Hoover Dam with the Big J

I  finally got around to loading my photos on to the computer. Today, I am having what my grandson used to call a Ketchup Day. I told him once that Gramma was having a day to catch up and he coined the phrase 'Ketchup Day'. Of Course, I thought it was hilarious because, well, he IS my grandson. Everything he does is adorable. One of my Ketchup items is getting this blog post done. Checking it off!

We took the Big J to Hoover Dam while he was visiting with us. We had a great day and learned a lot of stuff that I quickly forgot because I didn't take notes. Our guide was kind of a jerk too and I wasn't to jiggy with paying attention to him anyway. But the Big J is sort of an info geek so he was absorbing every word.

We went down into the ground 54 stories. (Are they stories if you are going below the ground? I don't know.) We saw the transformers that crank out the electricity the dam provides to Southern Nevada, Arizona and California. Here is a photo of them, some even in action:

And check out the rock we were walking around inside:

We went deep into the ground. Pretty cool if you ask me. 

Once we had the full tour, we went back topside to walk around the dam and take some photos of Big J on the dam and with his feet in two different states.

Yes, that's a road that travels along to top of the dam. It used to be the only route through but they built this awesome bridge recently, so through traffic can circumvent the dam completely. It certainly speeds things up for people driving to Phoenix and makes it easier for the tourists to walk around the dam safely. Check out this bridge:

The RGH and I saw this when it was being constructed and it totally freaked me out. At the time it didn't meet in the middle yet. YIKES! Now it looks less creepy.

I would like to show you what happens when you hand a real camera to a point and shoot person:

And then he redeemed himself:

And now it's my turn:

Big J is split between Nevada and Arizona and just so you know, this is his I am super excited face:

They built a monument for the men who worked building the dam and the men who lost their lives working on it. I thought it was beautiful.

We had a great time on our visit in spite of the temperatures being in the 100's. After the visit we hit a Restaurant in Boulder City but that will be my next post.

Blessings,

Okay, I really need to get in shape...

As I am typing this, the Toby Keith song As Good As I Once Was is playing:

I gotta tell you, that is a perfect song when you are in your fifties and just spent two weeks entertaining three grandsons and their parents. I was whipped but a I still had to drive J, the 12 year old home and come back the next day. That would be about 600 miles in two days. I squeezed in a visit with my friend Chantel, friends Debbie and Andreas and had breakfast with the RGH's mom before I drove home.

Since then, I have been trying to put my house back together, do laundry, organize the linen closets and I canned pickled okra and grape jam.

Yeah, I am ready for a vacation consisting of sitting around and doing nothing but watching Netflix.

I was supposed to be doing Weight Watchers but I was cooking comfort food and baking cakes and eating at buffets. Lets just say, I haven't logged onto Weight Watchers in so long I had to have them send me my password. I am afraid to get on the scale because my clothes are telling me I am worse off than when I signed up for WW.

I guess it's time to get back on the treadmill and writing down what I eat. A trip to the Fresh and Easy to get some fruits and veggies and I'll start over. 

Frankly, I am getting to the point that I don't really give a rat's @$$ how much I weigh but I really can't justify a whole new wardrobe just because I want to eat pie and Alfredo sauce. Not necessarily at the same time, but you get what I am saying. 

Fortunately, the RGH doesn't love me solely for my knock out figure and hopefully not just for my mind either, since it's pretty far gone these days too.

So I am playing catch up and I haven't forgotten that I promised to give you the scoop on our week with the big J. I just haven't transferred the photos to my computer yet. I'll add that to my list.

And if you find my mind, send it back to me, will ya'?

Till next time,

Where Have You Been?

You probably have been asking yourself, where is Mary? She said she was going to blog regularly. What does regularly mean anyway? Once a year?

I crack me up.

Actually, I have had a house full of company. The day after the RGH came home from work, my daughter and her family showed up. (We were expecting them) It's their annual summer visit. I had three grandchildren to spoil. Which means I cooked a lot.

I made two of my friend Nicole's 52 cakes. This one, which I changed into a bundt cake and left off the chocolate topping and this one that I also made bundt cake style. I am a lover of all things bundt. Only dirties up one pan and there is less to frost. I am not lazy, just efficient. Okay, maybe I am a little lazy.

I should have taken photos of my cakes but they didn't last long enough. 

I cooked most of the favorites, including fried chicken. My poor daughter was trying to do Weight Watchers and she finally gave up. It is very hard to diet when you are presented with every childhood comfort food.

We went to the Shark Exhibit at the Mandalay Bay. Here are a couple of photos from the trip.

We also spent a lot of time in the pool. Well, the boys did. Gramma was busy cooking. The guys went to see Transformers while Amanda, Logan and I went to the outlet mall. We had an ant invasion while they were here. That was fun. They had a little car trouble so there was some back and forth with car repairs. Luckily, it wasn't anything serious. We took everyone to Bambini's and J & T made their own pizza. That was a hit.

The gang left on Tuesday, save Jacob. He has been hanging here with the old folks. I'll have the scoop on that in the next post.

Sorry I have been AWOL. Hope your day is blessed. I am off to bake another cake.

*Smooches*