2026 Travel Plans and thoughts already forming for 2027

 So the Vegas 2x a year we've done so far, were 2018, 2021, 2023, 2025 - none back to back until now.  2026 will be the second year.  Actually with Oct 2024, June & Oct 2025, and now April/Oct 2026 that will make 5 trips in a row. I love Vegas but for even me that's too much!  

So I have informed Mr Juice that we will NOT be doing Vegas in spring of 2027!  He reminded me that we had non-couole trips; he went on golf trips 2x a year both 2024 & 2025 and I went to Maine/Acadia plus trips to mom in OK so they are not back to back plus we've done the added nature side trips - Oct 2023 was Monument Valley, Page, North Rim GCNP (before it burned down 😥) and Oct 2025 was Zion and Bryce.  And we have this springs upcoming nature side trip.  But still 2027 will have a non Vegas couples trip! 

But that does indeed mean our travel plans are Vegas end of March/beginning of April and his annual Oct Birthday trip.  But for spring since the America the Beautiful pass is good until Sept 27th we are going to...

JOSHUA TREE NAT'L PARK & DEATH VALLEY NP!

I am hoping for a super bloom spring.  We have flights, hotels and car booked.  I have itinerary of hikes mapped out. About 6 miles a day in each. Where to be for sunrise or sunset.  Ideas for dinner spots.  It's all set. Woohoo! I got a scratchoff poster of all the National Parks with like 8? Maybe done so far so looking forward to two new ones!  

We have not talked of adding anything to October and honestly we've seen most everything driveable except I recently saw a vlog about Great Basin NP in Nevada.  Its a 4 hr drive North.  From first impressions doesn't seem worth it.  But I'll dig deeper to see if I change my mind.

But instead I've already jumped to 2027.  I want us to go to Banff for 4 days in June for our 18th anniversary.  It will be pricey because of stay in bucket list hotels but not even half the price of a gambling trip.  I've already watched vlogs and have a tentative itinerary (with space to add).  Since Mr. Juice doesn't not share my thought of such a thing as "too much Vegas" he's asked for a spring guys trip for golf. Knock yourself out.  As he has way more vacation days than me and those two will eat up much usual spring/summer trip budget there may not be anything else the first half of 2027 but ya never know.

Oct 2025 Vegas Trip Report

As copied from trip report on TripAdvisor  with added pictures and an edit here or there.

Sunday Oct 12, 2025 we checked in to Paris; this time trying out a Versailles tower Balcony room for the first time. View off balcony was Bellagio fountains, Caesar's and to the North. Window on other wall looked over the Highroller and Sphere. So yes the views were spectacular. Now for the negatives...the walk takes forever. Even if you're coming from Horseshoe side the elevator drops you at one end of Versailles tower and then you have to walk entire tower length to room. If coming from Paris side the zigzag hallway feels like the length of entire casino, then the added tower hallway walk. Next - we're used to our rooms at Paris having mini fridge and keurig coffee maker. These are not in Versailles suites. Third was the bass line from Ole Red would have kept us up if we were not sufficiently tired and or drunk. And finally the TVs don't have a sleep timer, are huge and after 4 hrs go to this repetitive zen channel. We're a couple that need to fall asleep to the tv but with no timer at some point after a REM cycle you awake to a bright room, people kayaking to plinky-plunking music that I swear is just a 30 second loop. First world complaints for sure but while we loved the view, you put all that together and it's a one and done for us. Back to Bordeaux tower suites for us.

Sunday we just stayed local center with Mr Juice being up and a few $500 slot hits and me losing fairly steady.

Monday we cabbed down south to MB and hit all MGM properties going northward but Park and MGM grand. Played two or three machines per properties. Classy breakfast of Krispy Kream donuts in the dirty castle while finishing up bloody mary's and mimosas.  

Again, Mr Juice was fairing better than I but I reminded myself we tend to take turns on who is winning and soon my turn would come. Linner up at Beer Park late afternoon and some $5 Mississippi Stud games at Horseshoe & Cromwell with no significant wins finished our 9 casino hop day.  

