Leaving Las Vegas and Arriving in Sedona

We had to change hotels for our last night in Vegas and there didn't seem to be much available that didn't cost a fortune. We finally went to our old buddy priceline and got a good deal, even though it was at the Trump. Rich and I are not big fans of The Donald, but what the heck, if he is willing to give us the best deal, I guess we will take it. Not to mention the fact that you can't back out once you've clicked "buy my room" on priceline. Begrudgingly, I have to admit that the people at Trump's were the most friendly, welcoming and service oriented of just about any place we've ever stayed. I give his company big credit for training people in customer service, something that seems to be lacking everywhere we go (Do I sound like an old lady? Sorry, but it is one of my pet peeves when people can't even be polite). The room was pretty fabulous (yes, I know, I do feel guilty after my entry about the homeless population). There was even a little TV built into the bathroom mirror. I mean, really, how much TV do we need to watch?? Even while we are brushing our teeth?! The room was actually a mini suite so we had a sitting area and a kitchenette as well. I actually wanted to stay longer. :) There wasn't a casino there, either, which tickled me to no end since I did not have to deal with all the cigarette smoke. We were right across the street from a major mall which was having "day after Christmas" sales so we could not pass that up, of course. Did a little shopping, had some dinner, and finished off our Vegas stay by attending the Cirque du Soleil production of "Love," based on songs by the Beatles. What a trip back through our lives that was! Everything you've ever heard about Cirque du Soleil is true--the performers were fantastic, the sets and costumes and special effects were amazing, and the music just topped it all off. At one point, we were a part of the show with a huge white canopy pulled up over most of the audience--very cool. The ushers were dressed like "Lovely Rita, Meter Maid" and "Sgt. Pepper." The songs came to life with recognizable figures, strange interpretations, or surreal, seemingly unconnected scenes that somehow worked anyway. Everyone seemed to leave in a happy mood--full of peace and love and singing songs. :) I highly recommend it if you ever have a chance to go.

Yesterday morning, we headed back to the airport for our flight to Phoenix. Meanwhile Bonnie and Dave had already left Amarillo and Sarah, Miles, Elle, Susan, Aidan and Ally were flying out of Dallas. The Dallas group had delays so we finally all met at the Phoenix airport mid- afternoon. Next, we had the ordeal of hauling luggage for 10 people and baby paraphernalia on the rental car shuttle and waiting forever to get the rental cars worked out. Most of us were starving so we stopped to eat before even getting out of town. Finally on the road to Sedona at 6 and all was well, though we were one tired family. When we arrived in Sedona, we found that there was huge road construction going on all through town, which made it a bit difficult to navigate and to find the property rental business where we had to pick up the keys to the house we rented. Wouldn't you think folks would have clued us in??! It was a little annoying and we felt completely lost a few times but eventually found the house where we are staying for a week. It is gorgeous, backs up to a creek, and has plenty of space for our big group. Rich and I made a grocery run late last night and we have mostly taken it easy today. The kids went for a drive to check things out while Gigi and Grandpa Rich babysat the grandkids. Rich is fixing us a nice dinner tonight and we are just enjoying having everyone together (except son in law Corey who had to work and couldn't come). It's wonderful to see the kids and grandkids and be able to spread out all over the house instead of being in hotel rooms. We love this house rental thing!

We're having trouble with our memory card so will get some photos up as soon as we can.

Merry Christmas! and we count our blessings

Driving to the airport in Seattle. We only realized later that those are cars covered in snow.

De-icing one plane while another takes off behind.

Not sure I'd want this job but I'm glad someone is doing it.

We hope each and every one of you have had a wonderful day filled with love and laughter and good will. For those far from home, we hope that you were able to have contact with your loved ones and share the holiday spirit with them, even if long distance.

We've had a busy couple of days and I can't believe that Christmas has flown right past me and is about done. We've had a gastronomical Rich-directed tour of famous chefs' restaurants and have remained in various stages of 'stuffed beyond belief.' From sandwiches at Tom Colicchio's 'wichcraft to dinner at Michael Mina's Nob Hill Tavern to lunch at Mario Batalli's tavern to desserts from Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery to dinner tonight at Joel Robuchon's L'Atelier, we have been delighted and amazed. It's true--these guys (and their cooks, since we doubt that any of them were actually on site) are talented individuals.

