The quieter you become the more you can hear ~ Ram Dass



Sunday, December 28, 2014

Bad stuff

So there was some bad stuff that happened on our vacation, and I mean BAD stuff.

Sunday morning at 5:30 a.m. (Las Vegas time) my cell phone was ringing.  I didn't get to it fast enough but I saw it was the credit card company calling.  They left a message and I called back, to make a long story short someone was using our credit card fraudulently and I had to cancel the card, ugh.  We did have another card but after that I didn't want to take the chance.  Luckily, we had enough money with us.

One day, son, girlfriend and I were in a parking garage and I fell.   I was trying to avoid a column and went too close to the parking curb.  I didn't notice it and I tripped and couldn't get my balance, down I went. First on my knees, then on my face or more accurately my nose.  I was so lucky though.  I only scraped the bridge of my nose and my knees.  No broken bones, teeth or glasses.  Girlfriend went in the casino and got someone to come out and look at me.  Someone came and they called the paramedics.  Also, some guys from the hotel/casino came asking questions and taking pictures of me.  I thought the paramedics were going to come in an ambulance so I gave my phone to son to take a picture of it, ha.  Always a blogger.  I didn't see what the paramedics came in but they asked if I wanted an ambulance to take me to the hospital but I said no.  (so, no ambulance picture, lol).  At the time, I was mainly worried if my nose was broken but thank goodness it wasn't.  They really didn't have any antiseptic (what kind of paramedics were these?) and they told me I would be better to go inside and just use the restroom to clean up which I did.  They gave us some gauze and tape and girlfriend helped me with that.  Actually besides the scrapes, being embarrassed and a little worked up I was fine.  Unfortunately, I didn't fall from drinking I think it was a senior moment.

The day we left and got to the airport, it was like someone turned on a switch.  Before we got on the plane I started coughing and got a runny nose.  I took two Advil's and bought cough drops before we got on the plane.  All the way home, I got sicker as we went.  Turns out the section we were sitting in was hotter than h***.  I mentioned it to the person sitting next to me and she thought it was extremely hot as well so it wasn't just me.  I told the flight attendant and she said she would check.  A while later she came back and said it was one of those fluke things where the front and the back of the plane were good and the middle was just hot.  Nothing could be done, ugh!

Then there was the day before we left when the maid service didn't clean our room.  I called down and asked that they at least send up some coffee for the morning which they never did.

Also, when we got home, when hippie opened our luggage there was a notice in it that TSA did a random check and opened our suitcase, ha...  I figured maybe they x-rayed it and saw all the stuffed animals in it and wondered what the heck they were. 

Oh well, stuff happens ;-)

Friday, December 26, 2014

Las Vegas

We flew into Las Vegas on a Thursday.  First time on Frontier, it was a rather uneventful flight although we did leave a little late.  The only thing you get free on the plane is water.  I bought some snacks at a store in the airport.  We got in around 4:30 and it was already getting dark. I gambled a little the first night but went up early.

Son, girlfriend and I went to a show at The Wynn called Le Reve - The Dream.  It was wonderful.  If you ever go to Vegas, it is well worth the price of admission.  It is a very small theater.  It has dancing, synchronized swimming, people coming down from the ceiling on ropes and wires doing acrobatics (kind of like Cirque du Soleil ).  It was amazing.  I never saw anything like it.



We stayed mostly at the hotel/casino this trip.  We ate at the buffet a couple of times there.  It was very good and only $12.99 with our card from the casino.  Then hippie was able to get an $80 comp at one of the more expensive restaurants there.  He always gets coupons from there for different things and was able to get it changed for a comp on a meal.  It was very good food.  I got pork chop marsela, yummy.

We did a ton of gambling and a ton of losing but they were giving away free stuff for points.  We got two cake serving trays one for us and one for son and girlfriend.  Also, a bunch of stuffed animals.  At least there was that.  Ha!

