Miles: 1345.6
Gallons Burned: 60.28
Total Miles: 17268.2
Total Gallons Burned: 590.7
That's it for my 2010 road tripping. The numbers are in and the year of the road is over. So Technically speaking my blog ends here. I have see so much and enjoyed the company of truly amazing people from in between long stretches of road. There really isn't anything more to say.
Well that's not entirely accurate. Life is a road trip. Seriously it is. Each of us starts out from home and embarks on a quest for fulfillment; a life long journey to find what we all need. Some pursue a career, others that perfect person to journey with, still others pursue freedom in financial stability, and then there's me. What do I pursue? On my life's road trip where am I going?
This topic was the sole focus of my thoughts this morning. I officially kicked off my Mount Rainier Training today by riding 20 miles on my mountain bike around the brutally windy Alki Point. I didn't take any music, lectures, or sermons, I just rode in silence. I asked what would you have me do Lord? Who should I spend time with? What is my right path? Do you want me to pursue that one gal? What does my next 5 years look like? Is there someone I need to be mentoring? Where should I focus my time?
As a 24 year old driver, my road trip is still only beginning the maps are out and I am pouring over them. My God already has it all worked out. It'll be fine. It might have dangerous mountain passes (check out the link it was really sweet) or seasons of lonely despair. My road may wind through the valley of Death's Shadow and past the death of best friends, it may be an awful road.
What if it is? What if all the worst things happen along side and right in the middle of my road? It doesn't matter because I know where my life's road trip is going. I will park my ride, toss the keys, and stroll into the house of the Lord in the end. THE END.
My New Blog.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Monday, December 13, 2010
Post Christmas Epos Adventure
Hello everyone!
**Note "Epos" means Epic in German so Phil hopefully may understand the sheer scope of this event**
With significant input from Lisa D, I now have a game plan for our week after Christmas.
First the Purpose:
Rest. The Sabbath was given as God's gift to us for our good. So from Sunday December 26th at 2pm to 10pm December 31st, we will turn off our cell phones, ditch our laptops, forget the series of tubes that make up the inter-web, and relish Relaxation and Community. We will recharge with good food, good drink, and good friends.
Second, the guest list:
-David W - British West Seattle Intern whose mere voice will drive the least passionate person to heights of vigor and selfless abandon
-Phil F - German West Seattle Intern who purportedly wrestled Wild Boar and charted the most distant part of New Zealand
-Lisa D - West Seattle Master who has conquered 14,000ft+ Mount Rainier and set the record for longest base guitar solo in East Timor.
-Jen G - West Seattle Intern who owns no less than 12 copies of Fight Club...just in case and who knows more Chuck Norris Jokes than even Chuck Norris
-Linsdsay D – She is a West Seattlelite who is passionate about ministering to under-privileged inner-city kids. She loves card games and brings a healthy competitiveness to any match. Oh wait…um this is suppose to be about hyperbole. Crap, Hmm…Lindsay is responsible for the Gulf O …She has been know to associate with the Fellowshi…She is just awesome, but not a terrorist or anything, she just loves Jesus.
-Nick B - A Marine Com Spec who "retired" the Two of Diamonds through the Jack of Diamonds, has built a laser (motive) system that transmits power wirelessly to aerial vehicles over 1000 meters away, knows what is in your food (don't ask him, he will tell you in brutal detail), and he is rumored to be the first man to ever "take a bite out of crime".
-Sean A - West Seattle Master who is descended directly from William Wallace...he too has a two-handed broadsword
-And Me - The man with a plan
Third the Plan: (All these days are flexible depending on weather)
We will leave Seattle at 2pm on December 26th from the West Seattle Campus Intern House.
Our two car convoy (a Subaru Forester and whoever's vehicle can make it in snow) will cross into Eastern Washington's High Desert, and we will meet up with Lisa D at her father's House.
Monday will be a lazy day to relax with movies, games, or just some good solitude on the Her family's acreage.
Tuesday will be spent helping Lisa's dad brand cattle and/or shooting shotguns, rifles, and handguns of various calibers in the dessert. There is also a small chance that we will castrate a bull or five.
Wednesday we will leave the desert and head to Tundra at Mount Rainier's South side aptly named "Paradise". We will snowshoe from 5,200 ft above sea level to about 7,200ft. There is a possibility that we could stay in a cabin at the foot of Rainier.
