Really??

Yes, again, I admit that I got into the last half of "The Bachelor". You can blame Elvis for that because if they never went to "Viva Elvis" during the show, I would probably not have watched it and I would still be blissfully ignorant. But no, they did visit "Viva Elvis" and I've been hooked ever since. Dang you Brad Womack!!

Last night was a little crazy and I recorded the show, but got home in time to catch the final proposal. I figured he would probably pick Emily even though I've said from the first episode I watched, she probably wasn't ready for marriage yet...but, she's blond, gorgeous, Southern, adorable...he was enamored with her. I loved Chantal who seemed strong, independent, sexy, brunette, but the guys always go for the tiny cute blonds, don't they?! I was sad for Chantal, but knew she'd be sad for a bit and then move on like we all do.

Then, I was riveted by "After the Final Rose" because I felt more love between Chantal and Brad than I did Emily and Brad! And seriously, they've already separated once in their courtship?! Yeah...she's not ready and now I feel bad for Chantal, Brad AND Emily... Argh! The only one that looked even remotely happy was Chantal, even through the tearful Q&A with Womack. Interesting... If Brad and Emily break up, do you think Brad will be the next Bachelor?? Again?? They say third time is a charm. Hmmm....it's over now and I can get back to real life instead of reality tv life! Well, until the next season! Until next time...

What to do in Las Vegas!

Apparently, the Vegas economy is going to be booming soon! At least it feels like it because I've been getting bombarded with people coming to Vegas in the upcoming weeks and what should they do?! You all know that I'm completely in love with my city...yes, I consider Vegas mine! With that said, you are always welcome to visit my city! :) and spend money here... What I'm about to tell you is my opinion and my opinion alone, so if you end up taking my advice and hate it, sorry! :) Deal with it. Here are some of my favorite things in Vegas:

Places to Eat on the Strip / Downtown

• Vic and Anthony's at the Golden Nugget - Fabulous steakhouse that is very "old Las Vegas"
• Burger Bar at Mandalay Bay - It's just fun to make your own burger with ridiculous toppings...definitely try the Nutella Milkshake. It's worth being fat for!
• Garduno's at the Palms - Delicious Mexican and a Favorite of Cort's
• Nove at the Palms - Fantastic View and Italian Food!

Places to Eat Off Strip

• Naked Fish's (Durango and Flamingo'ish)- The best sushi ever!
• Leticia's Mexican Cocina (Durango and 95'ish)- Authentic and fresh Mexican food...the best!
• Nora's Wine Bar - Delicious Italian food
• Mark Rich's New York Pizza - (Durango and 215'ish)
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe - I would be remiss if I didn't include this on my list...You have to get the Totally Turkey Wrap with a Splenda Pineapple Delight...it's heaven in a smoothie

Wow - I guess anywhere along Durango is going to be good! You can tell I'm a North West-sider!

Best Buffet

• Aria Buffet - Seriously, it's the best...crab legs, lobster on Friday and Saturday night, it's just delicious. Yes, I like it better than Bellagio and the Wynn and you should know up front that people disagree with me here.

Cirque du Soleil

• "Viva Elvis" - It's my favorite and you should go if you like that type of music. It's a very dynamic, loud, rock-n-roll show. To me, it's what an Elvis Rock Concert would sound like today.
• "Beatles Love" - If you like Beatles music, see this show. It's more about the music.
• "Mystere" - Definitely see this show if you've never seen Cirque before - it's just amazing
• "O" - This is another very circus'y' show with aquatics. Amazing as well!
• "Ka" - Amazing stage, but if you are only going to see one show, see "Mystere" or "O"...or "Viva Elvis" of course!

Shows to See

• If you are visiting Las Vegas, I would tell you to see a Cirque du Soleil show (see above)
• Johnny Fortuno - He's an amazing artist and a must see, but has limited engagements in Vegas. :(
• "Phantom of the Opera" - AMAZING production here in Vegas!
• "Blue Man Group" - Not my favorite show, but you can find inexpensive tickets around town and it's an interesting show, to say the least.

