Well, hello!

Long time, no chat.  Here's a brief overview of what we've been up to:

Jeremiah:  Jeremiah celebrated his 4th birthday at Chuck E Cheese back in January.  We made the mistake of having his party on a Sunday afternoon.  Bad idea.  Friday night was MUCH better (when we had Jesslyn's.  More on that in a minute.)  Other new stuff?  Umm... he's about 42" tall, and last time I checked, weighed 45-ish lbs.  He still loves his trains, cars, trucks, basically anything with wheels.  He's a big help around the house, as he loves to help me cook, and is our "milk man".  He's responsible for bringing the milk up from the downstairs fridge for us, and takes his job very seriously.  :)

Jesslyn:  Jesslyn turned two in September, and we had her party also at Chuck E Cheese (hoping for a new venue for the next round...)  She requested a Yo Gabba Gabba cake, which MeeMaw and I made for her.  I did most of the cake and MeeMaw did the characters.  It came out really cute!  She's very chatty, and I would say almost rivals Jeremiah's vocabulary, so it's cute to listen to the conversations they have together.  Yesterday, she ripped off 19 keys from my laptop, and when asked why she did it, her response was, "That's how I roll."  :)  That's my girl!  Last time we checked, she was about 39" tall, and probably weighs as much as Jeremiah now (at least, it feels that way when you hold her! She's solid, alright!)  Such a little Mommy, she loves to take care of her 'babies', still sucks her thumb, and loves having a baby brother to carry around, much to my dismay.  :)

Judah:  Judah is just a few weeks away from turning 1!  I can't believe it.  Yikes!  He's super sweet, and perfect in every way.  He's very friendly/smiley with people, unless you're dropping him off with someone he doesn't know.  He loves his Mommy!  While he's not quite walking yet, he can cruise and crawl pretty well, and get pretty much anywhere he wants by climbing.  Gotta watch that one!  :)  At his 9 month check up, he was just about 20 lbs (50th %-tile) and 28"? I can't remember, but he was in the 70th for that.  For the first time ever, we have a child who actually wears the clothes his age dictates.  It's weird.  So used to being a size or two ahead!  He looks just like his Poppy did as a baby---the resemblance is quite remarkable.  We love our Cakes!

Jeremy:  Jeremy had a great year at work last year, and is on target to do even better this year! Yay, Jeremy!  We're really proud of him, especially in an area where it's tough for one parent to stay home.  I definitely do not take it for granted!  :)  His birthday is coming up next week, and as an early present, we re-did the basement while he was gone on a business trip two weeks ago.  It's now all decked out in Steelers colors, with the screen down there, seating, a table for eating/playing poker/games/etc.  I think he likes it.  :)

Jess:  Well, the most recent fun news from me is that I'm typing this on a Chrome Laptop, supplied to me free by Google.  Just came in the mail yesterday!  Woot!  Otherwise, nothing very exciting.  I'm still involved with my Mom's group, and started going to MOPS and CBS in the fall.

As a family, we've done some major things recently.  Went to the Azores in October so the kids could meet their great-grandmother, or "beezavo".  They had a great time, but I'll never do that trip again.  Wayyy too stressful to travel that far with 3 kids so young that you need to bring beds/pack n plays/strollers/car seats, etc.    Plus, there are new security searches at the airport that I'm not thrilled about (the patdowns have become far more invasive...) so I refuse to fly if I can.  If we can't drive there, we ain't going there!  :)

In October, we started getting our milk from a farmer in PA.  It's raw---unpasturedized, and unhomogenized.  It tastes so much better than store bought milk, organic or otherwise.  We also get our eggs, cheese and now chickens from them.  We've got a cow coming at the end of February, and signed up for a CSA that starts in June for all of our fresh produce.  We're living off the farm as much as we can, and I love it!  :)

More to come another time... Hopefully before 6 months from now. :)

Random "shot"

Wow, lots has happened in the past two months!  I guess I'd better get typing!

~Judah had his 2 month check up on May 13th.  He weighed in at 13 lbs, 3 oz, so only up a pound from his 1 month check up.  He's certainly not growing like his siblings did!  Percentile wise, he was 85th% for height and weight, and 50th% for head.  Could he actually be somewhat..... normal sized?!?!  :)

~While he still fits into much of his 0-3 month clothes (with the exception of Children's Place footed PJ's... those he outgrew weeks ago...) I think it's time to officially transition him into 3-6 month clothes.  They're still a little big on him, which is CRAZY since both Jeremiah and Jesslyn (especially Jesslyn) were rockin' the 3-6 month clothes about the time they turned 1 month!

  He can still wear a size 1-2 (they go up to 15 lbs) diaper, though!  Those size 2's are a little big on him, but good for nighttime!

~He rolled over (!) on May 21st, so around 10.5 weeks old.  I put him down for his nap on his belly, turned on the monitor when he started to fuss, and he looked like his was on his side.  Went in to get him up a few minutes later, and he was on his back!!  I was very excited, but also a little sad.... my baby's growing up so fast!

  He can also scoot around on his belly really well (or his back, depending on what he's laying on.)  His legs are really strong, and he'll stand up on your lap if you just help him with balance.  This makes holding him in a laying position nearly impossible, as he's always trying to sit up so he can look around better.  :)

~More recently, yesterday and today, I've been teaching him how to blow raspberries!  He LOVES it!  I was doing it with him last night, and he was cracking up! (That's a first "crack up" too, btw.... When the laugh comes from the belly, THAT'S a laugh!)  He sure does drool a lot, though, in the process!

~He's learning better hand/eye coordination.  The other day, he was in his car seat, and we have this crinkly soft elephant toy that hands from the handle bar on it.  He was punching that thing over and over!  And it was intentional---you just had to see the look on his face and in his eyes.... he was NOT thrilled that elephant kept coming back for more!

  He will also punch the toys hanging from his play mat (not sure how we got through two kids without that thing!)  At least, when he's not scooting all over the place on his back.  :)

~He's finally starting to EAT!  For the longest time, he would only eat an ounce or two, and he would do that all.... day.... long!  He finally started to eat 3-4 or more ounces at each feeding, and as a result, is starting to sleep better.  During the day, he's been taking three 2-hour naps, and one short nap before bed.  He's only up for about an hour in between naps, which seems really short, but that's what he's happy with.  Maybe now that he's napping longer, he'll start staying up longer (not that I mind the short awake times.)

  As far as nighttime sleeping goes, he had two nights last week where he slept from 9 p.m. to 5 or 6 a.m.!  That was GREAT!  BUT, those were days we were out late, so he did get to eat a little extra before bedtime.  On a normal night, he'll still wake up once or twice a night.  Last night, he slept from 10 p.m. (again, we got home late) until 4 and then 'til 10:30 a.m.  But the night before that, when he went to bed at 7, he woke up at 12 a.m. and then again at 6 a.m., before waking up around 9 a.m.  So it's still a little wonky.  But it's okay.  Once a night is awesome, twice a night is okay.  More than that, and Mommy has a rough day.  We're heading in the right direction, though!

That's about all that's new with Judah.  As for everyone else....

~Last week, Jeremy went to Vegas for 3 nights, so I had my first time alone with the three kids.  It went fine. We did spend one day at MeeMaw's house, and the next two days, MeeMaw came over for a little while (she had stuff going on in Herndon one day, and we all went to Ikea on another,)  so I had some help.  :)

~Yesterday was Memorial Day, and we all headed over to my parents' house for some pool side fun and barbecue!  The kids had a blast in the pool, with Jeremiah swimming around all on his own (his floaty coverall suit helped, I'm sure.)  Jesslyn had more fun sitting on a floaty and being pushed around the pool, or being carried around by MeeMaw/Poppy.  Judah did not get in on the pool action, though, and instead took a really long nap.  :)

That's all the time I have for now, as Judah's waking up from his [too short] nap.  But ya get the idea of what's going on with us!