We each ended the day with a few hundred left of daily bankroll so not bad for a full 16 hr day of being degenerates. Which was surprising as MGM properties took most of my bankroll but Paris brought me back to almost even. I went up to bed with a quick but expensive hot dog from Ansel's in Paris walkway around 11pm leaving Mr Juice on the casino floor to play a few tables solo for two hours.

Tuesday we cabbed to RW by 7am. Hit Fountain Bleu, Encore, Wynn and Venetian over the next four hours. I was up a bit and pointed out if we play til 1130 we'd be at the right place at the right time for Delmonico's to open at 1130 pre fixe lunch. No brainer. 3rd trip hitting them up for lunch. Now, I had just been in Maine two weeks prior and had 3 different lobster meals but I swear to God no one makes a tastier lobster bisque. It lives in my dreams rent free. Add in a burbon cocktail and we were living our best Vegas lives.  

Mr juice informed me he was down to his last $240 for the day and for me to find something as he went to the restroom as we entered Harrah's. A $5 Miss Stud table called my name as I realized I would need to split my bankroll if we were going to last the rest of the day together. Dreams of my past 3x 4OAKs came to my mind. To my surprise when he came out he sat down putting his last $200 on the table and I thought "oh no, we might need to make an extra withdrawl today." Since I was not having much luck. To my surprise he hit a nice run on the table and he cashed out up $700 and me up $100. Yay! Day salvaged. 

Frozen Bailey desert to celebrate. But we still decided a mid day nap to help our bodies, livers and bankrolls were in order. Slept 90 mins and back down to Paris floor.  

Evening slots and tables left us both again with a few hundred left to start the next morning. 1030p up to bed with a dinner of a small pizza. Watched a fountain show and off to sleep.

Wednesday we again stayed central at our favorite four (Paris, PH, Cosmo & Bellagio). Mr Juice was propositioned by nine; count 'em NINE prostitutes between 5 and 630am when I arrived downstairs. He was happy I arrived so that they'd finally leave him alone. I joked you can tell the economy is down as that is a new record.  

Decided on a plan of mid morning brunch at Cheri rooftop since we enjoyed it last trip. Mr Juice got the blue crab omelet again but I tried the avocado crescent. He was again wowed but I was disappointed in my choice as the avocado was actually really cold guacamole and the egg was almost hard boiled. But nothing spoils the view and ambiance. Today was enough of a winning day for me that I was able to give Mr Juice almost a full days bankroll when he ran out of his by afternoon. 

But it was another nap day afternoon before heading to Caesar's for 745 dinner reservations at Amalfi for my Diamond celebration. I had looked at trying something new (Carmelo at PH or Bedford at Paris?) But reviews and menus made me know I just wanted tried and true knowing I will absolutely love my meal. 

Continued my winning all night long except for one losing Miss stud session enough that I gave me Mr Juice even more hundreds to start his early morning as we were tired and liquored up enough to go up to bed at 10p meaning he would be awake at 3am. He can never seem to sleep more than 5 hrs in Vegas me no more than 6 so we knew what was coming.

Last day quickly lost my $200 in Paris before needing today's bankroll and told him "we need to switch casinos to change my mojo". Off to Cosmo in search of specific games not available at Caesar's properties. Up $200 for me thanks to Heart Throb bonus, $300 up for Juice and off to Bellagio. In a "it worked in 2022 let me do it again" I used $10 in converted slot dollars with $100 of my own on Ghangis Khan at 10 cents, $2.50 spins and won $1100. Back to Paris to pack up room and breakfast at Alexxa's. Mr Juice said his host insisted this time - do not go check out, she would handle it all. It felt so weird not checking out and finishing bunch right at 1045am and charging it to room not knowing what has or would be comped. Not that it would change where we eat or what we order. Just knowing if we could still charge to room or not. But we checked his players card at 11am and all his reward credits were gone so we knew they always apply those first at check out before comping us. We're still awaiting the portfolio email to see if they comped everything else but tips (what has happened last few trips). But with how much he lost last three days LOL we figure that will be likely- except that usually they then add me to the room, and apply my resort credits and play to that figure as well so we'll see. I think I should contact his host and see if I can switch hosts so they know we're together. (Extra note now in Feb - everything but tips was comped. And for our upcoming trip the host did ask me for my player number to add me to room.)

