Monday, June 16, 2008

Sweet baby jebus I have another hour here at my desk.  I am not at all looking forward to this at all.  I have to be up at an near un-gawdly hour of 5:30 tomorrow to be at a work thing and seriously, kinda wish I wasn't part of the commitment for it.  Sad isn't it.  I know that I am on serious short timers disease here since I am done for the week at 4:00 tomorrow.  Seriously.  Taking three days off.  Everyone is whigging that I actually am doing it.  If it weren't for F I wouldn't be.  I would fly down to Phoenix for the show and probably come back and work on Friday, but a girl needs to chill from what I anticipate to be a full day and a half. 

Showed up at F's house yesterday morning but gave him his Trader Joes stuff and left.  I don't know what was up but he wasn't having any of my silliness and lack of sleep wackadoodleness at all.  Fool.

Ok so the run down, posted without pictures I just can't be bothered now and most of them are of people so I don't really do that here as you know.  If you are part of the cool people club you can see them on my flickr.

Called Valentine on the way to the airport, I hope dress 1000 was awesome, she didn't make fun of my being naucaus and wanting to vomit.  I don't know what that was all about.  But I pulled the car onto Pena Blvd and strangely was fine.  I get really nervous about forgetting stuff and not knowing where I need to be and stuff before I travel.  But then once I am off I70 I get very zen and just roll with stuff and stop freaking out. 

Ok so get off the plane in Vegas and am hit with the heat.  It felt great after sitting on the plane with the cold air blowing on me I was happy to feel it.  Found Flipper in the passenger pick up, after talking to him and Sooz on the phone about having to take a train then not having to take the train I was a little confused, but no train and it was good.

We go to their hotel so they can check in and it is lovely.  They have a full kitchen in their room (I believe they were built as condos and converted into a hotel) with nice black marble countertops.  Nice quality cabinetry too, good hinges.  Full size fridge, ice maker in the room.  Sweet.  I would have probably stayed there had I gotten a room for the weekend but that is a whole 'nother story.

We then mosied over to Trader Joes.  Yay.  The only drag was that they only had one bag of Honey Seasame Almonds out and I couldn't find anyone in a hawaiian shirt that wasn't already helping a customer but since I promised F a bag and I do have some at home I could only buy one bag.... see F.... you do rate in my book.  Anyways, got Vanilla Marshmallows, some pasta, some macademia nuts covered in chocolate, peanut butter filled pretzels covered in chocolate (for F), Cookies With a Perk (holy crap... screw the Cats Cookies, these are my favorite now), Cashew Macademia nut, pinapple gorp trail mix, and something else that I can't remember now for the life of me... dangit.  It was really tempting to go and get some tamales and pack them in foil or something but I just knew that I would have them confiscated so better to not spend the money.  Took my bag and went to Sooz's house to see it for the first time ever and pack my carry on bag.

Seriously the house was adorable.  So lovely they have done a nice job and I loved their bathroom in the master bedroom!  Delicious and bright and cheery.  Sooz let me freshen up a little bit which was so sweet, I was feeling a little worn out from the traveling and the heat.  She was so funny because we had this discussion about bobbie pins that just rocked my world. 

Went and met up with the rest of the group at the Tuscany Suites in house restaurant called Tuscany Gardens or something like that.  All I know is it was AWFUL.  AWFUL. AWFUL.  I was going to try and see a movie at the Cine'Vegas Film Festival and was talked out of it being promised a really good meal. I am a fool.  This was the worst meal I have ever had.  The Bro doesn't like Maggianos well this is a far step below that.  NOW please understand that I "get" that there is a salmonella scare and concern with fresh tomatoes in our country right now. But the last that I heard there were many work arounds for those wanting fresh tomatoes.  So when you go to a red sauce italian joint that bills itself as a four star place you expect something quality.  This was canned stewed tomatoes over cappelini and was awful?  One person at the table got red sauce with clams and one of her clams were muddy which destroyed the dish, didn't they check before they put them on the plate? I ordered a caprese salad which turned into a garden salad but wasn't updated price wise to the benefit of the house salad on my check.  The service was abhorrent and shameful.  We all would have tipped the hell out of the guy since two of our group were each liquid as hell after being up $1,000.00 had he been a better waiter and the food better.

