Beauty For Ashes

Our summer is slipping by and Idon’t feel like we have gotten to feel the heat yet.  I guess that is really the big news in our area.  It has been a very mild summer, so far no heat waves.  After a brutal winter, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this summer put a capper on many who have migrated here from our southern states desire to head back south.  Anyway, all that to say, I am hoping for some nice hot weather to sweep in for a few weeks this summer and totally thaw me out.

Speaking of heat, we spent a week around the 4th of July in Boulder City, Nevada and Las Vegas for my honey’s 20th high school reunion.  It was an unexpected blast.  He of course grew up in Boulder City and still has family in town so we stayed at their condo and did a lot of the touristy things around the area.  Hoover Dam was a huge hit with the kids and we got a good dose of hot weather.  It was 120 degrees down in Black Rock Canyon where Hoover Dam is.  It was intense.  We also drove around Vegas, visited a few of the casinos to see what was new.  They always have one or two new casinos up and going each time we visit.  T loves to go check them out and get a deck of playing cards.  He collects them and has a goal of getting a deck from every casino in Las Vegas. 

Our kids are old enough that they get a kick out of all the sights down there.  M even convinced me to go on the New York, New York roller coaster.  I learned a couple of things in that minute and a half ride.  The first is that I am not as young as I used to be.  I used to love roller coasters but loosing my stomache on the down hill drops was not something I thought was fun.  I kept telling myself it will be over soon as I screamed as loud as my vocal chords could manage.  M was screaming to which was comforting.  Although I think she was doing it because it was fun, not because she might vomit at any second.   The second thing I learned is that it’s not good to have your breath taken away before the ride really gets going.  I was shocked at what it does to your body to go from a very cool air conditioned casino and be thrust into 114 degree heat in a flash, all while getting ready to have your body launched through the air at rediculously high speeds.  Stunning really.  Anyway, she loved it.  I’ll let her love it and try to avoid rides like that from here on out.

Here are some pictures of our trip.

I’ll try to blog about the rest of the summer later. 

Later Gators!