Off...

Enjoy the time off, Rain.  It might help to think of it as cramming some life into your soul so you have more to write about later.  It might also help to realize that someday you'll be able to look back on the memory of losing a boxing match with a mule deer and laugh.
 
Your vacations may work out better than mine, though. 

No Rain for two weeks?  Heck, we had no rain for five weeks around here!
 
(Gee, what to do when it's late August in Vegas and you're on vacation...)

have a blast!

Enjoy the outdoors Rain and have a great time with your lovely lady.  Try to forget about your daily life and go for new experiences.  Have fun!

Guitarhacker
Hike the Bright Angel Trail at the Grand Canyon.  Or at least part of it. Amazing views. Not for the out of shape individual.  I hiked down a short distance since my family looked at me crazy when I asked them to join me.....
 
 
Be sure to carry lots of water if you do this hike.  Its a good full day worth of fun.

my idea of fun is slightly different than what Herb's definition is....
 
just sayin...

I TOTALLY agree with others here. Where you are living is central to MANY natural wonders, Mesa Verde, Bryce, Grand Canyon, 4 Corners, Painted Desert, Petrified Forest... and that is just off the top of my head. Frankly, I think you should read some of the history of the area and go see some of the places. A lot of history was made in the SW. It is an amazing place to be.
Have you ever seen a sand storm about 10,000 ft high? Saw that in death valley... go in the desert in the afternoon, drive down the road and look at all the little animals and birds lined up in the shadow of each telephone pole.
 
You live in a really rich part of the world for day trips... then there are always the casinos, lol. Oh, Gallup New Mexico is cool too. It is a Navajo town. You can get yourself one of those big black wide rimmed Navajo/cowboy hats! If you gold let me know. My cousin lives in Las Vegas. He used to organize PGA tours, now he sets op private golfing tours all over the world. He is a great guy too. I grew up next door to his dad Bucky who is an artist. I think I have shared his site but it is buckybowles.com (Mike... you will likely recognize the land in his paintings, it is all costal plain woodlands). He also did a series called "Riverboats of the Chattahoochee... but I digress.
Rain, if you want to golf get in touch with Scott. You can tell him I sent you... he should be able to get you in somewhere really nice. I had to give up golf, I could never get past the windmill...
 
Shoot... no, don't shoot... but get a ZOOM handheld recorder or an R-8 and take it out into the land with your guitar.. sit on a hill and be inspired. Check around the crown of hilltops for minerals, never know what you night find. In Cripple Creek, CO. you can walk around the hilltops and pick up turquoise most anytime. The land there has no trees, they cut them all down for cabins and mine timbers.
The Lincoln County War was not far from you. Billy the Kid and the regulators?

Lincoln County courthouse, now a museum.
Billy:
 
Have some dang fun dadgummit !!!
 
Julien

Guitarhacker
 
 

 
That looks the mark of Drunk Zorro
 

We're talking about Rain here guys!  Don't you know where there might be a bat cave or something around there?

Yeah... Carlsbad, never been there. Have you driven up through Kentucky lately... lot of caves of course but now they are advertising underground ziplines... not sure about that...
 
J