Thursday, January 28, 2010

Grunts and BBQ

I was working out this morning and a guy walked in about 1/2 way through the work out. He jumped on the treadmill and started running. While he was running I kept hearing these weird noises and grunts. I thought he had touretts.

No, he had just turned on America's Funniest Home Videos and was laughing.

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Have you ever put on a shirt backwards and not noticed? I know I have. Does not happen often, but with a big enough collar, it is possible...then it is embarrassing because someone has to point it out to you.

But when you do it with a hoodie at 5am, it is a bit confusing. See, when the hood covers your face, I am guessing you stand there, just for a moment and try to figure out why your sight has disappeared.

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Is it bad that I have eaten at the same restaurant the last 3 nights?

Monday, January 25, 2010

Odds and Ends from KC

It was hard to watch my Chargers lose last week...It was nice to see my wife's Saints win this week!

Who Dat? Geaux Saints!

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I am in KC this week...working in the real office. It is a big change of pace for me since I have worked from home since 2005. Deciding what to wear, making sure it matches and that my shirts/pants are not all wrinkly are all things I don't remember how to do on a daily basis.

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At least I finally get to wear some of my nice shirts on a regular basis...I think the shirts are confused though. Every time I put one on I get the feeling that I should either be going to church or out on a date with my wife...then the shirt seems to be disappointed when I show up at the office.

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Shaving every day sucks too!

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Is it just me or is a Caramel Sundae from McDonald's a tasty treat from Heaven?

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Claire and I talk about kids and our desire to have them on a regular basis...One of the interesting things is our view on how long it should take to get pregnant.

My experience, as viewed when watching my friends/family, is that it takes no time at all. Virtually everyone I know got pregnant almost immediately after trying...including one buddy that hit the bulls-eye on the first try. Claire's experience, as viewed when watching her friends, is that it takes a long time and often includes fertility treatments.

I know every couple is different, but it is interesting how our experience guides the desires and decisions we make. It gets complicated when you are trying to make decisions and the view is so different from either side!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Vegas NYE Trip...#3

Man alive...it is amazing how a new job gets in the way of blogging...
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On December 30, my family went back home and our new travel companions joined us in Vegas.

It was a trip for New Years and included Claire's sister Sarah and her husband Kyle...it was their first trip to Vegas, so we set out to show them a good time. Steve and Stacey were the other Vegas Veterans and we had worked hard to make sure it was a trip worth remembering...Starting with an upgraded hotel room at the Paris!

We caught up in the hotel and then got dressed to head out. First stop was Five Below, the ice bar. We spent about 45 minutes hanging out in there and enjoying the experience. It was pretty cool.
Then off to Red Square to meet a friend for vodka tasting. Most of the vodkas were not so good, but the company and experience was great!

Then dinner at Mesa Grill...Bobby Flay's place at the Ceasers Hotel.

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New Years eve was great...Breakfast at Bouchon and a day at Qua, the spa in Ceasers. Love the relaxing days at the spa. I know, most guys laugh, but it is because they don't know how to relax and enjoy a good pampering!

We ate dinner at the Noodle House at Ceasers (you have to eat there...the food was amazing) and then over to Tao for the NYE Party.

It was packed...too packed. We got separated from our group and did not hook back up until we left the club.
We did head over to Lavo (at Pallazzo) and did get some dancing in at a less crowded spot. At about 3am we decided to call it a night and headed back...but not before stopping for pizza. OH MY how good it was!
Friday, New Year's day had us puttering around town and doing some sight seeing...then dinner at N9NE steakhouse at the Palms. Our favorite meal of the trip! Can't recommend that place enough!
Right after dinner, the restaurant manager walked us up to the Ghost Bar to take in the view...

That night, we headed to Pure Nightclub at the Palms. A private table, bottle service and no waiting in line...no, not even the VIP line...we had the rock star treatment. It was like being Super VIP's. We waived at VIP's as we walked by them and were escorted by our private bouncer to our private table with our private hostess, 15 feet from the DJ booth and overlooking the dance floor. Did I mention the DJ was Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas? Will-Freak'n-I.Am. Amazing!
We were dancing on the white leather couches. We were dancing in our private area. We were frigg'n rock-stars all night long. Amazing!
Saturday we spent some time shopping, eating hot dog's at Pink's and having amazing Sushi at Roku Sushi in Ceasers. Then we saw Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian. What a great show. We had tickets 10 rows back in the center. Oh My Goodness....

