"Vegas Baby, Vegas!"

I think most people know Vegas is one of my favorite vacation spots and no I don't even gamble that much. It is odd to see slot machines at the airport and grocery stores tho. The city was not built on winners and I've contributed to the purchase a few palm trees over the years. I needed a break for a variety of reasons, so I flew out Thursday for a 2-day trip to relax. The mountains around Vegas are very cool, great shopping, entertainment and lots of cool hotels to take a look at. One hotel is bigger and better than the next.

Vegas is truly a "fantasy" land for some people. People living a lifestyle the only do in Vegas. For a while people always said "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." The limos, 4-star hotels/restaurants and all the best clothes/jewerly. No limo for me, I had Dodge Caliber... I was playing blackjack at the tables tonight and had to laugh at several people at my table who thought they were "money" with their 100 dollar bills and fancy clothes and then watched how they played. If you ever play blackjack, you ALWAYS split aces if you get them. The dealer was making fun of this guy who didn't split aces and then busted. Oh and almost always double down on 11...

Friendships

What is a friendship? Are all friendships created equally or meant to last? I've been struggling and thinking about this for a few months. Friendships change, people change, life changes...

Everyone defines a "friend" differently which is perfectly ok, just interesting. For me, if I meet person X today I don't call them my friend right away, they are an acquitance with the potential of being a friend. Others immediately call person x their friend. People often have different levels of friendships - best friend(s), close friend(s), good friend(s), friend, acquiantance, family or maybe something else.

If you check out Wikipedia, they help define what friendship is and the values.... "Values that is found in friendships is often the result of a friend demonstrating on a consistent basis":

- The tendency to desire what is best for each other
- Sympathy and empathy
- Honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth
- Mutual understanding

Is a co-worker a friend or a co-worker? Co-workers often know more about our lives than our close friends and family, but if they leave the company or leave do you stay in contact with them? They know more about your lives just buy working with you 40 hours a week and the amount of interaction you have with them. However, when Friday comes at 5pm we generally say "goodbye, have a good weekend" and go on our seperate ways. Monday morning comes around and you find out how their weekend was. I'm sure there are exceptions and yes I've occassionally gone out with co-workers. Maybe this is one of those hybrid friendships/relationships....again, there is nothing wrong with it...

Are people in our lives for certain reasons or certain periods of time? Sometimes you have a friend, then something changes (new job, marriage, kids, move, social group change, church change) etc and you eventually lose touch. You're still friends and nothing is wrong. Was the friendship based on a connector and once the connector is gone, can the relationship continue how it was? I think people are brought into our lives for different reasons and different periods of time, some longer than others.

We also have those friendships that we're willing to fight for and not give up on, regardless of what's going on. Petty fights, verbal or physical brawls, hurt, disappointment, lies, backstabbing, money, theft and communications...I have friendships that as much as I've been hurt, I'm not given up on them.

Here are some cool quotes to ponder....and yes, I also need to think about these....

"Sometimes you pick your friends, sometimes they pick you."

"Friends are God's way of taking care of us."

"Every man should have a fair-sized cemetary in which to bury the faults of his friends." - Henry Brooks Adams

"An honest answer is the sign of true friendship." - Proverbs 24:26

"A friend means well, even when he hurts you. But when an enemy puts his hand round your shoulder - watch out!" - Proverbs 27:6

The Saga of Sickness

Being sick is no fun, especially when the doctors take a while to find out what's wrong (yes, it's good when they finally know)....

So a few weeks ago I was having chest and rib pains and went to urgent care. I had thought it was pleurisy which I've had before and a weird illness. It's viral infection where the pleura (lining of lungs) is inflamed causing chest pains. I had begun getting side effects from the anti-inflammatories, another trip to urgent care for more medicine, then more side effects and a 3rd trip to urgent care on Monday for chest x-rays and an EKG. They now had realized that I don't have pleurisy, but inflammation of the cartilage b/c my ribs, chest and back were hurting. More side effects so yet another pill. From the x-rays they found a fracture on my rib that is causing the problems. A fractured rib is so weird and playing indoor soccer is the only thing I can think of. I've taken a few bad hits the past couple of weeks, so that must be cause...They still think I have inflammation of the cartilage in addition to the rib fracture. I'm taking 14-16 advil a day and starting to feel better, so hopefully another week or two I'll be doing even better.