What happens in Vegas...

... apparently stays in Vegas... and off the blog!



Okay, no...

We had a great time! The weather was great, the food was yum, our hotel was okay, the flight was fine (even if we were in the airport longer than the actual flight, especially coming home when the flight was delayed because of the weather in SLC), the books I took to read were good, shopping was fun, walking through all the casinos was a great way to earn our cheesecake (twice!), losing money was quick and mostly painless, and almost fun... (I'm no Charlotte!). Best of all, we were able to get away for a few days!

Where we stayed - the Excalibur. Very no-frills... and fit our budget exactly!

We believe in public transportation. Scary? Not so much. Mostly tourists were on the Deuce Bus that we took most of the time. The right price? Definitely!
The fountain in front of the Bellagio. We came to several fountain shows on purpose and saw a few more by coincidence. Have you seen Ocean's 11? See it, then you'll look for Danny, Rusty and Linus in front every time you pass by. (Sadly, they were unavailable the days we were there. "Of course I'm in the casino. I'm staying in your hotel. I have two words for you: 'Mini bar.'")
We spent a bit of time in the Conservatory inside the Bellagio. It's quite the garden. There is even a butterfly house. What beautiful flowers! (and then there's us...)
(I apologize for all the pictures here... but they fill my quota of artsy photography for a little while...)

What would a trip to Vegas be without a trip to the Cheesecake Factory (twice!)? Yes, I'm fully aware that I live less than 10 minutes away from one... and yet I've never been to that one. Chocolate mouse cheesecake... yum-o!
The Apple Store at the Forum Shops inside of Caesar's Palace. I bought my iPod Touch - woot! They didn't have to do much selling, I was pretty sold when I walked in. It was only a matter of time before I bought one anyway... why not get it some place fun? (and I love it!)
Caesar's Palace. When it's said that casinos are built to keep people in, they weren't kidding in here. We walked and walked - from both ends of this place - to get where we thought we were going. Imagine if we had left the side of the wall - we might still be trapped inside! (which actually wouldn't be so bad...)
The show we wished we'd gone to... Ahhhhhhhh!
The show we did go to - Knights of the Round Table. This is Prince Christian, the victor over all the other kings and over evil. Check out his blue eyes! Our king was from Norway. He won a competition and was hottie-on-the-bottie too!
We did some shopping at the Coke store. They have everything! I'd love to go back sometime and do their "Sodas of the World" taste-testing.
The M&M store - right next to the Coke store! My two favorite tastes in life, right next together on the Vegas Strip! Smells like chocolate in the air... kind of like Hershey's!
The add for the buffet in our hotel was a girl looking just like this. We couldn't resist this picture when we went there to eat. (Not joking, this is what the chick looked like!)Ah, Vegas. See you again some day!

Another countdown!

Wicked - 2 weeks minus 1 day - This seemed like it'd never come when we got tickets for this on Halloween... almost closer to our next birthdays than the birthday for which it was intended... almost, but not quite!

Boston - 2 weeks - Wahoo! I'm so excited to go! So much history, so many things to do, such great food to eat!

Year-end tests - 2 weeks of school, 1 week of spring break, 1 week 4 days of school - I thought we'd make it, then we hit fractions! Argh!

Last day of school - 2 weeks of school, 1 week of spring break, 2 weeks of school, 1 week of testing, 3 weeks of school - woo-hoo! (39 days... a man on my team is leaving at the end of the school year... he has less days than I have years!)

Philadelphia - 14 weeks - for a seminar and (hopefully) fieldtrips about the Civil War! Yes, it's for school and learning and knowledge... but it's in Philadelphia!

First day of school - who cares?!

(Anyone know where I can get a countdown widget to put on my blog that will do auto countdowns for me? I've only really seen countdowns for pregnancy/babies, and that definitely will not work for me...)

Countdowns!

Last day of school - 10.5 school weeks (11.5 calendar weeks)
Last day of school - 51 school days!
Year-end tests - 6 school weeks (7 calendar weeks)
Wicked! - 5.5 weeks
Boston trip - 5.5 weeks
First day of school - 24 weeks
Vegas excursion - 8 days!

Tippy

We got a new family member today - Tippy!


Tippy belonged to one of my students (whose mom also teaches at my school). They needed a new home for her - dad was allergic. She knew I was catless and wanted to know if I wanted the cat. I sure do!

She's awfully cuddly. She is a great lap cat, perfectly content to sit and snuggle and knead her claws into my arm! She's hardly stopped purring since we got home, and even purred quite a bit on the drive.

101 things about me

The game is , you copy and paste it into your blog and bold the ones you have done. (I've added commentary... enjoy!)

