VEGAS-baby!

Oh yes - we are here.

Our flight was a little shaky ... Literally. It started pretty much right after they served the drinks. It did stop without incident, but then the captain came on the speaker and said that they were turning the fasten seatbelt sign back on as they were expecting some turbulence up ahead. (Kate and I looked at each other across the aisle like - uh oh... why are they telling us about the one coming up but mentioned nothing about the other turbulence) Then the co-pilot came out of the cockpit and walked back into the plane down to the rows just in front of us ... the emergency exit rows ... and was checking out one of the doors. Again Kate and I exchanged concerned looks. Jim slept through it all. We never did hit that expected turbulence. But we did hit more later ... after the second set of drinks were served, of course.

We arrived and got our luggage and headed for the taxis. Apparently EVERYBODY leaving the Vegas airport takes a taxi from the airport. The line was huge. Then the taxi coordinator man said watch this - true vegas style - as he pointed to people in line ahead of us ... Eanie, Meanie, Mynie, Moe - and landed on the guy in front of us - and he put him right into a taxi. Why couldn't WE have been moe! Oh well 30 minutes later we were on our way to the hotel... The Riviera ... one of the original hotels in vegas ... and not-so-pretty. But functional. Jim and I got a deluxe room - so we have electricity (j/k) We have a mini fridge ... but I did read the fine print on the thing I signed when we checked in that said that there was a $500 fine PER DAY for having food/drink items in room. I will be very careful when I get my 12-pack of Diet Coke later for that fridge to keep cold for me.

We me up with Jen C when we arrived. She has been here for the last week with her sister checking out the sites. We went to lunch at a place next door to the Riviera ... cant remember the name - but we were starving and the taxi driver told us the portions are good there. We wanted to fill our tummies and then nap for the afternoon. Portions were good ... food was okay. Won't be going back there by choice, but it is close so that could play a factor in our lunch plans during the week as we only have 90 minutes between sessions for lunch.

On our way back from lunch we found a half price ticket place and scored tickets for David Copperfield and a half price dinner voucher for this Brazilian steakhouse. So that is what we did after our naps! Dinner rocked. Meat galore. They just keep bringing it to the table until you are stuffed. We got a pitcher of Margharitas and Jen and I were a bit tipsy when we left.

David Copperfield was good (not great) and a bit cheesy - but a vegas thing to do so we are glad we did it. He is a bit full of himself and pulls up by "randomly selecting" the little hottie Brazilian girls up on stage for help with his illusions. Really he should be called David Coppafeel, if you know what I mean.

Today we have a retreat from 2:30 - 9pm. We can get our registration materials starting at 1:00 and I had planned to sleep in until then ... no such luck. At 6:20 my eyes popped open as my body's internal clock (which I can't seem to find the snooze button for) told me that it was 9:20 and a reasonable time for me to awake. Why can't the internal clock check with the brain before it does the wakey wakey thing?

Well now that you are all updated, I am going to try to go back to sleep. Wish me luck.