Queen of Countdowns

I love a good countdown, almost as much as I love lists (they keep me sane).

Right now I have two countdowns, both of which are bringing me joy and angst.

1. Las Vegas, aka vacation

We're off to the warm (read: above freezing) desert for a long weekend in 12 days! And it isn't just us - a lot of friends are coming, too. There are a few people still on the fence and my advice to them is BOOK IT!

Frank and I are staying at the Vdara, a new resort in the City Center complex near the middle of strip. Some friends are staying at the Bellagio (fancy-pants), some are at Bally's, and some are at Planet Hollywood. Then there is another group going containing a friend/acquaintance of mine, rounding out the number to be somewhere between 12 and 22 people I will know in Vegas in one weekend.

I'm looking forward to three things:
1) playoff football will be going on and that means betting on games
2) poker is fun! and when you add in playoff football, some casinos will splash random tables' pots when teams score, adding to the fun
3) the general atmosphere. I really loved the excitement and bright lights, there are so many things to do there that almost anyone could have fun! I hope to spend a little more time exploring and sight seeing, maybe I'll get a book about the history of the strip or something to read on the way out there.

The second big countdown is

2. The Move

We're moving back to Arlington at the end of the month and there is still a lot of work to do before that happens. Packing, cleaning, and priming the bedroom are the obvious tasks, but there are others like contacting the cable company, the electric company, the gas company, nailing down a date with the management company so we know when we get the keys, booking a moving van, rounding up our volunteers, etc.

Then, once we're moved in there are things like - do we paint? will our furniture fit? should we ask to install a dog door? I need rugs for the living room, bedroom, office, and landing.

While it is overwhelming at times, I am so excited to be back in Arlington and super excited for a back yard and a basement!

For now I must focus on work during the day and keeping myself sane during the evenings - I think I'll start making lists.