If you see it once, you'll never be the same again

I went to Vegas for the first time this weekend. Oh sure, I had driven through plenty of times, even spent the night at friends' houses...but I had never really been to Vegas. And let me say, it was quite a trip.

We started at the crack of before dawn so we could do a session at the Las Vegas temple (giving me three temples in three weeks). Late lunch was at Cafe Rio. I got my beloved pork salad, which is as addicting as the churros at Disneyland. By that time we could check in to the Bellagio for nap time.

View from our room

They upgraded us to the suite floor because they had run out of the room we were supposed to have. We certainly didn't complain about that. Not only did the bathroom have a phone, it had a TV. Even better, you could tune in to Channel 22 to hear the music for the fountain show. Definitely cool. "Dinner" was a crepe from Jean Philippe. They had this chocolate fountain that reminded me of Willy Wonka, only for grown-ups.


Then it was off to Love, which was fantastic. Trippy, but fantastic. My favorite was probably either the opening act of "Get Back" because of the people bungee jumping from the ceiling, or the part when they brought out two U-shaped ramps and four guys with rubber mop-head wigs did rollerblading tricks (sadly, I've already forgotten what song it was to). There was always so much visual stimuli...it was hard to know where to look.


We spent the rest of the night wandering various casinos, mocking hoochies in high heels and skimpy skirts, watching boats on the canal at the Venitian, and playing the penny slots. I lost a whole dollar in that endeavor.

Sunday morning we went to the spa. I learned that I like steam rooms, especially if they're infused with eucalyptus. Brunch was at the Hash House, where our food took f-o-r-e-v-e-r, which I really didn't handle well, having not eaten anything that day yet. Then we headed out in an attempt to beat the traffic (which we did, for the most part). And now...back to real life again.

I'm alive and I'm free. Who wouldn't wanna be me?

Happy new year, everyone! I love the chance the start of a new year gives us to reflect on our lives. I've decided mine is pretty good.

I have a good job. Yes, it stressed me out a lot last year, but I like the work and the people. Oh, and a paycheck is always nice.

I have a place to live. My house, though a little chilly at night right now, is perfect for me. It also happens to be in southern California, which means I get to enjoy beautiful weather, the beach, and Disneyland.

I have a car. I managed to replace both sets of brakes, some steering column part, and a tire this year, but most of the time it works quite well.

I have a healthy body. I didn't take advantage of that as much as I should have last year, and intend to be better about that this year. (No, this is not an "I'm going to lose 10 pounds" resolution; it's an "I'm going to take better care of myself" resolution.)

I have a phone. Even though I was only without a phone for about 12 hours, I really missed that connection to my friends and family. If I couldn't talk to my family on a regular basis, I don't think I could handle being so far away.

I have money. Not in the sense that I'm loaded, but that I can afford to buy food and pay rent, with enough left over for things like trips to Washington DC and cameras.

I have good friends. They keep me sane. They make me laugh. They make me want to be a better person.

I have a loving family. My parents are incredibly supportive (even when I do crazy things like move to California). And my siblings are all amazing.

Most of all, I have a testimony of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know He lives; I know He loves me. That makes everything worth it.