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Both Vegas trips were great...different, but great. We can't wait to schedule them both again real soon!!!

Friday, January 8, 2010

Christmas/New Year's Trip #2

You can see Part 1 here...
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We woke up on December 26 and started our 1 day SoCal tour. We went to San Diego for brunch with Steve, Stacey, Emma (my Goddaughter) and Molly. It was a great time featuring manhole cover pancakes and crunchy potatoes. Claire and I then did some shopping (BAD IDEA!!!) and off to San Clemente to meet my father and his wife Patty for dinner. The food was good, the company was wonderful and we really enjoyed the afternoon/evening. Around 8pm, we began our trek to LA to see our friends Craig and Jenny. Craig and I have been friends since we were 11 and have been close since I beat him up on the playground. You know, the way most guy friendships start.

On Sunday morning, we had a nice breakfast and a very enjoyable, lazy morning...then off to Vegas for the annual family trip. We think this is year #7 where the whole family gets together, we eat buffet's, go to a show and enjoy being around one another...this year was no different.

We spent a day at the Spa, saw the Lion King and had a great time being together...there was one little thing that was different, however.

My brother and his wife got us the hook-up at The Bank at Bellagio. So, on Sunday night we cut the line, walked through VIP and rolled up to the best table in the house. We were situated right on the corner of the dance floor with a personal bouncer and a private hostess. We danced and laughed and generally had a party until 4am. We really knew what it felt like to be a rock star that night!

A big round of Thank You's...first to Pops for making this trip happen. We so love being together and you providing this opportunity for the family to be together is one of the highlights of the year for all of us. Next, thanks to James and Sabra for the set-up at The Bank. Certainly the best party Claire and I have ever been to.

Finally, thanks to the whole family for being so great and so loving!!!

Here are some shots from the trip...

The TaTaTa and Pops...
Esther and Brock...

Me and my brother James...
Erin and Kalar, warming up from Minn...
Me and the Little One...

James and Sabra...
The 6 Cumquat's just before the Lion King...

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Christmas\New Year's Trip, Part 1

Whew...I am almost recovered from a 9-day trip, 7 of which were in Las Vegas...3 nights at 3 different clubs (The Bank, Tao and Pure), 2 different shows (Lion King and Phantom) and no night earlier than 1am. Have I mentioned that Claire and I are both morning people?

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The trip started with a flight into Vegas on Christmas Eve. Claire and I flew separately and arrived in Vegas about an hour apart. By the time we got our car and luggage, it was 915pm and we started the 3 1/2 drive to Orange County.

We secretly pulled in at 12:45am Christmas morning, just after everyone in the house went to bed...my sister Katherine snuck out of bed and let us in. Claire and I went to bed on the couch under the tree and proceeded to fitfully sleep.

The surprises started around 730am when Sister #3, Jessica, said she thought she was dreaming when she heard my voice. "I could not figure out what man was in the house. I sat up, but figured I was just having a dream." No TaTaTa, it was not a dream...Surprise.

The next shock for the fam was around 830 when my sister Erin (sister #2) popped her head out from the top of the stairs...When she saw us her eyes got real big, she yelled "SHUT UP!!" and ran away...

Mom's surprise was the best. I had a dream that night that mom saw us and fell down the stairs. It was very troubling, so I made sure Claire and I were hiding under a blanket until she made it all the way down. Once she was safely down the stairs, we threw the blankets off and said "Merry Christmas!!" A blank stare. For a long time. She did not blink. Did not move. She just stared. It seemed like forever. We actually had to walk over to her before she moved. It was great.

Finally, Esther (Sister #1) was so taken aback, she "almost vomited" when she saw us. How glorious is that?!!

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The rest of the day was full of food and merriment. We had ham and gumbo, pancakes and pies. Claire and I even had time to get some sun, laying out by the pool and enjoying the 74 degree weather. Oh how I miss SoCal, especially in the winter.

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Pt 2 starts with brunch in San Diego, dinner in San Clemente and a nightcap in Los Angeles.