As I write this it is 5:05AM. I have been wide awake since 4:14AM. After trying to get back to sleep for a while, I decided to just give up and get up. Unfortunately, like all Vegas hotels there is no coffee pot in the room so I can't even make coffee. I think the Area 51 planes start flying about 6:30 so I have that to look forward to! Until then, I'll get some work done.
If I didn't mention (and the big picture of David Copperfield's head wasn't a clue) I'm at the MGM Grand this time. My room is not as nice as the ones I've had at Mandalay Bay and the Venetian, but it's definitely nicer than the Wynn. I have a nice big couch and a nice ledge on which I can sit and watch traffic and the airport.
I did get a nice view of the sunrise and I was able to run down and find a little breakfast before my conference call.
So I'd like to say today started better than yesterday but not so much. We were missing a person on my early call so we didn't get as much done as we wanted to. I went down to the conference center and my wireless on my work laptop wouldn't connect so I tried to reboot. Long story sort computer wouldn't reboot. So I huffed it back up to the room (remember LONG walk) so I could plug it in and call the "help" desk at home. Once it was plugged in and hard booted, well it worked! So I emailed a guru I know and asked what I could do to make it work down in the conference center. He suggested pen and paper. Nice.
By now I was too late for the morning session so I spent the morning working in my room. The afternoon session wasn't much better and I wasn't getting anything out of it. I had a late reservation for a tour of Hoover Dam. I got lucky. I could go early!
We were picked up in this weird back alley of the MGM by a very sweet man named Fern. Fern was great. He was only transporting us to the "big" bus for the tour and our tour guide Cathi. Cathi, well, let's just say there was at least as much BS, ok more, in her spiel than there was fact. At first I would think, that doesn't sound right. Then I'd Google and find out how far off she was. Then she tried talking to me about the military. I had a hard time not laughing!
Her stories about Vegas and the Dam, if not terribly factual, were entertaining! I will say she wasn't as funny as she thought she was though. And the "dam(n)" jokes got really old really fast.
I was surprised, though I'm not sure why, about the security at the dam. The tour bus was "searched" by a 100-year-old man who couldn't have fought back against my 5 year old black lab. That was kind of a joke. I hope they search the cars better.
Once inside you go through airport-like security.
My tour guide in the dam was fantastic! He was a New Yorker with the accent and attitude, and significantly less BS than our bus guide. He was great.
I won't bore you with too many pictures of the dam, but you can Google those! The one I will point out is the one with all the white. That is where the water line used to be!
I don't think I've seen that many fanny packs, selfie sticks and smokers in one place, well, ever. And why do people bring their Ipads to take pictures??? Ok, I'm old, I use a camera but I do use my phone too. Oh, and there was a guy in our group who seemed really confused when he couldn't get a cell signal in the bowels of the dam. Really?
Really? You have to be told this?
After the tour you can go outside and take pictures and go through the museum. Both my mother and my husband will not be surprised to know I did not read every word on every placard like they would!
On our way back our tour guide showed us a house supposedly once owned by Frank Sinatra. I haven't had time to Google the authenticity of this claim yet. It's way back in this picture.
She also told us this house was owned by Desi Arnaz Jr.
We stopped at Ethyl M's chocolates on the way back. Our tour guide's story about this place and the origin of M&M's was something else! It's not far from the airport, you can almost touch the planes as they fly over!
It took a long time in traffic to get back to the hotel so I really had to hoof it to dinner!
The bartender was the same woman who was there the last time I visited. Her name is Donna and she's great! She's from Waukesha, WI, how could she not be great?
I told her I have had the pork before, and I make it at home so maybe I should try something else. What did she suggest. She started with the filet. A 12 oz. filet that is pan seared and finished in the oven (just like I do at home!). 12 ounces?! Really? Too much. Her second choice was the veal chop but it was bigger than the steak. Ok... next was a chicken dish. Unfortunately it was fully laced with Cilantro. I explained my aversion to that particular herb and we were back at the pork!
She was nice enough to remove the items that would come in the bread basket that were laced with cilantro too! This jalapeno bread was so good! And I don't think it's just because I didn't get lunch and was hungry. It was good!
As was the pork.
I didn't finish my pork. That would have put dessert in jeopardy and I thought I deserved dessert. Donna suggested the Banana Cream Pie. Really? Baby food pie? I felt bad not having taken one of her suggestions for dinner so I asked her if it was really that good. She assured me it was.
Donna was right! It wasn't your typical banana cream pie. There was no crust. The cream filling was over candied nuts that had the perfect bit of crunch and sweetness. On top of the nuts, cream filling and sliced bananas was the most delicious praline cookie! It wasn't terribly sweet and I did almost finish it.
I sat at the bar and had so much fun with three people from Locktite Glue, in town for a Home Depot Convention. They were a riot!
