Archives for posts with tag: Las Vegas

Fundraiser success Vegas-Baby style

June 3, 2011 //

There are just some people who know how to gather amazing souls and my girl is one of “them”. She has some of the best friends life has to offer out here and they all came through with joyful noise last night at Ava’s fundraiser event.

part of Eric & Cheryl's back yard

poolside

more of their amazing house

Cheryl and Eric graciously opened their hearts, wallet and home to Ava’s cause. Cheryl orchestrated the whole event as Hostess with the Mostest while Ava recruited raffle prizes, silent auction items, attendees and entertainment. Eric was our MC during the raffle and host with the most. Cheryl and Eric hadn’t stopped when I left at 2 AM and the event started at 6:30PM! They are the “Energizer Bunny” on steroids. I guess I used to be able to keep up that kinda’ pace but it’s not been in my recent past.

Jenni (Ava's friend) and Cheryl (hostess)

Jenni Kearns and Jeff Malecki worked tirelessly as bartenders at the open bar making sure everyone had anything they wanted to drink. Fred Stone was our “Grill Daddy” and he was a master at his task. Fred, Jenni and Jeff all play wind instruments professionally. Jenni and Fred play the French Horn at various performances around Vegas-Baby including “Phantom at the Opera”. Jeff has just gotten his Ph.D. in conducting and has applied to teach at some colleges!

Jenni & Jeff tireless at two AM

Items donated for the raffle included entertainment tickets, original works of art (Cheryl’s and Vital’s) Gift Certificates, Star Wars Movie Photo autographed by Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew and other amazing items. For Silent Auction, Cirque du Soleil tickets for any show in the world and “Phantom of the Opera” autographed poster, backstage pass and tickets to the show. A big “thanks” to those contributors. Every item was a huge success!

Silent Auction and Raffle items exhibited

Marco Landin was our DJ who rocked the house until the break of day. Wow. What a great guy who is married to an amazing lady, Heather Hyde de Landin, who performs a ballet number with fire. Thanks to you both for being who you are and loving my girl so much.

DJ Marco Landin rocking the HOUSE!

The performers… oh my gosh… what can I say about the diverse and amazing talent present for Ava’s cause. Carmen Woodruff sang jazz like you gotta’ pay money to hear. I haven’t heard good jazz like that since I was in Nawlins last. I sure hope someone recorded her. Reggie was kickin’ it on the keyboard for her. Sorry I don’t have a picture of her but I was still covering the front door!

Jill Martin after her naughty Burlesque number

Jill Martin sang a naughty parody Burlesque version of “Santa Baby” that brought down the house! She exuded sheer 1950’s glamour (complete with seamed stockings) coupled with modern-day fem fatale.

Left to right: Anastasia Synn (performed Muscle Piercing), Penny Wiggins (performed her comedic act), and Aimee Wade, dear friend and performer in her own right.

Anastasia Synn performed incredible muscle piercing that stopped the party in its tracks. People sat in total silence in awe of her ability to perform such an unusual talent. She was such a lovely person and appreciate her willingness to add a great dimension to Ava’s event.

Penny Wiggins, comedian, kept the crowd going with her wonderful, unique comedic slant with her St. Thomas, BVI upbringing. Next time you see her, ask her to give you directions “island style” mon! She’s such a delightful, engaging lady who opens her home to so many of us passing through (as she’s done for me several times) and to those locals who are privileged enough to call her “friend”. Thanks, Penny, for being such a good friend to Ava.

Fred Stone, in the bright yellow shirt, was our “Grill Daddy”! Thank you so much, Fred, for cranking up the grill and getting everyone fed. In addition to his grilling talents, Fred plays a mean French Horn professionally.

Italian guests Alonzo and Charly

We had such an amazing cross-section of guests and nationalities present at this party that would make the UN envious.

Landin and Heather

Bobby (from Ava's Apply IT days) and Kelly

Angela and Justin

Randy

And, to top off all the talent, Ava sang several arias with the accompaniment by Michelle Lee on keyboard. After her performance, there wasn’t a person there who doubted her talent or calling and thrilled to further contribute to her to Austria for this intense opera program.

Ava performing

Ava singing

How in the world can Ava and I thank each and every one of those attending, contributing, entertaining and providing venue? I have no idea except to say that if ANY of you are in northeast Georgia or any where in the vicinity of Atlanta (’cause I will come down there from the mountaintop) and you need ANYTHING, you call 1-800-MAMA and I’ll be there with bells on!

Tags Baby Boomer, Las Vegas, single female travel

Categories travel

Broadacres outdoor flea market in Vegas-Baby

May 29, 2011 //

My body doesn’t take well to chemicals. If you take 1 pill, I take 1/4th. If you drink “leaded” coffee, I drink un-leaded and get cracked out for the whole day. A motion sickness pill that won’t have any drowsy effect on my 40 pound dog puts my fanny in the bed for 4 days! No kidding! I think it’s from being raised on a farm with well water and natural foods.

