Look up and drive!

Oh no... a new study shows that the law against texting and driving doesn't work.  In fact is making things worse because people are not holding their phones in their lap while texting thus increasing the amount of time their eyes are away from the road.

I am guilty of not putting my phone away entirely while in the drivers seat.  If a text comes in (which is seldom Mom) I will look at it when stopped at the next light.  I will not read it or address it while driving.

When I haven't hooked up my bluetooth for handsfree talking and the call is important I pull over.  On the freeway, I miss the call.   This is how it should be.

Putting the phone in your lap to text so the police can't see you is just stupid.  None of us are THAT important. 

I am not in favor of revoking the law simply because the things people do to circumvent it is worse than the actual crime.  For every a-hole who puts their phone in their lap I hope there is someone who is complying with the law, or at least in the half-assed way I'm complying with the law. 

Ann, Ann, Ann....

Ann Coulter?

As much smack as I talked about W, I really didn't think he was evil. Ann Coulter on the other hand keeps sticking her foot so deep into it that it makes it hard for me to even try to listen to what she has to say.


Recently, Ms. Coulter was speaking at a GOProud event (Homocon) and popped off with a comment about how the gays should start to back the anti-abortion movement because: "as soon as they find the gay gene, you know who's getting aborted."

Scuse me!?  (*%^ said what???? And now I'm deaf to anything else she has to say because there is blood dripping from my ears.

GOProud is a conservative gay group. She was invited to speak about being fiscally conservative and lost many in the audience when she deviated to anti-abortion and sex education in school. She may have a point that perhaps kindergarten is too young to teach a child about the concept of fisting. (look it up if you must, but it doesn't sound like much fun to me. But that's just my opinion.) However, since kids are exploring things like oral sex as early as 10-12 years old, when is too early to let them know it's too early? YES, parents SHOULD be the ones to introduce these topics to their own children, but in the immortal words of Donna Martin on Beverly Hills 90210, "if there's a swimming pool in the back yard isn't it safer to teach your children to swim rather than to tell them not to swim?" (and now I hear the swell of a reved up crowd chanting "Donna Martin Graduates!!!" I miss that show.)

We will be educating our Peanut about sex, but won't be pulling her out of classes that discuss the topic.  This is where being involved in your childs education will come in handy.  If you work with your childs teacher you can ensure that the education is reinforcing your values.  As busy as they are, I imagine ALL teachers welcome the opportunity to partner with parents.  You can't change the curriculum, but you can know what the hell it is so you are prepared to co-educate your kids. I do hope sex-ed doesn't open with "fisting"... that would be awkward.

Back to the point. Ms. Coulter is entitled to her opinion, but her opinion makes me want to throw poopie in her face.  I do think she has balls to speak at an event called Homocon.  I wish I had come up with that.

I tried to find an appropriate photo of Ms. C, but this one came up under her name and it made me laugh out loud.  There is a theory that she's really a transgender person (a dude who is living as a female) and that she has an adams apple and balls.  This is silly.  I am a bit offended at the idea that a woman can only be strong willed and opinionated if she has (or had) a penis, I dislike her enough to suggest that she's an just an attractive dude.  In real life she is conventionally pretty, but her convictions kill it for me. 

off my soap box...

For your enjoyment:

The Amazing Dinner Party

Cousin-in-law Lynne turns 50 this week and her friends gathered to throw her a surprise dinner party. Fortunately, Jason and I were invited. The only actual relatives in the room - I'm not quite sure how and why we scored above other worthy and fun relatives, but I'm grateful none the less.

Many of the guests, (18) were familiar to me because of our camping trip this summer. It took me a while to figure out who everyone was, people look so different with their hair done and their clothes on. (GET MIND OUT OF GUTTER! I'm referring to party clothes vs. shorts and bathing suits.)

The party was held in the home of a friend, and this couple loves to entertain. Cooking for Teresa is a sport and frankly, she's great at it. She pulled off a six course dinner, paired with a fabulous wine with what seemed like little effort. That isn't the case, as I learned throughout the evening, but it appeared effortless. The post cheese/champagne appetizer hour was followed by a shrimp salad with an orange/grand mariner reduction dressing that took over 9 hours to create.

A hot carrot soup was our next course and may I say that for a food that sounds like baby food it was spectacular. Sadly, before Jason had a chance to dip his spoon into the spicy yet sweet soup a crane fly got there first. That fly knew when enough was enough and opted to end it all in a glorious and tasty swan dive. A new bowl of soup was quickly dispatched to Jason's seat.

