"Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair"

Thursday we began our day at the Ferry Building. We collected our bread: onion slab, cheese wheel, rosemary and rustic rolls, our meat: salami and mortadella platter, dipping oil from Stone House and then we were left to wait for Cowgirl Creamery to open. We gawked at all the fresh produce and meats, if only I had a place to cook!!

M'mmm... Acme bread...



and Cowgirl Creamery! Look at all that glorious cheese!



We wanted it all, but we tried to be practical and stuck to one wedge of peccorino. We took our haul back to the hotel. We dug in! It wasn't pretty, but good god it was fantastic. We stuffed ourselves silly with bread, meat and cheese. We did manage to save cheese and bread for a snack.

We wandered around the financial district, enjoying the beautiful day and trying to work up a hunger. I stopped in the Container Store because I had never been, it's a neat place. Much like Ikea, so much stuff I never knew I needed. We stopped at cigar shop and Frank bought one to his liking. Later, we rode the bus back to North Beach and walked over to Petite Deli to see our old friend Young, she's the Korean grandmother we never had. She is the sweetest lady and she turns out delicious sandwiches in her wee deli. She remembered us, she started us with a sampler of her pasta and potato salad while she worked on our turkey delight.

Young's is the only potato salad I like, lack of mayo and addition of basil makes all the difference.



We shared the turkey delight on dutch crunch. We've never ordered this sandwich before assuming it was like Capriotti's "Bobbie", but it's not. It's light, and a nice blend of sweet and savory with turkey, cheese, lettuce, avocado and cranberries. I never like cranberries in any form, but these were good. I don't know Young's secret, but she makes me love things I don't otherwise enjoy.



We stopped next door at XOX Truffles for a treat. Flavors we chose were: spicy cayenne Tequila, hazelnut and dark chocolate. Little bites of heaven.

We returned to the Wharf and went in search of a place to watch the world go by. We found an observation tower across from the Maritime Museum that suited us well. We soaked up the sun and sea breezes and simply enjoyed the day. It was the first warm and sunny day we've ever had in San Francisco.











After such long glances at Ghirardelli Square, we couldn't resist walking over to grab a dark hot fudge sundae. It hit the spot! After our snack, we resumed watching the world go by. Then, the sun hid behind the buildings and 4 o'clock neared, it was time to go back to the hotel. Frank had a conference call and there was a bed calling my name. The walking and fresh air made me sleepy.

We napped and then snacked on bread and dipping oil before heading out for Beach Blanket Babylon. We made good time to the theater so we grabbed beers at Northstar beforehand. Cute bar, just our style and $3 Stella during happy hour! We watched Chargers vs. Oakland. We left just after halftime. Seating at show is first come, first serve so we didn't want to get seated too late. We were in the third row of the rear section on the aisle. Our seats were great for $25/ea. The show is a lot of fun! I couldn't believe how current it was, they had bits about Kim Kardashian's divorce, Justin Bieber's paternity suit and Rick Perry's brain fart, which had just happened the night before. It was good fun! We were really happy we finally saw it and will likely see it again.

For dinner, we walked over to King of Thai Noodle House. Practically everything on the menu is $5, and beers are cheap too. I was drinking Singha and Frank had Tsingtao, both $3. We had Pad See Ew and egg rolls. It wasn't the best Thai I've had, but it was pretty tasty and the cheapest.





We wandered around North Beach for our next bite. We stumbled on Golden Boy Pizza. I had it on my list of places to try and Frank scoffed, but the pizzas in the window sold us.

We grabbed a seat at the bar. A sausage slice and Speakeasy brew for him and a clam, spinach and garlic slice and Red Hook ESB for me. Best Sicilian slice ever. Light dough, crisp crust... yum! The sausage was the real winner.





After noshing on the delicious slices we wandered North Beach more. We just love that neighborhood. It has such charm and the streets are lined with mom and pop shops. It is known as little Italy, but the area is really a melting pot. There are great restaurants that serve up all kinds of food. Once you add in the clubs and bars it feels a bit like home. Just far less commercial. If only it rained less and most days were sunny like this one, we'd so live in North Beach. It was then I decided I pink puffy heart North Beach. We sought out Don Pisto's for our last bite. We figured every other type of food has been great why not try Mexican. Don Pisto's is pretty swank and the eats are really good. Great salsa and chips to start! We had carnitas and tacos al pastor. Very tasty. Though, I was unable to finish. I was too full.



