Next step

Frank met with his Dr. this morning to go over the results of the MRI. He has two bulging discs and one herniated disc. The doctor was amazed he's walking. Surgery is needed. He has a pre-op appt. on the 31st and surgery is scheduled for June 5th. Sounds like the surgery will be less invasive than I thought, it'll only require one night in the hospital and he should experience relief from the back pain immediately following the surgery. Not exactly what we wanted to hear, but a return to normalcy is in sight.

Planet Hollywood

Check out the following link for photos from our recent visit to Planet Hollywood:

Planet Hollywood Slideshow

The Road to Recovery

Sometimes it can be a longer than expected. Frank is still experiencing unbearable back pain. He started to show some improvement after a few weeks of physical therapy, but this past Thursday he moved awkwardly causing a relapse. He went to the ER, and then followed up with a specialist. Monday, he’ll finally have an MRI. Treatment will depend on those results.

My ankle seemed to be healing nicely, but it appears the extra running around over the weekend was too much too soon. Pain and swelling have returned.

We had rescheduled our stay at the Signature on Mother’s day, but we had to cancel again due to our set backs. Fortunately, I received another promotion valid through June. Hopefully, the third time will be the charm.

Mega Beat Jackpot

Frank's pet project finally came to fruition. The Mega Beat Jackpot was unveiled yesterday in Harrah's poker rooms.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2007

Poker Rooms Launch Progressive Mega Beat Jackpot Poker
Win For Losing in Multi-Property Texas Hold’em Progressive

Las Vegas, NV – Poker enthusiasts have the chance to earn $50,000 or more playing Texas Hold’em at any one of six participating Harrah’s properties during the new Mega Beat Jackpot Live Poker promotion. Starting today, poker rooms at Harrah’s Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas, O’Sheas Casino, Bally’s Las Vegas, Paris Las Vegas and Harrah’s Laughlin are introducing the mammoth jackpot promotion that makes designated losing hands a winner.

The new Mega Beat Jackpot starts at $50,000 and increases daily the more the game is played without a winner. The initial qualifying hand to win the Mega Beat Jackpot is when four 10’s or higher is beaten by a higher four-of-a-kind or better. Each week the Mega Beat Jackpot isn’t won, the qualifying hand will drop numerically until the Mega Beat Jackpot is won. Once the jackpot is claimed, the prize will reset at $50,000 and the qualifying hand will return to four 10’s.

“We’re excited to introduce this multi-property promotion to our poker players,” said Mark Kelly, Vice President of Table Games for Harrah’s and Flamingo Las Vegas. “Avid players know the disappointment when a seemingly winning hand is crushed by an even better hand. With the Mega Beat Jackpot, even a losing hand can be a winner and the jackpot has the potential to grow daily.”

To add to the excitement, when a Mega Beat Jackpot is hit, all active players engaged in an eligible Texas Hold’em game at any one of the participating casinos will win a share of the Mega Beat Jackpot. Official rules and regulations about the Mega Beat Jackpot Promotion are available in the poker room of each participating casino.

Top 10... Movies: Comedies

• King Pin
• Mixed Nuts
• Madhouse
• Money Pit
• Love Actually
• Nine Months
• Roadtrip
• American Pie
• Clerks
• Borat
  

Top 10... TV Shows

• Sex and the City
• Six Feet Under
• Sopranos
• Entourage
• Rescue Me
• Nip/Tuck
• The Shield
• Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Seinfeld
• Married with Children

Everybody Loves Raymond, Frasier, and X Files get honorable mentions. Additionally, Big Love, Dexter, Dirt, and The Riches are all great, but none were considered since a second season has not yet aired.

When it rains, it pours

It seems like Frank and I have ran into a string of rough luck, he's been fighting sciatica for the past three weeks. The pain has made everyday life incredibly tough for him. He can barely walk ten feet before his legs go completely numb and he doubles over in excruciating pain. He's been on a handful of meds over a week now and has experienced no improvement. He's awaiting a MRI to determine the next course of action, but trying to get authorization and an appointment has been a hellish nightmare.

