November 30, 2008

We're back home now, and our long week of celebrating Thanksgiving and BigSis' birthday in Las Vegas is winding down. Here's how it all went.

First, in Vegas:

• LilSis had a smooth flight in on Tuesday, but BigSis and SisMama got stuck in Amarillo on Monday for over 4 hours due to mechanical problems. There was a problem that caused hydraulic fluid to spill out all over the runway as the plane was about to take off, and the jet had to be towed back to the gate. Southwest doesn't have mechanics in Amarillo, so the part and the mechanics had to be flown from Dallas to Amarillo, and then it took them a couple of hours to fix the plane. Thankfully, they did a great job and BigSis and SisMama got to Vegas safely, although they lost half a day of their time there.

• Once we all got there, Vegas was fun fun fun! And no, we didn't get into any trouble. There was no reason for you to worry, Big T. It was a very “G Rated” trip. Although we were very much looking forward to a fun night of indulging in gambling (something we don't have much experience with) and scoring some great casino bonuses. How that turned out, well, it'll be revealed in just a bit.

• We were not thrilled with the service at our usual favorite hotel so we decided to check out as many others as we could on this trip. We really liked Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino and love that The Miracle Mile Shops are attached to the casino. We tried to get out to look at the “infamous” pool on the 6th floor but it was closed due to the weather. We loved Caesar's Palace and The Forum Shops and just might stay there on our next trip. We each fell in love with a purse from the Coach store at The Forum Shops but we resisted buying them. (It took every ounce of willpower.)
  

  BigSis wanted this one!

  

  Lil Sis wanted this one!

• We did see Luciano Pavarotti, Elvis, a girl who looked like Sarah Jessica Parker, two hookers, and two drunk Europeans.

• The weather in Vegas was not great, especially on Wednesday…BigSis' birthday! How dare it be rainy and cold and windy! Still, it would have made a great time to admire the beauty of some of the most beautiful casinos in the strip.

• BigSis came away with about $60 in winnings against around $80 total in losses, so a net loss of $20 in slot machine fun isn't too bad! You can't even see a movie and buy popcorn for that! LilSis and SisMama didn't fare quite as well, but none of us are big gamblers so we can't cry about our small losses. We've been told you can win money without depositing any money while gambling online, so perhaps to avoid some more losses, we'll take a look at some online slots in the future instead!

• If anyone EVER recommends to you that you take the Deuce mode of double-decker transportation, DON'T DO IT! Let us just say that we had a terrible experience with it, and lost about 2 hours out of Wednesday. Nuff said. Don't do it. Take a ding dang cab.

• We had some fabulous meals in Las Vegas! On Tuesday, our dinner at The Palm at Caesar's Palace was by far the best! They had the best creamed spinach that any of us had ever eaten. The recipe is also in The Palm Restaurant Cookbook. Wednesday, we had a great birthday lunch for BigSis at Taqueria Canonita in the Venetian (delicious mushroom tacos). And The Studio Cafe in MGM Grand actually has one of the best breakfasts in town (excellent omelets and hashbrowns).
  

  The Palm in Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas

Then, back at home:

• LilSis made her first homemade pecan pie. She made the 2008 Thanksgiving Pecan Pie from Cookie Madness and the Eagle Brand Basic Pumpkin Pie . They both turned out great!

• LilSis and her family had an excellent Thanksgiving dinner, in spite of her flying in that afternoon and spending 2 hours in traffic getting home from the airport. The turkey was perfect and the Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes were the big hit, as usual. Thanksgiving dinner was great and everyone was thankful to be together.

• BigSis and SisMama also flew back to Texas on Thanksgiving, but opted for the Furr's Cafeteria buffet instead of cooking, since they'd done the family meal on the previous Sunday. The pros: no cooking, no clean-up, and only $9 per person. The cons: it was good but not like homemade.

• On Black Friday, BigSis and SisMama braved the crowds at Galleria Mall to see the lighting ceremony for the largest indoor Christmas tree in the country. Can you say “crowd control”? Great googly moogly there were bajillions of people there!

Ok, girls and boys, start your engines! The Christmas season is now here in full swing! Since we had a late Thanksgiving, we have a short period of time until Christmas. In the coming weeks, we're going to focus on Christmas, of course.

BigSis is organizing a bake sale on December 15th at her office building to benefit the Dallas SPCA, and her team's goal is to raise $3000. She will have much more to share about that project in the next couple of weeks.

LilSis and SirHoney have to get busy putting up the exterior Christmas lights. It just hasn't felt like Christmas yet in California since it's been 75 degrees and sunny almost every day. LilSis also has to get busy on shopping since she has to ship all their Christmas gifts.

We hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving week, and that you'll stay with us throughout the Christmas season! We love Christmas, and we'll be talking about shopping, decorating and merry-making!