Telecommuting from Vegas = bad idea

While I really thought it would be beneficial to telecommute from Vegas, it has really just put me in a super crabby mood the past 3 days, leaving me pretty much insufferable at 5 o'clock. (3 o'clock Vegas time) I eat breakfast at 5:30am, have to eat lunch at 10am, and am starving by 3pm, so I'm hungry at the wrong time, and I'm up so early that I'm a party pooper at night. It's just a mess. The next time I decide it'd be a good idea to telecommute while on vacation, I'm going to make sure it's somewhere that's at least an hour AHEAD of MN instead of 2 hours BEHIND. Mark told me (and rightly so) that he thinks I need a nap this afternoon lol I think I've been a grouch all day :(

Since it's a cooler day today (feels somewhere around low to mid 80s), I think I'm going to opt for the hot tub and my book instead of the pool/laying out and my book this afternoon.

Last night, I layed out for a little over an hour and read, and then went upstairs and got ready for dinner. We went back to The Orleans and had Mexican food at a place there, which was really good! Then the night took a turn for the worse when I went crazy and decided to throw $24 at the slot machines! This one stupid one ate up $2.50 each time I pushed the button! The first time I did it, I won $5, so I thought I was RICH! Then I tried it 2 more times and just lost another $5. I spent the rest of the time wrestling with the $.01 and $.02 machines, but they got the best of me. I cashed in after my last $20 went in the machine for a measly $6. I think at this point in the trip I'm only down $14 total, but it still stinks that I threw away that kind of cash! I honestly don't know how people do it who lose any more than that--I felt sick to my stomach! I've made a new self-imposed rule now: no more restaurants located inside casinos!

They have free movie rentals in the main office at The Cliffs, so we rented Wicker Park and The Black Dahlia. We watched Wicker Park last night, which I'd always written off as a dirty stupid movie, but hadn't ever seen. It was actually really a great movie! Granted, there are probably things I overlooked that I shouldn't have, but overall, very confusing and crazy. But if you "get" it all in the end, really good! I'd actually really like to watch the Black Dahlia as well, but we'll see if we end up having time tonight.

Tonight we're going down to the strip, since I FINALLY get to sleep in tomorrow :) I'll have to write more about it tomorrow :)

Vegas is fun on Wednesday :)

Well, yesterday afternoon, when I finished working, I joined Mark down at the pool for an hour or so, and then layed out for another hour or so and continued reading my book, which I cleverly stole from the fireplace/lounge room at the condo place. (Don't worry, I finished it last night and returned it...and then stole another) :) I just started "The King of Torts" by John Grisham - not sure if it'll be quite as good as "The Summons", but at least this one starts out with a murder, so it's a little more suspenseful.

But enough about books - let's talk about VEGAS! After I got a little tender to the touch under the sun, I packed things up and headed up to our condo to get ready for dinner. I have begun to dread dinner time, since it seems to take us about an hour to figure out where to eat...and then once we finally decide we don't care where we're going, we drive around for 20 minutes until we find somewhere that looks alright. Well, no more of that tonight! I did some research this morning, and I've given the boys a list of about 10 places to choose from. Heck, I even put Hooters on the list! (I've heard they have great wings, but it'd look a little silly for me to go in there all by myself - and I'm a wing-eating fool!) Hopefully tonight will be a little more cut-and-dry. :)

I can't wait until tomorrow night, though - I finally won't have to do the crazy 5:20am morning on Friday morning, so we'll likely finally be able to make it down to Las Vegas Blvd (a.k.a. "The Strip") for the night to see more of the sights!

As this is my 2nd trip to Vegas, I'm more excited to see some things I didn't see the first time around. We stayed on the strip the first time - Labor Day 2005 - at Treasure Island. It was absolutely wonderful (as is this time, mind you) :) However, Vegas was crammed into the same week as SeaWorld in San Diego and a NASCAR Race in Fontana, so we were only there for one night and 2 days. I saw the dancing fountains at the Bellagio and we walked around a little that night, but I saw a lot of places that I would've liked to explore more. Needless to say, I'm prety excited for tomorrow night! :)

Well, I'd better get back at it!