Free Things to Do

• Bellagio Fountains and Conservatory - Both are awesome!
• Mirage Volcano - If you have seen it in the last two years, they totally revamped it with some awesome music
• Fremont Street Experience - You just have to do it. It's downtown Las Vegas, totally old Las Vegas and it's just something you have to do! While you're downtown, walk around and try and find all the renovated Las Vegas neon signs! The silver slipper and Aladdin's lamp are my favs!
• Sirens at TI - I'm not a huge fan, but I always see a ton of people out there watching...it's cheesy and a little racy for little ones.
• Visit Bugsy Siegel (at least his statue) at the Flamingo - Yeah, some say it's boring, but the whole mob thing facinates me...I like the statue thank you very much!
• Visit Elvis (at least his statue and bust) - The statue at the Hilton and the bust at Aria. Come on...who wouldn't want to kiss his bust? Someone get out the antibacterial gel...

Other Fun Things to Do

• Golf at Spanish Trail Of Course!!
• Bowling at Red Rock - Awesome bowling alley
• Bellagio Fine Arts Museum
• "Bodies" and "Titanic" Exhibits at the Luxor
• Wax Museum at Venetian
• Check out a Comedy Show
• Go Shopping at the Forum Shops or the Fashion Show Mall - both are on the Strip
• The Best Date Ever in Las Vegas: http://vegaslifeandtimes.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-to-date-in-viva-las-vegas.html

Things I Still Want to do that I Haven't

• Mob Experience at the Tropicana
• Hoover Dam Tour
• Haunted Vegas Tour

Best Places to Buy Cheap Tickets

http://www.tix4tonight.com/

Keep in mind, you need to visit them when they open for the best selection. If you don't care what you see, I would totally check it out because they have a variety of shows for 1/2 off...discounts on some restaurants too!

So, that's all off the top of my head. Hopefully, it will get you started in the right direction and always feel free to email or call me when you're in town. I will do my best to guide you through this fabulous city of mine! Viva Las Vegas! Until next time...

What is happiness?

What is true happiness? It's something that I feel I have struggled with my entire life...looking for true, soul stirring, happiness. I've always been one to create goals and do whatever it takes to achieve them...even if I don't, I always learn something new and find a new goal in the process. I've done a lot of things looking for what would make me happy. I guess I always assumed that there would be this one magical thing that I would get / see / have / feel / sense and poof! I'd be happy! I've struggled, yes struggled trying to find that and dealing with a little depression along the way, as I assume that everyone does.

The past...hmmm...5 years, probably, have just been amazing and not necessarily all in a good way. I've had heartbreak, deaths in the family, family on the other side of the world, family moved into my home, friends made, friends lost, strengths built on, weaknesses painfully identified, buried in piles of "to do"s, left with nothing to do, salary raises, not enough money to pay the bills, loved beyond my wildest dreams and so lonely I didn't know what to do. Honestly, that's the last 5 years of my life. How does that leave me today? I feel like lately I've let go of a lot of "stuff" that was filling up my heart which has left it wide open and it's filling with...happiness...soul stirring happiness! I find myself just smiling, even as my day has gone to you-know-what in a handbasket. I find myself completely hopeful for tomorrow! Isn't that weird? I've been struggling and working to find happiness and all I had to do was let go and it's rushing in... Really?! It's amazing and so now my piece of advice to you is let yourself go... Hmm...sounds like the name of an Elvis song?! :) Anyway, it's definitely something to think about!

Until next time...

Where Did the Time Go?!

Wow, does time ever fly when you're having fun! Man, these past few weeks have been super fun. A few blogs ago, I mentioned that I hadn't heard anything from the Johnny Fortuno Fan Club in quite some time... so, me being me, I sent them an email. Not only did I send them an email, I got a response from Johnny's manager! I got the chance to meet with him and it turns out that I may be able to help them out with some of my Marketing skills! They've graciously allowed me an opportunity to do a few things for them in my spare time on weekends and it's been just an absolute blast. I don't want to talk about it too much because this opportunity is in it's infancy, so I don't want to jinx it, don't know if they want me talking about it, etc...but I will say this, fans of Johnny Fortuno will definitely notice a ramp up in activity and I hope help them to increase his fan base significantly... Did I mention that it's been so fun to work with them? It's definitely been worth my weekend time. So, now you're obligated to go out and at least take a look at Johnny on Facebook. You'll "like" what you see! I promise you.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Johnny-Fortuno/107907364808

Oh yeah, here's the picture of when he autographed my cd for me earlier this year...Little did I know what would transpire in a month. SO FUN and he's a super nice guy... Definitely worthy of your fanship! Is that a word?? Hmm....

