We had a great time with Jennifer, Mac and Samantha in Vegas. Darla and I left last Friday at 1:30 AM and I drove to Bakersfield before getting so tired that we pulled into a Rest stop and slept for about 90 minutes. Samson was overall excellent on the long ride to and from Vegas. He got car sick about an hour into the drive and we had to stop outside Stockton to clean him and the backseat sling up. It was a short stop and we drove on to Bakersfield. I was back up by about 6:00 AM and we drove on to Tehachapi where we stopped for gas and breakfast. Samson would not go to the bathroom. He wasn't drinking his water and I guess had no need for a rest stop. We walked all over the grass with him, but he had no interest.
We drove on again stopping in Nevada this time at a rest stop and he again pooh poohed pooh poohing. We drove on to Vegas and arrived at Jennifer's about 11:45 AM. We made good time and Samson slept most of the trip. We got in, had some lunch, visited for awhile and then went to bed for another 90 minute power nap. Mac was working in the study upstairs and Jennifer had a few calls to make so we were ready to go down to bed. Samson walked into Mac's studio and had a big bm right on the carpet. That is actually the last mistake he has made and he is now basically housebroken. He was confused at their house as they have a doggie door and we have a bell that he rings to go out.
He learned the doggie door pretty quickly and we had to close the door and coax him through the doggie door. Once he figured it out, he was in and out of the house the rest of the trip. Maceo did teach him a few things and it was interesting watching them fight (play fights). Samson was trying to dominate Maceo and was jumping up and pushing his head down. Maceo would them nip at Samson's heels and feet. Later on, Samson would do the same thing to Maceo. He is a quick learner. The only problems we had with the dogs was that Samson has not been neutered yet and he got a little too excited playing with Maceo and would mount him. Maceo wasn't having any of that and they would growl and go at it. Samson would not back down with Maceo even though Maceo outweighs him 40 to 80 pounds.
We met Samantha at the bus stop just outside the gates to their homeowners association with both Samson and Maceo and Sam was able to introduce Samson to her friends. We headed home and she got out her RC car and we played out in the court for about an hour. It was fun and I enjoyed seeing how good she is at controlling the car. Jennifer fixed us a baked salmon for dinner and then we played games afterward. It was a great night.
We had to be up early on Saturday morning for Sam's soccer game as she played at 7:30. We decided to bring the dogs and then dropped them back off after the game and I took the gang out to breakfast at Mimi's café. I have a few pictures from the game above, including Sam with her friend Sam on the bench and one with Samantha trailing her coach on the sideline as he was getting ready to put her in the game.
From there we headed back home and hung out for awhile relaxing and then headed about 2 PM to Fremont Street where the NHL had a 100th anniversary celebration and they had some players from the Vegas Knights signing autographs and they had a big rink set up for the kids to play in. They also had the Stanley Cup on display as well as a Zamboni that Sam rode in a VR display. Finally, they had a trailer set up that had all of the memorabilia from over the years showing uniform changes, shoulder pads, masks and goalie gear. They also had a replica of a locker room where you could put your name up on the stall and take pictures. Mac and Jennifer took one with both last names as Corbin. Soon enough, eh?
We ran into Pete and Vicki at the 4 Queens casino and said hi to their Mom and Dad. Pete's Dad has Alzheimer's and is 81 and this was his last trip to Vegas. Pete hit a $400 jackpot as we were hanging out at the NHL Experience. He texted me with his winning ticket. I had called Pete and told him we'd stop by and say hi.
Saturday night Mac's friend, Clay, and all of us convened back at the house and had a taco bar for dinner. Clay had night plans so headed out after we ate and we sat and played a new game that Darla bought for Samantha that is a word game with 12 tiles that are shook up and poured out. You then get 2 minutes to find every four letter or longer word with points for each. We gave Samantha the right to use three letter words and score the same as us and she hung in there pretty good. If you have the same word as someone else, both players words are eliminated, so she had an advantage not having anyone else doing three letter words. It was fun and Sam is quite competitive.
Sunday we slept in as Darla and I were exhausted from the trip. We woke up early and let Samson out of the room and off to go potty. We brought him back in, zipped him up in his canvas crate and slept in. We all had a late breakfast of eggs and fruit and then headed out to the Renaissance Faire in Henderson, NV. Mac drove separately as he had tickets to the Knights game that night in Vegas. The game was 4 and he would meet us after the game at BJs and I was buying everyone dinner.
