Just got back from the happiest place on earth. No, not Disneyland. I meant the happiest place on earth for adults.

Last week we took Grandma (aka my mom) to Las Vegas for her belated Christmas present. The weather was nice and cool, and she enjoyed herself immensely.

My mother is advancing in age. Spending time with her is a priority, and watching her enjoy herself makes me happy, too. The tables were great (I'm talking about buffet tables) and it wasn't crowded, so getting from casino to casino was easy.

On the walkways, there are beggars with signs asking for money. I usually walk right past, but this time, I saw a man with a pit-bull puppy sleeping on his lap. I gave the man some money, hoping it would go to the care of his dog. It's always sad seeing people living on the streets, but when they have animals with them, it just breaks my heart. You think I got taken? I hope the man and the puppy have a warm place to go home to.

All over the strip, the hotels and casinos played up the Chinese New Year theme with orange trees and red and gold banners hung everywhere. Again, I proved that being born in the Year of the Rabbit didn't help me in the luck department. Darn that Mega-bucks machine!

When I got back home, I got to thinking about what "luck" really is. I am grateful that I have a very good home life. I have worked at The Advertiser for 19 years (my anniversary was Thursday). I have great friends. Island Tails has made me more knowledgeable about animals, and I have met many new friends through this blog. My dog, Zoe, brings me more happiness and joy than I could ever wish for. All these years, my definition of "luck" was totally off base.