Much fun, many memories

Our flight to Regina, via Calgary, wasn't scheduled until 6 p.m., and the rental car wasn't due back to the airport until 3:30 p.m. so we had time to visit one more attraction in Halifax on our final morning. 

After our continental breakfast, we packed up at the hotel and headed downtown around 9:30 in the morning to the Discovery Center (science center). The day prior the center offered free admission, and I was hoping that might mean it would be quiet(er). Ha! The place was buzzing with children and their parents. 

All of the floors had various interactive exhibits. On the first floor, this piece of equipment was very popular with the children including Eli. He enjoyed his opportunity to move the foam pieces to a nearby box.

I wandered off into another area of the floor...which seemed somewhat less noisy. There were a number of mind-bending puzzles, as a maze. My mind wasn't up to most of the puzzles. :) Eli followed and wandered through the maze backwards...he went in at the finish. Whatever works.

We went up to the third floor next where Eli had a lot of fun, with his mom in tow, while G'ma sat and enjoyed a cup of tea. 

However, it was on the second floor that Eli found the best thing ever, a flight simulator!!! There were several crashes but he did manage to successfully land the plane at least once.

I suspect, had there not been other children waiting to use the machine, we would still be there.

We left downtown shortly before lunch and crossed the bridge to Dartmouth. 

We ate at Boston Pizza and still had plenty of time before we needed to head for the airport. D used the Google machine again and found an indoor playground nearby, "The Kids Fun Factory". 

The place was packed with children and their parents. A warehouse style building with high ceilings, it had climbing apparatus, slides, tunnels, and a ball bit. There are no photos from that activity, I'm not certain D had her phone with her. I had tucked myself in a corner where it wasn't quite as noisy. (Do you sense a theme?) They had couches and chairs, as well as a cafe area outside the play area. 

We left there shortly before 3 p.m., and went to the nearby gas station to fill up before making our way to the airport.  Dropping the car off was simple, as was our check-in at the counter. However, in security I was taken aside; it was my own fault! I'd purchased a small knife to cut up the strawberries we'd had earlier in the trip and tucked it into a corner pocket of my backpack and forgotten all about it. I was appropriately shocked and apologetic and they took the knife and let me through to the gates.

And of course, this is when we started our hurry up and wait portion of our trip. Eventually we were on the five hour flight to Calgary, and no one slept (not even me). By the time we arrived in Calgary, I think we were all exhausted, Eli slept most of the way to Regina, I got about a 1/2 hour and D did not. We arrived at my son's house just about midnight local time, grabbed a cab to C's and after moving bags to my car, Eli and I crawled into bed, while D visited with her brother and his roommate. 

Despite the very long day at the end of the trip, it was an amazing adventure. Eli did so well throughout the entire trip despite the change in routine. I enjoyed sharing places I'd been before with my daughter and grandson, and D did a marvelous job of finding new places for us to explore. The majority of the photos I've shared were taken with her cellphone as I didn't have room for my Canon. She clearly enjoyed it too, and we're already thinking ahead to late June 2027 for our next trip! 

Done like dinner

Phew...I'm going to be happy to see this week reach it's end. It has been busy, tiring, emotionally draining, but with enough fun to make getting through it bearable.

Funny story to start. On Monday morning, I took the garbage out to the bin, and when I came to the front door it was locked. Thankfully, I have a pin pad on my garage door and was able to come through there. Another blogger, Carole had something similar happen to her and wasn't quite as lucky as I was. Happy to report she was able to get back into her home though.

I had a long list of things to do on Monday, and in between tasks I called a locksmith and was able to find someone to come out that afternoon. Upon arrival, he immediately pointed out that the door handle was backwards, and when he took it apart he discovered the latch had broken into several pieces. Since he was here (and a service call costs $80), I asked him to re-key some of the locks. We've lived in this house for over 11 years, and never had the keys for the door handle, only the dead bolt. When he went to back door, he noted the handle was also backwards and even better, the key for the front door dead bolt didn't work in the back door dead bolt. Good thing I never came in that way! He wasn't able to match the keys from the dead bolt to the handles but in about 90 minutes he had the lock fixed, the door handles facing the correct direction and re-keyed the garage door to the dead bolt key and provided keys for the two door handles. One more much needed task off the list of to-do's. I guess is was serendipitous that the latch broke when it did.

