Back.

I should have remembered. Because if I had remembered, even vaguely, then it wouldn’t have been such a surprise. If only I had remembered that I tend to always get sick on vacations. And Vegas was, quite sadly, no different.

venturing outside

My brother and I arrived in Vegas and were shuttled to the MGM which is oh so Grand. That was after the airline lost my luggage. Then we poked about the huge hotel/city for a while and I grabbed a seemingly innocent tuna salad sandwhich from a very nice, clean looking deli. After our snacks, we saw the Cirque de Soleil ‘Ka’ show which was amazing. Amazing! The bendy-twistiness of those people awed everyone.My luggage arrived and we watch some American TV shows for a few hours.

The next day, I wasn’t feeling too hot, but it was hot outside, so to the strip we went. We saw France and New York. We passed by roller coasters and fountains. We ate Subway. By 1pm we were back at the hotel room. A pack of Heinekein sat in an ice filled sink which we sipped at while we had some really great brother-sister time. Instead of going down to the pool (which was the whole reason we stayed at the MGM), we stayed in our room, drank beer and talked. And talked. And talked.

By about midnight, I had a screaming headache and a stomach that was not makign it easy to be comfortable. My brother was dealing with some long-distance relationship stuff and headed out to find a computer with a facebook connection. As he hit the elevator, I hit the bathroom floor and made friends with the nice cold floor, not brave to venture far from the toilet. It seemed that tuna was going to take its revenge. Maybe it was good that I was distracted by my own sickness, because Brother Bear didn’t come back to the room until 6:30. And suddenly I understood my parents’ worried faces when I strolled in hours past curfew and could picture the nights I will spend by the front door/phone once the fianky and I have children of our own.

We slept until noon and went for another stroll down the strip. Another meal at Subway (it seemed safer than anything else. And I didn’t want to waste a good meal on a stomach that wouldn’t appreciate it) and another stop by the internet cafe, we whiled away the afternoon. That night we spent watching more TV, followed by another stroll down the strip.

Finally Tuesday arrived and realizing we had only 4 hours until the airport shuttle arrived, we raced down to the pool. And what a pool it was! I even have the sunburn to prove it.

While it wasn’t too exciting, and we didn’t get to enjoy most of the things you go to Vegas for, in between moments of blinding neausea and a breaking heart, we had a fantastic time together.

Oot.

Oot. As in Oot and Aboot. As in get oot! And getting out is what I’m doing.

Well, soon at least.

Tomorrow I will gather with friends and family to remember my dear Grandmother. It will be my first time speaking at a funeral, but I will be representing the grandchildren. And it will be interesting, as there will be various members of the Edmonton/Alberta political scene from past and present.

It seems that all those presentations I gave over the past two semesters will not have been for naught, as I now feel pretty confident in my public speaking abilities. But having said that, I have yet to give a speech through what I can only imagine will be vast quantitites of tears and lip quivers.

Before the memorial, I will hop on my Grandmother’s bike (which has been my wonderful summer mode of transportation for years now), and ride across the river to pick up my wedding shoes which have arrived (Yippee!!!). And then I’ll head downtown to pick up my passport.

Yup, just like me to leave something like that until the day before I leave the country. But it couldn’t be helped!

Passport in hand, I will make it through the memorial and the family gathering and a night of hurried packing. And Saturday morning (but thankfully not too early Saturday morning), my little brother and I will head to the airport and when we land, we will be in the warm sunshine of Las Vegas. And for four days we will hang out by one of the largest pools in town, we’ll go see the Cirque de Soleil’s Ka. We will gamble and carry ridiculously large drinks down the streets. And we’ll both take a step back from our every day lives to reconnect and get to know eachother again.

After his two years abroad (and the sudden end that has come to his relationship with the young miss from abroad),  and before my trip down the aisle in the fall, it will be great to talk and experience and sit and listen.

So if you don’t hear from me until later next week, it’s because I’ll be busy working on my tan. Finally! (as I haven’t been out of the country in about 7 years, it feels like it’s been a loooong time coming!)