BIRTHDAYS ARE OVER

Finally a week (practically) of celebrations is over. begining with my birthday last week on Monday, Olivia's through the weekend and Memorial Day on Monday.

My birthday was great. Melissa and I went to a great Italian restaurant at The Mirage and after dinner, we went to see Love. It was a great show. If you love The Beatles' music, you will truly enjoy the show. It is a combination of their music with clips and images of their times and history performed by acrobats, dancers, singers and including skateboarders. After the show we stoped by the Revolution lounge for a couple of drinks. Again, a great show. Maybe
Melissa will post some of the pictures from her camera.

Olivia's celebration began last Friday with a dinner to Cheescake factory with all family (Except for me since I had to work that evening). Party continued on Saturday with a round trip on a limo to a friend's house for a pool party.
Sunday it was another dinner celebration at Olivia's Grandmother's home, also attended by those who missed the Friday and Saturday celebration.

The weekend ended with Monday's celebration of Memorial day. This one also involved hot dogs and hamburgers by the pool (Thank you Doyle's).
Finally by yesterday everyone had to get back to reality and back to work.
How was your weekend?

MONTH OF CELEBRATION AND BIRTHDAYS

Mother's Day was a success. I had Melissa's Mom, Olivia's Grandma and Godmother over for Sunday Brunch. We got them Roses, gifts and I made Chilaquiles Verdes. Everyone was happy and had a good time.
Monday, Melissa and I stayed up late playing poker and the loser had to do Tequila shots. At the end of the night, we were both losers.....Not a good idea to mix tequila and poker.
Now it is off to celebrate Birthdays.
Mine is on the 21 and Olivia's is on the 25th. Her Aunts are preparing a "pool" party with some of Olivia's best friends at a firend's house. They are going to get to ride a limo there and back to the house, she's always wanted to ride in one, so it should be a great birthday.
Mine is on Monday. I cannot believe I am turning 42. I do not feel 42 I feel more like mid-30's and I think that is where I am going to be stuck for a while.
Work has been fun and busy. Lots going on in the restaurant business

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms of the blog world. Hope that all your children have at least a good thought and more about you.
Happy Mother's Day Melissa. You deserve love today and every day of your life. And, yes, you also "have" it.
You are a Wonderful Mom.



Thsnk you for letting me use your pictures.

INSTALLING TILE

Finally, a week after I started the project, it is finished.
The picture bellow shows the bathroom after I pulled the carpet and padding out.


Now this is what it looks like.





The hallway before, in between


and after.
Thank you Melissa for your help and suggestions and for keeping the kids away and downstairs...

TOMORROW

Here she is singing the song Tomorrow.
Enjoy.

ANNIE

Here is Olivia and Casey performing Annie

CRAZY WEEKS

I am alive and kicking though a bit in pain.
Wor4k has been good-busy. On my last post I mentioned my training which is still on-going. In between we had a crowd of 16,000 people for a hughe conference, so that kept everyone busy at work.
Olivia's play turned out great. All the kids did wonderfull with their parts in Annie. I will be posting a video as well as pictures of the play. I also decided to take it upon myself and lay tile down on the upstairs bathroom/hallway while I had three days off over the last weekend. Today is Thursday and I am still not done, more about that later....

PEELING POBLANO PEPPERS IN THE KITCHEN

As part of my "Cross-training" at work, Yesterday I spent the better part of the day working in the kitchen.
Having been in the restaurant business for a long time, I have seen, heard and experienced everything that there is to experience about a working restaurant, except the kitchen part of it. I have never been a cook, a prep cook, a grill man or nothing like it, not even in my previous job, where I supervised a whole kitchen crew.
Until yesterday.
I spent at least two hours peeling Poblano peppers, which are used for Chile Rellenos. You stand at this one spot and your back aches, your fingers burn, your throat burns and you are constantly coughing, because of everything that gets released when you are peeling and de-veining peppers. I am sure that people that do this day in and day out get used to it, but what a chore. My next "assignment" was to fry 3 huge bags of tortilla chips. Sounds simple right?, just throw the chips in the hot oil and fry them, yeah, right!
The chips get hot and steamy and "heavy" with the oil they are being fried on. You have to stir them with a large slotted tool, so they don't stick, break and burn. You have to get the right crisp in them and when you are turning them, they are heavy, then you fish them out of the oil carefully
your wrists, begin to hurt, your shoulders ache from the turning and lifting. After filling about 12 large pans, I was done with my assignment and my arms were just hanging my sides limp and in pain.
Kitchen workers are hard working people.
Next week I will be working at the bar, that should be fun, untill the tickets start spewing lots of tickets with all kinds of different complicated drinks..

