It's 7:15 AM on Saturday Morning.  Andrea and I are 3 days into our trip out west.  Today, we will be leaving Vegas to go into the canyons of Utah and the Rockies.  For both of us, it's none too soon.

It's been 10 years, since I've been to Vegas.  And I had forgotten the way it made me feel.  The city is aptly named.  Almost everything I do here reinforces pride, envy, anger, sloth, avarice, gluttony or lust.  These sins are part of our nature, and experiencing them undeniably connects to a part of my self.  But when the moment has passed, I invariably feel ashamed.

I had always thought these motivations to be part of my animal self.  But today, we go into the wild...into nature.  And it is this experience of mother earth, that will wash away these last three days.  What could be more animal then marveling at the beauty of nature?  Something to think about, during the drive.

I haven't missed Vegas, over these last 10 years, and I don't think I'll miss her in the future.  Still, she is not without value.  To me, her Siren's Song does not catch my ear for long.  And for some reason, that makes me feel comfortable with the man I've become.