What a whirlwind

A lot has been going on since I last posted. I remember a week ago, I was getting ready to write about my baking adventures and new haircut. But I got a call from my brother, he told me my grandpa lost his battle with cancer; he had passed away a couple hours earlier. I talked to my dad and told him that I'd shop around for flights and I try to make it in on Wednesday. I'd call once my plans were confirmed. Southwest is my preferred airline to Chicago, they wanted over $700 to fly round trip. That's insane! I spent the day comparing fares. Expedia offered me the cheapest option at $332, but it required me to tour the country and fly two airlines. After hours of searching, I knew it'd be rough, but it was my best option. Normally, it's a 3 hour and 30 minute flight non-stop LAS to MDW. I had the pleasure of taking the scenic route, Las Vegas to San Francisco to Denver to Chicago, nine hours of travel time. It was exhausting, fortunately, all my flights ran a bit early. I arrived in Chicago right on time.

Chicago was cold, windy, snowy and icy, about an inch had fallen right before I got in. My brother was 15 minutes late, by then I was freezing, I called to find out how far away he was - thinking I'd warm up inside if I had the time. He was a minute away in the cellphone lot, assessing damage, he hit a construction sign on his way and damaged the bumper and headlight on my dad's van. The bumper grinded on the tire whenever you'd turn, hit a bump or pothole (every two feet in Chicago). Mike didn't want to drive home, I took the wheel, nervously. My dad's van is huge, the roads were slick, lanes were poorly marked, I was afraid the tire would blow at any minute and I was shivering non-stop. It was slow-going the whole way, but we made it safe and sound.

Amy was at my dad's when Mike and I arrived. We visited a bit and then she and I ran to White Castle. I was starved. Two double jalepeno cheeseburgers hit the spot. She left shortly after. I was beat despite doing nothing more than traveling all day. So, I said goodnight to my dad and Mike and turned in.

Thursday morning was leisurely. Around noon, I was hungry, my dad bought fixings for Italian Beef. I made myself a sandwich, it was so good, I had two. Before I knew it, it was time to head to the wake. Visiting hours were 2-9pm. My dad, Mike and I were second to arrive. The rest of the family showed minutes later. My aunts' put together picture boards of photos that spanned my grandpa's 76 years. Saw friends and family I hadn't seen since August 2007, some were longer, more than six years. I kept an eye on Nicky, my young cousins, and other kids - kept them occupied when they'd get restless. Nicky was a trip, he'd walk up beside my grandpa's casket and yell, "Papa, wake up!", I tried to explain to him that papa was in heaven and he won't be waking up, but an hour later he was back there at it again. In the meantime, he'd tell anyone that'd listen that papa was sleeping. After the wake, Amy, Jeff, joined Mike, dad and I back at dad's house. Jeff's stepmom took Nicky home an hour earlier to put him to bed. We visited for awhile, they left, and we went to bed knowing that'd Friday would be an early morning and long day.

Friday was the funeral. The services were very nice. The weather wasn't too bad, the sun was warm, the wind died-down, so the cold temps didn't feel as bad. Nicky went to his uncle Brian's during the church service, Amy and Jeff learned from previous funerals it's impossible to keep him quiet. They picked him up afterwards so he could join us for lunch at Gaelic Park. Lunch was good, I could have eaten at least four more cups of their cream of chicken soup - it was delicious. Aside from that no chicken was served (my grandpa hated chicken) and Guinness flowed freely. It was a proper send off. From there, we went back to the funeral home to pick up flowers and our belongings. My aunt and uncle invited the immediate family back to my grandparent's house. My uncle's goal was to polish off what was left of my grandparents' booze. It was an odd feeling to be at their house without them. Last time I was there was November 2007, just days before my grandma passed away. The strange feeling subsided and we had a good time looking at old photos, laughing, sharing stories and old memories. I'm sure grandma & grandpa were there with us, and they wouldn't of wanted it any other way. Early on Amy ran to Portillo's, I had her get me a Chicago-style dog. It was very tasty. Then, later, around 6:30 everyone was pretty tanked. Dinner was in order, my cousin suggest ordering Beggar's Pizza. I planned to have dinner at Giordano's, my favorite place for stuffed pizza. But I decided to give Beggar's a shot, Frank and I used to eat their thin crust pizzas regularly when we lived at our apartment in Lansing, those were always good so I figured it'd be a safe bet. My uncle assured me it'd be good. It was a mistake. I didn't like it, they use cornmeal crust, it's too thick and lacked cheese. It was more like deep dish than stuffed. Disappointing. We hung around a couple more hours and then everyone headed home after they sobered up. I crashed around 11:30 I was so tired I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.

