Boerne to Vegas

Six Years!

2011-03-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

So...yesterday, Tuesday, March 15, 2011 was the sixth anniversary of "The Kiss Test". Which we both passed. To explain ...

Previously, on Boerne to Vegas ... January 25, 2005:

LGW and KAF had been communicating by phone, webcam chat, and email, beginning with their chance meeting on eHarmony.com. This communication had been going on for about six weeks, when it was decided that LGW should pay a visit to Texas. So, on Tuesday, March 15, 2009, KAF picked LGW up at San Antonio International, where they each took "The Kiss Test". Having passed that test, they moved on to having their first lunch together, and some other things.

LGW met KAF's family, coworkers, etc. They spent about 4 days in that mode. Then, they got in KAF's car and drove to LGW's home in Fabulous Las Vegas. They then married at the Garden of Love Chapel on Las Vegas Boulevard on Monday, March 21, 2005. The Garden of Love is closed now, but at least they didn't implode the building as they are SO want to do here!

After a few days, they both drove back to Texas, where KAF worked for about 2 1/2 more weeks at the Boerne Public Library. During these days, they renewed their vows at St. Mark's UMC, because Pastor Cheryl wanted them to have a church wedding. KAF's Sunday School class hosted a reception afterwards, complete with cake - we still have the topper - it's on our dresser. Then, we packed up and, well, you know the rest of the story. (Any questions?)

So, next Monday will be our Sixth Wedding Anniversary. I've looked up which gifts one might give on the Sixth Anniversary. They are: Candy and Iron. Wood is listed as an alternate gift idea. I am now speechless.

I Feel Silly, Oh So Silly!

2009-09-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'm just a little tired/excited/sleepy. I'm excited about Julie Austin's visit to the Henderson this week. I'm excited about going to Texas for a birthday trip. My eyes are tired from my new glasses, but I've been excited about them, too. I'm excited about going to see Leon Russell at Gruene Hall with my sisters, brother-in-law, and husband. I'm tired, though....I should go to bed now. Good night :)

Need to blog!

2009-09-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

I've seen lots of blog entries with the opening, "Sorry I haven't posted in a while...", or some such thing. Well, here's another one!

I am now on Twitter and Facebook, and so haven't had hardly a thought about my blog in quite some time.

I've been here in Las Vegas now for over 4 years! I'm very excited, because Hubby and I are going to Texas in late October for our birthday vacation :) I have been back, what, 4 times, I think, but this is Hubby's first time since we were married!

I'm sad that Natalie won't be there. I'm sure she planned her vacation to NYC during that time on purpose! :P I should be able to see AnnieLou and several other Boerne Library friends and Friends, though!

Can't wait to see my family again, too, of course. Will see the Soldier Boy @ Ft. Bliss in El Paso on the way to South Central Texas. Haven't seen him since his graduation from medic training last May.

That's all for now.

Oh, and I love my family, friends, pets, coworkers, .....trying not to hate anything.

Okay, So We've Ended This Season...

2008-06-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

...but there's always next year!!! Rock on, and rest up, boys!

GO SPURS GO!

2008-05-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

The Spurs are again doing well in the playoffs, maybe because Hubby has been wearing lucky Spurs shorts? My lucky bracelet didn't do so well the first 2 games of this series with the Hornets...

Click here for an easy and cool way to make your own Spurs Cheer Card!

Trip to Texas I - Friday and Saturday

2008-05-11T16:22:00.000-07:00

On April 18, 2008, I traveled to Texas. I planned this friends and family visiting trip to coincide with a few things: Bluebonnets and other Texas wildflowers blooming, Fiesta, my good friend's wedding, and my eldest son's moving to Nevada.

On the first day, Friday, I arrived at San Antonio International Airport at about 1:00 pm. My sister Karen, nephew Matt, and son Emad picked me up. We drove towards one of our favorite family dining haunts, Jacala Mexican Restaurant, to meet the rest of my San Antonio-dwelling family. We made a small detour to check out the street we used to live on, Denton Drive. We then arrived at Jacala, where we all had a lovely lunch together. Mack, Donna, Betty, I'm so glad we could get together- it was so good to see everyone!

After lunch, we went to Mom's and Harry's for a short visit. Then, I went to Boerne to see Bob, Sandy, and Jory where we all played together for the first time since February 2006.

The next day, Saturday, we went to New Braunfels. It was so much fun! Lizzie had a soccer game, and she made the most goals. What a runner, too! All the McDonald kids are good athletes. I got to observe how fast and how much the McDonald kids have all grown. Frances was stellar on that weird skateboard contraption, her bike, and scooter. James did an excellent job of extreme sporting, as well. John was tricky on his scooter--I held my breath a couple of times--he always landed upright. And Bridget--what happened to that little baby? She's a sweet little lady now. We had Jimmy and Kay's brisket and macaroni salad for lunch--Hubby, you really missed something there! Later, we went down to the river, then back home for the best Spurs game ever! Timmy hit the 3!

As my family knows, I subjected them to my camera many times. Therefore, there are many pictures. So as to not overwhelm any of us too much, I've been separating them into galleries by days and events. I've even named some of the photos so that folks would know what it is they are looking at--this particularly pertains to the photos from the plane. And some of those plane photos, well, your guess is as good as mine as to what we are looking at, and where exactly we are in them. I hope you have fun looking at them. My 2 hour plane ride went by very quickly!

So, here are the first 4 galleries:

"Kathy's Plane Ride: Sin City to God's Country!"

"From San Antonio International to Jacala to the Meadows Home"

"Jammin' at Bob and Sandy's"

"Saturday in New Braunfels"

I will add the rest in the coming days.

Sunday Drive

2008-04-06T21:08:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, an extremely windy day, I needed to get out of the Las Vegas Valley. I decided it would do me good to take a drive--to think about, sort out, and try to come to terms with a horrible thing that had happened that weekend:

My son's boss, a 39 year old mother of two, was killed. Shot in the head while waiting at a traffic light. Her son and daughter were in the car, too. The person who did it was arrested, and he said he was drunk and didn't mean to do it. Two male friends, his girlfriend, and their 1-year-old were in his car. The family of Blanca Gonzalez (aka Esther), as well as many friends, including my son, is devastated over her senseless killing. Actually, everyone who has heard about this whether or not they knew her, is shocked and saddened and angry. It's so messed up. I'm told there is a bank account set up to help the family. It is at Bank of America, account # 501000140168. News Story here.

I had never been on the "lake loop" as I've heard some people call it, so I decided to do it. First, I went by the Las Vegas Mormon Temple. Next to it was a Mormon church that I snapped a photo of. I really don't know about other places, but in the Las Vegas Valley, all the LDS churches seem to look alike. Anyway, the next few photos are of the view from where I was, on the east side of the LV Valley. Then, I stopped momentarily at the Great Unconformity site, where it looks like losers continue to vandalize the markers.

As I traveled on, I took photos of the landscape, with many photos showcasing Lava Butte. It's much smaller than Frenchman Mountain, where the Great Unconformity is, but it is a stand-out piece of rock! The first water you'll see is Lake Las Vegas. A little further along the road, Lake Mead comes into view. The main think that hit me was the fact that the lake is so low. I've heard constantly about how the level is dropping, but seeing is definitely believing! Eventually, after stopping at about four scenic overlooks, I came upon the Lake Mead Marina. After exploring there a bit, I was ready to head towards home. The pictures of the cars lined up on the highway are to show how long the line is to get to Hoover Dam. Fortunately, I wasn't going that way.