Until next time...

Reality TV

I have recently realized that I may be addicted to reality TV...is that bad? While that may not be so bad, I'm addicted to "The Bachelor"...pause for reaction... This show is pretty much against everything I believe in as far as falling in love is concerned. It's basically dozens of women vying for the attention of one guy, whom they have never met, with the promise of this man picking off women one-by-one, tearing their hearts out, breaking down their self-esteem until he's left with one woman, whom, by the end of the handful of episodes, he'll be in love with forever. There are SO many things wrong with this picture...

Is this how it's done now? What happened to that "saw you from across the room" heart flutter, the awkward introduction, the anticipation of the first date, finding out what you love about each other, finding out what you hate about each other, dating for weeks on end... What happened to all of that? While watching The Bachelor, it's definitely hard for these women to NOT fall in love with all of the amazing dates and places they go. My first date wasn't to a magical Caribbean island as we zip lined across the island ending up to a random candlelit picnic on the beach... oh no... my first date with my husband was dinner, at a restaurant in downtown Denver. As unmagical as that sounds, it was one of the most romantic, sexy, lovely evenings of my life...not because of the location, but because of the company sitting across the table.

Even with that said, I'm POSITIVE I will be watching Brad fumbling his way through the final few ladies, trying desperately to fall in love while ladies forget about what they want just to try and buy self-esteem by being the last one standing...makes me love my husband and my first date with him a little more. Here's to you baby! You're the best and thank you for not giving up on making our first date happen...even though you took me to a Brazilian Steakhouse...and I was a vegetarian. It all worked out! Until next time...

Whirlwind

This describes my last month or two perfectly. It's just been absolutely crazy, in a good way! This weekend was absolutely no exception. My weekend kind of began on Thursday night where I had an absolutely fantastic time with a girlfriend of mine here...

...where quantities of Sangria were delivered to our table in an effort to soothe me from my day...

On a side note, if you are ever in Las Vegas, you must check out the Firefly for amazing tapas. If you do find yourself at Firefly, then you must order at least one round of the stuffed dates...



These are tiny, heavenly, flavor packets of cheesy, datey, goodness! So good!! Thank you Carol...had a great time!

The rest of the weekend was packed with bowling, very little sleep and a Super Bowl Party. Those parties are definitely not good on the diet. I did my best to keep my diet in check, but it's nearly impossible with...

...sausage stuffed mushrooms...

...cream cheese pinwheels...

...7 layer bean dip...

...chips, guacamole, salsa, chex mix, mango mojitos and all the other delicious items that were prepared for the occasion. Sometimes you've got to know when to fold 'em and when you do, it's delicious!

So, the thing weighing heavily on my mind (pun intended) is what is my plan for the "Pounds to Graceland" Challenge? Still need to lose 48 pounds and get to Memphis... Well, I don't really have a plan, but have been enjoying the fantastic time with my family and friends that Memphis will just have to wait. Don't worry, I'll make it there somehow, I promise!!

One other thing that is on my mind is where, oh where has Johnny Fortuno gone? Last time I saw him I got the opportunity to chat with him for a bit, {check that out here}, I asked him when he would be performing in Las Vegas again. He mentioned they were attempting to work something out for Valentine's Day, but he actually wasn't sure. I've not seen anything yet, but am still hopeful...Will keep you posted! Until next time...

How Big is the Human Stomach?

When I heard that Starbucks was coming out with a new, larger size drink, I thought I was dreaming. I continued to hear more and more about this mystical new size...the Trenta. I frequent this establishment at least once a week. It's generally more of a treat for myself, although I would go every day if I could afford it (financially AND calorically - is that even a word?). Yes, my usual is a Venti Soy Chai...Yum... With the ridiculous cold front moving across the country and temperatures dipping in the 20's here in the desert, I've been getting my fair share of "my usual" and "my usual" size...Venti.

