Just a quick update to the blog so there will be plenty of room for pictures from our family trip to Las Vegas. We drove Thursday night from Roseville. I left work about 4:30 and got a few hours of sleep, finally getting up at about 8:30 and sitting in the spa for about ten minutes and then sleeping for another hour before we were up and at them by 10:30 and on the road by 11. I stopped in Santa Nella about 1:00 AM and had a hamburger as I hadn't eaten dinner. I drove through the night and got us through Los Angeles about 6 AM. I stopped for gas at Calmesa outside of the turnoff to Palm Springs and had Darla take the wheel for the rest of the drive to Phoenix. We got into the outskirts of Phoenix about 10 AM and stopped for breakfast. We wanted to check into the apartment before we were off to pick up Pete and Vicki from the airport. What I forgot about was the time change and it dawned on me as we finished breakfast at about 10:45. It was actually 11:45 and we had to pick them up at 1 PM.
We got through Phoenix and over to Scottsdale and the corporate apartment and unloaded our bags and then were off to the Phoenix airport about 20 minutes away. We picked them up and they were ready for lunch. WE were ready for naps, so we dropped us off at the apartment, they unloaded their bags and then took the Explorer out to lunch and the grocery store. Darla and I got into our swim suits and headed to the pool in the 84 degree heat. I slept like a lizard in the sun and Darla found a nice spot next to the pool in the shade on an outdoor sofa.
We met up after a good two hour nap at the apartment and dressed for dinner. We decided to try the Italian Grotto in the downtown Scottsdale area and jumped on a golf cart (Trips for Tips) and they drove us over to the restaurant. The food and ambiance were incredible and the restaurant has been in business for over 40 years. From there we wandered the tourist district and stopped and bought a few Giants items, hats and shirts for our trip to the Giant game at Scottsdale Stadium on Sunday. We walked down and scoped out a couple of the restaurants where we had meetings Monday and Tuesday. We then took the golf cart back to the apartment and the driver, a 23 year old gal, took us on a tour of the downtown area on the way home.
Saturday we were up for a light breakfast and then off to Phoenix. The girls wanted to see the downtown area and the sports facilities. It is a vibrant downtown and the sports stadiums are at the core of the renaissance. We wandered through a downtown garden and then the girls did some shopping and Pete and I went over and checked out the stadium tour info at chase Field. The last tour was at noon and we would be tight on making it, so decided to sit in the TGI Friday restaurant that opens up into the stadium. We had drinks and appetizers, knowing that we had a 4:30 reservation at Don and Charlies in Scottsdale, AZ. We got back and I got another nap in at the pool before showering and heading over to the sports bar. We got there and found out that the San Francisco Giant's organization had an event scheduled in the private room. We finished dinner and had a drink out on the patio and watched as Larry Baer, Charles Johnson and the rest of the owners showed up one by one. Dave Dravecky was there as were several other retired Giants. We left before they all arrived, but it was nice to see them all there.
Sunday we had a big breakfast and then headed over to the ballpark about noon for the game. It was HOT at the Stadium and the World Champion Giants were ice cold. We left in the 6th inning when the score was 8-0 Arizona and the final was 12-2.We headed back to the apartment, changed into our swin suits, grabbed a few cold drinks and I was off to my third straight nap. Sunday night we had London Broil grilled on the gas barbecue at the apartment and then had to run Vicki to the airport in the early evening.
Monday, Pete and I had breakfast across the street with a potential carrier partner and then drove out to the Scottsdale business district and met for a meeting with Scottsdale Insurance. It was a tough meeting as we've had some issues with the underwriters at the company. We write $4.5 million with them, so it is key that we get this fixed. The underwriter was out on vacation as her kids were on Spring Break, but she and her Manager will be in Roseville next Wednesday to work out our issues and get back to writing business. From there Pete and I headed back to the apartment and I managed a fourth straight nap by the pool, before getting a shower and heading over to meet another carrier for drinks and appetizers at the Tortilla Factory in downtown Scottsdale. Darla joined us and I think enjoyed herself. We are doing very well with Markel and were up 80% with them last year. We had margaritas and apps. On the way home we stopped at the Fashion Mall and I picked up a $50 thank you gift card for the marketing secretary, Judy, who had set up our stay in the 1200 square foot three bedroom two bath apartment. Both Darla and Pete wanted dinner, even though we had eaten nachos and appetizers. We stopped and Darla had a soup, I had half a chicken salad sandwich and Pete had salmon for dinner.
Today, we were up and off to the business district again and had breakfast with IFG Insurance and had a great visit with them. From there we were off to the downtown area of Scottsdale across the street from the corporate apartment and lunch with Colony. Judy was thrilled with her gift and we had a great lunch with the VP of Underwriting and our Underwriter. We were done by one and back to the apartment and my fifth straight nap by the pool. I could get used to this.
We ordered a pizza for dinner tonight and I dropped Pete off at the airport. Darla and I are relaxing now and leave for Las Vegas in the morning. I will update this next week after our visit with family. Happy birthday to Chris, Dad and Cheryl. I hop you are all hale and hearty. Be with the Lord. Ciao.
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