Suburbia Las Vegas

What's On My iPod

2009-07-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

The Go-Go's - "Our Lips are Sealed" - I remember the first time I heard this song...isn't it funny how our memories work? I mean damn, that was 1982? This song can be found on Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion's soundtrack. Gotta love movies about high school reunions... might be a reason I never went to my own, LOL.

John Waite - "Change" - I picked up the soundtrack from Vision Quest recently, and I'd have to say this is my favorite track. I'd almost forgotten about this video - ahhhhh, the 80's.

Angels and Airwaves - "Breathe" - Although I'm happy Blink 182 got back together, Angels and Airwaves was a band that kicked ass. I wonder if they've officially disbanded since the reunion?

Montell Jordan - "Get It On Tonite" - Guess I'm full of soundtracks today... this one is from the movie Save the Last Dance. I finally saw this movie last night - excellent feel-good film. I love happy endings!! Whatever happened to Montell Jordan - cause he put out some seriously good tunes. The movie was full of good music, and there's actually two soundtrack CD's... so I picked them both up used on Amazon this morning!

Metro Station - "Control" - Metro Station has a nice sound... a get up and dance sound. So check this one out and Move!

I'm Double-Fisting PDA's

2009-07-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

It's no secret I don't care for Blackberry phones. They're a bit awkward to use for me - the qwerty keyboards suck (the keys are just too close together and I find the font on the keys difficult to read). They also come with this awful proprietary OS - you can't make the choice for the Windows OS, they force their Blackberry crap down your throats.

I'm due for a phone upgrade for my personal phone in the next month or so, and all of these phone companies are pushing these Blackberries in a big way - but I've had my eye on the new Palm Pre. Palm hasn't been doing all that great financially and it seems they're banking everything on this new phone, which concerns me a bit. But I have a Palm Treo 700wx currently, and it's been a pretty good phone to me, my only real complaints are the camera and the media player - the camera takes horrible pictures and the media player has been buggy since day one, so I hardly use it for any web surfing whatsoever. So I've been looking around and this new Palm Pre has some pretty sweet features, but I need to go actually handle one and see if it holds up to the hype.

We did get new phones for work yesterday in the mail... apparently Karma is getting even with me for something I've done, because here's what I received and will probably be forced to use for the next 5 years:

Argh. I'm being punished for something. I just know it. :)

Sunshine on a Stem

2009-07-08T20:14:00.000-07:00

Found some sunflowers on my walk tonight. Isn't this one beautiful? Tulips are my favorite flower, but these come in a close second!

Weekend Update

2009-07-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

How was your 4th of July weekend, Internet?

Mine started Friday, I was off - so Madison and I went for lunch and bowling with my sister Toni and my niece and nephew Breana and Jaydon. We bowled one game, and I don't even think I broke 80 points...LOL! Madison won the game with a score of 99, she kicked serious butt!

For the 4th we spent it with the family - there was sun, food, fireworks, and fun! I was forgetful in taking photos the whole day - but here's my favorite:

We'd spent so much time in the sun on Saturday - on Sunday I don't think I even opened the windows! The only time I went outside was to take a walk... after the sun went down. Surprisingly, I didn't even burn on Saturday - I got a little pink and it was brown by the next morning (and yes, I had sunscreen on).

Hope you had a safe and happy 4th!

What's On My iPod

2009-07-03T22:05:00.000-07:00

Colbie Callait - "Falling For You" - This is a live version of her new single - she's got a really good voice live, too! I didn't pick up her debut album, although I do have a couple of the tracks - I may have to go pick up this sophomore album!

Chickenfoot - "Oh Yeah" - Yay, there are Chickenfoot videos! I just love me some Sammy Hagar! Wouldn't it be awesome to just hang and have some Cabo Wabo tequila with these guys?

Timex Social Club - "Rumors" - This one popped up out of nowhere on the iPod the other day, can't say I remembered having it, and noticed it was on a compilation CD I'd bought some time ago. I had a bad memory attached to this song, but that was so long ago - that it was actually a not-so-bad surprise to hear. :)

Johnny Kemp - "Just Got Paid" - Now this one, is a whole different story. This song came out when I was a senior in high school (1988), and I remember cruising the Strip with this blaring.

