THEHotel. Oh, THEHotel. It is beautiful. There are dimly lit corridors stuffed with marble and sumptuous carpets and elegant flower arrangements and terribly disturbing art. The toiletries are many and varied, attend me: hair cleanser (not shampoo), hair masque (not conditioner), body masque (not lotion), 3 kinds of soap, a sewing kit, shoe polish kit, the ubuquitous and yet never actually used shower cap, and a real glass holder with real cotton balls. The shower is separate from the tub (which could fit two very understanding people) (so could the shower) and there are two potties in our suite! When you have 3 girls to one room, that is just right.
Incidentally, I am eating the most expensive Starbucks breakfast I have ever had. That would be a $4 grande nonfat latte and a $3.50 croissant; while on my $20/day wifi. It's a good thing I turned in early last night (11ish) and didn't hit the tables with the girls :p.
Actually, what has happened is far more disturbing: as I landed in LAS I got an email from work: six months ago our computers got infected with a virus that saved, among other things, passwords and keystrokes. It then sent them out somewhere. E.g, if you had ever gone to your bank account via a work machine, you should probably change all of your passwords. Again: I got this when I landed. In baggage claim. In Las Vegas.
After checking in I got online and changed all of my passwords and all of my pins. However, with my new pins being sent to me -- at least for my main account -- I am stuck without the ability to get cash. That is to say, I can get cash, if I get it off of my card as if it were a credit card, and then I would pay $20 for the honor. I can't bring myself to outright pay the $20 for the privilege of losing another $100 at the table (at least the table part would be entertaining). I may work a barter system with the girls.
We did however sample the local bars here in the hotel (including MIX, at the top, which has an amazing view) and did a little light shoe-shopping. This morning I went for a run, and today promises real shopping, as some of us (cough) underpacked on the dressy clothes. We also have appointments for someone to professionally apply colorings to our face (e.g., we're getting MAC'd) and then a French dinner at Fleur de Lis followed by "O", which two of us have never seen.
Then I will get exactly four hours of sleep before hightailing it to the airport (whee...).
This is, in short, a very different Vegas experience from my past trips: no one is getting drunk and disorderly, or missing at the end of the night; there is a higher share of shopping and a lower share of eating; I don't see rides in our future.
Unless I can get them on the NewYorkNewYork...
We recently held the inaugural meeting of the Cottam Wine Society. There is no Presidente for Life as this is an organic fun group.
The meeting was held at where else...the hub of the Cottam dining world and the home of the best local wine list....Calabria, in beautiful downtown Cottam.
There Terry and I dined with Gary and Wanda Killups from the Essex Wine Review and were often joined by our happy restauranteur John Driedger.
Wine brought was 2001 (my last bottle from Opimium)Grand Alsatiannnan Riesling, Sanson Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Flat Rock Chardonnay, Aleksander Chardonnay and one other I forgot. John relaxed his corkage a wee bit after we bribed him with the Riesling. We later bought 2 bottles from John so they made out well too.
Our guest speaker was Gord Mitchell from Sprucewood. Actually he stopped by and said hello as he was having dinner there with his wife, but I still treat him as a friend and of course our inaugural speaker.
Dinner was pizza and we ate and drank far too much but we enjoyed it. Good friends and good food and wine...what more can you ask for.
We are arranging our next meeting soon and well it will be fun too I bet...anyone can come
We will remember them. In France , at a fairly large conference, Prime Minister Steven Harper was asked by a French cabinet minister if Canadian involvement in Afghanistan was just an example of "empire building". Mr Harper answered by saying, You could have heard a pin drop.
'Over the years, Canada has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not
return.'
A Canadian Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the Canadian, US, English, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks, but a French
Admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, North Americans generally learn only English. He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English at these conferences rather than speaking French?' Without hesitating, the Canadian Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'
'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically.
Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.
The official replied, 'Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.'
The Canadian said, 'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it.'
'Impossible, Monseur. Canadians always have to show passports on arrival in France !'
The Canadian senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, 'Well, when I came ashore on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchman to show a passport to.'
You could have heard a pin drop.
Very amazing answers...and very true.
Remember our veterans and those that serve today.
I'm so excited! It's going to be here on the 17th - in all it's
Blu-Ray goodness :) I'm so excited!!!!
Avid readers of this blog know that I suffered a knee injury at the Dothan Tournament while fighting Big Red. This got me thinking about some of the injuries I've received over the years (including non-karate related ones), and I've come to the realization that I'm a fast healer. I say that in the sense that I don't experience "major" pain for a long period of time. In other words, if it takes 4 weeks to recover from an injury, then I stop being affected in a significant way after 1 week. I'm not completely cured, but I don't suffer terribly for long periods of time. This might be a result of a higher pain tolerance, but I think that I actually heal more quickly from the onset. I'll use my last 3 injuries as an example.
Separated Ribs
After about 1 week I could move and breathe normally without any pain. The injury was tender to the touch, but only hurt if I tried to bend or stretch beyond a normal range of motion. Laughing only hurt if I really laughed hard.
The first 4 days was pretty rough. I couldn't sleep well and I couldn't move my right arm freely. On the 5th day, the constant pain ceased and I had 70% mobility in my arm.
Sprained Foot
I sprained my foot about 1 week after the full contact tournament. For about 2 days, I could only put 30% of my weight on my foot. On the third day I could move normally. It was about 3 more weeks before I could sit in seiza without significant pain.
Sprained Knee
It hurt like hell that evening and I could only put about 30% of my weight on my leg. That first night, I barely slept. After the 2nd day and night, I could put 50% of my weight on my leg. I still couldn't go up or down stairs without difficulty. On the 3rd day, I could put 70% of my weight on my leg and go up stairs with minor discomfort. I slept normally that night.
