One or More Things I Did Today (which is to say, last Friday)

And Let It Be Known, that on July 14th, in the year of 2 thousands and 11, I was up to this:

• Woke up very late, powerfully late. It was so late, tomorrow's newspaper was on the doorstep*.
• Doled out some hugs and goodbyes to Maria, Lance, and Colleen, and hit the Starbucks.
• Apparently, Starbucks now offers free wi-fi**. If only Howard Schulz had told me this a year ago, I might have given him my $2 in exchange for 4 hours of table occupancy and internet connection many times over the past 12 months.
  
• As it became apparent that it was after noon, I decided maybe I scrap the whole "driving to Bryce Canyon without any plans once I got there, much less a place to stay" and stick around Las Vegas another night***.
  
• With a full and very hot afternoon at my disposal, I decided to do something I should have done for a while. No, not figure out my health insurance situation - that can wait. Play basketball, of course!
• Afterwards, I hit the municipal pool. Total haul? Got in a couple of laps in the 3' portion while navigating the slalom of hyperactive kids, and one triumphant journey down the water slide (where I head at least a head on every other member of the line).
• Having covered my daily allowance of chlorine, I headed to the Gallucci's for dinner.
• And, it was good. Very good! Great, really.
  
• After that, we retired to the Lockstadt's to prepare, for this was a special night. No, not the eve of Maria's birthday - she has one of those every year, for jeebus' sake. Verily, it was the midnight showing of the Final Harry Potter Movie, For Now!
  
• But, as a Johnny Come Lately, the gig was sold out.
• So, while my hosts checked out Harry and the gang, I tagged along to the Red Rocks casino and did the following, in no particular order: loitered around the poker room, variously amused and mildly terrified by the spectacle of humanity within; took a Dogfish Head 90 Minute in a to-go cup from the Yard House (this is perhaps the best part of Vegas - ABV you can take with you); killing some time 'round 1:30am by eating a burger and fries at the casino Fat Burger; exploring the office parks and parking lots on the periphery of the casino; trying out the transient lifestyle by taking a brief nap in the bushes next to Chevron. Not as comfortable as it sounds; helping some Aliens change the tire on their spaceship; throwing rocks into a fountain (splish splash).
• And thus concluded my day.

• Picture of the day: Alas, I forgot to take one.

As they say, "It was a Day".

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*I think that's a convincing Dangefield impression, there. As I sit here in Albuquerque, I wonder what I wouldn't give up in this world (aside from my two actual Grandfathers) to have had Rodney as a grandfather. Precious little.
**I'm fully aware of the "that guy" realm this particular bullet will put me firmly in. And I don't care. If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy, YKWIS?
***This does not make me a flip-flopper on my previous Las Vegas post. I'm the decider, so I decide.