply to her…she wears the same type of clothing that we do...in fact, she sat there this morning wearing two of the things that we have been instructed not to wear anymore. Not to mention the brokers…who are wearing shorts, t-shirts, and rubber flip flops.

I vowed not to let them make me cry anymore…and I won’t. After ‘the talk’ I was asked, “So how do you feel about this? Do you feel like it is unfair?” I thought for just a moment about all of the ‘unfairness’ going on here lately, decided that it really doesn’t matter what I think…that has become abundantly clear. I wondered why they bothered to ask. Then I replied, “It doesn’t matter what I think, it’s your office…your rules…I will abide by them…obviously.” The meeting was over, so I came back to my desk. The day has a stinking cloud over it now…I don’t want to change jobs again…but…she is determined to keep both of us as miserable as possible, and life is too short to live like that. My co-worker came in this morning after a good cry…just at the thought of dealing with the superior personality down the hall for another 8 hours…it shouldn’t be that way. Every day it is some new thing…mostly petty things that don’t make any difference at all in relation to our work…but make her feel ‘above’ us. It is sad when people have to keep everyone around them as far ‘down’ as possible, in order to feel good about themselves.

So…practicing my typing again…checking the ads…praying for where to go…what to do.

To borrow a phrase from Shane...Suck is life.

Be Well.

Rainy days always get me down...

Storms began around 1:30 this morning, at first gently rolling, then progressing rapidly, with increasing fury. It is almost 11:00 am, and the rain is still coming down…but only occasional thunder and lightening now. It is fitting weather for a Monday. Back to work, stress, and drudgery.

The weekend was great! Mostly sunny skies and hot temps…perfect for the pool and cooking outdoors! We slept in on Saturday, then I cleaned house while Marvin mowed the yard. Around noon, we got in the pool and stayed for a couple of hours. It was nice!
Then, we headed over to Chas’s to check out the damage on her car (which turned out to be tree sap and not damage after all). Then stopped in at Shane’s (however, he wasn’t home). On to dinner at Shorty Small’s, then Wal-Mart to pick up a few odds and ends (our second Wal-Mart trip this weekend). Back home afterwards, to watch a movie and hit the sack around midnight.

Sunday was perfect! Church was great, then everyone came over to the house for a cookout and pool party! Good food and lots of sun and fun! Around 4:45 or so, we went in and looked at the CD’s of Vegas pictures for almost an hour and a half! Shane made CD’s for everyone to keep (which was awesome, thank you Shaner)! Diane headed out first (around 6:00), then Shane and Candy. Chas stayed for a bit and watched Last Vacation with us (it was hilarious), then she headed home around 9:00. Marvin had begun to feel the combined effects of his cold and the sun, so we were in bed by 9:45 or so.

Unfortunately, it was one of those nights…my mind was running ninety miles an hour, so I didn’t fall asleep until around midnight. I awoke for the storm and a phone message at 1:47, again at 2:30, and finally fell asleep again around 4:00, the alarm went off at 5:45 and it was tough to get out of bed!

Viewing the Las Vegas pics was really fun…but somewhat painful. It made me realize how badly I need to get back into the exercise groove and take off some tonnage (literally). So…my lunch hours will be for walking in the air conditioned mall from now on. It’s funny how we get out of the habit of exercise. I really enjoy walking…aerobics…etc…but, somehow I just quit over the past three months or so. It is difficult to do those things alone…but pictures don’t lie…so necessary overrides difficult!

Be Well!

Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's Friday afternoon, and only 25 minutes until time to go home!! Yea!!!!!!!!!! It has been a slow day....which is a good thing....my co-worker bailed at 2:30. All of the brokers are gone, and the controller and I are all that is left. I just returned from making the bank deposits, and I have locked all filing cabinets for the weekend!!

In this entire day, I have made a few observations...which I will now impart to you!

1) People who have been intrusted with millions of dollars are sometimes the biggest liars on the planet.

2) Heavenly Snow crushed ice drinks make a fantastic lunch.

3) Pink shoes should not happen.

4) There hasn't been an original thought anywhere on earth in the last hundred years.

5) Jim Croce was a genius.

See ya on the flip side!!

Be Well!

Sleep...elusive sleep...

Another tired morning! I woke up at 1:20 and stayed awake most of the night (except for a few minutes off and on). This is getting very old!! I wake up thinking about a million things, then my thoughts are joined by snoring(not mine), then I get frustrated…then I wake up even more. Oh well…this too shall pass.

