It Can Be A Slippery Slope

 

While in Las Vegas this past weekend, Ed and I attended a timeshare presentation for the Hilton Grand Vacations Club.  We went in with a plan - say no to everything.

In the back of our minds was the hilarious King Of Queens episode where Doug tricked Carrie into going to a timeshare presentation because he wanted the big-screen TV they were offering.    

It wasn't like that TV episode at all.  We left impressed with the presentation, intrigued by the offers, and now have a completely different view of timeshares.  We didn't buy anything and we're still not sure it's for us, but it gave us something to think about.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: The Original Man Cave
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Chronicling Our Taco Consumption
2019: Ornamental Iron
2018: Quonset Quartet
2017: Baltic Gold
2016: 350 Days Of Sunshine Per Year
2015: Tenderly
2014: What Else Is There To Do When It's One Degree Outside?
2013: Packing Up
2012: A Man Can Do All Things If He Will
2011: Spinning Our Wheels
2010: It Takes Two
2009: Buona Sera King Louis
2008: The Newest B & B Trend Might Not Take Off As Expected
2007: Pirelli
2006: Classic Sal
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005! 

An Attraction That Can’t Be Missed

A view of The Sphere from the parking structure at our hotel in Las Vegas. This thing is beautiful. When you see it for the first time, your reaction will likely be “What is that??”  And then you remember that you heard about this cool new venue in Vegas. This is it. 

From Canyon Tours, here are some facts about The Sphere:

1. The Sphere was built by the group behind Madison Square Garden (hence “MSG”), and is owned by the same guy who also runs the New York Knicks and New York Rangers.
2. The site was provided by The Sands. Approximately 110,000 cubic yards of dirt and rock were excavated to prepare the site for construction!
3. Construction required the 4th largest crane crawler in the world. Brought in from Belgium, the crane alone required 120 tractor-trailers to transport to Vegas, and it took 18 days to assemble using a separate secondary crane. Once construction of the dome trusses reached their midway point, the crane had to be moved to the southern side of the property to install the remaining trusses. This relocation alone took 2 days!
4. 6,000 cubic yards of concrete were pumped into the roof once the steel frame was completed, forming a layer 10” thick weighing approximately 10,000 tons.

5. The Sphere measures 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide at its widest point.
6. The Sphere could easily hold the entire Statue of Liberty, from base to torch.
7. With 875,000 square feet of space, the Sphere has an interior capacity of 18,600 seats and standing room for 20,000 people.
8. The exosphere is 30% taller than the interior dome. The dome’s roof required 3,000 tons of steel to construct, and includes 32 trusses that weigh a whopping 100 tons each. It weighs a total of 13,000 tons, with a surface area of 220,000 square feet.

9. Out of 18,600 total seats, 10,000 seats provide a fully immersive experience, including specialized sound systems, haptic seats capable of making guests “feel” sound vibrations, and 4D machines that create wind, temperature, and scent effects.
10. The exterior display is made up of over 1.2 million programmable LEDs, featuring about 580,000 square feet of programmable lighting. The Sphere’s owners say you can see it from space!
11. Manufactured by Canadian company SACO Technologies, the interior high-resolution LED screen is the largest on earth, wrapping halfway around the 18,600 seats inside. It measures 160,000 square feet and covers an area larger than three football fields!
12. The interior screen also features 268 million video pixels with 16K resolution, making it the highest resolution screen in the world—at 19,000 x 13,500 pixels, it’s 100x clearer than today’s best HD TVs.
13. The Sphere is home to the world’s largest concert-grade audio system, comprising 1,586 loudspeaker modules, 167,000 speaker drivers, amplifiers, and processing channels, as well as 300 mobile loudspeaker modules that deliver a “crystal-clear” multi-layered audio experience through “beamforming” technology and wave field synthesis.
14. A one-week advertising campaign could set brands back a whopping $650,000. A one day campaign (which works out to about four hours of screen time) will run $450,000.
    