After brunch I was obviously feeling rich so went back to my best winning machine in Paris - the new iteration of Moolah - Triple Blast. Burst all 3 Cow pots, rocked out to DJ Chicka Cow's "we want our cows back" remix getting 65 spins (day before I got over 200 spins winning $500) and this time won $300. Was playing it down to an even $400 when I hit the Unicow for first time ever. 

Surprisingly only popped two cows and won another $165. Over to karate sensei pheonix link to win another $200. Off the high limit champagne slots! Lost $200 but Mr Juice won on Autumn Moon and said "I wanna do something stupid" so sat at another high limit slot and I sat next to him playing $3.75 Huff and Even More Puff. Got golden buzzsaw for a super mega hat bonus. 8 mansions. Boom another $1100 win. Nice that my two biggest wins were just under taxing handpays. Had $2000 tucked in my purse and two hours til leaving for airport. 

Before deciding to make our last stand back in champagne slots. Between Mr Juice and I walked to cash out up another grand to tuck in secret purse pocket. We hadn't used the safe the whole trip and left for the airport feeling a bit nervous with over 3k on me. This does not make us up as a couple but if you take that plus what I gave over to hubs, I personally was up. We'll always take a trip home with any amount left from our entertainment gambling budget home as a win!

Extra note from Feb - I had tried to drink away the pain I was feeling all week.  And that didn't work and something was clearly wrong. I ended up on steroids, then narcotics, then ACDF surgery all within 3 weeks of returning home.  Then another month of pain killers and muscle relaxers I do not have a great recall of this trip on its own. But when I read what I wrote at the time I can remember each moment I talk about so I'm glad I wrote it immediately upon coming home for TA even if I did forget to post it here until now.

Zion/Bryce trip -We now return to our regular programming

 So because I had trouble formatting the first post about the lead up to ACDF surgery I had added photos of Zion, Bryce and Vegas from Oct since that was when the pain started.  But I never did a blog on the trip itself. Shame on me for focusing only on my spinal surgery and not memorializing my trip LOL. So here we go.

Zion -Friday Oct 10th, 2025 After flying into Vegas we made the 3ish hour drive over to Zion, checked into the lodge for our Western Cabin and immediately grabbed a park bus to the furthest Valley stop to do the Riverwalk to the Narrows. 

It's a mile walk, paved and only a little hilly here and there.  There had been a huge series of storms the day before, day of and next day expected and signs up that the Narrows was closed due to flash flooding but I am unsure how closely that's monitored by park staff during a government shutdown as we saw a few people heading back in from their trek. We had not planned to do the Narrows with our short stay but did keep glancing at the skies as it kept thundering.  Only a light drizzle hit us for about 2 mins. Was a lovely walk with great views of the river & closing in canyon. 

We then hoped the bus to next stop heading back down the valley and walked the very step but well maintained hill up to Weeping Rock which thankfully is short but a nice view. The Weeping Rock itself doesn't photograph well but the view looking out was worth the stop.

Back to the lodge to shower, clean ourselves up for dinner and walk from our cabin to the lodge for dinner. As one of the farthest cabins it's still only about a 7 min walk. Dinner was lovely, if memory serves I had a funky cocktail and rainbow trout with tricolored carrots and mashed potato. Jeff had some sw stew that was the special that he raved about. 

Saturday 10/11/25 - per usual us in PST we awoke super early, and the next round of storms had been pounding the area overnight so we were unsure not only if we'd go to Bryce but if we'd have to spend time indoors part of the day as the forecast called for 80% chance of afternoon rain. So to make the most of clear skies we headed into first bus at 7am before official sunrise to next stop at the grotto to start hike into Lower and Mid Emerald Pools.  My favorite of the whole trip! Obviously with days of rain including just 3 hrs before we got to the falls they were running strong and many people told us we were getting quite a sight as they hardly have such powerful waterfalls.  

