Vegas.

"Remember what you told me
Shut up and put your money where your mouth is
That's what you get for waking up in Vegas
Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes, now
That's what you get for waking up in Vegas."

f you have ever been to Nevada, and flown there, you know the moment you get off the plane there's a welcome mat for you. It comes in the form of a slot machine. It's completely legal of course, but there is something sort of jarring when this is your first encounter.

I have been to Nevada several times and have walked up and sat down at machines pretty much every time I have been there. This most recent time was no different. Except this time I had a budget. How much? It was $1.00. Yes, you read the correctly, it was 4 quarters, 100 pennies, or however you want to divide it. In addition, I spent this massive fortune moments before I boarded my plane back to Illinois—I wanted to make sure I was there to carry home any winnings.

With so little experience, I slipped the dollar into the machine without realizing I had bet all of the money on one pull. It was a 25-cent machine and I thought I was going to have four tries. Oops. The machine did what it does best…it took my money with "no regrets, a better luck next time, or thanks for coming"…nothing. All I could do was laugh and walk away. Yes, I had more money in my wallet, but this was the fix I needed, I didn't win, and headed toward the gate.

I am really not much of a gambler; in fact, every time I have been to Nevada I have spent much more time taking pictures than having my money taken. Plus, the people are really interesting to watch and although you can't take pictures in casinos, there are plenty of opportunities once you venture outside. Over the years I have seen brides, Gene Simmons (look-a-likes—-with tongue and all) and so many interesting people it would not be possible to write about them in this small space.

But with the funny images, I have shot plenty of hurtful ones. It seems the land of dreams often ends with a sour note when there is gambling involved. Once I encountered a 20-something guy who was seriously down on his luck. The sign he held was tough to read as he put his life out there;  when I asked if I could take his picture, and pay him for it, you could see the shame he felt. He turned away, I took the photo and left quickly; I have no idea how the money was spent, but I am thinking it was not on food.

It might seem these are the only scenes you see in Nevada, however there's much more. If you go north you will find open ranges and beautiful scenery—check that, very beautiful scenery. This past trip I saw snow-capped mountains where five months earlier, I saw rock. Both were beautiful, but the snow added a completely different perspective of what this state has to offer. 

The photo above is of the slot machine that took my dollar. I am okay with it—-had I won I would have walked back and put it all back in anyway. I am fortunate to not have that urge, I know many people who do; for me, my urge comes in the form of pushing a button instead of pulling a handle. Both can be very expensive, but mine seems to pay a bigger reward in my opinion.

Thanks for stopping by.

What's that day?

"They say it's your birthday

It's my birthday too, yeah

They say it's your birthday

We're gonna have a good time

I'm glad it's your birthday

Happy birthday to you."

Unless I am mistaken, except for "Leap Year," there are 365 days in a year—on Earth. With all of the options out there to have a birthday, you would think the odds are pretty good not to see some overlap within a family. One would think at least.

Well, I believe our family defies the odds a bit.

When I decided to make my grand entrance into this world, I picked a date that would stick with me forever. My birthday, April 4, should not be that common. But ask my first cousin and he will say, "it's common with me..it's my birthday as well." Okay, so it's a fluke. Big deal.

Same two families again, and sure enough my sister and my late uncle share the same birthday. Of course, they're many years apart, but with all of the days (including leap years) here we are once more.

But wait, there's even more….

Same two families once again, and my brother and first cousin are born two days apart from one another. Again, there are a few years separating them, but it's getting kind of weird here. 

Want more? Sure you do.

It was only believed and not confirmed, but my grandfather's both had the same birthday. The reason they were not sure was they came from Europe and they never had a confirmed date of birth but when they arrived to the U.S. both had listed birthdays as the same. True story.

Could there be even more?

Actually, yes. My daughter and my wife almost had the same birthday but we induced labor to avoid this happening. It would have been too awkward and my wife was ready to call this one done and have her already. Hold it, there can't be more, can there? Well, maybe. My youngest daughter and my sister and uncle came within an eyelash of all three sharing the same day, but we induced again. 

Almost done; although not as joyous, my mother was born and buried on the same date. 

Whew…that's it. But if you don't see a coincidence, you would have to agree there's something crazy going on here. 

Lastly, I remember a long time ago I was always surprised when I heard so and so had their birthday on October 2. I knew several people with that date. I never understood until I did the math; I travelled nine months back and there was New Year's staring me in the face. (It turns out, the most popular birthdate in the world is actually October 5th, but still close enough.)

The photo above was take this past weekend. It seemed only fitting that on this date, I would be wishing a Happy Birthday to my daughter and grandson. With all of the available dates on the calendar, Hallmark is ready for when we walk in to buy multiple cards.

