VEGAS II

When we were checking into our hotel (The Venetian) last week in Las Vegas the clerk at the counter said we were booked into one of the resorts "smallest" rooms and would we like to up-grade for an extra $40.00 a night. We said no, figuring we could "slum" it in a regular room. Besides the savings ($200.00 over the 5 nights) would help finance some of our entertainment plans.

I thought I would share some pictures of this "small room" so that I could garner some sympathy for having to slum it for 5 days.

king size bed

sunken living room

full sectional sofa

separate work station with printer/fax

three T.V.'s

4 piece marble bath

We tried our best to cope...all the while wondering what the upgrade would have been like.

VEGAS

As most of you know, Lorri and I spent most of last week in Las Vegas. I was attending the U.S. Psychiatric Congress which was held at The Venetian Hotel. It has been 18 years since we were last in Vegas (for another medical conference) and I anticipated some changes, but I was amazed at the transformation. The Venetian, Palazzo, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, Paris, New York New York, Planet Hollywood, Wynn and others have been constructed since our last visit and Treasure Island and MGM were under construction. So, basically, half or more of "The Strip" has changed.  For the most part it was clean, bright and buzzing with energy.

Our accommodations at The Venetian were amazing and the weather was nice.

The conference sessions were informative, even if the sessions were large.

I went to sessions during the day and Lorri explored all the shopping options (of which there were many). I was grateful that she only bought two pairs of shoes, it could have been a lot worse. In the evenings, since we do not gamble, we decided to take advantage of the amazing entertainment options.

On Monday we went to see The Lion King at Mandalay Bay. We decided to walk from The Venetian to Mandalay Bay. You know how the passenger side mirror on your car says, "objects are closer than they appear" well that was true walking the strip. We thought it would would only take a few minutes to walk from one resort to another, because we could easily see the next resort on the horizon. However, we failed to realize how BIG these resorts are and how long it would take. What looked like a building that was one block away turned out to be 3-4 blocks away. That's because these resorts are 40 stories high! It took us 1 1/2 hours to walk from The Venetian to The Excalibur. Thank goodness there was a tram from The Excalibur to Mandalay Bay.

The show was wonderful. I was impressed by the costumes and the multifunctional stage. On the way back to The Venetian, we took the monorail; much easier on the feet.

On Tuesday, we took in the Phantom at the Venetian. The theatre was right next to the elevators that lead up to our hotel room, so the walk was much shorter. The Theatre was amazing. It was build especially for The Phantom and the inside was constructed to look like the interior of the Paris opera house. The sound system was incredible.

On Wednesday we saw Jersey Boys at the Palazzo. The Palazzo is right next to The Venetian, so again the walk was short. Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The music was great, although the language was a bit crude.

And on Thursday we topped off the week with The Beatles "LOVE" from Cirque du Soleil. This was playing across the street at The Mirage. It was performing in a theatre designed specially for the show. I read somewhere that the construction cost was 140 million dollars. This production was my favourite of the week. The music, choreography and acrobatics were outstanding. I definitely would recommend this to anyone.

Lorri would have liked to have seen Donny and Marie, but they were all sold out.

I guess we'll just have to go back...

I love Fall

I really enjoy this time of year. The days are cooler, the bugs are almost gone and the grass doesn't need to be cut every 2nd day. It's the time of year for football. I can remember all the fun I had playing intra-mural flag football at U of A...

It's the time of year when hockey starts up again. Maybe this year my team will finally achieve their potential.

But it's the colours I enjoy the most.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Infiniti advantage

Today I stopped by one of Lethbridge's iconic stores to rent some DIY equipment to help with my latest renovation project. I have rented from Wards many, many times in the past and have always found their service and advice excellent.

As I was completing the paper work at the counter, I pulled out my credit card to leave a deposit. (You usually have to leave a deposit to rent expensive equipment). It was 7:30 am, raining outside and I was the only customer in the store. The very helpful clerk, who had seen me pull up in my car, looked up from completing the paperwork and said,

"No need for a deposit, you drive an Infiniti. Now, if you had pulled up in a '73 chevy pickup that was rusting out, hadn't showered in 3 days and smelled of dope, I would ask for a deposit. See you later..."

Infiniti ownership has some advantages!!!

I'm not bored

I was invited to attend a Purdue Pharmaceuticals Advisory Board in Calgary this week. While on the flight (Purdue's expense) to Calgary an advertisement on the back page of the enRoute magazine caught my eye (and I thought of Grayson).

The caption read:

The most powerful weapon in the war against boredom.

Luxury is expected. Leather seats. Wood accents. Advanced technology. But in the Infiniti G sedan, there's something more. There's a feeling you get the second you step in. It's unique. Unmistakable. Unbelievable. It's a feeling you'll want to chase. Fortunately, you're driving an Infiniti.

I love my car!! I'm definitely not bored.

Victoria

Here are some pictures from our trip to Victoria. We had a wonderful time, enjoyed some delicious seafood and great weather.

We visited Beacon Hill park and saw Franklin's cousins enjoying the sun

But you're not allowed to feed the ducks anymore...what's up with that?

Lorri and a banana tree

We took a trip to fisherman's wharf (with the house boats) to pick up crab and halibut for dinner

Eileen and Matt took me to Butchart Gardens for my birthday - what a great gift!

One day my yard will look like this. Oh wait, maybe we would have to live on the coast to have a yard like this

The Bellagio has nothing on this place

Lorri, Eileen and Matt enjoying the merry go round...note what Lorri is riding Jessi

Cadboro Bay and a sandcastle contest

Ah, when it is sunny in Victoria, there's no finer place on earth

Thanks Nana for being a wonderful host!

Portland

Here are some of our pictures from our Portland trip. We visited with Diana and Grayson for 5 days. The weather was great and the donuts even better. (Ask Lorri about the size of her donut. She said she gained 4 pounds on the trip, I'm sure it was the donut).

We (minus the baby mom) hiked up to the top of Multnomah falls. This is the third highest year round waterfall in the U.S.

Resting at the top, after 1.25 miles, 11 switchbacks and 620feet -  kinda like the Bear's Hump.

We took in the 25th anniversary tour of Les Miserables. It was amazing!

Diana took us to Edgefield, an old "poor farm" converted into a hotel, restaurant, entertainment and golf destination. Adele was playing the one night, but the event was sold out.

We tried to visit the Portland temple, but sadly it was undergoing renovations, so we were not allowed on the grounds.

We visited the world famous Rose Gardens.

And, of course, a visit to Portland would not be complete without a visit to Powell's Books. We went twice!

All in all a fun trip. Thanks Grayson and Diana.

Mt. Hood