Spice Girls - "Viva Forever" - Yes, I own a Spice Girls CD, LOL. I had never seen this video before - and when I started watching it, it had a nice fairy tale feel to it, but when the giant Rubik's cube appears, it starts to get fuzzy. By the end of the video you're left thinking WTF? If you can decipher it, please let me know...

Tiny Beauty

2009-06-30T14:15:00.001-07:00

Can you see the bird in the middle of the picture? That's a hummingbird! She built a nest in the tree right outside my window, and I hadn't noticed until the lady in the office next to me pointed it out (I face away from the windows unless I'm daydreaming, LOL). So one of the guys in the office took a picture of her - isn't she beautiful? I don't know that I've ever seen one that wasn't in flight!

I'm going to have to gaze outside a bit more, I think. ;)

Weekend Update

2009-06-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

If I sit here and think about all I accomplished this weekend, I'm tired. :) It was a bit of to-do list things, but mostly being the entertainment director to my 5-year-old. She's at this age where she's so fun, we just go and do - even errands are entertainment if you let it be.

Yesterday was Madison's last t-ball game of the season! We had great coaches (my sister Toni being one of them), and Madison enjoyed herself a lot. Here's a picture as she hit the ball:

After the game was over the coaches had the kids sing a song to the spectators...it was so cute! Here they are singing:

After the game we took her to Red Robin for a celebratory dinner, and she passed out before she hit the pillow.

This morning she and I got up really early, she wanted to help me wash my car. She's actually really good at it, she is very concerned with all the bugs on the front and getting them off, LOL. So we headed outside at 7:30 before the sun got too hot. After the car was done she and I took her new bicycle up to the park so she could get used to it, and that was much easier than I anticipated. We decided to put her training wheels up a little high so they're really just a safety belt, and that went well.

This weekend went by sooooo fast... summers tend to do that. But it was a good weekend, indeed. How was yours, Internet?

What's On My iPod

2009-06-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

Big Punisher - Still Not a Player - Ok I think I was under a rock for a bit, I keep coming across music from the late 90's I missed... This one is from 99, and it's one to bob your head to. :) Big Punisher is one pretty uh... big dude.

Vanessa Carlton - 1000 Miles - I lent out this CD the other day and remembered how much I love this song. She is an incredible songwriter.

Kings of Leon - Notion - I downloaded their whole album a couple of weeks ago and can't stop listening to it. The lead singer's voice is that perfect kind of raspy/rock/soul for me. I dunno if this song is getting much airplay yet, but there's an official video, and it's got fire and explosions! LOL

Fabolous - Young'n (Holla Back) - This one's on the workout playlist, it'll get you to move. This is one of those songs that makes me wanna go dancing!!

Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Of course I was gonna include an MJ song. I am more a fan of his Off The Wall album, Bad is also in my collection. (but honestly I didn't care for anything he'd put out after Bad). The media is already dishing out all kinds of dirt - and I'm just changing the channel. It's true... as long as there are people out there wanting to watch the train wreck, the more of it the media will give. Those celebrating his accomplishments and the history he made, good on you!

That's My Little Football Fan

2009-06-23T21:31:00.001-07:00

Today was wear your sports fan gear to school day. They're talking about sports all over the world this week, so they asked the kids to wear something that represented any sport they are a fan of. Well you know what Madison wore, right? I mean, this can't be a surprise:

You might ask what she's holding - it's an alligator with a chicken in it's mouth. At least she's getting this whole food chain business, right? LOL Oh, and don't laugh too hard at her hair. I'm growing her bangs out, and her hair looks a bit, well, creative at times. All my hair-tard doing!

But When?

2009-06-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

My daughter is obsessed with losing her first tooth. Nearly every day I get a full report of all family and friends who have lost teeth, and more teeth, before her.