Son, girlfriend and I went to Bellagio's to look at their Christmas decorations that were gorgeous.

We left on Thursday and I was ready to go lol.

What would a trip of ours be without things going wrong.  I'll write about that next.  

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.  Pictures from Las Vegas.


Sunday, December 21, 2014

Vegas

We got back from Las Vegas a few days ago and I've been sick in bed with a bad cold.  I haven't even unpacked yet , ha!  Here's a holiday picture I took there.  Will write more later when I'm up to it.  It was an adventure this time. 



Sunday, December 7, 2014

Gift Certificates

A  few years back I wanted to buy some Fiestaware. For Christmas, I asked for gift cards from Macy's. After several Christmas' I had enough and bought a service for four.  I still get gift cards from my brother for Macy's and since I normally don't shop there (I should probably just nix the cards from there) it's been a struggle finding something to buy.

I still had $100 worth of gift cards.  Friday, Magellan and I went shopping.  I decided I would buy a purse.  I found one I liked, it was $168.  Now some people might not think that's a lot of money but frankly, for me, I don't need one that costs that much.

And then I thought, $100 of it would be free because of the gift card and I would ONLY have to pay $68 plus tax.  $68 was something I was comfortable with. 

I took it up to the counter and it was 25% off.  It didn't have a sign so I didn't realize it.  With the gift cards, I only needed to pay an additional $2 and some change.  Holy Smokes!  I was ecstatic.

I was somewhat shocked when the woman in front of me bought a purse that originally was over $200.  It was 70% off, and with the additional 25% off, she paid like $95. I love the purse I bought but I'm thinking maybe I should have looked around more.  Ha!


Saturday, December 6, 2014

He's back

When Lebron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers they took his sign down.  Since he came back they put a new one up.  When we went to the casino, it was the perfect opportunity to view the new one.  I rolled my eyes when I saw it, then I took a picture so I could send it to son.  I texted it, he laughed.  I'm pretty sure he rolled his eyes as well. 


Thursday, December 4, 2014

Christmas with Dinner Friends

Christmas was on Wednesday with my Dinner Friends.  Some of us were going to take the rapid downtown but in the end, we took two cars, eight people.  It worked out well.  At least we figured it out the day before unlike sometimes when on the day we are going to dinner a wrench gets thrown in. Since I call myself the secretary of the group. I'm always the one texting people with the wherefores-going crazy trying to figure it out when it gets messed up then I start whining to them afterwards I don't want to be the secretary anymore, but no one listens lol.

When we got to the parking lot as we started walking to the walkway to the casino  lo and behold we see our friends are right ahead of us, ha!  How convenient to arrive at the same time.

Some of  us (me) lost our reward cards so; (I) we had to get new ones, others didn't have any and had to get a first one.

When that was settled we went to Tower City to the Hard Rock Cafe.  I had a really good pulled pork sandwich and a drink, but only one.   Here's a picture of the tree inside Tower City it was very beautiful.


When we were done eating, we decided to look at the windows outside of the casino that were supposed to be decorated.  Years ago, the casino was a Higbee's Department Stores.  At Christmastime the windows were so creative and beautiful with animation and usually themed.  The Casino is trying to bring them back.  Okay!  I was excited, braved the cold to go outside to look and they were blech.  Kinda cheesy I thought.  Although this is, I think, only the second year they've done it.  Hopefully, they will get better at it.


We were disappointed as well that Public Square wasn't decorated.  They had the big lighting ceremony by Playhouse Square this year. (When I came home and told hippie, he said because of the construction this year they moved it.)

Then we hit the casino.  I played $20.  I won some but when it was time to leave I was back to my original $20, so I would consider that a win. 

We hugged and wished everyone happy holidays and left.  We did drive around Playhouse Square to see the lights.  They were nice and did get to see the Chandelier lit up in the dark too.  All in all, it was a different kind of Christmas than we usually do but it was fun.