We're back!

Jeremy and I returned today from our Babymoon today!  We went to NYC for 3 nights, sans kids (thanks to Mee Maw and Poppy!) and had a blast!  Didn't do a whole lot, other than eat really well and hang out with some family.  Did a lot of riding on the subway and in cabs, even a bus or two!  I got a preggers massage, which was lovely, and we had an awesome dinner at Craft, one of Tom Colicchio's restaurants--oh my goodness, was it AWESOME!  Best food we ever tasted!  Well worth the [many] monies spent.

And now we're home... Jeremiah and Jesslyn were thrilled to see us, and happy to come home themselves, though they also had at blast at my parents' house.  We're all (including my parents and the kids) thoroughly exhausted, but no rest for the weary!  Tomorrow, the kids and I have church (CBS, to be exact, or Community Bible Study) and Jeremy's back to work.  But lots of fun was had by all, and it was a great time away before #3 shows up and throws a wrench in what currently defines 'normal' in our house.  ;)  Only 6 more weeks (3 if they're kind, 8 if not...)

Onto your Daily Shots of the Quadruple Threat!

Jeremy... is so happy to be back in his own bed!  After sleeping in hotels since last Tuesday, he's thrilled to be home with our awesome bed (it's the same one the Crown Plaza uses.)  Oh, and of course, he's happy to be back home with his kiddies, but missing them wasn't nearly as physically painful as missing our bed.  ;)

Jess... dumped out the stockings, still hanging on the mantle, in order to raid the candy still held within.  So sue me, I had a craving.  ;)  Out of sight, out of mind is so true!  But I got my fix, and now the kids will have lots of yummy snacks to choose from at lunch time tomorrow.  Oh, and did I mention we're 34 weeks!!  Yikes!

Jeremiah... got a new train today, courtesy of Mommy and Daddy missing their babies, and wanting to spoil them with something other than some cheap souvenir, just because it says "NY" on it.  So he got a Diesel 10 train, and was SO HAPPY!  Maybe that's why he couldn't wait to come home--he wanted to try him out on his train tracks downstairs!  Hasn't had a chance yet, as he hadn't had a bath since Wednesday, so that's what we did when we got home and then right to bed!  I promise, though... tomorrow.  ;)

Jesslyn... got a huge stuffed teddy from Mommy and Daddy, and was trying to carry it, along with their giant, stuffed penguin, around at the same time.  That's a bit of a handful, though, so that didn't work so well.  But she was also beyond thrilled to have Mommy and Daddy home.  She laughed when we walked in and she saw us, she was so happy!  Melts your heart....  =D

Baby #3... has a name!  Well... sorta.  We're pretty confident as to what the first letter will be, and have a possible boy's name (maybe girl's, also.)   That's all you get.  :)

A Whirldwind of a Trip

Last week, we embarked on an excellent adventure. Our first stop was NJ for a wedding where we knew only the bride and groom (a couple other folks we had met once before, but other than that, we knew NO ONE ELSE!) We did make friends with some of the folks at our table during the reception, but up 'til that point, nada. Still, it was a nice wedding, and it was nice to get out away from the kiddies (my parents came along to watch 'em.) We would have taken more pics but the battery(ies) on our camera died and I didn't have our other cam handy. Oh well.

After that, we headed to NYC for a few days. It was a lovely time, as we got to hang out with Jeremy's cousin Mary and her fam in their schwanky Manhattan apartment (which has an AWESOME view! Could have stayed up there, just looking over the city all night.) Again, no pics, because I didn't want to drag out my good camera for just a few shots, and our other camera was.... dead. Yeah. But we had a good time, the food was yummy (Mary made Texas style bbq, as that's where they've been for the past 4 years!) And all of her siblings also came to dinner, which was an unexpected surprise (well, we were pretty sure one would be there, with her new hubby, as they also live in the city, but her brother, James, is nearly impossible to track down. Always globe trotting somewhere.) They even got cupcakes for dessert! Mmm... yes, America, NYC cupcakes ARE worth all the rave. Well, not from Magnolia, but more on that later.

The next day, we did head out into the city a bit, FINALLY venturing into Toys R Us Time Square (meh, it's just a big toy store... Jeremiah was too upset to ride the ferris wheel because he wanted to go in the "beep beep" and not the "truck." Oh well. He did get a Thomas train out of it, so he was happy.

One thing we did learn about NYC while there is that it's really difficult to traverse with kids. At least, if your kids are stroller bound, and your stroller is heavy (as ours is...) Yeah. It was way more hassle than it was worth to take the bus or subway anywhere, and cabs made me nervous, too (since the kids wouldn't be in car seats, and they drive crazy...) So we walked quite a bit. And it was all good. At least we were able to justify the cupcakes we ate later that day, right before we headed up to the Top of the Rock. I will say, though, Magnolia is totally NOT worth the hype. The cupcakes were so dry! The frosting was good, and necessary, but I do not pay $3 for frosting, so I was disappointed.

Top of the Rock was fun! Jeremy's Uncle Chuck and his family was able to meet us there (they live in NJ) so we had some company to enjoy the sights with (and help watch the kiddies!) We timed it right around Sunset, so we could see the city during the day, and get a nice view of Central Park, yet still be able to see it fully lit up, and watch the sunset. It was a little more crowded than last time I went (around 8:30, I think) but by the time the sunset, almost everyone was gone, and we could take it all in ourselves (and Jeremiah and Jesslyn could entertain everyone with their little dances.) 'Twas a good time had by all!

Those were the highlights of NYC. Off to RI we go! This part of the trip was crazy. We basically were there to eat. And eat we did! The night we got there, we had a bunch of RI favorites--fried clams, clam cakes, and lobster rolls. The next day, sampled some Portuguese fare at Sagres. We had papsicos! (Portuguese hard rolls... can't get 'em here in VA!) And Sumol (a Portuguese soda. You CAN get it here in VA, but there are only two places that sell it, and both are a little hike [and overpriced...]) We also had quejo fresco, a soft goat cheese with a texture very similar to greek yogurt--very fresh, indeed! And of course, we had to have the caldo verde, or Portuguese Kale Soup. Not as good as homemade, but nice, since there version is very smooth and refined, whereas our version is more rustic.

For our entrees, Jeremy had what I had wanted to order, which was a Portuguese Steak. They put fried eggs on top of EVERYTHING in Portugal, so of course, that's how it came to us! And the fried potatoes were nice and crispy, like thick potato chips. I had the "bacalhau" or salted cod. It was cooked with potatoes, olives, and LOTS of olive oil, with, of course, fried egg on top. It was yummy, but I would have preferred Jeremy's dish. Oh well. Maybe next year, when we go to the Azores to visit my Grandparents (my Avó and Avō) I can have it then!

We did visit Battleship Cove, because I thought Jeremiah would think it was cool. Well, he played along with that idea for all of 5 minutes and then decided he'd rather run around on the waterfront (pics coming soon...)

We also took a trip to Fogland beach, which was our beach of choice growing up. We didn't spend a lot of time there, though, since it was VERY chilly, with a stiff breeze coming over the water. I wanted to stay, since the kids obviously did, but it was just too cold for me, and we didn't have the proper outerwear to justify it (and I don't care how tough Jeremy thinks he is--wearing just a short sleeved polo shirt and shorts in cold like that is crazy.) But it was nice to stop by and see the place.

