The first part of my yet another day of freedom plan was to go to Seadog Brewing Company in Bangor, ME. Mom and I went a few years back - I wonder how many - maybe I can find the pictures on iPhoto...Probably not because I can't figure out a way to just click through all of the pictures! Anyway, we had a nice time, shared a lobster, I had a taster of all of their beers - I think they had fourteen on tap at that moment. I had decent memories of the place, but figured if I wanted to include it in my beer blog, which I did, I needed to revisit the place.
While I was eating and chatting with Holly the bartender and other people, I was thinking of things I like to do on my own. I realized that I enjoy going to the movies by myself. There are some movies that I like to see that I know that mom wouldn't want to. So I decided to go to the movies! Yay! The movie I chose was Man of Steel and it was playing at the Bangor 10 Multiplex. It wasn't too far - yay GPS! Tickets were $7 which isn't all that bad. I guess I missed the matinee. Or maybe that was the matinee price. Hmm. Didn't think to look. They had neat signs that showed when the movie was to start or when it started. Nice touch. I am going to admit that I am not a Superman fan overall. I much prefer the Marvel superheroes better - they have always seemed more human somehow. I did enjoy this movie, though. Despite Kevin Costner. I adore Amy Adams (who has been in movies and such since 1999 - who knew?!). And despite a bit of a frantic pace here and there, I enjoyed the story. Most likely, I will watch future installments.
After the movie, I decided to skip dinner at the house and to stay out latish. A teacher of Conducting who I chatted with briefly at Seadog suggested a Greek Bar and Restaurant called Kosta's located in Old Town (home of famous canoes) as a place with good food, good beer and good scenery. I couldn't resist. Plugged it into my GPS and away we went. Got there only to discover all the seats at the decent sized bar were occupied. Boo. I thought maybe after a walk about there might be a space, so I went and checked out a carnival that was happening in a nearby park. Not one ride that looked the least bit appealing (or safe) to me. Happy to have walked around it, just for the people watching opportunities! As I neared Kosta's again, I decided I was just going to head back to Black Bear Brewing Co. for their Thursday night music happening instead. The place is so teeny, I was wondering where they put the musicians.
I got there only to find that people were hanging out the doors it was so crowded. Not my thing at all. Luckily, I hadn't eaten dinner, so I went in search of food. Ok, not really a search, since I had pretty much determined I was going to eat at Pat's Pizza, right across the street. Good choice on my part! The food was great - I had pepperoni, artichoke heart and banana pepper pizza withe a Black Bear Gearhead beer. Yum! After dinner, I went back to the Taproom, caught Hannah's eye and told her I didn't like crowds and left. I didn't get back to my sister's house until almost 9. Yippee! But I was exhausted. A lot of driving, a lot of different experiences. Food. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open until 11 - starting this and three other posts. Sigh.
Showing posts with label gps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gps. Show all posts
Friday, June 28, 2013
Monday, June 25, 2012
Day Eighteen - In and About Las Vegas
Note to self (and anyone reading this, of course): Las Vegas is not Mom's kind of town. Maybe if we had a wheel chair for her, it would have worked, but we didn't, so it wasn't. And I will be the first to admit that I let her push me right to the limit of my patience.
I had a great day planned. Get up and go a pharmacy to get mom some hydrogen peroxide for her tongue, then purchase tickets to "0," (after selling our kidneys and left arms), then a day exploring the strip, eventually see the show. Right. I should have known better. How long have I known my mom? (51 years) How long have I been living with her? (1 year, 2 months, 5 days (but who's counting)) How long have we been on this trip? (Forever...) Sigh.
We did indeed get up and out to our first stop - I decided to go to a Target (Target for the French speaking) for the pharmacy visit. Just in case mom or I thought of anything else we might need. Neither of us did. The pharmacist had never heard of Mary Gerhart's wonder poultice "Antiphlogistine." Has anyone heard of this stuff? Mary swears by it...Well, I will have to keep asking around...We bought some generic anti-bacterial stuff instead. Hope it helps mom's owies! And some h2o2.
It was lunch time. There were a couple of places in the same mall as Target, but I noticed that the food court there had Pizza Hut Pizza! I like the occasional personal pan pepperoni pizza. There were also little flatbread sandwiches which sounded not only edible but good: chicken, spinach and artichoke. So we decided to stay there and have our lunch. Yum!
Next stop, Bellagio. I have been to Las Vegas probably six times. Maybe more. Reno maybe four times. (Just saying...) Every time before this, I have mostly walked everywhere, with some public transportation thrown in. Which is one of the reasons I like Las Vegas. I get a lot of exercise walking everywhere - for hours! So I haven't done much driving there. It has always looked a little scary - since most of the drivers are either crazy taxi/limo drivers or people from out of town (like me) who really don't know where they are going or what they are doing. Eeek! But with my mom (walks three steps and says "How far do we have to go?!") driving was the only plan.
Yay GPS! It took me to the parking entrance for the Bellagio - which is a bit of a nightmare, but we survived it (twice). The walk from the parking garage to the ticket counter for "O" was torture for us both. Three steps "how much further?" Three steps "I can't make it!" Three steps "Just leave me here!" Three steps "I can't breathe." Three steps - well, you get the picture. I just don't think about how far a walk is when I am by myself. Truly, the walk from the garage to the ticket counter was probably 100 yards. And I didn't think it would ever end. But it did.
There were few people in line to buy tickets, so I held out hope that we would be able to spend an exorbitant amount of money. Turns out that after 14 years, they still sell out almost every show - Tuesday through Sunday, 2 shows a day for most of the year. Wow! The nice young woman from China who helped us, gave us a few dollars off each ticket because we couldn't sit together. That was sweet.
We spent a few minutes looking at a sculptor's exhibit of his Cirque inspired pieces. I might have even taken a picture of one. After that, I took mom to see the Chihuly glass ceiling in the lobby and then to the little nature conservatory there. We also got a little taste of the dancing fountains. After that, we were going to head to see some other things on the strip, but there was going to be too much walking for that to work out. I tried to get a wheel chair at the Bellagio, but they only had one's available for hotel guests.
So, plan "B" - try driving everywhere. Sadly, this didn't work out very well either. Still a lot of walking involved. Oh, I forgot to mention that we tried our hand at gambling! Mom won $.17 cents on one machine. I won $3.75 on another. And lost a dollar in a third. Not bad, all together, though. Coming out ahead is often a good thing...
