Made a trip to Vegas to celebrate a friend’s birthday. I’m not a gambler. I live 5 miles from a casino and I’ve stepped foot in it maybe 2 times in 12 years. Took me 10 years to visit it since I moved here. But my friend is a good one. He asked me over a year in advance. What can you say? It was the mans dream to get all his best friends together and hit Vegas. Also, it’s hard to refuse a trip where the friend wants to take care of everything. He says… “man, all you gotta do is get here, I’ll take care of the rest.” It makes it an easier decision… and for me… hard to let him down. What the hell… I’ve never been, let’s check it out.

They picked me up at the airport. It wasn’t some dirty freak fling. My friend really likes Vegas… probably been to it 10 times in 10 years. The lights and the action really are something to see. Each casino tries to out-do the next. The strip features million, even billion dollar attractions. To be entertained, all you have to do is walk it. One day, we checked out Hoover Damn… the next, we hiked Red Rock Canyon. Of course, we got in a spurt of gambling… but mainly, I followed them around… and when they planted at a table or machine, I wandered around seeing what there was to see. There’s a lot to see in Vegas.

Just walking the strip is an experience. The “clickers” or “tappers” on the corners… all eager to hand you a referral card to a strip club.. and get you a free ride too. Need some drugs? No prob… There’s an offer at every turn. Sex? It’s all in the bag. If you’re not interested, no prob… there’s a lot of other takers in Vegas. That’s about it. Oh and there are a lot of lights. Electricity is apparently in surplus in Vegas.

Really fun in Vegas. Not a place to live, nor raise a family as far as I’m concerned, but certainly an experience to be had. For me, the best part of Vegas is everything beyond the city limits. If you visit… get out there!

Susan and I took a trip to Malibu California to attend my friend Bill’s wedding. We took it as an opportunity to get some sight-seeing in as well. I think it may have been the first time Susan was separated with the kids, ever. It didn’t take her long slip in to things once she caught some views of the coast, and the mountains.

Since we knew there was going to be some sight-seeing, and some trips up the coast to see some wineries, we rented a Camaro (that I have been wanting to test drive) to open it up on the PCH. Saw some really established vines at the Fess Parker winery, trunks as big as my legs. It was a time to remember for sure. Susan kept commenting that she didn’t expect to see such beauty when all she knows about was the bad rap California has on the news. The landscape is mind-blowing, and it’s true when they say everything is bigger out west.

I got to catch up with many friends who I haven’t seen in a long time. Friends that once worked with me back here in the midwest before taking off out west. It was a great reunion and we got a chance to catch up at Bill and Madison’s wedding, which by the way, was awesome in every way. It was obvious that a lot of effort, and time went in to the wedding as it was set outside at the Calamigos Ranch (the same place where Biggest Loser takes place). Here are some pics of our venture.