Then, on Thursday, I fell at work. My ankle (same one I broke two years ago) swelled up instantly. Luckily, I could walk on it, it just hurt like hell. I went to Quick Care (they should come up with a new name, because they're anything but quick. Although, they are faster than the Emergency Room), hours and an x-ray later, I was thrilled to hear it wasn't broken. Just a severe sprain. I should be as good as new in 4-6 weeks when my ligaments heal.

Needless to say, Frank and I make a great pair. Despite our desperate need to get away, we cancelled our night at The Signature. With any luck, decent rates will be available when we are both feeling better.

Wedded Bliss

Today is Frank and my anniversary. Three years ago today, we tied the knot at Mandalay Bay, in front of 80 of our closest family and friends. We celebrated over a late lunch at Luxor's buffet. Later, our friends and family joined us on Fremont Street, it was great fun. Frank and I snuck off for a quick bite at Subway because we were starved, how romantic is that? Before retiring to our suite at Mandalay Bay we played $20 in a triple diamond slot machine at the Plaza, we won $325. It was a perfect way to begin our long awaited journey as husband and wife.

Unfortunately, we won't be seeing each other today. Therefore, we will be celebrating our anniversary this weekend. Sunday we will stay at the Signature and will likely have dinner at Stack.

Construction photos

Palazzo @ Venetian








Encore @ Wynn




Trump

House Hunting

We’ve concluded that our dreams of purchasing a high rise condo is not likely anytime soon, so we’ve decided to focus on purchasing a single family home. We’re not ready to move yet; we need to wait until Frank transfers back to Las Vegas. Which could be as early as June, but another six months or longer is more likely. We’re mainly researching our options at this point, so we are prepared when the time comes.

We’re seeking a house with a garage and patio for BBQ’s. We also like natural light, a large living room, master bedroom and bath, and we want space to use as an office. Sounds easy enough, right? Yeah, it’s more complicated than you’d think…

We like the far west and southwest parts of the Las Vegas Valley. So far, we’ve been most interested in new developments in Summerlin. This past weekend we found a house that we could call home. It’s the Napa Valley model located in the Ladera Ridge Development by KB Homes within the Mesa community of Summerlin. The only downside of the floorplan was the separate shower and tub in the master bath are each too small for Frank. We visited the KB homes Studio to see what upgrades are available, but their options will not suit our needs. Their advice was to have KB homes sub out the work to have the master bath customized to our specifications. Which is a possibility, but I imagine we’d pay far more going that route than if we were to handle it ourselves. Then again, I would want a new home move-in ready and free of “diy” projects.

There’s another builder in the same area so we’ll see what they have to offer. We’ll also continue to seek out other communities, as well as, resale homes. If we go the resale route I think we’ll be able to get more for our money and closing will be a bit easier.

A Decade of Love

10 years ago, yesterday, Frank worked up enough courage to tell me he liked me. I replied, really? I like you, too. We stood there beaming with grins ear to ear... next, we both uttered, I don't know if I should hug you or kiss you? I suggested we do both and we did. We've been inseparable ever since. We are so fortunate that we found each other early in life, I am forever grateful. We've had a wonderful 10 years together, I can't wait to see what the future holds for us.

April 17 will be our third wedding anniversary. It's astounding how quickly time goes by. In honor of our anniversaries we've booked a night in a junior suite at The Signature. I can't wait to get a taste of what high rise life would be like.

Things get better with age, even birthdays.

I had a wonderful birthday on Sunday, in fact it was one of the best that I can remember. It was sunny and 80 degrees - absolute perfection. My day of bliss began at Harrah’s Spa. Frank booked me a 50 minute facial. He dropped me off and he walked over to Mirage to play some poker. I used the eucalyptus steam shower and then lounged near the whirlpool while I waited for my appt. I enjoyed the treatment, but I think I'll stick to massages for my b-day (I felt a bit freakish due the redness that lingered).