Saturday, I chatted with my dad all morning. I had lunch plans with Bob, he drove up from Kentucky to help out, father-in-law was released from the hospital on Wednesday, well, I think it was Wednesday. Anyway, he picked me up and we went out to Golden Palace, a Chinese restaurant in Lansing, a couple miles from the Indiana border. It was Frank and my favorite place when we lived there. I was happy to see the same family was still running it. We ordered egg rolls, beansprout noodle and orange chicken, we also had tea and almond cookies. So so good, you can't find Chinese food like than in NV or KY. We were stuffed, but happy as can be. Before he took me back to my dad's, I visited with him and the in-laws for a couple hours. Frank's dad is doing well, he looks good, he seems to be well on his way to a full recovery. Amy and Nicky were at my dad's when I got there, Mike was for a bit, but he left to see a show with his friends. The three of us visited and played with Nicky. It was hilarious to see my dad and Nicky play "ring around the rosy" around the stripper pole that's in his living room. Yes, you heard right. After Christmas, Mike bought a stripper pole, and it's in the middle of the living room at my dad's house. As soon as Nicky would get my dad up then he'd run off and do something else, leaving my dad alone at the pole. In this picture he took off to play telephone. My dad joined him. Nicky took pictures with my camera so the settings were off - it's distorted, but you get the idea.

From Drop Box

Hunger struck, I was torn, I couldn't decide if I wanted Giordano's or a gyro. I settled on a gyro, we got them from Markella's. They were really good, even better than Nicky's were I usually go when I'm there. We hung by my dad's the rest of the night. Jeff came by and Mike came back after the show. We played cards and talked. Around 2am, my eyes were getting really heavy. I knew I needed a nap, I slept for an hour and a half, they stayed up. I packed my bags, my dad gave me Italian Sausage and pancetta to take home - frozen, so it'd make the trip. I said good-bye to Mike and my dad. By 4:15, Amy, Jeff, Nicky and I were off to the airport. We said our good-byes and I took off for my longest day of traveling ever. I left Midway for Denver at 6:10, arrived on-time, but my flight to San Francisco was delayed - issues at SFO. We were cleared to leave about an hour behind schedule. Arrived in San Francisco. It was pouring, the rain came down in waves. My flight to Vegas was delayed three hours. I walked the airport, bought sourdough bread and a book to pass the time. By then, I had read everything I brought along and done more word searches than you can imagine. I'd close my eyes and I'd see letters float around. I read until it was time to go and finally at 1:30 we were boarding - on my way home, finally! 13 hours in airports and on airplanes is no fun. I was absolutely thrilled to be home. It was cloudy, but the 70 degree air felt wonderful. Frank picked me up and we zipped home.

Overall it was a good trip, given the circumstances. It was nice to spend time with my dad. I saw him more in those few days than I have in the last ten years. We've had our high's and low's over the years; I want to put troubled times behind us and work to build a better relationship. I think this trip helped us take steps to do so.

The last few years have been tough for my family, we've lost many loved ones, I hope my grandpa's death closes this chapter of our lives, and happier and healthier times lie ahead.

Maybe there will be another offer

You might remember, last week, I mentioned that Wynn sent us an offer. I thought I'd follow up on that. We did call to reserve Thursday night, but instead of lounging in the lap of luxury we were comfy at home. Honestly, I wasn't a bit disappointed it was nice to be home and catch up on dvr'd shows. When Frank called marketing to make the reservation, earlier this week, they no longer had any nights available at Encore. All they could offer us was a room at Wynn. We stayed there twice before so it wasn't worth it to us. We'd like to check out Encore and knock another property off "our list". Hopefully, we'll get a second chance.

Calm after the storm

The family's gone, my mom and I took them to the airport yesterday when I got off work. It's always hard to say good-bye we were all in tears during our so long. Nicky was sweet, he told grandma not to cry when she went to give him one last hug.

My mom treated us to dinner at Grand Lux, then we took her home. We returned to the house, it was silent. Only scattered items, crumbs on the floor, and fingerprints remain. My house is pretty trashed, but I have a three day weekend coming up. So, I'll be able to get things back in order and catch up on sleep. I am very much looking forward to sleep.

From the moment they arrived until they left it was go, go, go. It can be overwhelming, and it doesn't take long for exhaustion to set in. It'd be so nice to have them close so we could see them a couple times a week at a much mellower pace. Maybe someday, but in the meantime, I wouldn't trade those chaotic couple weeks a year for anything.

Here's a few videos of my favorite boy.

He likes to sing and pretend the desk is a piano.


Nicky sings from kellee on Vimeo.

It's terrible, I find this one hilarious, watch until the end.


nicky sings and falls from kellee on Vimeo.

So sweet!


Nicky loves us from kellee on Vimeo.

The hits keep coming

No one is a stranger to the cries over current economic troubles, including Las Vegas. The city has been feeling the affects the last few months. People are still visiting, who can resist the deals? but they’re spending less. Many casinos are turning good profits but insane debt payments and/or substantial construction costs have them over their heads. Layoffs, restructuring, and budget cuts have been the buzz words of late.

At the end of last year, Frank was able to dodge the bullet and keep his job. He stepped into a new position with more responsibility, the understanding that it was a lateral move and no bonuses would be awarded in 2009. Bonuses are figured into salary so that was a pay cut – more work, less pay - pretty typical of corporations' pinching pennies.

Another round of layoffs are rumored; it’s been quite stressful. He got word that he’s safe so far, but he’ll no longer be matched for any 401k contributions and he is forced to take a 5% cut in pay. Not great circumstances, but he keeps his job. That’s what’s important.

My only hope is that things turn around soon. I’m not too confident that he’ll be safe the next time they’re looking to cut costs.