We had no room left to eat or drink so we walked back to the hotel to rest up for the next day.

"Save Me, San Francisco"

Our San Francisco trip got underway Wednesday evening. We parked at the economy lot at McCarran this time, instead of valet at MGM. The economy lot is $8/day so it's cheaper than taxis on shorter trips. There is a free shuttle from the lot to the terminal, it was convenient and timely.

Security coming and going was slow because of my boot. I had to be patted and swabbed before proceeding to the terminal. At least, TSA was consistent. Our 5:10 Southwest flight wasn't full so we were able to spread out, we even secured the first row of seats so we were the first ones off the plane when we touched down in San Francisco. We took the tram to Bart and soon we were in the heart of the city. We bought our 3 day Muni pass at the Powell Station vendor and we walked over to the cable car, we took the Hyde line and we were at our hotel fairly quick. I booked the Holiday Inn Fisherman's Wharf for $98/night on hotwire. We entered on the Columbus side of the hotel, but at check in we were told our room was actually in the Beach Building next door. We were a bit scared by what the condition of that building might be like... we've been stuck in the Manor rooms at Circus Circus so we prepared ourselves for the worst. However, other than one elevator out of order and the other one being slow, it was in good condition and the accomodations were quite comfortable.

It was 9:30 by the time we settled into our room. We only had food on our mind, it took a couple quick searches before deciding on Crab House on Pier 39. The F Street car stop is right out the door of the hotel, it was incredibly convenient. We hopped on that to take us down the wharf. The Crab House was very busy, they sat us in a side room that was later filled by a large party. We easily chose the crab dinner for two, and we started with crab cakes.



The crabcakes were crisp and full of delicious Dungeness crab. They whet our appetite for the feast that was about to ensue.



Yummy. Yum. Yum.



We devoured it. We were proud members of the clean plate club.



Only carnage remained.



We rolled ourselves out of the Crab House, walked around the pier a bit before taking the F Streecar to the end of the line. We went to Fiddler's Green, an Irish bar, which we liked last visit. I drank Trumer Pils and Frank had couple beers that I cannot recall. We closed out our tab and walked back to the hotel. We crashed with high anticipation for the next day.

Stayin' Alive

We had a fantastic time in San Francisco, but before I tell you all about our trip, I'll share details of our dinner last night at Beso inside Crystals at CityCenter.

A couple months ago, I bought a travelzoo voucher which offered a champagne dinner for two for $79. With all the noise about bankruptcies at Eve and Beso. I was unsure how long the restaurant would be able to keep its doors open.

So far, so good. Beso is stayin' alive. They actually had a large crowd dining last night. I would not expect tables to be near capacity on a Sunday evening, but they did just that.

We received warm bread and soft butter to get us started. That's always a good combo, all too often we run into room temperature bread and ice cold butter.

With the voucher we had our choice of appetizer, two soups or salads, two entrees and a shared dessert.

We began with calamari. This was a good version, tender with a light crisp breading. Topped with tomatoes, peppers, cojita cheese and served with lime and two dipping sauces.



Next, we had the Beso Caprese with avocado and the seafood louie salad.





Frank's caprese was the better choice by far, there was nothing notable about the louie - at all.





Then, for entrees, Frank had the 16oz NY strip and I went with a 12oz filet. Both were really good, with a nice crust. Neither of us could finish. We haven't had that much red meat in a long while.



Dessert was churros with caramel sauce and chantilly cream. Yum! Not sure how, she can't possibly eat any of those recipes but Eva knows food... or at least, hired people that know food. I was pleasantly surprised.

Another Edition of Misc Monday

I didn't think I'd take so long to make it back here. I have nothing too exciting to note. We've been hanging at home anticipating our trip to San Francisco. Cannot wait. Been trying our best to stay warm, it's been unusually cold. Brrr! Also, been dreading the darkness that comes with daylight savings. Why, oh, why can't we follow Arizona's footsteps? It was completely dark at 5 o'clock yesterday. These days are only going to get shorter. Boo. C'mon December 23, mama needs her sunshine. Just gotta get past the winter solstice.