I originally took 215 photos, but I've only got 189 on the gallery :-) Click here for the pictures. I hope you enjoy them.

RIP, Esther.

What a crazy world...

April 18th Can't Come Soon Enough!

2008-02-29T22:30:00.000-08:00

Well, okay, I'm trying to "live in the moment", but that doesn't keep me from thinking about my upcoming visit to Texas in April. My dear friend Billy happens to be getting married while I'm there, so that's pretty neat. April is my favorite time of year in the Hill Country, too. It's also my eldest son's birth month. It's when the bluebonnets and all the other wildflowers bloom. The redbud trees should be flowering then, too. I'm so excited to see my family--all 14 of them! I'm excited to visit all of my friends at the Boerne Library, and my musical pals, Bob, Sandy, and Jory. There are so many people I'd like to see, I'll really have to time things right...

And it's Fiesta, too! I'm expecting mariachis at the airport...I'll be somewhat disappointed if I don't hear any. And--I'm also planning the road trip back--with my eldest! Yes, that's right, he's moving here to Vegas! We can't wait for that, too.

I'll be arriving in San Antonio at about 1 pm on April 18th, and we'll be driving back to Nevada late the next week. If we time it right, I want my son to see the Meteor Crater, Painted Desert, and Petrified Forest. We're bringing his cat, Aphrodite, though, so it will depend on how the weather is, and how she is, too! I'm just glad (we're all glad) that he's going to be with us.

It's Not Hoover Dam...

2008-01-09T22:58:00.000-08:00

...but yes, it's true--my dear friend Natalie and her daughter Diana did visit Hoover Dam with me last August! I can't seem to find any photos of that particular excursion at the moment, but I do have these:

Clark County Wetlands Park

2008-01-09T22:14:00.000-08:00

Emad and I visited the Wetlands Park while he was here. It was windy and cold that day, but the park was beautiful. There were a few brave ducks here and there, but mostly tall grasses, trees, and.....WATER! They've really made a nice place for nature and people there. Emad's camera was out of memory, but I had my phone, so here are some pictures:

Notice Frenchman's Mountain in the background...
I've finally found a place in the desert that reminds me (a little!) of the Texas Hill Country!

Hoover Dam

2008-01-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

Emad and I visited Hoover Dam on December 26th. It was extremely busy that day. The line to the theater in the Visitor's Center was long, so we decided to look at the exhibits and go outside to the lookout spot. We also walked across the dam to the Arizona side. It was getting dark by then, as you'll see in some of the photos. Also, note the bypass bridge being constructed. It will be at least 900 feet over the Colorado River when it's finished.

We later went back in to watch the movie, but they were having the last showing. HOWEVER, the nice man there let us watch it anyway, all by ourselves! He said that since it was so busy, he was working late and all. We thought it was very nice of him to show it for us.

Click here for the pictures!

See the video below:

Mt. Charleston on 12/23/2007

2008-01-02T20:41:00.000-08:00

Hubby drove Emad, Ali, Gene and me up to Mt. Charleston. Emad could hardly believe that the snow was real--Ali had the same reaction the first time he visited. We didn't see much snow back in south Texas, nor do we see it in Las Vegas either!

Click here for the pictures!

See the videos:

That's My Boy!

2007-12-06T23:57:00.000-08:00

Proud Mama here! Tonight, I was priviledged to attend the Winchester Theatre's production of "Hairspray Holiday Party"- a spoof on the musical "Hairspray". Ali played "Link". I had never heard him sing or watched him dance like that! I was very impressed, and I would've been even if I weren't his mother!

Thoughts for This Evening

2007-12-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

There's a lot on my mind right now. There's work: we got a new Toyota Highlander hybrid to use in our Bright Beginnings program. It's got a power button with which to start it and turn it off. It's beautiful and a little mind-boggling.

Also, on the way home from work, I heard the old Kenny Rogers song, "Ruby". I am utterly ashamed to admit that although I've heard this song many times, I had not really listened to the story it told. Anyone who may be reading this has probably actually heard and remembers these lyrics, but in case you haven't (and just because I want to) here they are:

You've painted up your lips an rolled and curled your tinted hair.
Ruby are you contemplating going out some where?
The shadow on the wall tells me the sun is going down
Oh Ruby-----Don't Take your love to town

It wasn't me that started that old crazy Asian war
But I was proud to go and do my patriotic chore
And yes, it's true that I'm not the man I used to be...
Oh Ruby-----I still need some company.

Its hard to love a man whose legs are bent and paralyzed
And the wants and the needs of a woman your age, Ruby I realize
But it won't be long I've heard them say until I'm not around
Oh Ruby-----Don't Take your love to town

She's leavin' now 'cause I just heard the slammin' of the door
The way I know I've heard it slam one hundred times before
And if I could move I'd get my gun and put her in the ground
Oh Ruby-----Don't Take your love to town
Oh Ruby-----

For God sakes turn around!

More on the Great Unconformity

2007-11-26T21:27:00.000-08:00

My husband has emailed at least 50 individuals about our visit to the Great Unconformity Interpretive Site a couple of days ago. He sent them this link as well.

He has received many responses from people whose interests range from actually having initiated and carried through with work on the site to Boy Scout leaders who have organized and taken part in countless cleanups. In the words of George Knapp of Channel 8 News "We’ve been reporting on the vandalism at the Great Unconformity for the past two years. You can still see the story scripts on our website. Our stories inspired a couple of cleanup efforts but the vandals keep returning. No agency has the budget for 24 hour surveillance of the area, unfortunately".

Most have responded with genuine thanks and encouragement to contact additional resources--they gave him information on more people and organizations to contact, and also passed his email along to others. In all, we've seen that many folks want to clean up and then continue to help keep the place nice.

As we understand it so far, unless the area can be secured, it's just going to continue to be a problem (We were afraid to leave the car there that day!). We were told that the Metropolitan Police Department does not have jurisdiction there. Does this mean that it would take a Federal Marshal to be able to arrest vandals?

The vandalism really makes me wonder about the bad in some people, but the good in most others is very heartening. It's a good feeling to know that so many want to take care of this amazing area...it was so heartbreaking a couple of days ago.

The Great Unconformity

2007-11-24T22:26:00.000-08:00

For quite some time, I've been wanting to visit this geological wonder, the Great Unconformity. It's only eleven or so miles from our house, yet we hadn't ventured out there yet, until today. I was very excited. I've been studying the Frenchman Mountain Great Unconformity website . I loved reading about how the community, the BLM, the Boy Scouts, and Stephen Rowland, Professor of Geology at UNLV worked so hard to make this highly interesting place an inviting one to visit and learn from.

What my husband and I found there was, to say the least, disheartening. I know the website told of problems of beer bottles and graffiti, but I wasn't ready for what we saw. People (should I really call them that?) have completely destroyed thousands of dollars and many precious hours worth of hard work. What's up with that? There are exclusive neighborhoods nearby, yet this seems to be a place to park, build campfires and drink. You would think that the police would be able to check this place out once in a while. There's so much trash and graffiti that it's unreal!