We headed to Treasure Island where they have a show - but it turned out they only perform in the evenings. Sigh. Lots of walking for nothing. Poop! We took a little break at Gilley's which turned out to be a country bar. The bar stools were horse saddles. Glarp! I had a beer, (Shiner Bock) and mom had some soda water. I decided to try one more casino before giving up entirely (I don't really like giving up...). We headed to Circus Circus.
I like Circus. And I like Circus Circus. I thought I had been there more often than I have. It is the Reno one that I have been to at least three times. Oh well. Again, a long walk and mom was miserable. We finally made it to the midway and watched one circus act - a juggler! I want his light enhanced clubs! He was decent. I prefer duos or trios of jugglers. But it was still fun. And we got to sit! The walk back was endless seeming, but we eventually made it. Phew!
Next stop, rest at the motel. I was exhausted from trying not to be angry at my mom (I didn't succeed all that well, though). I tried to relax and chill out and plan the rest of the evening. We had gotten tickets to the late performance of "O" - starting at ten. So we had plenty of time for dinner. I didn't want to drag mom to another brewpub, so I searched google for restaurants off the strip. Lots came up, but the one I chose was called "Off the Strip."
It was way further off the strip than I thought! In a little mall in a subdivision about 10 miles from the strip in fact. Nice place and glad we went there. Our server, Megan, was on her second career, having given up performing and gone into food service. She was very sweet. Mom and I shared a dinner salad and a yummy entree of Scampi Stuffed Chicken over pasta in a nice sort of thai sauce. I think mom enjoyed it almost as much as I did. And to top it off, since it was our first visit, we got a free sliver of cheese cake! Next time, only the cheese cake! I also had a Blackout Stout from Indian Wells that was decent. I always am curious about beer that has very little information on its label...
We got back to the Bellagio and took the death march back to the theatre. Against the flow of traffic. We got there after the first show had let out, so a whole tide of people work walking out. We stopped a few times and eventually found seats not far from the entrance to the theatre. I was hoping the lines would thin enough that we could waltz in. But I got impatient, so we did have to "queue" for a while...and we walked right onto our level! No stairs, no elevator, escalator or anything! Phew! Well, a few stairs up to the seats, but mom managed those readily. I gave mom the better seat, of course - five yours up on the aisle. My seat was as far to house left as possible. Oh well. One day I will see the show from the center. Still, my seat was comfortable, lots of leg room and a nice Russian couple beside me as seat mates.
The show was amazing and exhausting - wonderful and quirky. I really do think it is the epitome of what the Cirque set out to do. Pure Circus, Cirque style. I love the live music, the awesome costumes, amazing acts, great characters. Just wonderful stuff! I look forward to a third viewing one day. From the center of the audience. And mom liked it too!
Long day, but we survived. Barely!
I had a great day planned. Get up and go a pharmacy to get mom some hydrogen peroxide for her tongue, then purchase tickets to "0," (after selling our kidneys and left arms), then a day exploring the strip, eventually see the show. Right. I should have known better. How long have I known my mom? (51 years) How long have I been living with her? (1 year, 2 months, 5 days (but who's counting)) How long have we been on this trip? (Forever...) Sigh.
We did indeed get up and out to our first stop - I decided to go to a Target (Target for the French speaking) for the pharmacy visit. Just in case mom or I thought of anything else we might need. Neither of us did. The pharmacist had never heard of Mary Gerhart's wonder poultice "Antiphlogistine." Has anyone heard of this stuff? Mary swears by it...Well, I will have to keep asking around...We bought some generic anti-bacterial stuff instead. Hope it helps mom's owies! And some h2o2.
It was lunch time. There were a couple of places in the same mall as Target, but I noticed that the food court there had Pizza Hut Pizza! I like the occasional personal pan pepperoni pizza. There were also little flatbread sandwiches which sounded not only edible but good: chicken, spinach and artichoke. So we decided to stay there and have our lunch. Yum!
Next stop, Bellagio. I have been to Las Vegas probably six times. Maybe more. Reno maybe four times. (Just saying...) Every time before this, I have mostly walked everywhere, with some public transportation thrown in. Which is one of the reasons I like Las Vegas. I get a lot of exercise walking everywhere - for hours! So I haven't done much driving there. It has always looked a little scary - since most of the drivers are either crazy taxi/limo drivers or people from out of town (like me) who really don't know where they are going or what they are doing. Eeek! But with my mom (walks three steps and says "How far do we have to go?!") driving was the only plan.
Yay GPS! It took me to the parking entrance for the Bellagio - which is a bit of a nightmare, but we survived it (twice). The walk from the parking garage to the ticket counter for "O" was torture for us both. Three steps "how much further?" Three steps "I can't make it!" Three steps "Just leave me here!" Three steps "I can't breathe." Three steps - well, you get the picture. I just don't think about how far a walk is when I am by myself. Truly, the walk from the garage to the ticket counter was probably 100 yards. And I didn't think it would ever end. But it did.
There were few people in line to buy tickets, so I held out hope that we would be able to spend an exorbitant amount of money. Turns out that after 14 years, they still sell out almost every show - Tuesday through Sunday, 2 shows a day for most of the year. Wow! The nice young woman from China who helped us, gave us a few dollars off each ticket because we couldn't sit together. That was sweet.
We spent a few minutes looking at a sculptor's exhibit of his Cirque inspired pieces. I might have even taken a picture of one. After that, I took mom to see the Chihuly glass ceiling in the lobby and then to the little nature conservatory there. We also got a little taste of the dancing fountains. After that, we were going to head to see some other things on the strip, but there was going to be too much walking for that to work out. I tried to get a wheel chair at the Bellagio, but they only had one's available for hotel guests.
So, plan "B" - try driving everywhere. Sadly, this didn't work out very well either. Still a lot of walking involved. Oh, I forgot to mention that we tried our hand at gambling! Mom won $.17 cents on one machine. I won $3.75 on another. And lost a dollar in a third. Not bad, all together, though. Coming out ahead is often a good thing...
We headed to Treasure Island where they have a show - but it turned out they only perform in the evenings. Sigh. Lots of walking for nothing. Poop! We took a little break at Gilley's which turned out to be a country bar. The bar stools were horse saddles. Glarp! I had a beer, (Shiner Bock) and mom had some soda water. I decided to try one more casino before giving up entirely (I don't really like giving up...). We headed to Circus Circus.
I like Circus. And I like Circus Circus. I thought I had been there more often than I have. It is the Reno one that I have been to at least three times. Oh well. Again, a long walk and mom was miserable. We finally made it to the midway and watched one circus act - a juggler! I want his light enhanced clubs! He was decent. I prefer duos or trios of jugglers. But it was still fun. And we got to sit! The walk back was endless seeming, but we eventually made it. Phew!