Afterwards, I walked over to Mirage to meet Frank at Carnegie Deli. Had to grab a couple of our favorite cookies. With cookies in hand, we headed to our nook outside of the coffee shop near the parking garage. We relaxed and nibbled on our treats. We returned to the car and I requested that we drive down the strip because I wanted to check out construction progress and see the site where Stardust used to be. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly buildings go up in this town. There’s nothing but rubble from the Frontier to Circus Circus. Weird.

It was a lovely day and we wanted to take advantage of it, so we decided to visit Ethel M's Cactus Garden. Disappointing trip, landscaping was a mess and much of the cacti looked like it suffered from the cold temps we had this winter.

Next, Frank got the idea to check out some new homes. We looked at condos with garages. We found a real nice one, everything was great except the living room was too small. After that we visited Rhodes Ranch for what we call Real Estate Porn. It's a gorgeous master planned community that surrounds a man-made lake and golf course. Homes have spectacular strip and mountain views. We looked at "The Collection" subdivision which has homes in the $500-800k price range. There was only one house we really liked, it was $770,000. There was a ton of natural light and views from the loft and master bedroom were out of this world.

Afterwards, we returned home and watched some TV to rest up before our dinner reservations at STACK at 6pm. Dinner was fantastic, as usual. We adore the place, it's like it was meant for us. It has great ambiance and music, with excellent food and service to match. This time we had the wings as a starter, unlike any buffalo wings I've ever had. They were tasty and so cute. We followed with a split Caesar. Next up, was petite filet and tater tots for me; and lamb shank and XL potato for Frank. Pure Ecstasy. When I thought I could eat no more, warm chocolate with vanilla ice cream was delivered with a lit candle and a happy birthday message. Frank had it arranged earlier in the day. It was heavenly, and I don't particularly like cake. Gluttony is, by far, my favorite sin.

My fabulous day still wasn't over. We had tickets to Spamalot at Wynn at 8pm. We walked over and enjoyed the perfect weather. We were surprised by all the changes to the theater, very different from when Ave Q played; it is now very tailored to fit the Spamalot theme. We had seats 116, 117 in the Mezzanine Row E... dead center, high-up, but we could see the entire show. I really don't think there could be a bad seat because the theater is so well designed. It was a full house. The theater erupted into laughter hundreds of times. It was silly and incredibly entertaining. Spamalot seems to be very well received. The cast was fantastic and received a standing ovation. We had a ball, my cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing for 90 minutes. Great show, definitely one of my favorites.

My birthday was drawing to a close, we saw the Bellagio fountains in the distance. Frank asked if I wanted to go there. I smiled real big and said yes. We saw "Luck be a Lady" while sitting in traffic. It was a bit of a cluster so we weren't able to get into the turning lane to enter the garage. So, we didn't make it to Bellagio, Frank offered to turn around and try again, but I declined. I suggested we go next week, instead.

So long, Stardust...

Early this morning, Mike, Amy, Jeff and Matt came by my place. We piled into my car and headed toward the strip to witness the Stardust Implosion. We parked in Deju Vu's parking lot and walked along Industrial Rd. to Stardust Rd. At 2:30 am, a spectacular 4-minute firework display kicked off the Stardust's last hurrah. By 2:34, we watched the towers crumble before our eyes. An extrodinary sight to see. KLAS-TV has the best video around, their footage includes a countdown that we were unable to see from our vantage point.

Fun Facts:

• At 315-feet tall Stardust was tallest building imploded on the Las Vegas strip
• Also, it makes it the fourth tallest building ever imploded
• 428 lbs of explosives to sent the towers tumbling in 10 seconds
• Construction of Echelon Place will begin as soon as the site it clear
• The project is expected to open in 2010 and cost 4.4 billion dollars

Thanks for the memories!

Review: Garduno's

I escaped work today on my lunch break, Frank and I were undecided on where to go, but as we passed the Palms we saw that Garduno’s now offered patio seating. Despite us being less than impressed on our last two visits, we were swayed by the outdoor dining since it was such a gorgeous day.

