We arrived at Pololu around 2:00, and got the grand tour. Apparently, their business model is to buy lots of electronics in bulk from China, and then make things with them, and sell them to robot teams. We got to see some of their special projects, as well as the machine that cuts and solders the boards. That was pretty cool! We also got T-shirts that Kevin had designed. As we were sitting around, Ryan mentioned something about when the baby arrives, and then realized that he had just let it slip that Andrea is expecting!
After the tour, we went to Red Rock Canyon. Thanks to our National Parks Pass, we got in for free! (The National Parks Pass is $80, and has already more than paid for itself at this point, given that most National Parks are about $30). It was a very hot day, so we did the circle drive, and saw lots of lovely red rock. Geoff took lots of pictures.
Then Andrea called and said that her last patient had cancelled, so she was able to get off work a little early. We were all getting hungry and were hot, so we headed back to the house.
It has been really interesting to see how people live in different parts of the country. The house was quite spacious, but because of the drought conditions, no one has grass or yards to speak of. The house had some plantings in the front, but the back yard was essentially a concrete patio. I felt like I was in a movie house. I bet it is great for throwing parties. The downstairs was an open floor plan, with an alcove for movies, a large living room, and a very large kitchen. Upstairs, there were three bedrooms. Ryan and Andrea had the master bedroom, of course, and David and Kevin had a Jack-and-Jill set-up- each had their own bedroom, and shared a connecting bathroom. They had made an office room on the first floor into a guest room, and it was quite nice.
Andrea arrived shortly after we did, and we talked about what to do next. Even though they all live in Las Vegas, they rarely eat out, and when they do, they typically do not go to the strip. I suppose it is like how when I lived near Chicago, I rarely went into the city, or now that I'm only an hour from Memphis, I go there maybe 1-2 times per year. Anyway, Ryan and Andrea had some gift cards to a BBQ place that they like to go eat called Lucille's, so we piled in the car, and went there. There was a wait, so we wandered around the streets. It reminded me of Naperville- the clean streets, the cute little shops. Andrea and I chatted as we walked, about mutual friends, and Naperville, where she grew up, and about how she thinks this will be a good place to raise her little boy, who she plans to name Midas after a character in an Ayn Rand novel. She likes Vegas well enough, and there is plenty to do, although they certainly don't go out often, only to see a show every once in a while. One of her friends had a bachelorette party in Vegas, but it was pretty low key. Surprisingly, very few friends have come to visit in Las Vegas. (I have to say, no friends have come to visit in Jackson, TN, but it is also in the middle of nowhere and a rather boring place.) She actually likes living in the house with roommates- its kind of like being in college, except nicer. Actually, it is kind of like being in the Big Bang Theory, although she hopes she is nicer and smarter than Penny. Although, when the baby arrives, Kevin and David might move out. They will just have to see.
Finally, our buzzer went off, and we went in to eat. The food was good- the typical BBQ fare. I had a pulled pork sandwich, and the sauce was very good. Afterwards, I wanted to see the strip, although I had no intention of gambling, so we drove over there. There were a ton of people out, I suppose they took a long weekend, and the streets were crowded, but the parking was plentiful and free. We went to the Bellagio, which had a free botanical exhibit that changes every season. This summer, the theme was "Under the Sea." The mermaid's tail and the turtle's shell are both made completely of flowers.
Ryan told a story about how when Andrea first arrived, he took her gambling in the hopes that she would lose and then not want to gamble again. She did indeed lose, and was in that way "correctly conditioned" to not gamble. My friends are all pretty straight edged when it comes to things like that. Instead of gambling, they pursue self-improvement activities like Toastmasters! Ryan, David, and Andrea have all enjoyed being involved in the local Toastmasters chapter, and Andrea recently won first place in the storytelling catergory.
As we walked out, we saw the tail end of the fountain show. My friends said that it is good, and it is free, so we waited 15 more minutes, and it was worth the wait. The water dances and the lights flash in perfect choreography to music. It was kind of magical.
After that, it was about 9 pm, and I was feeling tired, both from the days activities, and from the throngs of people surrounding me. In college, I thought I was an extrovert, but now I am not so sure. Being around large numbers of strangers really drains me these days. Anyway, we headed back to the house, and sat around and talked for a while. Andrea entertained with stories of her PT patients, and then David pulled out his scrabble tiles and suggested that we play word thief. Word Thief is a game that David and Kevin invented in college. You draw tiles and try to make words, and you can steal other people's words by adding letters and mixing up their tiles. Andrea went on to bed, but the rest of us stayed up and played. I hadn't played since college, probably, and Geoff had never played, so we didn't do very well. By then it was pretty late, and we had to catch our plane in the morning, so we went to bed.
The next morning, we had yummy breakfast muffins that Andrea had made ahead of time. Andrea is very good at being hospitable and anticipating her guests' needs. Then she was off to work, and the others wandered in at some point to eat too. We had to clean out the car and repack, and get rid of about a half a case of bottled water, which my friends were glad to take, as we could not take it on the plane. Then we were off, to the second part of our trip!
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