Next stop, rest at the motel. I was exhausted from trying not to be angry at my mom (I didn't succeed all that well, though). I tried to relax and chill out and plan the rest of the evening. We had gotten tickets to the late performance of "O" - starting at ten. So we had plenty of time for dinner. I didn't want to drag mom to another brewpub, so I searched google for restaurants off the strip. Lots came up, but the one I chose was called "Off the Strip."
It was way further off the strip than I thought! In a little mall in a subdivision about 10 miles from the strip in fact. Nice place and glad we went there. Our server, Megan, was on her second career, having given up performing and gone into food service. She was very sweet. Mom and I shared a dinner salad and a yummy entree of Scampi Stuffed Chicken over pasta in a nice sort of thai sauce. I think mom enjoyed it almost as much as I did. And to top it off, since it was our first visit, we got a free sliver of cheese cake! Next time, only the cheese cake! I also had a Blackout Stout from Indian Wells that was decent. I always am curious about beer that has very little information on its label...
We got back to the Bellagio and took the death march back to the theatre. Against the flow of traffic. We got there after the first show had let out, so a whole tide of people work walking out. We stopped a few times and eventually found seats not far from the entrance to the theatre. I was hoping the lines would thin enough that we could waltz in. But I got impatient, so we did have to "queue" for a while...and we walked right onto our level! No stairs, no elevator, escalator or anything! Phew! Well, a few stairs up to the seats, but mom managed those readily. I gave mom the better seat, of course - five yours up on the aisle. My seat was as far to house left as possible. Oh well. One day I will see the show from the center. Still, my seat was comfortable, lots of leg room and a nice Russian couple beside me as seat mates.
The show was amazing and exhausting - wonderful and quirky. I really do think it is the epitome of what the Cirque set out to do. Pure Circus, Cirque style. I love the live music, the awesome costumes, amazing acts, great characters. Just wonderful stuff! I look forward to a third viewing one day. From the center of the audience. And mom liked it too!
Long day, but we survived. Barely!
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| O |
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| Mom posing in white! |
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| The saddle seats at Gilleys. |
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| Yum, cheesecake! |
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Day Seventeen - Sonoma (CA) to Las Vegas (NV)
Long driving day, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. There was one point in there when I thought my calf would burst into flame spontaneously, but luckily that didn't happen. I don't have a fire extinguisher in the car. Do you? And speaking of car - anyone have a good mechanic? I am hearing some weird sound when driving that I don't like. I am not a car-o-phile, so have no idea what it is or what it could be, so please don't ask. And I don't really know how to describe the sound. It just is freaking me out a little. Just thought I would share.
Google said that trip would take just about 10 hours. My GPS said 9:30. With stops, google was right. Without stops, my GPS was closer - I think it took me 9 hours of actual driving time. Yes, I did exceed the speed limit here and there - not by much, most of the time. Usually 5 miles above the posted speed limit. But at times, when I was doing that speed, and I was in the slow lane, being passed by an older person in a shopping cart, I did up my speed to go with the flow of traffic.
The route we took was zig-zag-a-licious. Oh, I finally realized what GPS stands for: God Per Sonified. Ok, not really, but mom thinks I worship the thing a little too much. Perhaps she is correct...Anyway, mom routinely says things like: I am amazed at how you seem to know where you are and how to drive around. I point out the GPS (an acronym that often escapes her - it is the EPS, PSG, GSP etc...). This time it sent us to Interstate 5 for a longish time. We stopped for gas and food for the first pit stop in Santa Nella, CA. Mom had Wendy's food - I had a bit of her burger and a few of her fries.
Back on the road, which was still in progress, we headed to our first turning. Some small road that took us due East. Then a small freeway (99 again, I think) that took us South. Then East again, through a mountain range, where we stopped at a town called Tehachapi (accent on the ha). Gas was expensive and the pee place was not the happiest I have seen. The people clerking the store were college kids who would have rather lived anywhere but there (one of them looked like Noelle from the Raleigh Saucer).
Back on the road, we eventually hit Interstate 15/40 - though 40 left us pretty quickly. I don't know that I have ever done this road before. It didn't look at all familiar. And the 15 miles up and 10 miles down (almost straight roads) didn't feel like something I had done. Oh well - we did finally make it to Las Vegas and the motel - a TravelLodge not that far from the strip. I didn't know that TravelLodge was part of the Wyndham family of hotels. I think I have a Wyndham card. But since I used priceline to reserve the space, I don't think I can also get points. I don't know. It doesn't hurt too much to ask...
The place is ok - though the pillows are bizarre - little teeny rock like things. Weird. Oh, and I swear there is a mat on the bed like kids who wet their beds use...
After getting the car unpacked, we headed out to dinner. It was time for us to get to a brewpub since the last few dinners mom and I have had together have been fishy (Thai food one night and sushi the other...). I did a search and came up with a few in the area. I chose Big Dog Casino and Cafe.
It was further than I thought it would be, in a part of town I had yet to visit. Let me state here, if I haven't stated it elsewhere, that I enjoy places like Las Vegas (not that there are many, but still...). I just like the amazing amounts of people watching that is (are?) available. And I do like going to see some of the shows. I don't really have the funds to gamble, but I do enjoy what little I can do. Basically I gamble $100 once and see what happens. But I do it in $0.25 increments so it takes a little while. 4 bangs (so to speak) for each buck. :) This is not a place that I would like to own a home (SF yes, NYC yes, Paris, yes etc.) when I am richer than Croesus, but I will probably visit here off and on until it is no longer enjoyable...
So, anyway, we made it to the place. The door was intimidating - looked like the door to a strip club or a private club in a bad part of town (which this didn't seem to be). But upon opening, it looked much like any other bar - except of course for the gambling machinery. And the smoke. I am just not used to smoke indoors anymore. Glarg.
Overall, I enjoyed the place. Decent beer, good food, nice server, Kristan, who didn't spend much time with us, but that was ok, we survived. More on this in my new blog - Brewpubs and Such. Yes, I decided to start a blog about brewpubs - and maybe eventually that will morph into a book. Or not.
Google said that trip would take just about 10 hours. My GPS said 9:30. With stops, google was right. Without stops, my GPS was closer - I think it took me 9 hours of actual driving time. Yes, I did exceed the speed limit here and there - not by much, most of the time. Usually 5 miles above the posted speed limit. But at times, when I was doing that speed, and I was in the slow lane, being passed by an older person in a shopping cart, I did up my speed to go with the flow of traffic.