First Day at Work

Yesterday was my official first day at my new job.
There were plenty of faces I've seen over the past year and some new. I am still looked at as someone who is new and therefore, like an alien out of space, some keep their distance and some are not shy to introduce themselves. It is a job that I have done before so the whole thing is not new to me. Everyone is curious as to what I have done before, where I came from etc. The questions seem funny because as I had said before, I have worked with the company for over a year and a half and I have seen most of them, but they do not remember me.
That is an advantage I suppose.
Not a bad day, only a long one and they are bound to get longer because of the weekends being so much busier. The place turns into a night club after it closes for dinner.
Till then..

WEEKEND OFF!!

So this is what it feels like to be off on the weekends. Calm, relaxed and with plenty of time for a nap (Not that I've taken one, but Melissa did). We went to get lunch at a great Mexican place here in town, Lindo Michoacan a place that has been around for more than a decade in Vegas. Funny to walk into the restaurant and run into Senator Chris Dodd, from Connecticut. Here in Vegas?.. Of course here in Vegas,
Lately we have seen lots of politicians make their way into our state.
Over the big weekend of Cinco de Mayo during a big event in town, the likes of John McCain and other "heavy weights" of politics will be here.
Anyways, I was saying how nice it was to be off on the weekends, I just came back from getting a haircut and later, or soon, we'll be going bowling...
And we still have Sunday...
Maybe we'll go to the Logandale Fair tomorrow.
It is good to be off on the weekends!-Though I think this might be my last one...

NEW JOB

So this Monday I start my new job, same company different department. Lateral move with a small raise, not bad after only being with the company for about a year and a half.
My last day at my current place will be this Saturday.
Busy busy busy, no wonder I haven't posted for over a week. Family had fun during their trip to L.A. and San Diego over Easter. While they were away, I got to work and work and do some house cleaning...
Till next time.

A Picture from the past

The year was 1992.
Gorbachev was already out of power and was traveling the world to raise money for his foundation. There was one held were I used to work and was attended by the likes of; Oliver Stone, Barbara Streissand and some other Hollywood types. We were asked to line up in the lobby to "receive" the dignatary. It was actually quite an emotional moment to be shaking the hand of someone who held so much power during his time as Premier of the former USSR (Soviet Union) and who also steered the world into a different direction by his actions.
On the picture there is another current "celebrity chef"-Thomas Keller of
French Laundry and Per Se. At the time he was the Executive chef at the restaurant that I worked at in L.A. 14 Years ago....
How time flies...

VISUAL DNA

Fun Exercise.... Via Coco

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

WORK!

Yes, lots of work and not much play time the last couple of weeks. I have been working average of 10 to 12 hours per day. A lot going on, so I have to stay longer hours. It is a sign of spring and the upcoming summer months. I remember last year our heavy business began in March and did not let up 'till late in the fall. Of course there has been a lot going on the last few weeks.
The White house can't get a break, but I guess when you are full of secrecy and in shit up to your knees, it is hard to extricate yourself once you're in it. Next Victim-U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez.
Speaking of somewhat nicer wildlife, we have an iguana pet that has a nasty personality, even though now it enjoys an outdoor cage complete with a built in pool (Plastic container) and plenty of room to climb around, it still refuses to be friendly. Might just have to fatten it and have it for a barbecue next year.
Olivia is getting ready for her performance as "Annie" at our church. Last year she played one of the daughters in Fiddler on the Roof, so this year she auditioned and got the Annie part.
I am in the process of waiting for a "promotion"- One that I am not sure what it entails yet but beginning this week or next, I get to train my replacement.
Aside form that, just busy and busy as I am sure most everyone in Bloggworld is.

POLITICS

Scooter Libby gets found guilty of "obstruction of justice" so the White House can breathe easier for a little while now. The "Buck" stopped with Libby and it did not go higher. What a difference of Character between the current administration and another one years back that was caught with their hands in the cookie jar(Iran-Contra). At least Reagan looked into the camera and said, "The buck stops with me." End of story. Oliver North and John Poindexter were the scapegoats back then nonetheless, they found very lucrative jobs after giving their testimony to Congress. While we all just went "wow"
Once again we say "wow"
No one in this administration takes responsibility for anything. They would much rather throw the expendable "career politicians" into the fire. People like Libby or Army Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman who know when to throw in the towel and be rewarded afterwards with a great job with Haliburton or other company friendly with Bush and Co.
So, Cheney and Bush can relax for now since they will more than likely pardon Libby. His conviction may also be thrown out in appeal as it happened with Poindexter and Oliver North years ago and we are left saying, "wow"

VACATION

Yes, I need a new vacation and it is only the beginning of the year. I know I just went to L.A. a couple of weeks ago, so that should count as a vacation. I think I need more than just 4 days though. I need something like 2 weeks or so. Now, Melissa and I are thinking along the same lines because while she is planning a "Valentine's vacation" for next year, I was thinking that it would be great to go to Europe next year with the kids. They are at an age that they can appreciate a trip like that. Melissa though just wants it to be the two of us while I want it to be all 4. We'll see what that turns out to be.
Her trip involves some mystery. She does not want to tell me where she is planning on going, but rather is leaving me clues in her blog.