Philly Steakout is No More

And I feel partially responsible. We drove by the Tropicana/Ft. Apache location the other night and there were no lights on, we parked and Amy hopped out to read the sign on the door. It stated “Closed due to the Economy”. What a bummer. I haven’t had another cheesesteak that was nearly as good as those at Philly Steakout. They flew in ingredients from Philly, which made made their sandwiches the most authentic around. In recent months we've been eating out a lot less and we started eating healthier in the New Year so we haven’t had cheesesteaks since early December. I think we may have been keeping them in business by stopping there weekly or, at least, a few times a month. Seriously, I doubt our lack of visits alone had much impact, but it really is a shame. They will be missed.

Rain, Rain Go Away...

After work on Friday I made my way over the hump to Pahrump. It started raining at Tecopa and it’s rained off and on since then, I think it finally stopped drizzling mid-morning today. It sure put a wrench in our plans, we intended to hang by my mom’s this weekend so Nicky can drive his viper, ride his horse, chase chickens and play in dirt. But when it rains, my mom’s land turns into muddy quick sand; it’s no fun at all. Keeping him inside with all the animals in sight out the window would be pure torture – for everyone. So, they decided they’d come to Vegas on Saturday. We had the local Chinese buffet for dinner, and visited for a bit. Then Mike and I set off for our night of gambling.

We drove back to Vegas; we got to the Hard Rock around 11:30. It’s been Mike’s favorite property since his first trip nearly nine years ago. Now he’s 21, he was in heaven, it could have only been better if he had a bankroll to throw around Nick Pappageorgio style. The bars and clubs were hopping, the table games were pretty busy, but the slots were pretty dead. It worked in our favor because the cocktail waitress came by regularly. We played a few penny slots and I showed him how video keno works. He wanted to play the numbers from his fortune that he got from his fortune cookie earlier. We had a slow burn going with our money. We hung around for a couple hours then he wanted to hit the strip.

We parked at Harrah’s, he wasn’t feeling the vibe so we went to check out Carnaval Court the rain curtailed any fun there, they were packing it in for the night. We went on to IP. Good crowds in there, a little too crowded so we kept on heading south. Next stop was Flamingo, it was pretty busy in there, too. Nothing caught Mike’s eye, so we went to Bally’s. It was a ghost-town. We were able to get drinks playing slots real quick so that was nice. All players’ clubs seemed to be closed so he wanted to go somewhere he already had a card for so we decided Bellagio would be the next stop. We walked right past the penny slots near the shops entrance and wasted a lot of time looking for them. Bellagio’s clubs were pretty busy but the rest of the place was eerily calm. I’ve never seen it like that. I wanted to play VP I found a decent bank of games, we sat and got comfy. I showed Mike how to play, instructed him on what to keep and what to toss. He picked it up quickly. We played for an hour roughly and not a single cocktail waitress walked by. So, when my buy-in was gone, we booked it. We went to Bill’s. Crazy busy in there at 3:30. We made our way back to Harrah’s. Mike played a little to get another drink. Along the way we ran into all kinds’ characters, drunks that could barely stand, hookers looking for date, hookers being questioned by police, a drug bust, a few drug dealers, a couple pukers and these three girls that wanted to walk to Fremont. Around 4:15 we headed home. I haven’t been out that late in ages. It was interesting.

Saturday, the rest of family came by. We hung around the house; never got into the hot tub it was too chilly from the rain and wind. Nicky had a blast in my big master bathtub, though. He thought it was the best tubby ever. Amy, Nicky and I stayed home while everyone else when downtown. My mom was able to get three comped nights at the Plaza. They gambled and drank – good times were had. No wins to speak of, but Frank said the Plaza is back to the basics and he enjoyed playing there again. I'll have to check it out sometime soon.

Sunday we were able to swim in between storms. Frank took Mike and Amy off-roading. Around 6:15 he called asking for me to come pick them up. The Jimmy wouldn’t start. I dashed off in my mom’s Blazer. They were in a retention basin off Blue Diamond west of Hualapai. I’ve never been there before and it was dark. I had some trouble finding it, only the wall is seen from Blue Diamond, I never knew it opened up on the other side. Luckily, I was able to find them. We hooked a tow rope between the vehicles. I towed Frank across the basin. I did fine until we had to climb the side. At that point I kept slipping and the tires were spinning. We switched. Steering the Jimmy anytime is a pain, this was especially challenging, but I managed. We got the Jimmy all the way up to Blue Diamond. We left it on the side of the road. Frank bought a part that he thought would fix the issue and we went back after dinner. By then, my mom, Blaine, Amy and Nicky headed back to Pahrump. Mike stayed at our house to watch the Grammy’s; he’d later be staying the night at the Plaza.

The part wasn’t right. Plus, it was really cold it was rainy and started to snow. So, we decided it was best to call a tow truck rather than fuss with it anymore. An hour later, the tow truck followed us to our repair shop. Thankfully, it was only a seven mile tow so it wasn’t too costly. $71 said and done, had we not recovered the Jimmy ourselves it would’ve run around $400. Once that was taken care of we went back to the house. I packed Frank a bag; he decided he was going to stay at the Plaza with Mike. Shortly after, they headed out for a night of gambling and drinking. And I headed straight to bed. Six hours later, I was awakened by my alarm. Back to work. Weekends are too damn short.

