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January 13, 2006
long time, no blog
I'm sure that's not the first time I've used that title.
When you go this long without writing, there is inevitably a lot to talk about. Much of it is also so long ago that I don't feel like going into great detail about it.
So, ok, Christmas.
People liked their gifts. Kara got a chocolate fountain (one from me and one from her Dad, actually; one went back for credit at Bed, Bath and Beyond), an amethyst and diamond necklace, a wok, and some other little stuff. Matt got a joint birthday/Christmas gift consisting of most of the dishes and cookware he needs for his first place. Dad got F.E.A.R. and a pillow from Brookstone (one of those squishy really comfortable ones). Mom got a sweater, a moose calendar and some word searches. Mike got the Family Guy season 1 and 2 DVD and a laundry basket. Kara's mum got a toaster, and her Dad and stepmom got some gift certs for dinner. Various relatives got scented jar candles.
I made out like a bandit. I got not one but two homebrew kits, a big 5-gallon one from Mike and Matt, and a smaller Mr. Beer 8.5 liter from Kara's Dad. More on that later. I got from Mom and Dad what I thought was going to be a desk calendar and turned out to be an iPod nano (!). That was surprising. Kara got me some clothes, a talking Yoda, a magazine basket for my Home Office (auxiliary), and a Wing-It deep fryer hot wing maker. That was also surprising. Kara's mum got me a whole mess of books and some neat wooden toys including some tangram blocks; I used to play with those when I was little. What else...oh, a Leatherman, some Homestar Runner figurines and a Trogdor Polo (happy 3rd birthday Trogdor!), and various candy, junk food and gift certificates.
So much for being healthy...between the beer, the chocolate fountain and the wings, I should've bought a forklift as well.
We had a New Year's party at my place during which I bought and we consumed waaaay too much food and beer, including wings, pizza rolls, spring rolls, homemade salsa, champagne, various dips, etc. It was a low-key affair with just a few people but we had a great time, and the next day, Kara and I sat on the couch eating leftovers and watching many episodes of Law & Order.
I started my first homebrew about two weeks ago in the Mr. Beer. It's a fairly simple matter. Basically, you sanitize everything very carefully (they emphasize this, as random little bacteria are the #1 cause of bad beer), boil up some water and dump in a can of beer mix, then pour this into the brewing vessel, let it cool a little, add yeast, stir, close it up, and wait. A week later, you pour the beer into bottles (I used plastic 1-liter bottles for the first batch) along with some sugar for the yeast to convert into carbonation, and wait at least another week. So now my first batch is drinkable, and I might just crack open one of the bottles today. For the best flavor you're supposed to wait a month, so I'll do that with some of the next batch.
So we just got back from LA and Vegas. Company trip to Vegas, and Kara's friend Judeline (sp?) lives in LA and had been wanting her to visit for the last five years, so we combined the two trips into one. Last Friday we arrived in LA at 9:30 local time and almost immediately went out to a club in Hollywood. It was really overwhelming and neat to see the stars on Hollywood Boulevard--I recall seeing Johnny Cash and Bela Lugosi that night--and after clubbing for awhile we went to an old Jewish deli and then to sleep.
Saturday we drove around Beverly Hills and saw the shops, then went to Hollywood again to see Mann's Chinese Theater and the rest of the walk of fame, then to Venice Beach to watch the sunset. I finally touched the Pacific Ocean. Then we went for dinner at a place that serves Shabu-shabu, which means "swish swish" and involves a hot plate with a pot of boiling water on your table. You take raw meat and vegetables and hold it in the water with chopsticks, and basically cook it and eat it right there.
Then we went out for a few drinks, and on Sunday, had crepes before heading to Las Vegas. Overall impression of LA was very positive...there are tons of great restaurants and lots of good boutique shopping, particularly if you like clothes. Plus Hollywood is neat...we did see the sign. And the beaches, with the shops along the sand and the skateboarders and the surfers, are really cool. I would go back. Also, it was nice for Kara to be able to see her friend and for all of us to hang out.
So, Vegas. First thing you see upon exiting the plane is a row of slot machines. We stayed at the Venetian, on the strip. Amazing. The hotel has a Venice theme and they spare no expense towards extravagance. Tons of gaming tables and slots, although the minimum bet at most table games was $5. Our room was a huge suite with a bathroom bigger than my current bedroom.
The thing about Vegas is that it's not just about gambling and drinking. There are exceptional restaurants everywhere, great shows, and just amazing people-watching. We had great food, saw Avenue Q (a show that is basically an adult Sesame Street), watched the dancing fountains at the Bellagio, discovered the joys of Star Wars penny slots and video poker at the bar (free drinks while you play!), went to a neat club (go-go dancers in cages over the tables and regular acrobatic shows over the bar), walked and walked and walked, saw New York-themed casino New York New York and ate at an authentic fake Irish bar, saw dolphins and lions and white tigers, and just generally had a great time.
Also, I had a chance to interact with my coworkers in a social setting, and it really made me much happier to work here...not that I was unhappy, but when you share something like that with people, it gives you something to relate to. We did a scavenger hunt and had many all-you-can-eat buffet experiences.
Anyway, Vegas is amazing. I highly recommend it, even if you aren't a hardcore drinker/gambler. Obviously it works more if you are. I have additional stories to tell, but this blog is getting long. I'll probably write some of 'em down soon.
So I have a long weekend and I'm going to take advantage of it by finishing up some home projects and relaxing. Kara takes another part of the CPA tomorrow and is heading to Rockport Saturday night. I haven't been to Corrib in awhile, so I might go down there tomorrow night to watch the Pats game. Tonight I'm playing EVE and eating pizza rolls. Life is hard.
It was so great to have a vacation. I think that when Mike graduates from college and I finish my MBA (for which I need to finish applying this weekend), I want to take a family trip out there. Mom and Dad would love the shows, Mike and Matt would love the gambling (as would Kara's mum, so I hear), and Kara and I would love all of it.
Ok. Promise I'll update more regularly for at least awhile now.
Posted by Mark at January 13, 2006 04:52 PM
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