The route we took was zig-zag-a-licious. Oh, I finally realized what GPS stands for: God Per Sonified. Ok, not really, but mom thinks I worship the thing a little too much. Perhaps she is correct...Anyway, mom routinely says things like: I am amazed at how you seem to know where you are and how to drive around. I point out the GPS (an acronym that often escapes her - it is the EPS, PSG, GSP etc...). This time it sent us to Interstate 5 for a longish time. We stopped for gas and food for the first pit stop in Santa Nella, CA. Mom had Wendy's food - I had a bit of her burger and a few of her fries.
Back on the road, which was still in progress, we headed to our first turning. Some small road that took us due East. Then a small freeway (99 again, I think) that took us South. Then East again, through a mountain range, where we stopped at a town called Tehachapi (accent on the ha). Gas was expensive and the pee place was not the happiest I have seen. The people clerking the store were college kids who would have rather lived anywhere but there (one of them looked like Noelle from the Raleigh Saucer).
Back on the road, we eventually hit Interstate 15/40 - though 40 left us pretty quickly. I don't know that I have ever done this road before. It didn't look at all familiar. And the 15 miles up and 10 miles down (almost straight roads) didn't feel like something I had done. Oh well - we did finally make it to Las Vegas and the motel - a TravelLodge not that far from the strip. I didn't know that TravelLodge was part of the Wyndham family of hotels. I think I have a Wyndham card. But since I used priceline to reserve the space, I don't think I can also get points. I don't know. It doesn't hurt too much to ask...
The place is ok - though the pillows are bizarre - little teeny rock like things. Weird. Oh, and I swear there is a mat on the bed like kids who wet their beds use...
After getting the car unpacked, we headed out to dinner. It was time for us to get to a brewpub since the last few dinners mom and I have had together have been fishy (Thai food one night and sushi the other...). I did a search and came up with a few in the area. I chose Big Dog Casino and Cafe.
It was further than I thought it would be, in a part of town I had yet to visit. Let me state here, if I haven't stated it elsewhere, that I enjoy places like Las Vegas (not that there are many, but still...). I just like the amazing amounts of people watching that is (are?) available. And I do like going to see some of the shows. I don't really have the funds to gamble, but I do enjoy what little I can do. Basically I gamble $100 once and see what happens. But I do it in $0.25 increments so it takes a little while. 4 bangs (so to speak) for each buck. :) This is not a place that I would like to own a home (SF yes, NYC yes, Paris, yes etc.) when I am richer than Croesus, but I will probably visit here off and on until it is no longer enjoyable...
So, anyway, we made it to the place. The door was intimidating - looked like the door to a strip club or a private club in a bad part of town (which this didn't seem to be). But upon opening, it looked much like any other bar - except of course for the gambling machinery. And the smoke. I am just not used to smoke indoors anymore. Glarg.
Overall, I enjoyed the place. Decent beer, good food, nice server, Kristan, who didn't spend much time with us, but that was ok, we survived. More on this in my new blog - Brewpubs and Such. Yes, I decided to start a blog about brewpubs - and maybe eventually that will morph into a book. Or not.
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| Wendy's! |
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| Nice |
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| A windfall of Wind Turbines - mom was thrilled |
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| Dog House |
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
One of many driving days to come
Driving days tend to be (thankfully) fairly uneventful. Sometimes I do get some good thinking done. Sometimes I don't. Like yesterday. Little or no thinking occurred. I did get to hear a lot of mom nattering. And I ate some sunflower seeds. Speaking of which, I need to replace the ziploc bag that I keep them in since I discovered a hole. Stale sunflower seeds aren't as yummy as sort of fresh ones. How's that for a deep thought?!
Yesterday was the first full day of being back in the saddle. Nothing too surprising. I think she is still on the same plateau she was a week ago.
We got up and got out in a timely fashion. GPS told me that the time of the trip was going to be 8:43. Add in a couple of stops for gas and food for mom (the food, not the gas) and it took almost exactly nine hours from door to door (ish). Why I say "door(ish)" is because I decided we would "dine" before returning home. Lots of options, but I opted for Friendly's. Comfort food for mom.
I am going to do my best to make mom as comfortable on this trip as possible. It is going to be stressful for everyone - and being away from her home for so long will be hard for her. And it will be hard for me too. But luckily we will be seeing people she knows along the way. Like on Thursday when we stop in Chicago to visit Mary Gerhart. And on the 19th or so when we visit with Mary Flett in Sonoma for a month (ok, only a few days, really). And Ethel and Andy towards the end of the month (again hopefully for a few days).
Speaking of which - does anyone who reads this want to get visited? We can do a drive by, a coffee, lunch, dinner or if you are really interested you can put us up (if you can put up with us) for a night or two. Our only definite stopping places so far are: Chicago - Hood River, OR - Sonoma, CA - Las Vegas, NV - Tucson AZ - Austin TX. Other than that, our trip is open. Anyone? Crickets?
Huge digression. The GPS took us down the Maine Turnpike, onto 295 (not sure how much time that actually saves, but this time there was no traffic near Portland, so it wasn't an issue) then 495 to 90. I don't know why it didn't send us on 290. I thought that might be a smidge more efficient - but not according to the algorithms of the GPS apparently. 90 to 87 to 90 and then home. Makes sense. It is a lot quicker than going the scenic route. We had rain off and on the entire way. Joy. We stopped twice. Once for gas and for lunch - later than was optimal but at least we stopped. Then once just for a potty and stretch break.
Dinner was pleasant. Mom had her typical shrimp dinner - and was surprised at herself for eating all of the shrimp so quickly - and I had a pastrami sandwich. Yay!
After we got home, we both went to bed - even though it was only 9 o'clock. Driving can be enervating!
Ok, time to do something else constructive today. Do let me know if you want to be seen!
Yesterday was the first full day of being back in the saddle. Nothing too surprising. I think she is still on the same plateau she was a week ago.
We got up and got out in a timely fashion. GPS told me that the time of the trip was going to be 8:43. Add in a couple of stops for gas and food for mom (the food, not the gas) and it took almost exactly nine hours from door to door (ish). Why I say "door(ish)" is because I decided we would "dine" before returning home. Lots of options, but I opted for Friendly's. Comfort food for mom.
I am going to do my best to make mom as comfortable on this trip as possible. It is going to be stressful for everyone - and being away from her home for so long will be hard for her. And it will be hard for me too. But luckily we will be seeing people she knows along the way. Like on Thursday when we stop in Chicago to visit Mary Gerhart. And on the 19th or so when we visit with Mary Flett in Sonoma for a month (ok, only a few days, really). And Ethel and Andy towards the end of the month (again hopefully for a few days).
