Vegas Vacation

Oh hi there.

Finally well rested (comparatively speaking) and ready to go.  Who wants to hear a little about the trip to Vegas my girlfriends and I had?Clearly it’s Vegas and I can’t give you ALL the details, but here are a few highlights…

The biggest night out was Saturday night (our first day there).  Was it a mistake to make our wild night out right after traveling all day?  Yes. Did we care?  Not really. Although a bouncer did… (ahem… Monica… ahem…) But it was totally cool.  I talked our way into a second club for free.  Take THAT.

One of the best outdoor activities was a hike Annie and I made in Red Rock Canyon.  Simply beautiful.  And after spending so much time in recycled air (plane, hotel, bars), it was really nice to get out in the gorgeous weather and breath in some freshness.However, it was not nice to get stuck on a 13-mile “scenic route” of the canyon that could not have been made more curvy if they tried.  I mentioned this was after our wild night out, right?

My personal favorite meal was Diablo’s in the Monte Carlo.  It was a Mexican restaurant Annie had visited the year before and she claims she still dreams of their guacamole a year later.  Obviously I was signed up for this one. And did not hesitate to eat my weight in guac and the recommended fajitas.Mexican food has been our Sunday tradition as of late, so it’s totally ok. Gotta keep some routine in my life, right?

And do you see that margarita? This dinner happened the day after our “big night out”. The sound of tequila was SO unappealing. But then who am I to turn down a free drink? A couple sips later, and I knew the tequila would treat me just fine…

My favorite “sight” to see in Las Vegas was hands down the Bellagio fountain.  We watched two shows as we were walking and letting dinner “digest”.But not without dancing to “Vogue” when we heard it blasting down the street. Naturally.It was decided after this trip that every night should end with a water show at a fabulous fountain and each day should be started with a roller coaster ride. That’s right, a roller coaster ride.  While Annie was taking care of her work stuff, Mon and I explored and ended up at New York, New York. Who needs coffee when you can really “wake up” by getting shot around a casino at 60 mph?

I’m really sad we didn’t get the picture. Mon was screaming and slouched behind her shoulder guards and I was crying because I couldn’t stop laughing at the ridiculous sounds coming out of her mouth. Classy stuff.

It was interesting to discover the majority of my budget would have to go towards food. Our most interesting night was a buffet called The Wicked Spoon at The Cosmopolitan.  Endless wine and food for $42.

Most people think buffet and think jello molds, people touching everything, sneezing on the salad, etc.  But this one was cute- they had a majority of the food portioned out for you already.The weirdest thing tried was also that night.  Our friend (and a previous roommate of mine who lives just outside of Vegas) picked up “bone marrow”. And I figured if he was brave enough, I was, too.

Gross. The memory of it had to be drowned in wine.

Even with all the buffets, massive plates of good eats, and tons of consumed gelato, we tried to eat healthy, too.That’s right.  My healthiest meal came from Serendipity- a place known for frozen hot chocolate. Go figure. And yes, that is practically an entire bag of broccoli.  It was a “side”.

I worked out one day- a 1.5-mile run.  I had grand intentions to do 3 miles, but realized it would be the third day in a row of 4-5 hours of walking. Some of that in heels.  The run stopped early.

Found out I have no patience with gambling.  Just not my thing. Unless it’s someone else’s money.  I have no problems watching a group of guys we met play craps.  Maybe if they had let ME roll the dice, they may have won something, too.  Silly boys.

We stayed at Aria (it’s relatively new) after finding a ridiculously good deal on Expedia.  GORGEOUS hotel (and two awesome gelato spots inside- heads up!). I only got a little weirded out that everything in the bathroom was clear glass and mirrors.  It was weird being able to clearly see myself shower at every angle.  I’m way too shy for that.

Mon and I left Las Vegas on Tuesday evening (Annie still had to stay for work). The guy who checked our bags found out we were going back to Chicago and asked how we could ever live there.  He’s been living in Vegas and was originally from Hawaii.  My favorite part of the conversation was when he said “if I lived in Chicago, I’d have 20 kids by now”.

Sounds about right.

We sat and crossed our fingers the flight would be cancelled or seriously delayed. No such luck. We had to return home. The flight was spent semi-sleeping (long legs suck for such a thing) and adoring the two old women beside us. Mon and I figured that may be us in 40 years. But Mon was positive she’d be one of the old gals rockin’ a Rascal.

Seriously. There was an unnatural amount of rascals being driven around. If you go, I would suggest making it a game (or a drinking game?) to count them. It’s unreal.

And here I am, back at home safe and sound. Meh. Of course our return back would happen on a Tuesday. What was I thinking???

At least the weekend is fairly close… even if it is rainy and in the 40′s. Versus sunny and 70.

Needless to say, the countdown has begun for my next trip in May…

That’s My Cue

We might as well talk about Black Swan first.

Because I’m still kind of feeling weird. And just uncomfortable in general.

Mon and I went to see it last night.

We both agreed that it was pretty good.  Natalie and Mila NAILED their parts. Impressive for sure. 

