The GreenMan Blog: view all entries at blog.devonblosch.com
Thanksgiving 2012
For actual Thanksgiving my mom came up to Dallas and stayed at the new Downtown Dallas Omni Hotel that opened on 11/11/11. They were stall having the grand opening rate special of $111/per night -- which is a really good price since it is normally $250/per night. For Thanksgiving dinner, I made reservations at Craft. The meal was amazing -- and almost half of the items were vegetarian. My mom and I thought it was a pre selected menu, where you pick between two items in each category, but no. We were wrong -- you picked one of three entrees and then they bring everything else on the menu. It was just my mom and I at a 6 person table filled with over 9 dishes of food! Needless to say, we only eat about half.
A week or so later, I had our "Friendsgiving." If you don't know, Friendsgiving is the celebration of Thanksgiving dinner with your friends. Instead of dinner with family, it's dinner with people you actually like. Kidding! The dinner went really well. It's a pot luck dinner -- Jay & I made Ina Garten's Truffle Turkey (which is absolutely to die for), mushroom dressing, and roasted vegetables; Sheldon & Clay brought mashed potatoes and coconut cream cake; and Danny & Schwan brought drinks and bread. It was a delightful evening with chatting, board games, dancing, and even a movie marathon in the background.
Happy New Year -- 2012
Happy New Year! For New Year's Eve, a group of use went to Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck. If you know Dallas, that's the big rotating ball restaurant at the top of Reunion Tower. The meal was a fabulous 7 course prefix with Kobe beef and lobster as the main entree. We started eating at 10:30 pm and finished with dessert and a glass of champagne at midnight -- just in time to watch the fireworks off in the distance. It truly was an enchanting evening. I have now been in Dallas for over two years -- so much has happened. According to my 2011's blog entries, here are the highlights:
- MacBook Air Crashed (and upgraded to a MacBook Pro)
- LARE Section B (I passed!)
- Started cooking again (More like "baking" and I need to stop to help my diet)
- Relationships (Found something good)
- Kylie Minogue Concert, Billy Elliot On Stage, and The Onion Live Performances (All won from various websites -- totaling ~$300 together)
- Fort Worth Mini-Vacation (it's nice to get away for a few)
- New Orleans Trip (it's even better to get away for longer)
- Lone Star Horse Race Park (first time at the "track")
- Choctaw Casino Trip (again it's nice to get away for a few)
- New Back Yard (A present for Riley)
- Las Vegas Trip (Jay's 11/11/11 Birthday)
- Lose 10 pounds (Nope, maybe this year)
- Try and reduce self-inflicted stress in my life (Yes and no, but I still need to work on it)
- Stop relying on spellcheck/Google (I did good for a few, but still relying)
- Pay off all credit cards (YES! By June 2011 I had all credit cards payed off)
- Establish an emergency fund (Not so much -- because of the above, HAHA)
Jay's Las Vegas Birthday
This year was a very special year for Jay. His 32nd Birthday landed on his favorite number, 11, three times! Yes, his Birthday was 11/11/11. And what a better way to celebrate a lucky Birthday by going to Las Vegas!
Wednesday, 9, 2011 I left work at noon to meet Jay at the house to catch the town car to the airport. This trip we opted not to use our standby town car driver, Albert. We used a new company, Best Airport Town Car & Taxi Service. If you are ever in Dallas and need a Town Car, I highly recommend Stephen.
Once we arrived in Vegas we walked through the airport to claim our bags and catch a Taxi to our first hotel, The Bellagio. We walked into the hotel lobby and stood inline at the checkin desk. After waiting, for what felt like forever, the clerk began to check us in -- she stopped and gave us a look. She then explained that we had "executive status" and to go through the double doors at the end of the "regular checkin" counter. We walked in and were personally greeted; we had our own concierge, free wine and snacks, and bell hops! Our room was 1601 -- the highest up Cypress Suite in the hotel.
After checking in and dropping our bags off (and picking my jaw up off the floor becuase the room was more amazing than anything I have ever seen), we ran back down stairs to catch another taxi back to the airport. Why? No, we didn't lose something. Hold on, I'll tell you.
One of Jay's birthday presents was an evening Helicopter tour of the Vegas Strip. None of us had been in a helicopter before, so it was a real treat. I am trully amazed that the flight was so smooth. It felt like being in a really loud car that could hover around (like what I expect a hovercar in The Jetsons to feel like). Our pilot was very friendly and was a perfect tour guide -- full of useless facts that Jay already knew -- but none-the-less, it was still an adventure.
Once we were back on the ground and at our hotel, we changed into our dining attire for our first Vegas dinner at Le Cirque. The resturant was amazing. From the intimate dinning room, to the charismatic menu, this restaurant could please anyone. I think that the company truly was what made the meal so enjoyable. Our waiter seemed to like us too -- he was very attentive and had great recommendations. I remember eating so much, I had to pop to the next notch on my belt. French food will always be my comfort food.
