Spring has finally arrived and what is the weather like in Ohio? Cold and rainy...we even had some snow at the beginning of the month! But things are slowly improving and it won't be long before everyone is complaining about how hot it is outside. At least the temperature has been nice enough for all of those bulbs I planted last fall to start coming out. The crocuses have already bloomed and gone, and the hyacinths and tulips have been blooming for almost two weeks already.
The month of March started off slow for us. I attended an all-day CLE (continuing legal education) symposium on intellectual property on March 10. It is an annual event held by the University of Akron School of Law. There were a lot of interesting topics this year, but I won't bore you with details. (I know that there are not many people, especially outside the legal field, who are interested in IP.) The end of that week was much more entertaining as Kylan and I took our six-year old friend, Emily, out for the afternoon. We went out to lunch, saw "Jungle Book 2", did a little shopping, and then met with Emily's parents for dinner. Nearer the end of the month, Kylan was sworn in as a notary public. And our little friend Emily became a big sister when her mom Sheila gave birth to baby Jacob on the 26th.
Not much has been going on in April. We have seen a couple of movies ("Bend It Like Beckham" was good fun and "Bulletproof Monk" had some great action) and watched a few DVDs. Easter was quiet for us, although we made sure to treat ourselves to a little chocolate. The pile of dirt from our February plumbing saga has finally settled in. We are attempting to grow grass over it, but nothing much has happened yet. We have decide not to bother trying to build a front walk this summer. Instead, we will be focusing on the backyard, finally putting in a patio, getting some planting done, and perhaps putting in a small pond. Of course, I have it all planned out already. We will likely start on the patio shortly after we return from Las Vegas.
And speaking of Las Vegas, we wanted to thank everyone who sent us advice about what to see and do while we are there. We received plenty of info to fill our days and nights. We decided upon seeing one show and taking one tour. We have already bought our tickets for a classic Vegas showgirls kind of show. We didn't want to spend too much on show tickets and tickets to any of those well-known shows (Siegfried & Roy, Wayne Newton, Penn & Teller, etc) start at over $70 each! As for our tour, we had been considering going to a second show, but after a little research I found some tours that were the same price as a show. The Sunday after we arrive, we are going on an all-day tour to the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, a desert botanical garden, and a chocolate factory. All that for $30, and lunch is included! It will be great to see some of the desert outside of the city.
Well, that's all for now. The next diary entry will be all about Vegas, baby!
Until then,
D.
Books Recently Read
Dawn:
Coraline by Neil Gaiman.....6 out of 7
(An extremely well-written, short adventure tale in the tradition of the Brothers Grimm.)
The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas by Bob Sehlinger.....7 out of 7
(Perhaps the best travel guide about the city. Not only loads of info but critique as well.)
Las Vegas & the Desert by Insight Guides.....4 out of 7
(Lots of great, full color photos and info, but a little too positive and promotional.)
Las Vegas by Lonely Planet.....5 out of 7
(A pocket-sized guide with some good info and tips.)
The Watchmen by Alan Moore.....6 out of 7
(A modern classic of the comic genre. Deconstructs traditional notions of superheroes.)
(No, Kylan has not given up reading. He has been catching up on some of the on-going comicbook series he collects, such as Daredevil, G.I. Joe, and Alias. He is actually in the middle of a novel right now, so there will be something to report about his reading next time.)
