Farewell America Tour, Part 4

It’s Vegas Baby

Yesterday I hit the road once again. Actually I took to the air to fly to Las Vegas. My cousin Rick was running in the 26.2 mile Rock N Roll Marathon and I wanted to be there.

Rick and several family members were there to cheer him on.  Prior to the race Snoop Dog gave a concert to put everyone in the mood.

All along the race local groups were rocking the sidelines. 45,000 people ran the race in either the full run or ½ marathon. Rick took the long road.

The day before both Rick and his wife Kelly ran the 5 k race together. Now she was on the sidelines with his mom, brother and his family and Frank, a family friend. My plane was so late that I missed the entire thing.

Rick told me that 19 ½ miles on the run his leg cramped up. He walked it off with the help of those around him and made it to the finish line in 4 hours. That’s incredible!!! He is an inspiration. And he is family.

As Monday began Rick’s mom, Maureen, Frank and I met Rick, Kelly and Jim, Rick’s brother, at the Paris hotel. It was so wonderful to be with my California family again. We don’t have this kind of opportunity very often. And with me moving to Italy in 57 days, it could be years before it happens again.

If you have never been to Vegas, it is a strange, adult playground, where gambling tables are surrounded by faux walls in the designs of different locales, etc. While we visited “Paris” there were walkways with faux cobblestone, French style street lights under a painted cloudy blue sky. Poker tables, blackjack tables, one arm bandit machines are in the center. For some people this is the closest they will ever get to Paris. Sometimes it is just too strange.

In the midst of all this, my god-son Jim convinced me to play blackjack with his money. We won. And he bought me lunch for winning money for him.

Next we traveled to The Venetian where the mini-Doge’s Palace, the Rialto Bridge and Gondolas reign. 4 of us took a ride with Sergio as our singing gondolier. I had such fun singing O Sole Mio with him.

More adventures to come with my West Coast family. Thanks for coming along on my journey.