Patricia Stoltey

Author

Sixteen Hours in Las Vegas

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Ordinarily, I would not attempt to fly to Vegas one afternoon and return the next morning, especially in August when the temperature was expected to be around 115 F.

But this was special. My oldest son got married this weekend and we weren’t about to miss that for anything in the world.

I had a tense afternoon when our plane sat on the ground at the Denver airport, fully loaded with passengers, for almost an hour while we waited for a new pilot after a scheduling snafu had ordered the original pilot off to a different flight. However, we made it to Las Vegas in plenty of time to see all our kids and then get ready for the limo ride to the chapel. I had so much fun, and yes I did get all teary-eyed during the ceremony.

Later in the evening we all had dinner at a Japanese hibachi-style restaurant where I ate way too much (but it was soooo good and I was so happy) and enjoyed lots of good conversation. It was so great being with my boys and my wonderful niece and all their super-fantastic spouses and friends.

At the end of a great day, I spent about 30 minutes feeding the slots before my husband and I headed for our room, knowing we had to get up at the crack of dawn the next morning for an 8:00 AM flight back to Denver. I’m such a gambler…I usually play penny slots and bet nine or ten cents per bet. I ended up with a seven cent profit for my efforts that night.

There were no complications or delays on the flight back to Denver, so we were all the way back home by 1:00 PM. There we learned from my friend who had served as pet sitter that our Katie Cat had refused to eat the whole time we were gone. I don’t know what will happen when we decide to take a real trip of more than 24 hours.

Now it’s all about getting back in the groove. After a long nap yesterday, extra extra long night’s sleep, and another nap this afternoon, I think I’m recovered enough to get a lot of work done. That’s the plan.

Join me tomorrow for some more Tuesday Stuff plus the link to a “What’s New from Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers” post at Chiseled in Rock. I have lots of unusual “stuff” to share, so it will be fun.

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Comments

  1. Congratulations on your new daughter-in-law and your seven-cent win.
    Our cat sulks if one of us goes away, let alone two, but she soon gets over it. If we’re both away she puts on such an air of constant starvation that our sitters over-feed her. One young man even made gravy just for her because he thought her dried food looked too dry! Your Kitty will survive – they’re not stupid.

  2. Hi Pat .. sounds like you all had the most fantastic family time – just great and with a 7c profit!?! So pleased for son and new DIL … many happy days ahead for them …

    Hope Katie cat feels loved now – I’m sure she’d be fine – eventually food necessity would overcome ..

    Cheers Hilary

  7. Lee, I stayed inside as much as possible, but I still think the LV heat is easier to take than South Florida heat.

    Thanks, E.J. — It’s amazing what a difference there is between the high 90s that we’ve been experiencing in Northern Colorado and the 115 of Vegas. At least I can work in my garden here (the part that wasn’t burned up).

    Ken, you are so bad. I, on the other hand, was the mother of the groom, which meant I had to set a good example and be a proper mother and mother-in-law at all times. My greatest sin was to wander all over the Golden Nugget until I found the chocolate shop where I purchased goodies. 😀

  10. Congrats to your son and new daughter in-law! Exciting time, and it’s great you were able to fly in to be a part of it. Although, I’m with you on the “Vegas in Augus” part. Sadly, it’s no better where I live, but I really don’t have a choice.

  12. Alex…when I play for pennies, I can enjoy it as entertainment.

    Thanks, Margot! It was fun, in spite of the airport delay. Weddings are so joyful.

    Hi Karen — I hope you’re right about kitty because our second grand baby is due after the first of the year. We’ll be anxious to head out again then for sure.

  14. Pat – It sounds like you had fun even if the trip was a little bit of a whirlwind. Congratulations to your son and his wife – much happiness to them!

    It’s good to hear you had an uncomplicated trip back too.

    Looking forward to tomorrow’s post.