Speaking of which - does anyone who reads this want to get visited? We can do a drive by, a coffee, lunch, dinner or if you are really interested you can put us up (if you can put up with us) for a night or two. Our only definite stopping places so far are: Chicago - Hood River, OR - Sonoma, CA - Las Vegas, NV - Tucson AZ - Austin TX. Other than that, our trip is open. Anyone? Crickets?
Huge digression. The GPS took us down the Maine Turnpike, onto 295 (not sure how much time that actually saves, but this time there was no traffic near Portland, so it wasn't an issue) then 495 to 90. I don't know why it didn't send us on 290. I thought that might be a smidge more efficient - but not according to the algorithms of the GPS apparently. 90 to 87 to 90 and then home. Makes sense. It is a lot quicker than going the scenic route. We had rain off and on the entire way. Joy. We stopped twice. Once for gas and for lunch - later than was optimal but at least we stopped. Then once just for a potty and stretch break.
Dinner was pleasant. Mom had her typical shrimp dinner - and was surprised at herself for eating all of the shrimp so quickly - and I had a pastrami sandwich. Yay!
After we got home, we both went to bed - even though it was only 9 o'clock. Driving can be enervating!
Ok, time to do something else constructive today. Do let me know if you want to be seen!
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| The view in Maine with a really high tide! |
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| Juliet waving Bye Bye! |
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| Gas was $3.40 in Belfast! |
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| A different sort of claw like game with keys and locks instead... |
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| The first rest stop in MA |
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| Our second rest stop |
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| Yummy pastrami sandwich! |
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Opera Splurge Day
We don't do a lot of these - but well, this was quite a splurge day. Started off with lunch at McDonald's. I didn't get my act together early enough to feed us at home. I had every intention of taking mom's pills along to feed to her with lunch - but I plum forgot. :( Oh well. My Big Mac was ok - and the fries weren't as awesome as they can be. Mom had a fish sandwich that she seemed to enjoy.
The drive to Rochester was uneventful. Mom is still confused about how the EZ pass works. Oh well. I don't mind the questions repeated over and over and over again. Really. I don't. We got there about half an hour before the show was supposed to start. Someone had staked out our favorite seat with a coat - turned out to be a fellow Genevan who we knew. So we sat next to her. The two little olds behind us got all hot and bothered because someone was going to sit in front of them. Sigh.
The opera was good overall. It was a "pastiche" or a mash-up in current vernacular. A bunch of different music from various baroque composers, with libretto appropriate to the show. Which was also a mash-up - Partly The Tempest with the lovers from Midsummer Night's Dream added. The lead male was a countertenor - sounded to me like he was just really good at singing Falsetto. Oh, that was what he was doing. Very well, I might add. Just not my favorite, but apparently popular during the baroque period. The lead females were both good. And the woman playing Hermia was gorgeous! :) Caliban was scary looking. There was a bit of a ballet in the middle of the second act that seemed fairly gratuitous, although true to the baroque tradition. The sets were a combination of baroque stylized pieces and modern projection technology - which worked surprisingly well together. Great costumes and lighting. I must admit to sleeping through bits and pieces of the first act. Despite being really loooong, I enjoyed it. Don't know if we are going to go to any more this year - since the rest are even longer!
Next off to Best Buy. Mom has been insisting that I buy a new GPS. I have been putting it off because the one I have, although flawed in many ways, worked. And I don't really like spending money on something unless what I have is basically non-functional. But to get her to stop asking me about it (at least once a day) I suggested going to Best Buy after the opera. There was one handy. The people who helped me were nice but not very knowledgeable. I ended up getting a Garmin nuvi 2455 LMT - Lifetime Maps and Traffic! Yippee!I haven't used it yet - but am looking forward to going someplace I haven't been before to test it out!
Next, dinner. If it had been later, or if I had thought of someplace I really would have liked to try in Rochester, we would have eaten up there. Doh! I could have found a new to me place and used the new GPS to get us there. Sigh. Next time. This time, I decided to come back to Geneva and patronize Leaf Kitchen. I am glad we did.
Jess, who used to be a checker at Wegman's greeted us and took us to our table. It took us a few minutes to figure out how we knew each other. Next, Shelby came and acted as our server. Tatiana, as wonderful as ever came over and made us both very comfortable. We went all out for food - two appetizers (shrimp for mom and wontons for me - both great) and then mom had a fish and chips dinner which she enjoyed and I had the bacon cheeseburger! They locally source as much as they can, cook everything from scratch and to order. What is not to like! Yay!
All in all, quite a day! Yippee!
The drive to Rochester was uneventful. Mom is still confused about how the EZ pass works. Oh well. I don't mind the questions repeated over and over and over again. Really. I don't. We got there about half an hour before the show was supposed to start. Someone had staked out our favorite seat with a coat - turned out to be a fellow Genevan who we knew. So we sat next to her. The two little olds behind us got all hot and bothered because someone was going to sit in front of them. Sigh.
The opera was good overall. It was a "pastiche" or a mash-up in current vernacular. A bunch of different music from various baroque composers, with libretto appropriate to the show. Which was also a mash-up - Partly The Tempest with the lovers from Midsummer Night's Dream added. The lead male was a countertenor - sounded to me like he was just really good at singing Falsetto. Oh, that was what he was doing. Very well, I might add. Just not my favorite, but apparently popular during the baroque period. The lead females were both good. And the woman playing Hermia was gorgeous! :) Caliban was scary looking. There was a bit of a ballet in the middle of the second act that seemed fairly gratuitous, although true to the baroque tradition. The sets were a combination of baroque stylized pieces and modern projection technology - which worked surprisingly well together. Great costumes and lighting. I must admit to sleeping through bits and pieces of the first act. Despite being really loooong, I enjoyed it. Don't know if we are going to go to any more this year - since the rest are even longer!
Next off to Best Buy. Mom has been insisting that I buy a new GPS. I have been putting it off because the one I have, although flawed in many ways, worked. And I don't really like spending money on something unless what I have is basically non-functional. But to get her to stop asking me about it (at least once a day) I suggested going to Best Buy after the opera. There was one handy. The people who helped me were nice but not very knowledgeable. I ended up getting a Garmin nuvi 2455 LMT - Lifetime Maps and Traffic! Yippee!I haven't used it yet - but am looking forward to going someplace I haven't been before to test it out!
