Never enough time

        We all get 24 hours in a day. That never changes. All that we can control is what we do within those hours. Work. Play. Love. All of the above. Some of us work eight hours or many more and some of us much less. Some go to school and have to spend numerous hours studying. We all live very busy lives. I try to be as productive as I can. I love when I can spend most of my day writing, and still be able to take care of my kids and house. There’s always a lot to do: cleaning, cooking, running errands or working out at the gym. No matter what activities I fill my day with, I find that the older I get, the less time it feels that I have. Hours, days, weeks and even months seem to fly by in what feels like seconds. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it; the sun kissing the tip of your nose through your windshield on your way to work, or raindrops dancing in the street beneath your tires. A beautiful pink sunset reminds me that I am living on yesterdays dream and it’s time to make a new one.

Life is what happens while you are making plans. I am not saying I don’t make plans; I make lots of plans in fact. But I also set goals, and I go after them. Mostly I am grateful that I’m still here to do so. There’s a lot left I want to experience and along the way, have some fun.

    Last week, my boyfriend, Troy and I went to Utah and Las Vegas. We had a blast. We took time off from our every day routine, and got refreshed. We saw family in Utah, went to church for the first time in years and saw my nephew get blessed. Afterwards we had a great visit with my parents, brothers and their wives. I adore my family and every moment I get with them. 

     The next morning we headed to Las Vegas. It was a blissful 65 degrees! It felt so good on my skin. It warmed my soul. Although at times, it felt as if I had cheated the system. When we left home it was a brisk twenty five degrees. I thought to myself, I didn't earn this lovely weather, there’s another month of winter left. Nonetheless, I soaked it in and loved the brilliant sun’s rays and happy blue sky.

  We checked into our hotel and headed to a casino. Quickly, we won some money playing the craps table and some on video craps too. 

“I want one these for the house!” I cheered when I cashed out for $250 dollars after only ten minutes.

      Troy laughed and was proud of me for catching on to the game so quickly.

     While we were there we also did some shopping, a little bar hopping, and ate some amazing food. 

If you’re ever in Vegas check out,  The Griffin, Herbs and Rye, hot and juicy and hash house a go go. 

We enjoyed every second of our trip, even when we forgot where we parked the truck the night before and had to walk up and down the stairs in search of our ride; we still had a great time.

        We were gone five days and if I didn't know better, I would have thought that it was five seconds. Looking back, I have to wonder, did all of that really happen? Did we really win a great deal of money, free and clear? Did we really eat shrimp with their heads and everything still attached, and crab legs with our bare hands? Did we really order ten dollar cocktails called the clover club from a mobster looking bar tender? Did he really bring me a thirty dollar fillet mignon? Where we really in a red dimly lit bar with a fire pit and cement walls and fancy exotic people looking over my shoulder as we sipped our beers and watched a silent movie? 

                      Yes. Yes we did. 
                 We did all that and more.

        On our last day of our trip, we drove five hours from Vegas to Provo, Utah. We stopped off at a place called, The Bombay house, and had some delicious Indian cuisine. It was served to us by an authentic Indian gentleman in a turban. Next, we drove a mere two minutes to my brother and his wife’s place and held their new baby boy. They had just got home from the hospital that afternoon and were gracious enough to let us stop by. It was better than anything else that had happened on that trip. Instantly, I fell in love in my new little nephew. Thirty minutes later, I tore myself away from him and we hit the road again. That night we had the pleasure staying with my other brother, his wife, and their darling three year old in their new beautiful home in Riverton, Utah. At this point we weren't much fun and were super tired, but it felt great to be in their space.

        And the next morning, we grabbed some coffee and bagels, and left for our house in Pocatello. It all went by so fast, in a blink it was over. In a roll of the dice, a push of a button, a swallow of a pink meringue topped clover club, a bite of Indian curry, and a kiss on a babies forehead, it all became nothing more than a cherished memory.