We're getting ready to host Thanksgiving with a party of 12 expected for the food, fellowship and football. Then on Friday I'll be finishing up a few interviews for the Northern Express. I needed to get the interviews taken care of and I'll write those articles either Saturday if I feel like it or after we get to LV. Saturday will be a day to pack and prep for the long trek.

We're never driven from TC to LV directly, but expect it to take three days or so. Our first day, which will be Sunday if all goes well and the weather looks clear, will find us driving from TC through Illinois. We cross the Mississippi River at St. Louis and drive for another 3 hours or so into Missouri, stopping somewhere around Rolla or Lebanon.

The second day should take us through Oklahoma and Texas into New Mexico, somewhere near Albequeque. Then our third day should get us near, if not to, LV. Once we hit town, we'll spend our first night at a LaQuinta Inn that is right next door to our apt complex. After a good night's sleep, we'll be getting our keys and checking out the apt. We need to go furniture shopping right away, since we're not renting furniture this year. We decided to buy furniture and will need to get a futon and bedroom items ASAP. It'll be pricey, but an adventure!

Today we sent the first month's rent to Wellington Meadows in preparation for our LV trip. The current resident of the apt. left on Nov. 20 and our lease officially begins Nov. 29. Helen's already talking about packing her clothes, so I'll be getting the suitcases out soon and getting them ready to fill. Nothing too interesting today, but the clock is ticking...

I've been encouraged by friends to establish a blog to keep track of our adventures as we prepare to spend the winter of '08-09 in Las Vegas. Helen has been working the phones to set up our utilities at the apartment - Wellington Meadows. It's the same complex we stayed in last year, though we'll be in a different apt. unit. Our address there will be 9550 West Sahara, Suite 1136, Las Vegas NV 89117. I've been busy getting the car prepped to make the cross-country drive and today I took her wheelchair and 3-wheel walker to have some preventive maintenance done before we leave. Last year one of her walkers broke a brake cable and it took 3-4 weeks to get it repaired. Don't want that to happen again if we can avoid it.