Thursday will find us on the Straight of Juan de Fuca. I have a lead on a place to crash in Sequim. After arriving in Sequim, we spend another lazy day.
Friday we will head up to Hurricane Ridge and maybe do some more snowshoeing or just enjoy the view. Be back in Seattle by 6pm, and maybe we can burn the church's 13 Christmas trees in an Alki Bonfire for New Years Eve.
I have a 22LR Mossberg Rifle and 1600 rounds. Anyone else have any toys?
Feel free to comment with activity, food, drink, game, or any other ideas.
Josh
**Note "Epos" means Epic in German so Phil hopefully may understand the sheer scope of this event**
With significant input from Lisa D, I now have a game plan for our week after Christmas.
First the Purpose:
Rest. The Sabbath was given as God's gift to us for our good. So from Sunday December 26th at 2pm to 10pm December 31st, we will turn off our cell phones, ditch our laptops, forget the series of tubes that make up the inter-web, and relish Relaxation and Community. We will recharge with good food, good drink, and good friends.
Second, the guest list:
-David W - British West Seattle Intern whose mere voice will drive the least passionate person to heights of vigor and selfless abandon
-Phil F - German West Seattle Intern who purportedly wrestled Wild Boar and charted the most distant part of New Zealand
-Lisa D - West Seattle Master who has conquered 14,000ft+ Mount Rainier and set the record for longest base guitar solo in East Timor.
-Jen G - West Seattle Intern who owns no less than 12 copies of Fight Club...just in case and who knows more Chuck Norris Jokes than even Chuck Norris
-Linsdsay D – She is a West Seattlelite who is passionate about ministering to under-privileged inner-city kids. She loves card games and brings a healthy competitiveness to any match. Oh wait…um this is suppose to be about hyperbole. Crap, Hmm…Lindsay is responsible for the Gulf O …She has been know to associate with the Fellowshi…She is just awesome, but not a terrorist or anything, she just loves Jesus.
-Nick B - A Marine Com Spec who "retired" the Two of Diamonds through the Jack of Diamonds, has built a laser (motive) system that transmits power wirelessly to aerial vehicles over 1000 meters away, knows what is in your food (don't ask him, he will tell you in brutal detail), and he is rumored to be the first man to ever "take a bite out of crime".
-Sean A - West Seattle Master who is descended directly from William Wallace...he too has a two-handed broadsword
-And Me - The man with a plan
Third the Plan: (All these days are flexible depending on weather)
We will leave Seattle at 2pm on December 26th from the West Seattle Campus Intern House.
Our two car convoy (a Subaru Forester and whoever's vehicle can make it in snow) will cross into Eastern Washington's High Desert, and we will meet up with Lisa D at her father's House.
Monday will be a lazy day to relax with movies, games, or just some good solitude on the Her family's acreage.
Tuesday will be spent helping Lisa's dad brand cattle and/or shooting shotguns, rifles, and handguns of various calibers in the dessert. There is also a small chance that we will castrate a bull or five.
Wednesday we will leave the desert and head to Tundra at Mount Rainier's South side aptly named "Paradise". We will snowshoe from 5,200 ft above sea level to about 7,200ft. There is a possibility that we could stay in a cabin at the foot of Rainier.
Thursday will find us on the Straight of Juan de Fuca. I have a lead on a place to crash in Sequim. After arriving in Sequim, we spend another lazy day.
Friday we will head up to Hurricane Ridge and maybe do some more snowshoeing or just enjoy the view. Be back in Seattle by 6pm, and maybe we can burn the church's 13 Christmas trees in an Alki Bonfire for New Years Eve.
I have a 22LR Mossberg Rifle and 1600 rounds. Anyone else have any toys?
Feel free to comment with activity, food, drink, game, or any other ideas.
Josh
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Vegas Blog - Day 4 - Part 2
Miles: 1286.4
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 11
Total Miles: 15922.6
Total Gallons Burned: 530.4
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 90
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.77
So like I said we got on the bus to Fremont Street (about a 18 minute ride). The buses were clean and you could tell they were all freshly mopped due to the inevitable mess created by inebriated late-night passengers.