It was an expensive morning. I've been fighting with my range for several months but Sunday I reached my limit. Over time the heat elements weren't working properly and even on low heat, the temperature would be high enough to burn things in just a few minutes. I had made breakfast for dinner and after turning the one burner off, I was horrified to see that the burner was turning red though it turned itself off quickly. The stove was here when we moved in, so it was at 15-20 years old. Time for a replacement! Home Depot had a Cyber Monday sale, so I was at the store at 8:45 a.m. and 20 minutes later I had ordered a new stove to be delivered sometime between Dec 6 and 18 (hooray in time for Christmas). The stove was on sale, but better still I didn't have to pay for delivery and haul away. They also had an option of using their credit card and paying it off over 18 months with no interest. While I could have paid immediately for it, I always take the option of using someone else's money and simply make monthly payments so it is paid off within that period.

Groceries, gasoline, and gift cards were also on the to-do list that morning. At home I finished the envelopes for the gift cards, and except for our Christmas meals everything is now done and I can stay home and away from the maddening crowds.

On Wednesday, I headed out in the morning to visit D and Eli. She is having a particularly hard time right now, mostly because she turns 40 this Sunday. Her life is not what she dreamed of as a young woman, and she's finding it difficult to reconcile that the life she has now is most likely better than those dreams may have been. Eli's current struggles add to her feelings of inadequacy. We did have a good visit though and she was able to get her hair done on Friday morning before I left. Something to lift her spirits a little bit.  

Eli and I had fun, as always. He is such a character! He really didn't want to go to school on Thursday morning; he would have preferred to stay home with mom and G'ma, but I asked him to make green choices at school and he did. He even told his teacher at the end of the day that he'd had a good day.  We had a few hours to ourselves on Friday morning while his mom was off to her appointment. Here's a couple of photos of the two of us.  

I was expecting a kiss but I got a zerbert!

This child really dislikes wearing clothing. He does wear his "underwears" when I'm there though. He does run warmer than most people do. On Thursday, I ran out to the recycling bin with some cardboard and plastic the new sofa came in and he came out without a jacket with me (he did put on his winter boots). I foresee a teenager who wears a light jacket and running shoes, no gloves, no toque, even in the coldest weather. Not surprising as my son is the same.

Speaking of my son, he too is having a bit of a rough time. I cannot share the issues he's facing but suffice to say, this momma's heart is aching that he is having to deal with what is happening in his life. I often wish I had a magic wand and could make all that is wrong in life right for my family (and for that matter, the whole world). Thankfully he has some wonderful friends who support him wholeheartedly and were there for him when I was not home.

The drive back home was tense as it was very windy. My little Toyota was buffeted by the winds, and I was exhausted by the time I arrived home. Traffic heading into the city was heavier than normal too, I assume because it was mid-afternoon. The highways were mostly clear, though the passing semi's sprayed dirt and moisture onto my windshield. That reminds me, I need to check my windshield wiper fluid level and make sure I have winter grade in the reservoir.  

Today I'm relaxing; there are couple of curling events being streamed, and the Saskatoon Huskies football team are in the Vanier Cup (Canadian University Championship). I've got a bit of crocheting to work on too. Beyond that I intend to do nothing until it is time to put dinner on and battle with that darned stove again.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Take care!

Fun in the sun!

The week started out quietly but ended with a whole lot of fun!  I did my regular grocery shopping, household chores, a bit of yard work and so forth completed by mid-week.  I had planned to mow Thursday morning, but the grass was wet and got even wetter when it began raining that morning.  

I did get out for a walk on Tuesday, though I almost wished I hadn't by the time I got home.  When I left the house it at about 10 a.m., it was already 24C (75F) and it had risen to 27C(80F) by the time I arrived home about an hour later.  I hadn't taken any water with me and definitely needed some rehydration by that point.

It was an odd walk, even though I walked my regular route.  The photos tell the story.

First up was this baby crow, that had fallen from the nest. It was off to the side of the path, wet from the sprinklers.  By the time I came back, it had dried off and was marching back and forth.  It's parents were close by and letting anyone who got close to back off.  That included me as well as a pair of Merlin hawks that were buzzing around.  I don't know what happened to it - hopefully the older crows were able to keep it safe from the predators.  (I don't know if crows actually have blue eyes or if this was a reflection of the sky.)

Okay, this was just weird.

Someone had hung a pancake (slightly burnt on the other side) in one of the spruce trees off the path. I presume they were well intentioned, thinking the birds might eat it.  Who knows, maybe they did.