Next, dinner. If it had been later, or if I had thought of someplace I really would have liked to try in Rochester, we would have eaten up there. Doh! I could have found a new to me place and used the new GPS to get us there. Sigh. Next time. This time, I decided to come back to Geneva and patronize Leaf Kitchen. I am glad we did.
Jess, who used to be a checker at Wegman's greeted us and took us to our table. It took us a few minutes to figure out how we knew each other. Next, Shelby came and acted as our server. Tatiana, as wonderful as ever came over and made us both very comfortable. We went all out for food - two appetizers (shrimp for mom and wontons for me - both great) and then mom had a fish and chips dinner which she enjoyed and I had the bacon cheeseburger! They locally source as much as they can, cook everything from scratch and to order. What is not to like! Yay!
All in all, quite a day! Yippee!
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| Mom's fish and chips |
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| Hamburger! |
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Errands Galore!
Yay errands! I love running errands. Running being the operative word here - well, the gerund... anyway, I like having a list of things I need to do/buy/accomplish and heading out and doing, buying accomplishing those things. In the order (mostly) that I envisioned, in the time frame I set for myself. A plan that works out! Very satisfying. At least part of my day was satisfying...
So we got up and got out a reasonable time. First stop, coffee for mom - and other things - at Target. She let me park her with her coffee in the teeny cafeteria area while I ran around and got the things we needed. Well, we didn't really need a hippo pillow pet - but we got one anyway. She was thrilled! I wonder if she has forgotten it already and will be thrilled anew when I give it to her for the ride home. We shall see.
Next stop, the First Citizen's bank in NC. I didn't really have to stop there. I could have stopped in any branch and also could have just kept the money until I got to Geneva. But I wanted to see my old branch and some of the people that I have known for years. Luckily, my favorite teller, Diane, was there and we got a chance to chat a bit! Yay!
Then it was oil change/tire rotation time. I dropped mom at Bojangles and then took the car across the street to Just Tires. Mark was on duty and recognized me right away. He took the car and I went back to get some food with mom. Boy howdy do I miss the occasional Bojangles meal. It was as tasty as it usually is. I think mom enjoyed hers as well. In the line, I heard a familiar voice. Turns out I was correct - it was Leon, the person who used to do my yard work. I felt a smidge guilty since I stopped using him when Cate moved in - Cate had promised to mow the yard in partial payment for staying in the house. I am not good with things like that - telling people that I am moving on, changing services etc... Oh well. He was very nice - charmed my mom - he is 75 and solid. Does 15 lawns still. Goodness. And has prostate cancer! Eeek! He didn't seem too concerned - apparently there is a very effective new cryo-surgery that he will be having. Freaked me out, that's for sure.
Well, by that time the car was done, so mom and I headed to the house in Clayton. On the way we took a quick stop at Goodwill to buy mom a new sweater. The one she had brought was hole filled and quite stained. We left it with them to be ragged. Then, on to the house, for real.
I still love my house, even if it is teeny, crappily built and weirdly designed. Gee, sounds like me in some ways. Pekoe the Chihuahua and Greta the German Shepherd greeted me with open paws. They were a little leery of mom - ok, Pekoe was leery - Greta loves everyone indiscriminately. Pasha made an appearance looking for food. My main reason to be there was to fill up my water bottles, though I also wanted to see if there was anything that I could take with me to Geneva. I found a few movies, a tripod, an easel and a passel of mail. And I filled up 48 bottles of water with well water! Yippee!
Last scheduled stop was the Clayton Library. Miss Betty asked after my mom's health every time I stopped in, so I thought it only polite to re-unite them one more time. Miss Betty is retiring, so I am glad that I saw her. I also got to see Pam and Mardia (and Christian, Mardia's son). Great stuff! Gave the library a copy of the book! I doubt anyone but Pam will read it, but that is ok. I am very glad that we stopped there. Felt like old home week.
Then it was time to head to the Saucer - with a brief layover at the Best Buy to look for a new GPS. Sadly, no sales person could be found to talk with me about them, so I looked at a few and then left. I will try again, but it is not urgent.
The Saucer was fun - didn't sell many copies of Diary of a Plate Addict - see my writing blog - (or my kvetching blog post). Big news there - Kim drank her 1000th beer - making her the first female MOU at the Raleigh Saucer! Go Kim - she was given MOU card number 0100! Yay her!!
After the Saucer, mom and I headed to Five Star for food. I love that place and never went there enough when I was living in the area. If I had lived in Raleigh, I might have been a regular there. Oh well. I think mom enjoyed it.
All in all, a day full of fun and accomplishment.
Pictures from December 6, 2011:
So we got up and got out a reasonable time. First stop, coffee for mom - and other things - at Target. She let me park her with her coffee in the teeny cafeteria area while I ran around and got the things we needed. Well, we didn't really need a hippo pillow pet - but we got one anyway. She was thrilled! I wonder if she has forgotten it already and will be thrilled anew when I give it to her for the ride home. We shall see.
Next stop, the First Citizen's bank in NC. I didn't really have to stop there. I could have stopped in any branch and also could have just kept the money until I got to Geneva. But I wanted to see my old branch and some of the people that I have known for years. Luckily, my favorite teller, Diane, was there and we got a chance to chat a bit! Yay!
Then it was oil change/tire rotation time. I dropped mom at Bojangles and then took the car across the street to Just Tires. Mark was on duty and recognized me right away. He took the car and I went back to get some food with mom. Boy howdy do I miss the occasional Bojangles meal. It was as tasty as it usually is. I think mom enjoyed hers as well. In the line, I heard a familiar voice. Turns out I was correct - it was Leon, the person who used to do my yard work. I felt a smidge guilty since I stopped using him when Cate moved in - Cate had promised to mow the yard in partial payment for staying in the house. I am not good with things like that - telling people that I am moving on, changing services etc... Oh well. He was very nice - charmed my mom - he is 75 and solid. Does 15 lawns still. Goodness. And has prostate cancer! Eeek! He didn't seem too concerned - apparently there is a very effective new cryo-surgery that he will be having. Freaked me out, that's for sure.
Well, by that time the car was done, so mom and I headed to the house in Clayton. On the way we took a quick stop at Goodwill to buy mom a new sweater. The one she had brought was hole filled and quite stained. We left it with them to be ragged. Then, on to the house, for real.
