Vegas

So I spent the last week in Las Vegas for work. The United Mine Workers were having their 55th Constitutional Convention there, and as their pension plan administrator, The Funds sent a delegation of staff to the convention as part of the Exhibit Hall with a number of other vendors. The time in our booth went rather slowly, as we did not get as many visitors as I expected and most of who did had no interest in help with their pensions. Every day I was physically exhausted by having to work around the huge Mirage Hotel that literally took up several city blocks. On the other hand, I got to see a march of union members and part of a speech by Cecil Roberts to the convention delegates.

In my spare time, I also got a chance to visit with my father Mike Kerns and my stepmother Nancy. This is the first time I had seen either of them in years. (Yes, I’m a bad son.) We had a pretty mellow time together, as I was worn out by working every day and they were overwhelmed by the sights and prices of Vegas. But I did manage to record my Dad playing jazz on his guitar, so that was worth it.

Other things that happened during the Vegas trip included a drive through Red Rock Canyon, a visit to the Hoover Dam, spending money on trinkets at the official Beatles gift shop, and gambling just a little bit at the Roulette table.

I have plenty of pictures and videos I’ll be posting on social media later. It was a good trip, despite having to sit on the runway for an hour at Washington National on the way back, but I’m also glad it’s over and life can routine to a quieter kind of normal.