Tag: Date Night

Viva Las Vegas… and Hockey!

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Ahhhh, finally!! Don’t get me wrong, Shaun and I love our little girl and any extended amount of time away from her is tough, but boy were we happy to have a weekend to ourselves! So on Friday night we were off to Las Vegas for a bit of fun! Like many people, Vegas is fun and pretty entertaining on its own! But for the two of us, it was made even better by throwing a hockey game into the mix. Frozen Fury 2009…. Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalance! The only thing that could ruin the weekend would be a loss to Colorado.

The game was being held at the Garden Arena at the MGM Grand, so we decided to stay at the MGM Signature, a new addition to the MGM Grand. When we pulled up we were amazed to see that the Signature was gated. At first I thought we had the wrong hotel! When we pulled up to Tower 2, we were greeted by valet and a bellman (all included in the price of the room except for a tip). The service there was amazing! From the valet, to the bellman, to the desk staff. To top it off, the Signature is a no smoking, no gambling hotel. Now dont get me wrong, I like the casinos and all of that.. after all that is why you go to Vegas, but it was nice to not deal with the smoke and the drunks at 3am piling on to the elevators. I felt like royalty even though we paid far less then one would think for service like that. And the room! What can I say… the big jacuzzi bathtub had me at hello! I made sure we made a stop at LUSH so that I could take several amazing baths before we left.


After a great nights sleep and one fantastic bath, we made our way out of the hotel around 12:30 in the afternoon and searched for a place to have lunch. We ended up at the Venician and a restaurant called SambaSushi. This place was a blend of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian food and all I can say is…. AMAZING! The food was fantastic and their cucumber martini was killer. After lunch we shopped for a bit and then went back to our room to get ready for the game. And then it was time to go and have some fun!

The game was amazing and the energy from the fans was through the roof. A lot of the energy was alcohol induced, but still… it was great! The game was sloppy but great and included one heck of a fight from Wayne Simmonds. Some of the fans down the row from us got a little bit out of control and the guy next to me was so drunk that he was making up his own words and sharing them with anyone who would listen, but I just laughed and enjoyed the game. All in all it was amazing and to top it off… the Kings won!!


After the game, we had some dinner and gambled for a bit then went back to the room for some much needed sleep. The next morning I took yet another bath and daydreamed about having a bathroom like that in our house. Then I had to come back to reality, pack our stuff and head home. The big bummer of the weekend was driving home. I know there is generally some traffic on Sunday’s but my goodness. Its 2 hours to get from Vegas to State Line! In total it was a near nine hour trip home due to four rolled cars. After a drive like that, we could not wait to see Abby and get home and relax! It was a fun weekend though… Go Kings Go!

Hollywood Bowl…

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As a birthday gift to Zoe, we went to the Hollywood Bowl tonight to see Herbie Hancock perform. It was certainly a night that I was looking forward to. Herbie Hancock would be performing with classical pianist Yang Yang as a fusion of jazz and classical piano. I was wondering how this would turn out and after that fact, I can say it was wonderful! They played backed by the LA Philharmonic and I couldnt have asked for anything better. To add to our evening… Jackie and Emerson came with us! It was a perfect night!

The show opened with the LA Phil playing the Marriage of Figaro, which was wonderful and better then I expected! When Herbie Hancock and Yang Yang came out to perform afterward, it was a wonderful piece that I was fairly unfamiliar with, but it was beautiful. The sounds mixed together were amazing and the blend of classical and jazz piano blended very well! Because this piece was longer then most, intermission followed and then Act Two began.

Act Two was my favorite! The LA Phil opened with Leonard Bernstein’s “Mambo” from West Side Story and there was a bit of audience participation with that! Both Yang Yang and Herbie Hancock had the chance to play a few solo’s as well as a few dueling piano pieces. It was great! They of course closed with one of my facorite’s, Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”. INCREDIBLE! Unlike anything I have ever heard! There isnt much I can say… you just had to be there. It was an amazing way to close the show.

However, as an encore for those peopls who didnt rush off, Herbie Hancock and Yang Yang brought out a special guest, Josh Groban! How amazing! He was excellent and of course has a beautiful voice live. To finish the night, Herbie Hancock and Yang Yang played a medly of Gershwin Themes!

The night was perfect and even though it took a while to get home due to traffic, fun was had by all! It was great to have the chance to talk, laugh and enjoy each others company.

Fun Date Night

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So Shaun and I finally had a date night last night. Abby stayed with Grandma Zoe for the night, so Shaun and I could have some time together. Its been a while and I think it was needed. Don’t get me wrong, I love my little girl but its nice to have adult time. Shaun took me to the Coldwater Creek Spa in Simi for massages. We each had 50 minute river rock massages and let me tell you it was complete bliss. I highly recommend Coldwater Creek. There staff is very nice and professional and they do an excellent job. My massage therapist was Larisa and she was amazing. My muscles have never felt so relaxed!

After a lovely massage and a shower to follow, Shaun and I left the spa and decided to do some gambling. No we didn’t drive like mad people to Vegas (well do that in September), but instead we went out to San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino. The last few times we went to Chumash we were very disappointed so after seeing San Manuel advertised at every sporting event at Staples, we thought it was time to drive out to San Bernadino and check it out. Not bad…. we gambled for a bit, ate, gambled some more and then headed home. I spent my time at the slot machines, nickel slots to be exact and did quite well. Great actually! I went home with $544 on the nickel slots! Nice job!

After a long drive home, we stumbled into the house and went to bed. All I have to say is that we are getting too old for staying up until 4AM. It was a wonderful day and a fantastic date night! So glad we had the chance to get out.

A Date Day

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So Shaun and I had a wonderful day to ourselves and its not often that this happens. Don’t get me wrong we love spending the weekends together with Abby but it was nice to be able to get out and do the things we cant do with her. Shaun took me to the movies to see Angels and Demons. I thought it was great and wont say too much as not to ruin it for anyone else that would like to see it. If you haven’t, read the book! I felt it was much more exciting and interesting then the Da Vinci Code, but I guess that is personal opinion.

After a nice time at the movies, went to dinner at our favorite Mexican food place… Sierra’s. I haven’t had Mexican food in so long, especially from here and it was fantastic. It was a busy night, but as always the service was great and the food was even better. Can you tell I love Sierra’s??? I am a creature of habit, even down to what I eat there. Its always the #5 combo plate ( two cheese enchiladas, beans, rice and a salad to start). Its a lot to eat but its good!

After dinner we were able to make a quick run to Target without the usual scenario. Instead of getting out of the car, getting the stroller, getting Abby out of her car seat and then in to the stroller (which takes about 5 minutes), we jumped out and walked through the front doors within a minute! Ah the little things in life that make parents happy!

I did miss Abby and was happy when she came home, but I had a lovely day with Shaun. Its just a reminder that parents should take a little bit of time for themselves and for each other. It’s not selfish, its something you need t do to stay balanced.