Right now, I'm at the point where I can put 100% of my weight on my leg, but I only have about 80% mobility. I can go up stairs with no pain, and I can go down stairs with slight discomfort if I do so quickly. I still can't bend my knee to go into iaidachi or seiza. I think it will be about 2 more weeks for iaidachi and about 4 more weeks for seiza. I'm hoping that I can recover sooner than that.
Don't want it 'til you can't have it
It's weird but I have a really strong urge to practice karate now. I guess it's because I get into class and I can't do it. Also, I'm beginning to realize how difficult it is to teach without being able to demonstrate. From a student perspective, a teacher unable to demonstrate has always been something that I've sort of ignored (if I liked/respected the teacher). Being on the other side of it, I find it absolutely maddening.
Take Master C for example. I can't tell you how many times he has taught me a karate lesson and has said, "Well, I can't do this right now," or "I wish I could show you". Most of the time, it was an issue with his knee. Most recently, he told me that he couldn't do a shotei (palm heel) because of arthritis. When he does a palm heel, it's like a palm down nukite.
Now, in my mind, I completely understand the concepts he is trying to convey; however, if he were talking to a newer student, they may not understand. The solution is to actually position the student's appropriate body part. Again, since I know Master C, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but what if I didn't know him? One of the things that infuriates me is when someone tries to tell me how to do something when they have know idea what they're talking about.
Don't get me wrong. I remain as humble as possible especially with something that is new to me, but if I have any experience at all then I'm going to be extremely intolerant of someone's BS. That being said, I generally avoid teaching things that I'm not very good at performing. For example, spinning back hook kicks. I suck at these. I understand the concept, the mechanics, and how it can be integrated into combinations, but I absolutely suck at performing them. I'll even go so far as to say that I'm somewhat reluctant to correct someone's technique on that particular move because I can't properly demonstrate how it should be done.
For those kinds of kicks I look to the PFCs and the Hangtimes of the world to instruct them. Now a spinning back kick? Yeah, I rock on those!
END OF LINE..."I'm the best at what I do. And what I do isn't very nice, bub."
Greetings from the Southwest Airlines terminal at the Seattle Tacoma International Airport.
I arrived ludicrously early to the airport this morning – as in, two and a half hours early. Bag check and security was negotiated within 20 minutes, and so I headed to Anthony’s for a drink. (I don’t like to fly).
Alas, the rumors of free WiFi via Google were grossly overstated: instead of starting on the 9th, it is now delayed and starting on Monday the 18th. This being the 13th, it does nothing for me, and I do not wish to spend $8 for AT&T Wireless for 2 hours. I’ve spent the last hour or so trying to scrape some free Ethernets from the nearby “hoity toity” clubs (British Air, Delta) to no avail until now.
Why would I pay for in-flight WiFi and not for terminal WiFi? Well, yours truly is on a stop flight (non plane-changing) from Seattle to Las Vegas by way of… wait for it… Salt Lake City. I will be on a plane exactly twice as long as I need to be to save spending twice as much on a ticket. Ergo, my $8 for a realistic 2hrs of WiFi in the terminal would stretch longer on nearly four hours of flight. (Oh, wait, it looks like I’ve just acquired a signal from British Air… with 40 minutes before boarding, awesome!)
Not that I expect to penny-pinch this trip, on the contrary: I’m trying to save on little things because I know in my heart of hearts I will be very bad this weekend. There has been discussion of custom face makeup application and fancy dress and fancier restaurants; of coercing concierges for favors. But the house taxes are paid and the savings account is getting better, I think I will be ok. Thanks to a work hookup, we are staying at THEHotel at Mandalay Bay (as much as my spell check does not like the way that is spelled, that is how it is spelled). I have brought my running gear, which should hopefully offset all of the gastric and alcoholic excess. Or, it will sit untouched in my bag while I, and my two cohorts, galavant.
Pursuant to this trip I spent yesterday in a frenzy of tying up work loose ends, obsessive cleaning, hair-cutting-and-coloring (I didn’t do it myself, which is why it turned out well), and general whack-a-mole-ing. I was, in effect, earning my time to Quark’s Bar.
Which is not to be: while trying to find a link for the infamous “Warp Core Breach” I have discovered that the Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton is no more! Curses! It is set to reopen at the Neonopolis Mall… in 2010.
I am at a loss for words. That was one of my favorite things about Vegas, it was literally a required stop from the time it opened. The last time I went I dragged some six members of a bridal party to go feel Ferengi ears. Yes, I am a geek; but dammit, man! Dry ice in a fishbowl with 7 shots of Rum is nothing to sneer at!
Oh, sure, I can acquire foot-long margaritas and make do. I suppose there is some new/shiny/better gimmicky thing in Vegas – for that is what Vegas does best – but I really think it’s unfair they didn’t consult me. That they are coming up with a new/shiny/better one Next Year is beside the point, I haven’t booked that trip yet.
Take off is in 50 minutes. Next post courtesy of SWA WiFi… maybe…
Today, LG let me know that my Cartman covers Lady Ga Ga post made the "Entertainment is Good" page on Vox. I'm truly humbled by this accolade.... which really means.... "in your face, Picklez!"
On a serious note, I wasn't really aware of the entertainment page before now. It looks pretty cool. I will need to check it out more often.
Thanks to LG for giving me the heads-up. It doesn't make up 100% for her humiliating me each week in our NFL picks, but it comes close.
Just finished racking my cider and of course tasting it. I was exceptionally careful in mixing the apple types (yeah right....it didn't quite work the way I thought it would) so the apple distribution has no effect.
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