So far the day is slow. That usually doesn’t last long though. We have seen trading decline sharply during the past two weeks, and have heard rumblings of the bottom falling out of the brokerage business. I have only a minimal understanding of the stock market and what actually drives/affects it, although I am learning more as we go along. With my luck…just about the time I figure it all out…it will be a mute point.

I got my nails done on my lunch hour today. I have been trying to do that lately, so that I am not sitting in the nail salon on Saturday. That elusive sleep…came to me as I sat there under the warm light with the tech working on one hand, and the other hand under the light. I realized that my head was falling over…I was quickly drifting off to sleep…how embarrassing. Honestly, I would have given a days pay to curl up under that lamp for about 4 hours.

I have been told twice in the past month, that there is a woman in the building that I work in, who looks like my twin sister. To top it off…the lady who told me yesterday said “You won’t believe this…but she is even dressed just like you today, except that instead of a black shirt, she is wearing a pink one.” I was wearing a Khaki skirt, black tank, black sleeveless shirt over the tank, and black heels…oddly enough…I usually wear a pink shirt over the black tank. Who is this person? Hmmm…in years past, I have literally been introduced to siblings that I didn’t know existed…on my doorstep. Is this another one? If so… I hope she is wealthy…and generous.

Be Well!

Green Lantern...

(Wednesday)
Today has been slow. Lots of controversy and ‘stuff’ going on around me…but I am steering clear. I took my car to the Green Lantern car wash on my lunch hour. They did a really good job inside and out!! I was impressed and would definitely recommend them!
I was sitting there in the waiting area trying to decide how much, and who…to tip…when I saw the sign on the wall “No tips please”. I hope that means that they pay their people well, because they certainly earn it!

I have never been to a car wash like that…so, when I pulled in, I put the car in park and waited. Turns out…you put it in neutral, let go of the steering wheel and keep your foot OFF the brake. A conveyer belt carries the car all the way through! It was a weird feeling. Especially when the cloth thingies came down and began to beat the tar out of the car…I couldn’t see a thing, but I could feel the forward motion.

After the car wash I drove through McDonalds and had a fruit and yogurt and a diet coke. For some reason…I thought that I was ordering a frozen yogurt…so when I put that first spoonful of ‘not-frozen’ yogurt in my mouth, it was a little strange. But…it turned out to be good after all, and I’m sure it was better for me than a burger and fries!

The work week is more than halfway over….yea!!!! Tomorrow is Friday eve!!


Be Well!

Tuesday...

First day back to work…yech! I can’t believe vacation went so fast!!

The office is a bit weird today, I had a million emails to sort through, and phone messages, and stuff to fix that was not quite right. Overall though…not too bad. It is warm and sunny outside, and very difficult to stay here!

Sleeping last night was next to impossible. I stared at the ceiling more of the night than I stared at the back of my eyelids. Marvin snored, lightening crashed, thunder rolled, and next door, a dog barked and howled. At one point the thunder seemed to be almost rhythmic…I wondered then if perhaps I was asleep after all …dreaming that I was awake. About that time, the wind picked up, the rain went from a soft patter to a roaring torrent, and small hail pinged the deck. The snoring stopped and Marvin got up to check it out. I lay there, imagining the wind ripping off the roof and the bed being swept up into a gentle current…swirling, and swirling through the sky, gently rocking back and forth, as the storm carried it higher and higher. The barking and howling changed to a yelp, as the dog next door soared past the foot board.
“We got dogs…” I thought, chuckling.
Suddenly, my great Grandma Helm stood at the side of the bed…debris blowing around behind her as she floated there…
“You’ve made your bed missy…now you have to lay in it!” she shrieked, then she began wringing her hands and whining about Mama Cookies as she disappeared, a long belt of red plastic monkeys flapping behind her.
“Nutty old bat”….I thought…rolling over on my side. Out of the darkness came the sound of a chant…I opened my eyes to find the bed surrounded by huge red plastic monkeys…hooked together, arm in arm.
“She heard you, she heard you, she heard you…” they sang in unison…I rubbed my eyes with one hand. A telephone appeared on the pillow next to me…ringing loudly.
“Hello…” I stammered into the receiver…
“Are you listening to me…?” demanded Grandma, babbling faster and faster on the other end of the line. She seemed to be spewing poetry of some sort.
“BWWWWPPP”…I replied, “You’re breaking up grandma!” With that, I tossed the phone into the swirling storm. The monkeys flew away after it. In their place appeared a man in a tuxedo, with an oversized microphone in one hand…
“More fun than a barrel of monkeys...” he bellowed. Through the storm came a loud, rumbling noise. I covered my ears with both hands, squeezing my eyes shut tightly as I cringed against the sound. The bed stopped, the wind quieted, and I opened my eyes…I was back in the bedroom…the roof secure…Marvin snoring beside me. After that…sleep just seemed boring.

