I've rented a car in Las Vegas and have reserved a hotel in Twentynine Palms which

is just north of Joshua Tree. We'll drive from Las Vegas through Mojave National
Preserve and possibly do a short hike on our way down. Then spend all day on Monday
at Joshua Tree. We can decide the next morning if we want to do more in Joshua Tree
or Mojave before we head back.
"Begin today!" That's all the note said. There was no indication from where it came
or who may have written it. Had it been meant for someone else? Meghan looked
around the room, but nobody made eye contact back. For a brief moment, she thought
it might be a message for her to follow her dreams, but ultimately decided it was
easier to ignore it as she crumpled it up and threw it away.
There were a variety of ways to win the game. James had played it long enough to
know most of them and he could see what his opponent was trying to do. There was a
simple counterattack that James could use and the game should be his. He began
deploying it with the confidence of a veteran player who had been in this situation
a thousand times in the past. So, it was with great surprise when his opponent used
a move he had never before seen or anticipated to easily defeat him in the game.
The red glow of tail lights indicating another long drive home from work after an
even longer 24-hour shift at the hospital. The shift hadn�t been horrible but the
constant stream of patients entering the ER meant there was no downtime. She had
some of the �regulars� in tonight with new ailments they were sure were going to
kill them. It�s amazing what a couple of Tylenol and a physical exam from the
doctor did to eliminate their pain, nausea, headache, or whatever other mild
symptoms they had. Sometimes she wondered if all they really needed was some
interaction with others and a bit of the individual attention they received from
the nurses.
The boy walked down the street in a carefree way, playing without notice of what
was about him. He didn't hear the sound of the car as his ball careened into the
road. He took a step toward it, and in doing so sealed his fate.
Twenty-five hours had passed since the incident. It seemed to be a lot longer than
that. That twenty-five hours seemed more like a week in her mind. The fact that she
still was having trouble comprehending exactly what took place wasn't helping the
matter. She thought if she could just get a little rest the entire incident might
make a little more sense.
She counted. One. She could hear the steps coming closer. Two. Puffs of breath
could be seen coming from his mouth. Three. He stopped beside her. Four. She pulled
the trigger of the gun.
She didn't like the food. She never did. She made the usual complaints and started
the tantrum he knew was coming. But this time was different. Instead of trying to
placate her and her unreasonable demands, he just stared at her and watched her
meltdown without saying a word.
They needed to find a place to eat. The kids were beginning to get grumpy in the
back seat and if they didn't find them food soon, it was just a matter of time
before they were faced with a complete meltdown. Even knowing this, the solution
wasn't easy. Everyone in the car had a different opinion on where the best place to
eat would be with nobody agreeing with the suggestions of the others. It seemed to
be an impossible no-win situation where not everyone would be happy no matter where
they decided to eat which in itself would lead to a meltdown. Yet a decision needed
to be made and it needed to be made quickly.
Mary had to make a decision and she knew that whatever decision she made, it would
upset someone. It seemed like such a silly reason for people to get upset but she
knew the minute that she began to consider doing it that there was no way everyone
in her life would be pleased with what she ultimately decided to do. It was simply
a question of who she would rather displease most. While this had always been her
parents, and especially her mom, in the past that she tried to keep from upsetting,
she decided that this time the person she was going to please the most with her
decision was herself.