I'm not on the farm.  Not near it.  I'm in Las Vegas for the Financial Forensics Accounting Academy (or something like that).  It's quite interesting.  Last time I was here was in 2003, stayed at the Venetian, got a $60 taxi ride to the hotel and barely saw outside but for the early AM runs along the strip, trying not to trip over all of the bare naked lady cards left on the ground (I wonder how one feels to see their image tossed aside as garbage ....).

This year there was no way I could stay inside for a whole week, so I rented a car, Ford Focus - very nice.  It's been great actually.  I've gotten to bed each night about 9:00 and up each day by 4:30.  Going down through the casino and Lobby at 5:30 am headed out for a run makes me feel so superior to all of the people still up and drinking at the bar (bars - they are every where in this hotel - The Cosmopolitan).  It's like I was back in Madison, 1985, going for my winter night runs past the bars with people inside, not running.  Is it bad to measure oneself against one's environment?

The light and noise and crowds of people here is beyond me.  It's the opposite of who I am.  I like people, but in small, well known doses.  Luckily, Las Vegas actually has phenomenal running trails within a 40 minute drive (10 of which is just managing the awful traffic lights on the Strip) of the Hotels.  I agree with my friend Mr. Lammers that Bootleg Canyon is the best.  The attached picture is of me, having made it up what started as a bike trail but became more of a climbing route before joining back up with a bike trail (and a slight divergence here - these bike trails are WAY beyond my comprehension - they were hard to walk or run - I simply can not imagine maneuvering mountain bikes down them).  This was at Bootleg canyon.  Just amazing to run at.  

I check out tomorrow.  I was going to muster up the courage to walk down on the strip tonight and drink a beer at a bar, by myself.  I just couldn't do it. (I was lucky enough to have been taken under the wings of a married couple in my class (Thank you Cami and Dusty !) - so tonight we went out to a Diners Drive-ins and Dives featured Restaurant, Forte Tapas Bar)  Instead, here I am, thinking about the farm, thinking about my family, thinking about the quiet, and likely going to bed.  I saw a great trail to run up this morning.  I was able to google the area and can see where I need to go to park.  Looks like I'll be up at 4:30 and feeling superior one more time tomorrow as I walk through the lobby to go on one last quiet adventure here.

I think I'l come back here next year for training in the least likely city for Ron to ever be seen in ....