Par and I sat on the second level of the bus. Par had just made an observation about the lack economic development in the space between Fremont Street and "The Strip". I changed the subject by drawing a parallel between the people we had seen so far and the run-down appearance of the City.
Whenever I enter a new town, church, restaurant, bank, home, or grocery story I first tactically evaluate the environment (search for concealed weapons, chart the quickest escape route, identify any police), second evaluate the people (are they emotionally unstable, are they generally happy, are they hopeful, are they uneasy, etc.), and third look for the angles. I'm not saying that this is the right way to approach a new situation, I'm only saying it's what I automatically do (you can imagine how fast my mind was working in the highly secure casinos). So anyways I told Par that I noticed a general sense of unhappiness in Vegas. Walking down the street I noticed very few people who were smiling (maybe 1 in 20), and quite a few who looked genuine irked (about 1 in 5). He said he hadn't noticed. I continued that it felt worse that Seattle in the middle of winter when no one has seen the sun in 50-60 days and depression peaks. I wondered aloud why in a place where the sun is ever-present people were so unhappy, Par thought it might have something to do with the money-centric idolatry that is constantly exposed when people lose at a casino.
My mind then jumped to roses. A young lady in the seat in front of us had a dozen blood-red roses. I asked Par what the colors of roses meant. He didn't know. So I, the rude out-of-towner, asked her what the color's meant; she graciously shared that red=romantic love, yellow=friendship, peach=sympathy, and pink=gratitude.
I congratulated her on the dozen red roses and the affection they implied; blushing she said a client from her job at the Aria C&H had given her the roses. She then asked me to explain why I thought Las Vegas folks seemed depressed (she must have overheard my conversation with Par), and mocked me politely when I revealed that I was staying at Circus Circus (the worst fancy Casino Hotels according to locals). With my pride pricked Par piped up by asking how old she was and then if he looked liked Elvis (I had been keeping track of all the Elvis impersonators and Par thought he should count as the Sikh version of Elvis). She again politely told him that she was 22, and he didn't look like Elvis. Then she said turning to me, "But he has Johnny Depp's eyes." I immediately said, "No. No. Brown is just brown" trying to hide my embarrassment. So my one interaction with a real native Las Vegan ended awkwardly as I said, "Nice to have met you" and got off the bus with Par.
Aside number two:
This short encounter relates to something that I have been convicted of as of this Sunday. Pastor Mark as he preached through Luke 11 asked, "Where do you believe that if you ask for something good that God will punish or hurt you?" A strange question don't you agree? I was immediately hit in the gut. I was convicted that I have not asked God for a wife because I fear that he will curse me, hurt me, bringing death and horror to my (future) wife, my (future) kids, and myself. That's pretty jacked up, huh? By not asking God for a wife, I am basically saying that I don't functionally believe that God is good.
That nice, polite young lady was used by God to convict me that I don't trust him. I could have asked her to join us for dinner or asked for her contact info, but I chose not to.
End Aside
Par and I picked out three more Elvis impersonators bringing the total to 11. We returned to the Fremont Street buffet place for a second meal and reveled in all-you-can-eat prime rib again (only $11.99!!). Derek, Roland, Par and I caught some live music and headed back to Circus Circus. I stayed out later (since this was my last night in Vegas). I walked 10 miles up and down the Strip alone spending time with God, and looking the porn huckster's in the eye as I passed them. Half of them looked away, the other half met my gaze with glazed emptiness. I prayed for them that hope and knowledge of life would reach them. Then I slept.
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 11
Total Miles: 15922.6
Total Gallons Burned: 530.4
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 90
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.77
So like I said we got on the bus to Fremont Street (about a 18 minute ride). The buses were clean and you could tell they were all freshly mopped due to the inevitable mess created by inebriated late-night passengers.
Par and I sat on the second level of the bus. Par had just made an observation about the lack economic development in the space between Fremont Street and "The Strip". I changed the subject by drawing a parallel between the people we had seen so far and the run-down appearance of the City.
