I launched this blog a year ago on my first day of vacation. My intention was to chronicle my summer since, for the first time in years, I’d be spending much of the season away from the LBC. Seriously, aside from a few work trips here and there, I hadn’t done much (adult) traveling before then. And the blog would be proof of my away time, with a bit of commentary to go with the photos I snapped. This site has since morphed into something else that I can’t quite describe except to say that it’s very me (with lots of food).
But here I find myself again, on vacation. The plan was to post daily; yet, here I am, almost ready to return to work and I’ve not said a word. So a summary will have to do. Here it goes:
Started off my nine days of worklessness hanging with an old school homie and her amazing, impressive friends (I think we’re kind of a crew now, me the least fascinating of the bunch… but that’s a different story). We didn’t spend much time there but enough to check out Questlove spinning (some of the lesser known) Michael Jackson tunes at Arena nightclub in Hollywood. It’s been years since I’ve been up at ‘da club – not much has changed, not even the welcoming aroma of bacon-wrapped dogs when you step outside in a tipsy haze.
Next was Vegas, an annual trip thanks to my daughter’s participation in a competition dance team. The KAR (Kids Artistic Review) National Competition has been held at the MGM Grand the last several years. While we stayed in the casino last year, this time we wanted to try out the MGM suites, AKA The Signature, since we’d be calling the place home for a full week. Much better, I’ve gotta say. Only sucky part is that you have to valet, which made for an unfortunate and embarrassing arrival for our us, our car loaded down with dishes, utensils, Tupperward, at least five bags of chips, pancake mix, fruit, cereal boxes, pretzels, an ice chest … Oh, and our luggage. By the way, I’m not an SUV/mini-van mom so it was quite a feat that we managed to get everything in the car in the first place (one of the three of my daughters who drove up is six-feet-one). It was quite another hurdle to unload us and all our crap at the valet station. Lesson learned, but really not because I’ll likely bring the same stuff next year.
What I love about the MGM is their lazy river. I don’t know what makes it lazy (“drunken” would better describe it), or how it’s technically a river since it connects to itself. But I don’t really care. I love making my way around, or finding a nook to tuck into and watch the drunkies float by. Biggest problem this year was the 115 degree weather.
Other Problems:Didn’t charge fancy camera battery and forgot charger so after 20 or so snaps, dead. Had to rely on I-cameras.
Husband does Vegas differently than I do.
Teenagers like to stay in hotel room all day and keep the “Do not disturb” button lit so housekeeping never enters.
Stressed about feeling that refrigerator is not cold enough but spent to much money on food to throw it all out. Eat and pray.
But, I did get to enjoy a few yardsticks. My husband brought back the one he purchased last year, and was kind enough to buy me one of my own.
I did manage to do some new things. We visited the Hoover Dam, where it was damn hot! But still pretty darn cool.
And I went to my very first Vegas show – Criss Angel.
And sampled soft drinks from around the world at the Coca-Cola store.
And while we didn’t do much eating out (Vegas is expensive!!), we did do one cheesy celebrity restaurant: BurGR by Gordon Ramsay.
Yes, I behaved very much like a tourist while there, but why not. That’s what makes vacations great.
And so I’m back. Not really on vacation any more since it’s now the weekend and I head back to work on Monday. But I’m still in a Vegas state of mind.
Up next, beautiful and bankrupt Stockton, California.