Arizona. Nevada. Cali. Texas. And Grandma. (Or just, vacation and real life.)

Ok, so I haven't blogged in a really long time.  Things have been busy.  Really busy.  Vacation was AMAZING...miles and miles of mountains, red rock formations, huge holes in the ground (okay, maybe there was only one), beaches, and tons and tons of man made beauty.  To top it all off, I got to spend over a week with my family and even more time with my besties.  Oh yeah, it was a good vacation.

We flew into Phoenix, stayed in Sedona, and made a day trip to the Grand Canyon.  It was like everywhere I turned in Arizona there was a new surprise; some more terrain to explore, more geographical wonders to see and more plants and animals to peak* my interest.  It was so unreal at times, I finally started saying "everything in Arizona is real".  We all had a hard time believing it.

We then drove to Vegas and the Hoover Dam.  Oh, the engineering wonder of it all.  I am just in awe of how the primitive technology in the 1930's could water at least four states.

And then there was Vegas.  Oh Vegas.  It was a sight to behold, even for the most conservative bunch.  Averies in hotels, flamingos in the backyard, water shows set to music, and indoor European streets.  I just drank it all in.  Every last drop of glitter.

We headed onto to SoCal, where we stayed on the coast.  We took our first taste of raw seaweed and my family tried tapas for the first time.  (Everyone was pleasantly surprised.  Like I would pick a bad restaurant for my mom's birthday.  Maybe next time we can actually eat the appetizers and do this thing right.)  Megan, Bradley, and Kristen tried surfing for the first time.  Having done this once (six years ago), I was the supposed expert.  So, they made a point to remind me of how I didn't actually stand on my board in the water.  No, I'm not bitter.

I flew to Sacramento to see my college roommate.  She also told me that we would be living in the same state in three short weeks.  Oh, I am excited.  Thank you, Jesus, for not sending her to Georgia.

We joined a friend in Modesto to get a taste of wine country, love all over her baby, and invade her brand new house.  (P.S.  did you know that those grapes off the vine actually taste like wine?)

My short stay in San Francisco was fun and left me deciding that I must return for a trolley ride and some clam chowder.  I will always search for an excuse to travel.  Always.

I made a detour through Dallas, which landed me another state on my checklist.  I enjoyed the great state, but was ready to come home after a canceled, rescheduled, and delayed flight.  Nine and a half hours later, I was ready to be in my own bed (which happened around 4am Wed. morning).

My vacation glow quickly dissipated as I faced the realities of working a few jobs and paying bills.  I am still in negotiations with my insurance company over my ER vacation, which has completely convinced me that their graham crackers are made of saffron.  That is really the only explanation for such an outrageous bill.  And maybe water from Iceland.

Thursday (the day after I returned my from eventful trip), both my uncle and grandmother went to the Emergency Room.  Both were held overnight.  My uncle was released the next day following some tests (he had passed out a work).  My grandma had fallen in a store and fractured her skull and had some internal bleeding.  Her physical wounds are healing, but she was unable to keep her balance and was admitted to a nursing home Monday.  Tensions are high as my grandma's future is decided and naturally there are concerns about how this exacerbates her Alzheimer's.  As my friend said "it sucks being old".  Yes, it does.  Hopefully I will not be there for a long time.

*I looked up whether this was peak or peek, but Webster didn't seem to help me out.  I apologize if I got it wrong.