I'm a HIGH ROLLER!

So to continue from yesterday, after all the poolside relaxation and such, I went up to the room for a nap, but ended up calling my mom to visit for a little while, and then to the fitness center for a short run. When I got back, I read more of "The Summons" by John Grisham, then showered up, and the boys and I went to The Orleans casino and ate at this cafe type place there.

After we ate, Daniel found a video poker machine and Mark and I followed suit. After I lost a few bucks, I moved over to a quarter slot where I won $30 and claimed the proud title of HIGH ROLLER for the day! Okay, so after all my other losses to the tune of $17, I really only came out ahead about $13, but still!

I cut the night short after that - I had to get up at 5:20 this morning to work remotely for a few days here at the condo. (MN is 2 hours ahead, so 6am here is 8am there) Good news is that I will get off work at 3pm Vegas time, even though it's 5pm in SD/MN :)

Well, I'd better get back at it now - the pool is calling my name at noon :)

Vegas - Day 1

In continuation from yesterday, we did end up going to the steak/seafood buffet place at Hacienda down near Lake Mead. We gambled a bit while waiting for a table (the place is REALLY good, and only $3.49/person, so there's a long waiting list), and then ate 'til we were stuffed little piggies. To work a little of the meal off, we drove down to the Hoover Dam, which was really cool! We got out and walked around a little while, and then headed back to Vegas. We went straight down to Fremont Street where we stayed and gambled and shopped for hours! I was konked out by around 10, but we stayed until midnight. I couldn't quite figure out how I became such a party-pooper until I realized that it was really 2am Minnesota time.

Needless to say, after a quick shower, I was out cold until this morning.

We got up this morning, ate a little breakfast, and then I went shopping for a little while and let the boys watch a movie and play Tetris. I just finished a good 3 hour relaxation session at the pool, and am on my way up to find some supper :) Not sure what the plans are for the night, but I do know that I'm not gonna be out until 2am MN time again - I've got to work at 8am MN time tomorrow! lol Love my job, though - they're letting me work remotely from VEGAS! :)

Turkey Day 10K / Vegas!

Well,its been a little while since I've updated my blog, but not without good reason! It sure has been a busy summer, and things are just starting to settle down. I've been training this summer for the Turkey Day 10K, so my weeks are filled with work, both at home and in Sioux Falls, fixing up the Eleanor St. house, and training for the race. An average week of training would look like this:
Sunday - 5-6 mile run
Monday - off
Tuesday - 4-5 mile run
Wednesday - 60 min cross-training
Thursday - 3-4 mile run
Friday - off
Saturday - 2-3 mile run
I wasn't entirely sure I would be ready for the race, but I rocked it! Granted, I think there must've only been about 100 people who finished after me (of about 700 runners), I felt good at meeting my 2 goals for the race: to run the whole way, and to average 10-minute miles. I finished the 6.2 mile race in just under 62 minutes!

After the race, Mark and I joined Jamie, Heather and Jed for a celebratory lunch at Perkins. Then Mark and I went to the Eleanor St. house and painted a little before heading back to Windom to pack and get on our way to the cities (Minneapolis) to catch a flight to Las Vegas! Mark's cousin, also named Mark, made us a wonderful meal, and then dropped us off at the airport. THANKS, MARK!
Mark's brother, Daniel, had called last Tuesday to see if we'd be interested in joining him this week (Saturday to Saturday) at his timeshare here in Vegas. So after some work shifting, we found it to be a possible option and jumped at the offer! So I'm updating my blog here from Vegas :)
Our flight didn't get in until 11:25 Vegas time, which is 1:25 MN time, so we were exhausted and went to bed shortly after getting settled in. This morning, we did a little grocery shopping, and then the boys went off to bet on some football games while I relaxed down by the pool with a book for the rest of the morning. I'm not sure of our plans for the rest of the day, but Daniel was talking about some great steak/seafood place over by Lake Mead, so we may head over that way and check out the Hoover Dam :)
Well, I'd best get to the pool! VIVA LAS VEGAS!