I was surprised to see it was still raining. The mountains are covered in snow, at least, it was a pretty drive on my way into work. I hope the sun comes out tomorrow. I’ve had enough of the rain and cloudy skies. It’d be nice if Nicky could run around outside before it’s time for him to head back to Chicago and be cooped up for another couple months.

Get well wishes

Amid our fun this weekend. We got word that Frank's dad was rushed to the hospital Friday night. He spent a day in ICU, his diagnosis was congestive heart failure. Saturday night he had improved, he was moved out of ICU.

He was scheduled for an angioplasty this morning, but a blood clot was discovered. The new course of action was a bypass. Once the surgeon got a better look, he ended up with a triple bypass. Surgery was successful he's currently recovering in ICU. Here's hoping he's now on the road to recovery and that he heals quickly.

Applesauce Muffins

I made these muffins for breakfast yesterday. They came out pretty good. I didn't add raisins because Amy doesn't like them. Freshly grated apple would've been a nice addition. Next time, I'll add a little more cinnamon. My muffins baked in 16 minutes, so the recommended cooking time may be off. The muffins were best warm with a little bit of butter.

From baking/cooking

2 cups Cheerios® cereal
1 1/4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup applesauce
1/3 cup fat-free (skim) milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg or 1/4 cup fat-free egg product
1/2 cup raisins, if desired

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray bottoms only of 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.
2. Crush cereal. In large bowl, stir together cereal, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in remaining ingredients just until moistened. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
3. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft) No change.

Nutritional Information

1 Muffin: Calories 150 (Calories from Fat 30); Total Fat 3g (Saturated Fat 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 170mg; Total Carbohydrate 27g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 13g); Protein 3g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 6%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 MyPyramid Servings: 1 tsp Fats & Oils, 1 oz-equivalents Grains
*% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

I'm beat!

Chasing and playing with a two year is a load of laughs, but it's also exhausting!

I've had a lot of laughs with the family the last couple days. I haven't had much quality time with Mike, yet, though. He and Frank were off-roading all day Wednesday, he slept all day yesterday, and he, Frank and my mom have went out gambling at night. Tonight he'll stay the night and we have plans to go the Hard Rock and maybe a couple other casinos.

While they've been out, I've played with Nicky and had time with Amy to chat and play cards. They went to my mom's last night, it looks like we'll spend time out there this weekend. After they left, I crashed as soon as my head hit the pillow. Hopping around like a frog, singing songs, playing with toys and swimming wore Nicky out. I was right by his side the whole time, so you can only imagine how exhausted and sore I was. Below is slideshow of our fun in the hot tub on Wednesday. Nicky loves to splash and he took it upon himself to bathe me. It was a riot. Grandma was lucky, she was spared.

We got an offer

Not on the condo. But, boy do I wish that were true. We got an offer from Wynn. This is somewhat monumental. We don't get offers, well from Las Vegas Casinos. Laughlin likes us, or liked us. Usually, all we get from Wynn is $10 in free play every few months. In yesterday's mail, though, there was an offer for an Encore Suite at $120 with $100 free slot play. In my world that's a $20 suite. The only catch is that it's only good certain days this month. All but one are while family is visiting. We could possibly do a night next week after they leave. We should probably make the decision today and reserve it. Don't want to miss our chance.

In other happenings...

Mike, Amy and Nicky arrive at 8:00 tomorrow morning. I'm very excited. Frank will even be off with me tomorrow and Thursday.

Yesterday, Frank was a busy bee. He drained the pool, our last water sample indicated solids were getting high, which means it's likely been a couple years since the pool has had a water change. It needs to be done before temperatures reach 75 to protect the shell or so we were told. Time is running out, so he got it started. It took all day to get it nearly half drained, talk about a slow process. What was especially funny is that we have no sewer on our street. So, the water drained down our drive away and then followed the curb down the street and around the block. Evidently the closest sewer is more than a 1/4 mile away.

He also deep cleaned the grill. We haven't used it the few months, but temps are finally warming up. Time to get it ready for this year's grilling season. We broke it in by grilling up a couple bone-in ribeyes. Smith's had them on sale this week so we stocked up. They were very good. I'm happy I have six more in the freezer. Today's the last day of the sale, I think I'll pick up more. Hopefully, what's left is good quality, as well.

Then, he worked on taxes. At first we owed, but once he figured in all of our deductions we will get a refund. Those funds will come in handy to pay down debt. Nice to get it out of the way early on.

I went to bed around 11 o'clock, as I crawled under the sheets Frank came to tell me he was going to Red Rock to cash our winning football bets. A couple hours later, I recall him standing in front of me with a handful of hundred dollar bills. He said he won $800 playing keno. I swear he said he hit 6 of 7 numbers. The details are fuzzy, I sure hope it wasn't a dream.

A few failures

In addition to the chicken stock, I also tried three new recipes this weekend. Unfortunately, not all can be hits, I won't be making any of these again. They all turned out, but they weren't to my liking. I had the camera out for the stock, so there's even photos to accompany a couple recipes.

Roasted Halibut with Walnut Crust It seemed bland and dry. I used dried spices instead of fresh. Wonder if that's why?