Whenever I enter a new town, church, restaurant, bank, home, or grocery story I first tactically evaluate the environment (search for concealed weapons, chart the quickest escape route, identify any police), second evaluate the people (are they emotionally unstable, are they generally happy, are they hopeful, are they uneasy, etc.), and third look for the angles. I'm not saying that this is the right way to approach a new situation, I'm only saying it's what I automatically do (you can imagine how fast my mind was working in the highly secure casinos). So anyways I told Par that I noticed a general sense of unhappiness in Vegas. Walking down the street I noticed very few people who were smiling (maybe 1 in 20), and quite a few who looked genuine irked (about 1 in 5). He said he hadn't noticed. I continued that it felt worse that Seattle in the middle of winter when no one has seen the sun in 50-60 days and depression peaks. I wondered aloud why in a place where the sun is ever-present people were so unhappy, Par thought it might have something to do with the money-centric idolatry that is constantly exposed when people lose at a casino.
My mind then jumped to roses. A young lady in the seat in front of us had a dozen blood-red roses. I asked Par what the colors of roses meant. He didn't know. So I, the rude out-of-towner, asked her what the color's meant; she graciously shared that red=romantic love, yellow=friendship, peach=sympathy, and pink=gratitude.
I congratulated her on the dozen red roses and the affection they implied; blushing she said a client from her job at the Aria C&H had given her the roses. She then asked me to explain why I thought Las Vegas folks seemed depressed (she must have overheard my conversation with Par), and mocked me politely when I revealed that I was staying at Circus Circus (the worst fancy Casino Hotels according to locals). With my pride pricked Par piped up by asking how old she was and then if he looked liked Elvis (I had been keeping track of all the Elvis impersonators and Par thought he should count as the Sikh version of Elvis). She again politely told him that she was 22, and he didn't look like Elvis. Then she said turning to me, "But he has Johnny Depp's eyes." I immediately said, "No. No. Brown is just brown" trying to hide my embarrassment. So my one interaction with a real native Las Vegan ended awkwardly as I said, "Nice to have met you" and got off the bus with Par.
Aside number two:
This short encounter relates to something that I have been convicted of as of this Sunday. Pastor Mark as he preached through Luke 11 asked, "Where do you believe that if you ask for something good that God will punish or hurt you?" A strange question don't you agree? I was immediately hit in the gut. I was convicted that I have not asked God for a wife because I fear that he will curse me, hurt me, bringing death and horror to my (future) wife, my (future) kids, and myself. That's pretty jacked up, huh? By not asking God for a wife, I am basically saying that I don't functionally believe that God is good.
That nice, polite young lady was used by God to convict me that I don't trust him. I could have asked her to join us for dinner or asked for her contact info, but I chose not to.
End Aside
Par and I picked out three more Elvis impersonators bringing the total to 11. We returned to the Fremont Street buffet place for a second meal and reveled in all-you-can-eat prime rib again (only $11.99!!). Derek, Roland, Par and I caught some live music and headed back to Circus Circus. I stayed out later (since this was my last night in Vegas). I walked 10 miles up and down the Strip alone spending time with God, and looking the porn huckster's in the eye as I passed them. Half of them looked away, the other half met my gaze with glazed emptiness. I prayed for them that hope and knowledge of life would reach them. Then I slept.
Vegas Blog - Day 4
Miles: 1286.4
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 8
Total Miles: 15922.6
Total Gallons Burned: 530.4
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 90
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.75
Sunday. We woke up late and debated what to do for about an hour. We eventually when to a nearby Krispy Kreme. After eating donuts and talking about the regulative principle. Oh man! Not again! Alright let's have another digression:
Sorry, you probably didn't want to know any of that. Anyway, after the donuts and dialogue we walked up to see more fancy Casino Hotels. New York, New York is a ridiculous C&H. It features the Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State building, Statue of Liberty, and a roller coaster that travels from the outside into the Casino. Excalibur is styled after a fairytale castle complete with turrets and a drawbridge. Luxor is a C&H that is truly one of a kind. It is a huge obsidian pyramid and attached sphinx. Inside there is a triangular prism room. To access the hotel rooms you use four Inclinators. These fancy elevators travel at a 39 degree angle up the corners of the pyramid. The MGM Grand is indeed grand. This C&H is based on the Wizard of Oz. You enter on the yellow brick road and are greeted by a lion in his glass-cased environment. It boasts the most rooms of any hotel in the world: 6,852!!
Following our wind-swept 95 degree heat walk we jumped on a bus to venture down to Fremont Street again...
