vegas-tinted glasses

means the way i feel when im there. not when i live there by any means, but how i feel when i visit. the happy nostalgia that overcomes me. the beauty of my friends. the appreciation of bartenders who remember me no matter how long im away. the bittersweetness of seeing my mom.

jessie, who is thoughtful enough to have beer in her fridge for my arrival yet abtract enough to simply not own a bottle opener. (even more abstract, the way she comes out of her room offering me a hammer when i ask if she has ANYthing i can use-and she is not even being ironic.) my girl turned 30 and it was so good to be there for that. and now i know i can open a beer bottle with a fork...mich, who gets more beautiful every year she comes into her own power. the transformation of a decade has been incredible. she is still so damn silly though and thats a wonderful thing. she will do a downward dog anyplace, anytime and that rocks. (its yoga-reffic.) zac is back, nikki hasnt moved, and nicole is currently single which meant we all got spend a lot of quality time together. its five of us girls and zac which can be kind of funny. like the night at champagnes when the weird guy kept looking over at zac with a questioning look on his face like "how the hell...?" he's got it sooo good. and he knows it! i spent a day with my mom and we went to the natural history museum which is crummy by other cities standards but still gives me fuzzy childhood feelings. then my mom tells me she hasnt cruised the strip since before i was born so starting downtown we drive the entire length of it. i think she was shocked. most people don't realize that a lot people who live in vegas will see more of "VEGAS" on tv, rather than in person. unless you are an impersonator or one of those crazy cirque people in which case your job drags you there nightly. i had been feeling blue when i arrived and the closeness of our small clan helped wash away bad feelings i have been carrying for months. i feel much lighter and happier now. ready to take on the next round.