THE "Question"

I know many of you were afraid to ask. The sensitivity of the question leaves beads of sweat on the brow, the immense possibility of being in error. How embarrassed I would be, and believe me I have come so close on so many occasions, to have the words leave my lips only to feel the regret immediately.

It's ok, take a deep breath, I won't be mad. Here, let me hold your hand while you muster the courage. Go ahead, come on, it will be ok.

When are you due?

Well, that is a good question. ::gentle nod of support and pat on the hand:: And completely understandable based upon the sizable mass which moves in front of you. Recently I had been feeling a little queer, I have had an insatiable craving for sardines and tuna. I have also been a little itchy, especially around the ears. I can't quite put my claw on it, I just have not narrowed down the source.

After 2,920 days of incubation, I would like to introduce the newest member of our family.





This charming little bundle of fur came to us quite by surprise last Saturday. Em has been asking for a cat for a long time. The emotional me said YES immediately but the Ole man wanted wait. It made sense for awhile, the little kids were still grabby and needed reminding to "be soft" with animals. What was clear was that the kids loved the dog, and would be equally welcoming of a cat. So while we were on a family excursion, I took the kids into the local pet store to pee and walk around while waiting for the dad to finish his shopping. There was Mia waiting to be adopted. Em was in love, my heart was a flutter trying to figure out how I could adopt all seven of the cats there.

After a brief discussion with the husband the green light was given. I asked if we could meet Mia. Em and I went in the back and Mia came out of the cage, she was a little jittery, but I went to pick her up and she turned, looked me straight in the eyes, then licked my nose. She was in.

Among her extensive list of excellent qualities was the fact she can open cabinets, and likes to play with q-tips. PURRRFECT! Her newly added quality, sleeping in sinks. Which makes Em "litter"aly howl with laughter. She loves that Mia will follow her into the bathroom while she is getting ready for school.



She has spent most of her time sleeping under the beds, exploring the rooms like a ninja that she is. Mia is a good fit for the family, although I think she wishes we were a bit quieter of a family. I think it will take awhile for her to get used to our "noises".

Speaking of ninja kitties, please enjoy the one person's joy of being stalked by an animal less than 1/4 of their size. There is something spooky about that.

Vegas - The Strip, Red Rocks, There and Back Again by Kymbo Baggins

Day three of our Odyssey, we wander outside of the security of the hotel onto the strip early in the morning. Bri and I are old, I say this only because IF we stayed up later than 8 pm we were useless. While the other visitors were partying the night away, we were up by 6 or 7 am. Perfect time to cruise through the streets. I tried to have my "model" work the moving runway but he wasn't very good at taking directions. He claims he couldn't hear me, I think he was being a diva. Just like the my son, all I get is the backside, basically he said "NO CHEESE".


We had this odd conversation about how people wear their clothes. His primary question was how should men wear their pants. I say, a man should wear his pants in a manner that slightly hugs the buttocks, but not soooo tight that the package is squished. I got one word to describe the opposite of what I am talking about.....DeSoiza. Enough said. The Bri-man has got the perfect fit.....purrrrrrrr. Oh did I say that out loud? Well I can say that, I married him.


Ah, Paris. La ville d'amour, lumières et art. Voir la Tour Eiffel majestueuse ?

Le sculpures......

L'arc de triomphe....

Les fontaines avec un homme élégant fouillant son âme.....

simplement beau......

l'architecture......

J'aime Paris, adieu mon ami volage

I think I may have lost myself, how did I get to New York? What time is it?

When the crowds began to awake, Bri and I headed out of town.

Specifically to Red Rock National Conservation Area. What a gorgeous find in the middle of nowhere or what I thought to be flat desert. I guess I should study my geography and topography a bit. The air was crisp, the mountains filled with speckles of snow, just lovely.

In the middle of Calico Basin, where there happened to be a wedding taking place, smoking BBQ's and a little wooden walkway to take a little site tour of the where a ranch once stood, Bri and I hear "CLIMB ON!" or something like that. I don't speak rock climber. Bri became very animated, cause the crazy man, like the crazy men in the picture, climbed rocks with little ropes and metal thingies hammered into the rocks. See I told you, I don't speak rock climber. It took awhile for me to find the little man in crevasse and the little man on top of the big rock guiding the poor soul desperately trying not to fall. Bri attempted to give me the finer points on rock climbing but the only thing I got out of the lesson was:

1. Don't stick your butt in the air, it looks dumb

2. You don't leave behind climbing gear

3. There is some guy called the belay

These are petroglyphs left behind, at first I must admit I thought were fake, but the sign said otherwise.

And now for something completely different...pictures

We moved on to the actual conservation center and scenic route through the canyon. The pictures do not do the coloring justice. The day was hazy, so while I still think the pictures look pretty I can tell you the colors were very vibrant in person.

As you can see, more crazy climbers. I thought Bri was going to jump out of the car to catch up. I will have to send him on a rock climbing retreat. I will take the pictures. Swim with sharks, yes, climb rocks, no.

After a full day of watching other people work hard climbing incredibly shear rock faces, we ran into by accident the best food on the whole trip. This place was owned and operated by Bobby and Linda. Did not expect the kind of food we received nor the atmosphere. THIS PLACE COMPLETELY ROCKED! OMG, the first thing I noticed were the photographs on the wall but as we sat there, the smell of the food, the smiles of the people working there, the whole thing was comfy. The longer we sat the higher the curiousity rose, I said, I want to take pictures and post this place I wonder if the owner would mind. After a bit of prodding from Bri and a build up of courage, I went for it. Bobby and Linda were very accomodating. Story goes, this place is freqented by the rich and famous, Wayne Brady, Dave Matthews, Tommy Lasorda, Jerry Lewis, this is only a few of the list Bobby laid down. This guy made me laugh, down to earth and enjoying life. He gave us a little mini tour of the photos, most of which came from his personal portfolio, pictures of the Yankees, when baseball was appreciated and Joe DiMaggio was a baseball god. They had pictures of family, friends and the famous. Any way the point is, this is a great place to eat and hang out. If you are heading to Vegas, I guarantee you won't be dissapointed, gps the address or visit their website

Our last night we attempted to get some photos of all the lights.

We had a great time, I would go back again. We didn't get a chance to visit the Valley of Fire but it is certainly on the list of things to do.

Vegas - Shark Encounter

As I said before, Bri and I are not the gambling sort, so the room had a broken tv and we were forced to move among the strip zombies at night. The hotel generously gave a magazine of the local possible attractions available and I decided, SHARKS!


The exquisite creature is a Monitor Lizard floating ever so gently in the water. This guy is about 4 feet in length and completely ignoring the humans. He may have cracked an eye at one point.

This is just after I was lowered into the water. They told me to stay still, not to make too many suddent movements or lots of bubbles. I held my breath in anticipation.

Then it happened. The shadow appear effortlessly into view. There was not a sound, only the subtly pressure movement in the water. I think I may have gasped.

With each pass they came closer, picking up speed with each turn. One eventually grazed against my arm. And just that quick, I was yanked from the depths back to the air.

Were you scared? Were you a little tense? FISH HOOOK!!!!!! Are you kidding me?! They would have never let me in the water no matter how much I begged them. Just bringing a camera was a question of security. No you land lovers, I, Whimsy did not swim with sharks. However, just for the record, I will if given the chance. They had great exhibits in this aquarium, I just wish I was a better photographer.

This was just an added bonus to the night life, from our hotel we could watch the police arrest various "ladies" during the wee hours of the night. Good Times. Stay tuned.