Word of the Day

Quilence - Quiet and silence.

We're Home! Obviously I haven't blogged in days. The dial-up modem speed in the hotel room was slow. I mean SLOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!! Plus, we had to pay 50 cents for each phone call and then they charged even more if you wanted to stay on the phone for more than a half hour. Plus, the stupid internet dial-up provider kept disconnecting us. After that first $2 connection, I figured it just wasn't worth the effort. So...I'll try to catch you up.

HTP and I got up at 2:30 AM on Thursday, July 13th. I'd packed the day before. Sleeping wasn't easy because I'd packed my favorite pillow and the XM radio. I don't sleep too well without the familiar background sound of talk radio. Somehow it helps me focus enough to be able to beat my ever present insomnia. So, by the time 2:30 AM rolled around, I'd spent most of the time checking the time on my bedside clock radio which tells great time but can't pull in diddly when it comes to radio stations. To be fair, we live in a really rural area. There really is no way that I could ever pull in an AM talk radio station signal. The best I've ever done is a radio station from Chicago with scratchy and fading sound and that was on a clear night with my best Grundig radio which I forgot in Arizona.

We piled into our car at around 4 AM because for some reason everything takes longer than you plan on. It was dark outside. The drive to the city takes about an hour and a half. We stopped at a gas station on our way to take care of my coffee addiction. Having much experience with gasoline station coffee, I bought a small coffee to hold me. HTP bought a large coffee. Poor HTP. I think it was finally cool enough to actually drink by the time we got to the airport. The coffee at gasoline stations is pretty good coffee but it's also hotter than lava spewing out a volcano. I got a small coffee because I knew that it would cool faster. Of course, if I'd had a cup of coffee before we'd left the house, I would have been smart enough to put a few cubes of ice in a large coffee cup before filling the cup with molten lava. Oh well, I got to drink my coffee with only a few blisters on my lip. Have you ever noticed that those sipper lids that you have to put on your coffee always seem to concentrate the heat in the very location that you need to drink from?

We arrived at the airport at 5:30 AM. I have no idea why they wanted us to get to the airport two hours before our flight but there wasn't anyone around who we could argue the point with. I do admit that there was someone there at the desk and we didn't have to stand in line. And, we weren't the first people to arrive that were taking this very same flight. However, now that our bags were all checked in, there really wasn't too much that we could do with ourselves. Thankfully, there is a really nice place to eat at the airport. Also, thankfully, they have incredibly reasonable prices. HTP was in shock and awe. Our experience with the restaurants at airports has left us with a decided negative attitude toward airport restaurants. We had a wonderful breakfast. And more coffee.

Our experience with the security check-in was another wonderful surprise. How wonderful to be greeted and asked to remove your shoes by a smiling individual! I've decided that I really like this little airport. And it is a little airport. We had to walk across the tarmac to walk up the rollaway stairs in order to board the plane. A blast from the past. I loved it.

The flight was uneventful. We had a bit of turbulence but nothing worth commenting on. During the three and a half hour flight, we were served beverages twice and something resembling an Egg McMuffin with sausage. They actually fed us? And we didn't have to pay extra? I think I like Sun Country Airlines. Actually, since this trip was comped, we didn't even have to pay for the airfare. You won't get any gripes from me.

We arrived at Bullhead City Airport at around 8:50 AM. Our luggage was collected and delivered to our room. We didn't have to worry about it. There was someone at the airport with an envelope for us which had all the information that we needed and the keys to our room at the hotel in Laughlin. At this point we boarded the awaiting shuttle with the rest of the people who signed on for this trip. It was a quick drive across the river and then into the cool comfort of the casino. The temperature outside was 94°F. I never did go outside for to sample the breath-taking 120°F temps that were bragged about by the casino employees and some of our fellow travelers.

HTP and I headed straight to our room to dump our carry-ons. Gambling? Well, that first day wasn't so great. The casino is rather old and the pay-offs on the video poker machines were a bit tight. All told, I would have preferred being in Vegas but Vegas didn't pay to have me come visit. Laughlin did. HTP and I used our comps to have a wonderful prime rib dinner at the Prime Bar Restaurant. I played on a progressive machine until someone got the jackpot. At that point, I figured it was time to head off to bed.

And so ends a recap of our travels and first day in Laughlin. I'll continue this tomorrow. I wouldn't want you all to get reader's cramp.

Murphyism of the Day

Ducharm's Axiom

If one views one's problem closely enough, one will recognize oneself as part of the problem.