Please click on my flickr page or the flickr box in the right column of this page to see today's pictures. They are in the "Friends, Trips, Etc." set of photos. Also today we went up the road a little to Rainbow Gardens and took the Lava Butte trail behind Frenchman Mountain. It was a wild ride at times, but it was gorgeous! There are photos from that as well on flickr.

The area itself, all in all, is still beautiful. It's amazing to actually walk on Precambrian granite and schist that formed deep within the earth's crust 1.7 billion years ago.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T00:42:00.000-08:00

Here's a Maxine cartoon that a friend shared with me--I must admit that it's SO me:

I'm extremely lucky to live with people who love to cook, and what's more, they're good at it, too! I'm thankful for my family and friends and miss all of you that I'm far away from, very much. I wish you all a wonderful, happy Thanksgiving Day!

To Reassure Natalie

2007-11-15T14:34:00.000-08:00

Elbie and Mr. Nothing were catnapping and looked cute, so I bothered them with the little flashing box thingy.

Shoulder Surgery

2007-11-15T14:00:00.000-08:00

Dang it! My shoulder's been hurting for a while, and I now know why. There's a tear in the rotator cuff. So...no more using the right arm for much until it's better. The surgery will be on December 7. I'm not exactly sure how the injury happened, but maybe it was too much of this:

Maybe not... :-)

On Vacation!

2007-11-10T16:36:00.000-08:00

It's been a LONG TIME since I've blogged. So much has happened, and I have many pictures to prove it! I'll post those at a future time, but soon.

Here are some for now:
The first one is from my trip yesterday to the Ethel M's Candy Factory and Cactus Garden. I've put pictures of this place from 2 years ago on this blog, but I took these yesterday morning. I think they're kind of interesting because they have the Christmas lights strung on them already. I especially liked the skeletons of the saguaro catcus. We saw the lights two years ago when E, my eldest, was here. Maybe we'll go this year again.
The second is from when I arrived home from Ethel M's. The flowers that Hubby has been watering and feeding ever since last Valentine's Day are now blooming beautifully! He's become quite the cactus and aloe vera gardener, as well. Henry the Dog was in the courtyard, smiling for his photos. There's also one of Hubby, on the phone with some sort of work business as he makes his way towards the office (like that place that I'm on vacation from!)

Since I'm on vacation and spending it at home, I'm going to do some things that I don't normally get to do. Things like, well, blog, for one. Also, I've been catching up on email accounts that I've forgotten to check. That's been fun.

I've also been thinking about how long it's been since I've been back to Texas--almost 2 years! We were planning to go during this vacation time, but have since decided to wait until the spring--maybe during Fiesta! That would be fun. There are so many things like that--where I want Hubby to see and/or experience. I miss my son who is living in San Antonio now. My mom and stepdad, and my sister and nephew are all there, as well. My other sister and her family are still in New Braunfels, but they spend a lot of time in SA because of little J's doctor visits.

We also plan to go to Arkansas during our springtime trip. I'm excited to meet Hubby's mom, his sister and her family, as well as other friends and family there. I know he has places and things to show me, too.

Uh oh, Hubby has some dinner ready--smells good--gotta go!

Don't Bug Me!

2007-04-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Hubby!

Cheaper By The Dozen

2006-10-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

The following photos were taken after the performance of a play that Sonny was in, "Cheaper By The Dozen". It was a moving story, and not much like the recent movie. I think Sonny was great in it, too! He's really enjoyed his Rainbow Company friends, too.

A Visit With Nancy Pearl

2006-08-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday evening, I had the opportunity to attend a talk with and to meet Nancy Pearl. If you don't know about her, you're not in the library world! If you are a book lover, but don't yet know about her, click here to learn more.

Nancy says that if you are reading a book and not enjoying it, put it down! Life's too short, and there are many other books out there. She says that if you find yourself plodding along through a boring tome, just wanting to know who the murderer is, just turn to the last page! Don't buy into the guilt that you may feel about having to finish a book just for the sake of finishing it. She also mentioned that whether or not we like a book may depend on our mood at the time, and that every time we re-read a book, it will be a different experience, depending on where we are in our lives at that moment.

Nancy was a truly delightful, down to earth person. I feel lucky to have met her. I also want to say that I'm very excited about all of the authors that our library has on the calendar for the next year. Marc Brown (Arthur) and Laura Numeroff (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie) are two of them. The new list isn't up yet, but you can click here to see who's been here.

Here are the pictures!

What's up with this no a/c business?

2006-07-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

Our air conditioner isn't working. That's right, it's the very hottest time of the year, and the compressor is dead. Dead, I tell you. It's been dead since last Friday night. We called American Home Shield last Saturday and they sent someone to look at it on Monday. That guy was a jerk (best four letter word I could think of to describe him, yet still keep it clean). He said that it was somehow our fault that it wasn't working, so AHS wasn't going to pay for a new compressor. Hubby called AHS and asked for a second opinion. They came out today and said that it does indeed need to be replaced. Hubby's on the phone right now with AHS--I'm waiting to find out what the final verdict is.

On the bright side, even though it's in the 110s here, inside it's a cooler 91 degrees this evening. Remember, it's a dry heat!

Sonny has a window a/c unit, so he's fine with his door closed. Hubby rigged another window unit at our front door, so it's not boiling hot. Also, we have lots of fans running. It's really like being at camp.

One more thing along the lines of 'everything happens for a reason': my sister and nephew had planned to come here to visit us but their plans fell through. If they would have been able to come as planned, they would've been here now...hmmmmm....

A side note, the bookmobile generator is on the blink, so we had no a/c today and had to cancel our stops!

News Video

2006-07-16T18:44:00.000-07:00

Last week, KENS-TV, San Antonio, did a news story featuring the new blood donation center in New Braunfels where my sister Kay and family live. Her wonderful husband Jimmy and little John were in the video, and if you look closely, you'll also catch glimpses of Frances and James. Jimmy was interviewed--we're so proud--we miss you all so much! Here's the link to the video After clicking on the link, scroll down to the Medical News section and check the box marked "Blood donation site opens in New Braunfels".

Hot Hot Hot!

2006-07-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

Summer's finally here in Las Vegas. It got up to at least 115 today on our back porch thermometer. I usually think that our swimming pool is a pain, but not these days. It's supposed to cool off to about 110 tomorrow...

Country Music Experience of a Lifetime-Part Three

2006-07-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

ACM Awards

There aren’t very many pictures here because we couldn’t take our camera in. I did take some pictures with my cell phone of the stage, the cameraman and the crowd as they were coming in. In the sixth picture, you’ll see two blondes—one with short hair and one with longer hair. We stood by them for hours at the Fremont Street concert the weekend before! I think the young one (the daughter, we think) was still hungover…
The last pictures are of us before we left the house. Henry says hi! And thanks Mary, for lending me the hat and boots! The show was a lot of fun—we saw almost Everyone In Country Music Today! There were some touching moments, too. Carrie Underwood was receiving so much adulation during her performance of “ Jesus, Take The Wheel”, that she actually choked up near the end. She is one of those performers that seems like a very genuinely nice and grounded person. I was a little bit disappointed in Dierks Bentley, however. He might be a little too famous or something…
The Academy of Country Music Awards took place at the famous MGM Grand Garden Arena. Brad Paisley opened the show—he’s great! Reba was fabulous as emcee. Some of the performers, like Toby Keith, used the teleprompter for their songs. Most didn’t, though. The teleprompters were huge and placed in the rear of the floor, so we could read the jokes and get the punchline before the TV audience. That was fun. All in all, it was an evening that we’ll not forget!

