Day 2: Happy Easter

It's 5 a.m., Sunday, March 31st. I'm sitting in the lobby of the Kingman, Arizona Quality Inn




. Breakfast starts at 6:30. Tina, the desk attendant, thankfully has already made the coffee. I'm on my second cup. Against her bosses orders, she has allowed me to have a banana before the dining room opens. Tina's customer-first attitude is greatly appreciated. She is the best.
Tina is a middle aged woman, who, after spending her entire life in Salt Lake City, just relocated to Kingman. Like LouAnn, the attendant from last night, she is struggling to make her rent payments. Arizona is still economically depressed. "Space for Lease" signs litter the windows downtown. I'm amazed how how resilient and spirited Tina and LouAnn are. They say they are biding their time and that good times are around the corner. May they be especially blessed on this Easter Sunday.
Arizona, Tina tells me, does not recognize Daylight Savings Time. It messes her up when she's watching tv. For the next six months she is on California time and has to watch the news an hour earlier. Life has its inconveniences. Tina just told me about a spot on the hill to watch the sunrise. I'm there...
I just returned from seeing the sunrise. Gorgeous. I wish Margot and the kids were here to see it too. Just as the sun began to peak over the mountains, a train emerged from the pass just in front of me (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWupJPoOc1M ). Im told that trains rumble through this town every 30 minutes or so. The trains are extraordinary; tractor trailers, many double-stacked, rolling on for as long as the eye can see. Last night, as I waited at the local Mexican restaurant for a Eric who was making a KMart run, I asked the waitress where the trains were going. The young server, maybe seven months pregnant, emptily responded, "I have no idea". It could have been mars as far as she was concerned. Wherever it was going, whatever it was carrying, she had no dreams of ever enjoying them. She would benefit from some time with Tina and LouAnn.
We didn't ride for as much as we had hoped yesterday, 130 miles tops. We had a slow morning. We got up early, 7 a.m., and went to the fitness center. We figured on a Saturday morning at a Vegas hotel that we would have the place to ourselves. No such luck. Dozens of people riding stationary bikes and elipticals, lifting weights, stretching, etc. We stayed for 30 minutes or so trying to get our blood going and hopefully burning a few calories. Eric has impressively lost 10 pounds in the last month and hopes to lose more. Maybe I can learn a few things from him.
Last week I started a new physical therapy regiment at the NE Baptist Spine Center. I should have waited until after the trip; lots of discomfort and stiffness over the past few days. Eric has been helping me tie my boots




and thankfully, I have a low suspension bike that allows me to easily get my leg up and over chassis.
Speaking of bikes, we both have brand new 2012 dual-sport BMW R1200GS's. Best bike I have ever ridden; 500 pounds, 105 horsepower, ABS brakes, heated grips and much more. Riding on the freeways, even in the gusty winds, feels much more comfortable.
After spending a couple of hours at the dealer, getting directions, signing paperwork, getting dressed and packing we set off on highway 215 towards Boulder City and Hoover Dam. The sky's were clear and the temperatures in the low 80's. Beautiful. We got to Hoover Dam about an hour later. Surprisingly, the tourist traffic was heavy. To get past security and to park our bikes took nearly another hour. By then the temperatures had climbed to near 90. That can be tough when you are in all of that bike gear and you're not moving.
The dam itself was stunning. As impressive an engineering marvel as you will ever see. We opted out of a tour but stayed long enough to soak in the awe-inspiring site.
We plan to make it to the Grand Canyon by mid afternoon. I can't wait.
Some words from Eric; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUzIabXqr74
Later.
G.

Location:Kingman, Arizona

Day One; It was the Best of Times,..

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. OMG! Eric arrived in Vegas late, way past my bedtime (he came from Denver where he and Celia have been for the last month). Yet, he was "starving" so I sucked it up and went out in search of his dinner. The streets were packed, shoulder-to-shoulder. There were birthday celebrators, wedding elopers, bachelors party attendees, March Madness watchers, end of Lent recognizers and general crazies. I commented on how much fun everyone was having and how generally happy they seemed. Eric let loose, shrieking at me about decadence, exploitation, waste and the low life population amongst us. I took a deep breath... It was an evening of Light, it was the evening of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair." It's good to see Eric again. It really is.
I had an easy flight from Boston. Margot dropped me off at Logan at 6:45 a.m. and I waited a couple of hours for my shuttle to Newark. It was worth the early arrival. There were no lines and I was able to sweet talk the attendant into giving me a bulkhead seat for the second leg to Vegas without having to pay the upgrade fee. Thank goodness. A seat in the back of a full 727 for five hours would have really sucked.
Across the isle on the Newark to Vegas leg, three women, probably in their late thirties (see photo.




), were readying for a big girl's weekend away. Moments after takeoff they ordered their first of many Bloody Mary's. Pace yourself girls. It's going to be a long three days.
With their loud abrasive New York accents, they discussed their plans for the weekend. Def Leppard (can you believe they still exist), playing at the Hard Rock, was the centerpiece of their plans. Apparently this is some one time special event for Def's most "special fans". Whatever.
Beyond the concert, there were plenty of other things on their docket. They spent a lot of time reviewing their rules of engagement for the weekend; be each other's wingman; no one was to leave a club with a strange guy. Also, don't let your drink out of your sight. If you're suspicious, don't drink it. "When in in doubt, throw it out". Be sure to tri-text, so we can be in contact as a team. Keep your antennae high. There a lot of creeps out there. The bad ones tend to be by themselves. Lean towards guys that are with friends." All good advice. I was impressed.
I killed some time on the plane by watching "Life of Pi". Heart warming. Terrific special effects. Two hours well spent.
The flight arrived 20 minutes early. Yay. After being taken on a long detour by the cab driver (his English seemed to get a lot worse when I protested), I checked into Treasure Island, me and a hundred others. Because of the long wait, The desk clerk said he was giving me a "Deluxe" room. I think "deluxe" is the new "No frills". It was ordinary at best. Oh we'll, at least there were two beds and a ceiling.
I went down and and hung out by the pool for an hour (see video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVUcMvd_R0g ). It wasn't a place for solitude and a new paperback. It was fun nonetheless. There is no place like Vegas.
I had dinner and then watched most of the Michigan - Kansas game at the Vanitian. With three minutes left and Kansas leading by 13, I decided to head to Caesars Palace to catch the Duke game. When I arrived, Kansas had blown its lead. The game was heading into overtime. What? Are you serious? The overtime was a thriller (see video. http://youtu.be/htPGgXB4t-0 ). March Madness at its best. I can't believe Michigan won! Brian, that one was for you. By the way Brian, I have my "Heaven can wait" T-shirt with me. I'll take a picture with it at some cool place and post it on your Facebook
We pick up the bikes late morning. I think we will head to Hoover Dam and then towards Flagstaff. I'm not sure we will make it the whole way. It doesn't matter. We're going to take it slow, exploring some off road trails and probably do a little hiking. I can't wait to get going. I've been looking forward to this for quite awhile.
Over and out.
George
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Location:Nevada Hwy,Boulder City,United States