Me First!!!

We're back from our recent travels. And, as the saying goes, "It's good to be home". Well that's partly true because coming home does involve a few things that aren't that swell to return to. There's washing all the stuff that we have crammed into our suitcases, sorting through (and throwing away) all the travel brochures, maps and coupons, sorting through (and throwing away) the accumulated junk mail, AND, my personal favorite, mowing the over-grown lawn.
Enough about the joy of homecoming. Let's talk "Vacation".
This trip turned out to be a trip of FIRSTs. We got our FIRST glimpse of the Grand Canyon. Took our FIRST helicopter ride. Hit a huge slotmachine jackpot for the FIRST time (more on this later) and, in spite of a site unseen, half-price ticket purchase, we had FIRST row, center stage seats for a performance of the play, "Mamma Mia!". The canyon was spectacular, the helicopter ride, thrilling, and the play was really entertaining. (It could have been even more fun if Jo would have let me flip M&Ms into the orchestra pit.) You're probably wondering about the HUGE jackpot. Even if you're not, you're gonna hear about it. Very simply, I was playing the slots when the machine went nuts ringing and blinging and flashing and spinning, and credit total went flying. It went on for, like, hours. More spinning, ringing and blinging. It finally stopped with the credit total reading 7,500. "Increditable!" At a penny a point, that came to the unbelievable amount of $75.00. Not really all that much in real money, but with all the ringing, blinging etc. it sure seemed like a lot.
After arriving back in Fennimore Friday night, we caught a quick fifty or sixty winks, repacked an overnight bag and took off for Minneapolis to check out Sally and Uncas's new home. (Sally and Uncas are aliases for our daughter and her husband who are in a witness protection program up in the Twin Cities. Address and phone number available by request.)
Well, we're finally back home. Jo is back at her job at Lands' End and I am handling the chores around the house. We have a lot more to tell about the trip and a couple of hundred thousand photos to show. If any of you are stricken with a case of insomnia, give a call. We have enough pictures to put a Whirling Dervish down on his back. And, if the photos don't do it, I have several hundred hours of video that will certainly knock you out.
Enough for now. I'm off to download photos, mow the lawn and count my pennies.
More words and pictures, soon!