My favorite bumber sticker on the drive was on the back of a car with California license plates. It said, "My Governor Can Beat Up Your Governor."
I don't know how fond I am of the Terminator, but I must admit that he'd probably kick the rear end of Nevada's 67 year-old Governor, Kenny Guinn.
It should be noted before we get on with today's nonsensical post that prior to our move to Las Vegas, we lived along the Ohio River in a wonderful little community named Marietta. Well, Marietta boasts an enormous annual festival during which an incredible number of sternwheeled ships come to town.
I am proud to say that the Mohave Desert in Nevada is home to its own gigantic sternwheeler...
Of course, you've heard of riverboat gambling. Well, in the desert of Nevada, we have riverboat gambling without the river.
Our planned trip to Disneyland actually became a day longer because of my own stupidity.
October 31st is Nevada Day -- the day our fine State was accepted into the Union. On a side note, here's a bit of trivia, what are the only three states that celebrate their admission day as a state holiday.
Here's a hint, I've lived in two of them and darn near the third as well.
The answer?
Nevada, obviously. Hawaii as well. And West Virginia -- where our house in Ohio was some 2 miles from West Virginia across the Ohio River.
Anyway, the point is that for a long time October 31st was a state holiday, meaning the kids didn't have school. This made for a perfect day to visit Disneyland since virtually all other school districts across the West were still in session (and thus those kids typically weren't on vacation at Disneyland!).
Seriously, it's a very common thing for Las Vegans to make the relatively short drive on Nevada Day to play at Disneyland. Our plan was to leave on Saturday and return Monday evening.
Well, at my weekly office meeting on this past Monday, my astute staff pointed out to me that the Legislature changed the holiday schedule and Nevada Day is henceforth celebrated on the 4th friday in October.
Thus, today (Friday) is our day off, not next Monday.
So we decided to take off a day early for Cahleefornya.
This afternoon we spent playing at the Discovery Science Museum.
David and our baby girls took the bad habit of smoking while we were there...
And Cari and the girls were so excited they just had to jump up and down...
I have to admit this next one was pretty cool.
Two separate "beach" volleyball teams stood in front of different green screens -- you know, those giant green screens the movies use for their computer graphics.
While standing in front of the green screen, you looked up at a monitor and watched a computer generated volleyball fly across the screen and you were to go through the motions of hitting it back over the net.
The spectators watched as the computer put it all together on a monitor...
That's Cari, Nalani and Malia on the left playing David and Kekoa. The score is tied 2-2.
It was really neat.
Bretty, however, was bored, so he decided to take a nap...
...on a bed of nails!
Seriously, this is a giant bed of nails. He was the only one of us brave enough to lay down on the darn thing.
Well, we later checked in to the hotel -- it's a Residence Inn which is one of those apartment like units with a loft, a bunk bed for the kids, and a kitchen in which the kids discovered the cookies...
Even though the day was fun, cooping everyone together started to drive Alyssa up a wall...
The good news for the kids was that we got to visit my brother Bernie and his wife Pat who live only some 25 minutes to the south of Disneyland -- and we had pizza for dinner and ice cream for dessert...
No wonder all the kids are smiling.
In the rear, that's Cari on the left holding Malia, Alyssa next to her holding Nalani, my nephew Derek, and my brother Bernie and his wife Pat. Of course, the three boys David, Bretty, and Kekoa are the short ones in the front.
On saturday we're taking a day trip to San Diego to visit their world famous zoo! If all goes accordingly to plan, we'll feed a few of our kids to the bears so check back tomorrow for what will certainly be some great pictures!
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