We didn't really do much else. I was able to find fresh malassadas (or malasadas, depending on who you ask,) and it came with a huge breakfast (2 eggs, 2 strips bacon, 2 sausage, 2 french toast, 2 pancakes, potatoes AND the malasada... crazy!) for $8! Jeremy got a chourico, cheese, and egg omelette that was a steal at $5. Jeremiah was perfectly happy with just his malasada, though. :)

Before heading to Pittsburgh (why did I think that would be a good idea....) we had breakfast with a friend of mine from High School, Ali. I don't think I've seen her in... 8 or 9 years now? So that was a nice way to end our trip. :)

The Pittsburgh part of the trip was not the highlight, that's for sure. Endless traffic, en route, miscommunication about a reunion meal at Jeremy's ol' college campus, meh food that kept me near the bathrooms, swarms of bees that wouldn't go away, chilly temps, and uncomfortable shoes made for a rough day. And I didn't even get the sandwich I wanted (a Pittsburgh staple: meat, fries and coleslaw, between two huge piece of Italian bread,) so it was a bust for me. Oh well. Next time (yeah right... not a lot of reason to go back at this point.)

Needless to say, we're SO glad to be home. I won't do a trip like that for a while. Poor Jeremiah was so desperate for stability and his own bed, instead of a different hotel room every other night, practically. Yeah, too much in too little time. But it was fun. Unfortunately, we're all sick now (and were partly on the trip, as well!) so it's hard to be cheerful at the moment. :( Hopefully, we're getting this all out of our system now, so we don't have to worry about it come the holidays!

And with that, I sign off. 2 a.m. is too late for bed when you're supposed to be getting as much rest as possible. Ah, screw it. Too sick to care. :p

All Caught Up

June was an absolutely CRAZY month for us! First was a wonderful vacation to the Outer Banks. We stayed in a beautiful beach house, located in a Corolla Light resort, which had its own pools, game room and restaurant (we did eat there, and boy was it YUMMY!) The best part of the trip, however, was the beach.

While I had not expected the water, or weather, to be warm enough to enjoy, I was, thankfully, wrong! We had some very sunny, warm days, and while the water was a tad chilly at first, it was easy to get used to (even for a water wimp like me!) and we were "catching waves" in no time! Even Jeremiah was able to get in on some water action, though he did find the waves a little scary at first. Jesslyn, at the beginning of the week, wanted nothing to do with the water, but was perfectly happy sitting on the beach as the tide came in to occasionally cool her off. And as it is with Jesslyn, nothing stops her from sucking her thumb--not rain, nor sleet or snow, and DEFINITELY NOT sand, much to Mommy's dismay...

We did try to go crabbing on the sound side. That was my favorite part. I'm not much of a crab person, but I do like fishing, and it was exciting when one of us were successful and caught a little stinker. And the day we chose was BEAUTIFUL for it. The water on that side was really warm, too, so I was walking around in there, thinking I could get closer to the crabs. That adventure ended quickly at the sighting of a "water snake." Not sure what kind it was, but as I'm not a fan of snakes in any way, shape, or form (no, I don't even want to see them dead...) I was not going to linger to find out. We stayed outta the water from that point on...

Jeremy proved to be quit the fisherman, despite having never crabbed before. I think it was a little frustrating for my Mom, as she was supposed to be our resident "expert." But she certainly wasn't complaining later that night when we were partaking of our catch (all 9 of 'em!) It was so much fun, though, I wanted to go again later that day (according to Wikipedia, the best time to go is dusk...) Unfortunately, all we caught that time was about 100 mosquito bites between my Mom and myself (not an exaggeration. ..) So Jeremy took us to get ice cream as a "reward" for trying. :)

All in all, it was a fabulous trip, and I really felt like our kiddies grew a lot while we were there. Jeremiah slept in a bunk bed for the first time, and was climbing out by the end of the week. It was really cute to have a two year old come into your room at 6:45 a.m. saying, "Mommy?" (which, by the way, he started saying while we were there! Along with a plethora of other words. I guess it took getting away from home to convince him to start using the English language. :) And Jesslyn perfected her crawling/climbing skills while there, as well. My little babes are growing so quickly! Shame how that works, huh?

As for the rest of the month, we had Jeremy's cousin, Catherine and Kris' wedding the following week. The wedding was WONDERFUL! It had a casual elegance about it, and I'm so glad we were able to attend. It started off a bit scary--I was hauling both kids and diaper bags/purse to go take our seats on the lawn (it was an outdoor ceremony,) while Jeremy went back to the van to get camera. Jeremiah decided that it was a bit too much for him, and started running back toward the entrance. Can you guess where this is going? Well, there was no stopping him, verbally, and with a 9 month old, bags and high heels in tow, chasing after him was near impossible. Next thing I knew, he took a sharp turn around the corner, right towards the street. I screamed, and THANK GOD, one of Jeremy's Uncle's was right there to catch him. I lost it. I finally caught up to him, yanked him towards me, and started bawling, while saying as sternly as I could, "You need to listen to your Mommy! When Mommy says STOP, you STOP!" He clearly felt bad to have made Mommy cry, which made me feel even worse. All while Jeremy's extended family looked on and tried to say, "Hi, Jess, nice to see you again." Oi... Hopefully we never have to repeat that adventure...

The rest of the wedding was beautiful, though. It did start to rain a bit, but luckily, cocktail hour was indoors--after you waited in line in the rain to congratulate the happy couple. My MIL took off with Jesslyn and cut in line to get in, which left me with Jeremiah, trying to follow without being as rude. Thankfully, a nice couple let me go in front of them (I was pretty much there already, but what could I do? Jeremy was all the way back in line, and I wasn't about to keep Jeremiah outside in the rain....) The rain did provide some entertainment for him later on, after dinner. All the chairs we had been sitting in during the ceremony now each had a little puddle of water on them, just waiting for Jeremiah to tip over! And he did. Every. Single. One.... It was really cute.

Our adventures at Jeremy's family farm (a cabin on the side of a mountain...) were equally enjoyable--more so for Jeremiah, I'm sure! He really loved everything about it, so I know we'll be heading back at some point. Old tractors, lots of room to roam, an old school pump for water, s'mores, fireworks, bonfires, all sorts of fun stuff for kids/boys/crazy people. ;) Maybe he and Daddy can camp out there while Jesslyn and Mommy hunker down in a b&b (though not the one we stayed at this last time! When we arrived Friday night, we had to carry our tired babies through a "deck party", thick with smoke, drunks, and loud music... No apologies from the innkeeper, just, "oh, you won't hear it from your room." But we did. So that's the end of that.)

We're glad to be home, though. I'm done traveling for a while! Two 6+hour trips in the car with two babies, back to back, is just too much. Of course, I wouldn't have minded avoiding the whole gall bladder thing, but I guess I'm glad it's over. I do feel better now. The pain is minimal, certainly not prescription pain killer worthy, but it's nice to have just in case. It has given me a short burst of energy before making me drowsy, so that's been handy for getting things done around the house. I'm not supposed to be lifting the kids, though, so that's been tough. My brother, Stephin, has been here to help with the kids, but it was obvious he wasn't happy hanging out, so he left and I'll just try to keep the lifting to a minimum. Really, I just need to make it through tommorrow. I think Jeremy can take off on Thursday, and Friday is "the 4th" (observed) so we'll be good from there on out.

And that is that. :)

OBX Slideshow

Here are the photos from our trip!


And, uh, that's it! I'll write more about it-----later! :)

NYC!!! HOLA!

That's "hola" as in "holler" but with an "a" at the end...  

There was a time when I didn't know that, either...

Wow, what a trip!  It was such a blast.  Here's the play by play.

Saturday morning, 1:30 a.m.

Go to bed.

5:30 a.m.

Wake up, stumble around, shower, pack last minute things, make "London Fog" (that's what Starbucks calls it, at least.  It's just Earl Grey tea with milk and sugar.  And my version cost less than $.50.  $4 a drink? I don't think so.)

6:15 a.m.

Kiss husband/kids goodbye (kids still sleeping...)  Drive down to end of pipestem; wait for travelling buddies.

6:25 a.m. 