Yesterday, my co-workers needed a pick-me-up, so I made a Starbucks run and here was the list:

• Venti Soy Chai (obviously mine...)
• Venti White Hot Chocolate - someone who doesn't ingest caffeine
• Grande non-fat vanilla latte - someone watching his girlish figure and....
• TRENTA iced black tea leamonade - oooohhhhh, ahhhhhh!

I was shocked at the sheer size of the trenta! I also found this on a website, although I did not substantiate it, so it maybe one of those "tree octopus" things, but here you go...

Aside from the fact they utilize "pop can" instead of "soda can" (you say potato...), if this is true, the trenta contains more then the average human stomach! All I have to say to my co-worker is...impressive Dan...very impressive! You know what they say about guys with big stomachs....large grocery bills! I'll stick to my Venti for now. Until next time...

"Date Night" Decreases the Degrees of Separation!

Saturday night in Las Vegas...that means that it's "Date Night" in the Easton household. Generally, Cortney and I try our best to get out once a week to do something fun (which isn't difficult in Vegas)! So, last Saturday, Cort decided that we should go to the Aria buffet (did you check out what I did last week?? Yes, the Aria buffet...best buffet ever...except when you're on a diet). So, again, my diet is left in the dust at crab legs...and lobster tails. On our way to the buffet, you'll never believe who we saw!!

Here's a recap of our night:

Valet Parked at Aria

Walked into the Casino Area

Walked Past the Cafe

AND BOOM....There he was!! Cortney looked at me and said, "Is that..." and in unison we said, "JERRY SCHILLING!" I said it with a little more gusto, but was surprised Cortney recognized him as well. What would you do in the sheer excitement of seeing one of E's best friends?!? Well, I walked on by, mesmerized...but just kept walking...no autograph, no photo, no nothing!! I'm an idiot!! Cortney tried to make me feel better by saying that famous people like to go unrecognized so I did the right thing...but something tells me Jerry may have gotten a kick out of us recognizing him...either way, I did absolutely nothing and he only knows I exist because I think he heard us say his name and then I'm sure he quickly forgot I existed... Here's a close representation of the Jerry we saw...

Here's Jerry with Elvis, sometime in the '70's...

Jerry wrote one of the best E books out there (in my opinion of my research of Elvis books, which is extensive).



In my state of euphoria, Cort took me to the Elvis store and bought me 7 hours of Elvis with the special edition of the "Elvis" '68 special.

We finally made it to the buffet (still in a state of euphoria, to be followed with even more euphoric crab legs!)

Where we dined on mounds of crab legs, lobster tails and probably used more plates than any two people ever at a buffet.

We then decided to walk off some of those crab legs by checking out The Cosmopolitan next door.

They have the most INSANE chandelier ever...

We decided to partake in some gaming...

...and we lost. When I saw Cortney at his slot machine, I knew it was time to go home...

Have I mentioned how much I love Las Vegas?? And Jerry Schilling?? Almost as much as I love Elvis...almost... :) Until next time...

O...M...G...

So, if I were much, much cuter and furrier, this is what I would have looked like on Monday morning! Here's a recap of my phenomenal "Girl's Night Out" with my Mom:

Thursday

5:10 p.m. - Check into Aria Hotel

5:20 p.m. - Finally find our room on the 24th floor - Room #24-2901920398 (or so it felt like)

5:25 p.m. - Squeal in excitement over our view - and stay back as our fear of heights kicks in with the floor to ceiling windows

5:45 p.m. - Exit room, looking drop dead gorgeous in our sparkly, shiny, high heeled outfits

5:50 p.m. - Dinner where crab legs of ridiculous proportions were consumed and the service was horrible. Apparently, they save money by only serving one cup of coffee...

6:35 p.m. - Peruse the "Viva Elvis" store (my mini-heaven in Las Vegas) and purchase various Elvis-related items

7:00 p.m. - The show begins!