Today, we caught a glimpse of another side of Las Vegas. This morning we took a cab to The Shade Tree homeless shelter where we joined a group of volunteers in serving a Christmas lunch to the residents. I was impressed with the shelter and all it provides to the community but saddened to think that there are so many people who don't have a place to live. At this time, there are 270 women and children at The Shade Tree. It contains an emergency shelter on the first floor, a 60-90 day residence on the second floor, and a transitional living program on the third floor, where women and their children may stay for up to two years while they get back on their feet, get education and training and apply for jobs. We were glad to help in some small way by serving meals, but it definitely felt like there was so much more that needed to be done. Some of the women were elderly and some were obviously struggling with mental health issues, the littlest kids seemed to be happy and playful but the teenagers seemed embarrassed and depressed. I didn't really have time to interact with anyone more than to wish them well and to exchange a few pleasantries because we were rushing around to make sure everyone got fed, but I would have liked to have had more time to really visit and hear their stories. We were touched by the number of people who came up to us and gave us a personal "thank you" for coming out on Christmas. It certainly didn't feel like we deserved any kind of recognition for such a minor effort. (Later, I commented that the cost of the big fancy chandeliers at the Wynn Hotel could have probably fed all those people for a year).


The Shade Tree is an impressive place. Due to confidentiality, we did not take any photos that would show the residents. Some of them are women fleeing abusive situations and their whereabouts could not be compromised.

One of the coolest things about The Shade Tree (that all my animal loving friends will be SO thrilled about) is that residents may bring their pets with them. There's a separate building for the animals, including nice cages (similar to those in a pet store) and "cuddle rooms" where moms and kids can go to play with their pets. There's an outside exercise area and the animal shelter was so clean and non-smelly. We saw dogs, cats, a bird and some fish--all seemed content and well cared for. Dog owners can also walk their dogs around the property. We were told that sometimes women will stay in abusive relationships because they are afraid to leave their pets behind, or that the abuser will threaten to harm the pet if the woman leaves. So this takes that issue out of the equation. And it only adds to the stress of becoming homeless if you don't have anyone to help with your animals. I thought this was such a great idea!


For several blocks around The Shade Tree, there are other programs such as The Salvation Army and Catholic Social Services. We decided to walk to the downtown area instead of taking a cab back and this is some of what we saw. I could not get over the numbers of people living in tents along the street.

This man allowed Rich to take his photo.

Downtown Las Vegas was pretty deserted on Christmas Day.

We walked around downtown for a bit and then went to grab a cab back to the casino area. A man opened the cab door for us and wiped off the window with a rag. Rich gave him some money while the cabbie loudly protested that he was "just a bum" and was causing problems. The cab driver was an interesting guy who just wanted to argue with us about everything! Rich said he wanted to give him a tip that "it's probably not a good idea to initiate discussions with your riders about politics and then tell them what's wrong with their thinking."

Most of the day was spent walking around (so at least we got some exercise!) and taking in the excessiveness of the hotels and casinos. What a weird disconnect from the experience we'd had earlier. It started raining and we took the monorail back to our hotel, had a little nap, and went to dinner.

The girls called today and we are all excited about meeting up in Phoenix on Saturday. Ally has pink-eye and Susan thinks she is getting it, too; Sarah and Elle have both been sick and are on antibiotics, so we are hoping that no one will get cross contaminated and will all be well by the weekend!

Vegas, Baby!

Even though we were not scheduled to depart Seattle till 10:10 AM, we did not want to take any chances and made ourselves get up early. Well, Rich always gets up early (and with a pleasant attitude, darn him) but I am not an early riser (if I can help it). With the time change, it was after 1 AM when I went to bed. Rich asked me how I would be feeling in the morning and I said "grumpy." I was a little grumpy and had the red eyes to go with it when I stumbled into the shower (he was already up and showered and dressed, of course). The snow was falling in Seattle and apparently our shuttle driver had a minor mishap earlier because the hotel's security guard was standing by the vehicle sorta berating him that he wanted to get a "report" when he got back from this run. He then kept repeating "when you come back," irritating the driver to no end. One of the other passengers yelled out, "I dare you to say 'when you come back' one more time!" as the security dude walked away. Everyone on the van burst into laughter and our fellow traveler wished us happy holidays, adding "and keep your sense of humor."

