Get ready, because this blog is soon getting a professional makeover from Kayla Aimee! I entered a contest and our blog was randomly selected! I was seriously going to join her online class anyway because I've always wanted to know how to make one of the cool blog designs I've always drooled over. How random! I came screeching down the stairs to grab my phone and call Ashley, and of course Brent did NOT get what all the fuss was about when I explained the whole situation. He thinks I'm a little touched when it comes to this blog business.
Hey, for a bleak February day, this is big time!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
"Get Up and Shake the Glitter Off Your Clothes..."
Okay, so our Vegas trip wasn't QUITE that wild, but we did have a great time on our President's Day/Valentine's Day vacation. We flew in early Saturday morning and immediately reviewed our blackjack strategies in the hotel room before heading to the MGM Grand and New York, New York to see if they worked. No, I'm not kidding...my husband printed off strategies and the odds for each card the dealer's holding so he could brush up on the plane. I love that man.
After much chaos with their flight, Dan and Lori finally made it into town and we all met up at the casino in the MGM Grand. Mom's forte - the Wheel of Fortune machines; Dan and Rob - the poker tables. We ate at the Bellagio Buffet which was excellent!
Sunday, Valentine's Day, was another day of hitting the blackjack tables at various casinos. Unfortunately, I had blown through all my gambling cash by the second day and rather than lose all control and go to an ATM, I hit up my husband for another $50. I turned the $50 into $150 by the end of the trip, which was good enough for me. Yes, he got his loan back.
For our Valentine's Day dinner we all ate at Battista's Hole in the Wall off the strip, which has decent Italian food and a cute old man who plays the accordion. Some people were a little bit put off that he only sang one line of "That's Amore" after we requested it, but I wasn't one of those people. He's old, give him a break!
The girls all went to see LOVE - The Beatles Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage on our last night, and we LOVEd it indeed! I couldn't get the Beatles' songs out of my head for the next several days. If you're going to Vegas soon, it is definitely something you should see. I promise.
After much chaos with their flight, Dan and Lori finally made it into town and we all met up at the casino in the MGM Grand. Mom's forte - the Wheel of Fortune machines; Dan and Rob - the poker tables. We ate at the Bellagio Buffet which was excellent!
"Ahhh yes, so you just push the button like so, eh?"
Every hotel had something in its lobby to celebrate the Chinese New Year
We were lucky and caught one of the fountain shows just as we were leaving the Bellagio. So cool!
Sunday, Valentine's Day, was another day of hitting the blackjack tables at various casinos. Unfortunately, I had blown through all my gambling cash by the second day and rather than lose all control and go to an ATM, I hit up my husband for another $50. I turned the $50 into $150 by the end of the trip, which was good enough for me. Yes, he got his loan back.
In front of our hotel
Excalibur
New York, New York
For our Valentine's Day dinner we all ate at Battista's Hole in the Wall off the strip, which has decent Italian food and a cute old man who plays the accordion. Some people were a little bit put off that he only sang one line of "That's Amore" after we requested it, but I wasn't one of those people. He's old, give him a break!
After dinner we took cabs up to Fremont Street in the original downtown area. The light show under the canapy was definitely something to see! We saw Queen and later KISS.
Holding the world's most disgusting Pina Colada. I drank a little bit and then Dad and I ended up knocking it all over the floor underneath a blackjack table. Eh, not a loss.
A random limo was driving by offering a great deal cheaper than our two taxi rides, so of course we couldn't pass that up. He was kinda surly and was yelling at us to get in, so actually I could have passed on that.
This was taken at about 3:00 a.m. while Lori and I waited on Brent to meet us on the bridge between NY, NY and MGM. We wanted to really stay out late that second night, but we were so.tired. He found us asleep on a bench. Not really, but close.
On our last day we hung out at the pool in the early afternoon and then Mom, Lori and I went up and down the Strip looking at different hotels.
Paris
The Venetian
This is Brent and I leaving for the Vegas airport. Bonnie was ticked when we came home with that poodle, but she's coping with it.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Snow Dog
My Bonnie just loves the snow. I would love the snow more if we were getting some cancellations out of the deal - I know, whining government employee, right? Doesn't hurt to hope for one!