Thanks for stopping by.

Boys of Fall.

"When I feel that chill, smell that fresh cut grass

I'm back in my helmet, cleats, and shoulder pads
Standing in the huddle, listening to the call
Fans going crazy for the boys of fall

With so much happening in the world, you may have forgotten this weekend is the "Big Game." I can't say the real name as it is trademarked and I guess I could get in trouble. 

Today's "Snap.Shot." is not about the game, it's about what it takes to get to the game. Not by car or plane, let's go way back…how about local football. In the area where I live, football is a big deal. Check that, a really big deal. Families come together in what would be best described as a "clan" to watch players of all sizes play their hearts out. What's most amazing about these games is viewing the development of these young boys (and sometimes girls) on the gridiron. 

It usually starts around age 8 or 9 when you see the speed develop. The blocking is not as big of a deal in comparison with some of these players who zip past opposing players. This is also the time when predictions start to be brought into discussions. The predictions are…how far this or that player go with the game? As a photographer, I have heard some pretty wild ones, but I have also agreed with many of them—as long as an injury doesn't play a factor in their future. (That's something that never creeps into conversations.)

In our town, the coaches from high school are starting to scout the players as well. I guess you could say this is a little NFL, and they want to be familiar with "Who to watch? Who is committed? Who is moldable into the mix?" This is serious stuff; not just for the coaches but for the community and school. 

What's always interesting is to see how much changes from the start of the season (when it's really hot outside) through November (when it is really cold outside). The stands are usually  full in the beginning and bursting when the season ends. I never have to worry about being squished, I am on the sidelines and honestly that's as close as I want to get to the game. I was not born to play football, or really any sport, but my Nikon was!  

What's been the most pleasure is watching the 8-9 year olds progress and then suddenly they're on the Varsity team. Even more surprising, they have matured to sizes that are unimaginable. Reality does come back into play when they take off their helmets…they are still  young men. 

Although I am not sure how many, but several players have gone on to play Division 1 football; I know of at least a couple who have signed with NFL teams. Pretty cool that it all started with a small field in our town.

So let's move back to the Big Game. 

The photo above was taken at our local high school. If you think about where every one of these players started their love for the game, it usually travels back to that small field in the middle of a town and/or a city that's just crazy about the game--all  in hopes one of these players takes it to the professional level.

Thanks for stopping by.

This new smartphone has real appeal.

"Hello, baby

Yeah, this is the Big Bopper speakin'
Ha ha ha ha ha, oh you sweet thing
Do I what?Will I what?
Oh baby, you know what I like."

Last night, Apple announced its earnings to the investment community. Whereas many felt they were going to go one way, they once again proved them wrong by soaring upward.

I found it interesting that Apple did not discuss a new competitor coming into the market; I am not sure if this was an oversight or fear on their part. I suspect it's both.

Recently, and I witnessed this at the Minnesota Timberwolves game last week, I saw a woman holding this new wireless device in her hand. She held on to it  the entire game and frequently placed it near her head. I was not sure if this was a working model or one to generate attention, but it appears to have substantial "appeal."

After I left the game, I went online to check it out. I was not able to find much news, but did learn—and this is only rumor—but the model comes in green, yellow and black. I assume it has to do with when it is purchased and it's freshness. I have been asking people about the new phone—I believe it's called "The Banana" —and what they know about it. Most have never heard of it, but one person said they had heard it offers something most other smart devices offer but rarely used for this purpose.

Apparently, and I am still absorbing this news..the Banana can be used for one person to speak to another. No cords, just the ability to talk. Whoa. Amazing.

What impressed me most about learning of "The Banana" was it's unique ability to be consumed after using. Unlike the other smartphones, it's high in potassium and can be mixed and matched with apples, blackberries and other fruits. According to what I read, they call this "fruit salad." I tried to learn more about but I couldn't locate any "text" on the matter. 

In today's connected world, the thought of actually talking to another human "live" is difficult to imagine. That's why I believe this new device will give both Apple and Blackberry a run for their money. Knowing it brings back a human touch, and is good for you after your done talking, it's only a matter of time until other smartphones come out with similar capabilities. Perhaps we will see the introduction of the radish, cantaloupe, and grape be the next to hit the market. My only concern would be size. Will the grape and radish be too small? How will anyone fit a cantaloupe in their purse or pocket? I guess we will have to see.

The photo above is real. This woman, from tip off to the end of the game, actually held this banana and during the game held it to up and appeared to talk on it. What I really suspect is she had the desire to be on the Jumbotron. I didn't see it happen, but then again anyone who makes it up there is usually just monkeying around.

Thanks for stopping by.