Afterwards we had breakfast at the lodge as the trail comes out just across the street.  Then hopped the bus to court of the Patriarchs view, it's funny because while still gorgeous this is the most 'meh' bus stop of the stops. Few photos and back on bus to Canyon Junction Bridge stop. From here we walked the Pa'rus Trail until the historic museum. That's about a mile and a half stroll with gorgeous views of the river thru the valley and several passes over the river. Sadly with the government shutdown the museum was closed. Bused down to Visitors Center then back to cabin.  

It's only now 1045am! And without doing the two most renowned hikes (Narrows & Angels landing) we have now seen every stop and only box left to check off is the canyon overlook just past Mt Carmel tunnel.  It only took 3 hours Friday and 4 hrs Saturday.  Recheck the forecast.  Rain chance has now gone down to just 20%!  Bryce canyon side jaunt is back on! We will hit Overlook on way back.

Drive over to Bryce is almost 2 hrs so we get there at 1pm.  Stop at visitors center for bathroom break and map and head to one of the further viewpoints, Natural Arch Bridge which is 20 mins south. We then make our way back stopping at several views until we get to the amphitheater where we walked Sunset Point to Sunrise point and back to car. 3 hrs in park and a good taste for only walking 2 miles. Obviously if we had more time, we would have liked to walk Queens Garden or Navajo trail loop into the hoodoos or a little 1 mile waterfall walk that's a stop one mile further east past the main gate but time was limited, clouds rolled in and a storm was threatening (view from one viewpoint we were totally in a cloud and saw nothing 🤣). 

So back to Zion.  At 530 before we reached the Mt Carmel tunnel the parking anywhere within a mile of the short Cayon Overlook were jammed so alas had to skip. Another good dinner at lodge after two pre dinner drinks at the lodge Beer Garden and off to cabin to sleep before heading to Vegas.  Awoke around 3am in some of the most excruciating pain ever and if you have not read about that you can go to my first post in the ACDF spinal surgery saga for that tale. But a little better when rewoke after hubs got me ice, a short massage, and a 2 hr nap. On to road to Vegas by 530ish? I think I will post Vegas seperate as I always like to revisit Vegas trip reports. 

12 weeks post op

 So only one week left before I graduate from PT and we all agree I'm ready.  Only new exercise since last post is band in either hand and strech one way and then another in that if you took still photos it would look like a big X.  So one hand up above shoulder outstretched and other at opposite hip come together than switch direction.

No more crying since that one day at work since Jan 8th (today is the 31st).  But I have learned what position now makes things ache that I hadn't been in until the last week 3x.  If I'm in a low back chair, I tend to instead lean forward (onto Bar, table, whatever in in front of me) and as it's at a lower height this causes me to "sink" my head lower and shoulder blades kinda hunched up.  Ow! Like fucking ouch!  So need to remember good posture but yet 3x in 8 days...when will I remember? It makes my neck & shoulder muscles hurt then and following day so that's 6 out of last day but at least it's mild soreness.

I can lay on my left side even more but still certain positions or length of time I start getting nerve pain but hubs says I am doing it in my sleep and it's not waking me so doing it even more than I realize.  Tingling when bending over and reaching is the same but have not noticed it when I yawn.  But MAN is my scar itchy this week!

Can't think of any other update really.  Only iced once at work this week.  Still do at home about every other night. I think this will be my last surgery update unless something happens.  It's been quite the experience but fairly short in the big picture.  

10 wks post op ACDF Surgery

 Had a great past 10 days (so since the crying episode last Wednesday from 3-4pm). My PT even seemed surprised this Thursday when she asked how neck and back were feeling and I said 'decent. Pretty good.  Just slightly sore from new exercises from Tuesday (I'll get to them in a bit).  Had joked on Tuesday that I must be feeling better as I suddenly notice my other older pains again.  Right hip was hurting last Friday, some knee pain during week as it got colder, and my lumbar is back to being biggest pain every morning.  Thanks overall arthritis. 🤨 But he agreed with me that our bodies tend to notice the 'biggest' pain at the moment so it's finally back to what I had before all this ACDF stuff started.  

