Blogging by the pool*

Today I worked out how to turn left out of the hotel without going five miles round the block. This meant that I could get to Walmart and Joanns but first where am I?

I decided not to stay on the strip this time so I am at the Hilton Garden Hotel in Henderson. Not that I don't like the Las Vegas Boulevard, to give it its proper title, but I just get a bit fed up of having to walk half an hour to the car and 15 minutes to fresh air. Besides I'm not sure that I could find the Paris car park without a navigator, they seem to roll up the road and move it every day.

The Hilton is lovely, unlike the Paris I have free wifi, a fridge and microwave, free access to an office where I can print off my routes and a launderette. Plus you get to know the people. The breakfast waitress would love a Harley Davidson but is worried about what her family would think. There is also a small gym and a quiet outdoor pool, just me here at the moment. It's in a lovely neighbourhood, just enough neon to remind you where you are and a couple of minutes to excellent shops. There is a teachers' shop opposite and a Barnes and Noble round the corner. Next door there is a Taco Bell and an IHOP (international house of pancakes). Diane and I were kidnapped and taken there once. We survived.

Another plus about the Hilton is that when you exit the car rental you turn right, then left and that's it. No tricky manoeuvres after ten hours on a plane. The all time low on that score occurred on our first trip to Orlando when a 20 minute drive turned into a three hour nightmare. We daren't stop to ask directions as we were convinced we would be mugged. Too many gangster films to blame there.

The choice of car was fraught as usual. I wish they would just give you one instead of the 'choose any one from these rows' instruction. It wasn't quite as frantic as when William and David were with me, when they hopped in and out of every car in the garage in about ten minutes flat, but almost. In the end I chose a Dodge Journey with a nice mathematical number plate (it's important). I tried the Jeep but it was really heavy to handle so Dora the sludge coloured Dodge is now my travelling companion. It is one of those cars where you don't need a key which was a bit disconcerting but I have got used to it now. The radio tells you what you are listening to which is cool. There is something about Nevada which requires country music so I have tuned it to KWNR and all is good. It came with GPS but I haven't taken it out of the bag yet. May not.

I've spent the first day shopping and getting ready for the class on Saturday. I went down to Quiltique to make sure that they had a fridge for the cheese I bought. We have to bring a pot luck supper. It's all I could think of to bring that they don't have over here. Cheese over here is rubbish. Ask Henry and Paul. Then I spent a few hours cutting up the pieces for the quilt we are making. Luckily CNN were showing an excellent documentary about the last days in office of Richard Nixon as tapes and movies had just been released after 40 years. Not a nice man. Also the Ariel Castro trial was today so there has been lots of coverage of that. By lots I mean endless.

There has been time for a bit of retail therapy of course. Walmart (new suitcase, iPad holder and a gallon of iced vanilla coffee), teachers shop (posters for Henry), Target (new mini stones for mancala - really, you can't get them in England) as well as the routine visits to Vans and Fossil. I also printed off coupons for Joanns and saved loads of cash buying wadding for quilts.

The proximity to a Taco Bell means that I didn't have to wait too long for my favourite taco salad (don't be fooled by the name, it has a gazillion calories). The only place in England that I have found one is the American Diner in London and of course the best ones are served up in Death Valley. The waitress said that I looked 'adorable' and when I looked aghast she added hastily that she meant it 'not in anyway in a bad way'. I guess the hairband has to go. Here it is in action last week.

I think cute is more appropriate.

Nite

*blog title for die hard dire straits fans.

 

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