I heard the sound of aircraft high above and captured this photo of a pair flying in tandem. I suspect they belong to 15 Wing Moose Jaw, part of the RCAF.  I checked the information on line and believe these are two CT-156 Harvard II.  The base at Moose Jaw is home to the Snowbirds, Canada's air demonstration squadron. 

At the creek, things were normal and I was thrilled to see three families of ducks.

I took the path on the opposite side of the creek, hoping to catch a glimpse of the godwit or avocet, but saw neither.

I've left this photo small but I presume you can enlarge it by clicking on it.  I believe this is a gopher skull.  

Happily I saw a few more, like this one, watching me from the grass.  The city crew were out mowing the park but hadn't reached this area.  

While this isn't really odd, it just impressed me with it shape and color.  It's a thistle of some sort, with a large purple flower.  They may be a weed but in the park they're simply beautiful.

My second encounter with a crow happened near the end of the creek. I would have liked to get a front-on photo as it was resting on top of the warning - thin ice sign.  It didn't cooperate!

Over at the pond, the goslings continue to grow up quickly.  This one appears to be nearly fully grown, with just a bit of down remaining around the face.  

Friday, I headed out of town early in the morning for a visit with D and Eli.  To quote Dr. Seuss, "oh the fun we will have".  Well, we certainly did. There were visits to the nearby park and spray pad, to the beach, lots and lots of playtime in the yard, and a brief shopping trip that resulted in the purchase of cupcakes too.  

At one point, Eli was soaking wet, but I had forgotten to bring a towel with us.  He came running over to me and gave me a big hug, burrowing his face into my shirt.  I was nearly as soaked as he was! 

Before we left for home he went down the big slide and then we stopped at the swings to watch the city crew dealing with the damaged trees from the storm a few weeks ago.  As I pushed him on the swing he got quiet, so I asked what he was thinking about, "A rocket ship G'ma", he said.  We had quite the conversation about him wanting to build a rocket ship and go into space.  

Saturday we were up early and outside doing yard work before heading for the beach.  The yard is large and requires a fair amount of maintenance that would daunt even someone who enjoys doing that work.  D got the lawn mowed, while I did some weeding.  Eli buzzed around the yard serenading us with the trumpet he found in the garage (where D had thought she had hidden it. :))  

The beach was quiet when we arrived, just two other families besides ourselves.  Eli loves the water, though a bit tentative to begin with, he soon overcomes any trepidation and enjoys himself immensely.

When the boats went by their wake would send waves into the beach.  We had some fun jumping the waves.  There was a couple of other children there for the first half-hour or so before they left.  Eli quite enjoyed their company and the three took turns on the slide.

When they left the beach, he continued to slide on his own.  But he called to me to come out to help him off the slide. Not that he needed the help, he just wanted to splash me.  Stinker!  

We left the beach when a family arrived with their dog in tow. Although there are signs that dogs are not permitted on the beach, the husband stood in front of the sign, read it, and then casually walked down to the water with the dog.  Sigh...perhaps we're just rule followers but this was a large dog and though leashed bowled over one of their children in its excitement.  My daughter was feeling quite anxious and there was no point in staying any longer.

On our way back to town, we spotted a young mule deer in the ditch.  It was feeding and although it raised it's head to look at us, it didn't seem bothered by the traffic passing by. No photo, since my camera was packed away.

It rained overnight, so the last bit of yard work I had planned to get done this morning had to be left.  But D and I got a few chores done in the house that aren't easy to accomplish on one's own with a four year old helper.  I left soon after these were done with a tinge of sadness - I do enjoy my time with the two of them though I do appreciate the quiet of my home. 

I did make a brief stop on the highway on my way home.  You likely won't recall but I've stopped to take photos of this old house before.  Those photos were taken of the front of the house, which has been falling in.  Today's photos are of the rear of the house, which seems to have fared far better than the front.

It must have been a lovely home at one time.  These bushes were likely planted as a hedge.  

On the pathway I came across these wild flowers. I've no idea what they are.  But it amazes me how hardy these plants are - out in the hot sun, watered only when it rains, and never weeded.  Perhaps I've chosen the wrong plants for my perennial bed. 

We're heading into a heat wave for the upcoming week.  Thankfully we won't be getting the high temperatures that British Columbia is experiencing; 35C (95F) on the island and 48C (118) in some places in the interior!  Even so, I'll be puttering in the yard in the mornings and spending the afternoons hiding in my air-conditioned house.  D sent me home with a project so I've got some sewing to do too. 