Wonder if anyone's going to show up.

6:28 a.m.

Wonder if I missed an email that said to meet somewhere else.

6:30 a.m.

Liz and Uyen show up, followed by Shelley and Kristen shortly thereafter.  Load up, drive off!

7:00 a.m. 

Arrive in D.C., park, wait in Bolt Bus area.

7:05 a.m.

Run with Liz and Uyen to Starbucks for coffee.  Yes, I've quit Starbucks, but for someone who's used to getting up at 8:30 instead of 5:30, coffee with shots of espresso necessary for survival.

7:15 a.m.

Still waiting in line at Starbucks... okay, people, let's not have lengthy conversations with the baristas... And baristas, stop flirting with the clientele and make my &$%#@-ing drink!  

I did say I'm not normally up at 5:30 in the morning...

7:20 a.m.

Get drink, add lots of milk and sugar, run across street to board Bus.  Thankfully, it's still there.

7:30 a.m.

We're on our way!

7:35 a.m. 

Driver explains the rules of the Bolt Bus.  No drinking alcohol unless you have enough to share.  Make sure to wipe the seat if "your aim is less than perfect." No removing of shoes from ripe feet.  Got it.

9-ish a.m.

Coffee has struck, must use bathroom on board.  Aim is fine, no need to clean anything.  However, Purell dispenser is empty.  Mine is on diaper bag (did not bring!) Thankfully, Uyen came prepared.  Crisis averted.

10-ish a.m.

Driver stops at rest stop in Jersey.  Since it's Jersey, I stay on bus. ;) 10 minutes later, back on road.

11:30 a.m.

Arrive in NYC!  Unload, thank driver, get bag, fight crowd on sidewalks.

Noonish

Unload at hotel, take a breather, plan route on subway map to CHINATOWN!

12:45-ish?

Head out to subway, find right train, board.

1:00

Arrive in Chinatown.  Walk towards dim sum restaurant.  Avoid crowds/vendors on sidewalks.

1:15

Arrive at Jing Fong restaurant.

1:17

Seated in restaurant.  There is a couple seated with us--both from Europe.  One from Germany, one from Sweden? I think? Food begins arriving immediately.  

1:20

Eat.  Mmm.... soooooo good.  

At this point, lost track of time.  Eventually, we're all stuffed, and leave the restaurant.  I learn that Kristen wants to stop and buy a handbag (y'know, the Chinatown kind.  :)  At some point during the walk, Kristen turns around and starts following this little Asian guy down the street.  We follow, and it seems like we're walking forever.  They disappear around the corner, and we see they've gone into a shop.  But the shop is empty, for the most part.... (And I'm thinking, "What the heck is going on?")  We follow him into the backroom of the shop, and he opens a door in the wall (didn't look like a door--looked like part of the wall,) out come several gals, so that's reassuring.  He takes us down a dark staircase, and opens another door.  On the other side is a room, probably about 12 x 12, if that, full of people (30?) and handbags covering the walls.  Woah!  It was pretty crowded, so I stay with Kristen while everyone else heads back upstairs.  Most people in the room follow suit, and it's a more comfortable space to move in.  We shopped a while--Kristen found a couple of "Coach" bags, and I found a "Dooney" that was nice.  Score!  We go to leave, and have to wait for one of the "sales" guys with a walky talkie to unlock the door.  We emerge, alive and well, with our new bags, and continue on our NYC adventure!

Sometime later...

Take subway back up to Time Square.  Walk around a bit, try to figure out Central Park is walking distance away.  Kristen stops to ask cute cop for directions. ;) He lies and says it's only 10 minutes up, but we don't know any better, so we head on our way.  (We're not sure exactly how long it took, since we stopped in a few shots to check out the souvies, but it definitely took longer than 10 minutes.  Also noticed t-shirts were 7 for $10.99...

4:30-ish. 

Arrive at Central Park.  Enter park, find soft place to sit--sit on rocks.  Relax.  Ahhh...

4:45

Start to leave park, take subway back to Time Square; walk back to hotel.

5:15

Arrive in room, take few moments to relax before getting ready for dinner.

6:15

Supposed to be downstairs 5 minutes ago.  No time to ask front desk to make up pull out bed, or bring more conditioner (yes, I meant to do those two things, and was irritated with myself for not getting down there in time to do so.)

6:17

Try to hail cab, little luck.

6:18

Car service car pulls up, says he'll take all 5 of us for $20 (cabs should only take 4, so it was a good deal) Liz and Kristen, (I think?) pile in front seat, rest of us in back.  

6:30

Arrive at Eatery NYC for dinner, with a 6:30 reservation!

6:45

Finally able to order, waiting for food.

7:05

Food arrives, we devour.  It was good, but nothing worth writing about. :)

7:30

Time to leave--gals going to 9 to 5, I'm off to the Rock!

7:33

Friends to meet have not yet arrived, other gals catch a cab and head to theater (though I'm told they gave up on the cab ride after 10-15 minutes of going nowhere, and proceeded to walk the rest of the way on foot.  Thankfully, theater was pretty close.)

7:37

Paul & Fabienne arrive, and off we go!

8-ish

Sun begins to set, and we arrive in Rockerfeller center.  It's very pretty.  

8:30

At the top of the Rock!  The view is breathtaking--cameras don't do it justice.  You'd need an Omni screen, or an IMAX to get the scale and feel right, at a minimum!  It was awesome!  I tried to get some steady shots, but nighttime is tough with a camera.  Finally figured out to use the top of the binocular thingies to steady the shot.

9:15

Wonder how far away Empire State Building is, if the view is any better, and how long it would take to get there.....

9:20

Leave the Rock, start heading towards Empire State Building!

9:45

Arrive at Empire State Building.  Not as crowded as originally thought.  Should be up there quickly.

9:55

Get off elevator at 80th floor (still 6 more to go, but that's a different elevator. Boring ride by the way... Rock was better.)  Get in back of HUGE line... start to worry about time.

10:10

Halfway through line, still worrying about time.

10:13

Staff guy announces elevator line will take about 30 minutes.  Or, the stairs are open.  Only 6 flights.  Should take 2-3 minutes.  We leave the line.

10:14

Up first flight of stairs.  Piece of cake.

10:15

Up 2nd flight.  Not too bad, I can do this.

10:16

Up 3rd flight.  Really?  3 more?? Grrr...

10:17

Up 4th flight... Omigosh, this sucks.

10:18

Up 5th flight.  Only one more! You can do this!

10:19

Start 6th flight.  Legs burning.  Look up, and 6th is really 6th and 7th and 7.5th!  What a scam! 

10:21

Exit staircase.  Force to climb 4 more steps to viewing level.  %$&@#!!! 

10:22

Catch breath, see view (through crowds of people,) have to catch breath again.  ;)

Eh, it's no better than the Rock.  Still awesome, though.  But way more crowded, with far less space for all the hundreds of people trying to look.  Really windy.

10:28

Watch seagull flying over head.

10:29

Watch said seagull use the air above our heads as a toilet.  Crowd goes, "Woah!!!!!" and duck for cover.  Wind blows seagull poop away.

10:30-ish.

Hear from gals at show, but between wind and reception, hard to hear what's going on.  Decide to leave ESB.

10:45

Legs hurt.  Tired of walking all day, yet still feeling energized.  Stop in Walgreens to buy gatorade.  Tastes so good.

11:00 

Arrive back at hotel.  Roommate isn't feeling well.  Off to corner deli for drugs (Pepto Bismol and such.)

Sunday, 12 a.m.

Chat about show, Mommy hood and who knows what else with roommate. 

1 a.m.

Get in bed, read gossip magazines, still chatty.

1:30 a.m.

Sleepy time.

8:30 a.m.

Wake up, throw clothes on, head downstairs to get good table for breakfast.  Eat.