From baking/cooking

Muhjadarrah

6 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion sliced into 1/4" rounds
1 1/4 cup green lentils, rinsed
3/4 cup white or brown long grain rice
salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it becomes a rich, dark brown color, about 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, put lentils into a sauceapan with one quart of water. Bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes. Add rice, plenty of pepper and more water, if needed, to cover. Cover and cook over low heat until rice is done, about 15 minutes. Stir in half the onions and about 1 tsp of salt, then cover and let stand off the heat for 5 minutes. Cover lentil-rice mixture with the remaining onions.

From baking/cooking

The initial flavor was good, but the aftertaste was horrid. It tasted like dirt. I've had lentils before, and enjoyed them but they never tasted like this. Didn't help matters that it doesn't even look appealing.

The last one was Friday night's dinner. It reminded me of sloppy joe and chili. I like neither, so it wasn't a surprise I didn't care for it.

South of the Border Casserole

1 tsp olive oil
1 lb 95% lean ground beef
3/4 c diced onion
3/4 c diced green pepper
2 seeded, fresh jalapeno peppers, minced
28 oz can whole tomatoes
2 c non-fat sour cream
1 tbsp clover honey
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz uncooked penne or macaroni (I used Penne Ronzoni Smart Taste)

Add olive oil to a 5-qt non-stick saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with the edge of the spatula, cook until no longer pink. Drain any fat. Add onions and green pepper, cooking until softened. Stir in the jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, sour cream, honey, chli powder and salt. Add the pasta. Stir, cover, lower heat and gently simmer until pasta is tender, about 25 minutes. Stir every five minutes, to keep pasta from sticking.

6 servings: 7WW points per serving

373 calories, 4.8g fat, 24.8g protein, 42g carbohydrate, Fiber 2g, 52mgs cholesterol, 845 mgs sodium.

Homemade Chicken Stock

I realized last week that I could have another use for rotisserie chicken. I could make stock. After I picked two chickens clean of white meat I tossed the rest into a stock pot. I added onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves, pepper and garlic powder. I brought it to a boil and let it simmer for four hours.

Chicken Stock - At the beginning

From baking/cooking

After two hours

From baking/cooking

After four hours

From baking/cooking

A portion after straining, all done, ready to cool and freeze.

From baking/cooking

Squash confusion

I hate it when I'm absent-minded. Earlier this week, I put together my grocery list, on it was butternut squash. I've never prepared it myself, but I love butternut squash ravioli. I have a recipe that calls for it, so I figured I'd give it a whirl.

Tuesday I did my grocery shopping and picked up "butternut squash" and crossed it off my list. It wasn't until last night I realized I bought acorn squash, not butternut. What a dope I am. I have no clue what to do with this acorn squash. I'm not even sure I like it. I recall my grandma making it when I was a child, but I didn't like any veggies she made - it was all mush.

The directions on the sticker say to bake it with butter and brown sugar. That seems to be the most popular preparation, I've searched recipes and the majority are some variation of that. Since we're watching fat and calories. I don't really want to go the soaked in butter route. Plus, I generally prefer savory to sweet so I'm not sure I'd dig the brown sugar and/or cinnamon, nutmeg combo.

I did find two possible recipes from cooking light: Winter Vegetable Soup and Maple-Roasted Acorn Squash. So, it's likely I'll go with one of those. Unless someone has another suggestion...

Staycation - MGM Bungalow Suite

We were slow to rise Monday morning. There’s nothing better than lying in bed with no rush to be anywhere or do anything. Hunger eventually struck so we showered, dressed and headed out. We considered breakfast at Verandah inside the Four Seasons (I’ve heard it’s quite good), but Frank had a craving for a ham & Gouda omelet. A stop at valet, and we were on our way to The Original House of Pancakes. Who eats a few blocks from their house on staycation? We do. I ordered pancakes and Frank got his omelet. We share, it works well for us. Food was great as usual, although, we did have a taste of reality while there. Frank had to take a couple calls from work. Luckily, he was able to wrap up the issues while we ate, so once we left it was back to vacation mode.

We returned to MGM, dropped the car at valet and went to the lobby to check-in. Our second night was booked in Frank’s name, with his MGM/Mirage Visa. He was more persistent than me and he was able to score the upgrade, we received keys for a bungalow suite on the 16th floor and we were on our way. The room was being cleaned and it would be ready in an hour. No troubles because we still had the Grand Tower Room for a couple more hours. Why did we make two reservations? Because I wanted two dining credits and four free drinks. Yeah, I’m frugal like that. It worked beautifully. We returned to the room, I packed and Frank snoozed. More than an hour passed so we left the room and headed to our suite.

The bungalow suites are large; the sitting area and bed are divided by a huge armoire. The tv inside is on a lazy susan and can be viewed from either side. The bath has a tub and shower combo, and a walk-in shower. Kinda odd. We later decided the walk-in shower was made for Oompa-Loompas, I’m 5’3” and I looked down at the shower head. Frank was sparkly clean from his belly button down, but he had to work to clean the rest of him. Anyway, back to the room, it hasn’t been updated since the Wizard of Oz days, but like the Grand Tower Room, linens were replaced not too long ago. We got settled and then I went down to the lobby to check out. I paid for the first night’s charges with our reward certificates.