I like mysteries......

I like vacations better.

IF WOMEN WERE MEN

I got this via Chica Regia,

35 reasons why it would be wonderful if women were men:

1. You have the same attitude all month long.
2. Mechanics do not rip you off.
3. You don't have to carry around a bag full of crap.
4. You don't get ripped off at the salon.
5. You don't give a shit whether anyone notices your new hair cut.
6. In a job interview, your a.. "body" is not a factor
7. When your work is "reviewed", you don't think, "everyone is out to get you".
8. No one from work can make you cry, because whoever pisses you off, you just kick their ass.
9. Your underwear is only 10.00 for a pack of 3.
10. 3 pairs of shoes is more than enough.
11. The wedding arrangements will take care of themselves.
12. Wedding dress, $3,000.00. Rented tux $100.00
13. You can forget a date or screw up and flowers fix everything.
14. You can sit with your legs open while you fart without care.
15. you can go to the rest room alone.
16. Lines at the restrooms are short by 80%.
17. You don't have to "go to the next gas station" because, "this one is too dirty"
18. You can admire Bruce Willis without starving to look like him.
19. Luis Miguel, Ricky Martin, Tom Cruise, Bradd Pitt and everyone else do not exist in your universe, besides they are ass holes and you don't give a shit about them
20. You don't have to clean your place each time someone comes over.
21. You know 20 ways of opening a beer.
22. You can fix everything with the phrase, "Fuck it"
23. You don't care about your friend's sex lives.
24. You can visit a friend without bringing a present.
25. Phone conversations with your friends last less than 60 seconds.
26. If you don't call a friend when you said you would, he's not going to tell your friends that "you've changed"
27. You can watch TV for hours without saying a word without thinking "Is he mad at me?"
28. If someone forgets to invite you to an event, you are still friends.
29. If you arrive at a party and someone is wearing the same sweater as you, you think it's cool.
30. If you are 34 and single, your friends don't care, they even congratulate you.
31. To your old friends, they don't care whether you've gained or lost weight.
32. You don't give a shit if one of your friends is talking behind your back.
33. You don't have to settle for the last bits of dessert from everyone else.
34. you can scratch your balls at any time of the day.
35. If it's hot, you can unbutton your shirt without care.

Blue Dog

Blue Dog
Originally uploaded by Ciscokid1.

Unveliebable that someone would put a dough through this. Poor Dog was shaking. I wonder if it was from cold or from the humilliation.

DEBRA-Everybody Loves Raymond

What is it about this image or picture of Patricia Heaton that everyone is searching for?. I have clicks from Turkey, England and a few other places where that is the image or picture they are searching for.

On another Note.
The NBA All Stars event was a fiasco.
Half Hour to an hour wait for cabs at the Thomas and Mack (Where the main game was).
Traffic Jams all throughout the Strip.
Employees also waiting a long time to leave their places of employment.
Metro (Police) Really busy with gang activity around town. A couple of shootings around town and not as much $$$$$$$$ for the casinos as expected.
So we may never get our NBA team after all.

NBA ALL STARS IN LAS VEGAS

Yes, it is going to be a very busy weekend here in Las Vegas.
Lady Liberty(New York Casino) and the Golden Lion(MGM Grand) are sporting East and West Conference T-shirts respectively to welcome fans into town.
There are so many events happening around the big Big Game on Sunday; private parties at the major night clubs, charity events hosted by the "Wives of the NBA" and much more that is happening at Mandalay Bay and The Palms.
The Palms owners (The Maloof Brothers) are also the owners of The Sacramento Kings. They were a major force behind getting the NBA to come to Las Vegas. The NBA's previous stance on gambling, which was never to allow a basketball team (pro) in a gambling town has recently softened and now there is talk that maybe the town will get its own NBA team.
It won't be easy, we have such a transient crowd and I am note sure that the average Joe is going to be shelling out hundreds of dollars a night to take a family to see the game, unless the tickets are being "comped" by the hotel or casino.
Also, who is going to build an arena, big and flashy enough for a an NBA team? I doubt the State or local tax payers will foot the bill.
Until then, we'll just watch from the sidelines and think of a name.
Las Vegas.....(Any suggestions?