9:35 a.m.

Get in line for elevator... It takes forever to show up.

9:45 a.m.

Head back to room, shower, pack, leave.  Receive text message from Jeremy that swine flu confirmed in the city.  Remind everyone to thoroughly wash hands.  Eyes roll.  :)

10:40 a.m. (I think.)

Uyen and Liz split from us to get ready to catch bus.  Kristen, Shelley and I get on subway to go to Staten Island Ferry.

11:20 a.m.

Arrive at Staten Island Ferry terminal.

11:30 a.m.  

Ride ferry across river.  Feel wind blow through hair, bask in warmth from sun,  take pictures of Statue of Liberty.
  

12:00 p.m.

Disembark.  Get Slush Puppies (I got red! I think it was supposed to be watermelon, but it just tasted like sugar water.) Wait for ferry to take us back.

12:30 p.m. 

Back on ferry.  Enjoy view from other side of the ferry.  Get hot dogs and nachos to munch on en-route.

1:00 

Back at the terminal.  Start schleping to subway.  

1:15 

On subway.  Plan to buy cheap t-shirts in Time Square, then head back to hotel for bags before getting bus.

1:30 

Arrive in Time Square.  Packed out.  Takes a while to walk through crowds.  Running out of time.

1:40

Shelley and Kristen head back to hotel to get bags.  I look up, t-shirt place is two blocks away.  Buy shirts quickly and head back down towards bus.  Buy hot nuts along the way (will later almost choke on said nuts... but I survive.  Ha ha, nuts!)

2:10 p.m.

Arrive at Bolt Bus stop.  Load up, find seat.  Kristen and I go for NYC slice before leaving. Mmm... pizza.

2:25

Back on bus with slice in hand (well, in a box, but you get the idea.)

2:30

Bus leaves.  Back to DC!

2:45

Stop somewhere downtown.  Another stop.  Boo.  Use stop as opportunity to get book from suitcase.  Yay for reading material!

3:00

NOW we're headed to DC!  Driver relays rules whilst in Lincoln Tunnel.  On this ride, we can tap on driver's shoulder and whisper in his ear to ask him to raise/lower temperature on bus.  Guys, no such luck.  :P  

7:00

We obey rules and arrive in Washington DC!  

7:15

Leave bus terminal.  Parking only $10?!?!?  Sweet.  Drive home.

7:40

Arrive home, Kristen and Shelley get their things.  Goodbyes are said, and I go in to see my kids/hubby.  Amazingly, house is still standing, kids aren't filthy, and they're even dressed!  House is even picked up, and front lawn mowed.  Awwwww.....

Glad to be home.  Had an awesome time, but missed my family.  It's good to be home. :)

Final thoughts:

~I will definitely do the Rock again.  Empire State?  Ehh... maybe.  But only if I were willing to pay extra to go up the additional 20 stories.  That might be cool.  But it was too crowded and not well organized, so the "experience" wasn't as nice as at the Rock.  Plus, the Rock had this cool light room that sensed where you were in the room and lite up accordingly.  It was like being in a video game.... 

~We're quite proud of ourselves for figuring out how to navigate via subway, but weren't very happy they diverted some of the trains we wanted to take.... We managed, but it was a pain.  Oh well.

~The dim sum was AWESOME!  Will definitely be back for that.  And store-bought/frozen just isn't the same.  No comparison.

~Uhh... I got the handbag bug!  Will have to stop in Chinatown again for more bags! Hey, I don't even care if they're not the "real" thing.  Since I can't afford the "real" thing, I don't mind having something that at least LOOKS nice (and, as far as I can tell, is pretty well made.)

~Central Park definitely demands more time than we gave it, but it was nice to see at least a little of it, and enjoy the sights and sounds that go along with it.

~Souveniers in Chinatown are much cheaper than in Time Square.  Except for t-shirts--those were the cheapest right around 48th and Broadway (in Time Square.)  

~While the city may never sleep, drugstores do.  They were all closed by the time I got back to the hotel, unfortunately.  The one near the ESB, though, was open 24 hours, but that would have been a little bit of a hike from the hotel.  So if you need essentials, or just cheap drinks, stop there before heading out for the night.

That's all for now.  Two hours is enough time to spend on one post.

Can't escape it...

Well, the TV is on, as it's a rainy day, and no one, except Jeremy, has been feeling very well.  I will not be happy, though, if Jesslyn's cold robs her of a good morning nap.  Not looking very good...

Anyway, yeah, I'm going to try to do this despite the distractions. 

Yay, the kids have colds again!  I think Jeremiah caught it playing at JW Tumbles.  It's a new "baby gym" that opened up about a mile away, right next to the grocery store we frequent the most!  They had free open play all last week so everyone could try it out, and I'm pretty sure that's where the bug got caught.  Boooo... Well, it saves me some money--I was going to enroll Jeremiah in a class, but if he's just going to catch colds there, then forget it.  It's all good, though, since Jeremy and our favorite "Uncle James" set up the swing set yesterday.  Jeremiah will be on it non-stop, I'm sure!  Too bad we have severe storms to look forward to all day today... And possibly tomorrow.  And the day after.  Sigh...  

This past weekend was crazy, at least for me.  I worked the Dani's Duds consignment sale Friday, and will never.... do.... it.... again.... It was 6 hours of standing at a table, pulling tags off items people were buying.  That wouldn't be so bad if the table weren't so low--I spent most of the night hunched over it, or bending over to get tags off larger items.  Plus, I haven't had to spend 6 hours straight on my feet in a LONG time.  Years ago, when I worked for EB (or even Sony) a shift like this would have been a piece of cake.  But yeah, it's been a while.  Plus, I don't think it was really worth shopping that much earlier than everyone else.  Unless you're willing to stand in line for 2-3 hours beforehand, all the good stuff is gone by the time you get there anyway.  So I'll just consign from here on out.  Or work before/after the sale instead of during... But yeah, no more 6 hours hunched over a table... Crazy.

And I get to do it again Thursday!  Well, kinda.  There's another sale this week, called JBF or Just Between Friends.  But I think I'm working a pre-sale shift, which will be more organizing and working on the floor instead of pulling tags.  Plus, it's only FOUR hours instead of six.   And, they use an electronic tagging system, so I don't think you even have to pull any tags off--just scan the barcodes, and go!  Pretty neat.  Hopefully, I'll find some good deals there!

Then.... it's off to NYC!  There's a small group of us from my Mom's group going for a night, leaving at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday.  We're going to have REAL dim sum, ride the Staten Island ferry (to get some shots of the skyline/statue of libery, etc...) see a show (well, I'm not... going to meet up with family instead,) Time Square, etc... It'll be fun!  And weird--this is the first time I'll be going anywhere without the kids OR Jeremy!  How strange it will be to eat a meal with two hands, instead of one on mine, one with a spoon for Jesslyn, or not have to worry about fixing them something before I can sit an enjoy myself.   I'm definitely looking forward to it!

And that will end the craziness.  Hopefully by next week, everyone will be well again, and we can go back to enjoying the beautiful weather that has finally decended upon us--minus today... tomorrow, and the day after.  The weekend looks gorgeous, though, so Jeremiah should have lots of fun!

Welcome, One & All!

Yay!  You found us!  Sorry for the change of address.  We had some issues with jeremynjess, so we moved here.  Hopefully, those issues won't follow us and stick with the old blog.  Thankfully, blogger has made the process of moving blogs pretty easy, so should something else happen, I know how to fix it easily.  

Anywhoo, life is pretty good.  We had a nice weekend in Exton, PA for my brother, James', graduation!  Yay for James!  He starts his new job tomorrow at Lexus, not far from us, in Chantilly.  It'll be nice having him back in town again--we've missed him!

