Browse Month: December 2006

I didn’t get to say goodbye.

At my school, we have VERY limited parking. The only way that I don’t have to fight for parking is to actually get to work on time. If I’m just a little late, I end up circling the tiny parking lot for the one miraculous spot to open up. This presents quite a problem considering that all the kids that attend my school are under the age of 5 and all need to be walked to their classroom. So, we have staggerered drop-off and pick-up times but it’s still a nightmare everyday for the parents to park and get their kids to school on time. So, over the summer, the School Board approved the expansion of the parking lot to the back field. It should really help! If there’s ample parking, I can easily leave for lunch and get back in time without having to worry about finding a parking spot.

Well, I arrived at work on Monday morning and noticed that the campus felt eerily “open”. I looked again and realized that they chopped down FOUR huge pine trees to make room for the road that would lead to the back lot!!! All that was left were little mounds of wood chips. I didn’t really think I was such a tree hugger but I was genuinely sad for the trees. I couldn’t believe that within the span of a weekend, these innocent trees, who I’m sure are older than me, were put to death so suddenly. There was plenty of room for a road! I don’t think it was really necessary for these trees to be sacrificed for the sake or more parking. *sniff* I didn’t even get to take one last look at them to appreciate the shade and extra oxygen they offered. If I knew they were sentenced to death row, I would have tied a ribbon around them or something. I know I would have at least taken a photo of them. Bye bye, trees, I hope that they at least recycled you guys for something useful.

just like old times

redrock

Last night before we flew home from Vegas, Kev took us to Red Rock Canyon for the scenic 13-mile drive. The sun was setting and it was really cold (about 31 degrees). I managed to capture a couple photos while we were there. Surprisingly, the sky had just enough light to make the trip worth while. Unfortunately, I haven’t outgrown one of my worst physical weaknesses. After taking a couple shots of the sunset and horizon, I turned back towards the car, slipped, tripped, and fell on the asphalt. Luckily, I had the camera well protected like a football and it didn’t even touch the ground. Alas, my knee didn’t fare as well. I landed on my left knee and also caught myself with my right hand. Back in the car, not only was my ego a little bruised but so was my knee. I noticed a couple black spots on my jeans and thought it was just dirt. Turns out it was blood. Yep, it was just like when I was in grade school…falling on asphalt, skinning my left knee, and scratching up my right palm. The only thing I didn’t get was the wind knocked out of me. Ever had that happen from falling flat on the floor? Well, it sucks. I guess there are somethings you just can’t outgrow no matter how hard you try.

Oh yeah, here are the photos from our weekend.

Would you like some meat with your meat?

Last night’s dinner was such a treat. We ate at StripSteak inside Mandalay Bay. It was absolutely ridiculous. We tried three different grades of beef last night: Prime, Kobe, and A5. They also make foie gras sliders (mini burgers) and specialize in Rib Cap (otherwise known to me as Outside Rib Eye). On top of that we had some pretty cool appetizers, sides, and fried dessert. Apparently Karrie (Kev’s wife) knows a lot of people in the industry because their general manager came out to greet us and we got complimentary champagne and duck fat fries. The service was also very good. When the main courses and sides came out, it took about 4-5 people to carry it all out at once and each dish was explained with great detail. It’s also one of those places where they refold your napkin each time to get up to use the restroom. Here are some photos of the dishes. I must say this was a very indulgent dinner. (The photos are a little grainy because of the low light and no flash.)

foie gras sliders
foie gras sliders…so greedy
kobe carpaccio
kobe carpaccio ($165 – yikes!)

prime rib
my prime rib with side of truffle mac n cheese and creamed spinach
It was rather large but I shared most of it with the table.

Man, it’s probably time for me to detox this week with a bowl of oatmeal per day…maybe two.

Viva Las Vegas…sorta.

DSC_1873.jpg

I’m writing from Las Vegas right now. We’re staying at Kevin’s house just 20 mins from The Strip. It’s our usual Vegas trip, no gambling, no drinking, no crazy nights. Just a lot of driving around, hanging out at the house, and tasting some good food. We got up early this morning to catch an 8 am flight and were picked up by Kev himself. We stopped at the Whole Foods to buy some breakfast and spent the rest of the morning at the house. Jes was on a conference call all morning and I played around with a new software that allows you to stitch multiple photos together for a cool panoramic photo.

Later, we drove to The Venetian to check out some photos in a gallery. We then walked over to Wynn, which I had never seen before.  I’m not sure what all the hype is about because it was plus/minus…your average high-end casino. Next stop was Bellagio to check out their Christmas-themed atrium packed with fake snow, huge polar bears made of carnations, and jumping water fountains. We then came back to the house to enjoy the tastiest ham and cheese sandwiches ever. They’re found at the Bouchon Bakery on the first floor of The Venetian. It’s an extension of Thomas Keller’s Bouchon (also owner and founder of The French Laundry). The sandwich was so simple but so yummy…good french bread, ham, cheese, and butter. They also had really good macaroons (big ones) and their Napolean is pretty good too. Johnny – I’m going to have to bring back a macaroon to show you what it should really taste like.

Mmm…penguin.

Lisa_the_Vegetarian.jpg

If you watch The Simpsons, you must know that Lisa Simpson is a vegetarian. She is also the brainy one of the Simpson clan and now there’s research linking intelligence to vegetarianism later in life. According to this study, “those who were vegetarian by 30 had recorded five IQ points more on average at the age of 10.” What does it mean if you’re 8 (as Lisa is), smart, and already a vegetarian? Does that make you SUPER SMART? Uh…I’m all for research and I’ll support anyone who chooses to avoid meat. Heck, I love my tofu and noodles but seriously, this study sounds a little like a bunch of vegetarians trying to make themselves appear smarter. I need a little more substance in a study before I can link one thing to another. Until then, I say we continue to eat the magical animal. We all know that a good slice of bacon beats a veggie burger any day. Mmmm…penguin.

And now a quote from one of my favorite episodes:

Lisa: No, I can’t! I can’t eat any of them!
Homer: Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. Lisa, honey, are you saying you’re never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad! Those all come from the same animal!
Homer: [chuckles] Yeah, right, Lisa. A wonderful, magical animal.

Hahahahahaha…*sigh* it still makes me laugh.

time warp

Last night I was on my way to dinner and had the funny realization that it was already Thursday night!  What happened to Monday through Wednesday?!  The only reason I realized that was that the trashcans were out on the driveway for the Friday morning pick-up.  Hm…lately my days have been flying by.  Am I getting old?  Is our daily routine so consistent that I lose track of my days?  My hypothesis is that I don’t have a nighttime routine.  Well, maybe I do but I don’t remember each time I fall asleep.  Basically, we have dinner sometime between 6 and 9 pm, then I go upstairs and change into my PJs, take my contacts out, and brush my teeth.  Then the rest of the evening is a big blur.  According to Jes, what is happeneing is that I start out either downstairs on the couch or in bed watching TV with my laptop next to me…and then I fall asleep.  The lights are on, my glasses are halfway on my face, the laptop is still on some page that I was reading, and TiVo is on the I’m-all-done-with-your-program,-do you-want-to-delete? screen.  I think I once fell asleep in the middle of posting a blog.  Yep.  I woke up the next morning to find that my laptop was still on the admin page with my blog half-written.  *sigh*   Some mornings…no, most mornings, I can’t remember what I was doing the night before or how I got into bed.  You’d think I was a drunk or something!  It’s a good thing I don’t live by myself.  I’d have a really high electricity bill, my glasses would be broken, and I’d probably never get a good night’s sleep.Â