You know what to do!

Country Music Experience of a Lifetime-Part Two

2006-07-07T19:59:00.000-07:00

There was a free concert on Fremont Street, featuring country music artists that were in town for the Academy of Country Music Awards. They had all just been on a 3 hour bike ride up Mt. Charleston, and it was a pretty warm day, but they were ready to play! To go along with the price of the concert, we had to deal with some annoying drunk people, but it was mostly worth it. The pictures in this gallery feature some antique rods that were leaving Fremont Street to make room for all of the country hullabaloo that was about to begin. The rest of the pictures are of the various artists and, of course, the crowd (guess which people were annoying!). I know it’s hard to tell, so I’ll give you the names of the artists that I remember. First was Montgomery Gentry. Troy Gentry is the one with the batman t-shirt (and bat-cycle!). Next came Dierks Bentley (black t-shirt, red bandana). Incidently, the guys with the red t-shirts were the band that backed all of the artists. To continue—the next group was Little Big Town (‘Boondocks’). Then, a new one to me, Rockie Lynne. What a nice guy—and talented, too! Hubby and I noticed how truly nice he was to the fans earlier in the day at the Harley thing. The next person’s name was Melody, I think--I hadn’t heard of her before, either. I think that the next one was John Nicholson—he was entertaining and I hope he’ll go far. I think the guy in the tan bandana was James Otto. After that was Trick Pony. There was an hour break, then the music started up again with members of the Muzic Mafia (stands for Musically Artistic Friends In Alliance). Notice the artist onstage on the left. She painted, twirling her canvas, the whole time the Mafia was on. You’ll then notice some unavoidable crowd shots. If you look closely, past the butts, onstage you’ll see the “Redneck Woman” herself, Gretchen Wilson (yellow cap). The rest of the pictures are of Big And Rich, with Gretchen singing with them towards the end. That was the first time I had heard Big and Rich’s song, “Eighth of November”. The concert started at about 2 pm and was over at about midnight!

It was during this concert that the local radio station’s mascot-dude, “Stunt Runt” was said to be amongst the crowd, giving out tickets to the following Tuesday’s ACM Awards. Suddenly, he appeared next to Hubby and we got two tickets! Those pictures will be on the next post.

Click here for the pictures!

Country Music Experience of a Lifetime-Part One

2006-07-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas has some cool stuff going on, most of the time. Some of it appeals to me and some of it doesn’t. But this—this was really something!

The Academy of Country Music sponsors an annual charity bike ride that begins here at the Las Vegas Harley Davidson dealership. It happens to be less than a mile away from our house—how convenient! We arrived there at about 9am on May 21st, along with a pretty good sized crowd. Since it was morning, I forgot my sunscreen…
We saw several country stars. The biggest names were Montgomery Gentry, Keith Urban, and Big Kenny of Big And Rich. Nicole’s husband was very unassuming. MG and BK were down to earth folks, too. How refreshing!
Note that in the third photo, you can see the Wendy’s where Sonny works.

Click here to see the pictures!

Little Mermaid Pics!

2006-07-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

Finally—-what many who know Sonny have been waiting for—-the photos from “The Little Mermaid”! Before you look at them, let me explain that they were all taken at the Sunday matinee. You’ll see the set, the crowd, and the actors’ meet and greet after the performance. The next photos show the cast answering questions of a Girl Scout troop. Then, you’ll see, in pretty much backwards order (because that’s the way they did it), photos of key scenes in the play. You’ll also see Sonny helping change the set for the photos, and you’ll notice the professional photographers in some of the shots, too. For some reason, they did one scene out of order—the scene where the Little Mermaid discovers her new legs. All of the actors did especially well, but I’m of course partial to one of the sailors, as well as the good looking young man in the tux.

From the front yard...

2006-06-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

Trichocereus spachianus (aka Gold Torch Cereus) is a cactus that only blooms for one night a year, in the late, hot springtime. Ours had only one bloom last year, so we were delighted to see two this year. Aren't they beautiful?!?

These photos were taken after midnight.

These were taken the next morning. Now we have to wait until next year, but it's worth the wait.

Compare the above to last year's bloom

A Memorial Day Note

2006-05-29T23:24:00.000-07:00

Today, I found something very interesting on the internet. I googled the name on my POW bracelet, Cecil J. Hodgson, wanting to see if there was any new information about him. I found a story by another woman that was almost the same as mine! Please click here to read her story, and then follow the links to read about Msgt. Cecil J. Hodgson.

Live--from Las Vegas!

2006-05-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

I got a new guitar and amp last weekend, and Hubby has set up an area for me to practice in our bedroom. We already had a mic, but no stand yet, so he improvised using a wrapping paper tube taped to my music stand. The picture he took caught an image from the tv that I thought was really funny. I think it looks like we're teleconferencing with the assisted living place...

Sonny Update

2006-05-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

Sonny has been rehearsing for "The Little Mermaid". The rehearsals have been about 3 hours long, several evenings a week. He's off today, but has to be there all day tomorrow (Sunday). This is his first play and he has two parts--a sailor and someone in a courtroom. The play opens next week--we can't wait!

A local news website gives the following information: "Rainbow Company Youth Theatre’s Production of “The Little Mermaid” Opens June 2

Rainbow Company Youth Theatre performs Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale, “The Little Mermaid,” at the Charleston Heights Arts Center from June 2 through 11. Show times are 7 p.m. on June 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10; and 2 p.m. on June 4, 10 and 11. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for teens and seniors, and $3 for children, ages twelve and under. They may be purchased at the arts center, located at 800 South Brush Street, or are available by phone at (702) 229-6383.

Andersen’s story of love and supreme sacrifice is one of his most popular fairy tales. The little mermaid living under the sea falls in love with a handsome human prince and makes a bargain that allows her to emerge onto land. She ultimately learns that everlasting happiness is possible as a reward for good deeds. Director Toni Molloy-Tudor says that “it’s exciting to present the original Hans Christian Andersen story, which is so much richer than the Disney version and offers so much more by way of deeper meaning.” A cast of twenty features Christine Moore as the Little Mermaid and J.P. Kentros as the Prince.

Rainbow Company Youth Theatre is a program of the Cultural Affairs Division of the city of Las Vegas Department of Leisure Services.
"Another site says this:
Citysearch Editorial Profile -- By L.B. Hamilton
The award-winning children's theater company is one of the city's best institutions, but it's not just for kids.
The Company
Rainbow Company is a City of Las Vegas-supported program under the Cultural Affairs Division. The Company is housed in the Reed Whipple Cultural Center and mounts 5 shows a year. It also provides regular classes and workshops in drama for youth ages 4-18 (and, upon occasion, for adults).

The Productions
In spite of their focus on youth, Rainbow's season is designed to appeal to different age ranges and its offerings are popular with families and adults. They have mounted musicals like "Meet Me in St. Louis" as well as dramatic pieces like "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man on the Moon Marigolds." The Company is proud of its national recognition, having won several awards for its programs, including the national award for best program of its kind granted by the National Parks and Recreation Society.