"But Mommy, when am I gonna lose a tooth? Breana lost another one. I think I feel this one is loose. Really, look, see!?"

"Your teeth will fall out when they're ready. Don't worry... you WILL lose your baby teeth."

"But when Mommy? When?!"

I can't even wrap my head around why - she isn't talking about the tooth fairy or the money that tooth fairy leaves behind. I think she just wants to look cool with a hole where her tooth used to be.

I remember when I put together I was getting paid for losing teeth. I couldn't wait to lose more... and when I was about 8 years old, I had 7 teeth pulled at once. My parents felt so bad, I think I made 50 dollars. I had too many teeth for my jaw to fit, so they pulled teeth in hopes I would avoid braces. Actually, it was an awesome thing they did, because it worked - I never needed braces.

Ahhhh... Some Fresh Air

2009-06-20T22:10:00.001-07:00

Maddy and I went on a hike this morning... we headed up to the Old Sawmill Trail again at Lee Canyon. The weather was beautiful up there, despite how windy it was in town today. We took in the clouds, the fresh air, and the green trees!

Here we are just as we started the trail:

This was our view from the highest point... over 7000 feet!

This is us just after we finished the trail - We did it!

What's On My iPod

2009-06-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

Jessie James - Wanted - This is one of the best play-loudly-while-driving-and-sing-along I've heard in a really long time. Guys - you'll want to see this one (but it is SFW, heh). The scenery in this video sure looks like rural Nevada!

O.A.R. - This Town - The is the second song I heart from this band, guess I need to check out the rest of the album. This is a feel-good kind of tune. :)

Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You - I don't care what you say about American Idol - but Kelly Clarkson rocks. This is a pretty cute video, bet anyone can relate to it just a little bit.

Pink - Please Don't Leave Me - I think one of the things I like best about Pink is her sense of humor. If you just listen to the song without the video - it's pretty serious, an apology to her significant other for behaving so badly and begging him to stay. The video, however, puts quite a different spin on it, LOL!

The All-American Rejects - The Wind Blows - Kinda ending on a sad note - but give this one a listen, it's good.

The View

2009-06-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

Here's my view of the mountains way out on the eastside of Las Vegas. My phone camera doesn't really do it justice!

Playing Tourist

2009-06-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

Today I took the day off and hung out with Karl's Aunt Shannon. I always get a kick out of calling her "Aunt" Shannon, because she's five years younger than we are. Whenever she comes into town, she and I take a day and play tourist. Although I live here, I enjoy getting down to the Strip and taking it in once in awhile... so I always look forward to Shannon's visits!

We started the day out at Caesar's Palace... this is us outside the Forum Shops:

We stopped at Serendipity 3 for drinks and lunch... the food was awesome, BTW (and the drinks... yeah, gooooooood). In fact we were so full from lunch that we went back later in the day for dessert. I can't eat a single carbohydrate for like 3 weeks now, I now have plenty in storage, LOL. The service could have been a bit better, they were not on their game either time we visited today, but overall, it was still a good experience.

From there we hit the Bellagio to visit the Conservatory, check out the shops and watch the fountain show:

From the Bellagio we headed over to the Paris and had more drinks... we played a little video poker at Gustav's bar while chatting it up with the bartender. I had a couple of free martinis and lost only one dollar at the poker machine - I'd say I was ahead! :) From the Paris we hit the Mirage to buy tickets for the Beatles' Love show. I'm not going with the family, but decided it's a show I really want to see. I've never considered myself a Beatles fan, but whenever I hear them, I remember how much I do actually like their music. We were discussing their music catalog in the show's gift shop, when the nice lady working there let us know that there's going to be a new Cirque show at the CityCenter opening this Fall, and it's going to have an Elvis theme. I'm thinking I'm gonna have to see that, as well! The picture below is me in front of the showroom area... pretty psychadelic. :)

I had a day off work, drank some martinis, enjoyed the beautiful Vegas weather, all with good company. I'd say it was a pretty kick-ass day!

For more photos from the day, visit my Flickr page.