Back at our hotel I played Black Jack for the first time. Well, not the first time, but first "real" time. Back in Dallas my friends were teaching me how to play before the trip -- and now was the test. I have to say that my first time was a big success. Everyone at the table (even the dealer) was really nice and helped the "newbie" out with suggestions. About on hour into the game I had turned my $25 into around $260. Then, the dealer switched and I began to lose -- I walked away when I got down to $75; so all in all, I won $50.
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Thursday, 10, 2011 In the morning, we checked out of the Bellagio and took our bags to our next hotel, PH Westgate Tower. The reason for the hotel switch was so that when everyone arrived we could all hang together in the two bedroom suite -- then people could retire to their respective rooms throughout the hotel to sleep. Which turned out to be the perfect idea.
I have to say that this room in no way compares to the room we had in the Bellagio -- but it was a good room with different perks; full size kitchen, washer/dryer, and a full size projection TV. When we first arrived we made a few jokes, like "Who needs a full sized fridge in a hotel room..." , little did we know that by the end of the trip the fridge was full with leftovers, empty bottles, and underwear (don't ask; what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas -- just kidding!).
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For the rest of the day we gambled, saw some of the sites, and then got back to the room just in time for Sheldon and Clayton to arrive and join the party. We then spent the rest of the night watching movies, playing card games, and ordering room service until 4am!
Friday, 11, 2011 (Birthday!) Everyone woke up a bit after 1pm. Some people went gambling, some went to eat, some kept sleeping, and some I have no idea what they did -- LOL. We all got back together around 8pm for Jay's Birthday dinner at Shibuya in the MGM Resort. Dinner was amazing -- sushi and the widest sake selection this side of the Pacific! Everyone ordered something form the menu that looked good and then shared it with the table. The last of the birthday guests arrived just after dessert. Lisa was going to arrive yesterday but had a family emergence and had to come a day late. Once we all where together we headed to Pure Night Club at Caesars Palace.
Have you ever seen a movie where people are in a huge line outside a club behind red velvet ropes? And where in the movies the stars go to the front of the line and get let in --while everyone in line grumbles and mumbles in anger? Well, I had no idea that I would ever be in that position! Yes, Jay has clout! After just one phone call we were let into the VIP section of the club and (splitting the cost) got bottle service to' boot!
After Pure closed -- I believe around 2am -- Jay, Lisa, and I headed to Drai's After Hours Night Club. Sheldon and Clay headed back to the hotel to rest. This time behind the red velvet rope, it was a group effort to get in. Jay slipped the bouncer a bribe, I got our cover fees, and Lisa got all the drinks.
Once we left the club -- it had to be around 9am or so -- we headed back to the hotel suite and played a few card games before all heading to bed. Oh yeah, and Amen for blackout curtains!
Saturday, 12, 2011 Needless to say, everyone slept in late. Late, late -- I'm talking 6pm. Some of us mustard up what bit of energy we had and went to Sensi (at the Bellagio) for dinner; while others went back to sleep. The resturant has an amazing concept and layout. It's a fusion restaurant with four open kitchens in the center each with its own type of cuisines: Italian, Asian, American Grill, and seafood. Everyone wanted to try a bit of everyone food so we all ended up splitting our meals -- which was perfect because we all ordered a different type of cuisine. After dinner we all went back to our rooms and watched a movie to relax before bed.
Sunday 13, 2011 We all got up late again. For lunch, some got room service, others ate leftovers from the fridge, and the rest actually had energy and went out. Lisa took her leave from the Birthday vacation around 11am to catch her plane home.
The rest of us went to the last of Jay's Birthday gifts -- The Gun Store! No, no, not to buy a gun, but to shoot a gun! Jay's last present was a build your own gun rental package. He actually knew about this before hand because we wanted him to talk to his dad (a firearm aficionado) about what gun he should get. He ended up renting the fully automatic M249 S.A.W. .223 -- and I got him three extra ammo belts. I on the other hand, rented the Desert Eagle 44 Magnum. It was the first time I have ever held or shot a gun -- I figured I would start somewhat small, HAHA!
VIDEO HERE
After the gun store, we went to Michael Minas in the Bellagio. Michael Minas has one of Jay's must haves in Las Vegas -- the coveted Lobster Pot Pie. It's not just the lobster, it's the whole experience. The wait staff brings the pot pie out and then deconstructs it in front of you. The aroma as the pie's top is pulled off is indescribable. My mouth is watering thinking about it right now. After dinner we all went back to the hotel.
Monday, 14, 2011 We checked out of the hotel and took our bags to the holding area. Sheldon and Clay got up earler then us and went site seeing. Jay and I went to Olives at the Bellagio for lunch and watched the fountains of Bellagio dance one last time before we left Vegas. After lunch, we hit the slot machines, did a little sight seeing, met up with Sheldon and Clay, and grabbed one more hot dog from Pink's at the Planet Hollywood Hotel/Casino.
We got our bags and headed to the airport to find that our plane was severely delayed. Once we finally got back to Dallas, Stephen was there in baggage claim ready to drive us home. We got home so late and I was so tired, I had to take the morning off Tuesday, 15, 2011 to rest. I really do need to add in a rest/recovery day on my vacations! You know, the vacation from the vacation.