The City of Lost Wages

D and I decided to celebrate our anniversary the week between christmas and new years. D has been wanting to see Penn and Teller for a long time so we got tickets, reserved a hotel room and went to Las Vegas for a couple of days.

I have to admit Las Vegas is not one of my favorite places. I hate all the cigarette smoke and not being any sort of a gambler at all I just don't see the point. I do love the cool buildings and the shows but you always feel a little dirty after walking around with hispanic men shoving pictures of naked women in your face as you walk down the sidewalks.

Penn and Teller were awesome. We had excellent seats and enjoyed the show. It is amazing what they can do. Penn (the tall one that talks) does have some interesting political views which he expresses throughout but the show is well worth the money to see. Our hotel room was nice. D sprung for the view room so we were on the 17th floor with an beautiful view of the strip. We stayed at the Rio as that was where the show was. I do not know if I would stay there again. While it was all clean and the room was big and roomy the hotel reeks of smoke and even in a non-smoking room you still get a lot in your room.

We had hoped to get tickets to see Cique's Love at the Mirage but the show was sold out. We settled for looking at cool stuff at the Beatles store and taking pictures. We did go to the secret garden at the mirage and saw the tigers and dophins. We also stood in line (seemed to be the one thing we did everyday) at the Luxor to get tickets to see the Titanic exhibit. It was cool but I was very offended by the "Photo Opp" in the middle of the exhibit when they took your picture on the re-created grand staircase. I thought it was very tasteless and wrong when they took your picture when you went in the exhibit and then to spoil the mood of the exhibit by taking your picture in the middle. The best part of the exhibit was the "big piece" which is the large part of the hull of the titanic that they raised a few years ago and have preserved. I think the exhibit that came to Salt Lake a few years ago was a better exhibit with more artifacts and a better done set up.

Coming home was interesting we drove from Cedar City to Scipio in a major snow storm. It took us eight hours to get home. It was a fun trip but I did not like all of the long and slow lines. We spent so much time standing in line we stood in line for dinner, lunch to buy tickets to ride the shuttle back to the hotel. For a city that wants the tourist to come back (especially the adult tourist) they really don't seem to want to make you want to come back. I told D next time we were going to stay in the new hotel with no casino and such. I am willing to pay the extra!

luck of the family strikes again

D was on his way home from work yesterday morning

It was very slippery and snowy

Unfortunately he and a Semi had a meeting of the bumpers

He lost

The semi won

This is the car that we just put $2,500 in a new transmission



It is currently at the repair place and we hope that the repairs are not more than what the insurance company will total the car at because we just put the $2,500 in the transmission

D is fine

The car

well,

let's hope for the best

Who Needs a Cat When You Have Kimi!

Our dog is a mouser. In the last three weeks she has caught 9 mice. Unfortunately she loves to leave their little bodies in pathways where people walk (I know icky). The first one she caught she placed right by G-Bear and Bee as they were watching t.v. as if to say look what I have caught. A little friend to share with you. G-Bear looked over and screamed liked a girl and jumped up and down. Poor puppy hid under the table wondering what was wrong or what she had done. Yesterday she left a mouse on a sock on the floor like an offering to her masters. Because we wish to encourage her to catch the little critters we praise her and give her puppy treats while we dispose of her little friends. Boo just stepped on one while checking the fridge for milk. She was not pleased. We wondered if they were frozen mice that she was just finding but we found that they are in fact fresh kills as the last few have still been twitching when we have found them.

Good Puppy

Maybe we won't have mice in the garage this year!

Puppy Pics

Watching t.v.

Just chilling with the peeps!







Looking for trouble

An Echo in the Bone

I

I love the Outlander series I think the first three books were the best and the last couple of the series have not been as successful. However I think she did redeem herself in this latest offering. While not up to the storytelling of Outlander or Dragonfly in Amber I think she is moving back in the right direction. Her books can get very tied up in the history of the era sometimes to the detriment of the story. In this latest book she gets back into the story of Jamie and Claire who are facing the beginnings of the revolutionary war. Claire, being from the 20th century, knows what is coming and tries to decide how best to use the knowledge that she posses. Brianna and Roger are back in the 20th century living in the family home Lallybroch and trying to adjust to modern life after living in the 18th century for so long. Roger, with the loss of his voice through the terrible injury he sustained in the last book is left without a clear idea of what he wants to do. He was once a great singer and musician an now has to find a new identity. We also get the story of Jaimie's illegitimate son William, who has been raised by Jamie's good friend, Lord John Grey without knowledge of who he really is. He has no idea that he is the son of a scottish rebel he believes he is the son of an earl that died the night he was born. William is in the English army, a part of General Gages forces.

Gabaldon has such a gift at storytelling and makes you love each and every character. I loved her introduction of Benedict Arnold into the story and how she is able to weave those real characters from history into the world of Jaimie and Claire. The love between Jaimie and Claire continues to grow and you truly love these two and read deep into the night to find out how they will survive their latest adventure.

I love these books and re-read the series at least once a year. There are some love scenes in the books and once you start the series you will not be able to put it down. These are hefty books over 700 pages for each.

Happy Sweet Sixteen Boo!

Yes people it is time to stay off the sidewalks

Boo is sixteen today!

Happy sweet sixteen

and many many more

Woo hoo! Way to go Boo!

Yes!

It can be done!

That, my friends, is a 4.0

in her first term of High School

Boo, You Rock!