Click on the link below to find out about his theatre group, and be sure to click on the Staff link to see his teachers!
The Rainbow Company Youth Theatre

Bookmobile Photos

2006-05-27T18:58:00.000-07:00

Well, after a very long wait, our large, white monster has finally turned into a bookmobile. My coworker and I don't have to answer questions such as, "Is this the Mammovan?" and "Are you the Blood Bank?" and "Are you selling drinks?" anymore. We used to get all kinds of stares from passersby when we were stopped at a city park for a couple of hours--we figured that people thought we were lost travelers, or worse yet, waiting to kidnap little children! Our hard times are over now, though. We actually had more circulation one day last week than they had at our beloved little Pittman Cybrary!

Click here to see our new bookmobile!

Exciting and Busy

2006-05-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

The Bookmobile is making real stops now. The public is interested and we think we'll eventually be busy. The only problem is, the bookmobile is this big, white, unmarked Winnebago. You see, it was supposed to be wrapped almost a month ago, but Pictographics, the company that's doing it, has had lots of trouble getting our colors right. Our purple mountains were fuchsia, our golden sky was peachy...

Anyway, it will hopefully be wrapped soon, and then people won't ask us if we're the Mammovan or the blood bank.

On an unrelated note, here's a picture of me at the beauty shop:

Trip to Stockton, CA

2006-04-24T23:40:00.000-07:00

On March 7, my coworker Mary and I flew to Sacramento, CA and rented a car to go on to Stockton. On the way there, I could see Lake Tahoe and snow covered mountain tops from the plane window. At the airport were some interesting works of art (look at the pictures!). It was beautiful country up there. Driving from Sacramento to Stockton, we saw a double rainbow, vineyards and almond trees. When you see the photos taken just before we landed, you'll see the flooding that continues to plague the area (the opposite of here!). The next morning, we set out to meet the Stockton Library Literacy Bus, "Training Wheels". We later met up with their bookmobile as well, and flew back to Las Vegas that evening. Good trip--we learned a lot, and we're even more excited to get our own bookmobile out there. It's in the shop getting wrapped, and should be ready any day!

Visit to Texas

2006-04-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

Click on the links below to see pictures from my whirlwind visit to San Antonio, Boerne and New Braunfels. I had the best time, but it was way too short. I didn't get to see everyone that I wanted to, but almost! Anyway, I'm just glad that I got to see as many family and friends as I did.

Family pics

Library pics

a little night music

2006-04-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

Cozy Kitties

2006-04-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

Elbie and Nothing have a favorite place to rest--a place where they feel safe and comfy--especially since Hubby put a jacket up on top of the cabinets in the laundry room. There's a hole, as you can see, right beside their resting place so that they can come and go when they please. And, Henry the Dog doesn't seem to know about it!

Acting Class

2006-04-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

Below are pictures of Sonny doing some improv in one of his acting classes. He likes them a lot, and says that he's really learning a great deal from the experience!

Dear Rachel, You'll Be Missed

2006-03-26T08:09:00.000-08:00

My friend, Rachel Alderman, passed away on Friday after a courageous battle with cancer. She is survived by her best friend--husband Tom, as well as her mother, her children, grandchildren and other family members. She was a friend to many, and gave so much of her time volunteering in the community. I am sure that I don't know all of the organizations and people that she has been special to, but I know the numbers are great. I do know that she was active in Kairos Outside of San Antonio and at St. Mark's United Methodist Church. She and Tom also volunteered in downtown San Antonio with an organization whose name escapes me right now. Those are what I know about--again, I'm sure there's more, knowing Rachel.

Rachel, I'm so glad that I got to visit with you last month in San Antonio. It's very hard to believe that you're gone, but it's comforting to think that you are no longer suffering and that you're in a much better place.

Your loved ones are in our prayers. Rest in peace, dear friend.

Trip to L.A.

2006-02-05T19:29:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, January 21, Hubby and I drove to L.A.--Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood to be exact. We visited the "Rock Walk", ate at the Rainbow Bar and Grill, and then listened to music at the Viper Room. Hubby wanted to take me to the Griffith Observatory, but after much driving around in Griffith Park, we found that it was closed for renovations (the one time we didn't check the internet on something before we went!). We then drove to the Santa Monica Pier so that I could see the Pacific (if only for a little while). Here are some of the pictures from the trip:

More Photos

2006-02-05T19:12:00.000-08:00

Hubby at work

Me at work

Pics from 12/25/2005

2006-01-24T11:45:00.000-08:00

Ali, Emad, and Ashley at McCarren Airport, Christmas night

Hubby and Ali at the airport

Opening presents

Happy New Year!

2005-12-30T11:16:00.000-08:00

With our son and his girlfriend visiting from Boerne, we haven't had much time to write. We've taken MANY pictures and will gallerize them soon for the blog. It was Sonny's 18th birthday yesterday--my children are all techically adults now! Very hard to believe...

From our family to all of you out there in cyberspace--have a wonderful and blessed 2006!

Later, that same evening...

2005-12-19T20:02:00.000-08:00

...and the lion lay down with the lamb...or was it the cat lay down with the dog?

2005-12-19T19:57:00.000-08:00

Peace to you and yours, my dear friends!

"Coochie, Coochie!"

2005-12-12T19:33:00.000-08:00

Last week, Hubby took us to look at Christmas lights and such on the Strip. There's a beautiful tree in front of Ceasars Palace that we wanted to see, but we saw more than we thought we would. They're always filming something around here, but I've never seen anyone that I've recognized before. That night, however, was different. The set where they were about to film looked like a news/sports desk, and there were a bunch of guys walking around, then suddenly this leggy blonde with a red leather mini appeared on the set. She turned around, and much to our amazement--it was Charo! She really doesn't have the body of a person who is as old as she must be--gosh--my dad used to watch her on TV in the 60s, I think. Anyway, she really looked good. We took some pictures which you'll see below, and there's also one of Sonny in front of the tree. See Charo in the background of the pic of Hubby and I?

New Job

2005-12-09T09:13:00.000-08:00

I have survived my first week with the Henderson District Public Libraries! Everyone has been so nice, and this is a much better fit for me than my previous employer was. Workers are not unionized in Henderson, so I'm again allowed (as in Boerne) to do things that are not specifically on my circ tech job description, like storytimes and senior outreach. Next Wednesday, I get to go caroling with other staffers. We'll be visiting seniors and giving out gift baskets. I trained at the Paseo Verde Library on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at the circ desk. On my first day, the HR person took us (there were 2 other new people) on a tour of each library. I'm told that Henderson has over 200,000 people living there, but it seems smaller to me. I finally worked at the Pittman Cybrary, my home branch, yesterday. Mary and Scott were a delight, and I think it will be fun and challenging. Pittman is located inside the same building as the Boys and Girls Club, and it is about the size of the Youth Services area at the Boerne Public Library. We are in the process of weeding out a lot of the collection to make room for more computers. Not many adults actually come in, so the adult collection is very small. We are in the process of educating folks that they can place holds on materials that will be ready for pick up at the Cybrary the next day--we have a lot of work ahead of us. We are not really as visible to the community as we need to be, but there are plans to hopefully change that. I could go on and on...if someone really wants to know more, just call me! :-)

I Guess I'll Be Staying

2005-12-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

Photo taken this morning at the DMV in Henderson.