But back to Bonnie and the snow. I haven't posted much about her lately, and that might be because she hasn't done anything especially bad. She is really becoming quite the nice little dog but is still a bit rough around the edges. For instance, we have a really hard time getting her to come inside when we call. It usually ends in a stand-off with both Brent and I trying to corner her against her Invisible Fence. The only problem is that she's figured out that she can get through the fence and move freely between the front and back yards if she runs very close to the house, making it very hard to catch her. I was cooking dinner tonight and couldn't put my snow gear on to help Brent. We tried the classic "Shake-a-Bag-of-Deli-Turkey-Out-the-Front-Door" move to no avail. Then, I walked my skillet full of half-cooked hamburger to the door, where she stood watching me from the door frame with her head cocked to the side. Nope. Brent chased her around the yard, hoping a snow drift might slow her down. Finally, in a last-ditch effort of desperation, he laid down in the snow on the deck and played dead. Curious, Bonnie walked up to see what the heck he was doing. That's when he grabbed her.
You know, I've read before that the Westie in general is trying to out-smart its opponents. Do you think that's happening here?
I leave you with a video of Bonnie watching Puppy Bowl VI on the Animal Planet. It's basically a bunch of puppies rolling around in a pin that resembles a football field. She loves other dogs and is also a pretty good TV-watcher, so this is right up her alley. My favorite is when she looks behind the TV for the dogs, and then checks in the fireplace before looking for them out the front door.
Okay - correction - there is no video. I can't get it to load but will keep working on it.
But back to Bonnie and the snow. I haven't posted much about her lately, and that might be because she hasn't done anything especially bad. She is really becoming quite the nice little dog but is still a bit rough around the edges. For instance, we have a really hard time getting her to come inside when we call. It usually ends in a stand-off with both Brent and I trying to corner her against her Invisible Fence. The only problem is that she's figured out that she can get through the fence and move freely between the front and back yards if she runs very close to the house, making it very hard to catch her. I was cooking dinner tonight and couldn't put my snow gear on to help Brent. We tried the classic "Shake-a-Bag-of-Deli-Turkey-Out-the-Front-Door" move to no avail. Then, I walked my skillet full of half-cooked hamburger to the door, where she stood watching me from the door frame with her head cocked to the side. Nope. Brent chased her around the yard, hoping a snow drift might slow her down. Finally, in a last-ditch effort of desperation, he laid down in the snow on the deck and played dead. Curious, Bonnie walked up to see what the heck he was doing. That's when he grabbed her.
You know, I've read before that the Westie in general is trying to out-smart its opponents. Do you think that's happening here?
I leave you with a video of Bonnie watching Puppy Bowl VI on the Animal Planet. It's basically a bunch of puppies rolling around in a pin that resembles a football field. She loves other dogs and is also a pretty good TV-watcher, so this is right up her alley. My favorite is when she looks behind the TV for the dogs, and then checks in the fireplace before looking for them out the front door.
Okay - correction - there is no video. I can't get it to load but will keep working on it.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Good Luck, Alli!
Last Wednesday my work friend, Alli, deployed to the Middle East for six months to support our troops with finance issues while out of country. A day or two before she left she was told that she would not be stationed in Afghanistan as previously planned, but would rather stay in Kuwait the entire time. I think we're all happy at work that she hasn't been dropped by military plane, unarmed, into the Afghani hillside.
Here's a little going away picture that our friend Lori made for her. You know, just so she wouldn't forget how creepy we are.
Here's a little going away picture that our friend Lori made for her. You know, just so she wouldn't forget how creepy we are.
The baby is Lori's little guy, Max. No children or animals were harmed during the making of this photo.
You can follow Alli's Middle Eastern adventures on her blog. Please remember her in your T&P. Come home soon!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
5 Things I Love Right Now
1. My UGG boots. I have lived in these all winter and people are probably wishing I would at least get another pair for some variety. I even wear them into work most days, and if I don't have any meetings I sometimes "forget" to take them off because they're so warm and comfy.
2. Modern Family. I just started watching the show a few weeks ago and am trying to catch up, but holy cow is it hilarious.