No Longer a Phantom Noob

2009-06-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Saturday night I had a new experience... I saw Phantom of the Opera with friends Amy and Jennifer. Girl's night out - not a new experience, but this type of show? Definitely a new experience. I'd like to think I'm not all that culturally sheltered - but I've never seen a Broadway show or even the Los Angeles equivalent! (I do believe I can hear Vegas Princess gasping in horror.) I'm almost ashamed to admit I didn't even know this particular storyline, I had no idea what to expect (I guess that made me a Phantom Noob).

So the Venetian Hotel and Casino here in Las Vegas built their own theater for the production, and I found it gorgeous! The stage was very ornate but unlike other Vegas productions I've seen. Hey, I grew up here with the magicians, the cheesy lounge acts... the showgirls. This is soooooo different. I think I had an advantage in not having seen it before - I hadn't those Broadway expectations? I don't know that Vegas has truly proved itself worthy to some. (Personally, I think this town is big enough for it all - the magicians, cheesy lounge acts, showgirls AND Broadway productions, not to mention all the kickass concerts we get.) I loved the stage mechanics - the scenes were seamless, the sets were beautiful and the costumes were breathtaking!

I do enjoy a good musical, but honestly it's not my favorite genre. The singing was very well done and for the most part I caught all the words, and if there was a little I missed, I got the gist of the scene. But the words - the words are so important to me. I'm the one who reads all the lyrics in the sleeves of my albums. :) So during those scenes were they're singing over each other? I had issue with that. You can't tell what one of them is saying! So I've ordered the paperback edition from Amazon, because now I feel the need to know this story.

In the theater you see the famous chandelier in pieces, hanging from the ceiling - and they make this big deal of it when the show starts, and I remember Amy noting the chandelier more than once, so I had this sense that the chandelier played a large part in the story. In the end, not so much? I kept waiting for this crescendo taking us to the point of the chandelier... and if it came, I missed it. LOL

Don't get me wrong, I was entertained, and I am always up for new experiences. It was girl's night, besides - and you just can't go wrong there. After reading the story I should see it again; perhaps I'll get more out of it. My favorite scene? Definitely the masquerade!

What's On My iPod

2009-06-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

White Tie Affair - Candle (Sick and Tired) - This one is pretty catchy, and the guys in the band? Pretty easy on the eyes. :)

Akon, Snoop Dogg, and Lil' Wayne - Speaker - Bob yer head to this one... it's the SFW version. :)

Day 26 - Imma Put It On Her - Keep moving with this one... I had to crack up when I saw Diddy in the video, I see he's still in just about every damn hip hop video out there. I didn't remember hearing him sing in this song, but apparently he does. It's still something good to bounce to.

Kings of Leon - Use Somebody - Everything I hear from these guys is pretty damn good, I need to just buy the album vs. downloading singles. I'm seeing a trend anymore... everyone is so pretty in music anymore. Whatever happened to the ugly guy who beat the crap out of the drums, and made his millions because he's talented? Do these peeps get recording contracts anymore?

Chickenfoot - Oh Yeah - There is not one single video from the album out there yet... but here's a live performance on Conan O'Brien, dated 6-6-09. The album rocks - go get it!

5 Going On 15

2009-06-10T21:40:00.000-07:00

Now that Madison is the big number 5, she's had some changes at preschool - she's moved into a new classroom. This is the we're-starting-kindergarten-and-we're-way-cooler-than-you room. Or that's how she and her other recently 5-year-old friends feel about it. All the other kids? Babies now. The activities she did when she was 4? She's just WAY too old for that stuff. That's including the phonics class she takes twice per week (that we also pay an extra $100 per month for). I had to have a talk with her about that this evening, as she told the teacher she's not 4 anymore, and doesn't want to do it, it's "baby stuff". She is associating the phonics class with the pre-kindergarten room, and I see why, as the music class she took when in the 3-year-old classroom ended when she moved up. The phonics class, however, has been an incredible experience for her, and has done so much for her preparation to read. So I'm hoping she understood, cause I really want her to do it through the summer.