Later in the evening, when a second crane fly went for a swim in Jason's wine our host told him to man up. Scott dipped his fingers into Jason's wine, scooped out the fly and then to my horror ATE IT. Everyone else at the table thought it was funny as hell, but I a) was not drinking and b) am grossed out by people fingering my food and c) would rather my bugs be dipped in chocolate and not wine.

Other courses included a poached pear salad, a mango sorbet palate cleanser, a Fillet Mignon with the most orgasmic mashed potatoes that I have ever wanted to smear on my body and do naughty things with. Until this point in the meal I had been able to savor the plate and not over eat, but it killed me to send my plate back with any meat or potatoes on it. The meal ending (almost ending because there was a box of savory nuts passed out after dessert) creme brule was probably the best I've ever had. I've been afraid to try to make it, but I feel that perhaps it is something I should work on.

After dinner the boys retired to the "garage" for a cigar. This garage is no place for a car, and has essence of man cave - there were a collection plumb bobs, wood working tools and a smattering of built and half built bird houses. There were also three wooden rocking chairs a hand braided rug, a wood stove and some seriously womanly decorations around the stove. It turns out that while the garage is Scott's the home decor that doesn't make it into the house goes outside. There's no need to box it up when there are perfectly good walls to hang them on. It was an inviting space - except for the six manly men smoking cigars. Don't get me wrong, I do like the smell of a cigar, but six together in a mildly well ventilated area was too much for me.

At 1am, I pulled the pregnancy card and gathered up my boozy riders and scooped them back to their homes. My beloved did a great job of staying awake to entertain me on the drive back. (Typically, when I am the boozy passenger I just fall asleep.)

Yesterday, we did make it to church (at 11 instead of our normal 9:30) but other than a brief trek to IKEA (for a baby room item) we were butts on couch all day. I didn't mind, as my 2:30 bedtime was not normal and while I didn't have the added issue of six plus glasses of wine, champagne and then port in my system I too was sluggish and welcomed a pj hangout day.

I do feel badly for ordering Chinese food last night, but there's no following up that meal with home cookin'. Maybe tonight I'll pull something from the freezer and give it a whirl, but it might be a bagged salad and charred meat evening for us.

Fictionary - it actually happened

Soupicide: The act of willfully ending your life by flying into a bowl of steaming hot soup, generally used by flying insects.

Lucy Mae

Here's the latest ultrasound picture (circa 9am this morning). This is little Lucy Mae (we'll call her Lucy) and her LEG.

As you can see, she's quite bendy. I guess being bendy is something you can do when you're only 10 ounces and a whopping 7 inches long.

The other ultrasound picture that we got was of her legs. SHe has two knees, two feet and all of her little toes.

We're rather excited!

More gushing will be found on the baby blog.

Things that are gone forever

1) My teenage years.  They were fun, but I don't miss them.
2) My virginity. No comment
3) My spotless driving record - that's been gone since I was 19, but still sad .
4) The new clothes that my mom left in a New Orleans hotel room.
5) My dad's hair.
6) WaMu
7) My ability to roller skate.
8) The Mayan civilization
9) HMS Titanic
10) Jason's white pajama bottoms that were foolishly left on the unmade bed in our hotel room Saturday.  When we got back to the room the bed was made, the room clean and his pj's were nowhere to be found.

A prompt call to the front desk filled us with promise that they would be located in the pile of dirty sheets for the day, but alas, the phone call we got the next day dashed our hopes.  "We checked the room and found nothing."

Well, no sh*t sherlock, if they were in the room after the room had been cleaned, we would have found them.  I called back on Monday to speak with the guest services manager who simply passed our message onto the same yahoo who checked the room and finally got a call back from someone who said that "We shake the sheets out before they are send to our (3rd party) laundry service.  No one saw your item."


The sleeping shorts are gone forever. 

DAMN DAMN DAMN


We can't ever have anything nice. 

1 year

They say that adjusting to married life can be difficult.  I think I've been blessed with perspective and an appreciation of how lucky I've been to find my person that the little bumps along the way have been just that "little." 

We certainly have moments when we need to think clearly before we speak, and others where I need to remember I'm not the master of the universe.  There are two people in this team, and remembering that has been helpful.

