Thoughts from Vegas:

The number of people in this world and specifically in this city at 12 A.M. is simply astounding.

The portico of the Venetian is incredibly beautiful.

Shopping 'til midnight! Only in Vegas.

The casinos are considerably less crowded at 10 A.M. than 10 P.M. Convexly, the Starbucks line is longer at 10 A.M. than 10 P.M.

The diversity of ethnicities was refreshing to see after living in Lily-White-Land for so long.

I laughed sooooo hard while racing my friend E on the go-carts. I am surprised I didn't swallow a bug! That was the best spent $5 of the weekend.

The beds in 3 star hotels are just as fun to jump on as the ones with lesser stars and when tired, just as comfortable.

Read and liked this quote found in this month's Vanity Fair: "A woman wearing no perfume has no future." -French poet Paul Valery

Garden State was luminous and surreal. Rarely do I want to watch a film twice, but this one I will see again. The soundtrack is on my wishlist. I first read about this film in a Newsweek review of films shown at the Sundance Film Festival (something that I plan on attending before leaving Utah). Zach Braff has proven himself a serious writer and director (and a very funny blogger, too). I hope for more from this talented man.

Maria Full of Grace was moving, thought-provoking, sad.

Perhaps had we known that Before Sunset was a sequel to the 1995 film Before Sunrise, it might have made more sense and caught our interest. While the minimal scene changes was a bit boring, and at times it felt like the audience was eavesdropping on a conversation at the next table, some of the thoughts expressed between the characters were interesting.

Napoleon Dynamite was hysterical! My understanding is that Jon Heder (plays Napoleon) wrote the film while a student at BYU.

Dodgeball wasn't nearly as funny as I anticipated and however much she tries, Ben Stiller's wife, Christine Taylor, still looks like Marcia to me.

Steve Martin's newest novella The Pleasure of My Company finally came out in paperback. Hardback is my typical faire, but I couldn't bring myself to pay $23.95 for a 163 page book. I had been waiting a human gestation for this. I am beginnning to wonder if Steve Martin writes so well about neurosis because he understands it firsthand. The book was entertaining and kept my interest with a glimpse into the life Of Daniel Pecan Cambridge, your average OCD Californian transplant. However, this effort, much like the first, seemed rushed at the end. It's like Mr. Martin looks up and realizes his deadline is in two hours. Somewhere this weekend I caught that a film is being made of Shopgirl. I hope they adjust the drive-through ending or I think the audience will be disappointed. I did enjoy reading this by the pool late Sunday afternoon while E swam laps. The sound of water moving always pacifies my soul.

Spending time talking with, listening to, laughing with one of the few people on this earth who knows my heart and holds it carefully, attentively, and as something valued and precious and knows it to be reciprocated was immeasurably wonderful. Thank you, E.

As it is now around midnight and we have a long day tomorrow of driving, consultations, and possibly more tests, I think I am gonna attempt to lie in my bed and not sleep for a few hours....

(Entirely undedited)