15. The Sphere requires 28 megawatts to function at peak energy usage, the equivalent to supplying power to 21,000 homes.
16. Around 70% of the Sphere’s energy will be obtained from solar power!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: I'm A Sucker For A Nice Hotel With A View
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: One Thousand Grams Of Flour
2018: The Land Of Little Water
2017: Urban Creep
2016: Ed's View
2015: Place Of Refuge
2014: A Story Told In Stone
2013: Eddie Sandwich
2012: Finally – Freight To Buzz About!
2011: For The Crybabies
2010: Chillin’ In Utah
2009: Taking The Peas For A Ride In A Cozy Little Shell
2008: Wyth Jane’s Kin In Wytheville
2007: Color In Architecture
2006: Living On
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Decor Ideas Are Afoot

 

This is the end table in the living room of our suite at the Hilton Grand Vacations property in Las Vegas, Nevada.  

When I see something like this - along with the mixing of the colors and patterns the designers of this hotel room chose, I get inspired to do something like this at home.

Introducing a piece like this would mean slowly changing my current decor—which, although I love my color scheme, I would love to do—but I feel like it's a giant snowball. Change one thing, and then you have to change something else, then add something bigger, then get a new couch, paint the room, or put in new flooring, and before you know it, I'm at a $100,000 renovation.

Maybe if I make small purchases, Ed won't notice his whole world changing around him!  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: A Very Special Cadillac
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Click, Buy, Deliver, Consume
2018: Fiber, Feed, And Food
2017: Time For A Questival!
2016: The Last Link Should Be Your First Stop
2015: The Gods Are Angry. Or Laughing.
2014: These Four Guys Always Have The Same Expression On Their Faces
2013: Save Money On Sandwiches, Buy Nice Car
2012: Big Money Needed For A Relaxing, Feel-Good Experience
2011: The Original Metrosexual And The Petting Zoo
2010: Cribs For Corn, Not Celebrities
2009: LL Cool E
2008: Hunt On Hold
2007: The Blondes Come Marching In
2006: Thank You Is Not Enough
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

I've Got A Thing For Hallways

The hallway at our hotel in Las Vegas.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: The Best White Stuff
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Welcome To The Local Googie
2018: One Of Many
2017: The First Mustachioed Man In My Life
2016: Cooking Is Love Made Visible
2015: Hawaiian Memorial
2014: We Do Not Remember Days, We Remember Moments
2013: Sharing The Long Haul Lifestyle
2012: Love, Peace, And Soooouuulll
2011: Taste The Fire
2010: Finally, A Shot At Playmate Of The Month! (Sorta)
2009: Remembering
2008: Eddie Gets His Eyes Checked Friday
2007: Shifting The Sun
2006: My Daddy Is Gone
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Semi-Solitary Confinement

 

Last week I went for an MRI of my cervical spine.  I've been having intermittent numbness in three fingers on my right hand (thumb, pointer, middle).  The doctor thinks it might be something in my neck.  I read that the C5, C6, and C7 vertebrae correspond to those three fingers in the case of numbness, so he might be on to something.  He is a neurologist, after all.  

I always thought people who had anxiety in an MRI machine were just pansies.  I would say, "Why can't you just close your eyes and take a nap?" 

Well, that was before I had to go into an MRI machine.  My first time getting an MRI was after an accident about 6 years ago.  I almost couldn't do it.  I was extremely anxious.  Being slid into that donut shape was horrible.  As a large person, it was very tight.  The top of the machine practically touched my nose.  You might know, they tell you to stay very still, don't move.  Which only makes you want to move more.  All I could think about was moving.  And the fact that I was in a tube. 

I absolutely HATED it.  They even gave me a sedative which didn't work at all.

One of the machines in my area was called an "open" MRI.  It was like two tortillas that you lay between like you're a quesadilla.  I couldn't do that one either because they couldn't close the tortillas enough to get the image.  And then when I went for a cervical spine MRI, they had to put a cage over my head which then wouldn't allow my whole body in the machine because they couldn't get my shoulders in.  It was a nightmare.

So we found a stand-up MRI place in Phoenix.  They have a machine like the one in the photo above.  You can stand up or sit, depending on what body part they are scanning, and the entire area of the machine is open so you don't feel claustrophobic.  In my case, since they were doing my neck, I just sat in the machine, they attached a little collar to me, and I watched TV for thirty minutes while they scanned me.  I still hated it because as a larger person, I was still squished between those two plates and I still couldn't move, but it was less anxiety-producing because nothing was in front of my face and I didn't feel as confined.

