Ash Wednesday in LV

Every Wednesday morning from 10 a.m. to 11:30, Helen attends a Bible Study Class at the Lakes Lutheran Church. Since today was Ash Wednesday, she decided to stay after the class to attend a noon service.

So when I dropped her off at 9:45, we agreed that I would run a couple of errands and return to the church to pick her up at 12:30. My first stop was at a nearby post office box where I deposited my brother Bruce's birthday card. On March 3, next Tuesday, he turns 56.

Then it was off to the local library to pick up a few books. I found two mysteries for Helen - "Murder By Manicure" by Nancy Cohen and "Bleeding Hearts" by Susan Wittig Albert. For myself, I found "Murder of a Mafia Daughter" by Cathy Scott, "Master Detective" by John Reisinger and "Everything They Had" by David Halberstam.

I returned to the church about 12:20 and started reading "Murder of a Mafia Daughter." Helen came out about 12:45 and we headed back to the apt. where I made us turkey sandwiches for lunch. Then I grabbed a grocery list we had been compiling and headed over to Albertsons to do a little shopping. Six bags and $50 later, I headed home.

About 4 p.m., Helen and I called our niece Brandi, who turns 15 today. She was pretty excited that we called and seemed especially impressed that I signed the birthday card we sent her a few days ago. We're sort of birthday buddies, since she was born on Feb. 25 and I was born Feb. 26 - some 46 years earlier...

After talking with Brandi, I kept reading "Mafia Daughter" and actually finished it a few minutes ago. A pretty interesting tale about Susan Berman, whose father Davie Berman ran casinos in LV for the mob in the '50s and '60s. Susan was found murdered in LA in 2000 and it sounds like one of her friends is her killer, though no one was ever convicted.

For dinner, I whipped up some salads - organic mixed greens, Greek feta cheese, mushrooms, red onions, and Kalamata olives. Helen opted for Catalina dressing, while I chose a creamy ranch. We chose to eat healthy after munching some peanut & almond M&Ms as an afternoon snack.

Now we're just watching TV and I'll be starting one of my other books. For my birthday tomorrow, I plan on a full day of poker, followed by dinner at Hash House A Go Go, one of Vegas' most interesting eateries and a favorite of some celebs, including Al Roker. No doubt, the adventure will continue...