On the way back to the hotel I stopped at Hard Rock and found another Breast Cancer Awareness pin.
I resisted the Jimmy Choo's!
It's now 9pm (11pm to me... I'm not adjusted yet) and I'm pooped! Meetings don't start until 8AM tomorrow, should be done at 5 then dinner at Giada!
So I'd like to say today started better than yesterday but not so much. We were missing a person on my early call so we didn't get as much done as we wanted to. I went down to the conference center and my wireless on my work laptop wouldn't connect so I tried to reboot. Long story sort computer wouldn't reboot. So I huffed it back up to the room (remember LONG walk) so I could plug it in and call the "help" desk at home. Once it was plugged in and hard booted, well it worked! So I emailed a guru I know and asked what I could do to make it work down in the conference center. He suggested pen and paper. Nice.
By now I was too late for the morning session so I spent the morning working in my room. The afternoon session wasn't much better and I wasn't getting anything out of it. I had a late reservation for a tour of Hoover Dam. I got lucky. I could go early!
We were picked up in this weird back alley of the MGM by a very sweet man named Fern. Fern was great. He was only transporting us to the "big" bus for the tour and our tour guide Cathi. Cathi, well, let's just say there was at least as much BS, ok more, in her spiel than there was fact. At first I would think, that doesn't sound right. Then I'd Google and find out how far off she was. Then she tried talking to me about the military. I had a hard time not laughing!
Her stories about Vegas and the Dam, if not terribly factual, were entertaining! I will say she wasn't as funny as she thought she was though. And the "dam(n)" jokes got really old really fast.
I was surprised, though I'm not sure why, about the security at the dam. The tour bus was "searched" by a 100-year-old man who couldn't have fought back against my 5 year old black lab. That was kind of a joke. I hope they search the cars better.
Once inside you go through airport-like security.
My tour guide in the dam was fantastic! He was a New Yorker with the accent and attitude, and significantly less BS than our bus guide. He was great.
I won't bore you with too many pictures of the dam, but you can Google those! The one I will point out is the one with all the white. That is where the water line used to be!
I don't think I've seen that many fanny packs, selfie sticks and smokers in one place, well, ever. And why do people bring their Ipads to take pictures??? Ok, I'm old, I use a camera but I do use my phone too. Oh, and there was a guy in our group who seemed really confused when he couldn't get a cell signal in the bowels of the dam. Really?
Really? You have to be told this?
After the tour you can go outside and take pictures and go through the museum. Both my mother and my husband will not be surprised to know I did not read every word on every placard like they would!
On our way back our tour guide showed us a house supposedly once owned by Frank Sinatra. I haven't had time to Google the authenticity of this claim yet. It's way back in this picture.
She also told us this house was owned by Desi Arnaz Jr.
We stopped at Ethyl M's chocolates on the way back. Our tour guide's story about this place and the origin of M&M's was something else! It's not far from the airport, you can almost touch the planes as they fly over!
It took a long time in traffic to get back to the hotel so I really had to hoof it to dinner!
The bartender was the same woman who was there the last time I visited. Her name is Donna and she's great! She's from Waukesha, WI, how could she not be great?
I told her I have had the pork before, and I make it at home so maybe I should try something else. What did she suggest. She started with the filet. A 12 oz. filet that is pan seared and finished in the oven (just like I do at home!). 12 ounces?! Really? Too much. Her second choice was the veal chop but it was bigger than the steak. Ok... next was a chicken dish. Unfortunately it was fully laced with Cilantro. I explained my aversion to that particular herb and we were back at the pork!
She was nice enough to remove the items that would come in the bread basket that were laced with cilantro too! This jalapeno bread was so good! And I don't think it's just because I didn't get lunch and was hungry. It was good!
As was the pork.
I didn't finish my pork. That would have put dessert in jeopardy and I thought I deserved dessert. Donna suggested the Banana Cream Pie. Really? Baby food pie? I felt bad not having taken one of her suggestions for dinner so I asked her if it was really that good. She assured me it was.
Donna was right! It wasn't your typical banana cream pie. There was no crust. The cream filling was over candied nuts that had the perfect bit of crunch and sweetness. On top of the nuts, cream filling and sliced bananas was the most delicious praline cookie! It wasn't terribly sweet and I did almost finish it.
I sat at the bar and had so much fun with three people from Locktite Glue, in town for a Home Depot Convention. They were a riot!
On the way back to the hotel I stopped at Hard Rock and found another Breast Cancer Awareness pin.
I resisted the Jimmy Choo's!
It's now 9pm (11pm to me... I'm not adjusted yet) and I'm pooped! Meetings don't start until 8AM tomorrow, should be done at 5 then dinner at Giada!
No comments:
Post a Comment