April showers bring April rainbows

When I opened the shades in my home office this morning, around 6:30 am PST, I noticed some drizzle outside. Then I looked up to the mountains, grabbed my camera and went out onto my front porch to shoot these pictures. It was gone after about 15 minutes.

Birthday Weekend Festivities

Start:	Apr 20, '07
End:	Apr 23, '07

Wrangler's Hockey Game

Start:	Mar 31, '07 7:00p
Location:	Orleans Arena

Wrangler's Hockey Game

Start:	Mar 30, '07 7:00p
Location:	Orleans Arena

Dave Matthews

Start:	Mar 24, '07 8:00p
Location:	MGM Grand

Political Brush

On my flight back from DC last night (3/23), I sat one row behind Dennis Kucinich.  I recognized him immediately, but the tall leggy red head he was with was throwing me off.  Didn't look the kind of lady a presidential hopeful would be hanging out with.  Did however look like someone on the way to Vegas would hang out with.  I later found out (i.e. had email from a friend when I landed) that this was his wife...

 

As we walked on the jet way, I reached out my hand to him.  I wanted to ask him his view on Global Warming and the current state of environmental affairs.  I wanted to ask him his thoughts on the Iraq situation and the 'War on Terror'.  I wanted to ask him if he really thought announcing his plan to run for president (as a dem) again in '08 made sense.. but all I said was "Jodi Gersh, Pleasure to meet you Mr. Kucinich."

 

The ironic thing I guess was I was holding a bag with an Obama in '08 T-shirt in it...

Lord Stanley's Cup

Finally, after missing it the last two times it came to our building, on a coincidental business trip to DC, I got to see/touch it. For anyone who might wonder, sometimes it comes to USA TODAY (where I work) to the Sports section... a crowd always gathers...

Probably most of you know I am a bit of a hockey fan. Well over the last few years, Lord Stanley's Cup has visited my DC office and each time I have, for some uncool reason, not been around.

Now I no longer work in the DC office and have moved to Las Vegas, and this week's DC business trip was definitely NOT fun- BUT it ended up turning around in a heart beat when I received the best email ever on my cell phone- it said only "The Stanley Cup is on the 2nd floor- Sports Section".

I was in DC for a week long conference and a huge migration (purposely coordinated to overlap to make my week a slight hell). I jumped out of my seat (in the middle of a sales presentation) and told the coordinator there was an emergency, and that I would be right back.

I was actually shaking, getting a little sweaty, giddy like a school girl. I jumped in the elevator, got out on the 2nd floor and there was the crowd.

I didn't have my camera with me, so next I called our Art Director and I said "Casey- I have an emergency. The Stanley Cup is here on 2, and I have no camera." He got a hold of the deputy photo editor and they raced over. They all know how important the Stanley Cup is to me. When I left the DC office last year, they made a spoof USA WEEKEND Cover for me, where I am on the cover with Sidney Crosby of the Penquins...

I didn't want to leave the cup. I knew I had to get back to the meeting, but I also knew I most likely would never touch or see the cup in person again....

Anyway I am sitting at the airport after a ridiculous week of running around and stressing... and I am finally getting some time to look at the pictures and relive that incredible moment.