A weekend in Las Vegas

 Last weekend Roy and I took a little getaway to Las Vegas to see a couple of shows.  We saw Kenny Loggins and Michael Buble.  Kenny Loggins is 71.  He put on a good show, but I felt like it was kind of short--probably just more than 90 minutes.  The audience was just as fun to watch as the performers.  It seemed most everyone were in their early to mid 60's and they were standing and waving their arms.  There was a whole group of women up by the stage taking selfie's backwards to show themselves with Kenny.  I understand enjoying good music (but they play it REALLY  LOUD!), but I can't understand the adulation--near worship, that celebrities are given.  We witnessed it the next night at the Michael Buble concert, too.  If we paid just over $100 per ticket for nosebleed  seats, the people up front must have paid upwards of $1,000 per ticket.  The way the stage was set up, there were two pockets up close where people could sit--it literally put them inside the stage.  Then when Michael walked by, he'd reach down and touch people's hands.  Towards the end of the concert he "borrowed" a couple of people's phone's and knelt and took a picture with them.  I think if I'd paid that much, and sat by a person who got a picture, I might of been upset (that is, if I cared as much as they seemed to).  His concert was excellent.  He upped the volume on the last number and it was a little too loud for me (no surprise).  I really enjoyed the music.  There were probably 15,000 people in attendance.  Apparently Buble had taken several  years off of touring because his 5 year old son was diagnosed with Leukemia.  He wasn't sure if there would be an audience for him when he came back.  It's interesting to me that someone can take songs done in a previous era and make them his own and be as famous as he is. I think one of the things that I enjoy about the concerts is when the performer shares a little bit of their story with the audience.  Kenny Loggins, for example, shared that he wrote "Pooh Corner" when he was a senior in High School.  He was playing in night clubs, etc. and someone heard the song and wanted to record it.  One day he received a call and was told that they couldn't record the song because Winnie the Pooh was owned by Disney and their lawyers were all over this.  He told his girlfriend how bummed he was that his song was dead in the water.  She asked why, and when he answered, she said, "Well, let me talk to daddy about this."  Her dad was the CEO of Disney Corporation.  He listened to the song and called off the lawyers.

Of course, when Roy and I travel, we love to explore new places to eat, and this time we found a fun seafood Mexican restaurant.  The food was great, and big servings (but also big prices).  We would have been fine to share the guacamole and another appetizer or entree.  We just had too much food.

generous guacamole appetizer

Roy with my ceviche appetizer and his entree.

The theater where Kenny Loggins performed.  That's Popeye in the
background.  I don't know how many people the theater seated, but it was
nothing compared to the T-Mobile Arena where Michael Buble performed.

 We tried to take the same hike that Phil and Steve and Roy and I went on last year, but the cars on the highway were so backed up, we took an earlier turnoff and hiked in a slightly different area.  It was fun, beautiful, and warm, but not nearly as difficult a hike as the other one.

Caitlyn went to church with Nick for lots of reasons

Roy and Catharine

Beverly and Mav

Dojin, napping.

Elise

Elise and Andy have their home all cleaned up for selling and are getting ready for their move to Augusta.  Adrienne and AJ are all moved into their new home, but they still have workers there often, finishing things off.