Silver and Gold

On Sunday, we set off on yet another day trip out of town, this time to none other than Sin City. The drive was made for a very good cause. Our old friends John and Cyndi whom we met when both newly married and newly assimulated into the Marine Corps were vacationing in Vegas from Florida celebrating both their 10 year anniversary and both of their 30th birthdays. These are each huge milestones in and of themselves but quite monumental when combined.

John and Cyndi were our neighbors at not one, not two but three locations while in the military. First in 29 Palms when we both lived in "Ghetto Palms" as it was so aptly nicknamed. Then again in Oceanside we had apartments in the same complex while Joe was sent to Okinawa. Of course we all know I ended up going to Japan with him but 7 months later when we both returned, John and Cyndi were one house down from us at the trailer park at Pendleton. It was here that along with a few other couples, we made the best friends we ever had, having the time of our lives and on one particularly drunken evening, received the honorary name that I appointed to my blog, "The Funny Noses".

It's funny when you part ways with friends like John and Cyndi. Of course we have always kept in touch via phone and Internet and they came to see us once before when they were in Cali for a wedding. But after not being together for the better part of the last 5 years, it is amazing how easily you just fall right back into the friendship when reunited. Sunday we had a blast reminiscing about old times, catching up with what has changed in our lives over the last 10 years and just generally having a nice time. We spent a majority of the day in their hotel suite but we did venture out to catch the dancing water show at the Bellagio and saw the gorgeous Fall display in the hotel's arboretum. We also ate a wonderful meal at Diablo in the Monte Carlo where they were staying.

The kids were troopers finding various ways to entertain themselves while we were caught up in conversation, taking in the sights at the Bellagio and even taking a dip in the jacuzzi tub overlooking the strip inside John and Cyndi's suite.

The bad part about a visit like this one is that it is always too short and it makes one sad that we live on opposite coasts. Our lives had so many parallels from marriage, military, moves, kids, pets, deployments to Iraq. We shared so many bonding moments through our time together it is not surprising that we have been hard pressed to make friends that we are as close to as we were and are with John and Cyndi. And so I am reminded of an old girl scout saying (and no I was never actually in the girl scouts) but it goes, "Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and one is gold." For us, John and Cyndi are both silver and gold.

Here is a picture of Cyndi and I in front of one of the fountains at the Monte Carlo:

And Joe and the kids waiting for the water show to start at the Bellagio:


Inside the arboritum, the display for fall was really cool: