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2007-07-02 - 10:28 a.m. A four hour drive from Phoenix to Vegas, huh? We're barely on the road before IMOM informs me that this road has the most fatalities of any in the country. File that under the heading, "Things I didn't need to know." The witch water was quite impressive, often with complete reflections of the vehicle visible from a long distance in the non-existent water. The Joshua Tree Forest Scenic Highway was, as promised, quite scenic, and I hope I grabbed at least a few decent photographs to post into this diary later. At Wikieup, we stopped at Luchia's, with its home-baked pies, but we rather idiotically ordered a too-large burrito dinner and didn't actually have any room for pies. Afterward, we strolled a bit in the courtyard, where standard and white peafowl posed for pictures and carp climbed on top of each other's backs, mouths wide open, to beg for food. A pair of Eurasian Collared-Doves flew into a low branch and began to bill and coo -- and that's where my camera battery gave out. Argh. By the time I'd switched batteries, the show was over. Traffic was stop-and-go, and by "go" I mean at best 5 miles an hour, from several miles outside the entrance to the Lake Mead Reservation area until we were well past Hoover Dam. Well before the entrance to the reservation area, there was a police checkpoint for illegal immigrants. Folks, I could take you by the hand and find you all the illegal immigrants you have trucks to deport; if you were serious, instead of just holding up traffic, you could raid any housekeeping department at any hotel in Vegas. Since we weren't moving, I should have a few decent photographs from that area also. But the four hour drive turned out to be an all-day event from 9 A.M. until five minutes to 5 P.M. when we strolled into the casino to see the IMOM's mom playing video poker. Is that the International Mom of Mystery? She had a full comp for all three of us to Outback's. I had a medium rare "special" steak, which was good but too huge, and a blueberry martini. Well, actually, somehow, in order to fully use up the comp, I ended up being encouraged to drink a third blueberry martini for dessert. Wretched excess, indeed, but I have to admit that I slept well. The IMOM has just walked in and presented me with a new book, a new computer program, and pretty much a complete syllabus of study. Hoo boy. Well, this is supposed to be a business trip.
All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2002-2017 by Elaine Radford
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