I have finally turned in my Texas license and now have officially become a Nevadan. I had heard horror stories about the DMV and it was quite a big and busy place--a far cry from the one in Boerne! When you arrive, the first sign that you see says, "Your visit today begins at the end of this line." So, you walk down the way, past about 40-50 people and wait in line to take a number, and so it goes...

Here's a picture of Hubby with my number:

And here's one of me:

Goodbye, Las Vegas Library

2005-11-29T08:50:00.000-08:00

Last night was my final shift at the circulation desk at the Las Vegas Library. I begin my new job next Monday. Anyway, I took some bus stop pictures with my cell phone, and I thought I'd share them. It's a little hard to see them, but look for the mountains in the background. I think it's so interesting that we're in a valley that's completely surrounded by mountains--they're really pretty and it's neat to see how they look at different times of the day. Mt. Charleston is to the west, and there is a little snow, but not as much as the skiers need.

Veteran's Day Post (a little late)

2005-11-29T08:06:00.000-08:00

Sonny at Fremont Street on Veteran's Day

Our family went downtown last Veteran's Day, visiting Fremont Street where we saw The Rascals perform. The most meaningful experience was going to see the half-size replica of the Vietnam Memorial, called The Moving Wall. I wear a POW bracelet that I've had since the 70s, and the person whose name is on the bracelet, M/Sgt. Cecil J. Hodgson, has been missing in action since 1-29-1966. Through some research, I have come to know that he, along with the others who were never found, has been classified as KIA--Killed in Action- since an arbitrary point in time in the early 90s, if I remember correctly. My family helped me find his name on the Wall, and (no pun intended) it was quite a moving experience.

I Won! I Won!

2005-11-25T19:51:00.000-08:00

Hubby says that I just have to write about the vending machine at the Las Vegas Library. So here goes: Okay. I put in 70 cents, push D5 (my usual--pepperoni sticks), my selection drops into the tray, and then--my money comes back to me via the coin return, and the machine's little digital sign says, "YOUR A WINNER! HAVE A NICE DAY!". This has happened to me twice already! I can't win a thing at the casinos, but the snack machine loves me. Go figure...

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend

2005-11-25T19:30:00.000-08:00

I hope that all my dear friends and family had a nice Thanksgiving Day. We did-- turkey with all the trimmings. This year, no one in my immediate family had Thanksgiving dinner in the way we've been accustomed to in the past. We used to always meet at my mother's house in San Antonio, but this year, no one was there. My mom and Harry celebrated Thanksgiving with my stepsisters, and everyone else celebrated at home (except for my eldest, who went to his girlfriend's house). We did have a very nice dinner--I made deviled eggs for the first time ever, and also tried a pumpkin roll recipe that turned out very nice. It has a cream cheese filling--if anyone wants the recipe, just let me know.

Good Luck!

2005-11-17T13:19:00.000-08:00

"Good Luck!" That's a phrase often heard in Las Vegas. Well, some very good luck has come our way recently. First of all, my nephew John is doing better. Secondly, Hubby just got a new job that is right up his alley. He's an MIS support tech for Nevada Health Centers. Thirdly, I have a new job that starts in December with the Henderson Library District where I'll be doing community outreach again as I did in Boerne. I'm very excited that I'll be able to take my guitar to work again! So, things are really looking up for us here. God's still taking care of us--we have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

John's Back Home!

2005-10-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

Little John is back at home, a week earlier than anticipated! He is technically in remission now. His brother and sisters are very glad to have him back, and he's glad to be there. This coming Thursday, the 29th, he will be 2 years old. What a nice birthday present for him. He will still have to see his doctor 3 times a week for a while, but that's better than being hospitalized. Thank you, my dear friends and family, for your continued thoughts and prayers for him and his family.

John

2005-10-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my nephew, John, taken last year.

Almost a month ago, John was diagnosed with leukemia. It was a terrible shock, of course, and it happened just two weeks after his new little sister was born. He will be in the hospital for at least 3 more weeks. He's getting chemo and is responding well to treatment. Please pray for him and his family--he's at Methodist Children's Hospital in San Antonio and one parent stays with him always. The other parent is busy taking care of the other 4 kids in New Braunfels. They are fortunate in that they have many friends and family who are helping out in all different ways. I'm so proud of how they've handled everything. It's one of those things that you never expect will happen to you or someone close to you...

I know that many people have recently given blood for Katrina victims, but if you're able and wish to give, please consider giving in John McDonald's name, stating that he's at Methodist Hospital in SA and he'll get credit for it. He gets blood and platelets every so often.

Thanks in advance for your prayers and positive thoughts towards them.

Trip to Albuquerque Pics

2005-10-11T14:08:00.000-07:00

Click here to view gallery

This past Friday, Hubby and I drove to Albuquerque, NM, to trade cars with my eldest son. The photos on this gallery show the Hoover Dam, both on the way there and on the way back. Hubby also took me to see the Meteor Crater in Arizona. There are some landscape pics from the car, and also pics of our visit to Seligman, AZ on historic Route 66 where we ate breakfast at the famous Roadkill Cafe. There are a couple of photos of Eldest Son with his friend and me at the Route 66 Casino outside of Albuquerque, where we met up with one another. It was so very good to see Eldest Son, and really too bad that we could only spend a short time together. At least we did get to see each other, though. It was a whirlwind trip--we left Las Vegas at about 6am on Friday, got to Albuquerque twelve hours later, and arrived back home at about 5am on Saturday!

Hubby and me at the BikeFest on September 16th

2005-10-10T23:25:00.000-07:00

Kitchen Friends

2005-10-10T23:20:00.000-07:00

Hubby with his two best kitchen friends, Henry the Dog and Nothing the Cat. Elbie hasn't gotten past the big black dog fears just yet--he's asleep in Sonny's room!

Random Stuff

2005-08-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

I mentioned to Hubby the other day that I'm feeling more like I'm at home here, instead of just visiting. It's been a little over four months since Sonny and I came to live in Las Vegas. Hubby and I just celebrated five months of wedded bliss. I've been working at the library here for a few weeks now, and I'm getting to know my co-workers a bit. I only work 19 hours a week though, so I guess it'll take a while to really make friends. I was a very busy person when I was in Boerne--active in many different things such as church, Kairos Outside, the band I was in, visiting with friends and family, held down a full-time job and made life-long friends there. Here, well, so far things are different of course. I still go to Curves on a regular basis like I did in Boerne. The ladies that work out there are very friendly and the ones that work there are a hoot! I go to church most Sundays (sometimes I have to work), but, I haven't become an active part of my new church yet. I haven't yet decided if I want to join, although I think I might... Anyway, I am a little shy about this starting over stuff. There isn't much country-type music here like in Texas (well, duh, I guess!), so I don't know how I'm going to find someone to play and sing with. I've looked in the classifieds, and everyone seems to want a heavy-metal bass player. Oh, and they need to be a tiny bit younger than me, too :-) I have looked on the Internet for a Kairos Outside group, but haven't found one yet. I did find an Emmaus group that I may get up the nerve to call. One reason that I don't really try to get more busy with outside stuff is that I'm really happy spending my time with my family. That's all for now, more later.

2005-08-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of homeless people around the downtown library where I work. Several blocks away while Hubby, Sonny, and I were on Fremont Street one evening, we saw this guy with some of his worldly goods in one of the LV Library bags and snapped this photo with the picture phone.