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 8
Total Miles: 15922.6
Total Gallons Burned: 530.4
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 90
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.75
Sunday. We woke up late and debated what to do for about an hour. We eventually when to a nearby Krispy Kreme. After eating donuts and talking about the regulative principle. Oh man! Not again! Alright let's have another digression:
So "what is the regulative principle?" you ask. Well you'll be sorry you asked, that's for sure! Some Reformed Christians believe that in the Bible the New Covenant Church grants many freedoms including the limited contextualization of the gospel (see Acts 17:16-34). But some really reformed folks (including Derek, Rolando, and Par - please correct me if I am misrepresenting you) believe that when it comes to worship, only the existing songs in the Bible are legit to sing. Also only instrument that existed during the time period of the Bible are acceptable. In my opinion this is akin to some White guy going to my ancestral land of India and telling some rural village of Gujarati folks, "Ok now that you love Jesus you need to get an electric Guitar, some tattoos, where are your cigarettes...you're not wearing black. What kind of Christians are you??" (The cigarettes, obsession with black, tattoos, and instruments are all cultural norms at my church of Mars Hill in Seattle) To mandate the way that people respond to God is lame. The precise reason that the Spirit-led gospel has had such a huge impact is that it is soo adaptable. I think imposing a 2000 year-old cultural standard is foolish and not respectful of the amazing diversity of God's image-bearers.
Sorry, you probably didn't want to know any of that. Anyway, after the donuts and dialogue we walked up to see more fancy Casino Hotels. New York, New York is a ridiculous C&H. It features the Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State building, Statue of Liberty, and a roller coaster that travels from the outside into the Casino. Excalibur is styled after a fairytale castle complete with turrets and a drawbridge. Luxor is a C&H that is truly one of a kind. It is a huge obsidian pyramid and attached sphinx. Inside there is a triangular prism room. To access the hotel rooms you use four Inclinators. These fancy elevators travel at a 39 degree angle up the corners of the pyramid. The MGM Grand is indeed grand. This C&H is based on the Wizard of Oz. You enter on the yellow brick road and are greeted by a lion in his glass-cased environment. It boasts the most rooms of any hotel in the world: 6,852!!
Following our wind-swept 95 degree heat walk we jumped on a bus to venture down to Fremont Street again...
Monday, August 30, 2010
Vegas Blog - Day 3
Miles: 1286.4
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 8
Total Miles: 15922.6
Total Gallons Burned: 530.4
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 90
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.7 - Apologies I can't upload my pics from my Camera phone without my card reader back in Seattle, so you'll have to wait.
On Saturday, Par, Derek, Rolando (sorry for calling you Alehandro), and I woke up late and drove out to the "M" Casino, a luxury Resort/Spa/Casino about 10 miles off the Strip. It is one of the newest casinos in Las Vegas and is well known for its amazing buffet. We waited in line for about 25 minutes only to be told that instead of the $15 advertised cost, the Saturday brunch featuring seafood, was $30. So we decided to get some In and Out Burgers instead.
As an aside, the M Casino (short for iMagine) is a externally beautiful casino, but upon entering it disappoints madly. The casino's foyer and casino floor is decorated in faux tiger stripe and black with accents of mahogany. It left me with an overall feel of being locked in bad 1970s funhouse.
At the burger joint, we enjoyed the Delux Meals and lemonade as the wind gusted madly outside. If you look on the bottom of the soft drink cups at In and Out Burger, you will find an Easter Egg. The verse John 3:16 is printed covertly. It turns out that the family who owns the chain is Christian and wanted to make a subtle homage to their God.
In the fall, Vegas enjoys brutal winds that have been known to exceed 90 miles-an-hour and we experienced the full force of those winds on our way back to Circus Circus.
That evening Derek and I went to the outdoor pools at C&C. Due to the high winds, one of the pools was closed, so we enjoyed the other pool.
Later that night, we all went to Fremont Street. The part of Las Vegas is far from the upscale casino hotels and it features cheaper games and lower minimum bets. Needless to say my eye saw no difference in the average patron's attire. You see the whole city is casual. In the high end casinos you will find folks from Missouri walking around in tank tops and torn jeans, and down on Fremont Street you will find folks from Iowa walking around in pain splattered t-shirts and flip-flops.
