It’s All Maya!

C.C. and Izzy blowing out the candles!

Okay, so here’s the scenario when we got to Phoenix!  Ten of us in a rented mini bus arrived for Isabella’s 3rd birthday (my brother’s grand-daughter).  His youngest daughter C.C. was celebrating her 18th birthday as well,….. so we were ready to party and party we did!

A few days later, we were around the breakfast table, preparing to return to Texas when someone realized that Patrick had never been to Las Vegas.

“Well you’ve got to go to Las Vegas, Patrick, it’s only 5 hours away!” Rose said.
“What?!!!  You haven’t been to Vegas?!!!” my brother “Bam” chimed in.
“You really should go with Lynn to Vegas!” someone else said.
“Yeah, just rent a car and drive up there while the rest of us drive home.”

This went on for about ten minutes.  So….Patrick and I decided to go to Las Vegas!  I went online to see about renting a car and started searching for a hotel room.

“Hey Bob, why don’t you go with Lynn and Patrick?”
“Uh, maybe I should….” my brother Bob started thinking.  “What about you, Mom?”
“You know me!  Don’t ask me to go anywhere cause I’m always ready!” my 87 year-old mom started perking up at the idea of playing the slot machines.  (Her favorite past-time!)
“Well, if all of you are going, then maybe I should go with you???  What do you think, Babe?” Bam asked his wife.
“Forget it Anthony!  Who’s going to drive the kids home?  I’m not driving that big bus back to El Paso with just the kids!”
“I’ll help you Cec.” Rose volunteered.  “That is unless you think you can do it yourself.  In that case, I may just tag along to Vegas myself.”

Needless to say, the compact car and one room at one of the casinos that I was getting ready to book online was increasing by the second, but if you know my family then you know that if someone is going somewhere - before long you have a small army tagging right along with you!

“Okay, Lynn, book two rooms at the Mandalay or the Monte Carlo and get a full size car instead,” Bam said, looking at his wife Ceci.  “You and I will go to Vegas, just the two of us, in the spring.  Okay Babe?”
“Yeah, right,” Ceci looked at him with a skeptical eye.  “You know darn well if we go to Vegas in the spring, we’ll end up taking the kids and grand-kids.”
“Nope, just you and me!”
“Yeah, whatever!”

Final tally: Only four returned to Texas in the rented mini bus!  Six of us ended up going to Las Vegas.  Rooms were at the Excalibur and the car we rented was a large SUV!

Maya Muses:  So who hit the jackpot in Vegas, you ask?  Well, I guess you could say that my mom was the big winner.  She played the penny machines.  (Yes, one penny!)  She put in two dollars and played all night!  We were all tired after playing and losing, and wanted to go to bed, but mom was having none of that!  She sat there perky as ever and ended up winning over $65 on 1¢!  That’s my mom!!!

Photo credits:  Personal Photos