Las Vegas

Back from Vegas and what a great time we had! The weather was hot and humid but the company was wonderful! Because I don't have anything to really post about today, I thought I'd share my daily dairy with you. Try to stay awake while reading:-)

DAY 1

The Triplets pick me up at the airport, after an uneventful and quick flight. We immediately head over to my new favourite buffet line over at Treasure Island. This buffet is really one of the best of the casinos in my opinion. From the oversized eating utensils, to the cloth napkins, from the sushi bar to the soul food counter, I've never been disappointed with this buffet. Here are the dishes I ate:

The orangey-looking stuff are actually awesome beef tamales. Next is saffron rice and seafood stew consisting of scallops, mussels, squid and some type of whitefish. Yum!

This meat was either breaded beef or pork covered in a tomatoey sauce. Because I don't like Italian food, I didn't like this. Oh and vegetables...just 'cause.

And for dessert, two generous scoops of vanilla bean ice cream, a small cherry tart and four of those chocolate balls. I could only eat two of those balls 'cause I don't like chocolate very much and these things are really thick. The ice cream and the tart were awesome!

You may not be able to tell from the pictures, but I don't like my food to touch. That's why there are only two things on the 2nd plate and why the dessert plate separated. The 1st picture looks crowded, but each item is separated. Don't know how long I've been like this but as long as I can remember food has never overlapped. One other thing, I have to eat one thing at a time. No tasting everything together. Once one item is gone then and only then do I go onto the other item.

We ate so much at the buffet we don't feel like having dinner so we sit around snacking, laughing and enjoying each other 'til the wee hours of the morning.

DAY TWO

I'm starving! The girls are still sleep but my stomach is furious with me and she's about to get ugly. I pad to the kitchen in search of something quick and easy but like Old Mother Hubbard's, this cupboard's bare. I make a quick peanut butter sandwich to appease Stomach and watch some mindless t.v.

I don't have cable at home and those few minutes of watching their cable strengthened my resolve to not getting it. I didn't realize there are so many reality shows on cable. I saw a few minutes of "Flipping Houses" and absolutely hate that smug, spoiled, guy. I saw "Girls Next Door" and enjoyed seeing Hugh being played for his money. If he thinks either of those women are w/him for love, he's too far into dementia to realize the truth. I do enjoy the cooking shows but not enough to pay for full cable. Okay, the sandwich's not doing enough to satisfy Stomach so the girls have to get up.

After a stupendously wonderful and filling breakfast of rare steak, hash brown potatoes and pancakes at Blueberry Hill, we head over to Walmart to stock up those empty cupboards. After Walmart a quick nap seems in order.

Three hours later (yeah, the nap was that long) Wilhela takes me to Chinatown behind the Strip for Thai and Chinese food. Now this is Heaven!

This is seafood noodle soup with fishballs, squid, long noodles, scallions and whitefish. I'm getting hungry all over again.

This is curry chicken with zucchini and onion. Completely awesome!

Here's the best of the best: shrimp in lobster sauce. Oh Lord, I'm hungry all over again. I've never done Thai so I hope I can find Thai food like this here at home.

I'm challenging myself to posting at least twice weekly, now that my workload has returned to normal. So you'll be seeing more of me.

Gone For A While

In Vegas with the Triplets. Have a great week. I'll bring you something back.

Just Some Rambling Going On In My Head

Usually, after watching WWE Smackdown and curling up next to my life-sized cardboard Baptista. Let me stop right here a moment. For those of you who don't know, Hulk Hogan retired from wrestling a few years ago. Dave Baptista, though no longer the champ will return to his official role in nine days when he beats Khali. So no more remarks ((DAVE)) about my wrestling honey and future husband!

Anyway, as I was mentioning earlier, after watching Smackdown I usually open my planner and start preparing for the work week ahead. Tonight I'm not doing any of that. Tonight I'm going to update my blog and read yours to see what I've missed.

I don't have a particular topic for tonight's blog, just some thoughts rolling around. Most of them sad, but aren't those the ones we tend to remember or hold on to the longest?

*First off, thanks to everyone who commented in the previous Love v. Never Loved post. You left some inspiring and great comments, except for one who shall remain nameless (see above in red).

*I feel for the families of the miners that were lost this week. I was reading an article on it where the UMW mouth is going on and on about how the deaths were unnecessary and could have been prevented if they had just used union workers and American workers blah, blah, blah. If I were a member of one of the families, I wouldn't want some pompous blowhard telling me my daddy or husband or uncle died because he wasn't a union worker. What kind of crap is that?

*Poor Michael Vick's mother. Raising those children, trying to do the best for them on what little she had. To see them both make it through the ranks of college and pro football only to see their dreams, and her dreams too, disappear into thin air. I've thought a lot about this story because I'm a football fan and true fans understand that no matter the team, when something happens to one player, all fans feel the loss.