There's Nothing in the Sink

2005-08-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

Nothing hates thunderstorms. He comes in the house whenever it begins to rain. Here he is in our bathroom sink.

Something Strange Is Happening

2005-08-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

It's raining!!! Actually, it's only sprinkling, but anyway, that's a big deal!

Sonny has gone to Texas to visit family and friends. All reports are that he's having a great time and has grown up a lot.

A special note--good thoughts and prayers go out to my dear friend Rachel. She's having surgery tomorrow (Monday) in San Antonio.

A Couple of Things I've Noticed

2005-08-12T22:06:00.000-07:00

In Las Vegas, every--I mean every restroom (women's, at least!) has a toilet seat cover dispenser. I'm not sure why--it might be law around here--who knows--I just find it different and actually quite nice. It will be hard to deal with putting the toilet paper carefully on the seat when in some other place besides here.

There truly are slot machines almost everywhere. I haven't been to the airport, but I hear that they're there. They are in 7-Elevens. They are even in the grocery stores. It's weird seeing mom-types sitting at a machine with a cart of paid-for-and-bagged groceries, playing away! I am surprised that they're not at the library yet, but I'm told that a percentage of the revenue from the casinos does support the library...

So Much To Tell

2005-07-07T17:57:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah, it's been a long time since I've blogged, I know. Well, I have some rather random things to say today about how I find Las Vegas to be. Here goes:

It seems that almost everywhere I go, there are security guards. There are even security guards at the library. Speaking of the library, there are programs for everyone--even the homeless! Those without addresses will wait for the library to open, then either sign up for a computer, sit at a table for some reading, or they'll go to the patio for a movie. The movies on the patio program keeps some of those without regular baths away from those other patrons that have sensitive noses.

Hope everyone had a happy Independence Day, and a belated happy birthday to Mamasita as well. Speaking of ID, LV allows the sale of fireworks in town. So strange to me that they do, what with all of the fires around. Anyway, church groups and other charitable organizations sponsor little fireworks stands on almost all busy intersections. It's weird to see a fireworks stand at the corner 7-11 store...

Speaking of weird, this place is truly one of the weirdest I think that I'll ever see. Those of you that have visited before have an idea of what I'm talking about, but if you're like me and haven't been here before--well, let's just say that I still am not used to life here yet.

On a positive note, Hubby and I went up to Mt. Charleston last Sunday evening. We only drove about 40 miles, but found ourselves out of the desert and into the forest. It was lovely. It was cool--the temperature at about 8000 ft. was 69 degrees according to the car thermometer which read 110 when we were still in the valley. It's good to know that there's a getaway so nearby.

Cattin' Around

2005-06-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

Elbie and Nothing were missing from our place for almost 3 days. I was, I admit, rather worried--I've heard that coyotes are around although I've not seen any yet. Anyway, they returned last night and seem to be just fine. They're both nuetered, so I guess they weren't visiting a Nevada cathouse. There's a new cat around--Hubby calls him Third Cat--and we think that Third Cat may have taken them to a seafood dumpster buffet on the Strip--but we'll never know. We're all glad they're back safely, and hope that they won't be party animals on a regular basis.

The Heat Is On!

2005-05-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

It's about 11 am and 91 degrees already. It will be up to at least 104 by the end of the day. The sun seems much closer here than in Boerne (desert, duh!), but the thing about it being a dry heat and being more comfortable because of such--how true! I can walk to the gym and back and not feel as hot and sticky as when I was in South Texas, even though it's much hotter. I'm a little apprehensive about later on, when it will get up to the 120s, but the locals tell me that as long as one stays inside during the worst part of the day and drinks lots of fluids, it's bearable.

We went swimming yesterday--in Vegas, it's no big deal to have a pool--almost everyone does, and I can clearly see why.

Elbie and Nothing are doing fine. They have lost their extra "fat cat" weight! Elbie still doesn't come in the house (or even near the door), but he will let me pet him while he eats. We never see Elbie during the day, only in the early morning and evening. At night, he camps out on our bedroom windowsill. Nothing, on the other hand, has made himself completely at home here. He has his own daytime sleeping spot on a shelf in the laundry room, and lets Henry the Dog a little closer each time they happen to be in the same place. Henry still hasn't gotten the satisfaction of really sniffing Nothing, but he's persistent and will likely not give up any time soon.

I'm still job hunting. I have an interview in June for a library job, but I am also looking into other opportunities just in case.

Sonny passed his first semester of US Govt. with a B, and he's working on the second semester now. We're proud of him.

We've been attending Life Baptist Church. We meet at a middle school now, but used to meet in a casino. LBC is an offshoot of some sort of the Southern Baptist Convention. It's a lot different than what I've been used to at my church in San Antonio, St. Marks United Methodist Church, but I do like it very much. I'm learning a lot and I like the people and the atmosphere. I hope to get more involved musically at LBC.

Helldorado Days: Episode I

2005-05-22T21:51:00.000-07:00

Here's the prequel to the last post--I have this whole gallery of pictures from Thursday the 12th that I had forgotten about! There are some photos of the Fremont Street Experience goings on, such as the overhead "Aliens Among Us In Las Vegas" Click on the photos below to view the entire gallery.

The above photo is of a cute sign at the Golden Gate Restaurant (I risked much to take this picture in a casino, I'm told!). They are famous for their 99 cent shrimp cocktails. (I've had five so far this month!)

This is the guy we call Quick Draw, but Hubby was faster, as you can see.

Hubby says that this is my favorite attraction in Las Vegas.

Here's Hubby in front of a restored passenger locomotive.

Helldorado Days

2005-05-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

As part of the Las Vegas Centennial Celebration, Helldorado Days resurfaced this past weekend (apparently it was an annual event that was put on hold a few years ago). On Friday evening, we went to Fremont Street where we saw Paul Revere and the Raiders! They were very entertaining and they're still a great band. Pre-Beatles, they've been together since 1959. I remember the show that they were featured in back in the sixties--I think it was called "Where the Action Is". Paul Revere is 67, and two of the other band members have been with the band over 30 years. There was one guy who was pretty much the lead singer (played the drums sometimes) that Paul Revere called Baby Raider (He's 39). His dad was one of the Righteous Brothers. He's pretty good looking, girls (see him in the gallery). Anyway, Paul said that he and a couple of Raiders would be in the parade the next morning riding Harleys. We got several pictures of the band, as well as the Helldorado Days strolling fiddlers and even a cowboy/gunfighter that tried to outdraw Hubby--but Hubby "shot" first!

On Saturday morning, we went to the Helldorado Days Parade. It lasted around 4 hours, but the weather was nice and it was enjoyable. We got pictures of everyone from the mayor of Las Vegas to Big Elvis to Paul Revere and the Raiders (Paul's the one with the three-cornered hat). Incidentally, P.R. & the R.s were riding Harleys as promised, at the very end of the parade. Hubby took a lot of pictures at the parade--note the fire engine with the dice on the sign, the Texas Hill Country Plungettes, the Las Vegas/Clark County Library District float, the police dog and the (gasp) police tank!