8:30 p.m. - Another phenomenal show ends... :(

9:00 p.m. - Hit the casino floor, preparing to go back to the room in 5 - 10 minutes

10:00 p.m. - Talk about going to the room

11:00 p.m. - Talk about going to the room with a little more gusto

12:00 a.m. - Still talking about going to the room as we're yawning

12:30 a.m. - Finally stop gambling and actually go to the room before falling asleep on a slot machine

Friday

6:30 a.m. - My hubby calls and is on his way with an outfit for my Mom since she didn't pack clothes to wear for the day...still not sure what was in the suitcase fit for a 2 week vacation...

7:10 a.m. - I brave the light of day to retrieve mentioned outfit

7:30 a.m. - Find my room again...room #24-19204847221019283747

8:00 a.m. - Hot, hot shower in an attempt to wake up

9:00 a.m. - Leave room for breakfast at the buffet (BEST BUFFET EVER)

10:00 a.m. - Hit the casino floor

11:47 a.m. - Run to our room to check out, yes, room #24-1903297283729837942873498232983

11:49 a.m. - Accidentally follow a random man off the elevator on the 22nd floor because I was not paying attention...

11:52 a.m. - Catch another elevator to our floor

11:55 a.m. - Randomly throwing our belongings in the suitcase to ensure timely checkout at noon!

12:00 p.m. - Check out - no sweat!

12:01 p.m. - Hit the casino floor

2:45 p.m. - Decide to do all the things that we had planned for the day (in fast-forward mode)

3:45 p.m. - Purchase a house full of furniture

4:30 p.m. - Race to TGI Friday to have dinner with Cortney prior to bowling

4:45 p.m. - My world was rocked by a random magician who did things that I still cannot explain!

5:45 p.m. - Race to bowling league

6:30 p.m. - Mom wins first poker hand (and she's not even bowling for cards...)

7:00 p.m. - Mom wins SECOND poker hand (and still not bowling for cards...)

7:45 p.m. - Traci wins final hand of poker, on the last card!

8:15 p.m. - Head home - exhausted

Saturday
11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Shopping, shopping and more shopping
2:30 p.m. - Begin painting the family room
6:00 p.m. - Run to Home Depot for supplies...don't have any...run to Michael's for supplies...don't have any...make an unexpected pit stop at Krispy Kreme...they had what we didn't need.
8:30 p.m. - Decide to snooze instead of finish painting

Sunday
9:00 a.m. - Eat at the buffet because we're starving
10:30 a.m. - Shopping for more stuff that we probably didn't need and a few things we did need
1:30 p.m. - Finish painting the family room
3:00 p.m. - Start painting the master bedroom
8:30 p.m. - Finish painting the master bedroom
9:00 p.m. - Fall into a heap on the bed and snooze until 5 a.m.

Yep...that was the craziest, most fun, unexpected, free-for-all weekend I've ever had. Had such a wonderful time from beginning to end! Thanks Mom!! :) Oh...and my diet? I think we left the diet in the dust at crab legs...Until next time...

How many times have you seen this?

Yes, this is the question that I will undoubtedly be asked as soon as people see that I have tickets to...drum roll please..."Viva Elvis"!

Yes, you heard correctly. Actually, it's my Mom that has tickets to see the show on Thursday and she has asked me to be her date. Ummm...YEAH! Of course! :) So, we will be doing it up, Las Vegas style!

Dinner and a show, then stay the night on the strip. Who KNOWS what kind of trouble we'll get in to! Can you get in trouble on the strip prior to a normal bedtime of 9 p.m.? Hmm...we may have to break our normal bedtimes and stay up until 10! You scoff, but when my Mom gets up at 2 a.m. for work and I get up at 4:30 a.m. to jog and go to work - 10 p.m. is a very long day! It will be worth it though and my camera will be by my side to share the experience with you...until then...

Heaven in a cup...with Splenda!

So, you know my love affair with Splenda, right?! If you don't, you must click here now...I have a wicked sweet tooth (horrible for any diet) and I discovered that I can get heaven in a cup...or a Pineapple Delight smoothie from Tropical Smoothie Cafe made with Splenda! 220 calories of utter fruity, icy, blended deliciousness that takes away my sweet tooth. There is happiness during a diet! Thank you TSC! Love you. Mean it.

The Next Step Is...Jogging!

Song of the Day: "The Next Step is Love"

I love starting my day out with a love song. :) "Yesterday has slipped away and sun is a-welcoming the evening shadow of a perfect day..." also fitting for my day!

