I'm Thankful for....

gold leaves on the sidewalk
tea with milk and sugar
8 hours of sleep
listening to Guns & Roses on the way to work (takes me back to elementary school!)
Turkey soup

(and friends and family and all that jazz....)

fences, post office, and flamingos

I'll report on my trip to Las Vegas. On the way there I sat next to a couple from Savannah, GA who were making their 14th trip to Vegas this year to play in a slots tournament (not sure how you compete in a slots tourny, but that's another question for another day). We talked for 4 hours about slots, (stick with a machine for 10 tries, then move on. If a machine is "talking to you", give it a little extra time. Rack up your points if you are losing because points translate into freebies from the casinos.) Then we talked about an unnamed post office near Savannah where the the wife worked for 7 years and almost went postal--she punched out her supervisor, had her husband weld the roof of her truck shut because someone was messing with her engine, and where her boss was such a lady chaser that a woman in the office filed a sex discrimination lawsuit and won. The husband owned a fence company, and told me he had put up fences for lots of "famous stars" including the mayor of Savannah.

They were funny to say the least.

The actual trip was fine. I had to give a speech and I was EXTREMELY nervous, but I did OK--or at least my boss said I did. The last day I walked up and down the entire strip and marvelled that a city in the desert could turn into something as unique, outlandish, and amazing as Las Vegas. Maybe I'm softening to the place...

Roll the dice

Can't seem to update this damn thing in a timely manner. I'm going to Las Vegas tomorrow for three days. I really don't like Vegas. I've decided that if I had to go on vacations, my last three travel choices would be:
1) Las Vegas
2) Orlando
3) Branson

In Vegas, the food sucks at most buffets and I am an awful gambler. Plus I'll really miss Faithy. The upside are the random people, the climate in November, and the hilarious videos you can buy ("Butts, Butts, Butts", anyone?). My favorite part of traveling or really any new experience is when you meet someone different and they make you pause--reflect in some way. Maybe they make you laugh, make you disgusted, make you surprised, but most of all blow some sort of fresh air into your head... This happens to me during everyday life (the insightful bus driver, the funny kids getting out of school), but seems to happen even more often when travelling.
Mayble I'll post about it when I get back. Wish me luck.