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Perhaps my senses are heightened (or deadened) when I fly, but I seem to pick out the oddest people. Today’s example…on my flight to Seattle.

No sooner had I gotten settled into my comfy aisle seat…in the exit row, thank you…when an unassuming woman approaches my row and says “I need to sit in this seat. I’m sorry.”

My suspicious reply: “Where is your seat?”

Her reply in troubled English: “Window seat. But I need to sit here. I’m sorry.”

So, what the hell. I’m a nice guy. She seemed innocent enough. I figured she was with a partner or group and needed to talk during the flight. I’ve got my iPod…I’m fine wherever…although I specifically pick aisle seats, because I like to get up and use the restroom without announcing my mid-flight bladder status to strangers.

So. Did the woman get up once during the flight? No. Speak with anyone across the aisle? No. In fact, she slept peacefully through the flight…except for when I had to go to the restroom and had to wake her.

Thank GOODNESS she didn’t have to sleep in her assigned seat!

I received a lovely letter from After Hours Formalwear today–actually an “attempt to collect a debt–informing me that the tuxedo I rented for my brother’s wedding had not been returned and that I was being assessed a $10/day late charge.

[Before I proceed…the backstory: I rented the tux in California, picked it up in Michigan, and Cliff’s in-laws returned it in Indiana along with his tux. I informed all stores along the way of this plan.]

Soooo, I called the friendly store helper in Michigan, and she confirmed that the tux was not in her system, nor in her store. Then I called Indiana, and they told me the same thing. But both stores said they would “look into it”.

Minutes later, I received a call back from Michigan saying that they had found the shirt and pants and vest, but there was no sign yet of the jacket or shoes. They said to call back in a couple of days, and they would keep looking.

To me, this is like stumbling on a bloody crime scene, with dismembered tuxedo parts strewn across the room. CSI is trying to determine which parts go with which tux.

I hope the tux didn’t suffer.

So, if you see a jacket or shoes matching this photo–dare I say it…HANDSOME photo–please call your local police.

Astute Tribulations fans might be wondering what happened to the tales of those latter days in Muskegon at the end of August, our serene drive to Freedom, and –most importantly– my brother’s beautiful wedding.

So, before the memories totally fade away…a few tales…and a few photos. (Let me also give credit to Jeff for taking MOST of these shots…they are magical.)

Our week in Muskegon flew by much more quickly than normal. Not only was our trip cut short on end (due to the wedding), but the beginning was clipped as well by our arduous trip into Chicago.

Nevertheless, even a shortened stay with family is an occasion to unwind and enjoy. We did some of our typical summertime favorites: big family dinners, movie nights, Whippi Dip, and another lazy kayak trip down the White River.

On Friday, Jeff and I flipped families. We re-packed and headed to Indiana for an evening wedding rehearsal with my family. Emily–our Garmin GPS–guided us south along Lake Michigan, west to Gary, Indiana, and then south to Indianapolis. No problems. Then we turned west again, and headed towards Freedom and Spencer.

About 30 miles out from our destination…in the midst of endless cornfields…Emily died. Technically, she lost satellite communications, but she might as well have flown out the car window and jumped under a Mack truck. Emily never returned…she still thinks she is on I-70 in Indiana. (Jeff is currently dealing with Garmin on a replacement after hard reboots and firmware upgrades failed.)

In spite of losing Emily to the children of the corn, we arrived at our hotel in Spencer, Indiana…the historic Canyon Inn in McCormick’s Creek State Park…where my family converged for Cliff and Jodi’s wedding. Jeff, my dad, and I kept Cliff occupied prior to the wedding…Cliff and I even found time for a puppet show in the Nature Center.

The wedding took place in nearby Freedom, Indiana, at the charming United Methodist Church. Jodi’s family hosted a reception at the local community hall…where the highlight was CLEARLY my best man toast 🙂 Afterwards, my family re-convened at the Canyon Inn for a quiet evening of conversation by the pool.

On Sunday, we returned to reality…the harsh reality of travel. Let’s not dredge up unpleasant memories…let’s just say that we hit horrendous traffic in Chicago, missed out flight, were rudely dismissed by United customer “service”, and arrived home late…again.

