Nevada

On Christmas Day Mr. G, the kids and I packed up a swanky new Lexus RX F and headed to Arizona. Why Arizona? Obviously because Mr. G’s offices aren’t in Arizona. That was the one and only reason we went there and I’m thrilled we did. There had been some shakeups at Mr. G’s network and in August when it was time to start planning a winter vacation we genuinely had no idea where he’d be working or if he’d be working so nothing had been planned. Sometime around December 20th things firmed up and the three of them sat at the dinner table, looked at me and said, “Where are we going on our vacation?”

Apparently I’m a travel agent now? One with super powers.

In addition to all of this we’d been to the Beverly Hills Library to renew the kids’ passports in late November (make a weekend appointment there and it’s totally civilized – you’re welcome). As I stood there with Mrs. Public Servant and asked for a expedited service she gave my husband a lecture about how it’s a waste of money. She lectured my husband while I held the checkbook in my hands. Let that sink in.

It worked. Even though I explained to Mr. G that I’d like to try for a last minute trip to Mexico if he was able to get away Mrs. Public Servant told us that the passports wouldn’t even get to us on time and we were just wasting our money. I asked her to stop interrupting and told her I enjoyed wasting money, we were in Beverly Hills after all. Isn’t that the money wasting capital of the world?

Without a rush the kids’ passports arrived in the mail on December 24th. We could have been in Mexico. I hate that lady.

In any event we took off to Arizona and stayed at the Biltmore in Phoenix. Don’t do it. We had a really great time in spite of the fact that the restaurants are abominable, there isn’t enough hot water for a family to shower and the furnace clatters and wakes you up at night. It was an oddity that we had a great vacation in a not great hotel.

We cut our time short in Arizona and headed to Las Vegas for some wholesome family fun. I hadn’t been to Vegas in much too long and I loved the shopping and the food as well as Blackjack Switch. It’s this really fun game of blackjack where you play two hands at a time and you can switch your second cards to make better hands. Of course the rules change a little so blackjack only pays 1-1 and dealer busts on 23 but pushes on 22. I spent several hours playing cards and it was cheap entertainment.

We went to see Love at the Mirage. It was Mr. G’s first Cirque show. The kids and have been to four or five of them and we enjoy it but we don’t quite rave about it. Also I like the Beatles but I don’t love the Beatles. Love is different. It was spectacular. The music was the Beatles unlike anyone has ever heard the Beatles and the stage show had more dancing and less acrobatics than most Cirque productions, that might be one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. It’s a small theater with half of the action happening overhead. We bought seats in the middle price point. If I had it to do over again I’d have bought the cheap seats.

I haven’t written much. I haven’t even answered emails since before the holidays and I’m really happy too. I guess a real writer would be aching to get pen to ink or fingers to keyboard. I’m happy I’m just a blogger and that we’ll enjoy 2013 together.