I've been dealing with knee arthritis for 10 yrs now, hips about 7 yrs and lumbar 2 yrs so this is nothing new.  Used the recumbent cycle twice this week to try and keep the knees and hips loose and twisties during my current PT exercises to try to help the lower back.  Wish I had written down those exercises so I could remember them.  Not doing bridges as feel that's bad for C7-T1 site right now.  Just sucks that for fusion I'm not allowed to take NSAIDs which is what my arthritis med is so just suffering thru but honestly it's not that bad yet.  I think it is because of the whole 'your brain gets used to higher levels of pain as you deal with them' prior to the neck/nerve pain I thought my lumbar pain was pretty intense even on the med.  Now I'm like "eh, sucks a bit but acceptable" without the med.  Imaging how nice it will feel once I can go back on drug.  Will have to remember to ask doc on Tuesday when that will be.  6 months? A year? 

Ok so to new exercises lay on stomach and raise shoulders to 'pinch' shoulder blades. Hold for 3 count. Relax.  I call it the Butterfly as I think if I didn't have arms but wings, this is how I'd move my wings.  Another is then still on stomach lay so arm lays over side and pretend I had a bar bell in hand, raising elbow until hand is level with hip and slowly bring back down. Be sure not to hunch shoulder. 10x then do other arm.  I said on Tuesday after doing these "wow, that's the hardest thing you've had me do yet!" He said I had advanced. Thursday my main PT was shocked I had moved to that.  Asked how it went. Said muscles were sore that night and next day but not unbearably so. (Did take a muscle relaxer that night because have learned not to try and be a hero. Don't need another cry session).

MD appt follow up is Tuesday one month after my 6 week check up that they added because it was on my worst day post op (full day of pain & crying because of the new left side nerve pain). Originally wasn't supposed to see doc until 3.5 months post op. But at such a better place now but wanted to keep appt as I do still have slight nerve pain on left and to ask questions. Like could maybe an added injection later help if still have it at the 3.5 month appt? Would that require another MRI? Is there a already planned MRI to check on fusion then already? If not, when do we look at that as I believe x ray can only see so much. Reminds me I'll copy & paste these questions to a note to reference at appt.  

9 weeks Post Op ACDF Surgery

 Ok so I won't be 9 weeks for two days.  But it's hard to figure the days now but gimme a sec...61 days. 

The big news this week is I worked a full 5 days.  Bad news is Wednesday afternoon last hour of work I cried from pain/emotions.  I wouldn't say the pain was *that* bad.  I mean, it was bad from whatever muscle manipulation PT the night before making my neck feel like I had bad whiplash add in turning my head for 8 hrs but it was more the emotions making me cry. Kept having irrational thoughts of what if I end up a cripple and hubs leaves me. What? I swear to effing God this is perimenopausal as I never had these kind of intrusive thoughts before. Ugh. I hate crying in public. I am not that girl.  And I just had tears rolling down cheeks back in my corner window cube. Not full on hysterical or sobbing.  Only someone saw and I think told on me so my boss was like "if you need to work half days..." and I'm like it's just a bad day.  And I was right.  Next day wasn't great but not as bad.  And that Thurs PT did something that helped. So I am pleased with myself for 5 days straight. After 9 weeks of not. Go me! Celebrate the wins.

Note to self in how wonderful Mr Juice has been. He heard in my voice at work how bad Wednesday was so he emptied the dishwasher and did the sink full of dishes I was dreading (without being asked). Then Friday took down the outside xmas lights. Both before I got home so I wouldn't even get a chance to beat him to it.  This man loves me and shows me in little tiny ways daily. Because I am probably pushing myself a bit too hard here and there to be back to my "normal".

Want to write down the new exercises since I've already forgotten many of my lumbar ones from 9 months ago.  Blue stretchy band.  Grab underhanded, shoulder width apart thumbs point outward. Strech band outward.  I call this the Fonzy stretch due to the thumbs even though they point away from body.  Aaaaayyy! Feel shoulder blades close in. Next close knot in band in doorway at head hight, pull bands down to mid thigh.  Next in door at hip height elbows bent, pull to hips again feeling shoulder blades squeeze. These along with the four on wall - snow angels, touchdown jesus Y's, long arm strech clap, and hip to wall full twist full arm claps in each direction.