Let’s focus on something happy…like my nephew Benjamin’s laugh 🙂

We spent Labor Day weekend at the opulent Wynn hotel in Las Vegas. I believe I’m correct that this is the most recently-added hotel on the Strip, and certainly the most overtly fancy…challenging the jewel of the Strip–the Bellagio–for in-your-face luxury. The good news is that our friend Paolo got us a promotional room rate…so we could save a bit of money to “invest” in other parts of the weekend 🙂

The rooms at the Wynn have a clean, contemporary elegance. Without a doubt, the best features of the rooms are the floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows, providing unbeatable views of the world.

The highlight of the weekend (for me) was seeing the newest Cirque du Soleil show…The Beatles LOVE at the Mirage. The show is a feast of artistic imagery and Cirque-style acrobatics…all set to a finely crafted soundtrack of Beatles songs. The Beatles blessed this show, and producer George Martin himself oversaw the mixing and mashing of song bits, comical interview quips, and orchestral transitions. The show reminded me of the Beatles’ incredible artistic range. Simply amazing.

With daytime temps approaching 105 all weekend, we certainly took advantage of the Wynn’s on-property entertainment. The Wynn’s signature “crowd luring” feature is its Lake of Dreams, which is center stage for free evening psychedelic music+light+[insert odd animatronics here] shows. We spent one warm evening outdoors at the adjacent Parasol Down lounge sipping beverages and watching dancing frogs, flirtatious flowers, and a giant projected gorilla head singing the Ferris Bueller “Oh Yeah” song.

For indoor entertainment, penny slots were the rule, because they innocently entertain as they slowly siphon off your money. Our clear favorite slot this trip was the whimsical Dam Lumberjack Beavers machine with its playful “Beaver Bonus”.

This weekend was chocked full of firsts…including my new shiny finger- and toenails. Yes…I was (pleasantly) talked into my first pedicure, including a life-altering sea salt foot and calf scrub. I got the manicure, because I was under the spell of Angie–my helpful spa chick. I was quite skeptical as I plunged feet into the scented water bath, but I will admit when I’m wrong 🙂 So here is a photo of me posing at the Vegas A&F store after my spa treatment…amazing transformation, huh?

On Saturday evening, I feasted on the best damn hamburger I have ever eaten…it was also the most expensive. At $32, “The Original NY DB Burger” from the Wynn’s Daniel Boulud Brasserie had a lot to live up to. Suffice it to say, this no ordinary burger. Its a sirloin patty stuffed with…get this…braised short ribs, shaved black truffles, and foie gras. And let’s not forget the decadent parmesan-topped bun. No condiments or other distractions were necessary…this juicy morsel was fit for the gods. (My delight inspired a return visit the next night, when all four of my table-mates ordered the burger!)

Continuing on my food adventure, I tried the Monty Python-inspired Spamwich for lunch in the Wynn’s casino deli. (The Wynn hosts the Vegas rendition of the Broadway hit “Spamalot”.) Once again, my tastebuds were surprised by the rich flavors of my meal. Another fantastic warm sandwich on a cheese-topped bun.

Speaking of healthy meals…I did spot one poorly composed sign when we were grabbing lunch one day at the Venetian. Careless linebreaks created a choppy sign that warned “Our food is”…”cooked in”…”100% cholesterol”…”and trans fat”. Only the patient reader makes it to the last line that counters with “…free oil”.

Not everything we did involved food. We did spent time both Sunday and Monday by the Wynn’s “European style” Sunset Pool…drinking refreshing daiquiris. Sunday afternoon, the pool was wall-to-wall bodies…hot LA guys and gals…and yes, a few “European style” sunbathers.

Leaving Las Vegas was a mixed experience. On one hand, it was certainly nice to get home to cool temps and fewer people. And yet, on reflection, its hard not to love a temporary overloading of the senses…the over-the-top entertainment, artificial extravagance, and of course…the parade of people from all walks of life…all converging for a 24×7 party.

Prior to our trip to Michigan, we took one last weekend drive with nephew Matt. We repeated a favorite trip from Matt’s visit last summer, and visited Pinnacles National Monument. This summer, we took Matt to the eastern entrance to Pinnacles. (The two sides are not connected by road.) The eastern side has many more caves and fun paths.

After visiting Pinnacles, we stopped in the small town of San Juan Bautista, home of one of the more famous Spanish Missions. (This one was featured in the Hitchcock movie Vertigo…although the movie’s legendary bell tower was added by Hitchcock, and not part of the real mission! The bell tower in the photo below is the real one, and not the one in the movie.) One highlight of San Juan Bautista was JJ’s Burgers, where I had to try the JJ’s famous Mexican hotdog…which is wrapped in bacon and covered with pico de gallo and jalapenos…YUM.