StripSteak

I feel like our second day in Vegas actually was broken up into three parts, the spa, dinner and the Michael Jackson show.

we clean up pretty well

I'll give you a quick rundown of our evening meal at StripSteak, in the Mandalay Bay. I reviewed the menu out front was going to get a simple burger or maybe small steak. Nope, when in Vegas, you go big or go home.

dinner is served

My friends and I started the meal like we started every other one, with delicious beverages...martinis!

I was peer pressured into getting the Japanese A5 wagyu. I had no idea what I was eating, but it must be good since there was no price listed beside it on the menu. It just said "MP" which means "market price". Well, that night the market price was a cool $205.00. You only live once...so pass the plate!

Sheila opted to add some grilled foie gras to her steak, but I had no intention of eating duck liver. So, Nani and I decided to split a half a lobster tail.

I realize this may seem over the top, but it was an awesome evening with my friends I've known for over 30 years. Never has a three hour dinner passed so quickly. Under normal circumstances we could have stayed there all night, but we had a Cirque show to see.

Japanese A5 wagyu

just wanted a hint of lobster

the menu said "bacon marmalade" of course I ordered it

Cheers!!

Spa Day at the MGM

Yes, the Vegas adventure continues...Day 2 seemed like our more jam packed day of the trip. Well, me waking up around 10:30 AM didn't help, but hey...it's a vacation!

After I finally dragged my butt out of bed, Sheila and I headed to the MGM food court to grab a quick bite to eat before our spa appointment. I grabbed a breakfast sandwich from 'wichcraft, then it was time to head down to the MGM Grand Spa and Health Club. We checked in and changed into our robes and slippers. This was my second time to visit the MGM Spa and since we weren't that pressed for time on this visit, it was much more relaxing.

I almost fell asleep on the couch before I was called back for my 50 minute Swedish massage. I was still pretty tired from all the traveling and the massage was so relaxing, I wanted to pass out on the table. I probably could have spent all day there. It's nice to be pampered. Big shout out to Casey for making it all possible!!

Up next, the manicure and pedicure. Prior to last week, I had only had 2 manicures and 1 pedicure in my life. Now, I think they need to become a habit. Glenda, my nail technician, was amazing. She was super sweet and we were chatting like old friends. Not to mention she did a fabulous job on my barely there toe nails.

painted piggies

football season hasn't started, thus my claws

Sheila & I finished up first and continued to lounge & watch ESPN

We didn't want to leave, but had reservations for dinner & a show

It's been 10 years since we've had a reunion in Vegas...

...and since we've been friends for almost 30 years, it seemed like a fitting place to hang for a week.

Since I grew up in small private schools, it's not surprising that I still have friends from childhood. The older I get, the more awesome I think it is...we should all be so blessed to have lifelong friends. However, in this case, they're more like family.

Sheila & my friend's dad, Mr. Malama landed in Vegas first. I got in about 2 hours later. Mr. Malama didn't want to walk outside for lunch, so Sheila and I left him at the Texas Hold'em table. There's another story about that later.

Our first stop, Sugar Factory at the Paris Hotel. A friend of mine was there a few months ago and I saw her photo of the chicken & waffles. And once I saw there was bacon in the waffles, my lunch decision turned into a no-brainer. We also got milkshakes since we wanted to pace ourselves with the adult beverages.

Sheila got the strawberry milkshake, I got the red velvet one. Did I mention there were chunks of red velvet cake in the shake? Holy cow, it was fabulous!!

Chicken & "bacon" waffles

Shake me!

After lunch, Sheila and I headed over to the Bellagio for a quick peek around the conservatory. There was a bird theme and since I'm not a fan of birds, we didn't stay long.

Cheese!!

Penguins outside of Minus 5

Has it really been 20 years...

....since we graduated from the eighth grade and began our high school adventure?

How many people do you know and still talk to from 1993? Would it be weird that 2 of my trips this year were to visit two of these old classmates? I never realized how small our classes were back then and with the power of social media, it's much easier to reconnect and catch up with old friends.

That being said, there is a reunion in the works. Yes, an eighth grade class reunion. We had one a few years ago, but some yahoo, (who shall remain nameless) planned it the same weekend as the Super Bowl. Come on man, with Peyton Manning playing, it was no contest.

But I've promised the same yahoo's I'll be back for the next one....

St. Edward School, Class of 1993

I adore my army of minions

The donut or the hole?

About to hit the wall...

I made the mistake of looking at my planner today. Yes, I still use a paper planner and I probably always will. I have this thing with making lists and crossing things off as they are completed. I also have a desk calendar at my office. This helps me see the bigger picture. And yes, I use colored markers to write all over that one. Bright colors make me happy and keep my attention.

Here's what I noticed today. My Saturday's are pretty much booked till 2014. This kind of makes me sad. Sometimes I like to be lazy and just relax on a Saturday. I don't like to be on the go so much. I also realized I double booked myself on my only "free" Saturday in August.

Just thinking about all the stuff coming up makes me want to crawl into a ball and pull the covers over my head.