Minutes later I was back in our suite. I joined Frank in bed. We lounged all afternoon. We watched the planes at McCarran come and go. We rented Ghost Town, it was one of the few movies listed we hadn’t seen. Eventually 6 o’clock rolled around and it was time to head to Fiamma for dinner.

We were seated in the main dining room. We selected to dine from the winter tasting menu although Frank was tempted by the scallop special. I asked our waiter if they still offered the complimentary wine pairing for locals, he had to check, but it was available.

We were started with Pinot Grigio and ciabatta bread served with oil and vinegar. Perfect beginning. Then, we each ordered calamari. It was delicious, and a treat not having to share. The wine for the main course was going to be Chianti; we asked to have another glass of Pinot Grigio instead. It wasn’t a problem. Frank selected Spaghetti with Kobe Meatballs. The sauce was good – not too acidic. The meatballs were tender and tasted like they were braised in red wine. He enjoyed the dish. I chose Linguine with Prawns, because I loved the dish last time. Once again, it was excellent. As much as I enjoy it, I’ll never finish it because it’s simply too rich. Moscato was paired with dessert; Frank again opted for another glass of Pinot Grigio. The first dessert was a trio of Sorbet: blood orange, pomegranate, and exotic. Frank didn’t like any of them, but I enjoyed the pomegranate. And the second was Cioccolato, a triple chocolate cake, with white chocolate gelato. They never give enough gelato, which is a shame because it’s so good.

We were stuffed. Service was great. Bill was $71 after the dining credit. It was a wonderful meal.

We planned to get some drinks and gamble, but we decided to go back to the suite to digest. Turns out my own dish of calamari and rich roasted garlic butter wasn’t the best idea. My stomach was in knots. We watched the planes to kill time, after a couple Rolaids I was feeling human again. So, we headed down to the casino. First stop was the West Wing Bar. We each ordered a beer. Happy hour was over, but earlier in the day Frank texted MGM for promotional offers. The offer he received was good for 2-for-1 drinks. It couldn’t have worked out better. We took a couple beers for the road and we were off to the casino. We played video poker and a few slots. We weren’t having any luck. We walked the pits, but minimums were $10. We didn’t have much to spend. We found ourselves at the latest Price is Right video slot. It’s nickels, max bet is .25 cents. There are two bonuses: spin the wheel and cliffhanger. We played there for a long time, long enough to get a couple drinks from the cocktail waitress. We cashed out about $10 ahead between the two of us and scoped out more games. We were down to the nitty-gritty. Frank stopped at the $1 slot that was his personal ATM back in December when we stayed at the Signature. Sure enough, he hit $100! We had more money to spend. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any luck and we returned to the suite not long after that.

The planes weren’t too active. But the city still twinkled and I love watching the world go by from way up in the sky. We were as happy as can be, just sitting in the green glow enjoying the view together. We watched a little tv and eventually crashed.

We slept in Tuesday morning. Another slow start to the day - Lovely. Reluctantly we had to get moving around 11 o’clock. We couldn’t stay for a late check out because Frank had an interview for City Center. Kinda ironic. We checked out, used the remaining reward credits to cover the second night’s charges, we grabbed the car from valet, and headed home, with a brief stop at In-N-Out for a couple double doubles.

We pulled into the garage and heard piercing beeping coming from the house. Every smoke alarm in the house was going off. Luckily, there was no fire or smoke. Turns out one battery had died and sent them all into frenzy. It took a good ten minutes to find the culprit. What a rude awakening back to reality! Once again we were wishing to rewind. Remind me again, why isn’t there TiVo for life?

Frank went to his interview, he made it past panel; he’ll be called back for another interview in a couple months. Jobs will offered in September, for Aria’s opening in December. I want him to explore all opportunities but I’m not sure I’d like giving up our play and stays at MGM/Mirage properties (assuming the have similar rules to Harrahs).

Staycation - MGM Grand Tower

Sunday afternoon I drove over to MGM Grand, pulled up to valet and headed to the lobby to check-in. Two days of rest and relaxation with my husband were ahead. Perfection. The first night I booked in my name with our MGM/Mirage Visa. I tried for a complimentary suite upgrade, but had no luck. I did, however, get late check-out, we could stay put until 2 o’clock. The $49 promotion I booked included 2 drinks at the West Wing Bar and $25 dining credit. I was instructed to charge purchases to my room and the credits would be automatically deducted. Easy enough, I was handed my keys and I was off to our Grand Tower Room on the 10th floor. Just as I approached the elevators Frank came up behind me, he had just gotten off work and took the monorail over.

The room was fairly large, the bed is comfortable, the décor is outdated, but linens were updated semi-recently. The armoire held an old tv with a fuzzy picture and it hummed on half the channels. I was a bit surprised they haven’t upgraded to flat-panel tv’s. Doubtful they be doing it anytime soon, either. How many people watch tv anyway?



