Day 6- The Canyon to Vegas Baby! Happy Independence Day!

Whew! What a whirlwind today was! In leaving Kingman, AZ, we rushed our way to Vegas. We knew we were tired and were going to need a nap before seeing the town in the evening. Seeing that the Navigation said we were only 2 hours away, we (meaning my brother) got a little excited.

As a result, we had yet another encounter with the Po-Po. He was creeping behind the tumbleweed and clocked Timbo at 87 in a 65. One might think that his situation would look much like mine from yesterday....not so much. Officer Cortez was pleasant to encounter and, yes, my brother, GOT OFF WITH A WARNING! How does that happen? I fumed for the next hour.

The road went down to two lanes and we were lucky to reach 60 mph. We were puzzled as to why all of the cars were piling up until we rounded the bend and found, the Hoover Dam! You can't help but be in awe of that place.

The rest of the drive was a breeze until we hit Las Vegas Blvd. --The Blvd + the 4th of July = madness. It probably took us more than 45 minutes to drive a few miles. But, as Tim kept saying to me-- "it's just kind of overwhelming...sensory overload." He already wanted to come back for a week instead of a day. Because he was so pumped and I was exhausted, I asked him to make the dinner and casino plans. He said, "this isn't a 'get in trouble' trip; it's a 'get acquainted so I can take full advantage later' trip."

Unsurprisingly, we ended up at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Tim has become a fan of the show 'Rehab,' so this was understood. Plus, they have a stellar Mexican place called The Pink Taco. ;) Tim had fish tacos and I had beans/rice and the BEST chicken skewers I've EVER had. They sported a chipotle rub and a tamarind glaze. Heaven. I wanted to get a tank top with the restaurant name on it, but I had to be honest-- I would never wear it in public.

So, we went to the casino! We played the slots for fun and then rolled over to the Blackjack table. I only played $50 worth, since I'm quite the novice. However, my bro played $100 and was out in half the time. I was quite proud of myself. More luck came as I went back to the slots later in the evening. I put $20 in and said I would play until it was gone. 2 hours later, I finally had to cash the last $35 out-- I was exhausted. But, the valet got a nice tip and we went back to the hotel happy.

My brother and I fully realized our differences today. It's not that one of us is lucky-- we're just lucky in different ways. The day he gets let go from a huge speeding ticket is the same day that he blows through cash in the casino. I get a huge speeding ticket on my birthday; next day I spend so much time on $20 that I get "tired" of gambling. This proves to me, yet again, that God has an incredible sense of humor. Can't wait to see what the future holds.

Tomorrow, we make our way to my friend Martha's house. She, her son Jesse, and her pup have graciously opened their home to me and my pup. I am eternally grateful. I'm nervous about the job hunt, but she has always encouraged me and offered the fail-safe safety net. Her generosity blows me away. After dropping most of my stuff, Tim, Mav and I will head into LA to make sure that we get Tim on his flight back East on Monday morning. Then, the daunting job hunt begins!

"I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today."

--William Allen White