Vegas: Do it... Do it.... Part I

10:00AM: We leave the airport bar after a couple of lemonade and Ketel One's and amble off to the gate. Our fastidious check in 24 hours previous pays off: the group A line is notably small and moving at a decent clip. We're out of the bar and on the plane in five minutes. A good start.

The morning went smooth enough. I got out of the house later than expected after trying to squeeze a few extra moments with Morgan. A quick stop at Dunkin' Donuts to gas up and I was headed south to Babylon.

Deer Park Ave was mobbed with Muslims who were apparently celebrating the end of Ramadan, or however you spell it. Hundreds upon hundreds spilled out to the street from a small building and dirt parking lot. A shoddy facility but the enthusiasm was obvious. A few miles earlier, the local McChurch, with parking for five thousand and Laser Jesus shows on weekends sat, churning in the dough.

Picked up Silky to the sounds of barking dogs and my chatty niece. In five minutes Madeleine taught me where the food stays (the fridge), where the ice cream stays (the freezer), and that Daddy was going to work (Vegas for three nights). Close enough.

Five hour flight. 5:15 if you're counting. I've been handed a cardboard box with a map of the US on the front and cookies, trail mix, and cheese and crackers in the middle. Delish. Who says the airlines don't care?

Next stop: Las Vegas, NV. We meet The Shadow at the airport, procure a jeep, and go to the firing range. And so it begins...

But first, a four hour nap.