AGW 2022, Day 2 Friday the 11th

 Touring and eating. Eating. Touring.

:-)

Breakfast at the Omelet House. We took ride share cars out there. Liz, Caroline, Gail, Donna in one side.

Donna's southern friends, Peggy, Wendy and Amy. Mom and Me. Big , crowded place in a unique venue. 

Check out item number 33 1/2 on the menu. ( They were out)

So funny!

After brunch, we had the next ride share drop us off at the Container Park. Close to downtown, small, quiet, kid-friendly. And they had chocolate.

Here's the only photo I took at the container Park. Above.  

But Gail took one: of people! (Below)

Why would anyone make a giant praying mantis sculpture from scraps of metal? Why not, when you can call it art, right?

Then we went back to hotel. Donna's friends went gambling and walking around. We left Mom at the hotel, and we family members drove in Gail's car to the

Seven Magic Mountains 

south of Las Vegas. Interesting architectural installation just by the freeway.

Way in the background are the Seven Magic Mountains. Piles of rocks. Very colorful ones.

Here's the explanation.

Theres my group.

It's hard to get the right perspective to see all seven at once. One or more might always be obscured by another pile o' rocks.

Me and Donna

Me. Leaning into it.

Bright colors

Gail

Caroline

Donna

Other rock piles

We all took a lot of pictures. It was fun. Clear skies

 Lots of people. Very crisp (cold) breeze. 

Some tried for "artsy"shots.

Gail and Fonna peeking around the orange one at me. With Liz capturing it on her camera.

Donna and Liz

A panoramic shot of others taking pictures.

So many people!

I'm smashing them with MY rock. 

Liz's artsy attempts.

And then we were cold, so we left. 

We shopped at Target, Hibbett Sports, and Ross. I actually found a (very snug) $10 swim suit. I forgot to bring mine and I have a spa date with Donna and Liz on Saturday. I prefer a suit in the hot tub. 

 

Dinner was at the Mon Ami Gabi. That's here in the Paris, but it was a long ng wait for a table, so I watched people gamble. And WIN! They are such crazy games. Donna won at a buffalo machine. Wendy won big on a slot machine. Liz won at a table playing gow pie or some such thing. 

Dinner was a French restaurant over looking the fountains. Beautiful. I still hadn't seen or heard MY favorite Bellagio fount song--"Time to say goodbye" by Andre Bocelli. 

Most had steak and fries, but I had French onion soup. My tummy had been a bit upset earlier in the day, so I tried to eat less. And then ruined it by being the only person to order dessert! Ha. I had cheesecake. Cheesecake Factory is better.

After Dinner, some went to gamble, but Donna, me, Gail and Caroline went upstairs to watch "Mr Malcolm's List" , an on demand movie (for $21! ) And we kind of snoozed through it. It wasn't terribly captivating. And Caroline was totally asleep and snoring before we even started. I guess we bore her silly, all us old ladies. Except Liz who is not old, but who is a gambler and C is not. 

So we wrapped up a nice full Friday of shops and tourist things. One more day!

Liz IS a high roller. This is a $1,000 chip. It's hers before cashing it in. (Her first)

All Girls Weekend, 2022

 Las Vegas, Baby!! Not really. Haha. This is us. We are waiting for the party to get started when Liz and Donna get in from Georgia.

Thursday night arrival, November 10, 2022.

We drove here. We checked in. We are in our room. That's it. Ha. 

We had shakes and Bobby's Burgers because it was close and convenient.

And the rest of our plans deal with food mostly. And a spa treatment. And more food. Fun weekend, yes?

G'night, Mommy!

The young adult on her phone.

Nite nite!

Donna is giving Mom a head rub.

While we were waiting for Liz and Donnas flight, Gail, Caroline and I left my Mom snuggled in bed and we went to go see the fountains and the Bellagio Conservatory.

There was a lovely moon over our hotel. This was taken from a Ross the strip from the Paris at the Bellagio. Blue, White, and red Eiffel tower, the hotel, the balloon. And Jupiter, too! So pretty.

As are the lovely blown glass flowers of the ceiling the Bellagio lobby. 

The conservatory had a fall and harvest theme.

Tupperware babies

 We have some adorable pictures of grandbabies ( and children) sitting in front of the Tupperware Cabinet. It started with Nick, then Eric, then grandsons. 

Here's the latest grandDAUGHTER, continuing the tradition. Emily.

Emptying her Mom's cabinets. So fun

He went and picked MORE apples!!!

 We still don't have a freezer full of juice for us ( yet). Mike assures me we will.

But so far, he's given away over 60 gallons of cider to more than 80 households, mostly in our Ward neighborhood, some friends and Temple co-workers.

I was asked whether this is juice or cider. According to Google, it's cider-- pressed apples, no sugar added, and not pasteurized.  Juice, on the other hand, is more processed, filtered, has added sugar and is pasteurized.  According to Random house dictionary, 1962, it's "sweet cider", as opposed to "hard cider" (fermented).

Our cider is free of apple rot, dirt and bugs. Nothing but good apples going into OUR mix!!

Just washing all the buckets, bowls, pitchers, cups, strainers, spoons, rinsing rags, etc, etc, etc is so tough on my hands. I have split thumbs, stained, split and nasty nails. Mike's Shoulders and knee are killing him. 

Two or three more days...maybe we will be done by the end of this week?

Cousin Fred's 90th Birthday

 

Mom greeting a surprised cousin Fred.

Mom saw three of Fred's living children and the widow of Kevin the oldest who died 15 months ago. 

Fun themed party with a race car theme because Fred drove race cars for most of his life.

It was a surprise birthday party.

November 5, 2022 was the day we drove there for the party.

In Littlefield, AZ

So fun.