Words
Though I brought plenty of material to work on while in Las Vegas (see below), I couldn’t write, being in that state of restless sleep much of the evenings. However, two sessions at the Forward Motion Think Tank over the past couple of weeks was extremely helpful.

Weights
Taking care of a one year old all day while your mother (his grandmother) shops even longer should be considered aerobic exercise.

Whatever
My sister and I drove up Friday night to Las Vegas. R., unfortunately, was on-call and my sibling’s spouse and child had other engagements. This was my first experience in a van for such a trip and I was amazed how spacious it felt. I’m giving SUVs serious reconsideration when I’m ready to buy my new (or used) car in a couple of years.

Saturday we (meaning myself, my sister and her child, and my mother) spent much of the afternoon shopping. We hit two different malls that where my sister and mom checked out lots of different stores while I pushed my sleeping nephew (thankfully) around in his stroller. By the by, his resemblance to me is uncanny: I found a picture of myself during my first birthday and showed them to my sister who confirmed it. I think she’s also secretly hoping he inherited my height as well.

Because of my interest in cars, I immediately noted the difference between the vehicles in Las Vegas and Orange County. I saw few imports but many, many domestic vehicles. As you can imagine, there were many Buicks but I was surprised by the number of Pontiac vehicles. Out here in the O.C., for example, I’ve only seen 4-5 G6s since December. I saw that number in one day out in Las Vegas.

Sunday we celebrated Mother’s Day by, of course, eating with my cousin and her family. Afterwards we returned to California.

I enjoyed my time with my sibling and nephew while driving two and fro. Because we chatted the entire time, the trip didn’t feel long. We discussed our spouses, our future, plans, and our frustrations. I learned a lot of new facts about my sister, enough to reevaluate her. Yes, she’s my younger sister but she’s an adult, a wife, and a mother all rolled into one. And I definitely enjoyed my time with my nephew. He’s a beautiful baby though, as typical, quite messy.

(Image found on the Internet and all rights belong to its owner.)