The past year has been crazy busy.  The wedding was a lot of work and a lot of fun.  Making sure our guests felt welcome and appreciated wasn't easy. The only thing I would do differently is hold our wedding on a weekend where my dad wasn't ill, but the bigger picture is that he was with us on a day I had always hoped would happen.

After the wedding we closed on the sale of Jason's condo, which legally I had to approve it was our first strange "we're really married moment".  We finished packing up the condo and moved into our wonderful new home.

Getting settled took a little time and a lot of effort but was worth it.  By the holiday season we were ready for guests and started hosting long awaited dinner parties. 

In the new year we started planning some vacations and started mulling this grand idea of possibly starting a family.  I really blame our parents for the idea.  Yes, they have always suggested that grandchildren would be nice, but it wasn't until we had that wonderful Christmas together that I started to wonder if maybe the "I"m too old" thing might be silly.


So here we are with a whole year of marriage under our belts, there's a baby on the way and we are happy as ever.  If we were Hollywood stars we would get a medal for longevity, but since we're just regular people we'll have to settle with simply being happy.

By the way I get a happy feeling when I hear Jason refer to me as "his wife".  I don't know why...I just do.  Thankfully, I've stopped giggling every time I say my new married name.  I think that was getting on his nerves.  

Oh Sarah...you perplex me

I'm confused by Sarah Palin's association with the Tea Party.  Isn't she a Republican?

The Tea Party, in my opinion, seems to be the wackiest of the wacky and they have found their queen.

Most of the Republicans I know (yes, there are a few) don't seem to be on the Sarah P band wagon.  My beloved Father-In-Law shakes his head everytime her name is brought up.

The idea that she'll be part of the 2012 Presidential conversation gives me the shivers.  I hope and pray that the Republicans can drum up a more worthy candidate. One that represents their point of view, and represents the non-wack-a-doo constituants.   How is it that I'm so out of touch with the people who think she's the cats meow?

You may not be thrilled with the current administrations ability to dig us out of the great big hole we got ourselves into (note the non-partisan blame) but I can't fathom a world in which SHE would be better than my dead uncle Bob in resolving the economic nightmare we walked (willingly) into.

PS - I'm aware that the Tea Party name is a nod to the Boston Tea Party and the rejection of unfair taxation and not to children sitting around a table in pretty hats, but this is my world and I get to choose the graphics.

I'm just talking

In spite of disturbing dreams, I slept so well last night. Normally, when I’m in San Jose I don’t sleep well the first night away from home. Maybe the being pregnant thing has something to do with the sleeping, but I haven’t been sleeping well at home.

I fall asleep early and then wake up around 3:30 to give my bladder a rest and then more often than not, I’m up for at least an hour. It isn’t as if I’m processing big deep issues, I just am not sleeping. Adjusting to having to sleep on my side is also a challenge. While I generally fall asleep on my side, I almost always wake up on my back. (Check the other blog for the reasons why back sleeping is bad!)

So, the point of my super exciting post is that I feel rested! Woo Woo. All of my other Seattle co-workers are flying out tonight so I’ll be on my own for dinner. Since I have a rental car I think I may venture to a new location tonight. I understand there is a mall nearby. Oooh, shopping! I should probably get my fill of solo shopping before there is a small person living in our house who will refuse to stay home alone until they are 13. Selfish little brat.

Shopping with Jason is different than shopping alone. He’s very patient and excellent about looking for a specific item. If we’re on the hunt for an outfit for an event he’s the guy I want along, but if I’m shopping simply to shop, then I feel a need to be speedy and not linger. It’s internal pressure, but I’m kind of looking forward to cruising the aisles with nothing particular in mind. I’m sure he feels the same way, I know he enjoys the rare trip to Lowes or Fry’s without me tagging along. I’m always welcome, as is he on my outings because everything is better with him (gag) . Ok, I even made myself a little sick on that one. Sorry about that.

I guess I should stop before you throw up your latte all over your shirt. Be warned though, our 1st anniversary is coming up and I’m working up a “I’m still so very very very happy” post. Feel free to skip it if you hate hearing how grateful I am for my good fortune.

Grrrrr

Stupid East Coast facebook friends posted the winner of top chef before it even aired here. (bad words are flowing in my head)

Weekend at home

We are between "event" and spent the most of our weekend at home.  Friday we went out and enjoyed dinner made by other people and then watched a movie.  Saturday we were up early had breakfast with a friend and then ran errands while Jason's windshield was replaced.  I'm not sure how special a trip to Costco is considering we're there at least once a week, but we managed to make it fun.

