Different, whimsical ways of seating yourself at the Rainforest Cafe in the MGM Grand caught my eye.

Greetings from Vegas! I’m convinced that this city never sleeps. People stay up all night, yet in the morning when I come down to the casino it’s teeming with people. DId they not go to bed, or did they just get up early?

I know I seem to have endless energy. I’ve walked, and walked, and walked, and then walked some more. My new “comfortable” shoes turned out to be not a very good idea. My feet are a blistery mess. They look like a patchwork quilt of moleskin and blister pads. I covered a lot of ground and found my way around easily. It’s a bit like visiting Disneyland. I walked down the Strip as far as the Bellagio and Paris, then back, making various stops. Each hotel has its own theme and character.

I went to the Mandalay and to the Shark Reef. Can you find me in the reflection below?  You can just make me out with the camera held up. Now don’t be cruel; you know that man with the pot belly is not me!! I’m standing to the right of him but you have to look closely.

The jellyfish tank kept me mesmerized for a long time. It was like watching one of those lava lamps.

We had dinner on the outdoor patio of Mon Ami Gabi at Paris. Our table for two was right at the railing and perfect for viewing the fountain display at Bellagio’s across the Strip. After dinner we went across the street to watch the fountains up-close and personal. I got a wonderful film that I will share after we get home. Even that doesn’t do them justice.  Whoever choreographs the water’s movements must be a genius. Just imagine Andreas Boccili set to a ballet of water fountains. Trust me, it’s fabulous!

Right now I’m blogging from an unlikely place. I came to “work” with Rick today, so I am sitting at a table adjacent to the Vision Research booth at the NAB trade show. Pretty impressive place. My feet are getting a little bit of a rest since we rode the monorail. When he’s finished at around 12:30 we’re going over to the Star Trek Experience, have lunch at Quark’s, and let ourselves be captured by Klingons. Should be fun!

Tonight we have tickets to a show: Cirque due Soleil’s Mystére. We’re pretty much always on the go ... but it is Vegas after all! Time to rest when we return home.

Since Rick needs the computer in the booth today, I am just able to post a few quick shots. Above is our hotel at night. Yes, I know, it looks like Cinderella lives here, but actually it’s King Arthur’s home; Camelot (Excalibur).

Below is the view out my window taken a few minutes ago.
It’s crazy here, and the night goes on and on ...

I should have posted these photos a long time ago of the Katrina damage I saw while in New Orleans. I kept searching for the right words to put with them, but those words never formed in my head. Instead, I’ve decided to let the images speak for themselves. [Note: I took all the images from inside the van we were touring in, so they are not the greatest shots in the world.]

The 9th ward. Where neighborhoods once were, driveways lead to nowhere.

All houses had this marking that you see on this garage door. The top of the “X” is the date the house was entered and searched, the left-hand side is the task force that searched it, right-hand side was for number of hazards inside, and finally the bottom of the “X” was for victims (either people or animals).

The lighthouse on Lake Pontchartrain.

In the area where the 17th street canal levee failed, one house still sits abandoned, while right next door life goes on. Many neighborhoods were like this. Some FEMA trailers were parked in driveways while work was being done on houses, while others sat on the foundation of where a house once stood.

I hope these images have had some impact on you. I saw much more of the devastation that Katrina left behind, and every time I try to put it in words I fail. The slogan “We’re coming back” printed on t-shirts and caps tells us that the people of New Orleans have great courage and heart. But as you can see, some people have nothing to come back to.