Well, besides us. We stripped and relaxed all afternoon. We each dozed off and woke up shortly before our 6pm reservation at Shibuya. We dressed and headed down for dinner. We were seated in the main restaurant; there is also counter seating and Teppanyaki dining. We each ordered the winter tasting menu, selecting different dishes but sharing everything. Edamame got us started, this was our first encounter with the delicious soybean. Not familiar with the proper way to eat it, we likely made fools of ourselves by launching them across the table in Frank’s case and eating them with chopsticks in mine. We had fun, Frank apologized to the poor guy who had to come and sweep his mess. Our foolishness didn’t end there, next up was soup, Udon for me and Kyoto Miso for Frank. I could not catch the thick noodles, I tried the spoon and chopsticks, but there was no chance of me catching the slippery suckers. Our waitress noticed I was having trouble, she asked, if I’d like emergency tools? Yes! Please. It smelled so delicious I wanted to fully enjoy it, instead of just sipping the broth. She brought over a fork and knife and I was able to manage the noodles with far greater ease. My soup was very good, Frank only saved me broth of his; it was too salty for my liking.

Next course included Rock Shrimp Tempura with a spicy aioli and Yellowtail Jalapeño Roll. Both were good, but we preferred the roll. Once we added wasabi to increase the heat it was superb. We could’ve eaten two or three more – they were that tasty. Entrees followed, Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Japanese Mushrooms and Black Truffle Ponzu, and Duo of Miso Pineapple Miso Salmon and Shiro Miso Black Cod. I liked the cod better than the salmon, Frank thought the flavor of the Salmon was a bit better. Frank doesn’t care for mushrooms so I had those to myself, they were very good. The tenderloin was cooked to perfection. It was flavorful, juicy and exceptionally tender. Overall, we felt it was a great sampling. We finished up with dessert, a strawberry parfait, a chocolate lychee cake, and mango & crème marshmallow. I’ve had lychee before so I knew what to expect, I enjoyed the cake, Frank liked it, too. Our favorite was the marshmallow bite. It was vanilla ice cream wrapped in a mango flavored marshmallow type coating, when bitten into, it tasted like a Dreamsicle – but with mango instead of orange. Yum! Service was great throughout. Our bill was $118 after the dining credit. We enjoyed the meal, but we’d only return for sushi.

We left the restaurant and headed to the West Wing Bar. Our plans for the night were to get wasted and see the Comedy Show at the Tropicana. Classy, huh? Frank ordered a long island iced tea and I opted for a beer. They were 2-for-1 happy hour is until 8pm so I had another beer coming. We watched the Winter X-Games and enjoyed our drinks. We took the other beer for the road, we walked over to Tropicana.

We bought tickets for the 10:30 show. I had a 2-for-1 coupon from the Entertainment Book, so the total cost was $20 and a few cents. You can’t beat that. We bellied up to a bar near the lounge. We played video poker and told the bartender to keep the beers coming, which he did but he also took this as an opportunity to talk our ears off. He made himself out be Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino. He told us how he’s quitting and moving back to his hometown to scare off the gangs that have moved in. Would’ve been fine if he left it at that, but no he went on… and on… Two beers later we couldn’t take it anymore. We left. We walked around looking for another bar, it was getting later and crowds were slim we weren’t ready to return to the same bar. Frank tried his luck at blackjack, unfortunately there was no good luck to be had. His buy in lasted only minutes.

We ended up sitting in the deli near the high limit slots, trying to waste time. We got bored, I was spinning in the chairs. It didn’t work all that well on the carpet, so I rolled over to the tile outside the high limit slots. Still didn’t work well, the casters got stuck on the grout. By that time, we said screw it, let’s go back to the bar. We sat on the opposite side out of sight from Gran Torino’s area. We opened a tab and ordered a couple draft tall boys. We amused ourselves and we were entertained by a cute couple that could swing dance really well. There was a live band in the lounge, they were more noise than anything, but the dancing couple livened up the place. Bar snacks caught my attention, I asked Frank about the Kibble looking stuff. The bartender noticed, and poured us a little bowl. It’s dispensed so no one is digging their grubby hands in there but you. The snack mix had peanuts and spicy sticks, those were our favorite! We each sucked down another tall boy and then it was time for the show. We closed out our tab and walked over to the showroom.

We were surprised to see we practically had front row seats despite walking in minutes before the show started. The audience was pretty small, maybe 20, tops! Laughlin’s River Palm’s drew a bigger crowd. Kinda of sad, but I suppose it gave the comics some material. Tickets include one drink, but it was bud-light in a can – blech. But classy was the theme, afterall. Luckily I drank quite a bit already, so I managed to suck it down alright. Frank said it sobered him up, I was anything but sober. The show got started; three comics, all funny! The audience although small was hyped up and ready to participate. We had a good time. We had our fill of the Trop, so we headed back to MGM. We were broke so we retired to the room.

Free dinner & gaming

We had a wonderful stay at MGM Grand, but before I get to those details I wanted to share what we did Friday night. Planet Hollywood mailed each of us a coupon good for a free buffet, $25 free slot play and other goodies. We decided to take advantage of it, I called to confirm the coupon was good at any time, and it was. Perfect.

We stopped by the player’s club booth to get our freebies. Comped buffet coupons in hand we jetted over to the buffet. It was prime dinner time so there was a good crowd, it’s always better to dine while a buffet is busy. When the cashier ran our receipt I noticed dinner would’ve been $60.32 for the two of us. Ouch! But for free, score! We’ve eaten at the Spice Market Buffet twice before, once for breakfast and another time for brunch. I was much more pleased by the dinner selection.