While in PA, we stayed at the lovely Fairfield Inn, part of the Marriott chain.  I'm normally not crazy about staying in Marriotts, but this was such a good deal (one bedroom suite, free internet, breakfast, kitchenette, etc...) and everyone there was so nice!

They also had a pool, pf which we made good use.  Jeremiah LOVED it!  He so wanted to be swimming on his own, but was satisfied just walking down the steps, jumping into Jeremy's (and my) arms, "swimming" back to the steps, and then doing it all again!  He didn't even care the water was chilly, he went right in!

Jesslyn was such a good girl, too.  Both kids slept well while there (though Jeremiah refused to nap in the car on the way there and back...) which always helps.  And, the highlight was, Jesslyn laughed for the first time!!!  I was getting ready to give her a bath (still sponge baths... no point dealing with a baby tub when she'll just scream as soon as we put her in it...) and as I lifted her up to take her top off, she laughed!!  Not believing what I had heard, I tried tickling her to get her to do it again, and SHE DID!!!  Awww, it melts your heart....

So yes, it was a nice little trip, but I'm definitely glad to be home.  Now the fun begins--unpacking!  Woot....  And I've got lots of baking to do, because our Christmas party is just under three weeks away!  AHH!!  Oh, and Thanksgiving is next week... WHAT?!?!?  Yikes... the holidays are here!  :)

No more free drinks on US Airways

Not that they're my first choice for airlines, but sometimes ya have no choice. Luckily, it sounds like many other full cost airlines will follow suit (as opposed to discount airlines, like Spirit, who apparently have been charging for years.)

Yet another reason to bring a box of chocolates on board with you, for the flight crew. If we regularly get free booze as a result, I'm sure a drink of water here or there would be no problem.

More Here

Forgot to post...

I meant to post this back in our Vegas posts, but didn't for some reason. So here it is.... the Fountains at the Bellagio!

Wedding/BabyMoon/Anniversary/Business Trip, Part 5--The End.

Right now, we're sitting in McCarren Airport, here in Las Vegas, and we couldn't be happier! While we enjoyed our time away, we both agree that it was a day or two too long, and are anxious to get home. It'll be nice to not walk through hallways of smoke, rude people, ringing, beeping, drunk people, etc. And when I say "rude", I'm not just talking about the tourists (though they make up the majority...) I think that the staff that work in the casinos are just so used to rude customers that they don't know how to relax and be nice to those who aren't there to give them a hard time (I couldn't believe how many people I heard talking down to servers, hotel staff, everyone! Hopefully "bitterness" is one of those things that STAYS in Vegas!) And with the exception of the super expensive dinner we had Tuesday night, rarely would we actually want to the tip a full 20%, as many of the servers ignored us to the point where we had to ask for refills, and hope that at some point our food would come out. And I'm all about being a good tipper, but when the only time I see you is to take our order, bring our drinks, and then bring our food (and subsequently, the bill, though usually each part is brought by a different person, with little communication between them,) there's little motivation to be generous (especially when that soda costs $4, is the size of a juice box, and never gets refilled despite asking for one...)

Yeah, we're glad to be coming home!

So here are the last few pics from our trip!

The streets of Venice, inside the Venetian. It's much more bright when you're walking through it than it appears on film.

Street performers in "Venice"

Ditto.

Dude on stilts. Always fun and exciting!

Jeremy sporting his poncho at Blue Man Group. While we were in the "poncho" section, we didn't need them, but always good to be prepared, just in case.

Decked out in paper in preparation for the show!

"Rrrawwwr! I am the paper monster!!!"

Yeah, I got nothin'. (This was post-show... video coming soon...)

Jeremy trying to steal Mona Lisa's twinkie. During the show, they pull a female member of the audience on stage to have a "romantic" dinner (twinkies.) The poor girl at our show was MORTIFIED! You could see she was trying as hard as she could not to cry at times.

It was hilarious. :)

The BAND! Kinda goofy in regular light--freakin' awesome behind their instruments under a black light!

Chillin' with a Blue Man

The "Strip" at night. Well, part of it anyways.

Goodbye, Vegas!!!!

Food for thought...

For some reason, anytime I post about food, we get a bunch of comments. So here's another food post! :)

This was from our dinner before going to see Blue Man Group Thursday night. It was mighty tasty!

The main reason I took pics of our dinner--Beef Carpaccio with wild arugula, lemon, capers, and parmigiano reggiano, the "undisputed king of cheeses"! For those of you unfamiliar with beef carpaccio, it's thinly sliced raw beef. Mmmm.... What d'ya think of that, Ali?? ;)

Beefsteak tomatoes, scallions, and buffalo mozzarella cheese 'insalata'. The buffalo mozzarella has so much flavor, it's so good! Not like the fresh mozzarella you buy at the supermarket, that's for sure!

Asparagus soup. Nothing weird, and it was good, but not mind blowing. It all came out at the same time, though, so I figured I'd snap a photo anyways.

Us, having dinner that night. Nothing exciting here either, but it proves I was there!

Wedding/BabyMoon/Anniversary/Business Trip, Part 4.5--Penn & Teller

Last night, we cabbed over to the Rio to take in a show. Penn & Teller, amusing and amazing, as expected. It was pretty neat, because before the show, they had a jazz duo playing, while everyone in the audience signed an envelope on the stage (which was later used in a trick.) Halfway through, we figured out that it was Penn playing the double bass (he had his hair down, with a hat on... looked very "Slash"-ish,) though we weren't completely sure if it was Teller on the piano (if you took away the dude's earrings and glasses, it could have been... but they appeared on stage at the same time a few times, so we don't know for sure.) Okay, I just googled it, and the piano player is, indeed, Mike Jones, but the bass player is simply known as the "Mystery Bass Player". So we're half right! Yay for us!

It was a cool show, and definitely funny at times, though I did find them a bit over the top at times with the commentary. Stuff like religion and politics don't need to be in a magic show, and in general, those jokes were the least well received by the audience. While no one "booed" there were definitely some, "Aw, no he didn't!" groans that answered.

Other than that, it was fun. It was neat how everynow and then they would explain how certain tricks were done, and even show ya how to do it, albeit in a rushed and confusing way. It's unlikely anyone will actually be able to go home and reproduce them, but ya never know. Jeremy was happy to get his pic with Penn, and Penn was happy he could actually stand up straight for once (he's a tall dude!)

I will say, though, that the Rio is a dump. At least compared to the Pallazzo and the Venetian. Basically, off strip, everything is a dump. It almost feels like leaving the tourist resort in a 3rd world country--the resort is beautiful, but then you see how the locals live, and it's like, blech. Only this is Las Vegas! I'm sure there are nicer areas off the strip besides those that we saw (we were only a mile off...) but man... it was depressing. I'd rather leave here thinking it was all glitz and glam, so we'll have to tour the strip tonight after dark (THE STRIP, not off the strip... you just don't go there....) Even the Tropicana, which was built in the 50's, was wayyyy nicer than this place, which is a lot newer (1990's...) It's part of the Harrah's family, and isn't too far from the Palms (which, from what I understand, is a nice hotel.) It was really dumpy, though... The people who gambled there were all smoking endlessly, and obviously lost all their money there, since they were dressed like bums. The waitresses were dressed especially skanky (all waitresses around here wear short skirts and low tops, but these were made of lace, didn't cover them completely, with thong bikini type coverage underneath... And most were older, or at least, looked older... At least they were really nice.)

In their masquerade village area (where all the restaurants were) they had a open floats suspended from a track on the ceiling, where girls (and guy) would dance as loud music played. For some reason, there were lots of families with babies there, most younger than Jeremiah, and they stopped to watch the "show", while standing amongst a cloud of second hand smoke (some were smoking as they held their babies... so sad.) The worst meal of the week was had there, as some Japanese place. It was a "good deal" for Vegas--$16--but it was TERRIBLE. It was worse than food court food... Yuck. The service was even worse, so Jeremy left the smallest tip I think he's ever left. Oh well.