Have a good week everyone!

Wordy Wednesday - down the rabbit hole

 I'll preface this by saying, feel free to laugh at me.  I do (laugh at myself) so you won't hurt my feelings.  I have to admit that I seem to have developed an addiction to Facebook videos.  Blame it on the cat blogs and live stream curling for the first dip of the toe into that world.  But, I've discovered there are far more and these days it's all about DIY Christmas decorations.  It's a rabbit hole!  I'm totally amazed at the creativity of these people and in my own small way have tried to emulate.  The local dollar stores are getting in more craft items, ornaments, and other items.  My craft room has seen many additions in the last couple of weeks.

These photos are the items I've completed in the last week.

This is a gift for Eli's other Grandma.  I send her photos every year with her Christmas card, but this year I thought I'd frame one of them for her.

I purchased an inexpensive wooden picture frame at Michaels.  The scrapbook was on sale for 33 cents a sheet (so of course, I bought several sheets - different patterns).  The little cars are actually buttons that I bought in a large package from Michaels a few years ago.

I used Modge Podge to glue the paper to the frame and for the sealing (it dries clear).  I didn't do a perfect job with cutting the paper, as you can tell by the photo, but looking at it across the room, it looks fine.  I cut the little plastic piece off the back of the button and hot glued the to cover the more visible seams.  

Next up, is this little snowman made from small styrofoam balls purchased from the dollar store.  The balls were white, but patterned, so I painted them white so they appeared more solid.  Using the paints I'd picked up at the thrift store to paint the eyes, mouth, buttons, and nose.  D has promised me a bit of homemade play dough, colored orange when she next visits.  I want something that is 3-D; I'll just repaint the nose part white and hot glue a dried play dough nose in its place. 

The ribbon I had from another project a few years ago.  The arms are pieces of a pipe cleaner from a Halloween pack of items from the dollar store. I cut it up and twisted a small piece onto the larger ones and poked the arms into the styrofam ball.  

The hat took me a bit of thinking. I used the cardboard from a toilet paper roll, cutting three pieces, two circles and a small length that I rolled up for the main part of the hat. I painted everything black, and hot glued the pieces together.  The beads are from a pick that I used when D and I made the spoons.  The whole thing is hot glued to the top of the snowman's head.  I did need to cut a small piece off the bottom of the snowman so he would stand on his own.  I told D I want to make a few more of different sizes so I'll be looking for styrofoam balls.  This was a really fun project.

Last, but certainly not least are these ornaments. There are three in the photo, but I actually made four. I plan to give one to my SIL, two will likely be added to gifts for friends, and the last I'll keep for myself.

I started with four small artist's canvases from the dollar store but I used the backside for these.  I did paint the canvases black on the full canvas side, and just the top half of this side.  The little trees were from the dollar store as were the ribbons.  I found the snow at Canadian tire when I went to pick up bird seed.

First, I painted the frames with a mix of red paint and red glitter glue (on sale at Walmart). I used some painter's tape to keep from making a mess on the canvas.  After that dried, I decided to paint the canvas with the black paint and used the painter's tape to keep the paint off the lower portion.  

While these were drying I decorated one of the little trees using pieces of a garland that I found at the dollar tree and a button from another package I'd gotten at Michaels several years.  The little piece on the back of the button actually slid right over the top of the tree and is held with a bit of glue.

I painted the star in the sky and glued a piece of the snow onto the frame before adding the trees. I didn't care for the way the base of the trees looked so used a bit of snow to cover...it almost looks like they are in a snow bank.  The bow and the ribbon (also purchased at the dollar store are hot glued to the frame.  

These took me most of a morning to finish due to the drying time and my dithering over how they should look.  I did have to re-do the stars in the sky, as I wasn't happy with the first attempts.  Good thing black paint covers well! Looking at them I can see I few minor tweaks are needed to improve the look.  

If I were to estimate the cost for all of the projects, I'd say I spent about $20 on materials.  But I still have bows, garlands, ribbons, paint, paper, styrofoam balls, pipecleaners, buttons, etc. galore for future projects. I guess I'll need to watch more videos!

Next up - I've got some wooden coasters that Eli will decorate the next time he's here.  I have to get some knitting and crocheting done.

Take care and stay well everyone!