1. Started your own blog (I certainly hope so!)
2. Slept under the stars (Hoorah for girls' camp)
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (and can't wait for my next chance to go!)
8. Climbed a mountain (I think Hill Cumorah counts as a mountain, don't you?)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (in 7th grade... good thing American Idol wasn't around then, I would have ended up on the 'are-you-kidding?' segment!)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (no, but I have stood right next to it!)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train (I took a bus, I took a train, to Beijing city!)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (Mental health days are there to keep you from being sick!)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (to Alaska... can we say "Chocolate Dessert Extravaganza"?)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person (I've been there several times. Most of the days it rained... does the sun shine there ever?)
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (Where? Weare, New Hampshire...)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person (and yes, I have the picture of me 'holding' the tower up to prove it!)
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (yowzas!)
41. Sung karaoke (unfortunately, yes... at least it was in a bar in China and no one heard me except Joee, Zeng, and the bus driver...)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person (and stay in that chapel, why don't you!)
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (okay, not quite all the way to the top... if it had been up to me, I would have gone all the way up... but I went as far as I was permitted to go)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater (Italian Job... I fell asleep and woke up so confused)
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China (freak yes!)
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (no, but I've eaten them!)
62. Gone whale watching (off the coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia... Captain Cox's boat company... everyone should get to go out on a great day like that!)
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (lots of them!)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial (yes, and it was fantastic! I can't wait to go again!)
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt (not fancy ones... squares count, right? large ones?)
73. Stood in Times Square (whoa, that was crazy!)
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (Now it has over 70,000 miles on it - my baby!)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House (the outside, and the visitor's center... do you know the connections you have to have to see the inside?!)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox (the first week of summer after 1st grade)
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury (Haven't served yet, but have gotten 'the letter' twice in 5 years! My mom got a letter to serve when she was pregnant with me, had her doctor say she couldn't come because it was right when I was due, and she's never been called up again!)
91. Met someone famous (Mitt Romney when he was the SLOC pres)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (no, but I've smelled it!)
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument

Happy Chinese New Year - part 2

I went to Joee's for our Chinese New Year feast - and what a feast it was!
Joee documented it much better than I can - click here to see what we did and, more importantly - what we ate!
Thanks for the good time!
(and for getting me addicted to new shows!)

Happy Year of the Ox!

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy Chinese New Year!

Even though Joee and I weren't in China for the New Year Celebration, it's always a time when we get together to eat some good Chinese food (thanks Mrs. Gong - we really should have had her show us what she was doing with all that oil!) and reminisce about our Chinese livin' days.

Joee asked me to come to China with her in the spring of 2005. She'd been the year before with her mom, and Joee wanted to go again, not so much her mom! Joee was willing to go herself, but thought she'd see if I wanted to come. Of course! My parents got excited too - and it must be safe if Joee's parents were letting her go again... right? Right!

I had grad classes in May and June and wrote and turned in my last paper the day before we left! (Good thing I took all those breaks to pack!) Joee and I shopped for stuff we wouldn't need two of, and looked through papers and lesson plans and game ideas and other teacher stuff. Joee gave me lessons in Chinese culture, and did her best to prepare me for culture shock.

Here are some highlights and memories...

• "I took a bus, I took a plane, to Beijing city!"
• "One time I hired a monkey..."
• Ice cream!
  
• Peking duck
• Bottles and bottles of bottled water - and Coke, too!
  
• "I'm a big, big girl, in a big, big world..."
• Getting voted off of the bus!
• Willage after willage after willage...
  
• Bus troubles, airline troubles - it's not our fault we're teachers with lots of stuff!
• McDonalds, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut!
• Chinese doctors - I'm the sick one? Really? Do they know who they're talking to?
• Instant messaging
• Sending emails while 'drunk' - not a good idea... but very entertaining for Lee!
• The Great Freaking Wall of China - and we get to spend 45 minutes there? Really? Don't they know we're at the Great Freaking Wall of China?! How often do you go there? And we have to be up and back in 45 minutes? Really? Really!
• Hair! No water shampoos, massages (and laughing through it, so they massage more!), and straight, straight, straight!
• Karaoke bar - microwave popcorn, Coke, and the best skewered fish I've ever had... yum! Thanks bus driver and Zeng!
• Taxi rides
• Shampoo is heavy! Whoever had it in her luggage always had the heavier bag, no matter what else was in it!
• When people speak Chinese to you, and you don't know what they are saying, it doesn't help for them to speak louder and slower, nor does it help for them to write it out for you!
• Bargain, always look for a bargain! Talk 'em down! Promise to bring all your 'good American friends' with you the next time you come to this part of China to do their shopping and you will get the very best deal on all the 'real silk'!

Gambe, my friend! Happy Chinese New Year!