Final Thoughts on Our Family Trip to Las Vegas

• You can't buy luck.  You can, however, buy lots of Elvis-themed keychains, too-short shorts, plastic models of the Eiffel Tower, and sky high-skinny glasses filled with bubble-gum pink concoctions of who knows what.

• A child IS capable of learning to appreciate the beauty of nature and the blessings that come from accumulating "experiences" rather than "things."  That child, however, does not reside in my house.
• Do not take anything that your teenager says to you seriously or personally.  He is, and will continue to be, out of his mind for several more years.  This has been scientifically documented but conveniently omitted from the Lamaze curriculum.
• I highly recommend the following travel guide: The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Vacation by Stan and Jan Berenstain.  Read it in advance. http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl/9780394830148.html
• Our family can no longer function without an in-room Internet connection.  We tried to use the free in-lobby connection, but waiting in line for the Ethernet connection was torture.  I finally sprang for the $10 a day in-room access.  It is worth it...and I would rather skip a meal than do without.  Okay, maybe not skip a meal...but I might consider selling the kids to one of the Gypsy caravans that frequently pass through town.
• Watching Mrs. Doubtfire, The Proposal and Old Dogs while speeding through the Nevada/Arizona desert on the way to and from the Grand Canyon is not an abomination, it's survival.  The desert starts to look pretty much the same after a while.
• A hummingbird will flit around for hours while you sit quietly without your camera.  As soon as you have your camera in hand, it will disappear.
• If you haven't experienced ABJECT disappointment in a while (and for some reason you feel the void), try this:  settle down for a picnic spread in a shady area of beautiful Red Rock Canyon, surrounded by iron-infused sandstone millions of years old, caressed by cool breezes and serenaded by birdsong.  Dare to say, "Aren't we lucky to be able to picnic together in such a beautiful place?"  The silence is deafening.
• What did we buy in Vegas?  An interesting assortment that reflects the differences among us.  Thing 1:  Souvenir shot glasses. Thing 2:  Keychains and a toy slot machine/bank.  DH:  Underwear.  Me?  http://www.amazon.com/Over-Edge-Death-Grand-Canyon/dp/097009731X