Friday afternoon during my lunch break I pulled out our push lawnmower and gave the little (minuscule) landing strip in the front a nice grooming.  Out of spite, I zipped the neighbors out of control lawn with my mower as well.  I'm not sure what is up with those people, they have a gas mower and it takes less than 15 minutes to do the front and the back with their machine.  In spite of their amazing time saver device they let their lawn grow so out of control that it was making me crazy.  (their side yard butts up against our driveway and while it is a smallish strip (maybe 3 feet wide) when it isn't mowed it looks terrible.   My push mower was VERY ineffectual against their overgrown lawn, but my hope was that they'd get the hint and mow their lawn.  I gave it the once and twice over and while I didn't rake up the clippings it was obvious that someone had hacked their side yard. 

Saturday we were pleased to see the neighbor out re-mowing side yard and then tackling the back yard.  He filled three garbage bags with lawn clippings and I would estimate the size of his back yard to be no more than 30 feet by 20 feet.  That was some overgrown grass.   We could hear his mower getting clogged on almost every swipe of the yard.  I wanted to hang a sign out the window that informed him that if he'd mow once a week then it wouldn't be so terrible, but I'm more of a passive aggressive neighbor.


Jason, who was also irritated by the growing jungle next door expressed his exasperation by saying that if the neighbor would let him borrow the gas mover he would mow their yard and ours just for the use of the mower.  We haven't been able to make neighborly contact other than the friendly hello, so I doubt this could legitimately be negotiated, and now that I've done the "mow your damn yard" move, chances are it won't happen ever. 

So, with the desire for a gas  or electric mower on the rise in my household, I pulled the wifely naggy card and asked where in the world we would store a mower of that size?  The push mower fits nicely against the wall but a more substantial mower won't fold up that small.  I told my darling husband that if we had a place for a mower that I would consider purchasing a new mower.   This statement, and a free weekend motivated my guy to pull both cars out of the garage and put up new, better shelving, and then reorganize our "crap."  By Sunday afternoon the garage looked amazing and there was a magical spot perfect for a proper lawn mower. 

I hope that we're able to acquire one at an end of season sale and I'm hoping for an electric mower, but since I made him suffer through a season with a Jason powered mower, I will quietly advise and defer to what he wants.  I don't mind mowing the lawn, but he has really taken to it and if it's going to be his activity he should be happy with the tools. 

In addition to the wonderful garage re-do, I was able to score one of the newly replaced shelving units and it moved upstairs to our "Christmas Closet."  Our house is blessed with plenty of closet space.  In addition to the decent sized closets in every room there are two spare ample closets downstairs, one for coats and the gaggle of extra folding chairs and the other is our Harry Potter closet which serves as our pantry, wine storage and mid-sized appliance garage.   Upstairs we have a linen closet that houses all extra bedding, towels AND my tubs of arts and crafts stuff that I haven't touched since finding my OTL (one true love).  I'm "SURE" that once the baby comes I'll have LOTS of time to make my own Christmas cards and things like that again...

In addition to that closet there's the Christmas Closet, which is this magic mini-room that measures 6 feet by 5 feet (with some inches to spare on either side) off the loft space.  We both looked at the closet on the floor plan and independently named it the Christmas Closet.  We keep our tree(s), ornaments and holiday decor in that one space.  It also doubles as the gift wrap supply zone and holds some of the more random things like the multiple picnic baskets we were given as wedding gifts.  (One is for 4 people and the other for 2 - so we clearly needed to keep both.) 

With the addition of the third shelving unit in the X-mas closet I was able to get everything up off the floor and make it accessible.  We even have space to spare, which is good because that's where we're storing the holiday gifts as they are gathered.  The right stocking stuffers don't just happen, they are stockpiled throughout the year.


We split up Saturday night and I attended the baby shower (2 of 4) this year for Cousin Corina.  It was a nice affair with limited games and pleasant chatting with her people.  The primary activity, other than the yummy taco bar was the gift opening.  Unlike my prediction of "how all baby showers go" there was no passing of the gifts.  Yeah!!!   She seemed pleased with her 'haul' and while the theme was (not my taste) decidedly "Pooh" everything was cute.  She's always had an Eeyore 'thing', which is cute and it is not unexpected that her baby room will be Pooh.  It's a classic kid look and makes shopping a breeze. 