Be Well!

It was great!!

Here I sit, Monday morning, wondering where the week of vacation went...just as I knew I would be, as we sat on the runway getting ready for take off a week ago! Why is it that work drags and fun flies?

Vacation was wonderful!! I really didn’t expect to enjoy Vegas as much as I did! I was excited to spend the week with the people that I love most in the world, but I expected to be bored and unimpressed with sin city. Boy was I wrong!! I have never seen so much extravagance in my life!! Everywhere I looked, there were more beautiful, or bizarre (as the case may be) things to see! It was absolutely amazing!

We had a whirlwind, marathon week of sightseeing that I believe is unparalleled in our vacation experience thus far! To relate each day of activity, would be to create a blog so long that no one would read it, so…here is a brief rundown…

Day one (Sunday) –
Vacation started off with the flight to Vegas and…of course…turbulence. Not too bad though…until the landing. We happened to be seated next to a local restaurant owner from Wichita, who is a ‘Vegas Veteran’. He filled us in on tons of ‘must see, and must do’ things! I think that we actually did see and do most of them too! As we came into the airport, he pointed out many attractions from the window and my excitement began to mount! We got off the plane, picked up our rental car, and checked into the hotel. Then we began the Vegas Odyssey in earnest! We walked, and walked and walked some more! The highlight of our first night was the Bellagio Fountains! They were absolutely gorgeous! We saw lights, and neon wonders, and freaks galore! It was fantastic!!

Day two (Monday) –
We began Monday with pictures of everyone (in every combination) under the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign, then breakfast at McDonalds. After that, on to the Stratosphere! The Stratosphere is a very tall structure (112 stories I think), with an observation deck on top from which you can see for miles in every direction! It was very beautiful!! On the very tip top of this building, some genius (NOT), built three of the scariest thrill rides that I have ever lacked the courage to ride!
1 – Big Shot…a frightening version of the Detonator…shooting the riders straight into the air with a million (perhaps exaggerated a bit) G’s, then dropping them back to earth!
2 – Extreme – This might be the most frightening ride that I have ever seen! Riders are loaded into roller coaster cars, then shot straight out over the edge of the building on a very thin ramp…which then drops…as the riders hang suspended…facing the ground…112 stories below…then it backs them up and shoots them out again…this time dropping them a bit farther.
3 – Insanity – I almost threw up watching this one. Riders are loaded into 5 sets of cars (two riders to a set), then hoisted out over the city (again 112 stories up) and spun around as the cars they are in are tilted forward.

Candy and Shane rode all three…and survived! Marvin, Chas and I took pictures and prayed (only half joking here). After that…we purchased a yard of drink (non-alcoholic) in stratosphere containers a yard tall, then went to lunch at a great 50’s style diner, called Roxie’s. the food was super, and every 15 minutes, one of the staff grabbed a mike and sang to us!! More walking followed lunch, then on to the Venetian to pick up our Blue Man Group tickets! On the way, we took a stroll through the Mirage, to see the White tiger! It was beautiful! It seemed to know that it was being adored, and maintained a very regal pose the entire time! The Venetian was very cool! Gondola rides, upscale shops of every description, performers throughout the mall area…and of course…a humongous casino! Also located in the Venetian is Madame Tosaud’s (spelling…sorry Madame) Wax Museum, and that was our next stop! 99% of the likenesses inside were stunning in their detail! We had a great time posing with our favorites! Blue Man Group was AWESOME!!! The music was great! They rocked the house with percussion that went to the bone, combined with a hilarious and interactive show!!! After the show…on to Treasure Island for the 10:00 pirate show. This was probably the only disappointment of the trip…the actors, the script, the almost costumes, everything about it was poorly done. For reasons which shall remain in Vegas…we nicknamed this show T & A (it is actually TI). To top off an already bad performance…the show was stopped towards the last half, by a performer who proposed to his girlfriend on stage…it could have been a touching moment…but it wasn’t. The rest of the show was promptly cancelled (thank you Lord).