This weekend our friends came up from Oceanside, CA. The Marine Corp ball was held at Planet Hollywood. We visited a bit, and then, they dressed in their best and had their first night away from their son, James. He will be two next month, so it's been a long time coming. James was a trooper away from mom & dad, he didn't make a single fuss. I was able to keep up with him pretty well given my bum ankle. The fun had with him has me even more excited for Nicky's visit. They arrive next week, weee!

Yesterday, we had lunch at D'Amore in the Miracle Mile shops. It's a chain based in LA, we met the owner, he told us all about his grandmother's recipes and how the secret is the water. They originally trucked it in from Boston, but now it all comes from Italy. Supposedly, the pizza has won awards for best pizza and healthiest slice. Compared to pizza I've had in Los Angeles, the pizza is decent, but once we start talking the whole country. Absolutely not. Cities across the country do better NY-style slices, including Las Vegas. That said, D'Amore's grandmother has some great recipes. The eggplant involtini stuffed with spaghetti is something special. I can't say it's worth a special trip, but if you're seeking a cheap bite while at Planet Hollywood this will hit the spot.

Last week, I meant to share photos of the room my mom had at Red Rock. She redeemed a comped night there after the fiasco at the Plaza. Her and Mike both enjoyed the upgrade and the awesome views (as did I), but took a beating in the casino. Those comped rooms are never free.

Plaza: Take 2

You might remember me sharing my experience with Plaza's grand opening and my mention that my first impression was lipstick on a pig. Well, impressions have not changed. I never detailed the troubles my mom experienced during her stay, but it was a comedy of errors. My mom and Mike failed to find the humor, however. I don't blame them. They were shuffled around til the wee hours of the morning.

The first room, the one I saw, was actually occupied by other guests. They moved my mom to another room. There were no lights in the bathroom or sink area. The windows had film making it extremely dark. Front desk said someone would be right up. An hour later, it's midnight, btw, someone from maintenance shows and he says it's going to take him a while. She calls the front desk, it rings, rings and rings. No answer. He tries. No answer. He calls the operator, they were able to track down assistance. They give her a third room. She makes them meet her with keys rather than making the trek to the front desk again. It's well into the early morning she demands late check out for the inconveniences. After some probing, they agree. 2 o'clock late check out.

The third room is non-smoking, they tell her never mind it (as a non-smoker, I hate this) and they'll send housekeeping up with an ashtray. She waits and waits. She leaves and figures they can leave it in the room.

She playing slots in the casino early morning a man befriends her, interested in her play and wins. He roots her on, hooting and hollering. Then, asks for $5, cig and money again. Each time getting in her face. She's uncomfortable but no one is around, not security a waitress. No one. Finally, she cashed out and went directly to the cashier. She complained about the man and requested an escort to her room. Security showed and led her up without issue.

No ashtray in the room upon her return. She crashes as the sun comes up. Noon, housekeeping is pounding on the door. Check out was at 11:00.

She's disgusted, I don't blame her. I told her to ask for the hotel/operations manager. She did, she asked to have her stay refunded and for a $50 comp to Hash House A Go Go to compensate for the troubles. It was given to her.

You'd think that'd be the end of it, but it wasn't. They later charged her credit card for the stay. The credited her, and charged it again. They made a mess of her bill. After more complaint calls it was finally resolved and she was giving two free nights to come back and give them another try.

She cashed those two free nights in over the Halloween weekend. The first room they were given was dirty. Again! They offered a junior suite, but it was non-smoking. She wanted smoking. Rather than chancing another ordeal. She told them to send maid service up to clean the room. Of course, even that didn't go smoothly. In short, she ended up asking for another $50 Hash House A Go Go comp for the troubles. They honored her request again.

Saturday, I met her and Mike at the Plaza for lunch at HHAGG. The rooms now have soap and bed skirts. The hotel room window was clean. The pool was open. The ice machine on the 21st floor was not in order. Mike did find ice on the 24th floor. We walked from the room thru the casino to the restaurant. I had an asthma attack in the process. It seems they're now using that "air freshener" that some others use that stinks to high heavens. If they keep that up, I won't be able to step foot inside, just like at TI. After lunch, I walked back using the third floor access. The bingo hall has been updated and Exposed Salon is open for business... Skimpy outfits those hairdressers wear. I suppose that is the point.