We found the cheapest buffet and enjoyed all you can eat NY Strip Steak for $12.99. I especially enjoyed the all-you-can-eat complementary deserts.
Later, Par taught Rolando how to play Craps (I learned how to play back in 9th grade when my frustrated math teacher, at my inner-city high school, taught us the game in a desperate attempt to get anyone to pay attention in class).
I wandered about alone for a little while enjoying "the world's largest TV". The screen is suspended 120 feet above a three block stretch of Fremont Street. It is an LED grid very similar to the jumbo-trons at all (american) football stadiums. Every 35 minutes the lights on the street would go off and a music video (complete with advertising) would play on the huge screen featuring music from The Beatles, The Who, and Aerosmith.
I counted no less than 8 Elvis impersonators on my little walk.
We got back to C&C late and slept into double digits.
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 8
Total Miles: 15922.6
Total Gallons Burned: 530.4
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 90
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.7 - Apologies I can't upload my pics from my Camera phone without my card reader back in Seattle, so you'll have to wait.
On Saturday, Par, Derek, Rolando (sorry for calling you Alehandro), and I woke up late and drove out to the "M" Casino, a luxury Resort/Spa/Casino about 10 miles off the Strip. It is one of the newest casinos in Las Vegas and is well known for its amazing buffet. We waited in line for about 25 minutes only to be told that instead of the $15 advertised cost, the Saturday brunch featuring seafood, was $30. So we decided to get some In and Out Burgers instead.
As an aside, the M Casino (short for iMagine) is a externally beautiful casino, but upon entering it disappoints madly. The casino's foyer and casino floor is decorated in faux tiger stripe and black with accents of mahogany. It left me with an overall feel of being locked in bad 1970s funhouse.
At the burger joint, we enjoyed the Delux Meals and lemonade as the wind gusted madly outside. If you look on the bottom of the soft drink cups at In and Out Burger, you will find an Easter Egg. The verse John 3:16 is printed covertly. It turns out that the family who owns the chain is Christian and wanted to make a subtle homage to their God.
In the fall, Vegas enjoys brutal winds that have been known to exceed 90 miles-an-hour and we experienced the full force of those winds on our way back to Circus Circus.
That evening Derek and I went to the outdoor pools at C&C. Due to the high winds, one of the pools was closed, so we enjoyed the other pool.
Later that night, we all went to Fremont Street. The part of Las Vegas is far from the upscale casino hotels and it features cheaper games and lower minimum bets. Needless to say my eye saw no difference in the average patron's attire. You see the whole city is casual. In the high end casinos you will find folks from Missouri walking around in tank tops and torn jeans, and down on Fremont Street you will find folks from Iowa walking around in pain splattered t-shirts and flip-flops.
We found the cheapest buffet and enjoyed all you can eat NY Strip Steak for $12.99. I especially enjoyed the all-you-can-eat complementary deserts.
Later, Par taught Rolando how to play Craps (I learned how to play back in 9th grade when my frustrated math teacher, at my inner-city high school, taught us the game in a desperate attempt to get anyone to pay attention in class).
I wandered about alone for a little while enjoying "the world's largest TV". The screen is suspended 120 feet above a three block stretch of Fremont Street. It is an LED grid very similar to the jumbo-trons at all (american) football stadiums. Every 35 minutes the lights on the street would go off and a music video (complete with advertising) would play on the huge screen featuring music from The Beatles, The Who, and Aerosmith.
I counted no less than 8 Elvis impersonators on my little walk.
We got back to C&C late and slept into double digits.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Vegas Blog - Day 2
Miles: 1286.4
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 0.0 !!
Total Miles: 15922.6
Total Gallons Burned: 530.4
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 89
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.615 - Apologies I can't upload my pics from my Camera phone without my card reader back in Seattle, so you'll have to wait.