The seafood station had tempura and peeled shrimp, crab legs, served cold but they were heating them upon request and several fish based dishes. Near the salad, there was cheese and sushi. There were pizzas and Stromboli and typical Italian buffet fare, along with the usual Chinese dishes. The Mexican and American mainstays were available, as well; they also had a baked potato bar. The Mediterranean station is what sets this buffet apart from others; they have grilled vegetables, skewered meats, grape leaves and other traditional dishes. The dessert counter offers a wide variety of pastries, pies, and cookies; they have ice cream and a crepe station, as well.

Service was attentive and prompt. My favorite selections were peeled shrimp, sushi rolls, cheese and shrimp tacos. Frank really liked the shrimp tacos, as well. We each tried a crepe for dessert, bananas foster for him and apple for me – they were terrible, just awful, nothing like what you get at Paris’ buffet. I actually didn’t like any of the desserts we tried – mousse, tiramisu, chocolate chip cookies. They did me a favor and saved me calories. We topped off the meal with a cup of coffee. It was really good. I enjoy a strong black coffee, it was just the way I like it – a rarity for me.

Bellies full we went up to the casino and set our sights on 50 cent Jacks or Better. We used our free play, we played for a bit, no major wins, but Frank made $20 and I walked away with $26. They paid us to eat, gotta love that. We took the money and ran, well, walked over to Bellagio to see the Chinese New Year Display; it was very similar to last year's display. It’s definitely not one of their impressive displays. We were going to watch a few fountain shows, but the rain was coming down pretty hard. We opted to go home, instead. All in all, it was a nice night. I hope Planet Hollywood bribes us again.

Plans are always changing

It never fails. I was supposed to fly to Chicago over Valentine’s weekend, and my mom was going to go, too, the first week of March. Now, my brother, sister and nephew will be coming here instead. I didn’t want to fight frigid temps so I’m not disappointed. I’ll get a food fix some other time this year, I’m sure. After weeks of freezing and below zero temps they’re ready to escape the arctic air. Nicky’s been cooped up for a few months, there is no doubt he’ll love swimming at my house and playing with the animals at my mom’s house. This will be Mike’s first visit since turning 21. He’ll get to experience Vegas in a whole new way. They’ll be here in less than two weeks. I can’t wait!

Tasty and healthy

Last night I made grilled asparagus and the following recipe for dinner. I liked it a lot, Frank didn't like the hint of orange. He really doesn't like citrus in his dishes. I knew that so I decreased the amount of zest I used, but I'll have to omit it next time. Also, just a note, if using salted pecans I'd skip the salt.

Pecan Crusted Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1-1 1/4 pounds), trimmed
1/2 cup pecan halves or pieces (I used unsalted)
1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided

1. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, place between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even 1/4-inch thickness.
2. Place pecans, breadcrumbs, orange zest, salt and ground chipotle in a food processor and pulse until the pecans are finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish. Whisk egg white and water in a shallow dish until combined. Dip each chicken breast in the egg-white mixture, then dredge both sides in the pecan mixture.
3. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half the chicken and cook until browned on the outside and no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Carefully wipe out the pan with a paper towel and add the remaining oil. Cook the remaining chicken, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent scorching. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 281 calories; 15 g fat (2 g sat, 8 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrate; 29 g protein; 2 g fiber; 430 mg sodium; 376 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (34% daily value), good source of omega-3s.
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 4 lean meat, 1/2 fat

Last Minute Staycation

Yesterday I came across $49 room rates at MGM. The promotion also includes $25 dining credit and 2 free drinks. I shared this with Frank and it took seconds for him to say book it.

Saw it was good Sunday and Monday. My request for days off were approved. We have gift certificates that we planned to use at Brand on Feb 8. See, that would be the first day Frank and I had off together since December when his brother visited - we were going to celebrate. As you might imagine our plans changed. We'll now use those certificates toward our stay, and we'll eat at Fiamma. They, along with other MGM restaurants, have winter tasting menus available until March 31, 2009.

I have a nice long weekend coming up and two full days off with Frank. Yeah, I am pretty excited.

Review: Anthony Cools

Last night, we saw Anthony Cools. He performs at Paris, his theater is behind the sportsbook. General Admission tickets are $52.75, VIP seating is available for 23 bucks more. The theater is small enough that there's no reason to bother upgrading from general admission. You can also find tickets at most of the half-price ticket outlets. The show is nightly at 9pm except Wednesdays.

The Cools Experience theater reminded me of a board room, I felt like I was attending a meeting and I was just waiting for the PowerPoint presentation to begin. But once the show got started, and the volunteers were hypnotized it was a lot of fun. Each of the volunteers were encouraged to do some bizarre act. It begins harmless and gets more risque as the show goes on. The dirtier it got, the funnier it was. The auditions for porn were my personal favorite.

The show would be great for a group. Convincing a friend to be a volunteer would make the show even more entertaining. Supposedly, material changes each night so every show is different. Plus, the quality of the show hinges on the volunteers and audience participation. The audience last night wasn't too hyped up, but we still had a great time.