Vegas, Part 3

We slept in even later on Thursday, in fact I even got over 8 hours of sleep, and I didn't wake until 7:30!  S was a sleepy head and didn't rouse until after 8.  That was okay as we didn't have much planned for the morning.   Shortly after 9 we wandered over to the Strat for breakfast, and then stopped in at the World's largest Gift Shop (according to the marquee) to browse.  I found t-shirts for both my adult children and a set of coasters.  The latter are to replace a set I bought on my last visit to Vegas...I think about 12 years ago.  The old ones are pretty much worn out so it was time.  

S found a jean shirt for herself for $5.99 and a couple of other items too.  We headed back to the hotel to drop off our shopping bags, and then it was off on the monorail back to Ross Dress for Less.  I thought I had remembered seeing a pair of the brand of shoes that Eli's fat little feet will fit into on our last visit so we'd decided to go back and check.

My cousin P had contacted me the day before to say she and cousin B were arriving in Vegas on Thursday so we'd made plans to meet for a drink after they reached their hotel, the Park MGM.  We had a bit of time before we were to meet, so spent most of it at Ross.  I did not find the shoes, but both of us found two piece outfits (jacket and sweat pants) for our grandsons at very reaonable prices.  I purchased two, one for $6.99 and a Puma set for $12.99.  Eli is definitely going to be well out-fitted for the next year!  

We walked across the street to the Park MGM, as the pedway is still under construction there.  After wandering through the restaurant at the main entrance and into the casino, we found a quiet spot at the MoneyLiner bar to have a cold drink and wait.  Unfortunately, P's phone connection wasn't working and we weren't able to connect.  After an hour we decided it was time to head back to the Sahara to get ready for our evening.

We had planned ahead of time to dress up for dinner one evening and this was it.  After showering and putting on our finery we took a taxi over to the D Hotel for the show.  We'd been told to arrive at least a half before the show, and stood in line-up for that time before we were escorted into the venue.  We'd bought VIP tickets so were seated near the stage.  There really was no point to that, as the entertainment took place mostly off stage, but we were treated to a free drink and a free t-shirt for the extra cost.  

I only have a couple of photos from that evening as I was too busy watching and laughing through most of the show.  This was taken by one of the performers, as each couple was asked for one to choke the other...that's me on the right.  Not the most flattering of photos but we had fun!*

The meal started off with a nice salad as you can tell.  Our entrees were a choice of beef, pork, or a vegetarian cheese tortellini primavera with pomodoro sauce.  I obviously had the latter, while S enjoyed her beef. 

The meal was served while the performance went on, and I didn't feel I had enough time to eat my entree.  Otherwise it was all very good.  Dessert, no photo, was a red velvet cake trifle with a raspberry syrup drizzled on top.  Yummy but I couldn't eat it all.  I guess it didn't matter I hadn't time to eat all my entree either.

I wasn't able to solve the mystery either; while three people were "murdered" during the performance the killer and her motive weren't apparent until the very end.  "Marriage Can Be Murder" recently celebrated it's 20th year; written and performed by a husband and wife duo, with a few other actors and audience participation, it really is a fun evening.  We had a chance to chat briefly with Eric and Jane at the end of the evening.  While the story line remains throughout, the show is never the same due to the audience.  I would tell you, the cast has as much fun as does their audience.  I don't think I've laughed as hard as I did that night for a very long time.

It was back to the hotel after the show, where we used some free play they provided, and an additional $10 to play the slots for a bit.  We played for about 30 minutes but neither of us was lucky enough to take any money out of the machines.  Back in our room, we had a drink and did most of our packing.  Just the last minute items were left to be tossed in our bags in the morning.

I'm glad I didn't take my camera (thank you to those who told me I wouldn't need it) as it meant I had lots of room for my shopping.  I had taken a small roller bag along with my duffle.  I used the latter as my carry-on and it held all of my dirty clothes, while the shopping and anything that wasn't or was lightly worn (dress clothes), along with shoes and larger toiletries went in the checked bag.  S's large suitcase was full to the brim and she just squeaked in over the weight limit but was waved on at the airport check-in the following day.

Our shuttle was scheduled for 9:15 a.m., but we were ready to go a bit early, so they sent the driver to us when we called.  Good thing, as it took longer to get to the airport than our ride in, and the line-up at security was lengthy.  Our flight was slightly delayed but we were in Edmonton on our direct flight by 5 p.m.  S took the shuttle over to where her van was parked, to exchange the items in her suitcase for more cooler weather clothing, after which she headed back to the airport to catch a flight to Saskatoon.