I still love my house, even if it is teeny, crappily built and weirdly designed. Gee, sounds like me in some ways. Pekoe the Chihuahua and Greta the German Shepherd greeted me with open paws. They were a little leery of mom - ok, Pekoe was leery - Greta loves everyone indiscriminately. Pasha made an appearance looking for food. My main reason to be there was to fill up my water bottles, though I also wanted to see if there was anything that I could take with me to Geneva. I found a few movies, a tripod, an easel and a passel of mail. And I filled up 48 bottles of water with well water! Yippee!
Last scheduled stop was the Clayton Library. Miss Betty asked after my mom's health every time I stopped in, so I thought it only polite to re-unite them one more time. Miss Betty is retiring, so I am glad that I saw her. I also got to see Pam and Mardia (and Christian, Mardia's son). Great stuff! Gave the library a copy of the book! I doubt anyone but Pam will read it, but that is ok. I am very glad that we stopped there. Felt like old home week.
Then it was time to head to the Saucer - with a brief layover at the Best Buy to look for a new GPS. Sadly, no sales person could be found to talk with me about them, so I looked at a few and then left. I will try again, but it is not urgent.
The Saucer was fun - didn't sell many copies of Diary of a Plate Addict - see my writing blog - (or my kvetching blog post). Big news there - Kim drank her 1000th beer - making her the first female MOU at the Raleigh Saucer! Go Kim - she was given MOU card number 0100! Yay her!!
After the Saucer, mom and I headed to Five Star for food. I love that place and never went there enough when I was living in the area. If I had lived in Raleigh, I might have been a regular there. Oh well. I think mom enjoyed it.
All in all, a day full of fun and accomplishment.
Pictures from December 6, 2011:
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| My house |
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| One bag filled, one to be filled |
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| Kim's MOU #0100 card! |
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| Five Star Food! |
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Driving back from NC
After a long, long day of driving, mom and I made it home to Geneva safely. Hurrah! I got up pretty early, at least for me, and got on the road. Two and a half hours later, I had arrived at Bosey's house in Union Grove. Mom was up and packed and we didn't dawdle too much there. Mom had a great time there! Hurrah! And thank you, big time, Bosey!!! We will have to do it again. :)
Next up, the drive North. My GPS said it would be about 12 hours with no stops. Arg. The trip went remarkably well. We did stop for gas and some food - well, food-like substances. I do like the occasional bit of fast food - maybe once or twice a month - pizza is not fast food, by the way... - this time it was Arby's. Curly fries! Yippee!
Next stop, a scenic overlook in Pennsylvania. Mom didn't get out of the car. She was being a trooper all things considered, but she just didn't want to get out. Oh well. It was gorgeous! Then to get gas in Williamsport, PA. And I saw a sign! Not an omen sort of sign, a sign I had seen years ago and then off and on again since - a sign for the Bullfrog Brewery and Eatery! Yippee!! It was dinner time, so I suggested we stop there.
It wasn't difficult to find (thank you GPS). Cool building, nice staff, good food, passable beer. Evan, the host, took us to a table all the way in the back. Good thing, since there was jazz in the main space and it would have been a tad difficult to chat. Brooke was our server, she had worked there 10 years and was from a town about 50 miles away. She was great! We ordered a meal to share between us - if I eat too much, I can get sleepy while driving, which isn't good - and mom doesn't really eat that much at any one meal. And we still had leftovers. Probably lunch today.
One of the upsides of mom's alzheimer's is that I can tell her my thoughts over and over again and she doesn't get bored hearing them. And I can refine them by bouncing them off her - she is still thoughtful and intelligent, just a little (ok, a lot) forgetful. So I can tell her my ideas for selling Diary of a Plate Addict, running for president, my self-help book, my theatre company... etc.
We finally got home around 10:30 pm. Phew! I unloaded the car and basically went straight to bed. Though I did take time out to write back to a Plenty of Fish woman who had written me back. Yippee! Hope springs eternal...
Pictures from June 29, 2011:
Mom and Bosey posing in the sunroom of Bosey and Bob's house!
I tend to forget negative experiences (generally) pretty quickly. I had completely forgotten that we got stopped by construction blasting for half on hour in PA. Weird.
One of the vistas from the Scenic Overlook in PA near Williamsport.
The Bullfrog Brewery and Eatery. A must visit if you are ever in Williamsport, PA and like beer and food.
Next up, the drive North. My GPS said it would be about 12 hours with no stops. Arg. The trip went remarkably well. We did stop for gas and some food - well, food-like substances. I do like the occasional bit of fast food - maybe once or twice a month - pizza is not fast food, by the way... - this time it was Arby's. Curly fries! Yippee!
Next stop, a scenic overlook in Pennsylvania. Mom didn't get out of the car. She was being a trooper all things considered, but she just didn't want to get out. Oh well. It was gorgeous! Then to get gas in Williamsport, PA. And I saw a sign! Not an omen sort of sign, a sign I had seen years ago and then off and on again since - a sign for the Bullfrog Brewery and Eatery! Yippee!! It was dinner time, so I suggested we stop there.
It wasn't difficult to find (thank you GPS). Cool building, nice staff, good food, passable beer. Evan, the host, took us to a table all the way in the back. Good thing, since there was jazz in the main space and it would have been a tad difficult to chat. Brooke was our server, she had worked there 10 years and was from a town about 50 miles away. She was great! We ordered a meal to share between us - if I eat too much, I can get sleepy while driving, which isn't good - and mom doesn't really eat that much at any one meal. And we still had leftovers. Probably lunch today.
One of the upsides of mom's alzheimer's is that I can tell her my thoughts over and over again and she doesn't get bored hearing them. And I can refine them by bouncing them off her - she is still thoughtful and intelligent, just a little (ok, a lot) forgetful. So I can tell her my ideas for selling Diary of a Plate Addict, running for president, my self-help book, my theatre company... etc.
We finally got home around 10:30 pm. Phew! I unloaded the car and basically went straight to bed. Though I did take time out to write back to a Plenty of Fish woman who had written me back. Yippee! Hope springs eternal...
Pictures from June 29, 2011:
Mom and Bosey posing in the sunroom of Bosey and Bob's house!
I tend to forget negative experiences (generally) pretty quickly. I had completely forgotten that we got stopped by construction blasting for half on hour in PA. Weird.
One of the vistas from the Scenic Overlook in PA near Williamsport.
The Bullfrog Brewery and Eatery. A must visit if you are ever in Williamsport, PA and like beer and food.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
West Coast Trip April 2010 - Day 18 - Part Two
Thanks to my GPS, my drive to Cordova was mostly scenic.
Got there and after chatting with Kevin, the manager, decided it was best to run errands before settling in to wait for Tom, the top beer knurd.