I hope this is the last time I have to do one of these.  If I ever have to do it again, I think I'd like them to knock me out.  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: No One Was Run Over By A Reindeer At This Shindig
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Yellow Gaze
2019: The Beautiful Cabbage Flower
2018: Waiting In Wilmington
2017: The Wild Life Of Trucking
2016: Special Order
2015: Clooney Was Not At The End Of The Pier
2014: Where They Build Palaces Out Of Corn
2013: Modern Market Girl
2012: A Berry Good Time
2011: Traveling Through Mountain Ranch
2010: Backroads
2009: If Only I Could Fit All Of This Information On A Bumper Sticker…
2008: Gambling Haze
2007: Published
2006: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Same But Different

 

On our way to Las Vegas this weekend, we stopped in Phoenix for lunch at a pretty little restaurant called Blanco Cucina + Cantina.  We have one in Tucson, too, but didn't realize it was the same company until after lunch!  

The meal was good but what I liked even more was the decor.  I want this wall in my house - mirrors, plants, and wicker lampshades included!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
2024: Cool Air
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: A Big Kid Races The Clock
2018: Cycle On Down For A Taco Or Two
2017: If Only I Could Bottle This...
2016: Climbing The Regal Horned Lizard
2015: The Valley Of The Temples
2014: The Day The South Fell Apart...Again
2013: Island Graffiti 
2012: Four Seasons Of Food To Conquer 
2011: Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head 
2010: As Seen On TV 
2009: Eddie Polishing His Chrome Friday 
2008: Traveling With Your Cat 
2007: Getting Wet In The Next County 
2006: Down With O.P.P. 
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Where A Queen Watches An Opera

Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía (Queen Sofía Palace of the Arts) building in Valencia, Spain.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: Coming About
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: I Can't Contain Myself
2018: Laugh Out Loud
2017: American Power
2016: I'd Rather Be Listening To This All Day
2015: North Shore Surfin'
2014: Calling It A Day
2013: Eight Ways To Take It Easy
2012: Dinner With Friends
2011: This Is What Sheer Joy Looks Like
2010: I’ll Have The Tootsie Rolls And The Butterfinger And The Lollipop And The Gummi Bears And The Hershey Kisses And The Snickers Bar And The M&M’s And…
2009: Meals On Wheels
2008: Mercury Dropping
2007: James Cameron For $79.99 A Night
2006: The Town That Big Tobacco Built
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005

The Heart And Soul Of l'Albufera

A mural depicting workers in the rice fields in El Palmar, located in La Albufera of Valencia, Spain.

Rice has been grown here for over 1,000 years.  Rice farming is deeply ingrained in the culture and based on the quality of rice in the paella we've eaten in this area, it's clear they know what they're doing.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024; A Vintage Ride
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Access To Pleasure Crafts Just Got Easier
2018: Parked For The Night
2017: Red Lamp District
2016: Walking Along The Canyon Of Gold
2015: Aloooooooha
2014: Better Than No Touch Freight
2013: The First Step Is To Admit You Have A Problem
2012: The Top Five Sweet Scents In My World
2011: A Weekend Full Of Bright Stars And Not Much Else
2010: I’m Floored
2009: Two Worlds Collide
2008: Girl Crush
2007: Silly Boys
2006: It’s Nowhere Near Mexico, Y’all
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Entering The City Of Strength And Valor

This is Carrer del Serrans, a street in València, Spain that leads away from Torres de Serranos, one of the two fortified gates still standing. There were originally twelve.