When we had originally planned our trip, I had booked a flight home on Saturday but S's plans changed, and since the cost of making a flight change was greater than a hotel room for the night I chose to stay near the airport for the night.  My flight wasn't until 3:30 Saturday afternoon I spent the morning, reading, watching the Canadian news channels, and drinking coffee.  The hotel had a complimentary breakfast that I enjoyed as well. I checked out, and took the shuttle back to the airport around noon. I arrived back in Regina shortly after 5, and arrived at the house by 6.  I love to travel, but travel days always seem long, and good to be home. 

Oh, I know what else I forgot to mention earlier.  The house listing expired Wednesday, but on Thursday I had a text from my agent telling me that the people who had seen the house the previous weekend wanted to come back for a second look on Friday.  I contacted my son C, he was okay with it, so I agreed.  I let my agent know that C would be at work and the cats would be in the house, but they could go ahead.  I then sent C a text with some instructions - make sure the cat litter is clean, put dirty dishes (if any) in the dishwasher, wipe down the counters, and ensure the air freshners were full.  Shortly thereafter, I had another text from the agent, that another group had been watching the listing and saw it had come down, so they wondered if they could get in.  After letting C know, I said okay.  I told my agent, if he could get me two competing offers this past 6 months would be worth it.  

As of this writing, I've yet to receive an offer.  However, the first couple told their agent they wanted to do some price-checking on work they'd want to do on the house before they decide on an offer.  So I have my fingers, toes, and any other bodily part I can, crossed that something comes of this.  However, in the meantime I'm not holding my breath either.  What will be will be.

The time away was good for me.  I'm feeling quite rested and relaxed, despite getting back into my routine, doing three loads of laundry, cooking and cleaning, etc.  

One final look at Vegas as we flew away.  I'm sure I'll be back!

*Perhaps I should caption the photo of S choking me, "S's reaction to my question of whether she'd be willing to travel with me again."  She enjoyed herself too, but did inform me that her feet will never be the same.  

Vegas, Part 2

Sun rise view from our room

On Wednesday, we slept in a bit.  By a bit, I mean I think I was awake shortly before 7 and S was awake around 7:30.  We had big plans for the morning!  We were off to the Premium Outlet mall (North) for more shopping....charge!!

Wait, the mall didn't open until 9:30 so we had a couple of hours to kill.  I really don't recall what we did, other than clean up, sort through more brochures, check e-mails and the like.  Why we were looking at more shows is beyond me...we were already booked for every evening.  I'm pretty sure we sat and gabbed as we're both pretty good at that!

The mall is also a short taxi ride from our hotel, just over the $10 mark again.  We were there early, just at opening time, but several stores had yet to open their doors.  We found the food court where we both got a small bite to eat before we headed out to the stores.  I think we were both a little overwhelmed with all the options but we soon put those feelings aside.  Our first stop was at Gap for Kids.  I found two t-shirts and two pairs of sweatpants for Eli for a mere $4.99 each!  S did well too, finding items on sale for her grandsons here too.

I don't recall where we went next, but do know we had a long stop at the Jockey store.  I found a dressy t-shirt, a skort, and a pair of leggings for myself for less than $45 (less than $60 Cdn per my credit card statement).  The clerk found me a chair to sit in, while S tried on much of the store...she loves Jockey!  She walked out with a full shopping bag, clothing that will be good for her trip to Cancun this winter, and for summer too.  

Then it was off to the Disney store, where I found the cutest pair of pj's for Eli, while S picked up t-shirts for her grandsons.  We had planned to eat at The Cheesecake Factory, but there was a huge line-up when we arrived so decided we'd wait until we returned to the hotel.  After a few more stops in various shops, she headed to the Children's Place while I tried a couple of shoe stores looking for a specific brand of shoes for Eli.  He has wide feet that makes finding shoes to fit difficult.  Unfortunately I wasn't successful.  It was time to head back to the hotel, but on our way out we decided a burger at the Shake Shack was a great idea.  Our feet were killing us by this point, so sitting down was the key!

Back at the hotel, it was time to go through our purchases, gather up the receipts, do the math to determine how close we were to our limits, and relax a bit before we both showered and got ready for the evening.  Since we were booked for the show at the Stratosphere, we decided to take in happy hour in the Sky Lounge 107.  If one choses - we did not - you can eat at the revolving restaurant on the 106th floor.  

The photo is of the Strip - it was incredible to watch the city light up as the sun set.  We weren't fortunate enough to have this view from our seats as the place was packed but there was a spot where one could stand and take photos.  We had drinks and appetizers there before we headed downstairs for the show.

