Crickets? Hello?

Shame on me for not having entered anything in here for a while ... so much so that I wonder if even the crickets have left.

Not to worry, though, as I'm on back on track and will be sharing anecdotes and stories about our vacation.

We're currently in Oregon visiting the in-laws and absolutely enjoying our time here. My wife has quickly adjusted to the Pacific time zone; she's still in bed while I am up, typing at 7:13 a.m. (10:13 back home).

Getting to Portland was an interesting experience. We flew out of BWI - which is really nowhere near our house in No.Va., but offered us the best flight options - at 7 a.m. on Saturday. We didn't actually leave the gate until nearly an hour later; the pilot explained to us there were conflicting readings on a guage in the cockpit.

The guage that manages the, uh, waste aboard.

So, rather than fly across the country with tanks full of crap - literally - we waited for a technician to make sure we really were free and clear. Once we were, off we went.

We had a smooth and easy flight and got a wonderful view of Hoover Dam off in the distance, headed for our layover point in Las Vegas.

Our layover was scheduled to be a long one - three hours - but became 2.5 hours because of the delay in Baltimore. Still, given the lack of lines at the security area and the lack of lines at the taxi stand, we were able to flag a cab and do a mini-tour of Vegas.

Now I understand why it's such a destination. The spectacle of Las Vegas Boulevard - the Strip - is truly unrivaled. The gardens in front of Caesar's were amazing; unfortunately, there was no water show in front. I can only imagine what that must be like.

We motored past random places like New York, New York; Paris; and the Hard Rock. The scene-stealer was Wynn, Steve Wynn's brand-new megacasino. Our cab driver told us it was built at a cost of $2.2 billion. And out back is Wynn's 18-hole golf course; it's a sweet comp if you can pull it off. For the rest of us, it'll cost $500 a round.

Putting that in perspective, a round at Pebble Beach costs between $250-300.

But it's Vegas, and everything is oversized in Vegas. I guess golf isn't any different.