Little Vegas

Last night I took the chillins to check out the legendary Christmas light display of Ransom Canyon. For those who have never been to or heard of Ransom Canyon, I can only describe it as: if you were to cross a city with the $$$ homes of Park City with the lakeshore town homes of Schofield, you would have Ransom Canyon (without snow). Ransom Canyon is located about 10 miles East of Lubbock, TX. I don’t know if there is a city/town ordinance that requires each and every home owner to display Christmas lights or not, but there is a certain compulsion that the townsfolk take very seriously and it involves Christmas lights. Perhaps they all suffer from “Keeping up with the Jones’ syndrome”. Everyone in this town has to try and outdo his/her neighbor. Fortunately for the spectator, the effect with so many lights and the reflection off the lake is truly breathtaking (and it’s also free to the rest of the poor folks). Unfortunately, a camera could never do this vision justice. Some people have Temple Square to visit, others have the Festival of Lights, and the rednecks of West Texas have Ransom Canyon (lottery: yes-slots: no).

Reconciliation

I was at school the other day and a fellow student was looking very worn out and tired (perhaps it was a result of cramming for the end of the semester) and I said to her, “So how long have you been divorced from sleep?” Her reply was, “Oh, we’re not divorced; we’ve just decided to separate until the kids grow up and move out of the house.”

Not two days later, I found myself in Elder’s quorum and the good brother giving the lesson apologized for not being as prepared as he normally is. His excuse, “Sorry, I was becoming with reacquainted with an old friend named Sleep.”

Lack of sleep was never an issue when I was a kid. I remember being able to sleep on the cold hard ground as a boy scout, rocks, tree branches, pine cones and all couldn’t keep me from sleep, but alas that is no longer my lot in life. Now that I am 30+, married with children, and still a student, I find my self longing for bygone days. Sleep and I may go way back, but now, were lucky to pass each other in the hall and nod our heads, barely acknowledging that the other exists. Perhaps, after the kids are grown and moved out, Sleep and I will come to realize that we’ve both been too hard on each other and we’ll be able to make amends.

Overheard at a Bus Stop

Favio: You went from a “D” man to like a low “B”. How’d ya do it?
Jumpy: “I jus’ figures out how to work the system brother.
Favio: Nobody’s ever beaten the system.
Jumpy: Nobody’s been at it as long as I have.
Favio: Man, you could make a fortune
Jumpy: Well ya see, there’s a certain level of complications to the whole process.
Favio: What’ya mean?
Jumpy: I s’pose I can trust ya.

Both then leaned their heads together and their voices became nothing more than a gentle whisper. Favio chuckled softly, slipped Jumpy a twenty, and walked away shaking his head and with a grin on his face exclaimed quietly to himself:

Favio: Smoke and mirrors man. Who would’a believed ole Jumpy would’a figured that out. Smoke and mirrors.