In sleeping on side news (an odd barometer I know but I went from can't at all 4 weeks ago) to now I can sleep on right side for over an hour at a time and believe I'm that way a third of the night going from right side to back and right side again. Left side still aches if on it for more than 15-20 mins but thats up from 5 mins two weeks ago so, again - improvements.  Just takes much longer than I'd like. 

Still some nerve pain down left side.  Don't remember if I documented I notice it's mainly when leaning on that arm (brushing teeth, sitting on toilet)  or reaching to side or above head and oddly when I yawn. Right side nerve pain occasionally but less than left.  

Still burping a lot but not bile like I was week 2-4. Just never was a huge belcher before so it feels like it's all the time yet it's not enough for me to remember to take the pepcid much so I guess it's not so bad as I went thru that first bottle a lot.  

Smoking - while back at it now (started back at 1 a day 44 days post op) have kept it to 8-11 smokes a day as apposed to 30-35 pre surgery.  So at least in the week of saying fuck it, didn't go off the deep end and increase more. 

I think that's enough updates for now.  Still icing 2-3 times a day and heating pad much of the evenings.

54 days post op

 So I told PT that I stopped the one ear to shoulder exercise as it hurt too much and she said "oh the one you were making painful faces on eval day? Yeah. Ok. Stop it."  Didn't suggest anything else, or we'll work on that function later down in your recovery. Seemed odd compared to other times/places I've had PT but OK.  

First 3 days back at work.  Mon/Tues/Fri because of NYE and NYD holiday.  Turning my head all day long on my 3 monitors hurt enough followed by PT Monday & Tuesday that I took a muscle relaxer Monday night and I had iced twice at work that day.  Tuesday only iced one at work and no M.R. Friday I didn't think to ice until last hour of work day when I realized I was so achey that I wasn't sure I could turn my head for the last hour of work.  Next week is 5 days so I'm going to try to remember to ice mid day every day so that hopefully I don't get that feeling at hour 7-8.  

Tuesday I had a different PT person and when I mentioned the slight nerve pain in my left arm since starting PT at the very end of session he said "has anyone shown you the trick?" What trick? No!  Make your hand into the OK symbol pretending you're holding a small cup of tea. Swing your arm down behind your hip then up toward your mouth but 'dump the cup of tea' all over your chin & neck from like nose height. He said it's like flossing your teeth -It hurts at first like 'why am I doing this?' But starts to help.  IDK as I forgot about it the next day of some reason (I swear to god the 6 weeks of doing nothing during recovery, my brain started to atrophy LOL) so I have only done 20 reps a day the last two days.  

Sadly after cryfest back on Dec 23rd I had a smoke on car ride home from doctor after 6 weeks of no smoking. And started having one smoke a day that week.  That turned into 2-3 a day earlier this week.  And then got together with a friend drinking who is also a chainsmoker when drinking (like hubs and I get).  I ended up having 11 yesterday 😳. Now is that better than the 30-35 a day I had prior to surgery? And the 40-50 I would have in past drinking with this friend? Yes obviously but I know me. It's all downhill. I hope the 6 weeks I didn't smoke and the reduced smoking is enough to not fuck up the fusion of bone.  Anecdotally I've seen people on the group I joined on FB say they didn't quit at all and they fused. And I know 15% of non smokers don't fuse.  But the percent of smokers who don't fuse is like 50%. My surgeon wanted me not smoking for 3 months.  But I found on line some medical saying 4 weeks and I've found some that talk about 6 months.  I can't believe for my breast reduction 22 yrs ago I went almost 6 months before a night of drinking with my old college roommate ended that.  And that was just for nice healing & scars on my boobs.  This is my frickin spine.  Addiction sucks.  But back then I wasn't really around anyone that smoked until she showed up.  These 8 weeks I've been sitting right next to husband who is smoking two packs a day so a) I don't know what the second hand smoke has been doing to my healing and b) I'm kinda impressed that I made it this long with that temptation right next to me. 

The small dagger in my back pain has lessened a bit this past week but it does still feel like I have a this metal rod connecting my shoulder blades and a metal cage in between the should blades on my spine constricting movement a bit.