We expected chaos at SEA-TAC after the many problems of the last several days, but we walked right up to the Southwest counter, checked our bags, got our boarding passes, went through Security quickly, got something to drink, bought magazines, and found our gate, all before 8:45 AM. So we hung out at the airport and we hung out and we hung out and 10:10 came and went and we were still hanging out. There was a plane parked at our gate and apparently the people had been waiting for four hours to leave so they ended up processing them before us and we finally took off about noon. Southwest Airlines is always lots of fun, even though it's open seating and I had to squeeze in between two people and Rich was several rows behind me. The flight attendants were playing John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and then another song that I remember from years ago which has a chorus of "the bluest skies I've ever seen are in Seattle..." Wasn't that from some goofy TV show like "Here Come the Brides" that some of us used to LOVE? And then we had Willie Nelson singing "On the Road Again." I finished reading my book Out Stealing Horses, which is one of our book club selections. I really liked it, though I wanted to know more about the characters, and more of the story. I guess that is a good thing.

Oh yeah, they bumped all the luggage to allow for people/weather/runway conditions, which really makes no sense to me but nevertheless we arrived to the strains of "Viva Las Vegas" and went to baggage claim to leave our info. We were told we could get a travel voucher if we came back to pick up our stuff vs. Southwest having to deliver it. But when it turned out that it was only a $50 voucher (each? NO), we told them they could deliver our bags to the hotel. We'd spend almost 50 bucks going back and forth, so what's the point? Of course, since we had already made the questionable trip from home to Anchorage with luggage intact, I went ahead and put my toiletries in my suitcase this morning instead of carrying them on. Hopefully the bags will get here tonight, after making a side trip to San Diego. Rich took some photos earlier today but the card reader is in the suitcase along with my toothbrush so we will upload later or tomorrow.

We're at the MGM, with a great deal on a room and Rich is out prowling the premises to figure out where to eat dinner.

It's probably in the 50's here but I was immediately struck by how WARM it was when we walked out of the terminal! Nice! How my perspective has changed.

Happy Christmas Eve and love to all.

We Made It!

It was a beautiful day in Unalaska when we checked in at the airport. The Pen Air folks told us that Alaska Air's flights were getting in and out of Anchorage and Seattle and getting the stranded people cleared out and on their way. Our flight was supposed to leave at 1:05, but we kept getting updates that there was a strong headwind delaying the plane's arrival and we didn't end up taking off till 2:45 PM. Our flight from Anchorage was supposed to board at 5:15. It's a three hour flight to Anchorage and we have to go through security once we get there. You do the math. We just decided whatever is gonna happen is gonna happen and there's not much sense in obsessing over it.

Luckily, the strong headwind translated into a strong tailwind on the way back to Anchorage and we made it in 2 hours, 15 minutes. I do believe that's my fastest trip to Anchorage ever. Security was not busy and we were departing from one of the closest gates. Everything was in our favor after all (we do have pretty good travel karma, as those of you who know our travel stories are aware). The Seattle flight was a little bit delayed which also helped us out. Got de-iced, had a pleasant trip and we arrived in Seattle with a big thud (a little scary) at 10:30. The airport here was still packed with people and all kinds of luggage lined up in alphabetical order in baggage claim. People were looking a little haggard. I feel bad for those who have been stranded or maybe still are; we feel fortunate that weather and schedules converged in a good way for us.

Up early and off to Vegas in the morning.

"A Christmas Carol" takes my mind off travel worries

Bad weather in Seattle has stranded planeloads of people in Anchorage for the last couple of days.   It's rainy and very windy here tonight so I am getting a little concerned about the odds of flying out tomorrow.   And even if we do make it to Anchorage, can we get out of there and on to Seattle?    We pricelined a room in Seattle and you know there are no refunds on priceline if you don't show up (doesn't look like quite the bargain then, does it?)   With connecting flights that will fall like dominoes, it's really important that we take off, and take off ON TIME, Pen Air, thank you very much!  Click on the title of this post above to see the full story at the Anchorage Daily News, and then send up lots of positive vibes that the weather and airlines will cooperate on Tuesday!  