3. Great running music. These songs are coming out at the perfect time since the mini training schedule is on like Donkey Kong. Come on, you have to admit that "Tik Tok", "Evacuate the Dance Floor", "Party in the U.S.A.", "Replay", and "Bad Romance" make it almost bearable to chain yourself to the treadmill day after day.
4. Skinny Hazelnut Lattes from Starbucks. I knew I had to replace the Peppermint Mocha with something a little lighter, and my feelings for these lattes has slowly grown into a beautiful relationship. And with $135 in giftcards left from Christmas, I should be able to enjoy them all through the winter.
5. Having free evenings on Tuesdays and Thursdays now that I've graduated. It is so refreshing! My house isn't any cleaner, but I'm much more relaxed.
What five things do you love right now?
2. Modern Family. I just started watching the show a few weeks ago and am trying to catch up, but holy cow is it hilarious.
3. Great running music. These songs are coming out at the perfect time since the mini training schedule is on like Donkey Kong. Come on, you have to admit that "Tik Tok", "Evacuate the Dance Floor", "Party in the U.S.A.", "Replay", and "Bad Romance" make it almost bearable to chain yourself to the treadmill day after day.
4. Skinny Hazelnut Lattes from Starbucks. I knew I had to replace the Peppermint Mocha with something a little lighter, and my feelings for these lattes has slowly grown into a beautiful relationship. And with $135 in giftcards left from Christmas, I should be able to enjoy them all through the winter.
5. Having free evenings on Tuesdays and Thursdays now that I've graduated. It is so refreshing! My house isn't any cleaner, but I'm much more relaxed.
What five things do you love right now?
Sunday, January 24, 2010
GO COLTS!
The Colts are off to Super Bowl XLIV! That's 44, in case you're not good with Roman numerals. I wouldn't have known what number it was except the announcers made a comment after our #44 caught a touchdown pass.
We watched the game at a fun little party at the Mitchell's. Emily will probably have more pictures, but I just got this one shot of the girls on the couch.
I'm off to watch the second game to see who we'll be playing in Miami - Brett or our boy Drew Brees. Thanks, Colts, for making the winter a little less dreary in Indianapolis!
We watched the game at a fun little party at the Mitchell's. Emily will probably have more pictures, but I just got this one shot of the girls on the couch.
I'm off to watch the second game to see who we'll be playing in Miami - Brett or our boy Drew Brees. Thanks, Colts, for making the winter a little less dreary in Indianapolis!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Keep Flying By, January...
January and February are my least favorite months because 1.) after-Christmas letdown sets in, 2.) the cold, snowy weather and dry, cracked skin, and 3.) they just seem to take forever. But so far, so good. The month is going fast and we have planned a big family Vegas vacation for February to get us through the winter. I need a dangling carrot to get through the work week and I'm not going to pretend I don't.
This weekend I went to Carbondale to visit Lori and family. Since they've lived down there almost two years, I figured it was time to see their house...which, by the way, is gorgeous. I also stopped by to see the MaMa, which was long overdue since I missed both Thanksgiving and Christmas in Effingham.
While Baleigh was at a birthday party yesterday afternoon, Lori and I went to Blue Sky Winery on the Illinois Wine Trail. We enjoyed great conversation, live music, and probably a little more Reisling than I was ready for after being down with the swine flu.
How about those Indianapolis Colts? Keep on rolling! I wore my jersey to work on Friday and all day yesterday just in case it was the last time I had the chance. It's the one piece of laundry I won't mind doing this week.
This weekend I went to Carbondale to visit Lori and family. Since they've lived down there almost two years, I figured it was time to see their house...which, by the way, is gorgeous. I also stopped by to see the MaMa, which was long overdue since I missed both Thanksgiving and Christmas in Effingham.
While Baleigh was at a birthday party yesterday afternoon, Lori and I went to Blue Sky Winery on the Illinois Wine Trail. We enjoyed great conversation, live music, and probably a little more Reisling than I was ready for after being down with the swine flu.
Notice the dark thing in the right corner? That's my North Face that I left at the winery. Lori called this afternoon and they said they don't have it, but I think that this picture, paired with an assumption or two, proves that foul play is involved here.
How about those Indianapolis Colts? Keep on rolling! I wore my jersey to work on Friday and all day yesterday just in case it was the last time I had the chance. It's the one piece of laundry I won't mind doing this week.
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