That being said, I have another mini-vacation to pack for...will it ever end?

RSVP

Répondez s'il vous plaît.

Sounds simple enough, right? This is one of my pet peeves and I know I'm not alone in this regard. There's a reason an RSVP is requested when planning an event. Even if I can't make it to an event, I'll at least let the host know, so they can plan accordingly. 

The last thing I want, if I'm hosting, is to run out of food/supplies. By RSVP-ing, I have a guide. But here's the flip side. If you've RSVP'd "yes" but can make it, common sense would tell me that I need to let the host know. Sometimes I don't think people actually put two and two together. 

So, that's my rant for the day, find your manners and stop being selfish.

Another year, another ID4

Forget hot dogs, BBQ and fireworks. My July 4th tradition has included the movie "Independence Day" or ID4 as I like to call it, for as long as I can remember.

Well, maybe not that long, since the movie only came out in 1996. But I feel lost if I don't catch at least part of it on the holiday. I do the same thing on Christmas. It's Die Hard all the way and something felt "off" when I didn't watch it last year.

That being said, Will Smith is about to get some green s*** shot at his jet.

Happy 4th, y'all!!

I'll see you in the Rockies!

After what seems like a zillion years, I'm less than a month away from seeing another childhood friend and finally seeing the Rocky Mountains, up close and personal.

I've known my buddy Matt since I first moved to Nashville. We were in the same 3rd grade class and went to the same schools till he and his family moved to Colorado our junior year of high school.

Not only will we be hitting the Kenny Chesney show at Sports Authority Field, we'll also be celebrating his engagement and his recent acceptance into the New York City Marathon!

Bring it, Denver!

Service with a smile...

Last night a friend and I wanted to see World War Z out at Turkey Creek. We had planned on hitting the 7:40 PM show, but apparently, the rest of Knoxville & Farragut beat us to the punch.

We looked up at the big board and saw an 8:15 showing for The Purge. Much to our dismay, the ticket dudes told us that one wasn't available too. I couldn't believe that 2 shows were sold out, but I was kind of wrong. There was an 8:15 listing for The Purge, but for some reason that option wasn't available on the computer. So, we settled on The Internship.

I noticed the ticket dude gave me back by credit card and Regal card without swiping it. I looked down at my ticket and noticed the cost as $0.00.

I asked Brad if his ticket was free too and he thought it was because of his Crown Club Card. Wrong, we guessed it was just good customer service.

The Internship was 1000x funnier than The Hangover 3. I laughed till I cried in that thing. There were so many little digs and remarks that could have been related to my own life. There was a full on Quidditch scene that was initially described in non-Muggle terms. I found it hilarious because I knew Brad was thinking the same thing as Vince Vaughn & Owen Wilson's characters, "what is this?". Thankfully the other characters explained the game in plain English.

Moral of this story, thanks to The Pinnacle's gift of a free movie ticket when our original movie was sold out, I'm more willing to go out of my way to see more movies there and I might even pick up more concessions along the way.

What I love, about the South...

For some reason, the summer, always seems to remind me of one of  my favorite Kenny Chesney quotes:

"Southern girls are God's gift to the entire male population. There is absolutely no woman finer than one raised below the Mason-Dixon Line. And once you go Southern, may the Lord help you, you never go back."

Love my Volunteer Traditions hat

The Power of Social Media

Last night I randomly logged on to my Fly Delta app to verify my AMEX points had properly transferred to my Sky Miles account. The points are fine, but I noticed my itinerary for a November trip and been thrown out of whack.

When I initially booked the trip, I was suppose to fly from Knoxville to Memphis, then on the Vegas. Well, it would appear the TYS to MEM flights have been cut. My new itinerary had me going from Knoxville to Atlanta to Memphis, then on to Vegas.

Aside from it looking completely stupid on paper, the updated flights would have caused me to miss my Vegas connection in Memphis. Since Delta took it upon themselves to re-book my fight, why didn't they just have me fly to ATL then on to LAS?

By the time I found this issue, it was after 11PM and I was not about to call the 800 # at that hour. I was not able to change my flights online, which annoyed me even more. So, I did the next best thing. I vented my frustrations on Twitter. What happened next shocked me.

Not long after my tweet to Delta, I got a response from their @DeltaAssist account. All I had to do was direct message them my confirmation # and they would look into the problem and see if they could find a solution. 

My issue was fixed in less than 10 minutes and they re-routed me on my first choice out of Atlanta. All of this was corrected without additional charges and without me having to sit on hold for 45+ minutes.

I've had my issues with Delta in the past, but lately, my flights have been taking off on schedule and arriving a little ahead of schedule. Hope this continues.

Several companies could learn a thing or two from this experience. I do not advocate taking to social media to bash companies, but if I see areas they can improve their service, I will continue to speak my mind.

Bravo Delta, I look forward to gaining more Sky Miles to use toward future adventures!!

Better late than never...

I've known my buddy Joel ever since I moved to Nashville in 1987. Yes, that means we've been friends for over 26 years. He kept saying he felt "old", but I like to think of our friendship like a fine wine...it gets better with age.