But it is definitely one of those movies where you leave feeling really “blah” about life afterwards. I got the same feeling when I left the theater after seeing Revolutionary Road.  And on the way home, all you can say is, “wow… that would really suck”.

And that’s all I’ll say about that.

Because I was feeling good for the rest of the day. Not that I did a whole lot. I took my Christmas tree down.  Does that count as productive?  Even if I should probably have put it away earlier? Considering one year, we kept the decorations on the tree through most of February (Valentine’s Day tree?) and the tree was still in our living room until April (couldn’t make this up if I wanted to), I thought getting the tree down yesterday was quite the accomplishment.

Do you have anything like that?  Where, at some point, you just don’t notice how obnoxious it is?

One thing I do know is that my dinner last night before the movie was obnoxiously good (like how I did that?  Corny?  Oh yeah…).Hey James!  Not diggin’ the mustache so much, but since I heart you, I’m willing to let it slide…

Guacamole, salsa, corn, sharp cheddar and sour cream.

The guacamole was part of a two-pack bought from Trader Joe’s a little while ago.  It suggested to use one and freeze the other.

Um.  It’s not as good after being frozen. Still alright- just not fantastic.

You heard it here.

Off I go.  It’s been one of those mornings of piddling around.  So in attempts to jump start my day, I put the “No More Trouble Zones” workout in.  Now it’s a matter of pushing play.

Oh yeah, before I go (I’m procrastinating again)- I’ve been working on integrating my 8-lb weights into The Shred. 

Whew.

I knew some of the moves would be simple. They could have used heavier weights in the very beginning.  Others?  I may have done one repeat with the 8′s and one with the 5′s.  The rest I didn’t even bother trying to switch it up.  Baby steps. There’s no need for me to pretend I’m stronger than I really am… 

Ok fine… the workout music is repeating over and over.  That’s my cue.  I need to go and face the music. 

Peace out!

One Tequila, Two Tequila…

Mr. Craigslist came and picked up the chair this morning.  He wasn’t a creeper.  No worries.  But Mon was there, as my red-headed spunky sidekick.  Just in case.  Ha.  Mr. Craigslist was actually kind of nice- and turned out he and his wife were originally from a farming area in Ohio.  So we got along just fine. 

After he left with the papasan chair crammed into his car, Mon and I headed to downtown Arlington Heights to enjoy the day that was even WARMER than promised.  Gorgeous!  We popped in and out of a few boutiques and stores here and there, but I was a big fan of this store I didn’t know existed called Runner’s High n’ Tri.I was intrigued by the shoe selection, but decided to come back when it was less crowded.  Check out how cool this wall is:The wall was signed by random athletes who had stopped in! 

Then we decided it was time to hit Fuego.But it’s not called Fuego anymore- Now it’s Salsa 17.  For some reason or another, there was a name change last month.  It really made no difference to me or my tastebuds.  We both had planned for this to be a “fun” outting, so we decided to order by the waiter’s recommendations. Margaritas!  Don’t worry- it was almost noon by the time we had our first sip.  That’s acceptable, right?Mon was happy.And so was I.  Clearly. 

Then we decided just to split a couple apps for lunch.  So we had some guacamole made tableside along with spinach quesadillas…Fabulous.  I overdid it a little with one too many tortilla chips.  I blame it on the margarita.  It was a strong one.  And I was a little loopy by the end of it.  So after I dropped Mon off at her car (that was getting fixed), I went home and lounged.  Even got in a little cat nap as I watched the Cards game (great day yesterday, boys!).Here’s something randomly fun- see that upper pic on the bookcase?  That’s me as a blond in there on my 21st birthday…  Wanna see it up close for fun? But I guess it’s kind of hard to tell how blond and overly tan I am for my own good in this pic.  So here’s another one.  Keep the smirking to a minimum, please…Too funny, right?  A couple of you had asked when I mentioned that I used to be blond, so I figured I’d just bring these up for kicks. :)  Oh and that’s Mary to my left and Laura to my right.  It seems we just naturally tend to pose in that order… which I totally didn’t realize until I was writing this.  And even looked back through more facebook pics to confirm it.  I guess we all have a good side?

Anyhoo, it was a fun Saturday.  I hit up the Red Box near me again as to keep me entertained for my night in before the race.  Has anyone seen Zombieland?  It looked kinda funny when it came out in theaters, so I thought why not- I’ve already exhausted most of the options in Red Box.  And it was funny.  I’m not into the gruesome factor, so I had to look away a couple times (even if it is seriously unrealistic), but I laughed.  It was much appreciated “off” humor if you’re into that kind of thing.  I also rented The Informant on a recommendation from my brother.  That one was saved for later today.

I also made sure to be semi-productive after the little nap and before the movies.  Yoga and the elliptical.  This was the first time I had been on the elliptical in awhile- and it wasn’t bad.  I read about Kendra’s difficulties after giving birth in an old US magazine.  Good stuff…

Ok, so this is posted as I am on my way to my 5k- Run for the Cheetah.  See ya kids later, I’ve got some business to take care of…