The shower nicely came to an end around 8:30 and my car pool team were home by 9:15.  Woo Woo.  I fell to bed (dead to the world) before 11pm.  As I drifted off I asked Jason if he hated this "early to bed" life.  I sleepily said, "I could get up and rally if you want to go dancing...zzzzzzz"  I think he said no thank you, but I was already asleep. 





We finally returned to church Sunday and it was nice to go after what seems like an entire summer of being too busy. 

The rest of our Sunday consisted of finishing the garage, closet and laundry. I zipped out to get my OB required flu shot and we enjoyed a home cooked meal.  We were going to watch the Video Music Awards, but regular tv took over and again I passed out in my own bed at 11pm.   

It wasn't a fancy weekend in Las Vegas, or the romantic activities we have planned for our one year wedding anniversary it was satisfying.  I'm thankful we don't spend EVERY weekend working around the house, but I'm happy when we do - especially when things look so organized.   Does anyone want to lay a bet as to whether or not we have a new lawn mower by Halloween?  I say the odds are good.

The only bummer was a notice from a friend on Facebook that he was making an unplanned trip to Arizona to visit his dad and that he needed prayers.   We are all getting older, as are our parents, and I don't care if your dad is 50, 70 or 90, the prospect that he's not doing well is sad.   I, like most people, want to "do" something to help.  All I can do is send good wishes and hopes for a good outcome, but it sucks to know someone you like and care about is going through something painful.   (Thinking about you buddy!)

Is it a sin to google yourself?

I didn't actually Goggle myself, but I've been doing the next worse thing. I've been cruising through old blog posts and chuckling at how amusing I find myself.  Why yes, at times I have been witty and relevant if I may award myself my own merit badge.

There's been a bit too much written about Lindsay Lohan, but I suppose you'll forgive me for that.  Maybe it isn't too much, maybe I should read more than the "mocking others" category. 

Mocking myself might the right thing to do at this point.

From CNN Newswire:   Florida pastor unclear about Quran burning 

Let me clear it up for you:
Propagating hate is not the Christian thing to do.  Spend your time on Saturday doing public service to honor the American spirit.

The Vegas Recap

Jason and I spend the long weekend in Las Vegas, we flew in Friday, checked into our hotel, which was fancy, modern and lovely.  I picked it because it was nicely priced on Expedia and it was an all suites hotel that guaranteed a king sized bed.  (I'm kind of "over" the full sized bed co-sleeping for a while.)

We dropped our bags and then went out to find dinner.  In Las Vegas, at 10:30 pm the only challenge about finding a place for dinner is finding one you WANT to eat at, and one where the lines aren't horrid.  We weren't interested in buffet, so we ended up at The Todd English Pub.  I don't really know who Todd English is, but he had multiple restaurants around town and they seemed quite "special".    His place in the Bellagio was very pretty, but we dined at the pub.  Regrettably , pub food isn't his forte.  Jason's dinner was less than thrilling and it was obvious that my fella wasn't happy with his $19 burger.  I liked my "GRI-BRE-BAC-TOM" (grilled gruyere, brie, bacon, and tomato) sandwich, but it wasn't mind blowing.  We might simply have been tired, but I think the food was marginal.

After dinner we hiked over to the Bellagio and watched the fountain show.  It's funny how entertaining that fountain is, they do a marvelous job of (what I guess you would call) choreography.  We watched it twice and then headed to the Venetian to have a drink and then back to our hotel.  I don't stay out until past midnight very often anymore and I was zonked.

Before bed I took a dip in the modern tub in our bathroom.  The sleek lines appealed to me, and the ability to soak my entire person was very relaxing.  

The next morning, we stepped out into the 100 degree heat and lumbered over to the bigger hotel that was next door to our nice, but boutique hotel and made our way to the non-buffet breakfast.   I enjoyed my Belgium waffle with fresh fruit and added some chicken sausage for protein.  I'm not really sure what happened, but I think I didn't chomp the sausage well enough because my waffle sat in my stomach until I had to go throw it up.   I still felt full, in fact, I felt better after throwing up so once Jas was done with his steak and eggs (that he really liked) we headed out to explore the ever changing strip. 

