I just realized that I never posted the pictures I took in Las Vegas last October. We arrived late in the afternoon at the Rio, which is across the freeway from Caesar’s Palace. Our “standard” room was on the 2oth floor with a great view of the strip and surrounding area.

Before hitting the casino, we decided to take a quick dip. On the way to the pools, Rich, incredibly, bumped into someone he knew at IBM. A technical convention was underway at the Rio Convention Center, which focused an IBM technology.

Small world!

Neither Rich or I gamble, although, last time we visited Las Vegas, we spent a chunk of the evening, feeding penny-slot machines. At the time, the slots were very loose and we ended up several dollars ahead.

This trip, the slots were so tight that we quickly burned through $3, betting just a few cents at a time. I was close to tears.

Wisely, Rich put the loss into perspective, explaining I probably would have had an ear-to-ear grin if I’d spent the $3 on iced coffee from Starbucks. True.

Happily, an hour later, I was sipped a creme- and ice-infused coffee concoction as I watched a turrential downpour outside the newly built City Center.  We were both felt we’d won the jackpot by being in the right place at the right time to see curtains of rain stream down the sparkling skyscrapers with bolt of lightening, adding to the excitment.

The next morning, from the 20th floor of the Rio, we woke to lightening and were thrilled to see it streak across the desert as the sun started to rise. Check out some of our photos from the evening and next morning..