Mom's forgiveness stay didn't sway her to return to the Plaza. In fact, even her HHAGG experience was an ordeal, but I'll get to that in a minute. She's going to use her next free stay (marketing offer) at Vegas Club. She's going to give them another shot over there, if they still can't provide her a stress-free stay. She'll cash in her points and stay & play elsewhere.

At HHAGG, Mike and I both got hash; corned beef for him and chorizo for me. They were good, better than usual, really, typically I hate their potatoes. These were flavorful and crisp. Mom got her usual, the pork tenderloin Benedict. The first few bites were fine, but as she sliced into the thicker part of the tenderloin it was raw. They offered to bring her something else, but she had lost her appetite. She asked if she could come back on Sunday (since she was staying the night) and have breakfast instead. The manager came over, apologized and offered that to her. She was sick overnight and into the morning. Still feeling queasy, she asked HHAGG to extend the offer until another visit. They were reluctant to do so. It took much convincing, but in the end they extended the replacement meal.

This has really snow balled into a nightmare. It really makes me long for the Plaza of yesteryear when Jackie ran the show.

Mad About Waffles?

Are you mad about waffles? Then, I have the place just for you. Check out WaffleS Cafe on Fort Apache, just south of Tropicana. This cheery cafe has a walk up counter where you make your waffle dreams come true. You can choose your waffle and your topping(s) or choose from any of the existing combinations. Options range from the savory to the extremely sweet.

My mom and I had a late breakfast here on Sunday. They have a daily special for $5.49 that offers a waffle with eggs, bacon or sausage, and coffee. Fresh fruit and other waffle toppings are available for an additional fee. We both chose the breakfast special with bacon. Just fresh strawberries for me and butter for her. Eggs were fine, bacon was crisp, but a bit small. The waffle was great. It's nice and light, crisp, yet chewy and not doughy at all. The griddle marks are deep so your toppings melt right in. Coffee is self serve.

It's a nice option close to home. And it's worth the drive for any waffle fanatic.

Happy Halloween!

I did quite a bit of running around this weekend and visiting with my mom and brother. Frank and I also went to the Palms Saturday night to see Louis CK perform at the Pearl.

Years ago, we were big fans of "Lucky Louie" and we currently love "Louie" on FX. This was our first time seeing him live. He had no opening act, "he'd suck anyway," he said. He performed about 90 minutes, coming back for an encore, he said "I'll save myself $20,000 (beating at tables) and give you a few more minutes."



The show was funny. Supposedly, it was new material and it'll be out soon. I'm happy we saw him perform. However, it's doubtful we'd spend the coin to see him again.

The Palms was pretty tame with crowds and costumes. I figured majority of folks must be on the strip or at the Fetish & Fantasy ball. The ball moved from Hard Rock to South Point this year. Mike and my mom went over to people watch. Mike said that too was tame. Between the larger space and strict costume policies - no masks, weapons/ props, nudity, etc. it was pretty lame compared to the chaos at Hard Rock a couple years ago. They spent the rest of the night on Fremont. They enjoyed the crowds better there.

Hopefully, the strip saw their share of characters. Halloween has always been an awesome time in Las Vegas. I'd hate to see that change.

Um. Wow.

Baseball has left me speechless this season. Every time I think there can't possibly be a more exciting game, there is another.

I've been completely impartial for the whole post season, but wow. I cannot imagine the excitement Cardinals fans felt last night. I hope they carry that positive energy to tonight's game 7. I'd like to see St Louis win. Have you heard about the guy who bet $250 for the Cards to win the World Series at 999-1 odds, back in September, at MGM Grand? That's who I am rooting for. A win like that will be great for Las Vegas and Nevada sportsbooks (even if MGM takes the hit, it's great publicity).

I hope Texas makes St. Louis work for it. I'd love to see another nail biter to seal this A-M-A-Z-I-N-G season.

Are you ready boot? Start walkin'

Tired of this ankle saga yet? Yeah, me too.

In short, I met with the Ortho yesterday. I like that he sat with me and looked at the MRI images. Each one, he pointed to show what was normal and what was not. Based on my symptoms, he was quite pleased with the MRI results. With time and proper treatment, a complete recovery is expected. I have thickening of the achilles tendon, thinning of the ATF ligament and swelling & fluid around the peroneal tendon.