There are two really awesome things about this new classroom, and my favorite is that she doesn't take naps anymore. YAY! We really struggled with the naps after she turned 3, as she didn't want to go to bed at a decent hour. We tried working with the teachers to either not let her nap or to just let her have a catnap (no more than half an hour), but it never seemed to work out that way. Bedtime was a battle most nights during the week - but no more! She gets to bed on time and is out in no more than 15 minutes. I am still working on the right bedtime, because during the week she gets up early, and I think she could probably use a teensy bit more sleep at night.

The second bonus is that now that she's 5, she can take field trips. Here in NV it's illegal for the kids to have field trips any younger. So she's got a summer program full of activities, and a field trip every single week through August. This week they kicked the summer off with a small trip - a picnic at a nearby park. Next week it's the movies. There are museum trips, special shows, etc. How cool is that!?

Being 5 rocks, that's what Maddy says!

Weekend Update

2009-06-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

It was seriously just Friday, wasn't it? This weekend is all kind of a big blur behind me.

Saturday I got some hang time with Dad, he was getting a new deck installed in his truck (he's gonna be rockin' to some Sirius radio now). Best Buy really didn't do well with the whole purchase/install, so it took WAY longer than expected, and although the new stereo looks great, it was quite the endeavor to get it in. Kinda surprised me, I've always had good luck with their installs... But whatever, we got to hang for the better part of the day, and in the end, that was awesome. I picked up the new Chickenfoot album while we were out... Sammy Hagar, I'd missed you!

I had some errands to run, a t-ball game and a walk before I relaxed last night, and I watched Smokin' Aces. Why hadn't I heard of this movie before? There is some serious star power in this movie: Jeremy Piven, Ryan Reynolds, Ben Affleck, Ray Liotta, Andy Garcia and Jason Bateman, to name a few! Anyway, it was pretty violent, has a lot of "Vegas" themes to it, and an ending you will NOT expect. I seriously loved this movie!

This morning Madison and my nieces Breana and Taya had some portraits done - and my sister Toni came over early to do Madison's hair. (I have all this hair on my own head and do absolutely nothing to it - I'm very much a hair-tard.) Madison had her first hot roller experience (I do actually own hot rollers? LOL), and Madison was very unsure about it:

But once she saw the finished product, she was sold. Here's one of my favorites from today:

After portraits Maddy and I did some shopping, and we headed to the movies to see Up. I've heard it's not what you expect, and they're right - for once, the previews didn't show all the best parts. We really enjoyed it! I was warned I might cry, and surprisingly, I only teared up twice. LOL

How was your weekend, Internet?

What's On My iPod

2009-06-05T22:51:00.000-07:00

Depeche Mode - The Love Thieves (remixed) - This is some random remix I found of an already good song - but it's got a really good sound. This is a song that didn't get any attention from their Ultra album - but I like it!

LL Cool J - Big Ol' Butt - OMG, I had no idea there was a video for this song. Classic LL - love it.

Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing) - Remember this song? Yeah, Lauryn kicked ass with this one. You can't help but sing along!

Foreigner - Urgent - If you don't have this in your rock collection... you need it. What are you waiting for? This is an extended live version, really good quality. These guys are obviously still rocking!

Matt Nathanson - Car Crash This guy reminds me a little bit of Rob Thomas, a little bit of Jason Mraz. I haven't heard anything yet I haven't liked.

Happy Birthday, Maddy

2009-06-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

My baby is 5 YEARS OLD today! Every year, I wonder where the time went. She's starting kindergarten in the Fall, already! It feels like I just brought her home... I'll probably still be saying that when she's asking me for the car keys.

She was just over a year old here:

They grow up so fast.

Cloudy Skies = Lack of Motivation

2009-06-03T08:23:00.001-07:00

I think it's gonna be hard to concentrate today...

Titillating Question for the Day

2009-06-02T15:55:00.001-07:00

I think it's safe to say we've all done it... Googled old friends, coworkers, even old boyfriends/girlfriends - maybe you've even looked them up on Facebook or MySpace. Maybe you're just curious what they're up to, maybe you want to reconnect in some fashion, or maybe you just want to see how kind the years have been? Likely, in some cases, all of the above.

