Act 1, Scene 1: Three days in Las Vegas

First, there's the requisite 24-hour ordeal to fly from NZ to Las Vegas:
:) bought a bran muffin at the airport. Mmmmm.
:( obese man sitting next to me on the plane, who has the armrest up. I immediately put it down. Later, while I was asleep, he put it up again. I put it back down. I don't think he would have done the same thing if Curt had been sitting there instead of me. Grrrr.
:( while at LAX switching planes, am reminded how many people wear those little Bluetooth telephone earpieces. Thank goodness that trend hasn't hit NZ yet.
• Helen Mirren was in line at the security check. Also at the airport, saw that guy who plays Grissom on CSI, who ended up being on our plane. His show is filmed in Las Vegas, after all. He patiently stood for photos with fans at the Las Vegas airport while waiting for his limo driver. When I tell my students later that I saw him, they are apoplectic that I didn't have my picture taken with him.
• arrived in Las Vegas. Weather is perfect, but we're exhausted and grimy. I've found a Mrs. Fields Cookie store at the airport already. I could smell it.
:( walked from our hotel to Mandalay Bay to see our first show, Mama Mia. It's next to impossible to find the actual theater in the complex. They make you snake through the casino to get there.
:) loved Mama Mia! Perfect show to see when jet-lagged.
:( tried to buy a cup of coffee, were forced to walk through a smokey casino only to find the coffee shop overflowing with customers
:( tried again to buy coffee, were forced to walk through another smokey casino only to find the coffee shop closed
:( :( tired and frustrated and sick of being forced to walk through smokey casinos. I just want to get the hell out of there, but we keep going deeper and deeper into the maze. I finally ask a shopkeeper how to escape to some fresh air and he directs me to an emergency door that mercifully leads to the employee parking lot. Ah. Freedom.
:( :( :( I hate Las Vegas already.
:) next day, we decide to shop instead of setting foot in any casinos. Curt needs new running shoes, which are way more expensive in NZ. I need jeans. Ditto. We have some success, although ...
:( :( ... after 3 or 4 purchases in a row, my credit card is mysteriously declined. It takes us a good 24 hours hours to get this straightened out. Apparently, when we suddenly started using our (US) card after it had been lying dormant for 6 months, it triggered a security alert to make sure the card hadn't been stolen. In theory, it's a nice idea, but in this case it was complicated to un-block it. I was not happy.
? Am I being a whiner?
:( while I'm ranting, what's with all the leopard print clothes? I've been out of the country for 2 years, and didn't know it was so popular.
:( :( :( :( :( the worst part, though, is all the people handing out advertising cards for local strip shows. There are 5-10 of these people on each block, clicking and flicking their cards in an attempt to get your attention. Mostly, the cards end up all over the sidewalks which are therefore covered with porn ads 24/7. Delightful.
• am definitely whining (or as they would say in NZ, "whingeing")
:) went to the Guggenheim museum in the Venetian which was a small exhibit but contained major artists, major works. Not crowded at all. Who visits Las Vegas and goes to a museum?
:) also stopped by the Bellagio lobby to see the glass art ceiling by Dale Chihuly, a Seattle glassblower. Who visits a casino just to admire the ceiling?
:) :) went to our next show, Cirque du Soleil's homage to the Beatles called "Love." It was absolutely, fantastically, tremendously phenomenal!!! Knew all the words to all the songs, and sang along. They are so creative, using trampolines, skaters on ramps, people in and on and out of a VW Bug, blowing bubbles, suspended dancers (of course), counter-balanced ladder on a wheel with a girl on the top end, tricycle propelled by empty boots (no rider), gigantic white parachute covering the entire audience, silhouettes of the Beatles, and voice-over of them chatting in the recording studio. Way cool.
:( couldn't find our way out after the show. Why do they make it so hard to exit? Sheesh.
:) on our last day, we rented a car and drove to Hoover Dam because the dam engineer in the family wanted to see the mother of all dams. He was suitably impressed. Big turbines and intake towers and tailrace and other dam parts. Plus it was good to get out of the city.
:) on our way to the show tonight, we wandered through Caesar's Palace shopping area which was NON-SMOKING. Caesar's is my new favorite. Ate dinner at a deli there.
:) :) :) went to our last show, Spamalot. Busted our guts, laughing. Silly and funny and clever and hilarious and great. "You can't make it on Broadway without Jews" in one song, made fun of gays in another, and "There's always a song like this." Good fun.
:( one last time through the smokey casino to exit. So tired of it all. Then have to weave through all the people on the sidewalk like an obstacle course. Phew.
:) We spent 3 days here, and never gambled a cent.

