Ohno, the Olympics are Coming

I didn't have time to do this post because we were busy cleaning for another showing yesterday.

Well, that was time wasted because it doesn't appear that they even showed up.

That is becoming an all too common scenario.

Anyway, I went ahead and signed up to volunteer for the

American Cup 1 Short Track Speedskating competition

that will be held here in October.

I will be serving in the official and volunteer hospitality area.

That's the best place to be because that's where all the food is!

They still need people to serve as "shadows".

You are assigned an athlete and then must follow that athlete

around once the competition ends making sure they aren't

ingesting or injecting any illegal substances.

Then, you have to watch them urinate in a cup

and verify that it is their urine.

This doping stuff is serious business.

I decided to pass on that task.

"Scheduled to appear" are Apolo Ohno and J.R. Celski

(not the South Korean in the middle.)

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Apolo won Dancing with the Stars!

(Oh, and 8 Olympic medals)

J.R. nearly had his leg sliced off by a speedskate

but recovered in time to win a few medals in Vancouver.

If they don't show, that's okay. It will still be fun.

And, I need to start volunteering again so I can have first pick when

the Visa U.S. Gymnastics Championships/Olympic Trials come here next summer.

Speaking of gymnastics, did you see the U.S. Championships last week?

Rebecca Bross, defending champion, who spent most of last year

recovering from an ankle injury went and did this.

Ugh! Dislocated her kneecap.

Hopefully she will recover in time to make the Olympic team.

About one month earlier, Russian gymnast Aliya Mustafina, defending world champion did this

Tore her ACL. I hope she recovers too.

She is unbelievably talented.

The Olympic gymnastics competition won't be the same if she can't be there.

Now The Magic Loogie has to prepare for the

Festivus Fantasy Football Draft.

What's that smell?

Oh, it's me grilling up a T-Bone in my division.

Vegas Trip

Or on Blogger (HA!)

If you go, be sure to eat at the Peppermill on the North end of the Strip.

The decor is a little tacky, yes.
Definitely vintage Vegas.
Apparently CSI and the movie, Casino, were filmed here.

The food is great,
and the portions are HUGE

There had to be at least 8 eggs in that omelet, not kidding.
Good thing we decided to share.
Most people in that restaurant weren't sharing, thus the obesity problem,
but I'm not going to tell them what they can and can't eat.
Free country (at least for the time being.)

The dining experience pretty much went downhill from there.

We stayed at the Wynn, which is always fabulous.
Wouldn't stay anywhere else.
The food, however, is ridiculously overpriced
(but what place isn't in Vegas??)

Luckily, we had a resort credit that came with our stay.
For breakfast one morning, we ate here.

And, these were our choices

I can get 6 bagels at Trader Joe's for $2.29.
And, 3 Denny's Grand Slams for their $12 "Eggs Your Way".
But, I'm on vacation.
Don't care... total waste of money.

Yes, this was a $12 Frittata.
And we shared it.
Like I said, ridiculous.

Anyone who thinks Vegas still has cheap food
because people gamble are sadly mistaken.

Besides the fact that this is the dirtiest McDonalds I have EVER been to,

they charge $8.99 for their Big Mac combo.
Something tells me that Big Mac is not made with Kobe beef,
so I don't know where they get off charging that.
It's the one by Harrah's.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
Gross. Dirty. Disgusting.

Let me talk about something positive.

FAB.U.LOUS.
Worth every penny of the $2/minute ticket price.

Although some of the patrons were none too pleased
when the ushers said the concert was only 90 minutes.

No, you weren't allowed to take pictures.
"Celine's rules" the usher said.
(Celine doesn't want to end up on Facebook.)

I highly recommend it as a "once in a lifetime" kind of thing.
Don't buy a t-shirt though.
They are $55.
Her favorite number is 5,
so I guess Caesar's thinks that justifies the price.
Whatever.
Not that I was even going to buy a t-shirt,
but I thought it was absurd.
Would I go again?
Yes. Definitely. Yes.
IF I can be guaranteed she would sing this

Because she didn't, and I wanted to cry.
I don't want to say too much about the show
because I don't want to ruin it.

If you like her, you will love it.
If you don't like her, go stand outside and watch
Sirens of Treasure Island.
It's stupid, but at least it's free.



Next time we go to Vegas will be when we visit the Grand Canyon West Rim Skywalk.
(And when Harry Reid gets voted out of office.)
And, we'll stay at the Wynn.
Again.
And lounge at their fantastic pools.
Again.





And pay insane prices for food.
Again.
And complain about it.
Again.

Tomorrow... Ohno, The Olympics are Coming

BTS- 2nd Grade

Today starts another year of lunchboxes and learning...

Carlie is now a 2nd grader!!!

with Snowflake
(I think this will be the last BTS picture
with those beautiful front baby teeth-Sniff, Sniff
One of them is getting pretty loose)

Noah, PupPup (aka- Captain Underpants), Carlie
(One more year home with my Bug -Double Sniff, Sniff)

waiting for everyone to arrive...

Abiyah and Carlie

4 new classmates this year
so they have reached the 2nd grade cap of 18 students.
Awesome!

Vegas Trip recap coming tomorrow...

Good Reads

Here's the deal.
We have exceeded capacity on our hard drive.
Is that even possible nowadays?
Apparently.
So, I cannot upload any pictures until we get our external hard drive and transfer everything.
I have been patiently going through photos of the past year just to delete
the duplicates and not so good ones.
I can't even download the newest version of ITunes.
Very frustrating.

So, since I have no pics to share today.
Here are some books I read this summer that I highly recommend...


Awesome book.
Great perspective on why she believed what she did,
and the events that caused her to change her views.


Open, honest account of what she has gone through.
If you have teenagers, they need to read it.
And, that Levi guy... Ugh!!!


Real page turner.
Couldn't put it down.
Should be made into a movie!
(*F-bomb alert*-I hate that because it is so unnecessary!)


Very convicting book.
Hopefully churches will take Platt's lead and start preaching
the Gospel for what it is, and not watering it down
to a happiness pill.