If there’s one thing this blog is lacking, it’s recent photos of me. On that note, I’m posting this photo Kathryn took of me Sunday while we were out hiking at Shaw Butte here in Phoenix. Pilgrimito at Shaw Butte
After a long, romantic stroll along the Left Bank of the Seine late one evening in September 2007, Kathryn and I walked across Petit Pont to have a look at Notre Dame, the cathedral of Paris. Kathryn snapped a few photos, including this one. Notre Dame after dark
Back in the spring of 2003, I took a day trip to Cannes during its famous annual film festival. It was the last day of the festival, and most of the Hollywood celebrities had already come and gone. However, watching the European celebrities arrive for the final screening was no less glamorous. Photo from Cannes Film Festival
My digital camera died the first week of my six-week trip to Europe in 2006. Before it stopped working, I managed to get a few decent photos in Iceland, including this one of the Sun Voyager sculpture along the shore in Reykjavik. Photo of Sun Voyager
Between being rather busy at work this week — and also suffering a bout of writer’s block — I’m going to let another photo do the talking today. This one was taken in 2003 at Pont du Gard in the south of France. Photo of Pont du Gard
This was one of my favorite photos from our trip to Europe in 2007. It was taken at a rest area, just off the autobahn in Austria. View photo
I placed my first-ever sports wager while I was in Las Vegas last Sunday. I was getting ready to watch the AFC Championship Game in a casino bar, conveniently located about a hundred feet from the sports book. It seemed like the thing to do. Sports betting in Las Vegas
When Kathryn and I make our regular road trips to Las Vegas, we typically leave Phoenix after work Friday, in the middle of the afternoon. If all goes well, we arrive in Las Vegas in the early evening. Usually we arrive without any specific plans, and we just sort of wing it. There’s no shortage of things to do there, but we often feel like we could have used our arrival evening more wisely. So last week, before leaving Phoenix, I decided to make a dinner reservation for 8:30. This would leave us plenty of time to check in at our hotel and freshen up, and it would also give us something to look forward to along the way. Nora's Cuisine in Las Vegas
Our room has a view of the mountains to the west of Las Vegas. We arrived after dark last night, so we couldn’t see them then. Odd start in Las Vegas
It turns out people use this blog to check in on us when we travel. Kathryn and I hadn’t yet made it to Kingman when she received a text message from a concerned friend wondering if we were okay. Safely arrived in Las Vegas
Well, folks, I’ve had a good, long two-week rest from my blog. It’s time to sit down and catch you up on where I’m going and what I’m doing. For your reading pleasure, here’s the latest installment of my not-quite-monthly “going places” series. Going places, January 2012
There are two easy ways to see the Pope when you’re in Rome. Kathryn and I were able to see him both ways during our visit to Rome earlier this year. As long as the Pope isn’t away from the city for his vacation or for an apostolic visit, you should be able to see him too. See the Pope in Rome
Not a lot of words in this blog post. Just some photos from a recent hike at Shaw Butte. The hike was later in the morning than usual. The sun was bright, which put me in a black-and-white mood. Late morning photos from Shaw Butte
During a hike last weekend at Shaw Butte, I pointed my camera south and took a picture of downtown Phoenix under a thick layer of smog. I converted the photo to black-and-white to bring out the detail of the buildings. Brown cloud choking Phoenix
It turns out I didn’t get the sunrise photos I wanted on our last day in Las Vegas. It was raining when the sun came up and still raining when we left the hotel, although the rain let up early in the morning. However, we did find a decent donut shop, found a beautiful Sunday Mass, and had lunch with our friend Kerrie, with whom we couldn’t seem to connect Friday evening. Leaving Las Vegas
Our weekend trips to Las Vegas tend to be busy. We usually cram everything we possibly can into the less-than-48 hours we’ll be here. Sleep comes only out of necessity. So it’s a little weird that I’m starting a new post at 6:20 am, after getting a full night’s sleep and then some. I think we were in bed by 9 pm. That’s pretty lame. Keeping it relaxed in Las Vegas
It’s just after dawn here in Las Vegas. I’ve been awake for an hour or so, and I’m working on my second cup of shitty in-room coffee. Our room at the Orleans has a view of the Strip. Since we’re west of the Strip, I’ve been watching the sun rise over Luxor, Mandalay Bay, and the McCarran airport. Fresh start in Las Vegas
Roughly halfway between Phoenix and Las Vegas is a place — I hesitate to call it a town — called Wikieup. It’s a perfect spot to stop for a bathroom break and a bite to eat. Road trip to Las Vegas
The status of this weekend’s road trip to Las Vegas is now unambiguous. Kathryn’s doctor this morning ordered her to spend the weekend in Las Vegas. Sweet! I’ll submit a health insurance claim when we get home. Road trip to Las Vegas
It’s been touch and go this week.
Kathryn and I have a tradition of road tripping to Las Vegas the weekend before Christmas. We’ve been doing it since 2007.
However, since last weekend, the trip has been growing increasingly uncertain. A certain family health issue — I don’t want to elaborate right now — has been threatening to interfere with the trip. Road trip to Las Vegas