However, when we got inside we were told it’d be a 15-minute wait to sit on the patio. I didn’t have time to spare so we settled on sitting indoors. We glanced over the menu and quickly decided on the Fajita’s Express option. For $10 and some change you have your choice of Beef or Chicken Fajitas made-to-order, cheese enchilada, chicken burrito, rice, beans and all the fixings. And it is all-you-can eat.

Our expectations weren’t high, but as it turned out, we were thoroughly impressed. The meal was 100 times better than our prior visits when we ordered off the menu. Everything was tasty and fresh, the beef was tender; we actually preferred it over the chicken. Fresh chips and salsa topped off the meal. All in all, it was pretty good and reasonably priced. The check was $22 before tip. Service was average. I wouldn’t hesitate to return for lunch, it’ll be nice to add another option to the rotation.

Review: KA, Revisted

More than a year ago we saw KA at MGM. We thought it was spectacular and we’ve been anxious to see again since, but we wanted to wait until discounted tickets were offered to locals. It took sometime, but 50% off tickets finally became available. Initially, I planned to get tickets for April, but when I realized that wouldn’t be possible. I called and reserved tickets 3 days in advance. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to select seats; I was told that the discounted tickets are automatically chosen. Best available seats for Friday’s 7pm performance were in section 103, Row P, seats 20-21. I questioned whether or not the seats were toward the center of the theater or on the outer edge. I was assured by the ticket agent that they were toward the center so I purchased the tickets at $68.75 each.

When we arrived to the theater I was disappointed to learn that I was misled. The seats were the last two in the outer aisle. Luckily, there were no obstructions. We were able to view the entire performance and from that perspective we also saw the moving parts of the stage. Nonetheless, I would’ve preferred and I recommend centrally located seats.

The show got started a couple minutes late. Then, ten-minutes into it, it appeared that something was wrong… sure enough, an announcement was made that they were experiencing technical difficulty and a short pause was in order. About five-minutes later, another announcement was made inviting us to the lobby for a brief intermission. People were confused, we overheard a few ask staff whether or not this was part of the show. After a twenty-minute lull the show resumed. The cast picked up where they left off, but the flow was interrupted and it really hurt the performance. The crowd was very disconnected. It became awkward at the end; the cast appeared for applause, but the theater was quiet. After the show we felt like we had witnessed both the best and worst performances of KA. Also, we were a little surprised to see that no changes had been made to show since we last seen it. Overall, we didn’t enjoy it nearly as much the second time around and I feel for the folks who paid full price because we did not receive a top-notch performance.

Flashback: KA Review

From 12-05-05:

Finally, I bit the bullet and forked over the cash to see KA at MGM. Figured the tickets would be a great birthday present for Frank. We attended the 10:30pm performance on Saturday, December 3rd. I purchased tickets 2 weeks in advance and requested seats in section 202 row EE. (Section 202 AA-DD are $150; EE-NN are $125) EE wasn’t available so I agreed to row FF and we were assigned seats 29 and 30 – just a few seats to the right from the center of the room. Our seats were great, no complaints whatsoever.

From the moment you walk into the theatre you feel, as though, you’ve been whisked away to a far-off village. Moreover, the pre-show entertainers help to pull off the feel of a working village. The lights dim and the epic journey begins…After the fall of the empire, twin brother and sister, are forced to follow their own destinies on separate paths. The tale of the twins takes you from sea, to the mountains and thru the rainforest. Along their journeys, each of the siblings learns to overcome fear as they learn to survive the elements, as well as, their enemies. Ultimately, the twins reunite, the battle is won, and the reconstruction of the village can begin -- Good conquers evil.

Throughout the show we were in awe. The stage is a technological modern marvel, and the cast of performers are full of tremendous strength and grace. Their talents are absolutely astonishing! KA is, of course, a Cirque du Soleil show, but it’s taken a step further and to an entirely new place unlike any show I’ve seen before.