I tried to call the joint today, they don't open until 5:00 but there is no staff in the place until 5:00 I was told.  Really? Not a single kitchen manager watching prep? Nope the desk gal tells me who transfers me to another kitchen's manager, they seriously don't come in until 5:00, when the first seating is.  Which explains ALOT about our terrible food and service.  Canned tomatoes doesn't take much to prep, so no wonder they don't come in early to prep.

Went from the dinner to The Rio where we bowled for three hours at Lucky Strike.  Now, fun as it was, that is alot of bowling and a long time to be competitive for me.  One guy on our team was serious about his bowling.  I was just pysched when I hit one pin.  I got one strike and two spares on my own out of three games so that was pretty damn good.  Broke 50 on each game which was impressive. The balls were drilled horribly if that is any consolation but I went out there and tried and had fun.  Got annoyed that the beer on our open bar was coors lite so ended up buying my own cocktails.  The first was ok then the bartender realized that I do tip well and hooked me up.  Went out of the bowling alley and played penny slots (yes they still have them) with S while he smoked and talked to me about some stuff going on with his family and things (we used to be BESTest friends but our lives just fell apart from one another, but every time I do spend time with him, its like we talk every day still) and won $115.00.  Yay.

I call F because well I am a little drunk, I know that he is still probably working since it was about 11:30 here in Denver and leave some crazy message on his voicemail.  I know one thing... I am sure I was completely inappropriate since Hollywood was standing right there egging me and my drunk, high on my casino winnings self on. 

Bowl a little bit more and then the party is pretty much done with at Lucky Strike so we head out back to the hotel that Mr. S and Hollywood are staying at.  We are waiting for the limo to get moving and F calls me back we are on the phone and I swear the minute I get into the car shinnanegans start.  There are pictures, NO ONE will ever see them.  Thank gawd they are on my camera and Soozs because I know she will have the discretion to not pass them about nor will I of her so... I don't remember much of the phone call except I think I said something inappropriate but he was a good sport and hopefully realized we were all totally out of our minds.  We get back to the hotel and go and hang out in the casino. 

Mr. S and L go and play blackjack and we hit the penny slots again.  I win another $104.00.  I just paid for my airfare.  Sweet.  But I know that while it is one a.m. I have another 6 hours to go before I can actually relax because that is when my flight leaves.  So what to do what to do... we hang out a little more, but because I am not drinking and the bar tender doesn't want to look for a coffee mug for me I literally am sitting there doing nothing.  Flipper wants to go back to their hotel so we wait nearly 40 minutes for a valet to show up to bring their car around. They just couldn't be bothered.  It was bullshit.  Bad food, bad valet, nice penny slots and cashiers though.

Anyways, I go back to the hotel to get my bag of Trader Joes goodness and get a cab to the airport.  It took four minutes.  Didn't think about that.  If I could have checked my bag at the front desk at the Hard Rock I probably would have gone over there and walk the casino there and walk down the street to the Double Down but didn't even think about that until JUST NOW like an idiot.  So hung out in the McCarren airport for four hours or so. It was seriously the most gawdawfull thing I have ever done.  Lots of little kids with parents though at the time in the morning which was freakin' my shit out.  Who wakes their kid up at 3 a.m. to go to the airport?  Miserable.  I was not happy being there I can't even imagine how "fun" and screamie those kids will have been on the plane rides home where ever they were going.

Couldn't write because I couldn't get comfortable enough to even do that.  Rested my eyes a little bit but even with my noise canceling headphones the noise of that place is nuts with all the recordings shilling for the shows and stuff.  It was amazing.  I got on the plane and had a couple sitting next to me doing their bible study.  Seriously no headphones did enough for that. Unfortunately.  I couldn't sleep on the plane either.

Took F his goodies and went to pick up Herschel and went home. Didn't get much sleep but did get a little nap in.

And now at nearly 10:30 I am relaxed enough to get to bed to get up early for an off site tomorrow.  Awesome.

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