Escaped Mom Diaries: Day One

To Whom it May Concern:
(I guess if that's anybody, it's you, kids!)

Arrived in Vegas around 10 pm last night after traveling nine hours. As you might guess, Daddy and I were pooped.  Didn't even unpack; just got into our jammies, said our prayers and went straight to sleep. Hardly even told each other goodnight!

Woke up at 5:30 A.M. for some ridiculously annoying reason.  But didn't get up until Daddy got up to shower and get ready for work.  He was on his way by 7:30, and though I would have loved to go back to sleep, it was too late;  I was wide awake, doggonit.  So, what to do?:

What to do, what to do...
 Well, it's still quite early, so I'm thinking: What the hey!  No reason to get dressed! So I stayed in my jammies.  But, I did get up and make the bed.  (Yeah, yeah, I know. But old habits die hard.)  Then I unpacked our suitcases and put our clothes in the dresser (which looked like it had never actually been used), tidied things up, and made a cup of tea (since I'm swearing off coffee for the week).  I put the "Do Not Disturb" sign in the lock on the outside of the hotel door (because we didn't need towels, and, well... I'd already made the beds), and snuggled back in the freshly fluffed pillows to try and get my computer hooked up, but it wouldn't sign on to the server.  (ARGH!)  So, what to do, what to do...?

First I texted Daddy to see if he could walk me through getting on the internet.  (Of course.) Then I took out my Kindle to see if there was anything on there I wanted to read.  There wasn't, and my eyes were too tired, anyway, from being up since 5:30 in the stinking vacation morning.  So, I turned on the news. What's there to say about that, except: Uck.  So I channel-surfed for a while... and let me tell you what I found: we are not missing anything by not having a TV feed, kids.  We really aren't.  But what I finally ended up watching was absolutely fascinating, in a slowing-down-to-look-at-a train wreck kind of way.


1) Amish Mafia (a "reality" show)

  Like, really?  Did you know there was such a thing?  Doesn't "oxymoron" come to mind when you say those two words together?  After watching an episode, I came to the conclusion that: a) the whole thing is made up; or, perhaps more likely: b) evil is everywhere; the Amish aren't any less affected by fallen human nature and the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil than any of us.  But, still... one wonders why terribly evil people would want to continue to call themselves Amish.  Or for that matter, Catholic.  But they do sometimes, don't they?

2) Some crazy Moonshiner show (another "reality" show)

     The main question I have about this show is how it comes that these folks are running from the law through most of the two episodes I watched, and if they're not actually running, they're talking (in deep southern drawls) about evading the law, or constructing elaborate structures for their stills to hide them from the law...  And yet, they're boldly showing their faces (most of them) on international television.  What the heck?  But that isn't the only question I have.  Seriously... With all the time, thought, and ingenuity that these people put into making illegal  ("rotgut") whiskey, I just know they could make a dent in some kind of legitimate, legal, more wholesome kind of business for themselves -- and not have to worry about the law.  But, then they wouldn't rate a successful television series either, would they?

3)  Hotel Impossible (There's nothing more interesting to folks watching TV during the day than watching someone else's reality, it would appear...)

      I actually really liked this show!  The host (Anthony Somebody-or-other) turns out to be very

likable, and shows good common sense about finding solutions for hotels that have gone downhill. He's an expert, it seems, in business dynamics and is also unusually intuitive about interpersonal communications and leadership problem solving.  But mostly, it's the reveals I love! The renovated lobbies, room, etc., are very nicely done.  This television show is unexpectedly entertaining -- and, wow!  What a useful service this man provides!  After watching two or three episodes, I feel empowered to toodle around this hotel with a clipboard and start making some suggestions for the management...

But, don't worry.  I might make the lists, but I won't actually show them to the management...



It's midmorning-ish now, not quite lunch time... and, as you can see...  With some good coaching from your genius father, I got my computer up and running online.  I'm no longer in my jammies.  Just couldn't do it.  (You're not surprised, are you?)  I'm wearing total comfy clothes, though: denim capris, and that big, loose "Everyone Loves an Irish Girl" tee shirt I got at the thrift store the other day when I went with Miss June.  And I couldn't not put on make up, etc.  You never know if a maid's gonna knock on the door.  And one wouldn't want to look like a lazy slug, lying around a hotel room all day, drinking tea, and watching tv, and playing on one's computer, would one?  Besides, I know Daddy's coming back to the hotel for lunch, and he will so make fun of me if I'm still in jammies, right?

But, yeah... :0)

After Lunch Now...  On his way home for lunch, Daddy made a quick stop at the grocery store, and coming back to our room, he found me fully dressed, and trying to look like I was being constructive, pinning away on Pintrest. (How's that for being constructive?)  Here's what we have in the fridge (and the shelf under it) for the next three days now that Dad went shopping:  a rotisserie chicken, a bag of mixed crudités (broccoli, carrots, snappeas), a jar of Marie's Ranch Dressing, a bag of apples, a bag of lemons.  This all, plus a box of Irish tea, a box of Good Earth Sweet n Spicy tea, three bags of Beanito-type chips, a can of salmon, and a can of Spam  (which we're holding in case of a Zombie Apocalypse, actually) -- and we'll be eating just fine 'til payday.

I'm such a cheap date!

But, oh baby, on payday!  After living-on-less-than-ten-dollars-a-day (both of us!) for four days I'll be making overtures for a meal out on payday, make no mistake!

 Though, actually, I cannot tell a lie;  Daddy promised a stop at a Cracker Barrel when we head to California on Thursday, so it's in the bag already.  And a plan to check out the beach before we hook up with Grandma and Grandpa and everybody...  More on that later.

Now, it's after five o'clock....  I'm waiting for Dad to show up, watching Castle, and getting ready to paint my toenails.  What color, I do not know.  (You girls may have noticed I stole several bottles of varying shades from your stores in the green bathroom, so I have a rainbow to choose from).  I'll take a picture of what color I decide on later.  It may be the biggest decision I make all day.

PS ~ I'm thinking of home right now.   I miss your silly faces, kiddos, and all that goes with them: William and Gabe trying not to collide on their bikes out in the driveway; Theresa's piano soundtrack; Dominic's latest video project machinations; Cathy's new-and-stunning-outfit-every-day-of-the-week habit;  Anna and the kitties; Miss June, my porch buddy; the aroma of Brian's cooking drifting out from the kitchen.  And I hate Lost Vegas, as always, but we have a nice room (especially for $30 a night!), and it's great hanging around here, choosing toenail colors, critiquing stupid television shows, and pinning with no laundry waiting for me to fold.  Plus Dad and I have very firm plans for behaving like a couple of teenagers (in a good way, really!) while we're here.  Which I'm looking forward to!  I'm so grateful to you, Dominic, for taking on the big job of running the whole shebang for a few days.  And to Miss June for taking notes on who needs "talkings to" when I call.  And to the rest of you for being extra special good! 

PPS ~  This is the view that Las Vegas uses to market the city:

And, this is the view out  my window (and 3/4 of all hotel room windows in Vegas) during the day:

Lovely, huh?