The gate originally connected to the medieval wall surrounding the city and was constructed between 1392 and 1398.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: We Cannot Walk Alone
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: With A Little Help From My Friends.
2018: Industrially Farmed Land
2017: The Angels Will Migrate
2016: Ed Knows How To Break The Fast
2015: The Mighty Mo
2014: We Work A Lot, We're Fat, And You Can't Get By Without Us
2013: Domestic Cat Life
2012: Being Appreciated
2011: Just A Phone Call Away
2010: A Practically Perfect Circle
2009: My Frozen Kentucky Home
2008: On Tour And Collecting Paper As We Go
2007: Finding Your Way
2006: Trivia From The First Tsar Of Russia
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Yard Junk

 

Some junk seen in a yard in Mountain Ranch, California.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: Rock Painter's Heaven
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Champions
2018: One Of The Westchester Castles
2017: A Tree Leans In Atoka
2016: Furniture Recon
2015: Deck Walkers
2014: The Land Of The Blue Angels
2013: Taking A KW For A Spin
2012: New York And Snow – My Two Favorite Things
2011: Doin’ The Math
2010: Well, Butter My Butt And Call Me A Biscuit
2009: I Even Have Time To Go On Strike
2008: Teaching Them Young
2007: You Gotta Be In It To Win It
2006: Cinema Stupido
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Four Gourmands Enjoying Cocina Tradicional

Paella, one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine, originated in Valencia, Spain.  

While we were visiting Valencia, Ed found a paella place in El Palmar, about a half-hour south of the city, and it was listed in the Michelin Guide as a restaurant that has been given their Bib Gourmand award.

It's called Arrocería Maribel.  Unremarkable from the outside, but with a beautiful modern interior, this restaurant served us one of the best meals we had in all of Valencia.

Not only was the food amazing, but the dining experience itself was unlike anything I've ever been part of.  It was fancy, but not.  High-end, but comfortable.  It felt costly, but it was insanely affordable - only $22600 US dollars which included a wine pairing with each course for the men.  We girls didn't do the wine pairing.  Without it, the cost was about $38.00 per person. The value for this meal and service was UNBELIEVABLE.  

The first dish was called Esgarraet. An esgarraet is a typical Valencian dish consisting of a salad made with roasted red pepper, salted cod, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. In this one, it had the cod but also had a tiny piece of tuna on top. The crackers in the background were more like a well-done pie dough cracker than what we typically think of as a cracker. It was good. 

The second course was a Buñuelo de calabaza y parmesano (Pumpkin Parmesan Fritter, on the left) and an Empanadilla de pisto estilo Valenciana (Which is a Valencian style ratatouille empanadilla, on the right).

The third course was Crujiente de pato de caza guisado (Crispy stewed duck - it was very tender duck meat encased in this crispy wonton/phyllo dough exterior).  It was very good. 

This is the main dish. It was listed on the menu as Arroz a banda. Which translates literally to “Plenty of Rice”.  It was a seafood paella. The pieces of fish are cod and shrimp.
Our friend Ernesto Casablanca digging in.

We learned from a local in Valencia that when you are served paella in a group like this, you divide the paella pan by how many people are eating from it, you “carve out” your own little section, and that’s what you eat from. So that’s what we did!

Here’s the pan after we were done.

For Postre (dessert), we had Tarta de Naranja helada con mousse de chocolate blanco y aceite de oliva, con emulsión de tomillo y flor de "taronger" (which is a Frozen Orange Tart with white chocolate mousse and olive oil, with thyme emulsion and "taronger" flower). Taronger is an orange blossom. Ed shares a goofy grin, excited to get to the ice cream.

The thyme emulsión happened in the lid of the item that the dessert was in. In the lid was a piece of dry ice and a few sprigs of thyme. The server then poured super hot water over it and the thing began to smoke! It was a spectacular display! When we tasted it, it was a very sweet “tea” that tasted like thyme.

Our dessert dishes, one show with its lid.

We absolutely loved this entire experience and would definitely visit this restaurant again.  If you're ever in Valencia, skip the local restaurants in town and take the drive to this one.  It's absolutely worth it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2024: Who Wants To Rack The Balls In This Room?
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Soup's On!
2018: Power Over The Green River
2017: The Only Color For Miles
2016: Natural Desert
2015: Ed Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa
2014: NOT An Oasis
2013: Drop The Flag And Take Me Home
2012: Cottonwood Trading Company
2011: Service With A Smile
2010: Getting The Red Out, One Barn At A Time
2009: Obamaduck!
2008: How A Four-Year-Old Can Make You Feel Like Crap For Trying To Get Out Of Doing Yard Work
2007: Florida Fro
2006: Hail To The McGriddle Gods
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!