Its really - REALLY - good to be back.

I'm back in Nevada and glad to be out of the deep freeze. I don't think there is any reason why a sane person would voluntarily spend December through March in Saskatchewan - it is just too cold.

Our weekend in Banff went really well this year. Although it may have gone well last year as well - I just don't have a clear memory of it. When we were getting ready for the trip I realized that I couldn't remember the hotel we stayed at. And I wasn't even head whacked the first two nights - the only nights that I stayed in the hotel. I could remember the parking lot behind the hotel, I could remember going to look at Camille and Allison's "big whore" (motorhome) but for the life of me I couldn't remember the hotel at all. And even after seeing it this year I couldn't remember much more although I did remember the Joey's Only sign at the entrance.

I dug out my motorcycle helmet and wore that - the boys wore construction hardhats. I don't think going without a brainbucket was likely an option for me this year. Most of our group had some form of head protection on. Stupid idea - I got neck strain from wearing the stupid helmet and I've been skiing for close to 40 years without ever getting neck strain. And without getting head damaged up until last year. One little incident and everything changes!! Maybe everybody will have forgotten about it by next year.

Marlan drove to Oyen to meet RJ & me so that shaved a lot of the driving off the trip. RJ went back to Medicine Hat with Marlan because this is the university break week. I spent Monday night in Saskatoon and got in a quick visit with Blaine & Jacquie. My flight wasn't until 5:30 and was more or less direct to Vegas through Edmonton. Marilyn found me at the airport before I had even had a chance to look for her. She wasn't actually waiting at the door when the plane parked but she was pretty close. We had to leave Arizona Charlie's which had been our home for 3 weeks so we moved up the road to Mesquite which is just inside the Nevada border with Utah. Its kind of a cute little town with a lot more services than we expected. We may come back because it is also a lot cheaper than Vegas. We'll spend about a week here and then move up into southern Alberta.