Within an hour, my lack of breakfast turned into a real issue.  I had a cold clammy sweat and needed to find a place to sit.  Unless you're eating, or gambling places to rest are few and far between.  I found myself in a stall in a toilet in the Bellagio hotel with my head dripping with icy sweat and my hands were shakey.  Not thinking clearly I pulled out my iPhone and thought that if I sat there for a minute or two that I would even out.  (The iPhone was to entertain myself)   I realized I was having an issue when my fingers were so clammy that the iPhone wouldn't register my touch.  Finally, with the reality of the low blood sugar hitting me I found Jason and told him I needed help.  Mostly, I just needed to eat.  So, and hour after paying $50 for breakfast we plunked down $18 for a sandwich and a soda.  I could only eat half, but it evened me out within 30 minutes. 

Before the end of the day, we found a Walgreen's and purchased some protein bars to have on hand.   Silly me for not having one in my purse anyway. 

We spent our day exploring the hotels, casinos and malls.  We spent our gambling money at the swatch store on some fun watches and then we made our way to the Kate Spade store.  You know, I'm not a huge follower of brands, but I love KS purses and wallets.  They please the girly side of me.   We think we passed three separate Tiffany & Co stores.  At one point we were confident that there were more Tiffany stores than Starbucks, but once we got out of the SUPER EXPENSIVE malls we found the starbucks.  Heck, in MGM there were three separate Starbucks (that of course don't honor starbucks coupons or gold member discounts...)  In addition to not honoring the gold member discounts the lady at the MGM overcharged me.  I find it strange that I could pay $18 for a waffle but was irritated by a 50 cent overcharge for my latte.

In the mid afternoon, after a non-lunch of cheese, salami and bread at a wine bar (iced tea for the mommy) we zipped back to our hotel and ran to the pool.  Oh... to dip into the pool when it is 107 degrees outside.  I didn't care that the other pool patrons were the 20 something super fabulous chic crowd.  I was in love with the cool(er) water and my tall iced diet coke.  Jason didn't mind sipping his gin n' tonic in the pool either.   We did marvel at the shoes that many of the girls were wearing to to the pool in their swim gear.  We saw these shoes EVERYWHERE.  I'm impressed at the ability to walk and strut in these horrifically high shoes.  Many of the girls pulled them off well, a few were hurting and you could tell by the heavy walking, but we saw them in the casinos at 1 in the afternoon, and at 1 in the morning... I couldn't do it.  NO way, no how.  I used my pregnancy as an excuse to wear my supportive athletic tennis shoes.  When we dressed for dinner I wore sandals, but not the ones with the super high heals.  Let's not forget I'm no longer 20.


Anyway, the pool was wonderful and a nice pre-dinner activity.  We cleaned up, put on our party gear (me in a linen dress and above noted sensible sandals,  and Jason in nice shorts with a silk bowling shirt) and headed toward the MGM where our 8:30 dinner reservation awaited.   We explored the hotels on that end of the strip and spend some time and $$ in the M&M store.  Damn the cute baby clothes.  Had they had a maternity top where the baby bump was the M&M I would have plunked down $$ for that too, but I guess the knocked up are few and far between in Vegas.

We were really looking forward to dinner and had planned it for ages.  I am happy to announce that it was not in anyway disappointing.  In fact, I don't think anything was more perfect.  We are TopCHEF fans and Tom Colicchio is a judge on the show has a restaurant in Las Vegas - so we wanted to check it out for ourselves.   CraftSteak is aptly named, it is a steak house and you had better bring your wallet.  The "so so" steaks start at $52 and zip up in prices to $150.  I doubt there is a so-so steak at this place, but the more the price the more amazing the meat.   We noticed when we were walking in that they were participating in "Restaurant Week" and that for a fixed price they had a fixed menu.  Many of the marque places were doing it and mostly they had three options - a salad, an entree and a make-shift dessert.  But not this place, holy mackerel our meal was lick the plate good.  I swear, we didn't opt for the prix-fix meal because of the price, but there's no way we could have had all that food for less than $400.

Here's the menu:


First Course

• Shaved Fennel Salad Lemon, Olive Oil
• Vermont Quail Quince Saba
• Italian Buffalo Mozzarella Hazelnuts
• Persian Cucumber Salad Watercress, Ginger

Main Course

• Prime Beef Flat Iron
• Grilled Angus Skirt Steak
• Diver Sea Scallops Lemon Vinaigrette

Side Dishes

• Yukon Gold Potato Purée
• Organic Baby Shiitake Mushrooms
• Brentwood Sweet Corn, Green Onions

Dessert

• Pastry Chef's Selection of Confections,
  Ice Cream and Sorbet

I'm telling you, it was perfection.  I thought the potatoes were too runny until I dipped my steak into it and it was like frosting on a cupcake.  A steakcake.  DROOL.  The service was fantastic and when dinner IS the evening event it should always be like that. 