And that's about it. Today is our last full day here, and it's kind of rainy, so who knows if we'll get to venture outside the resort at all. We've got Blue Man Group tonight, Mystere (Cirque de Soleil) tomorrow, and that's it! So this will probably be my last post from Vegas. See you in VA!

Wedding/BabyMoon/Anniversary/Business Trip, Part 4?

I've lost count...

Anyways, here're some more Vegas pics from my excursion on our Anniversary (little did I know it was a 1.5 mile walk to CVS/Walgreens.... it looks a lot shorter than that on a map, or looking down the strip. At least the weather was BEAUTIFUL!!)

The Coca-Cola & M&M store on the Strip--I haven't actually had a chance to go in, yet, as I was a woman on a mission that day and didn't have time. Hopefully we'll have a chance later today.

The Fountain in front of the Forum shops at Caesars Palace.... These two guys walked with me up and down the strip, carrying my bags so I wouldn't have to. Sweet, huh?? I'm just kidding... I have no idea who those guys are.

South Strip--that's Toni Braxton up there on the side of the building. And you can see the Eiffel tower, in the distance.

*sigh* Ignore the showgirl next to the Bally's sign... There's stuff like that everywhere.

Planet Hollywood! They have the Mile Shops within it--1.5 miles of shops and restaurants, all indoors. Crazy.

The Eiffel Tower and Paris Hotel & Casino. It's pretty neat, they have all these famous french monuments, including an Arc de Triumph, though I didn't take a pic of it.

The gondola's at the Venetian (our hotel is part of their resort.) I don't have a pic of it, but will have to get one--inside the Venetian, they have this "city square" complete with stone floors and a faux sunny sky. It's very surreal... You go in there, and it does feel like daytime, and then you realize it's really 11 p.m.... The gondola's take you right through there and back. Pretty neat.

The Phantom tower outisde of the Pallazzo.

Outside the Venetian.

Treasure Island. They've got a pirate ship and stuff out in front. I'll have to go walk by it later.

Wedding/BabyMoon/Anniversary/Business Trip, Part 3

Well, the past couple of days have been fairly lo-key. Nothing too exciting, just the same old, same old, at least for Vegas.

Jeremy had to work Tuesday, so I only saw him briefly throughout the day. I mostly chilled in our hotel, trying to recover from walking the strip in 100+ temps the day before (it just sucks the life outta ya.) I tried going out for lunch, and was pretty beat afterwards, so that was the end of my excursions for the day.

Decided to check out the pool, in hopes of finding a decent cell phone signal so I could call Jeremiah at Grandma's. No luck. I have yet to find a place on the strip, whether inside or outside, where my cell phone would have a full signal and KEEP a full signal. It starts out good and strong, but usually by the time the other end picks up, the signal is all but gone, and then, *beepbeepbeepbeep!* So we continue the practice of "ringing" my parents, and they call us back in our room. Very annoying.

Tuesday night was interesting. :) Jeremy ran into some of his clients while visiting me at the pool, and they invited us to tag along for dinner. That was fine with me, as I'd rather go to a business dinner with Jeremy, than dinner by myself. So he was able to skip most of the "closing ceremony" for Tuesday night, and we met this "colorful" group at Carnevino, Mario Batali's steakhouse here in the Pallazzo (I say colorful, because they asked Jeremy if I would be uncomfortable, as their conversations could be considered, to some, "offensive".... Well, I've had dinner with some pretty interesting folks before, from my days with EB and Sony, so I was game. And for the record, they weren't that bad. A few remarks here or there may have been unnecessary, but as the only sober person there, it was understandable.) One look at the menu let us know that this would be the most expensive meal we have ever eaten--ever! We didn't really want to spend a lot of money, so we tried to stay on the conservative side as much as possible. But, yet again, it was good.

I was a bit disappointed, though, with the appetizers. We ordered these fried duck eggs, and I don't think they tasted all that different from a regular chicken egg. But hey, for $19, it must be good. Our salad was great, though, as I have never had mozzarella cheese that was so tasty! I mean, I've had fresh mozzarella before, but this was in a league of its own--it actually had flavor! So good!

Our entree was a bit disappointing, too. It is a steakhouse, but the cheapest steaks started at $35. Most were $50 or $75. Plus, that didn't include any sides, just steaks. Sides were all a la carte, and that adds up. We ordered a pasta dish to split, and I swear, they charge at least a $1 PER PIECE of pasta. Yeah, we had maybe a dozen shell type pastas (handmade by 4 guys all week) each, and that's it. Everyone else ordered steak, and were stuffed as a result. Yeah, we weren't stuffed. We didn't leave hungry (though the meal was over 3 hours long!) but we definitely weren't stuffed.

Surprisingly, the clients we were out with picked up the tab for the whole thing, which was great (though we had planned on paying for ourselves,) as the tip alone was almost $200 (20% charged automatically for groups larger than 6 people... there were 9 of us... you do the math. At least they said, "hey, that's not bad," when they saw the check...) It was good, but I don't feel the need to return. :) I can't say Morton's was as good, but at least you get your money's worth in food. You know portions are going to be meager when your server tells you over and over again, "small portions but big flavor." Ah well. It was still quite the experience, one we would never have on our own.

Yesterday was nice, for the most part. Jeremy played hooky in the morning, and we had a nice breakfast together. That was about all I saw of him after that. I took a 2.5 hour nap, which was desperately needed, and then had to leave so the cleaning crew could come through. Feeling re-energized, I decided to hit the strip again for some souvie shopping. Stepped outside, it was sunny, high 70's/low 80's, with a nice breeze. Perfect! I felt like I could walk all day! And then I had both arms full of bags, all the way down the strip... Suddenly, walking was exhausting again. Ah well. It's amazing how heavy t-shirts, a few mugs, and a stuffed bear can get! But I made it back okay! Took a quick bath (had to use the garden tub at least once!) got dressed and tried to figure out dinner plans.

I had hoped Jeremy would have been able to get out of working so late, but that didn't happen, so I had dinner by myself in the Grand Lux. I was trying to be good, so I ordered a pasta with lots of veggies, but it's not what I really wanted (should have gotten the shrimp pasta... the heck with veggies.) It was still good, but not good enough for me to sit there and stuff myself with it, so I brought it back to the room (not sure why... it just sat there all night... can't fit it in the fridge, because of all the booze in there... And it's weight sensitive, so you can't take stuff out to make room, or you'll get charged for it.) I should probably eat it for breakfast, but I dunno... I guess we'll see.

That brings ya up to date! Jeremy got me a spa gift card for our anniversary, so I'm having a pregger's massage and pedicure today. I'm not real big on massages, though, so I'm a little nervous... I dunno, the thought of being naked on a table while some stranger rubs oil into your skin kinda weirds me out... But I was beat from walking when I booked it, so it sounded better than paying the same price for a facial. Now I wish I'd gotten the facial. Oh well, too late to change it now. Guess I'll have to be brave!

I think tonight we're seeing Penn & Teller. Tomorrow's Blue Man Group, and then Cirque de Soleil's Mystere on Saturday before we leave. And then we come home! Yay! Jeremiah's been getting spoiled with Grandpa, so I'm sure he'll be disappointed we're home, but oh well! :)

Breakfast

Fried chicken and waffles, with pecans and honey butter syrup. Mmmm... I couldn't eat it all, but it was good.

Wedding/BabyMoon/Anniversary/Business Trip, Part 2 - Vegas, Baby!

Hello again, folks. I'll try to keep this a bit shorter than the last entry. This is what happens when I don't have good, reliable, fast internet access for a few days--it all stockpiles. Luckily, we are in a beautiful 4-star resort suite now and it is definitely the fanciest hotel I've ever stayed in. I mean, there's a guy who walks around the pool offering sun bathers chilled cucumber slices for their eyes! And then he came around again with orange slices (not sure if they were to eat, or put on your face, so I politely declined...) Crazy...