My favorite scenes took place after the shipwreck. First, the feeling of being underwater felt so real I was completely taken back, the simplistic movements were of great beauty – it gave me goose bumps head-to-toe. Next, I adored the seashore scene. The sea creatures were comedic; I especially enjoyed the crabs and turtle. And later, the shadow puppets were amazing, I never thought I’d find shadow puppets so captivating, but I did. Without a doubt, the most interesting aspect of the show is the way the acrobatics are disguised within the story. You have to really think about what is really happening before your eyes. All the work that goes into making this show possible is extremely extraordinary.

The ticket price is high, but don’t let that deter you, its money well spent and I highly recommend the show. Frank thought it was a great gift and he thoroughly enjoyed the show, as well.

Review: Morton's The Steakhouse

We’ve been talking about trying Morton's Steakhouse for a couple years now, but for one reason or another we never made it happen. Last year, I cashed in credit card reward points for $100 gift certificate so we’d have an excuse to finally cross it off the ever-growing “places to dine” list. We needed a place to grab a bite before seeing KA, it seemed like a perfect fit. I made reservations a day in advance for 5pm Friday.

We were among the first of a few tables to arrive. As our meal continued on, the dining room began to fill. Nice old-school atmosphere with Sinatra playing in the background. We were on limited time so we got perturbed waiting for menus. We didn’t realize the menus don’t come until the end of the presentation. Which adds some kitsch, we know what meat and veggies look like so we would’ve rather got straight to the point, but I digress.

We ordered a Caesar salad and jumbo shrimp cocktail to start. The Caesar was ordinary; heavy on dressing and the lettuce was limp. The shrimp cocktail was excellent. Additionally, the bread served is warm, flaky, buttery, with a hint of onion and poppy seed – delicious. Next, for the main course Frank selected the Chicago-style bone-in ribeye, I choose the double-cut filet mignon and we opted to share the baked potato and garlic green beans. The seasoning used on the steaks was saltier than we like. Frank was unimpressed by his bone-in, he claimed it was among the worst he’s had, considerable amount fat to work around and it wasn’t nearly as tender or juicy as similar steaks he’s had at Delmonico, STACK, SW. etc. I was pleased with my filet as it was tender and full flavored. The baked potato was just that and the garlic green beans were a standout.

Overall, the menu offers traditional steakhouse fare, service was excellent throughout the meal, and our total for dinner was $150 before tip. Although, I enjoyed the experience more than Frank, I felt that the meal was overpriced. In the future, I’d rather visit comparatively priced steakhouses in town that offer better quality steaks and/or more creative menus.

Home Away From Home

Our place in Laughlin is coming along... most of the major purchases are complete, at least for the time being. We're a bit anxious to get started on updating the bathrooms and kitchen, but that's on the back burner until we get some money saved.

Living Room:

Patio & Dining Area:

Kitchen:

Guest Bedroom/Computer Room:

Frank's Newest Toy:

Guest Bath - shared by guest bedroom & main living area:

Master Bedroom:

New plantation blinds that I installed:

Masterbath:

New Washer & Dryer:

Views from bedroom windows:

Review: The Producers

After dinner, we caught the 8pm performance of The Producers. Tickets were only $60/pp because I took advantage of the promotion offered to locals during preview performances. We had seats 38/39 in row G; I believe that’s on the border of the green and red section, if ordering via Ticketmaster. Our seats were good, but I would’ve preferred to be closer to the stage. If you’re debating seating selection I’d suggest narrowing down the options to Blue ($143), Green ($128) or Red ($108). I believe it would be best to forget the yellow ($75) section altogether and blue would offer optimum viewing. The theater has undergone little change since it was home to We Will Rock You; as far as I could tell, it was identical except for the sets.

As we had expected, the show was entertaining and we both enjoyed it. The performers are talented and there are lots of laughs throughout the musical. Brad Oscar plays Max Bialystock and Larry Raben stars as Leo Bloom. Leigh Zimmerman spices things up as Ulla. The trio works splendidly together. The theater erupted when David Hasselhoff appeared as Roger Debris. He depicts the flamboyant role fabulously. Overall, it was a lot of fun. The show was seamless despite it being a preview performance. The cast earned a standing ovation, the crowd seemed pleased and only positive things were overheard.