One of the many reasons I love Joel is, he's one of the most caring people you'll ever meet. I forgot to remind him of this story, but in the summer of 1993, the summer before our freshmen year of high school, we had a house fire. We lost almost all of our material possessions, but no one was hurt. I was in Hawaii at the time and my mom, step-dad and BoJangles were at a conference in Gatlinburg. 

I remember calling Joel because we talked multiple times a day and when you're that age, material things mean a lot more. He called my parents when they got back home and offered his house, if we needed a place to stay. Mom flew to Hawaii to bring me home later in the summer and Joel came with my step-dad to the airport to pick us up. To this day, I don't think he realized how much that little gesture meant to me.

My time with him in Chicago was short, but we had a blast. It's like no time had passed since graduation day. Here's to another 26+ years of a fantastic friendship.

                                     

Blake, Joel (in the glasses) and I

Gradation Day from Father Ryan High School -- May 1997

Afternoon wine break

I was told all the tourist take this shot at the Bean, can you see us?

I gave the deep dish a whirl

I also wanted a cheeseburger and a Coke

Holy cow, we found the Goose Island Wrigleyville Pub

Flight of beers

Words can not describe how good this was

Take me out to the ballgame...

Even the Derby hat couldn't help the Cubbies on this day

Welcome to Chicago

The Water Tower, where the past meets the present

 I want candy

Pass the popcorn

Navy Pier

"Sears" Tower

I spy Soldier Field

The Madhouse on Madison

Cute little beach bar

Looking north

Loved this design

So peaceful, in the middle of the city

Chi-Town Bound

In all my years of traveling, I haven't set foot outside of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. I have run through it several times and even slept in there on more than one occasion. But the wait is finally over, I finally get to see the city.

The Bulls have started their post season run and the Cubs, well, they're the Cubs...so things could get interesting.

13.1

As I've stated before, I hate running. Did I also mention I hate to sweat. Yes, I'm also not big on manual labor.

But I got this wild idea today. Why not run in next year's Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon? Well, I guess I should be more specific in that I think I can run the half marathon. 13.1 miles, that's a little less daunting than the full 26.2 miles. I think if I actually get serious about it, I could survive it. Maybe.

While this idea is still rolling around in my head a co-worker planted another seed. What about the First Annual Southernmost Marathon? Or in my case, the half marathon. I mean Key West is much flatter than Knoxville and what's the worst that could happen...I'd end up at Margaritaville.

Hogfish and chocolate covered key lime pie on a stick. That's about the only motivation I need. Now here's the kicker, the price. The half marathon registration fee is only $65.00, but the plane ticket and hotel are over  $1000. Am I serious enough to drop that kind of cash to run through the streets of Key West?

Decisions...decisions...decisions....

Who's RAD?

I hate running. Not only is that my personal philosophy when it comes to working out, but that was also our team name for this weekend's Color Me Rad race. This was the second time Knoxville hosted the event. Last year, it was in October and in Chilhowee Park. The date and location, downtown Knoxville, was much better this time around.

There were over 9,000 participants, but a good time was had by all. Perhaps the funniest moment for me happened about half way through the race. I was down on Neyland Drive, heading toward Bridge View Grill, when all of a sudden, I saw one of my friends. He was heading toward the turn around point. I yelled his first name....nothing. Tried his last name...zippo. Finally I shouted "Naked Dave" and he stops dead in his tracks. It was awesome!

Here's a quick note for next year. Roll in the color with caution. I got dizzy and one of my other friends got stepped on. But I'd do the race again in a heartbeat. Sign up early next year...those spots fill up FAST!!

Wish the shirts were white

I had to break out last year's shirt...and I was shocked Brad opened the wallet for this event

I can't tell you how many times Libby changed outfits during the race

Never yell "hit me" at a color station

Libby, Mary Ellen & I stopped for a photo-op

You know we had to roll around in the orange color

Where's Wells? There he is

See you kids again next year!

Back to Tampa

While today is official "first day of Spring", my "summer" started over the weekend. Yes, it was time for me to head back to Tampa for the start of Kenny Chesney's "No Shoes Nation" tour. Before I get into the details of that concert, I wanted to give you a quick re-cap of my mini-vacation.

For the first time in a long time, my mom and I flew down to Tampa together. I normally fly out of Knoxville and she'll fly out of Nashville. But this time around, I had some vacation days to burn and it was more cost effective to take Southwest.

We landed in Tampa around lunch time, last Friday. A friend of mine recommended we hit The Colonnade. And I'm glad we did. Not only was it a quick drive from the airport, the food was delicious and set the tone for the rest of the trip.

This was the sign that greeted us, as we entered....this already got my stamp of approval.

You really can't go wrong with the shrimp scampi or bay scallops.

We had a seat next to the window, so we could see the bay. 

But no one warned us we might have a lunch guest. This little guy and his buddy kept running across the window seal. 

Here's the moral of this story. Next time you're in Tampa. Go visit The Colonnade.