Saturday Afternoon at the Valley of Fire

2005-05-07T22:45:00.000-07:00

Click on the picture to view the photos from the trip to the Valley of Fire National Park

Regarding Elbie the Cat and Friends

2005-05-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

Elbie, poor dear, has not yet decided that it is safe to come into the house. He has found a place to sleep in the daytime that's safe and warm, I presume, but he always comes back at night. We begin to see him at dusk, and as it gets darker, we have more Elbie sightings. This is sometimes difficult because he's black, but we do see and hear him every night. We have food and water out for him always, and I haven't seen any other cats around here besides Nothing so I'm sure that he's eating (he comes from the food bowl direction a lot of times).

Sonny is working on his government homework and his aquarium inhabitants are all still thriving.

Hubby has been building computers for the past couple of days.

Junior (my new stepson) has been working at a Brookstone in the nearby mall, and is in the process of signing up for summer classes at UNLV.

I have been working on and have finished my resume and have found two open positions with the Library District that I will apply for.

Hubby and I went to see "Wonder Boogie" at the Fremont Street Experience on Wednesday evening. Wonder Boogie members dress up in bad 70s outfits and sing disco stuff. Also performing down the street was a sax player who calls his act "Safe Sax". He's pretty good. We were there for the over the top light show--it's a four block long screen over your head with music and mostly psychedelic pictures. There's a different theme every time we go there. Take a look at the gallery of photos by clicking on the photo below, and I apologize in advance for all of the pictures of yours truly--my dear husband takes most of the pictures, and we are, after all, still newlyweds...

Karate Kid Dead?

2005-05-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

Just had to relate this story:

Sonny found pieces of the Karate Kid in the fish tank, and it was very sad. You see, it was thought that the other crab may have killed him!

Turns out, the Karate Kid is just fine, having molted and all...

Sonny's Aquarium

2005-05-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

The small animal practices various martial arts to defend himself against life in the food chain.

This is Sonny's first aquarium. In it are two crabs, 5 Tiger Barbs and some catfish. The crab pictured above has a name--Karate Kid.

Ethel M. Chocolates and Cactus Garden Tour

2005-05-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

Here's me in front of the Ethel Mars' place, just outside of Las Vegas. Click on the picture above to see the entire gallery of photos that we took there. The first few are inside the chocolate factory, the next few are of their environmentally friendly water treatment system, and the rest are of us in the cactus garden. It was beautiful, and the weather was great--a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon out!

Here's Hubby monkeying around in the factory store. Eek, Eek!

Trip to Red Rock Canyon with the family

2005-04-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday afternoon, the whole family piled in the van and drove to Red Rock, which is just outside Las Vegas. The place is just gorgeous! Yes, there are red rocks, but there are striped and polka-dotted ones, too. We all climbed up the side of a mountain of the striped and dotted variety, although the younger ones in the group did go to the top and back twice while I was going up about halfway.

Hubby says that Red Rock is a spiritual place, sacred to Native Americans of the area. I felt an indescribable peace and sense of well-being while there.

A good time was had by all. Hubby says that we'll go on another outdoor adventure tomorrow after church if it doesn't rain.

Report on Nothing and Elbie

2005-04-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, I did not realize it, but apparently, Nothing has been in and out of the house for the last 3 days! He just stays out of Henry's sight, which means that he's out of our sight since Henry is always with us. According to reports from the constituents, Nothing has been dining on dog food and ferret food, as well as cat food.

Last night, Hubby and I went out on the Strip. He is the best tour guide! He has taken me to many of the hotels in Vegas and knows just where all of the interesting stuff is. Yesterday, we saw the Luxor, the Excalibur, the MGM Grand, New York, New York, and we ate at The Fatburger. I had never heard of Fatburgers before, but they're all over the U.S. http://fatburger.com It was a good burger--reminded me of a Whataburger, except that it had relish on it and the restaurant has a jukebox with all sorts of blues music.

We got home at about 2am, got into bed, and we heard a low, steady, persistent "Meooow" at our window. It was Elbie. I jumped up and went outside, and he actually came to me and let me pick him up. He then took off, running down the street, so I went back inside. Not five minutes later, he was back at the window. I checked on his food and water, and he had plenty of both. I thought maybe that he was trying to tell me that Nothing had fallen in the well or something. I never did figure it out, and Hubby said that Elbie meowed through the night. I guess time will tell.

I miss my friends and family, but I am truly happy at the same time. I feel very blessed to be me. :-)

Elbie has left the building!

2005-04-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

Elbie the Cat

Well, while everyone else in Vegas is looking for (and often seeing) Elvis, the buzz at our house is all about Elbie sightings! You see, Elbie took off- sort of on his own as far as human companionship is concerned-and he is only seen a couple of times a day. Nothing, on the other hand, was here constantly for a few days, but now vanishes to wherever Elbie goes to during the day. So, we don't see Nothing very often. I feel naughty, as if I've got a double negative thing going here :-). I think that Elbie is mad because we didn't fully explain the Henry the dog thing to him, you know, that Henry stays in the house, that Henry wants to be friends, etc.

Henry and I in the courtyard

Our hope is that, in time, Elbie will stick around longer than to just eat and drink.

Elbie and Nothing Reflecting

Nothing has told Hubby that he really wants to come in the house, even with Henry here. He and Henry have come very far--they've been nose to nose on a few occasions without hissing or barking. We are hopeful that Elbie won't discourage Nothing, rather that Nothing will be a good influence on Elbie so that things can get back to some sort of normalcy in our/their lives.

Nothing the cat

Truck is unloaded!

2005-04-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hubby's voice is almost back--he lost it somewhere in New Mexico. The contents of the truck are strewn about everywhere, but in a bit of order at least. Sonny can't find his phone charger. I found my sandals. We returned the truck to Budget. Hubby is at the office, and we are planning to go to the county offices to get our certified copy of our marriage certificate when he returns. The menagerie (Henry the Dog, Pfogo the Ferret, Birdbrain the Parakeet and his new friend--name unknown to me, Meathead the little blue lobster-looking dude, Nothing the Cat, Elbie the Cat) is healthy, all except poor Ratley the Snake:-(. He passed away while Hubby was in Boerne with me.
Hubby is back :-)--more later.
BTW, so good to hear from my good friends, annielou and madmomma--miss you, too!!!

The Trip or Cats in the Crate

2005-04-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

We are finally here! We packed and loaded the truck on Friday evening--stayed up until 3 am--slept until 10 am, got up and finished loading the truck. We left Boerne at about 5 pm on Saturday, driving about 300 miles to Ft. Stockton. Had to stop to sleep at the Comfort Inn, then we were off again. Elbie the Cat was so good and happy in the motel, but Nothing the Cat didn't like it much. We had to give him his kitty-calmer pill so that we all could sleep. The next morning at about 11 am, we left to continue our trek to Las Vegas. As usual, we thought we'd never see the end of Texas. New Mexico was beautiful, Arizona was dark. The Hoover Dam checkpoint was a little scary because they almost made us turn around and take another (much longer) route. Thing was, they needed to see at least 80% of our cargo in the truck, but we had packed so well that it was next to impossible. My son and husband said that they both were praying, and lo and behold, they let us continue on our desired route. I have to say that I am glad I don't have the job of working security anywhere--doesn't seem like any fun at all...
The cats did well on their kitty-calming meds. They used the litter box, but weren't hungry or thirsty. That was weird--our kitty cats eat all of the time, usually.
We haven't completely unloaded the truck yet but will finish doing so tomorrow and then take the truck back.