I don't feel that it makes the list of must-see shows, but if you have interest, I think it's worth the ticket price. While it wasn’t my favorite Broadway show that’s made it’s way to Las Vegas, it'll be interesting to see if The Producers has what it takes to succeed.

Review: Mon Ami Gabi

Surprisingly, we never got around to trying Mon Ami Gabi until last night. We had tickets to The Producers at 8pm so it seemed like a perfect fit; I made reservations for 6pm a week in advance. For a few years now, I’ve heard nothing but solid praises for the food, value and ambience at Mon Ami Gabi. I wish I could say our experience earned such regards. And I’m sure I’ll ruffle some feathers, but the entire meal was lackluster, the service was slow, and we witnessed the most disorganized staff I’ve encountered in recent memory.

Upon arrival we had to wait in line to give our name to the hostess. Then it took three girls tapping on the computer before they were able to locate our reservation. We, along with the group ahead of us, were herded alongside the bar and told to wait to be seated. A few moments passed and then we were led to our table in a small room with approx. eight tables. The room had two large windows: one overlooks Las Vegas Blvd with a faint view of Bellagio in the distance – and the other had views of the casino floor through the shear drapery. The atmosphere was nice, although the main dining area was bustling and a bit loud.

The wine list was quite impressive; it’s too bad we’re not wine drinkers. We flipped the menu and glanced over the food selection. I had an idea of what I wanted before we arrived so I was quick to settle on the Onion Soup and New York Strip Steak with shallot and burgundy sauce. Frank took longer to make his choice. No entrees on the menu caught his eye, so he instead ordered the Monday night special, filet mignon with truffle cream sauce. We nibbled on the fresh bread while we awaited our soup. It took some time for the waiter to return with our drink order; and when he did he gave the iced tea to me and diet Pepsi to Frank. It should’ve been reversed. This is a minor flaw, one that I’d typically pay little attention to, but in this case it set the tone for the rest of the meal.

Soup was mistakenly delivered to the two men sitting beside us to our right. A few minutes later, soup du jour and crab cakes were brought to us in error. They were intended for the couple seated to our left. After we polished off the tasty French bread our onion soup finally arrived. The soup was good, right on par with other French onion soups I’ve tried. Frank, however, felt the three onion soup at The Range (Harrah’s) is better, both, in taste and presentation. I’ve never been so I can’t compare.

When we finished our soup, the gentlemen dining to our right received their entrees, but they had to wait for flatware before they could dig in, they seemed annoyed. We received ours right after them, as did the table to our left. There was a long lull between the time we finished our soup and when our entrees were delivered. Yet again, they tried to deliver our neighbors’ (to the left) selection. We refused and were beginning to get impatient. Then finally, our entrees were delivered, but Frank was served mine and received his. After a quick swap it was finally time to dig in. We thought the frites reminded us of shoe strings… fancier than French fries, but nothing to be excited about. Both steaks were prepared to our liking. My Strip Steak was fattier and less tender than I expected and the sauce was uninspired. Frank’s filet had more fat and it was less tender than we are used to as well. But, the truffle sauce was wonderful. Frank definitely made the better choice by ordering the special.

Towards the end of our meal, Frank was in need of a refill, the waiter returned with a diet Pepsi. He even noted the mistake, but he never returned with an iced tea. In the meantime, both parties seated beside us had left. We were slightly annoyed because the table to our left was seated after us. When the waiter asked us if we’d like dessert we passed and requested that the check be brought promptly since we had a show to catch. He returned several minutes later to deliver the bill, $88 before tip. Overall, we felt Mon Ami Gabi was overrated and we failed to see the value. Maybe our expectations were too high? Perhaps we caught them on an off night? Could be that we’re jaded… Either way, they didn't earn praises from us.