It was a nice though slightly confusing sermon at the Lutheran church. And all 4 kids were more than a little bored. I found it rather amusing watching the priest trying to concentrate while not just our kids but others rolled around, danced and screeched.

After church we headed home to get ready for the BBQ that evening. Everyone made a speciality; I made my baked beans, Rusty his cheese dip, Deb the pineapple upside down cake, Becky the biscuits and Darren his awesome ribs.

Everyone feasted and relaxed in the lovely high desert evening. Darren, Rusty and all the kids climbed into the hot tub. They asked me to join but that was a little bit to many kids for my taste.

When I first started planning my trip I looked around as to what was happening in Las Vegas. There were a couple of shows that I wanted to check out but I pretty much dropped everything when I saw that Bill was going to be here.

I first heard Bills routine about 8 years ago with his ‘Here’s your sign’ tag line. He is a first rate family (ie, not much cussin) southern comedian. Over the last 4 years he has seen a lot more exposure after teaming up with Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy.

So tonight I got to see him live and it was quite the treat. He had everyone in stitches. Most of his humor is from real life experiences and luckily we could pretty much all relate to it. I was happy to find out the both Deb and Rusty enjoyed the show also.

Oh, and if you happen to be in the Orleans casino, eat at Big Al’s Oyster Bar. They have more than oysters and it is very good Cajun fare!

It was fun watching Cameron playing. Also sad when he got hit in the head with the ball…Obviously taking after dad at that moment.

later we had to go to a local school to sign him up for next season. Lord, what a mess of kids and parents

So the whole purpose of my trip here is to see my friends Rusty & Deb… And of course my Godson Cameron. I was able to find their house with my trusty mapquest and got here right before they got off work.

It is so good to see them all, its only been about 8 months but Cameron (hes 4 years old) is growing like a weed and I wanna watch as much as possible.

After a late dinner we head back to the house where Cameron is already sawing logs and Deb is soon behind him.

Rusty and I crank up the hot tub and soak for a bit. Its good to get caught up with everything going on in their lives. I was lucky enough to be the best man at their wedding and now the Godfather of their son. I am bmessed in some ways.

When I first told people that I would be driving from Reno to Las Vegas…Well the comments were not nice, but mostly it was bewilderment. True, the drive is about 8 hours, butfrankly I have never done it before.

So here I am in Northern Nevada looking at the snow covered Sierra Nevada mountains. They pin up from the salt flats quite majestically.

Well worth it so far.

First I could barely sleep last night between my cough (which I thought was gone) and the construction going on outside my window. seems that the Peppermill is adding a 600 room wing and a convention center due by this fall…So construction is going on 24/7. Just lovely.

today was the doubles and singles events. And boy did I show my stuff. Luckily after the police left and my stuff was zipped back up I went ahead and bowled. Probably should have went with the police.
Did I not shoot my average….Yeah. Did I let anyone down but myself? No. Because even though I did not shoot well there were plenty around me who are better and shooting the same or worse.

After my bowling duty was done we all headed to Cal-Neva for their $2 hot dog and beer special. Well worth it and filling. The rest of the evening we knocked around downtown, did pretty well at the penny slots and finally called it a night.

Next year the tournament is in Albuquerque, then Las Vegas and then back to Reno. Here is a pic of Renos facility.

Got that fixed last night and got all my posts redone also.

Oh, and if the pics are coming out Huge on your screen, I recommed using Firefox or IE 7 as they will resize the pics on the fly.

The team event is really just a setup for the next days double and singles events. So now I feel practiced and ready to go. Lets hope!

So now we sit in the waiting area ready to head out to the lanes. Its nice to see the female presence here, until a few years ago the nationals were strictly gender specifics. Of course the womens nationals are still only women, but the mens is now co-ed.

The signs coming into town dictate that it is rated as one of the top 10 casinos in the country. When I walk inside I think it should be rated as the #1 most garish place I have ever seen.

Neon lights everywhere and technicolor carpet to match. Mirrors make navigation rather confusing and in some ways make the place seem smaller than it is.

The front desk is quick and helpful, but I find I have an hour to check in. They store my bag and I am off to find lunch!