Par and I made it to Las Vegas' Circus Circus Hotel/Casino with little trouble (there was that one little 60 mile 'detour' through the Nevada wilderness). We met up with Derek and Alejandro, Par's friends from LA, and got to know each other during the $12.99 all-you-can-eat Prime Rib eating contest. Alejandro was triumphant by finishing 4.25 12oz cuts of Prime Rib, Par finished about 4, but he only ate the interior of the fillet, and I finished 3. Following our great meal, we walked the Vegas Strip from C&C to Aria stopping at the Treasure Island Hotel/Casino. Playing the penny slot machines, Alejandro won $5, Derek won $5.67, Par won $7.25, and I won $10.37 (including a $7.50 semi-jackpot on my last pull). We didn't even have to put any of our own money at risk because the casino gives any first-time player a free $10 game credit to play with, each of us used that credit and nothing else to win with. Each of us used Par's Rule #2 - "casinos provide free alcoholic beverages to all active gamblers". We each scored free alcohol, I enjoyed my rum and coke.
We enjoyed the architecture of the Casinos, discussing various missiological approaches, that could work in a city like Vegas and what the Reformed view of biblical participation in the Lord's Table is.
I got to walk through Caesar's Palace, the Bellagio (Where i saw some guy win $7,000 playing Roulette), and Treasure Island. It is amazing how intentionally convoluted the designers have made these places; even a person like me who can almost always find the fastest route anywhere, had to pause and think before finding the exit.
Vegas is an amazing place, some what similar to my experiences in New Orleans last March, but on a MUCH grander scale. The biggest downside of Vegas is how much pornography is given away; the hucksters will hand out there "business cards" featuring working girls to anyone and by 2am the sidewalks are covered.
Tomorrow is karaoke, hopefully Par will pick a song or two I know.
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 0.0 !!
Total Miles: 15922.6
Total Gallons Burned: 530.4
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 89
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.615 - Apologies I can't upload my pics from my Camera phone without my card reader back in Seattle, so you'll have to wait.
Par and I made it to Las Vegas' Circus Circus Hotel/Casino with little trouble (there was that one little 60 mile 'detour' through the Nevada wilderness). We met up with Derek and Alejandro, Par's friends from LA, and got to know each other during the $12.99 all-you-can-eat Prime Rib eating contest. Alejandro was triumphant by finishing 4.25 12oz cuts of Prime Rib, Par finished about 4, but he only ate the interior of the fillet, and I finished 3. Following our great meal, we walked the Vegas Strip from C&C to Aria stopping at the Treasure Island Hotel/Casino. Playing the penny slot machines, Alejandro won $5, Derek won $5.67, Par won $7.25, and I won $10.37 (including a $7.50 semi-jackpot on my last pull). We didn't even have to put any of our own money at risk because the casino gives any first-time player a free $10 game credit to play with, each of us used that credit and nothing else to win with. Each of us used Par's Rule #2 - "casinos provide free alcoholic beverages to all active gamblers". We each scored free alcohol, I enjoyed my rum and coke.
We enjoyed the architecture of the Casinos, discussing various missiological approaches, that could work in a city like Vegas and what the Reformed view of biblical participation in the Lord's Table is.
I got to walk through Caesar's Palace, the Bellagio (Where i saw some guy win $7,000 playing Roulette), and Treasure Island. It is amazing how intentionally convoluted the designers have made these places; even a person like me who can almost always find the fastest route anywhere, had to pause and think before finding the exit.
Vegas is an amazing place, some what similar to my experiences in New Orleans last March, but on a MUCH grander scale. The biggest downside of Vegas is how much pornography is given away; the hucksters will hand out there "business cards" featuring working girls to anyone and by 2am the sidewalks are covered.
Tomorrow is karaoke, hopefully Par will pick a song or two I know.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Vegas Blog - Day 1
Miles: 776.2
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 0.0
Total Miles: 15412.4
Total Gallons Burned: 511.1
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 86
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.6
I'm in Wells Nevada in the northwestern portion of this great state. So far I have seen exactly 0 Elvis impersonators, disappointing.
My kind traveling companion Par has been a great co-pilot despite his lack of sleep. Using my latest piece of road trip tech, Par has managed to predict the exact location of a series of thunderstorms and flawlessly modify our lodging plans all without the need to halt our relentless forward progress toward that oasis in the desert. How did Par know the weather's location and exact arrival time in advance you ask? He used my new netbook computer featuring an Ericsson cellular modem. This enabled my co-pilot extraodinare to connect to any cell tower in our path and utilize the 3G network. Using Google Earth he verified local forcasts, checking often to ensure our safety.