Celestia is billed as "an all-new entertainment spectacular presented in a state-of-the-art 30,000 square foot theatrical tent and featuring a talented troupe of more than two dozen world-class performers."  It was a wonderful show and I have few photos to share and a video of the finale.  

There were two young women, one to either side of the stage whose flexibility was just incredible!  The show itself revolved around another young woman as she travelled through the world after falling from the sky (sorry no photos of that).  Along the way she met and danced/tumbled with several different groups.  Each group had a different theme or aparatus.  There were fire and ribbons and drums; throughout she appeared with her celestial orb that was presented to the group at the end of each performance.






One of my favorite duos was a father/daughter team who had been on America's Got Talent. Dad balanced his daughter either on his hands or on his head.  These two photos are the start of end of his climb up and over a ladder with his daughter balanced on his head.  Not once did it appear that either one was off balance!

I couldn't watch the entire finale, but did capture 30 seconds of video during part of it.  Yes, the height of their antics got to me, and I had to turn my head to look away!  These guys have no fear.  S told me they had several of the troupe below spotting them, but I don't care, if one of them were to fall from that height it would have caused some serious injuries. (I can't get it to play in preview so I hope it works for you!)

After the performance, we walked back to the hotel where we had a drink before settling in for the night.  It was a good day, just under 19000 steps on the FitBit, we both got some bargains, had some great food, and saw a fabulous show!  

What happens in Vegas

Gets posted here on my blog. :)  First off, I had a wonderful time.  It was so good to get away, to have someone else cleaning up after me, making the meals, doing the dishes, taking out the garbage, and doing the laundry.  All of which I've had to do for myself since I arrived home yesterday. 

I do have photos to share, and I'll probably split this post into two three parts as we managed to cover a lot of ground, literally, over the full four days we were there.  I met S and her husband P, at the Renaissance Hotel located in the Edmonton airport on Sunday.  My own room was their treat, as P had injured his foot, was on crutches and wanted to be as close to the airport as possible.  He was flying home to Inuvik the following day while S and I flew off to Vegas via Calgary.  

Friends of theirs joined us at their suite (an upgrade they were given on registrating) where we had a drink before we gals headed down to the hottub.  It was hot indeed, so after a 10 minute visit, we went into the larger pool.  It was near bath temperature and it felt wonderful to float about while we chatted.  Then it was off to bed, as the three of us had to be up by 3:30 a.m.  

We were on our flight to Calgary, shortly before 6 a.m. and then had a four hour layover before I next flight to Las Vegas.  We did need to go through the border security, spent a bit of time walking, before   S and I grabbed a quick bite to eat prior to boarding and then we were off. 

I'll admit I napped for part of the flight.  I always sleep when someone else is driving!

The first photo was taken about a half hour before we landed, the second one as we taxied into the airport.  That's a few of the humungous Vegas hotels on the Strip in the background. 

We arranged to take the Super shuttle to and from our hotel and the airport.  For $20 return it was definitely well worth.  Funny story (or at least we thought so), the cashier who sold us our tickets told us it would be 30-45 minutes for our shuttle.  So we both decided to hit the ladies room before it arrived.  When we went back out, the shuttle driver was running around looking for us.  He'd texted S three times (though she was busy and didn't see them).  When he dropped us off at the Sahara he told us "the shuttle will be here at 9:15 on Friday, don't forget!".  We chuckled about that and were plenty early.  

We had arrived about 1 p.m. local time and were able to check in early.  The hotel was part of a package deal we got, and it turned out to be a real blessing.  The Sahara is at the north of the Strip, currently undergoing renovations (which never disturbed us), with a smaller casino than many of the larger hotels.  

Our room had the two double beds, a desk and chair under the television (opposite the bed on the right), and an armchair and sidetable opposite the other bed).  In the hallway there was a closet, a fridge, safe and shelving.  The bathroom was large with a huge shower, and lots of storage under the sink.

We did have a couple of minor issues.  The fridge was full of liquor (which we didn't use) and the second shelf on the door kept falling off.  Although we contacted hotel staff twice about the fridge, no one ever came to fix it.  The sink also ran slow, so I took the plug off and tried cleaning the drain with a pen.  I think, however it was the trap that needed cleaning.  Since we'd had no response about the fridge, I didn't bother calling but did mention it on our way out.