So last night I did something I haven't done in a long, long, LONG time...wait for it...wait for it...I began jogging! :) I popped my iPod in my ear, put leashes on the dogs and took off. I will be working on my endurance just a little each time and will hopefully be able to call myself a runner in no time! Dogs had to have loved it too (although they pulled me half of the run/walk - they are great sources of motivation!)... They slept all night which is a rare occurrence. I slept all night as well which is an even more rare occurrence! Oh...and I lost 2 pounds this week... Memphis, here I come!

By the way, in the picture in my previous post of my Elvis Christmas stockings, don't they look like Elvis is walking down into my office? Yes, walking down from Heaven... My co-worker didn't think so, but I like to think that's exactly what is happening...... :)

Merry Christmas to Me!

Just as I thought the holidays were over, my hubby brings home another Elvis Christmas stocking from one of his co-workers! Thank you Carol for thinking of me! It's perfection in a stocking and fits perfectly with my original Elvis stocking that hangs in my office year-round! Yes, I'm like those people that leave their Christmas lights up all year long...I have to say that when I'm having a terrible day, all I have to do is press a button and Elvis lights up and sings "Blue Christmas" and NOW I can have "Here Comes Santa Clause" too! Love it! Thanks again Carol!

Song of the Day: "My Babe"
So this is an interesting cover for Elvis, because I've only ever heard one version. It's a live version of the song, but always the same recording...maybe he only did it once? I love it anyway and for those of you who are interested, Johnny Fortuno does a fantastic version of this song as well!

As you can tell from the picture above, I'm definitely back on the new eating lifestyle...So, I'm eating 5 tiny meals a day consisting of a small amounts of protein at every meal and either veggies or fruit. I also have carbs 2 - 3 of the meals. Not bad and I'm starting to get a few shortcuts down. What was interesting about the photo above, is I sat down to eat my lunch and there was Elvis, looking approvingly! :) Had to take a picture and show you.

Until next time...

I'm back!

Song of the Day: "(Ain't it) Funny How Time Slips Away"

As this song was playing this morning, I thought about my blog. Time to dust off the keys, dust off the stove and get back to work on my mission! I apologize for being away, but sometimes life steps in and you have to reassess your priorities. Luckily, my hubby is back in good shape, the holidays are now over and we're back on our feet again with business as usual!

Thank goodness too, just in time for Big E's 76th birthday! And how did you celebrate?!? I celebrated by  inviting my family (didn't invite my friends since they think I'm crazy anyway...I'm attempting to make them see me as a normal, sane person!) to see my favorite Elvis guy, Johnny Fortuno at the Cannery! (Yes, the invitation above is what I gave to my peeps to ensure they were well aware of the plans for that day!) In preparation, my fantastic hubby joined me in racing to the Cannery on Friday night after our bowling league to "check things out". Turns out that it was packed! We got in by the skin of our teeth (and that's pretty thin skin) and got to stand there to watch Johnny...it was awesome! Only made me more excited for the following night.

Saturday, January 8, 2011 arrives (small tear for Big E...) - Big E's 76th birthday. My Mom and I decided to go and purchase new outfits for the evening (deal with it!). We both looked super hot and we headed for the Cannery. We all had dinner at the buffet which featured some of Elvis' favorite food. It was delicious! Then, by the time we got to the show room (2 1/2 hours prior to the show), there was a huge line already forming! So, my phenomenal hubby, whom I don't deserve, stood in line while my Mom and I went to lose some money in the one-armed bandits. We got great seats and the show was just fabulous!! Johnny was under the weather, but still sounded good...who wouldn't with the wonderful music of Big E? :) I purchased a cd and was lucky enough to have him sign it for me...note the inscription  along with his daughter's "signature" initials in the lower right...and take a quick pic. Picture didn't turn out very well, but you can tell my euphoric state of being by my huge grin! You must check out Johnny when you have a chance at http://www.johnnyfortuno.com/. He is absolutely amazing, even with non-Elvis music. He's has something for everyone. Thank you Johnny for being fantasic...thank you Big E...Happy Birthday and until we meet again...

Again, you can check out Johnny at http://www.johnnyfortuno.com/