How terrible of me, I almost forgot to thank Nick for his patient and excellent dirrection that allowed me to activate and integrate the GPS cabability of my netbook. Nick walked me through the proper hyperterminal commands to render the NMEA protocols active. This rapidly updating system provided Google Earth with our precise global location allowing us to acurately judge our pace and the best places to resupply.
As the driver for this road trip, I have enjoyed being at the wheel of Par's fine 1997 Mitsubishi Galant. The first leg from Seattle to Boise Idaho was uneventful yet beautiful.
The second leg of our trip was slightly more eventful as Par regaled me with stories and wisdom of the ins and outs of Las Vegas while the weather predictably darkened. We saw this as we approached our stopping point for the night:
Just as we entered Wells the rain began in ernest and lightening shown in the Sierra Nevadas.
Allow me to share Par's imPARted wisdom ;)
1 - In Las Vegas they try to attract people to gamble away their childrens', grandchildrens', and great grandchildrens' inheritances by offering very cheap food - so be prepared for $12.99 all you can eat Prime Rib!!
2 - In an attempt to destroy your judgement to facilitate the rapid transfer of said offsprings' future wealth from your pocket to theirs, the casinos provide free alcoholic beverages to all active gamblers - so even if you are playing the penny slots very slowly you can score a free drink (Par's personal record is a 19 cent Long Island Iced Tea)!!
3 - Smoking is allowed in all Casinos, to better promote all manner of vice - so if you have asthma and a gambling compulsion, you could very well die at the roulette table, hmm maybe they should call it 'Merican Roulette so we don't fall behind the Russians!!
Tomorrow we will arrive in Vegas, and maybe explode from our planned Prime Rib eating contest, tune in tomorrow to find out!
Gallons Burned: 29.7
Elvis Sightings: 0.0
Total Miles: 15412.4
Total Gallons Burned: 511.1
Total Caffeinated Drinks: 86
Total Gigabytes of Pictures: 33.6
I'm in Wells Nevada in the northwestern portion of this great state. So far I have seen exactly 0 Elvis impersonators, disappointing.
My kind traveling companion Par has been a great co-pilot despite his lack of sleep. Using my latest piece of road trip tech, Par has managed to predict the exact location of a series of thunderstorms and flawlessly modify our lodging plans all without the need to halt our relentless forward progress toward that oasis in the desert. How did Par know the weather's location and exact arrival time in advance you ask? He used my new netbook computer featuring an Ericsson cellular modem. This enabled my co-pilot extraodinare to connect to any cell tower in our path and utilize the 3G network. Using Google Earth he verified local forcasts, checking often to ensure our safety.
How terrible of me, I almost forgot to thank Nick for his patient and excellent dirrection that allowed me to activate and integrate the GPS cabability of my netbook. Nick walked me through the proper hyperterminal commands to render the NMEA protocols active. This rapidly updating system provided Google Earth with our precise global location allowing us to acurately judge our pace and the best places to resupply.
As the driver for this road trip, I have enjoyed being at the wheel of Par's fine 1997 Mitsubishi Galant. The first leg from Seattle to Boise Idaho was uneventful yet beautiful.
The second leg of our trip was slightly more eventful as Par regaled me with stories and wisdom of the ins and outs of Las Vegas while the weather predictably darkened. We saw this as we approached our stopping point for the night:
Just as we entered Wells the rain began in ernest and lightening shown in the Sierra Nevadas.
Allow me to share Par's imPARted wisdom ;)
1 - In Las Vegas they try to attract people to gamble away their childrens', grandchildrens', and great grandchildrens' inheritances by offering very cheap food - so be prepared for $12.99 all you can eat Prime Rib!!
2 - In an attempt to destroy your judgement to facilitate the rapid transfer of said offsprings' future wealth from your pocket to theirs, the casinos provide free alcoholic beverages to all active gamblers - so even if you are playing the penny slots very slowly you can score a free drink (Par's personal record is a 19 cent Long Island Iced Tea)!!
3 - Smoking is allowed in all Casinos, to better promote all manner of vice - so if you have asthma and a gambling compulsion, you could very well die at the roulette table, hmm maybe they should call it 'Merican Roulette so we don't fall behind the Russians!!
Tomorrow we will arrive in Vegas, and maybe explode from our planned Prime Rib eating contest, tune in tomorrow to find out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