The Renaissance Faire was kind of tacky with a lot of booths selling swords and knives, period costumes, and villages set up like the gypsies would have had back in the day. Sam got a map at the beginning of the day (actually she bought it for $5) that showed all of the locations with red flags where you had to get your map signed and stamped by the wench in charge. Sam dutifully went around the entire grounds collecting stamps and signatures. She only missed one and we honestly couldn't find it. She was to bring the completed map back and she got to choose a prize. When we lined up with the other kids it was evident that it didn't matter if you got any signatures or stamps, EVERYONE got a prize. I could tell Sam was really frustrated by that and I feel confident that she will not become a liberal. She picked out a wood pirate's chest.
We got back home and watched some NFL football. Sam and I took the RC car out for another spin and then took the dogs and headed to the park. You can see a couple of shots from our trip above.
We headed over to BJs about 7 and Mac showed up about 7:30. You can see the one picture of Sam above calling him and asking him when he was coming. We sat and relaxed back at home and visited until it was Sam's bedtime and then we headed to bed as well with the big drive home that next day.
We were up at 6 and on the road by 6:15. We decided to drive back up highway 95 through Nevada and to Reno and then back to Roseville. We stopped in Hawthorne for lunch and relaxed for about an hour as we let Samson run a bit at a park and he did go to the bathroom this time. We were back home by about 4:00 PM, so the Nevada trip is definitely faster. I think it is longer by mileage, but the speed limit is 70 throughout the state and we were doing about 80 most of the way.
Again, the trip was really fun. I don't know that we will drive it again as it took a lot out of us. Perhaps if we go and stay for a week like at Jennifer's wedding, we will drive. It was fun hanging with the Corbin's and I see a lot of growth and some real smarts in Samantha. She has a real talent for art and is constantly with her sketch pad drawing.
As mentioned in the title, I am off to Detroit for the annual Leadership meeting on Tuesday and fly to Detroit via Los Angeles. I will meet two of the people from our LA office and then we fly on to Detroit arriving at 7:30 PM. The World Series will be on, so I'll grab a bite at the hotel and then head to the hospitality suite to watch the game. I'm pulling for Houston.
Darla was able to hook up with both of her sons and her niece, Shea, this morning as I was out playing in the Past Presidents event. I had high hopes, but shot 44+49=93 AND I 4 PUTTED three holes. The greens were aerated three weeks ago and they used the big tines and they are really "waffley", but I'm still struggling with my short game. I went out with a client on Tuesday and shot 84 at Morgan Creek and thought I was on my way back, but it takes time. I am an 18 now at Diamond Oaks. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Darla was able to see her boys, her sister, Luke and Becky. They all met downtown. Shea was in town because her boyfriend had one of his favorite bands playing at an event in Sacramento Saturday night. They fly back to Honolulu on Tuesday.
Darla and I had planed to go to Luke's football game on Friday night, but Samson got really sick in the car by the time they got to my office. We got him cleaned up and then he had diarrhea on the sling in the back on our way over to Folsom. We turned around and I stopped at a Fire Station to get the back cleaned up. I took Samson for a walk and he had more diarrhea in the parking lot. Luckily none of the Firemen came over because I didn't know how I was going to clean up that mess.
Yesterday I was able to clear the pool out of leaves. We had a storm roll in somewhat unplanned on Thursday night/Friday morning and one of the umbrellas blew over and into the pool. Three of the umbrellas were over. I had to drag the umbrella back up out of the pool by turning it sideways and then lifting it out. You can't lift it straight out as it will fill up with water and bend.
I mowed and cleared the leaves out front as well yesterday. There was a soccer tournament going on at the park and the cars were everywhere. I love living across from a park about 60% of the time. A lady pulled up in an SUV while I was clearing the walk on the side of the house. She had apparently bought an early dinner for her little soccer player. The dad and boys came over from the park and as I was sweeping up, she rolled down her window and dropped two tomatoes on the sidewalk. She almost hit me with it. I said, "Really!?" I think I startled her as she didn't know I was there. She said in a nasty soccer mom voice, "You don't own the sidewalk, besides it's biodegradable." My quick wit and mouth get me in trouble a lot. I said in a deadpan, "so is your kid!". Darla said now I'm the creepy old guy that lives across from the park. She rolled up her window and they beat a retreat.
Dallas just finished whipping up on the 49ers 40-10. Some would say they had a second bye in a row. That's it for this week. I'll be back next week with tales of Detroit. Be well. Ciao.
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