Entries by TATIANA

So what did I do during the one week in Vegas? Well I was busy! Vegas is HOT during the summer, it is like stepping into an oven. Full blast hot air engulfs you. But I survived the heat. The day after I arrived I went over to Emily's house to spend time with my cafe crew. I miss all of them. We caught up, laughed, ate really good food and I even had a drink, a Moscow Mule. I made a salad.





Next time I visit we might go on a day trip together, I have a place in mind.
Then I spent two days at the International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa Conference. That was interesting.....lots of products offered for wholesale prices, demos and people all over. Many booths selling and promoting hair extensions, lash extensions and microblading. I am interested in skin care and got a 30 minute demo facial from a woman that REALLY knows her craft, Gennipher Wilson. WOW!
I did not want to leave her hands. If I ever go to this conference again I am definitely making sure to see her again, she is amazing. She has youtube videos in case you are interested.
So I was on that table and Eminence (skin care brand) products were use during the facial I got.





After the conference I had a few days left which were spent doing errands. I finally got a huge task behind me that I have been fighting since late 2015. Imagine the stress and irritation this has caused me (a LOT of stress actually). I KNEW I was in the right and I am very persistent and stubborn when I want to be, I got what I had requested but I am not done with this yet. Now I need to get redeemed but that is another issue in itself.

I recently finished yet another trip through Nevada and took some pics so all of you that perhaps never been there can see. So Las Vegas is located in the very South of Nevada.....I drove from Oregon to Nevada (destination Las Vegas) and back.
About 115 miles outside Vegas you will find the town of Beatty. There you should stop at a large candy and nut store, Death Valley Nut & Candy Co and they also have ice cream there, made on the premises. Get some ice cream - it's good! I had the banana walnut and coffee. The kid behind the counter warned me that the coffee ice cream had caffeine in it.....I was like perhaps if it had some cocaine in it you could had warned me. Then I gave him a $3 tip and he said it was the most tips he made all day from one person. Come on people, spread your coin around!



Very nice toilet sign.



I saw an interesting book. I have personally charmed myself through several states.



Beatty is also the location of Bailey's hot springs. I need to stay long enough next time I come through and try these hot springs, I hear they are pretty nice.



Outside Beatty you can turn towards Death Valley. The hottest temperature recorded in the US was in Death Valley, 134 °F. So perhaps don't attempt a visit there during the summer months. Unless you enjoy feeling parched.



Then I rolled into Goldfield. Dennis Hof votes Republican I see, he owns a few Nevada based establishments.





If you ever wanted to be the owner of a general store out in the middle of nowhere, here is your chance!



A local lady told me to check out something called the Car Forest (actually International Car Forest of the Last Church), turn on Crystal Avenue to get there. Just a bunch of junk cars standing on their noses into the ground. I got a slight The Hills Have Eyes vibe.....like 'hey little girl.....go drive down that abandoned road and see what's awaiting you.'



A gloryhole in Goldfield? Hmmm....what kind of a town is this?



There are a few prisons in Nevada. Pick up a hitchhiker for an interesting addition to your road trip.



Continued North and got to Austin. I think Austin might be the best little town in Nevada. You reach it after driving up a winding road through the hills, very beautiful scenery.



There is a lot to see in Austin, nice places to eat, gem and rock shopping.
I recommend an overnight stay if you have the time.





Make sure you check out Stokes Castle! People used to Iive in this three story tower.







Amazing views! There is a fire pit up there. Perhaps one day I will spend the night in my car parked outside Stokes Castle, the sunset must be fantastic from there.



The loneliest road in America.....





Finally I got to Winnemucca.....about 140 miles from the Oregon border.
There are a few brothels in Nevada as well, this one in Winnemucca is called The PussyCat Ranch.



I love this piece of log - very impressive! The log is a portion of a redwood tree, largest piece of driftwood ever collected!





The scenery just outside Winnemucca is very wild West like. Just vast rolling hills and big sky. Beautiful.
I had my companion with me as always.

Today I got the collection of poems written by Rupi Kaur called milk and honey . This book has gotten a lot of attention and is a best seller. I am not much of a poetry person but I decided to give it a go. I got one book for me and one more that I am planning on giving away. Books make great gifts. And I love giving gifts.



I can relate to this poem.



I am tired today, heavy eyes, want to sleep preferably outside. It's hot - the whole of USA is sweltering.

Went to watch the sun set and the moon rise last night. The moon had an orangey red color and was perfectly round when it rose....it was really pretty and the pics I took do not make it justice.





Moon over a city.





It is Monday today and that means the start of a new work week for many. I make a weekly to do list instead. I have a few things to take care of this week. Today I want to go and see if I can transfer the pics I took on my drive through Nevada onto some device so I can put them up here on the blog. Then I might try an Olaplex No.3 treatment on my hair. Maybe.

This is my latest obsession for my taste buds - ginger beer. I am trying different brands, I want a burn when drinking (I love spicy stuff) and lots of ginger swirling around in the bottle but not too sweet. Most of the ginger beers have a lot of sugar. I found one called Fever Tree at Whole Foods with not that much sugar but I don't like the taste that much. The one in the pic is called Bottoms Up. Good but too much sugar. They have a website with all sorts of ginger stuff, www.gingerpeople.com



Sunday evening and a full moon.....well TECHNICALLY the moon was full at 12:07 AM today. I have to go outside and see if I can snap some pics of the moon and perhaps the sunset too.

Today I tried yoga. I attempted it years ago but was so bored during the class that I didn't finish it. Today my intention was to join a friend for a hot power yoga class but I quickly realized that it was way too advanced for me and instead I joined another class that was easier. Still difficult though. And I wanted to quit a few times, again I felt bored and impatient but I forced myself to stay and I am glad that I did. Some of the moves, or should I say poses were difficult and the instructor impressed me, she was an older somewhat heavy lady but she did the low plank for over a minute straight in great form. I did not. I am not at all familiar with all yoga poses, the basic ones yes but far from all of them. I am not used to switching quickly and fluidly from one pose to another. Will I go again? Maybe.
I don't know. I do understand the benefits of yoga and I see how it can be good for your mind as well. I just don't know if yoga is my thing.



The Rainbow Gathering just wrapped up, this year somewhere in the Malheur National Forest in Oregon.



I went to a Rainbow Gathering years ago, this is before I ever went to Burning Man. Although I heard of Burning Man around that time. I remember staying in a tent, communal kitchens, many drum circles around fires at night, a pretty bad toilet situation, I lost my flip flop in a muddy ditch (hoping I did not step in a "toilet") while trying to locate my tent at night and got a slight case of food poisoning the last day. I definitely prefer Burning Man over the Rainbow Gathering. Burning Man is definitely my "thing". I would go to a Rainbow Gathering again if the opportunity presented itself but it's nothing I am obsessing over. If it happens it happens.
Speaking of saving the forest.....when I was about seven, me and my then best friend Helen formed our own private club called KlaKla. We spent a lot of time playing outside in an area behind our homes that had a small forest. We were the protectors of that forest and the animals. And we would nurse broken branches on the trees back to health by making casts for them. I recall we had a pet spider named Viktor that we found frozen in some ice.....we hacked him free, the ice melted and Viktor lived. No wonder that I ended up at a Rainbow Gathering and four Burning Mans and counting as an adult. I still care for trees, plants and animals, even insects. No flowers in vases for me. To me flowers do not belong in a vase. Either in a pot growing inside or growing outside. Large bouquets do nothing for me besides make me feel sorry for the pretty flowers.