Day three (Tuesday) –
We slept in a bit, then left the hotel around 10:00 and headed for Hoover Dam. The dam itself was impressive, but I actually found the drive out more interesting! Being a Kansas Girl, I have never seen a place so barren as the desert. The red and black rock, the mountains, the canyons, cactus, and amazingly…flowers growing straight out of rock! It was awesome! Back to Vegas for lunch at Hard Rock Café (where my eyes saw Elvis’s guitar…but my brain apparently saw his umbrella). The rest of the day included The Excalibur, The Luxor, MGM Grand, New York New York, M&M World, Coca-Cola World, then back to the hotel for a swim and rest!

Day four (Wednesday) –
We started the day off with a trip to a place called The Drive. For a minimal fee, each of us chose two vehicles to drive on a performance, or test track! I chose a Corvette and a Solstice! Marvin chose a convertible truck and a Hummer, and Chas, Shane and Candy each drove a Corvette and a Hummer! We had a ball!! Afterwards…on to the Sahara, where Shane and Candy rode the fastest roller coaster that I have ever seen (the whole ride took less than 30 seconds). Lunch at NASCAR Café, then back to the hotel for some pool time! Around 4:30, we headed for the Bellagio for dinner (the biggest, best, and most expensive buffet that I have ever seen), and to pick up our tickets to Cirque de soliel “O”. The Bellagio defies description in its opulence! From the ornate ceiling and intricately detailed miniature villages in the lobby, to the theater…no expense was spared! The highlight of this day was “O”…there are no words to describe the performance that we saw!! It was absolutely amazing and may be the best show that I have ever seen!! Afterwards, we walked the mall area, where we passed Kelly Osbourne in the hallway! We forged ahead into the night towards the Paris Hotel and the Eiffel Tower (1/2 size of the real deal). It was amazing (from the ground). We took the elevator to the top, and I was promptly overcome by a panic that I have not experienced in a long time. I fought it for a bit…lost…and took the elevator back to the ground! Chas and Marvin and I headed back to the hotel shortly afterwards, (Shane and Candy stayed to check out the slots for a bit). On the way back, we passed the Belagio Fountains, and were treated to “All That Jazz” as the fountains swayed, exploded, and danced! Magnificent!

Day five (Thursday) –
We began Thursday with a visit to Circus Circus. It proved to be the most run down hotel that we had seen. Inside were a myriad of rides and attractions for young and old alike, but they had not been maintained very well. The air inside this place reeked of mold, and old. We went directly from there to the Wynn Hotel…it was like night and day! The elegance and opulence of the Bellagio can only be rivaled by the Wynn! It was beautiful!! We had a quick lunch at In & Out Burger, then back to the hotel for a swim and some rest for the sickly among us, (Chas, Shane, and Candy had all contracted sore throats and headaches the evening before). Around 5:00, we left for the Rio, to see the Masquerade parade in the sky! We stood amazed as floats carrying dancers emerged from a far wall. Suspended from the ceiling, they floated above the casino area as music blared from a million speakers all around us! We scrambled below to pick up bead necklaces that the dancers threw!! Very fun!! Dinner at a Mexican place called Bamboleo, then on to Freemont Street in Old Las Vegas for the Freemont Experience light show! This was very cool for a number of reasons…first, the hotels and casinos along Freemont are the original “old school” establishments that started the whole Vegas concept. The places where gangsters and movie stars partied, gambled, and were “seen” side by side! As we walked through…I pictured in my mind the costumes and attitudes of that long ago time…when elegance was in vogue, and flip flops had not yet been invented! Second, the entire two block strip has been covered with a huge ‘dome’ of light and sound equipment that is unbelievable! Every 15 minutes, all of the casino lights go out, and the canopy comes alive! We got back to the hotel around 11:00, and finally hit the bed sometime after midnight (after packing and preparing for departure at 4:00 a.m.).

Day six (Friday) –
The flight home was a tired, but contented one. Chas, Shane, and Candy were all three still under the weather, although Candy was feeling better. Marvin was nursing blistered feet and chapped ‘places’, and I was in need of sleep. It was an awesome week that ended all too quickly!!!

My summation of Vegas…awesome, fantastic, freaky, opulent, busy, bizarre, beautiful, sometimes garish, always amazing, and truly…the city that never sleeps!!!

Be Well!