You know you're in Vegas when a bottle of water sets you back $3 (unless you buy it from someone selling out of a cooler... then it's just, "One dolla! Ice cold water, one dolla!" Looking back on it now, I wish I had stocked up on the dollar waters, but oh well.) And we can't even move stuff around in the fridge, because it tracks it based on weight, and you'll get charged as soon as something moves... Booo! At least the ice down the hall is free. I've been noshing on it all afternoon, since I can't bear to bring myself to shelling out as much for a water as I do for Starbucks...

Thankfully and sadly, Jeremy's conference (the whole reason we came) started up today, and they have drinks available to attendees. So he's starting a little room stock for us, which should help keep me hydrated (I woke up at 4 this morning, PARCHED! I had to drink lukewarm tap water--it was all we had, but boy did it taste good.... Jeremy says it has a funny chemical taste, but y'know what? When you're thirsty, it's the best water you've ever had.)

Sadly, though, he's gone most of the day so I'm all by my lonesome. I thought I'd be okay with that, since this city is cool to just walk around in, but we did that yesterday, and boy, I'm still beat. Walking around in 100+ degree temps (35+ for those who prefer Celsius) just sucks the life outta ya. We kept ducking into casinos for drinks and a few pulls on the penny slots (Jeremy won $6 playing $1 on the penny slots! Woot! We promptly spent it on Starbucks. Well, at least I was able to get a drink with that. :) Our whole goal for going out was to hike to Tropicana, which is only a couple of blocks down the strip on a map, but it took us over 2 hours to get there. Why did we want to go to Tropicana?? Because they're the only casino left on the strip that dispenses coins when you win. Everyone else gives you a voucher that you can then use in another machine, or cash out for cash. Really, though, who's going to play the penny slots, win, and cash out their $.20 winnings? Well, not us. :) But if it's in nickels, then you're more likely to keep your winnings instead of playing them away.

Well, wouldn't you know it... After all that walking, we found out they too had switched to a voucher system... BOOO! Not all was lost, though. They had cheap souveniers at least (even cheaper than what I was going to buy at CVS! Score!) And then we had to head back, because....

We saw Phantom last night! This is the "Vegas" version, so it was different than the Broadway show. Different doesn't necessarily mean better... Being a Phantom purist (I grew up listening to the Michael Crawford/Sarah Brightman version) the changes were kind of annoying... The big changes included moving the "chandelier" crash to the end of "Don Juan Triumphant" (and so the lyrics in "Masquerade" were changed from "to a prosperous year! To the new chandelier!" to something else...) cutting out the rehearsal completely for the "Don Juan Triumphant" (the scene right before we see Christine go to the cemetary to sing to her dead father,) and rushing what dialogue their was. At least, it seemed rushed to me. Reactions that would normally take a few seconds to give were given immediately, and it sucked some of the magic out of it for me.

Couple of good changes, though. Since the theater was designed to be a "Phantom" theater, the sets were larger and more brilliant, the chandelier being raised to the ceiling at the beginning was awesome, as it was in 5 different pieces that all swung around above your head before settling into its final position at the end of the overture. And more pyrotechnics. Lots more than on Broadway.

Was it good? Yes. Better than Broadway? No. But I would have probably enjoyed it more had I not seen it on Broadway previously. I tried taking some pics after the show (none allowed before or during, obviously) but it was really hard to get a good shot of the chandelier, with the lighting as it was. But it gives you an idea of how much work went into the theater itself.

We've definitely been eating better since being in Vegas. They have a cafe called "Grand Lux Cafe" that is a spinoff of the Cheesecake Factory, and it's definitely a great bang for your buck. I had a Tuna Niciose Sandwich with Cauliflower Cheddar soup, and a "small" salad with REAL blue cheese dressing. And it was SO GOOD! I couldn't finish it all, there was so much food (hence the "small" salad... it was NOT "small" by any stretch of the imagination... unless you're used to eating the whole salad at Olive Garden, or something.) Only $11. I paid that today for a less than impressive chicken philly with fries. Needless to say, I'll be having my lunches at the Grand Lux from now on. Ya can't beat the deal, and I'm sure it was healthier.

Last night (and apparently, tonight as well, since we'll be dining with some of Jeremy's clients,) we ate at one of Mario Batali's restaurants. Normally, I would never consider it, since those celebrity chef restaurants tend to be really pricey, but we were satified with the pricing options, and ended up getting a lot of food for a decent price. And it wasn't stuff we'd normally order, either--walnut salad, lentils, aparagus (raw) w/ ricotta cheese (not the stuff you buy in the store, that's for sure!), marinated olives, and a pancetta arugula pizza (very rustic, stone oven style.) It was so good! And we managed to spend less than $50 before tip (this is Vegas, remember...) Now the question is, do we get the same thing tonight, or try other things on the menu.... Hmmm....

That's been our trip, thus far. Getting here wasn't too bad. Remember I said I had planned on blogging on the plane? Well, that didn't happen, because the stupid people sitting in front of us chose to put their seats back. No way I could have the laptop open on my lap like that. I tried sitting sideways, but that was even more uncomfortable. At least we got our headsets for free (and more snacks than everyone else... HAHA!) since the attendants (and pilot!) were very appreciative of the Lindt truffles we brought them (I didn't think we'd get anything, since you can buy Lindt bars from them as a snack, but I guess those are off limits to the crew...) One of the attendants even told the other who was passing out the headphones, "We won't charge them, they brought us chocolates," right in front of the other passengers! They gave us a look as they handed over their $3 each for their sets. :p It pays to show your appreciation!

Oh, and going through customs in Canada vs. once stateside was so much easier. They even have their own security checkpoint, so there was NO wait at all! And I learned that Canada doesn't consider the US an "international" destination, but a "trans-national" or something. I was confused because they kept telling me to go somewhere else when I would get in line for WestJet's international check in, and they kept saying, "No, you have to go over there." I know now, though. Next time, I'll get it right. :)

Arrival in Vegas was crazy, though. We waited in line for an hour to get a cab (only option, shuttles had stopped shuttling by the time we got there, and we didn't want to pay $70 for a limo,) which would have been less had I not gotten the bright idea to try to walk to the domestic terminal instead, but I digress... At least we made it to our beautiful room, with a nice view, and expensive water. :)

You wanted it, you asked for it---PICTURES!

Our Hotel suite (there are no "rooms" just suites...) Yes, there are steps there leading down to the sitting area. (Not shown, 32" LCD HDTV in hutch.)

Jeremy wasted no time trying out the bed after traveling for 8 hours... It may have been only 1 a.m. here, but we were on Eastern time, so it was 4 in the morning! (Not shown, 42" LCD HDTV on wall.)

The bathroom, complete with double vanity, a dressing table and bench, and separate toilet room. I plan on trying out that tub at least once before we leave! (Not shown, 19" LCD HDTV on wall, in case you want to watch the news as you shower... Or something.)

Las Vegas Blvd, a.k.a The Strip, as seen from the southern end. Our hotel is that pale building right in the middle of the pic, to the left of the "Eiffel tower" at Paris.

The statue of liberty, at New York New York, and yup, that's a roller coaster.

New York New York, one of the gaudy, but cool, hotel and casinos.

MGM Grand. They have a lion habitat inside, though I have yet to see any lions during either trip to Vegas.

Excalibur Hotel and Casino. They have a Tourney Dinner Theater every night here. Definitely one of the more gaudy places to stay, but fun.

The Chandelier at Phantom. That was the best I could do, sorry.

The Phantom theater, complete with dummy patrons in the box seats.

Ditto.