I believed it was my peroneal tendon that was giving me grief. That's where the majority of the pain is. It's where I swell most. It's where it's tender to the touch. The podiatrist completely dismissed it since it was not on the MRI report. I do not believe he ever reviewed the actual images.

After reviewing the images, and an exam, the ortho reccommended 3 weeks in the boot, to start - more depending, to immobolize the tendon. No PT or daily stretches, at most I can cycle with minimal impact. He believes the sprain was traumatic given my lengthy healing process and current symptoms. Also, he thinks PT started too early. He says that's often the case. Tendon issues like mine can swell for 3-4 months on average. They take time, even when treated spot on.

I made mention of the cortisone shot and he said they should be performed in a radiologists office with ultrasound so be certain that the proper injection point is located. If injected into the tendon it can cause tendon weakness. I wish I was informed before having my cortisone injection in the podiatrist's office. Lessoned learned, research before agreeing to most anything.

My boot had enough miles to get around San Diego, let's hope there's more left for San Francisco.

[tooz-dey]

How bored does one have to be to wiki Tuesday?

In case you were dying to know, it's the day of the week occurring after Monday and before Wednesday. You're welcome.

There is little to report. I'm feeling stuck in a rut. Frank is back on a weight loss kick. A friendly wager with a co-worker is his motivation. I'm along for the ride. I need to shed ten pounds, eight of which, I've put on in the last 10 weeks while I've been a gimp. I can't get my heart rate high enough to burn any calories. Time on the treadmill and bike has zero resistance and little speed. There isn't much I can do without my ankle feeling like it's going to give out. What I can do usually results in it rebelling with swelling and achiness. Moving more is pretty futile right now, so eating less must be the answer. Today, I see the ortho for a second opinion. I'm hopeful that'll lift my spirits and renew my energy to deal.

Hmmm, what else?

I ordered the Sriracha cookbook. It's a favorite condiment and after a chat with Frank about needing more uses for it, I bought it on Friday. It arrived yesterday. Wicked fast free delivery from Amazon, by the way. One recipe is for sriracha butter, the coinciding tip is to melt the butter over popcorn and top it with parmigiano-reggiano. It sounded so good! Since we're counting calories, we skipped the butter and cheese, but popcorn and sriracha is indeed a winner.

This weekend Frank downloaded the Leroy's Betting Mobile App. It won't work on my phone since I'm with Boost, but apparently it works with every other major carrier. The app puts straight bets, parlays, teasers, in game betting, and more all at your fingertips. Sunday it worked well. He found placing halftime bets to be favorable. Yesterday, he had a parlay that needed the Ravens to cover to win $320. He attempted to hedge it, but the app failed to verify his location, despite dancing around outside, arm held up to sky to better transmit his position; it would not let him place the bet. I thought maybe it was sign he didn't need it. I was wrong. What a poor showing, I'm not sure I've ever seen so many loose balls. Lose.

In hopes to make this day pass a little quicker, humor me. If you could pick one fictional TV show hangout what would it be?

My pick? Paddy's Pub from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

"Join Us"

Yesterday while scanning my google reader I came across a blurb from the LV Weekly that Evil Dead The Musical was playing at Onyx Theater. Onyx Theater? Hmmm, I couldn't place it. A quick search revealed it was over on the eastside in the commercial center plaza near the Green Door. The theater is attached to The Rack a fetish clothing store. We bought our tickets, only $15 each, and had a look around. Lots of leather, fetish wear, some gay porn and accessories.

The doors opened and we were able to take our seats. We had no expectations for the show, I hadn't heard a peep about it until reading the review yesterday afternoon. Being big fans of Army of Darkness we had to check it out. It was awesome. Clever, campy, hilarious and absolutely bloody. I thought only the splatter zone was in range of blood but nope, no one in the theater is safe. Of course, I wore white. Not smart. It was completely spattered when we left. It took a whole stain stick when I got home, when I pulled it out of the washer this morning it was brightly white no trace of blood. Best money we've spent in a while. Great production! It can be added to my list of favorite musicals. I needed a fun night out. Evil Dead The Musical delivered.

