Las Vegas - high & higher

- Wynn Hotel -

Looking up from the bridge connecting Palazzo and Wynn

37th floor - Buildings through buildings

37th floor - panorama of city scape under fog

- Las Vegas -

Suburbs - airplane window view

Micro Machines

Wow, it's 2011 and this is my first blog post. Yay, I welcome you 2011 with open arms!

This post may seem a little random but in all reality not random at all. Already this year I have been slapped in the face with a few surprises. Good surprises, great surprises but surprises that I wish maybe didn't need to be surprises... (How many times can you put 'surprises' in a sentence?) All in all these surprises have made me step back and ask myself what is important in my life... past, present and future. When I was young I was the most free spirited person. I had a ton of different friends from all walks of life. I smiled constantly and did my best not to hurt a fly. I tried to bring the positive to every situation even if the positive seemed impossible. Unfortunately and sadly through my teenage and young adult years I lost that part which was caused by many interesting circumstances... Fortunately I have had the strength and the want to get back to my core. For the past 3.5 or so years I've been doing everything possible to do just that... get 'me' back! It's taking a lot more work than I ever imagined but it's all so very worth it. I want and need to make the best impression on this world as I can because once I'm gone... well, I'm gone! During the next few months I will be re-vamping my 'Social Network' sites and website, re-evaluating what I want to do with my business and art work. I do hope to make an impact not just on those who are physically close to me but to others who might need a nudge in a different direction.

For now I'll leave you with a couple photo's depicting my favorite childhood toys... Micro Machines! I still have the majority of my original micro machines and cherish every memory that I have during those years of play. Keep the 'me' a comin' and I hope you have your 'me' too!

Idaho to Cali

December 5th 2010

Last long family 'Dog Walk' before the road trip to So Cal.

It's cold, very cold but the sun was out and we were all together. 

What more could a family ask for on a Sunday afternoon?

Dazy's bundled from neck to toe.

It's tough being a naked pupper in the winter time.

 December 6th 2010 - 8:30am

On the road with blizzards ahead!

Daphne chillin' and Dazy not quite sure what to think.

Gassin' up! In the middle of no-where Utah.

Still getting used to the Jeep... First winter with her!

Not knowing that in a few hours we'd have our first AAA phone call with a broken down Jeep...

Daphne Dog tip-toeing along the frozen ground...

Quickly ready to load back up.

Yep, now broken down in Payson, Utah...

Only 6hrs into our supposed 16hr drive...

Turns out one of the battery terminals was warn out.

1hr of waiting for the AAA truck.

30min at the mechanics a $16.11 charge for parts and labor and we're back on the road!

I'm pretty sure the delay was meant to be....

This is what we drove into next!!!

Sleepy time in St. George's finest Super 8 Motel.

Early morning view after stopping for a must needed Starbucks beverage!

 Down the road the fog has lifted and we most definitely are not in Idaho anymore!

 Passed the mountains and visual stimulation...

Back to snoozin'... 

Have to catch up after experiencing travel hotel sleep... or non-sleep!

 Freeway through Vegas at 9:30am!

Primm

A must stop if the roller coaster is up and running. My wife made me stop and ride with her about 5 years ago on our 3500 mile road trip. I was more scared to ride this roller coaster than I was to Bobsled for a week in Lake Placid for a 'Push Camp' that I so luckily slid in to. (no pun intended:)

Let me tell you, Primm's roller coaster made me believe I can make it through anything!

Daphne slept sitting up most of the way.

Are we there yet?!?!?!

Thinking we had a couple hours left...

Not so much...

Yes, we finally made it after taking a wrong turn on the freeway above LA...

DON'T TURN WEST!

Take the San Diego freeway.

Laguna Beach bound, not Hollywood!

Finally, we made it...

After roughly a 20hr road trip (ONE WAY)!

What a reward! 

Aunt Meegs, 80 degrees and playing at the ocean for the first time.

Stay tuned for more adventures from the Cali Trip!

Lots of firsts were crossed off the list:)