Anticipation

I've always hated it when people start out by saying, "I'm sorry I haven't written in so long..." but I'm tempted to say it myself this time. I haven't written a blog in 3 months(!) and it's not because I was lacking things to write about. On the contrary, it's been quite eventful around here.

First, the anticipation: We're leaving in a few hours to catch a plane to America to attend Carlin's wedding! We'll be gone for 2 weeks, including a short stop in Las Vegas, a week in Phoenix where the wedding will be held, and a side trip to the Grand Canyon with the boys after the wedding. It'll be great! Unfortunately, my brain left about a week before the actual trip began, and last week at work I: forgot my keys on Monday, forgot my glasses on Tuesday, forgot my lunchbag on Wednesday, and finally LOST my keys for good on Thursday. Obviously, I need a vacation. I promise to write blogs all about our trip when we get back because I'm sure there will be lots to tell.

Now a snapshot of everything that's been going on during the last 3 months:
• I'm teaching one class of Year 7 English this term. Yea! I love it. The girls are sweeties. Am scheduled to teach at least one class next year, and I'm trying to get more than that.

• Big excitement at work trying to catch a thief who was stealing money from the library. Secret cameras, night vision, bait, sensors, etc. This sort of thing is pretty thrilling in a librarian's world. We feel like we're on CSI. The plan worked. Our money (mostly overdue fines) is safe again.


• Even grander drama at work involving a less-than-glowing performance review, and the resulting backlash at those who submitted the aforementioned less-than-glowing comments. Different people are in emotional meltdown on different days. There's too much friction everywhere and we're caught in the middle of it. I'm too old for all this drama. Vow to find someplace sane to work. Start applying and interviewing for other jobs, as are 75% of my co-workers.

• Went to Melbourne for 4 days in September for Curt's birthday. Vow to write some blogs about that, too. Curt did some sketches, and we went to museums, beaches, gardens, markets, etc. Excellent trip. I definitely needed a break at that point (see above) so it was especially good.

• Spent about 6 weeks catching up on the family photo albums, which were 10 years behind. It was fun to go through all the old pictures and re-live our travels, but it's sure a big job. Feels so good to have it done finally! Vow not to let it get so far behind next time. Can remember making that vow last time ... about 10 years ago.

• Curt painted/redecorated the guest bedroom (formerly purple!) in anticipation of Carlin & Kristen visiting us after their wedding and after a honeymoon in Fiji.


• New Zealand's national rugby team, the All Blacks play in the World Cup and the entire country is obsessed, getting up at 4:00 a.m. to watch the games taking place halfway around the world. Inexplicably and possibly unforgivably, the All Blacks lose in the quarter-finals, and the whole nation goes into mass mourning mode.

• Went to see the musical "We will Rock You" based on songs by Queen. The pulsing bass line, vibrating the floor, takes me back a few decades. Good fun.

• Spent lots of time planning for the wedding: I had to find a mother-of-the-groom dress (I'm not much of a shopper) and fancy shoes (I'm a sensible shoes-type). I had to get hotel rooms reserved, car rented, and show tickets purchased (Las Vegas). I made a spreadsheet (well actually it's more of a matrix) of who's arriving when ... and who's staying where ... and who's doing what. It's a masterpiece. Most importantly, I identified all the locations of Mrs Fields Cookies stores in Las Vegas and Phoenix. I'm ready to go.

So. Maybe you can see why I haven't written in a while. I vow not to get so far behind this time. Really.