It wasn't til this morning that I learned that the funds needed to produce the show came from pledges made on Facebook. Once their goal of $3000 was reached director Sirc Michaels was able to bring the cult classic to the intimate 98-seat Onyx theater. The cast is great, especial Ben Stobber as Ash. I loved the transformation from S-Mart employee to superhero. Bruce Campell was channeled. My fond memories for the Sam Raimi trilogy flooded back and I was quoting the lines from Army of Darkness right along with Ash. It was "groovy", so go see who's evil now and check out Evil Dead The Musical. The show runs through October 31. Those of you not in Vegas should check local listings, I've heard other cities are currently running the production as well.

The saga continues

Yesterday's appointment with the podiatrist provided me with good news and bad news. The good? He believes there is nothing keeping me from recovering. The bad? He can't "fix" it. It will take time. The MRI showed I have a chronic ankle sprain with thinning of the anterior talofibular ligament (apparently, the tendon is ok. That was thought to be the issue before). He suggests physical therapy. This is after 6 weeks of therapy and being told at the last appointment that he thought I wasn't responding to treatment.

I asked about future sprains. He says they are likely and a rupture is possible. He recommended I wear an ankle brace.

That's that, then? What about the swelling and bruising? "Not sure," he says, then adds "Keep it elevated, iced and continue to take ibruprofen."

Nothing else can be done? "I can give you a cortisone injection." HELL NO!

It is what is. I leave. Today, I scheduled an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankles. Tomorrow, I pick up Xrays and MRI films. Tuesday, I learn more.

Stubborn!

So, this lovely ankle of mine is one stubborn pain in my... foot. After New Orleans, I did three more sessions of physical therapy. Swelling and bruising continued. I even started popping more blood vessels, my physical therapist thought it was due to the swelling. I kept up my dose of Ibuprofen 3x/day and I was seeing no improvement.

I had my follow up appointment with my doctor, last I was there was when I got the cortisone injection. I went in knowing something wasn't right. It had been over 8 weeks since my sprain and improvement was minimal. Most sprains heal in 6 weeks. I supposedly had a minor sprain. Yet, here I was, a mess: swollen, bruised and tender to the touch. I haven't made strides in PT, the cortisone shot was no help AT ALL. I wanted a MRI. Before I could even ask for one, my doctor suggested that was the next step. I was relieved. I was concerned I'd have to seek out another doctor at start at square one. He said the MRI will catch whatever he's missing, and we'll go from there. If the MRI comes back normal, all he can do is cast me to give the tendon time to heal. He's avoided doing it so far for obvious reasons, but since I haven't responded to other treatments that would be the next step. He also suggested I go to PT therapy twice a week, because I wasn't benefiting from the 3x/wk routine. I chose to cancel all my appts until I got results back from my MRI.

Swelling has reduced greatly since I stopped Physical Therapy. In turn, the discomfort has been far less. Achiness remains, as does the tenderness, and I still can't walk down stairs normally, but the reduced swelling is welcomed.

I had the MRI done last week. I see my doctor today for the results. I'm nervous, but anxious to find out what's up so I can get back to normal. I'm coming up on 10 weeks of gimpiness and to say I'm over it is an understatement.

I am fearful of what's next. November has shaped up to be extremely busy - San Francisco, Amy and Nicky's visit, Dirty Heads concert, my dad's visit, Thanksgiving, Black Friday shopping, and the weekend in Oakland/San Francisco. I need to be mobile.

Giggles & Chaos

My sister and nephew's trip is less than a month away. For two weeks, my mom will have all three of her kids in the same state. It's been a long time since we've all been together. We've been looking forward to their visit. We miss the giggles and chaos that special little boy brings. It's hard to believe Nicky is going to be five in three short weeks. It does not feel like that long ago he was wee, snuggled on my shoulder in his little turkey outfit for Thanksgiving. I'm guessing this year it'll be hard for him to sit still. I'm betting there is so much going on in that mind of his. I'm anxious to see how much he's grown, and just to have a conversation with him. He's not too chatty on the phone these days. He always seems to have an excuse not to talk... "I'm too busy" or "I'm not in the mood" are what I hear most often. When Amy can wrangle him to talk, I'm lucky to get a few sentences out of him. So, it'll be nice to have face to face time.

It's been great spending time with Mike, it'll be nice to get time with my sister too. There might be seven and nine years between us, but we've always been pretty close despite the age gap. I'm always thankful for the time we can share together.

