Living in Long Beach

Last night, we had our monthly book club gathering. This month’s book was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. When I was first invited to join the Stoneybrook  Book Club, the books had already been selected for several months. A different member of the club hosts the gathering each month and for my month the book that had been preselected was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I loved this book and went on to read the other two in the series. For my first book club gathering, I added a Swedish dinner. It was really a lot of fun. Here are some pictures of my delicious princess cupcakes. They tasted a LOT better than they looked and had all the requisite layers. If you want to see the look I was going for (and the recipe), go to the cookie shop blog. This is very labor intensive but way better than the Ikea ones (which are good in a pinch.) Plus, mine had alcohol in them!!   Anyway, I digress. The reason I give you all this backstory is that I had so m...

I love this time of year when I get to reconnect with people whom I haven't called back in ages!! This year I feel so lucky to have received a LOT of Christmas cards. It makes getting the mail every day so much fun. I am running out of room to display them all; if I come up with something creative, I'll be sure to share... I got two cards from my dear friend Susan in Las Vegas (whom I miss so much). Not only a really cute Christmas Santa card, but this one from her 3-Day Cancer Walk that I had to share with you all..

A quick shout out to Susan who is training for her upcoming breast cancer walk (there's still time to contribute to her!!!) The mayor of Las Vegas came up to her and asked if he could have a pic... How cool is that?

This past Friday I took some pictures while driving in Las Vegas. For those of you who haven't spent much time there, the residents of Las Vegas get some kind of tax break or water price cut if they replace their lawn with rock (feel free to explain in the comments Susan!) so I took a picture of that too. (Reminder - don't forget to click the "i" in the circle to see my comments for each picture. Don't worry, there aren't many.) Las Vegas March 08

I meant to post this a few weeks ago. It is mainly for Jessica! Click on the napkin to see what is one of the best things in Las Vegas...

The Las Vegas Airport that is. I often fly from LGB (Long Beach) to LAS (Las Vegas) for work. Both airports have free internet access! (I think Columbus, OH does too so I know you guys aren't that impressed.) Very few airports have free access so we are the lucky ones. I am sitting in the Las Vegas airport right now posting this! (Better than gambling at the slot machines, I think.)

I rode with my friend Susan from Orange County to Las Vegas. I made her stop in Baker, CA (yes - that Baker - the "Gateway to Death Valley") because it had been 127 degrees the previous week. Well, to my extreme disappointment, it was only 112 and in the picture I took of the giant thermometer, it only registers as 111. Like 111 degrees is supposed to be hot? If you want to see the other pictures that I took (which include some in Devore), then click here

I've been meaning to post this for a while...my friend Susan and I were offered some free tickets to the Blue Man Group in Vegas from someone we work with who had bought them and couldn't go. I am posting the pictures of us with them...though they were taken with camera phone and not too good. The show was merely okay. We can't understand what the fuss is all about. The tickets were $150 each. There is NO WAY we would have paid that for the show. However, I do think that if OT (Ford) were to ever decide to be an entertainer, he should definitely consider being a blue man.

Click on pic to see full size.

Langston by the pool, Langston in the sun, Jessica playing with Langston in the water, etc, etc. Langston really enjoyed his vacation and he sure knows how to have fun (and he has loves to boogie!) I must mention that I changed my first diaper. I am not sure that Jessica is going to let it count though as I put the diaper on a little too late and it was on backwards. (Seriously, not my fault - absolutely no directions on diaper!)

We asked some strangers to take a picture of us at the Paris hotel and casino on the Vegas strip while we were waiting for the valet to get our car. This was with my camera phone. Considering that it was after 1am and that Jessica and I were super full after our decadent meal at the VooDoo Lounge - I guess it looks okay.

...stays in Vegas. Nuff said.