How It's Been

Well I think I've been doing quite well lately.  After the near death experience it seems like I've had a new outlook on life and my relationship and I think Snackers has felt the same way.  We had a rather interesting and unexpected chat over a plate of chips and salsa at Denny's the other day that really brought us closer together, I think.

My parents were here for a visit last weekend.  They arrived late Friday morning and hung out with us around the house until I got off work.  Snackers introduced them to the wonders of Netflix on the 51" flatscreen and I think my dad was in love.  When I got done with work we took them to Sam's Town where we walked around the Casino, killed some time, and my mom and I shared a virgin margarita while we waited for the light and water show that they have there.  They played a variety of tunes but finished it up with "Proud to Be an American" which got us all a little choked up.  After that we went to dinner at the East-side Cannery ... which wasn't great, I'll admit.  Their breakfasts there are much better but dinner was a bit of a let-down.

From there my mom wanted to do some quick shopping at Target because, being a diabetic, my dad has some special dietary needs.  I had some sugar free items that I'd picked up for him and a huge bag of snacks designed specifically to help diabetics regulate their blood sugar that our friends sent over for him but I forgot the simple things like skim milk and whole wheat bread.  After that we came home and watched Storage Wars, also on Netflix until bed.  We had fun on Saturday as well, though Snackers had to work and dad wasn't feeling great so we lazied around in my living room through most of the morning while mom and I talked and dad watched the news in HD ... I think I saw little heart shaped bubbles floating out of the top of his head. lol  Around noon the three of us went to lunch at Coyotes (yummy authentic Mexican food) and then picked Snackers up from work.  We stopped in briefly at Kohl's and Old Navy because my dad wanted to buy my mom some new clothes for her birthday that's coming up but instead of her finding anything for herself Snackers ended up finding two jackets for me.  One is a joggers jacket so it's snug, long sleeved with thumb holes in the cuffs, and high collared.  It has interior and exterior pockets for an ipod, cell phone etc. and is made from that material that wicks away sweat.  The other is a long grey knit sweater like the one the ghost wears on Being Human.  I love them!

From there we headed to Caesar's Palace and the Miracle Mile shops where we browsed stores that we could never even hope to afford anything from and watched a few minutes of the water fountain show but it was LAME so we left for the main attraction.  FREEMONT STREET!  My dad has always wanted to see the experience since it opened so that had to be on our to-do list.  You can zip-line the experience now, from one end to the half-way point but the downer is they require ID and my dad didn't have his on him so that got shot down.  We did a lot of walking though and I even sprinted about a block-and-a-half and back again to check on the tickets for the zip-line before we found out you needed ID to ride it.  After that my parents did something I never thought they'd ever do in Vegas.  My dad had a psychic read his palm.  Even more surprisingly was that he was pretty impressed by her, and that's especially shocking because my dad is the biggest skeptic I know when it comes to psychics but he seemed impressed enough that he and my mom both thought Snackers should get his done ... so we did.  I was impressed and I think Snackers was too but he was kind of blowing it off a little.

After that mom had her first-ever KrispyCreme donut (and dad had a taste).  Snackers had a chocolate milk shake made from pure butter fat (and mom had a taste).  I abstained from both.  By then the experience had started and it was the one we went specifically to see: American Pie by Don McLean.  It was awesome!  I've seen a few different shows at the experience and this one was the best.  Dad and I were both singing along and at one point a rocket ship blasted from one end of the experience to the other.  My dad worked on rockets when he was a design engineer so he especially loved that part.

From there we continued to make our way from one end to the other, stopping to get our pictures taken with Elmo and the Cookie Monster because my mom thought my sister's kids would get a kick out of it.  Then I taught dad how to play penny slots while Snackers and Mom sampled the 99 cent deep fried twinkies and oreos.  They also got a frozen, chocolate covered banana on a stick but they didn't eat it so I picked the chocolate off and snacked on the banana on our way back to the car.

Sunday morning we got up and went to breakfast as Weiss', an authentic Jewish restaurant with the YUMMIEST homemade bagels and fresh tomato slices EVER!  Then we took dad to get his first ever professional massage and while he was doing that mom, Snackers, and I hung out in a sports bar next door playing video poker and watching the Patriots game.  Mom doubled her $5.  Yeah mom!  Then we headed to Nikki Lee's when dad was done to finish watching the game because it's close to the airport and way more comfortable than the one by the spa.  Mom and I walked a block-and-a-half to the nearest 7-11 because I realized, after we got there, that I needed some girl supplies ... if you catch my drift.  Then we pretty much hung out and watched one of the most intense football games I've seen all year.  By then it was time to take them to the shuttle so Snackers dropped us all off and I walked them to the shuttle pick-up while he did loops.  I said goodby and told the driver to take good care of them, then headed back upstairs to jump in the car.

I think they had a lot of fun but I guess my mom doesn't know that 'what happens in Vegas is supposed to say in Vegas' because she's been sending intermittent pictures to everyone in her cell phone contacts including me all week.  Ah well, I guess that means it's ok for me to share the whole lo-down here on my blog right? :)

I've started my last classes for school before graduation.  My last day of class will be April 1st and my commencement will be on June 9th.  Snackers and I are thinking of getting some Garfield and Odie costumes and becoming street performers on Freemont Street for extra ducats in the evenings once I'm done with classes.  Those peeps make about $100 a night according to an article published in the local paper and you don't have to have special licensing to do it as long as you stay a certain distance from the casino entrances and are respectful of the other street performers.  Not a bad night job if you ask me!

The IUD was starting to worry me that my body was going to reject it.  I've read about a dozen horror stories from women who had issues for months after receiving it and had to have it taken out because their bodies just wouldn't adapt.  If that happens I'm out the $500, no refund ... so I've been pretty concerned.  But yesterday and today seem better.  I haven't had any pain but I was going through more than normal on the girl supplies last week and part of the week before but it looks like it's slowing down now so I just might be alright.  *crosses fingers*. 

And finally, Vladdy turned 1-year old yesterday so Snackers had a little party for him at the park and our friends brought him a doggy ice-cream cup.  I stayed home to work on the latest book which is just about finished (I love dogs ... really I do but having a birthday party for a dog just isn't "me" I guess).  So that's that.  How are all of you doing?  Any new news or developments lately?