Skip to main content

Vegas

Spent most of the last week at a work meeting in Vegas.  I'm sure you all know that I'm not a fan, but when work calls, one has to do what one has to do.  We met as a team, with folks coming from Salt Lake, Atlanta, and even as far as the Philippines.  It's been at least a couple of years since we all got together in person, so it was nice to be able to see everyone and catch up.

We stayed at the Venetian and Palazzo Resort, which is now affiliated with IHG.  And I have to admit, the whole trip was better than I expected.  My room was quiet, dinners were very nice, and the casino was not as loud nor as smoky as I remembered.  And despite gaining a few pounds (damn Emeril!) I got plenty of exercise just walking back and forth from room to meeting room and back again.  I even took my jump rope along to get in a little extra work.

While we did manage to have plenty of fun, there was also plenty of work.  Long days talking about goals, planning for next year, and sharing ideas.  So it was nice to be able to have nice dinners and activities in the evenings. 

I thought it would be nice to share some photos, so I'll start with my room, which was a suite.  It had a great view, a TV in every room, and a fax machine.  It even had a remote control for closing the drapes and raising the shade.  But I have to say that I liked the comfy bed the most.





Tuesday Night Activities - Dinner at Wolfgang Puck's Postrio (it will come as no surprise to either Pinky or Inge that I had the linguine and clams), followed by a Gondola ride with Salvatore the Gondoleer.




Wednesday Night Activities - Dinner at Pinot Brasserie, a French restaurant.  I tried escargot (yum), fois gras (not so yum - you know me and textures), a sheep's milk cheese from the Basque region of France (who knew there were Basques in France) that came with dried fruit and honeycomb, and Lupe de Mer, otherwise known as Sea Bass.  My favorite meal of the trip.

We followed up dinner with going to see Blue Man Group.  The show was ok - a little disjointed, but it's performance art, so maybe I just didn't get it.  I did like that the creepy blue guys came out and mingled with the audience afterward, though, so I managed to get a shot of one of them.  I'm not sure which was more odd, Blue Man Group, or the Convention of Hasidic Jews (seriously - saw them every day).

After that, we walked over to the Palazzo and got some gelato.  Mine was chocolate with macadamia nuts.  And it had to be authentic, because it came with a sugar wafer that said "Ciao" on it, right?




Thursday - we worked in the morning, then had lunch at (Emeril) Lagasse's Stadium - it's a sports bar that has a bunch of sports memorbilia - signed jerseys and such.  I had the fish and chips, which I have to say was de-lish.

After lunch we were given a 2-hour tour of the Venetian/Palazzo complex.  We got to see some of their fancy schmancy suites (despite the finery in mine, it was not nearly as nice as the ones we toured) , as well as the Pool area, and the "Heart of the House", which is the area for employees.

  

From there, it was back to the room to grab our bags, and then off to the airport.  We got home very late Thursday, and I am plenty pooped.  Not only that, but I feel like I need to de-tox from all the rich food.  Other than that, it was really a nicer trip than I anticipated.  Not that I'm anxious to run off to Vegas again anytime soon.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Goals

One of my goals this year is to go on a backpacking trip. It's something I've always wanted to do, but been too intimidated to try. Well, a few weeks ago, one of the girls in the Ward invited me on a backpacking trip to the Uinta's this summer. This time I immediately said yes. All was well until a few days later when reality set in and the thought of carrying 30-35 pounds of pack on my back while hiking in rough terrain just about made me cave. I did not have all the gear I would need, nor was I in good enough shape. The gear is something easily worked out. Most of it I can either purchase myself, or borrow from highly motivated friends. The physical conditioning was another matter altogether, so I decided it was time to get in better shape. I've been pretty good at exercising regularly, and I'm in ok shape for someone approaching a milestone birthday (if I say so myself). But I knew I needed to put in some extra miles, as well as add strength to my legs ...
3 comments
Read more

New 'Do

For probably the last 10 years or so, I've had pretty much the same hairstyle. For the most part, it's been long, all one length, and I would eventually put it up in a ponytail almost every day, because I couldn't stand having it in my face. It drove me crazy, but I didn't know what to do with it, and at the same time, I liked that I could basically get up and go every day without a lot of effort. For the past several months now, I've been threatening to do something different and drastic, and finally, yesterday, I did. At the recommendation of Angel, I made an appointment with her stylist. It took several weeks to get in, but finally, the day arrived. Angel went with me, for moral support, and to be the photographer. I went in with some basic ideas, but after some consultation and looking at photos with Francine, this is what I ended up with. First, the "before" shot: In process: And finally, the finished product: I can't remember the last time...
6 comments
Read more
Hi, my name's Tracie and I'm a Mormon. That being said, I've provided enough context for the conversation I had with the receptionist at work today: Christy: (Showing me a photo) What picture is this movie from? Me: Mmmm, Serendipity maybe? Christy: No...you should know this. Me: I should? Christy: (Finally) It's from the movie "Charlie"! Me: How would I know that? I don't watch Mormon movies. They're dumb. Now that I've let the cat out of the bag, I guess I should also confess that I also don't listen to Mormon pop music (other than the original recording of The Forgotten Carols), or read Mormon fiction. So sue me. Let's face it, it's not like most of them are of real quality anyway. When it comes to Mormon music, I'll stick with my MoTab and the hymns of Zion.
5 comments
Read more