It's been a super busy day, trying to get everything done before I go out of town.  I never correctly anticipate how much time it will take me, so I end up running around like a crazy person at the last minute.   Our little group of teens did a read-through of "A Christmas Carol" at the Senior Center tonight, so that was a nice little respite for me and then it was back to my office till almost 10 PM.    At this point, I just have to admit that what's not done is not getting done till January.

Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim

Anne handles the sound effects

Tiny Tim, The Ghost of Christmas Present, the Narrator, Scrooge, and the Ghost of Christmas Past

My coworkers Darcel and Donna

If you are local or can stream KUCB on the internet, the radio show will air on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.   I love all the things we get to do in a small town.  

I'm mostly packed and still have to clean up a little bit around the house before we leave it with our house/cat sitter (kinda like cleaning before the maid comes, you know, you hate to have anyone think you have a messy house, right?  Not that I am implying he's the maid...just sayin') 

We confirmed that we will be serving meals at a homeless shelter in Vegas (if we make it to Vegas...) on Christmas Day.   I asked how many people lived there because I thought we might be able to bring some unique Alaska gifts, especially if there were some kids in residence.  I didn't think I was so naive, but I was pretty shocked when I was told that there are 270 people staying there right now.    And that's only one of many shelters.   Really makes me count our blessings even more, knowing that we are safe and dry and don't have any major worries in our lives.   I imagine with the economy these days, there are increasing numbers of people who just can't make it any more, very sad to say.   Let's hope that their lives will improve soon.

Finally, Happy Hanukkah to the Kardon gang and congrats to my niece, Alana, who graduated from college in Texas!

Here's hoping the planes are flying tomorrow.   

It's not the end of the world, but you can see it from here

This photo was taken from Front Beach a couple of days ago.   If we still thought the Earth was flat, we might be a little worried about falling off the edge.

Laundry's in the washer, my ipod is on "shuffle songs," my favorite setting that always brings me a surprise or two (currently playing "The Air Near My Fingers" by the White Stripes), my to-do list is growing longer while the time before vacation grows shorter--funny how that happens.   We spend so much time in anticipation and don't think that vacation will ever get here, then suddenly we are leaving on TUESDAY.    I'm feeling a little stressed with so much to be done at work and at home, but you know it always works out so I am trying to let it go.

When we return from vacation, I am reducing my hours at work to part time.   I am calling it "semi-retirement," though that's probably not the best term considering how poorly our retirement funds are looking.   I am lucky that Rich is supportive and says, "just do what you want to do and it will be fine."   

My friends and coworkers, Char and Melanie, were at the Eagle Store yesterday, displaying and discussing healthy snacks for people with diabetes (and the rest of us, too).   Since I had not yet had lunch, I was their best customer and grazed while chatting.    Melanie makes a scrumptious low-cal salmon dip and we certainly can't get enough fruits and veggies.

Great job, gals, and thanks for feeding me!

Speaking of feeding, I am about to head over to Brunch and let Rich and his guys provide me with a great meal to fortify me for all of my chores ahead.  

Here's a little shout-out to my new followers who have come over from Alaska Steve and Carlisleboy--welcome to all!  I see that CB has added me to his blogroll with an admonition to ignore my Democratic leanings.  CB, my favorite statement is "voting Democratic is a move to the right for me," so you don't know the half of it.   LOL   But you know what?  Left wing radicals can be really nice people, too.   :)

Happy Sunday, everyone.

Merry Christmas, Aleutian Style

Unangan Santa with the Grand Aleutian Hotel and Mt. Ballyhoo in the background

The Ounalashka Corporation displays my favorite island Christmas decoration. Wearing a traditional bentwood hat, the Unangan Santa navigates his carved bidarka led by a team of seals.  Of course, he should be out in the Bering Sea, but then we would not be able to enjoy his presence.    

Unalaska has 6000 or more years of rich cultural history; the Unangan people lived off the land and sea, built underground houses to protect themselves from the harsh weather, made waterproof clothing from the guts and skins of sea mammals, skillfully carved boats and tools and ornaments, used native plants and berries for food and medicine.  I would not give up my modern conveniences to go back in time,  but I sometimes wonder what life was like for the people who lived in this beautiful place thousands of years ago, before the Russians, before the Americans, when their culture and traditions were valued and respected, and every day was a challenge, a victory of survival over the elements.