We stumbled back to our hotel in a food stupor and I passed out like a person who had consumed 3 bottles of wine.  To be honest, when I decided to have the gastric bypass surgery I never thought I would be able to enjoy a meal like that, but when it is paced well and you don't stuff your face you can enjoy everything.  Sadly, we did not eat too much of the dessert but it was tasty.  This is one of the two that they brought to us, a molten lava cake with sorbet and a nice message on the plate. 

We awoke the next morning in our clothes. Just kidding...there was enough alertness between arriving in our room and the loss of alertness to put on pj's.   We prepped our room for our departure.  Oh, didn't I mention that our long weekend ended with a late flight home Sunday night?  We planned it that way so we could spend the day Monday recovering.

We decided that if you're in Las Vegas you had better eat at a buffet at least once, so we took the tram to the Monte Carlo and joined the line for pre-cooked eggs.  The folks in front of us had a two for one coupon and we bravely asked where they got it.   We zipped out of line and headed toward the Concierge desk where without even asking if we were hotel guests we were handed a coupon that halved the price of our breakfast.  Sadly, the line at the buffet grew from 5 deep to 50 deep while we were away, but we survived it. 

Remembering my mistake from the day before I focused my breakfast energy on good proteins, eggs with ham and some corned beef and while I took a pancake, I didn't eat it.  I left feeling full, satisfied and smug that technically, I ate for free.  

Sunday, at a non-marque casino we dropped some money in the machines.  I found one that was a little more fun than another and I should have quit when my total credits showed I was up by $30.  But, come on... what is $30 in vegas?  Heck, it's not even lunch.   Later we collectively tried our hands at a video roulette game and it was fun but we blew $40 in about 15 minutes and then we were done with gambling.   Jason said his desire and enjoyment of winning is not outdone by the loathing he feels when his money is eaten by the machines.  I get that, but he hasn't won $400 bucks.  That's a mighty exciting moment.

We spent the rest of our day exploring and a little bit wishing we could be hanging by a pool.  It was HOT in Vegas.  The humidity was at maybe 3% so if we were sweating it wasn't an issue.  Frankly, my hair looked awesome the whole time we were there.    We had a mini-lunch at New York New York in their creative food court.  Instead of the expected and boring food around the perimeter with tables in the middle, they have set up their food court to look like street vendors and shops in the city.  You dine on bistro tables along the "sidewalk" and it is social and fun.

We dined light because our dinner was going to be early (5pm) at another TopChef  Chef owned place.  This place is a burger joint, but you have to craft your own burger from the many many wonderful options.  You pick the meat, the cheese, the sides, the sauces, the veggies.  YUMMY.   I was sad that I could only eat half my burger.  I wanted to get it all in, but it wasn't going to happen. 

After our fun burger experience we picked up my favorite Las Vegas treat, the $10 "pashmina" in multiple colors and then worked our way back to the hotel where our bag was safely stored with the bellman.  We expected lines at the airport, but ended up having to hang out for an hour waiting for our flight. 

We had been bumped to first class and the extra space was nice.  The flight was a little bumpy, but I managed to have a nap anyway.  We were home at midnight and it was lights out by 1. 

Yesterday, we slept in, made breakfast then watched tv and a movie in bed until noon.  Finally, we made ourselves human and opted to make a trip to Babies R Us to possibly register for the many things we need for the arrival of our peanut.  At one point Jason left me to use the restroom and when he came back I was in tears.  (emotional much?)  All the car seats, bouncie chairs, high chairs, cribs, packn'plays and STUFF just got to me all of a sudden.  It occurred to me that I might not ever be ready for this baby.  He was a good sport and we decided to take care of our baby needs a little at a time.  It will also help when we have a sex because then have the things will be off the list.. but I do think it is crazy that stuff comes in BLUE or PINK.  Maybe there's the occasional brown or green, but damn if you're not into blue and you're having a boy you're just out of luck.    I also think that we will get a better idea of what is actually needed as we do some more mommy & daddy research.

So, after our BabiesRScary experience we had lunch and headed home. We spent the rest of our day in quiet relaxation.  Well, Jason mowed the lawn in the rain because it needed it badly and I napped like a good pregnant lady.

We rented Percy Jackson and the Olympians movie, which was cute and then retired early.   It was hard to get up and log into work today, but having a day of transition from Vegas to our real world was a great plan.   I can't tell you how great it was to wake up in our own bed on Monday and not have to go to work.