The hotel was also adjacent to a large Walgreen's store.  We headed over there on Monday afternoon to pick up a few things, a 6 pack of beer for me, 8 tiny bottles of wine for S, some snacks, and some toiletries that S had forgotten.  Then it was back to the hotel for a quick snooze for her (she didn't nap on the plane), while I perused the various brochures and magazines for things to do. When she woke, we went over some ideas and came up with a tentative plan.  The Sahara is also the last stop for the monorail that runs behind the Strip.  We headed up to the ticket office to pick up passes for the next few days.  We had learned that we could get a discount, but it turns out not at the ticket office, so we went back to the Concierge desk to get a voucher for the passes for the following day.  

Then it was off to Denny's for dinner - we walked past several wedding chapels, a cannabis store, and the Stratosphere on our way there.  The restaurants at our hotel all looked nice but the prices were a bit expensive so we chose to take a walk instead.  After our meal, we stopped in at the Strat and found their box office where we purchased tickets for the Wednesday night showing of Celestia.  Think poor man's Cirque de Soleil.  I've never seen a Cirque show but really enjoyed the Celestia, and at a far lower price!

We were in bed early on Monday evening, with over 20,000 steps registered on my Fitbit.  It was a long day but a good one!

Tuesday, of course, we were up bright and early.  We knew we couldn't get our monorail passes until the ticket booth opened at 10 so we puttered about.  I ran down to get us coffee, while S showered.  I took my turn when the coffee was drank, and then we walked over to the Strat for breakfast.  The price was quite reasonable and the coffee even better.

Just after 10 we were riding the monorail to the south end of the Strip to the MGM Grand.  Somehow we messed up and took a wrong turn when we left the station and ended beyond the hotel and back around.  Our immediate goal was the Coca-Cola store.  S treated us to the 16 variety option and we sat and taste tested such treats as Fanta Exotic Fruit Punch (Uganda), Fuse Berries Tea (Georgia), Thums Up (India), and Beverly (Italy). Some were quite nice, but the one from Italy was horrid, and there were several that tasted more like cough syrup than anything else.  My two favorites were Frestea Green Honey Tea (Indonesia), and Aquarius Libre (Spain).  The former definitely had a green tea flavor while the latter was much like a ginger ale ...without the ginger if that makes sense.

Next up, guess where we went shopping? Not hard to tell.  Next door to the Coca-Cola store is the M&M store.  There are 3 or 4 floors of M&M merchandize including the chocolates.  We were given a taste test of a coconut curry M&M....actually quite good which surprised me.

I picked up a tie died t-shirt for my self for a sleeping shirt, and a red t-shirt for my grandson.  S shopped for her three grandsons, two daughters, and DIL.  

Just down the stree was a Ross Dress for Less.  Years ago I picked up a pair of jeans at sister store in Fort Lauderdale and I hoped I'd be able to find the same brand here.  It wasn't to be, but I did find another pair of jeans for $10.81 USD (about $15 Canadian).  S was shopping for her husband and found 5 dress shirts for under $120 CDN! 

By this time we were famished, it was nearly 2 p.m. so we stopped at the nearby Denny's for a quick bite.  We had plans to head up to Fremont Street that evening and had decided to find a restaurant there for dinner.  We headed back to the hotel via the monorail to drop off our shopping, rest a bit, and relax.

Again, our hotel was in a great location as the taxi ride to Fremonth was just over $10 each way.  We were dropped off at the D hotel, where we made our way to the box office to pick up tickets for "Marriage is Murder", a dinner theatre performance.  (Oh yeah, I forgot, in our walk earlier in the day we'd stopped at a discount ticket booth to get a voucher for these tickets.)

We walked through the hotel, oh my was it smoky before reaching Fremont where even outdoors the smoke was at times overwhelming between regular cigarettes smokers and those smoking cannabis.  We walked the length of the street, stopping and watching some of the live entertainment. 
I could tell that S was not enjoying herself, so suggested we find a place to eat.  We found a small cafe that served Gyros, settled in and enjoyed our food.  My gyro was great, and the French fries were the best we had on the whole trip - we shared an order.

We finished walking down the end where this sign is located, then turned back and walked towards the D.  As we reached the side street, we noticed a cab waiting and took it back to the Sahara.  While I did enjoy the canopy of lights, I had to agree with S that the smoke and the near naked girls was not what I remembered from my last visit.

When we arrived back at the hotel, we settle in for a drink before bed.  I checked my FitBit and we'd managed another 20,000 step day!