Diva Las Vegas Baby

So, we walked outside last night and it was SNOWING!! Not fat flakes or anything; it was a flurry of small, wet snow, but it was definitely snow, folks. In the desert. I just didn't know. It didn't last very long, or rather, we caught the very end of the snowfall. Our white Christmas came a little early this year. In more bizarre news: I knew our world has changed when I took a moment to appreciate the fact that at nearly midnight, my fiance and I, having skipped dinner and starving, were selecting our supper in the FROZEN section of the 24 hour grocery store near the house. I even selected a Smokey Robinson Soul Bowl (red beans & rice). Thank Heavens TV dinners have become more sophisticated, and palatable I might add, than when I was a kid. Why my brother and I thought eating dinners caked in ice and shaped in little compartments was cool, I don't know - probably because it was a novelty that we didn't experience often (and when you're seven, lots of th

The hook-ups continue as the company received complimentary tix to "Phantom of The Opera". However, here's the catch: the production here in Vegas is only 90 MINUTES long (give or take five minutes). Most shows out here don't run past 90 minutes, so that they can squeeze in multiple performances in a night and make those dollars back. I'd never seen the show and didn't really know the music (a couple of tunes were slightly familiar, probably from the commercial). I don't know what we missed in those 90 minutes, and I do have to admit that some of the plot developments seemed fuzzy, or at least condensed, but overall, we enjoyed the show, and my fiance doesn't even really like musicals, so that says something. Not a bad recommendation for those who can't imagine sitting through much more than 90 operatic minutes. Before the show, we were trying to figure out how they can possibly squeeze a three-hour show into half the time - someone joked tha

I learned this weekend that it takes 75 whole years for a cactus to begin to bud an arm. Which means that the standard two-armed cactus image most of us picture when we think "cactus" (and we think "cactus" at least three times a day - or at least you do NOW, heh, heh) is one of an ANCIENT cactus, at least ancient in human years. The cactus pictured is 170 years old. I also learned that many cacti are becoming endangered because people steal them (?). You've got to be hard up to go and steal a cactus, an ancient cactus at that. How in the world do you get around the prickles? Seems like the scratches would be a dead give-away if you were ever caught. "Oh, I was just out wrastling with the neighbor's cat." "Uh, rough morning shaving...my back." Apparently, the ancient cacti command quite a price, and having a cactus in your yard is a status symbol. So, I now own a cactus, named Fred. He is only six inches tall, but with tender love a

I miss NYC! I really do. I am enjoying the novelty of Vegas life, but there is a part of me that is just craving New York City. It isn't even so much a craving as a deep appreciation for my hometown, a warmth in the pit of my heart for the Big Apple. It's the cross-country distance that gives a new perspective from which to admire all that New York offers. For one thing, I miss being able to do the simplest things without having to make any preparations - grab a bite, get some stamps, pick up a book, and all on the way to work. There's no real planning in that - "What did you do today?" "Oh, I just went to work." "What's in the bag?" "Oh, some left-over Thai, some stamps, and the latest Haruki Murakami book." It's no biggie, there's no pomp and circumstance, you didn't write it down in your planner, it's all in a day's work in New York. Whereas here, and maybe it's exacerbated because I don't ha

Thanks to another generous hook-up, the company was given free tix to the Billboard Awards. Very cool. The show itself wasn't a knockout, but just to be there was exciting. We didn't see any music stars up close or anything like that, we were sitting way up in the balcony, couldn't really make out any faces without looking at the projection screens. But still, you could feel the energy. Janet Jackson opened up and I do love watching her perform, but she was wearing this wig that I just found so distracting because it just didn't flatter her looks or her choreography. It was so weird, because she is usually seamless when it comes to her physical presentation - okay, perhaps "seamless" isn't the right word to back up my point, given her past costume malfunction (talk about seamless). Aw, I still like Janet. And Gwen Stefani also performed, and I like her too - can't say I've been wowed by her solo efforts, but I still support her because I li

Hooters Casino and Hotel : Taking ENLARGEMENT to a whole new level, Hooters has BUST out with its own casino and hotel right off the strip. Every night, we drive by it, and it never ceases to amaze me. But then again, this IS Vegas. Smokey Robinson's Red Beans and Rice : Shopping at the grocery store, I was taken aback to see, stacked between the Lean Cuisines and South Beach Diet Frozen Dinners, Smokey Robinson's Red Beans and Rice Dinner Bowl. I didn't even know that Smokey had expanded into food products. But then again, if I can get used to seeing Paul Newman's face every time I go for some lemonade in my fridge, I can surely stand to see Smokey in my freezer. Smokey Robinson's Foods James Bond's Birth Year : Met up with my cousin and saw Casino Royale, which I enjoyed. I still cannot believe that the new Bond, Daniel Craig, and I are the same age, he seems a bit older - not old, mind you, but more seasoned than late 30's. Or perhaps, I am just in

We saw our first Vegas show, thanks to a generous, inside crew hook-up. Le Reve ("the dream" in French) - I knew my French would come in handy in Las Vegas (?) - is a gorgeous show of flying, twirling, and diving gymnasts/swimmers and the set is completely submerged in a pool of water. The costumes conjure up fantastical creatures and characters, and it is like living in a wacked-out dream. I was completely impressed with the acrobatics and strength of the performers, who also exhibited gorgeous grace. Made all of us want to run to the gym; Le Reve brings a whole new meaning to the word "fitness." There were even doves in the show, which made the show all the more ethereal. All in all, DREAMY!