Finally, after 24 hours, I arrived in Las Vegas. I tried to get a taxi from the Greyhound station and was met by a guy asking, “Are you looking for a taxi?” I was and he lead me to his “taxi”. An unmarked Chevrolet truck in front of the station. I stuck my head in and he seemed peeved when I say, “Ain’t you got a meter?” He said it was a flat fee and I could go ask security if I wanted. I said, “I will then.” and walked off. Dodgy guy!
Someone else recommended that I walk just up the block to the hotel coz there are lots of taxis there. I got a normal taxi to the hotel and finally met up with Kat and Jeff.

We did a little gambling, dinner at the Outback (an Australian themed restaurant with coasters that said, “Please let us know if you valet parked. Because we don’t have valet parking. No worries.”, more gambling and walking around. I played roulette for the first time ever. It was kinda strange and I didn’t win a thing!

Sunday morning was House Of Blues for breakfast, stop off to buy a postcard and we were off! Dairy Queen on the way home then Shaun of the Dead back in the OC.

Nicotine is prohibited. It’s a city ordinate.

Who woulda thunk it?

As people were slowly loading on the bus I guess a man and woman got on together. They couldn’t get seats together and all I was the most pathetic sounding sob. I think we all assumed it was fake but it turned into full on crying. “Why can’t we sit together?!” said an adult female voice.
I thought maybe a few sobs and it would be over…I thought wrong. She went on for so long that the guys up the front were saying, “That ain’t gonna get you what you want.” “You should be one some kind of medication for that.” “Anyone got some duct tape?”
Now I’m not a feminist…if something is heavy I don’t mind having a guy lift it, if my car breaks down I call the AA, I don’t even mind (too much) that I can’t pee standing up…but bawling your eyes out coz you have to sit one seat apart from the person you came with…NO WAY!!
In a normal situation, if I wasn’t in desperate need of lying down for a sleep, I would readily give up my two seats so a couple could sit together. On pure principle there was no way I was giving up four hours of sleep to satisfy the “needs” of a fully grown woman!
Sidebar: she continued crying even after the bus departed…frustration is the understatement of this millennium!! Can anyone tell me what “get over it” is?

So I met a guy standing in line who was a cross between Cletus the slack-jawed yokel and Rainman! When he saw my Italian book he said, “I can speak fluent Spanish…pidio…that means really really fast…”
I also got mistaken for a high school student…again.
We’re having a changeover in Flagstaff and going to Phoenix and apparently coming all the way back again in the morning!

…my bus has been delayed by a possible three hours! Which means I could leave Flagstaff at 10am…eek!

Today was a slightly earlier rise and straight onto the internet to sort trains and flights out once I finally get to the UK! I figured out that a midnight train from March should get me to Stansted and then to Bergamo by 9:35am…perfect!

Then there was a teeth whitening session with Cynthia…I don’t see any difference…perhaps you need more than one treatment Then Full House and Sabrina the Teenage Witch which Crystal walked in on me watching

For a “real” taste of Italy we went to Olive Garden and had bottomless soup and salad.
On our way there we almost lost our appetites. Crystal was explaining how much drivers annoy her here and we looked at a particularly annoying driver who, as if on cue, picked her nose and stuck her finger in her mouth…the screams could be hear state-wide!

Now I’m at the Greyhoud station waiting for my bus to Las Vegas. The people at the ticket desk were excited to see my license, which make a change from “How old are you? When’s your birthday?”

A lazy day at home. We got Sonic Burger and came home to tv and more tv. Once Crystal came home we went to Ross and Target. I tell ya, I will never sick of shopping at these places! When I come back Ima go crazy! Then dinner was thwarted by an early closing time. But that meant we could go to TGI Fridays! Which apparently equals bad service. They lived up to their rep. And then Crystal asked if I wanted to DRIVE home! Perhaps horror set in when I couldn’t even find the button to unlock the doors…or put the seat forward…or put it in gear… Once I got going it was all good…aside from, “Ah, now you’re in the bike lane…” “Oh right!”
Needless to say we made it home unscathed

On the train we found our seats and slept! The woman next to me was snoring SO loudly though! Usually I don’t mind a bit of snoring but this was plain unbearable!
The trip was uneventful…aside from when I went to the toilet. I saw an open toilet door so I went and pulled the door open and there was a guy peeing in there. Jeez dude! Learn how to lock the door! Forget lock…at least shut the door! Turns out the guy was drunk…I think. It was 11am!!

We finally got to Albuquerque and got picked up by Crystal! Out for lunch at Applebees, back to her place, then we got dropped off at the mall. Oh dear… I now have another pair of shoes to add to my collection! Along with 5 pairs of underwear, a Borat t-shirt and an Italian book…oops

That night we went out and played pool and danced and karaoke-d to Build Me Up Buttercup The stupid club made a big deal out of my ID (coz I only brought my Kiwi drivers license)…how old are you? When’s your birthday? Do you have a passport? They let me in anyways…I know they were just doing their job but seriously, who would come to Albuquerque on a Wednesday to party it up?