Thursday, December 14, 2006

We now return to our regularly scheduled program

Sorry I haven't posted anything new for a week or so, but we were on vacation! We had a great time, and while it's always hard to get back to work, it was nice to be back home and sleep in our own bed. Sheeba was also very pleased to have us back. Uncle Shane takes very good care of him, but Sheeba is always happy when we get home.

We went out to visit Ken's Mom and stepdad in Oregon (had a very nice visit), then drove down the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco, where we spent a couple of days. Had a nice time visiting our friend Todd in SF, and had some delicious seafood and Chinese food. Yum!

The drive down to SF was so gorgeous. We drove through the Redwood National and State Parks, and for a couple of tree-lovers, it was just like heaven! (I'll put up a couple of pictures soon.) The drive along the coast is so awesome. It can be a little scary, because there are no guard rails on this unbelievably twisty road, and it's a pretty quick plunge into the Pacific, but seeing the surf crash on the rocks is just such a neat sight. Ken handles the driving just fine, so no worries there.

We got to scratch our gambling itch at the Seven Feathers Casino in Canyonville, Oregon. Played a little craps and then some blackjack, and ended up ahead. Is there any game as fun as blackjack? Not in my book! Man, it's fun! I asked Ken if he thought I played fairly smart, and he said yep. The guy to my left said to me once, "Nice hit." So I must have done okay. I won a couple of double-downs, but never got the cards to do a split. Next time!

Craps is a lot of fun (at least when you're winning), but it is so complicated for me. I think I would have to study for quite a while to understand all the odds and the bets you can make. Every person working the craps table that I've encountered (even in Vegas) has been extremely helpful, thank goodness. But of course, they want people to win so they can get big tips.

One surprising sight, a few miles into California, was a dead black bear by the side of the road. He wasn't real big, but was bigger than a cub. It looked like he'd been hit by a car. I sure felt bad to see that, but it also told me just how wild it is around there.

It also made me appreciate our country so much. The magnificent trees, the wide open spaces, the ability to roam the countryside and see so many interesting things and so much beauty. Oh, it was wonderful! I get this way every time we take a road trip. Imagine how I'll be in a couple of years when we do our Route 66 trip...I'll be a basket case! (I don't think I've written much--if at all--about Route 66. I will do so soon.)

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