A Mom and a Move

It's been a busy last few days. First, I got a much-needed last minute visit from my mom over the weekend. We did all the fun stuff--shopping, great dinners, long walks, a bike ride, general catching up. And, I almost forgot, a trip to the casino. 

Yes, my mother and I spent Saturday afternoon at Harrah's Casino in suburban Illinois. Little known fact: a short thirty minute drive from Chicago, you can find yourself amidst shuffling cards, ringing slot machines, and whirring roulette wheels. 

I can't take the credit for this adventure. We were visiting relatives--my mom's cousin--and rather than spend the day sitting around small-talking, the Illinois kin thought it would be more fun to spend the day gambling. 

I'll admit I was more than a little skeptical. But it was a great time! Two highlights: watching a guy one table over from us win big--240,000 dollars big; and walking away with a hundred dollars in winnings of my own. 

I was sad to see my mom leave on Sunday, but I didn't have much time to be mopey. We had to be out of, what I have come to call Melrose Place, by midnight on Monday. Not that it would be too hard for us nomads to relocate to our next camp site. It was touch and go for a little, especially when it came to moving our clunker of a couch down a flight of stairs alone (only to leave it on the curb for the taking), but with the help of a luggage cart, we managed to get it done just in time to catch the tail end of the sunset from our new Wrightwood Ave roof deck!