Is it Kentucky Derby Time?

Las Vegas is a hoot. In addition to gambling (which I apparently suck at) there are lots of stores to take your money. The FENDI store has many trendy things that most people can't or shouldn't afford. This window display certainly didn't draw me into their store, but I think I shall follow this trend and wear a pillow hat all the time to cover my bad hair days.

Hurl

Drat..here we are in fabulous Vegas and I've spent my morning throwing up (thx baby) and now I'm having a serious low blood sugar moment. Thankfully we just found a sandwich shop and a seat.

Fictionary or Fact?

Assouline: A store in the fancy new mall in Las Vegas, or lube for your butt?


 

Fine...

I was reminded this morning that my blogging this week has been less than entertaining.  I know why. Yesterday I was in the bitchiest of all bitch moods.  I've been lucky with the hormones and haven't experienced many pregnancy side effects, like puking or crying.  However, yesterday all the little things that never really irritate me were seriously pissing me off.

I'm better today - funny how a good nights sleep will do that for a girl.  I have been struggling with sleep issues.  My doctor told me I have to "give up" sleeping on my back and so I'm transitioning to sleeping with a pillow to curl around on my side, or to prop under my hip.  Apparently, even at this small stage the baby can put too much pressure on my delicate insides and pinch things that need not to be pinched.

This is NOT my niece.

In other news, a wedding invitation arrived from my niece.  (WHAT!? You have a niece - I didn't know that!)  She's my brother's step-daughter.  (You have a brother!?  You never talk about him.)  She's a nice girl, from what I remember and it seems like she and her fella have a plan.  He's just out of the military and will be going to school.  She'll be working to support this effort and they will live together in happy newly married harmony.  Why they have to be married (she at 19) is perplexing to me.  She certainly wasn't raised in a household of strong religious convictions that might frown upon living in "sin" for a while until there is a certain amount of maturity.  However, she is not my child and I am not close enough to offer any advice.  I think showing up at the wedding and yelling, "just wait... live together for a year and see where you are." would be out of line.  Since both her mother and her step-dad experienced the agony of young failed marriages I thought they might have offered some advice  - maybe they did.  It's not like I'm there to hear it.

I'm pretty sure that since the invitation (which was adorable) showed up Monday and the wedding is in 3 weeks that they really didn't intend for anyone outside their town to come.  Related to Emily Post, my sister- in-law is not.  I'll be sending a gift in the manner in which I think a 19 year old bride will appreciate and need (cash) but I'm struggling to remind myself that the fact that my brother & SIL couldn't muster the funds to come to our wedding, or send a gift or a *^$*_%_ card was his issue and NOT my niece's  doing.   The petty, selfish part of me wants to respond in kind to how they celebrated our wedding.   It irritates me that they expect holiday gifts and things but can't reciprocate at any level. 

Jason wonders when he'll meet my brother.  I do too, and unless we pay to go visit in Utah (no, they aren't Mormons-everyone asks) it won't be until a family funeral if even then.   (Maybe my dark mood hasn't quite dissipated.)  For the record, I'm not expecting my brother to send lavish, generous gifts for the holidays or something monumental like a damned wedding, but it really gets under my skin that the annual holiday card comes addressed with simply our last name.  It really kills my mom too as if they can't remember my parents first names.

So, anyway, there will be a wedding and as much as I love weddings we won't be going.  I hope that Erika and her new hubby Sean will be happy and that the rumor that my SIL plans on moving in with them is not true.  That's a whole different, judgmental rant about things that I'm hearing second hand, so I can't report them as fact.  But, I guess if your only income is child support and your last kid has the balls to turn 18 you need to do something.  Giving up your apartment and moving in with your oldest seems like a DANDY plan to me.  Again... just gossip.

Again!?

"Drill Baby Drill" aren't these the wise words of Sarah Palin?  Well, here we go again with another rig in the Gulf of Mexico on fire.  Let's pray that the well is contained.

Thanks to the Seattle Times for the excellent graphic that shows us where the rig is located by using Google maps.  I feel so much more clear about where this occurred by that map.

Some things must be shared with the world

From a friends Facebook post:

Payday: A decent amount.
Dinner for one at Pearl at Lincoln Square: $80.00.
Accidentally setting my Seattle Times sports section on fire at my table with my tabletop candle after two huge Manhattans: Priceless.