Next month, my dad is also coming to visit. This will be his second time visiting since I made Vegas home. The first was for our wedding. It was so chaotic, then, his visit was a whirlwind. He'll fly out a week after Amy and Nicky, and he'll be staying for a week. We'll all be together for Thanksgiving. We haven't had a holiday together since 1998. It'll be a first with Frank and Nicky. Hopefully, my dinner will come together as good as previous years. I'll have lots of mouths to feed, especially if Frank's side can join us again.

It's funny how my dad's trip came to be. It's the Raiders vs. Bears that's bringing him out west. Years ago, we had the idea of buying him tickets to see a Bears game, but he'd rather see the Bears at Raiders where it'd be warmer. He's been a Raiders fan as long as I can remember. I'm not sure how that came to be, it just always was. The match up is finally on the schedule Thanksgiving weekend. Mike, Amy, dad and me are going to drive up to San Francisco. See the sights on Saturday and then drive over to Oakland for the game on Sunday. Mom will stay home with Nicky. Frank might join us if we can snag cheap airfare and he can finagle time off, which isn't looking too good right now.

This should be one of those "life's greatest moments" for my dad. He's not one to get terribly excited for much, but Amy tells me he's excited for this. I figure it's the equivalent to when I flew out Mike, Amy and Nicky as a surprise for my mom's 50th. That had her beaming from ear to ear. I'd like to share an experience like that with my dad.

November has much to look forward to.

Rock Crawling & Desert Riding

This weekend we got out to enjoy fresh air and desert riding. We met up with old friends (VV4W) for a pre-run for Hump & Bump. We used to do runs with these guys regularly in the Jimmy. They taught me the difference between off-roading and 4-wheeling. We loved rock crawling. Maybe someday we'll be flush with cash and we'll get the Jimmy in tip top shape to start crawling again. In the meantime, we love the RZR, we can't climb rocks like we did, but we make up for it with speed. I missed riding, boy, oh boy, it's gonna be a long winter! I'd like to fast forward football season so we can just get out there and play, but anyway...

The Jeeps ran a couple trails in Logandale, Rock Bottom and The Shredder. We followed taking the bypasses. Watching rock crawlers is nearly as fun as navigating. Adrenaline doesn't pump the same, but there is also no worry about breaking your rig. We enjoyed sitting back and watching them do their thing. I took photos and Frank captured video. In between trails, we'd zip around for our own fun. Then, after the Jeeps went home for the day we hit the dunes and flew through the wash. Good times!

October StrEATs

Saturday night we went downtown for StrEATs. This month's food truck collection included trucks we haven't tried. Such as Sausagefest, Tastybunz and Sin City Wings.

We hit up Sausagefest first. With our southside roots, we couldn't help but put the Polish and Hot Italian to the test. Both measured up! I only wish the giardineria that they top the Italian with was hot. The Vietnamese rolls untraditional, but they totally work. It's a great bun to meat ratio. It's soft and chewy yet strong enough to hold all the tasty bites inside. The fries have skins and are fried crisp just like we could get back home, too. Rock on, Sausagefest! We'll be back for more.





Next up was Sin City Wings, I wanted to love it but I didn't. They drew a large crowd. After lengthy wait, we had grub in hand. I don't often like chicken on the bone, so we went with tenders. We couldn't decide on a sauce so we sprung for a second sauce for 50 cents and they left them naked. Armed with Feinberg and Hot Buffalo sauce we dug in.

The Hot Buffalo sauce was not terribly hot or tasty. After one dunk we stuck with the Feinberg, the spicy apricot was the way to go. However, while the breading is crisp is too thick. I prefer I much lighter coating. The homemade ranch is very watery and no better than most bottled versions. The addition of macaroni salad (watery) and bread (dry) seems like carb overkill. It seem like an afterthought, rather than a balanced combo.



Tastybunz was our last stop. We were pretty full but we saved enough room for the hot pig bun with jalapenos and pancetta and an order of the nutty professor with white chocolate and carmel sauce.

There are far more menu items to sample, but first impressions were promising. We liked the bun, it was a tasty snack you don't get every day. The nutty professor? Goodness, I'm in love. Nutter Butters are my favorite store bought cookie, I never once thought about deep frying them, but I'm glad TastyBunz did. I'm hooked.