I've touched on this topic today with several different people, and I've gotten some very different answers... so I thought I'd see what other answers I might get. I was going to ask if you'd actually looked up an old flame, but I doubt I'll get many honest answers, LOL. So let me get all hypothetical on your ass. IF you found an old flame on the internet (to include photos), and the years were very unkind to them (they'd let themselves go, have bad skin now, a combover, whatever), how would that make you feel? Would you:

a) Think Karma caught up with them and have a giggle

b) Not think anything of it, who cares

c) Think that it reflects on you somehow, i.e. they represent your past dating choices and therefore should have kept themselves presentable

d) Feel pity toward them, what a shame

e) Other (please explain)

Now I know we're not all so shallow to wish ill on others. I'm talking your gut reaction - the first thing that pops in your head. It's human nature, I think, to have that fleeting thought! Doesn't mean you necessarily judge from the picture alone.

Something For My Sweet Tooth

2009-06-01T22:07:00.001-07:00

I have a bit of a sweet tooth, but I stay away from sweets most of the time. However, I so do luuuuurve me some ice cream when it's hot outside...and Breyers makes it so that I can enjoy some ice cream without guilt. What a beautiful thing! In fact, I just had one. Holla!

Birthday Party

2009-05-31T22:25:00.000-07:00

It was a pretty eventful weekend, but today was pretty much the focus. We had a birthday party for Madison and Breana at Bounce U this afternoon. Bounce U is a pretty awesome place for a party - it's pretty much just a huge warehouse with several bounce structures for the kids to play on. You pay a flat rate for the whole deal for up to 25 kids, and you can add ten more kids for $8 each - they feed the kids, serve up the cake, and do all the cleanup. My kind of deal! I think the only thing that wasn't great about today was that they weren't prepared with the number of staff. We had 35 kids. 35! They should have had two staff members for us, but we had only one who really struggled to keep up with us. So we ended up helping her out a lot, but it worked out in the end.

The kids focused on this huge slide for most of the party. Here Madison and her friend Cayla are going down backward for some added excitement (you're really not supposed to do this):

McKenna, Madison, Cayla and Reina posing for pictures while enjoying some pizza:

While the girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves, this was their last year having their birthday parties together. It has really worked out well, because their birthdays are only 6 days apart - but they're both making a lot of their own friends, and the parties are just getting too big. So we've agreed this was it. 35 kids was a bit on the crazy side today - but the fun you can see on all their faces was worth it! You can check out more pictures from the party here.

Madison's birthday is coming up this week... I still need to wrap her presents!

How was your weekend, Internet?

What's On My iPod

2009-05-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

Safetysuit - "Someone Like You" - Safetysuit is a new find for me... these guys are fabulous! They also sing a song "Stay" that's getting a lot of airplay lately. I just downloaded the entire album "Life Left To Go", I can't wait to listen to it.

Dan Hartman - "I Can Dream About You" - This song is badass! I was so jazzed when I heard this today - a loved yet forgotten song for me.

Katy Perry - "Waking Up In Vegas" - I'll admit it, I love songs, videos, movies, anything about Vegas. I'll even go one step further and admit this song is in fact, on my iPod. I've made no secret that I think Katy Perry is the flavor of the week... but hey, it's a good song, I bought it! This video was really well done, BTW. Enjoyed the interpretation that is a crazy time in Vegas. ;)

The Matrix w/ Katy Perry - "Broken" - LOL - and here she is again! I caught this song a couple of weeks ago and I've got it on my "To Download" list, I couldn't find it on Amazon then, so I'll have to look again tonight. This is a really cute song - ok, maybe I'm gonna lay off Katy for awhile. :)

Carl Carlton - "Everlasting Love" - What a classic song! I caught this on the Sirius 70's on 7 channel last week, and promptly added it to my collection. Definitely worth a listen...