I've thought about it from the fan angle, then the family angle: two sons that could have written their ticket into fame and fortune via football have lost it all. The money. All gone. The fame. Gone. The homes and financial security. Considering how much he has to spend to stay out of prison, and his lost revenue from ads, Michael's will all be gone.

I've thought about it from the race angle: why can't black athletes behave? Why are they so easily drawn to risky and damaging schemes & activities? But I remember that the Williams sisters are doing very well. Shannon and Sterling haven't been plastered all over the news leaving Federal court. I was going to mention Michael and Leon Spinks but nah, I'll leave well enough alone.

*My boss gave me a plum assignment. One that will generate greater visibility to my leadership, my thought leadership, my ability to coach and motivate without authority, my ability to do all this and still have time to come home and shower each day. I'm complaining, but I'm really very happy and pleased. I was surprised by his announcement, especially because there was someone else who wanted the assignment but he chose me and I really appreciate it. I was so giddy after the announcement I bought myself a rolling briefcase. Of course it's not the one I really want (Kenneth Cole black leather $199.99 at Macy's.com in case any of you are feeling generous) but it's cute. I don't know how often I'll use it but I have it when I need it.

*Love, again. There are so many people who take love for granted that when it's gone, you think you'll go stark raving mad unless you can find someone to just touch you. Just hold a glance longer than asking for a paperclip. To see someone across the room and share a knowing wink or to fill all goosey when they wiggle their eyebrows at you. Yeah I said "goosey", it's cute.

At work I see all of these people who think love is nothing more than a great big carousel filled with horses of all colours and shapes, glittering mirrors, beautiful lights and vibrantly pulsing music. These people don't think about the horses, they simply jump on to whichever horse they choose, ride for a while then hop on to the next one. They don't know that one day the music's gonna stop and they've ridden all the horses and have been left with nothing true. The beautiful music's stopped, the horses don't work anymore and their paints have faded, the beautiful flashing lights have burned out and there they are...silent, looking at their reflection in the carousel mirrors. The ride's ended.

*Vegas. My niece's baby shower is next Sunday and I've ordered her a beautiful bassinet. I honestly bought the first one I saw. I never do that! I compare prices, brands, read customer reviews, the whole nine yards. But when I saw this one at Target, I just had to buy it! What can I say, I'm a sucker for my nieces and purses. And football. And Baptista. And you, the people who tag me and are now sending my oldest blogging buds to force me to blog more. et tu, Jeni? et tu?

Is It Really Better To Have Loved and Lost?

Tonight we were sitting around, trying our best to leave the office within some reasonable amount of time. While clearing up my desk and thanking God I might be able to get home before 11p, I saw an email from a girlfriend lamenting on her life after her recent breakup from boyfriend #too many to remember.

Girlfriend was writing to tell us she's doing fine and is better able to cope being alone again. She also commented that the break up had bright sides-she'd lost five pounds and she was able to commit full time to her music again now that afore-mentioned boyfriend had left.

I'm not too much of a romantic. I think I was during my early teens, especially after buying the latest issues of Tiger Beat and Teen magazines. Lordy! Do they even sell those magazines anymore?

Anyway, as a teen I was a romantic of the sickening kind, especially after hearing Andy Gibb sing, "I just want to be your everything. Open up that heaven in your heart and let me be, the things you are to me and not some puppet on a string." Oh the swooning that ensued after that song ended!

Each month I bought any magazine that carried a picture of Andy and stuck them to my wall. My sister, who shared the room with me at that time, groaned and complained, teased and ridiculed the special love that I had for Andy. But I didn't care! Andy was going to find me somewhere in Phoenix, propose to me on the spot and whisk me away to Florida to live in a compound w/his family. We'd live happily ever after, him singing to me and me washing that long champagne-coloured mane of his.

So, back to the original reason for the post (sorry I've been away folks. Working is both a requirement and b--ch when you don't work for yourself). Is it better to have loved and lost or to have never loved at all?

My audience tonight was four guys and a girl. The guys all agreed it is better to have loved and lost. We girls agreed love, when it ends, is also a b---ch. I've decided that it's easier for men to get over relationships so they welcome each new one with open arms.

We girls on the other hand carry each relationship in our hearts, give it our all and have the hardest time getting over it, thus we rush less quickly into a new one.

Breaking up is hard to do. It also adds a new level of bitterness and distrust. Remember that song "I'll never fall in love again?" Sometimes I think that's me. I wonder if I'll ever fall in love again. Maybe not. Or at least not until WWE Champ Baptista finds me in Phoenix, proposes on the spot and we live happily ever after. Him wrestling me every night (wink) and me bathing him in body oil.

Good Lord, where's my Bible?