Long Awaited Vegas Pics

Well, I know it's been nearly a month since I went and I haven't put up any pictures yet so thanks for bearing with me. These are just the ones I had on my camera. I haven't gotten the rest from everyone else yet so I can make a BIG slide show. That will come in time. (I tried to make a smilebox slideshow of them, but something is wrong with my program because it won't let me make any new ones, so I used slide.com instead.)

It was so nice to be able to get away somewhere where no one calls us Mom all the time and we didn't have any responsibilities. We were able to just relax and not even have a schedule. So refreshing. Not that I don't enjoy being a mom and wife and all the other hats I wear, but sometimes I like to drop all the other hats in the air and put on the one that says I'm just Melody. I like what I like and can enjoy it in peace and quiet or share it with my sister-friends without interruption. We all need that once in a while.

I really enjoyed going to Vegas and seeing all the magnificent hotels and things like the Bellagio's fountain show and the Tournament of Kings show at Excalibur, but I was glad to come home again to my family. It was a great get-away and we all had a marvelous blast together.
(The song I picked is for Tab. It seemed to fit best out of all the choices.)
Enjoy!

Ya-Ya!

Under an oak, whose antique root peeps out upon the brook that brawls along this
wood...

-As You Like It act 2 scene 1

Well, my friends, it was time (far overdue in my opinion) for the Ya-Ya s to get away again. My wonderful husband gave me the best gift for my birthday when he sent us away to Ashland to visit the Shakespearean Festival. We saw Shakespeare's play As You Like It and of course it was exquisitely well done!
J and I introduced T to our favorite hobby: letterboxing. I wasn't sure how she would respond to it as she isn't known to be the "outdoorsy" type. I'm proud to say she held up very well to us dragging her about the countryside through puddles and mire and freshly budding poison oak. I dare say I think she may have even enjoyed some of it! We planted our first letterbox in Lithia Park and had so much fun doing so that we are planning on planting one in every location we Ya Ya to.
As it is with all Ya Ya trips to date, we seem to witness oddity after oddity. From T's snoring bus driver beside her in the theatre to the drunken man (whom we apparently startled while he was peeing on someone's car) who barely missed throwing himself over a railing and smashing into the back of our car only to pass out in the middle of the driveway at the hotel... to the rowdy spur of the moment game of Red Rover T witnessed in the park between the punk group and the American Eagle Christian group (all adults, mind you)... to the midnight run to 7-eleven (where 35 people in line is not thought to be unusual at midnight!)...I really can say we have all the fun.
Ashland has lost none of its charm for me. In fact, it has a firm grasp on the title of one of my favorite spots of all time. The highlight of our trip, for me, was when we walked out of our hotel the next morning to a guy sitting in the back of his pickup playing his guitar. Ashland has a town troubador! Not just one......I counted 6 in all through the course of our day. The Gilmores would be impressed.
It was truly one for the books. We will definitely be returning to Ashland. I propose it be at least once a year! T is addicted. She wants to see a play with actual Shakespearean costumes since the one we saw was slightly different than what we expected. I would happily accompany her again as I am sure would J. After all, what's a Ya Ya trip without all the Ya-Ya s?
Until we meet again......

Now we go in content to liberty, and not to bannishment.

-Celia to Rosalind

As You Like It Act 1 scene 3