First, oil change and car wash. And it was a deluxe car wash. Probably worth the price of the oil change! I almost didn't recognize my shiny car.
I had a great chat with a professional poker player and hope to see him at the final table in the World Series of Poker soon!
From there I went to find a stand for my 15th plate - long story - and to have some food at Chili's. Yum!
Back to the Saucer - I sat a pretty decent seat. It might just be "the seat" for that store. Kevin came over a little later and told me that Tom had arrived - along with a whole cadre of his friends - all working fairly diligently on their plates.
I think three or four of them at least are going to the GABF from Cordova! I wonder how many are going from the Raleigh Saucer...
Not much server participation, which was sad - but life is that way sometimes.
I headed out as I wanted to get stopped in time to, sigh, Tanga.
Got there and after chatting with Kevin, the manager, decided it was best to run errands before settling in to wait for Tom, the top beer knurd.
First, oil change and car wash. And it was a deluxe car wash. Probably worth the price of the oil change! I almost didn't recognize my shiny car.
I had a great chat with a professional poker player and hope to see him at the final table in the World Series of Poker soon!
From there I went to find a stand for my 15th plate - long story - and to have some food at Chili's. Yum!
Back to the Saucer - I sat a pretty decent seat. It might just be "the seat" for that store. Kevin came over a little later and told me that Tom had arrived - along with a whole cadre of his friends - all working fairly diligently on their plates.
I think three or four of them at least are going to the GABF from Cordova! I wonder how many are going from the Raleigh Saucer...
Not much server participation, which was sad - but life is that way sometimes.
I headed out as I wanted to get stopped in time to, sigh, Tanga.
Friday, April 23, 2010
West Coast Trip April 2010 - Day 14
Originally my GPS, which sometimes seemingly anticipates my desires, wanted to send me through California and the freeways. I dissuaded it from that by starting down a mountain road. It dutifully recalculated and I had another lovely drive through the high desert.
I am a bad tourist. I stopped for gas at a Candy store and was approached by a trombone player from the local highschool band. For a donation, he would wash my windshield. He didn't do a great job, but it was cleaner than it had been.
Anyway, I was given the option to go see Death Valley - but I didn't bother to take out my map and see that I really wouldn't have had to do any backtracking to do so. Sigh. I opted not to go. Who knows when next I will have that opportunity. Did I Sigh already? Still, the scenery was great!
The rest of the drive was uneventful. The same Econolodge was waiting patiently for my return. This time I had a much cleaner, happier room - for the same price. Go figure. Again, I had gotten into town fairly early in the day. So I got out and hopped on the bus to the strip. First stop, was Treasure Island to see what time their shows were. Next stop, Mirage to see about tickets for that evening's performance of Love - the Cirque's Beatles show. They had two shows - one at 9:30 which was good for me so that I could Tanga. The ticket seller actually suggested I buy the lesser priced of two tickets - weird. More on that later.
Next stop, Harrah's to gamble my hundred dollars. Not a good gambling experience. David Cummerford mentioned that hotels off the strip had better odds on their slot machines - and I think he was correct. Next time, I think I will try one of the off strip Harrah's properties. Grrr.
Then it was time to head back to Tanga. That was kind of pointless as I didn't do particularly well. Sigh.
Back on the bus to the Strip to hang out till the show started. I checked the timing and realized that I could use my two for one drink ticket that I got with my admission and also go see the TI Sirens show before Love. I went to Revolution, which was opened just for the people who had these tickets and got my two for one beers. Good thing it was two for one. They were charging $8 for a beer! Eeeek!! Cool thing about Vegas, though, is that one can walk the street with beer in hand! Yippee!
The Sirens show was fun, but I liked the pirates versus the British show that they had before. And it would have been better with binoculars - which I conveniently had left in my car. Sigh. This actually didn't strike me until I was watching Love later. Anyway, back to The Mirage and love.
Great show! And the seats were excellent. All the way at the top of the theatre, but not that high and not that far from the stage. And right behind the sound and light boards! Lots of hydraulics, lots of projections, great sound and nicely balanced circus acts versus pure sort of dance stuff.
I also harassed, only mildly, the young saleswoman who had convinced me that Love was worth seeing - Shannon. Sigh.
After the show I was exhausted and headed straight back to the hotel to sleep!
I am a bad tourist. I stopped for gas at a Candy store and was approached by a trombone player from the local highschool band. For a donation, he would wash my windshield. He didn't do a great job, but it was cleaner than it had been.
Anyway, I was given the option to go see Death Valley - but I didn't bother to take out my map and see that I really wouldn't have had to do any backtracking to do so. Sigh. I opted not to go. Who knows when next I will have that opportunity. Did I Sigh already? Still, the scenery was great!
The rest of the drive was uneventful. The same Econolodge was waiting patiently for my return. This time I had a much cleaner, happier room - for the same price. Go figure. Again, I had gotten into town fairly early in the day. So I got out and hopped on the bus to the strip. First stop, was Treasure Island to see what time their shows were. Next stop, Mirage to see about tickets for that evening's performance of Love - the Cirque's Beatles show. They had two shows - one at 9:30 which was good for me so that I could Tanga. The ticket seller actually suggested I buy the lesser priced of two tickets - weird. More on that later.
Next stop, Harrah's to gamble my hundred dollars. Not a good gambling experience. David Cummerford mentioned that hotels off the strip had better odds on their slot machines - and I think he was correct. Next time, I think I will try one of the off strip Harrah's properties. Grrr.
Then it was time to head back to Tanga. That was kind of pointless as I didn't do particularly well. Sigh.
Back on the bus to the Strip to hang out till the show started. I checked the timing and realized that I could use my two for one drink ticket that I got with my admission and also go see the TI Sirens show before Love. I went to Revolution, which was opened just for the people who had these tickets and got my two for one beers. Good thing it was two for one. They were charging $8 for a beer! Eeeek!! Cool thing about Vegas, though, is that one can walk the street with beer in hand! Yippee!
The Sirens show was fun, but I liked the pirates versus the British show that they had before. And it would have been better with binoculars - which I conveniently had left in my car. Sigh. This actually didn't strike me until I was watching Love later. Anyway, back to The Mirage and love.
Great show! And the seats were excellent. All the way at the top of the theatre, but not that high and not that far from the stage. And right behind the sound and light boards! Lots of hydraulics, lots of projections, great sound and nicely balanced circus acts versus pure sort of dance stuff.
I also harassed, only mildly, the young saleswoman who had convinced me that Love was worth seeing - Shannon. Sigh.
After the show I was exhausted and headed straight back to the hotel to sleep!
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