So, I’m not kidding when I say I had to get cracked out on caffeine (TWO 15 oz. cups of Diet Coke) to counter the drugged feeling I had this morning from the “less drowsy” version of motion sickness meds for vertigo before I even felt like venturing out of the house. I haven’t felt safe to drive knowing how dizzy I get just turning my head to look over my shoulder. It was a desperate need to see people, maybe even converse with people, that pushed me to take such drastic measures.

I’d recently heard of a local outdoor flea market called Broadacres, in North Las Vegas. It’s one of my favorite things to do on Saturdays. While my daughter slept, I planned my mini-adventure. I successfully found it on the internet and took off. It was easy to find. I found it without using my crutch (TomTom), got a parking spot in the shade (something a southerner learns early) and only had to pay $1.00 to enter. Great start, wouldn’t you say? And, to top it all off, the place was appropriately named… broad acres. This was going to be yummy except for the fact that it took me two hours to wake up enough to even drive which meant the heat was going to beat me down if I didn’t drink lots of water and walk in the shade.

As I arrived, I thought of my theory about east coast flea markets: the really good, inexpensive treasures are on the periphery. So, it was with great enthusiasm to prove it a national theory as well that I proceeded. And, I kinda’ did and kinda’ didn’t. This was an adventure all of its own.

First impression was that I’d been transported to a 21st century Mexican marketplace. There was a lot of Spanish foods, music, customers, products and atmosphere. I was sure I’d find some kind of cool Frida Kahlo treasure to buy; even a book of photos or earrings. By the way, Frida Kahlo was an amazing Mexican artist in the early 1900’s who was wonderfully portrayed by Selma Hyak in the movie, “Frida”. It’s a must see.

I briskly walked toward the back portion of this huge asphalt paved, fenced arena of tent canopies abutting each other as far as you could see. There were the occasional permanent buildings remnant of a past life but not many.

The place was packed but not as bad as an amusement park on a hot day, thank goodness. You could still walk around without getting run over by strollers or people. But, after the first hour, it was lookin’ pretty bleak. I’d only purchased some Lucky Bamboo and a bottle of water and the heat was starting to get to me. My next purchase had to be some kind of hat.

I kept my eye out for something with holes in the top with a wide brim. I had several of these at home I’d failed to pack so I didn’t want to spend much and there were plenty to choose from of all varieties. I needed an extra small one and I knew that would be a trick. Got it and for $5.00. Now I had to secure it to my head because the wind gusts were in the 40-50 MPH range (no kidding) and get back to my Frida quest.

The second hour only served up large portions of penny arcade-type purchases, brightly colored stilettos and stuff I wasn’t even slightly interested in purchasing. There were jeans to be purchased for $5.00 and other items I’m sure worthy of their price tag as well, just not what I wanted. I wanted a treasure… a Frida treasure.

By the end of that second hour, I was burned up and out. I headed straight for Silver and we drove back home with an adventure and a deeper tan.

Check it out the next time you’re out this way. Who knows. You might just find your own Frida treasure there.

http://www.broadacresmec.com

Tags flea markets, Las Vegas, Nevada

Categories Baby Boomer, southwest, travel, United States, west

Jessie Moose & Maya

May 23, 2011 //

Yesterday, I joined Maya (dear friend and confidant) to have lunch at “our” Mexican restaurant, Agave, in Summerlin, NV north of Vegas-Baby. It’s what we do first when I’m in town. Their ambiance is a superb example of up-scale interior design complete with colored glass mosaics at the open kitchen counter-front, beautiful tile work throughout and topped off with authentic old world Mexican doors and hardware even in the bathrooms. The sink in the bathroom is the coolest. It’s a long, flat, slightly slanted surface adorned with brightly colored green and deep blue tiles with hidden drain system. Worth taking a trip just to look at the place. But, to top it all off, the food is the BOMB! It’s all fresh and delicious. Prices are appropriate for a nice restaurant but not outrageous (http://agaverestaurant.com). It’s a big thumbs up if you’re out this way and won’t mind an amazing view of Red Rock, but that’s another story.

Second, we go to Costco. We had to buy the caffeine free coffee drink my mom loves not sold in any of their Atlanta stores called Caffe D’Vita. Yep, I drive 3000 miles to buy this for my mom. Wouldn’t you? Last October, I bought her 12 cans and this year I got 24. We don’t want Mama running out!

Next, we were off to the stables to play with Moose and Jessie. Well, at least for me it was play. For Maya, she worked her tail off shoveling the horses’ by-products! I brushed Moose and did whatever Maya directed me to do, within reason, took pictures and stood in awe of her energy and enthusiasm doing hard labor even of love.

Maya and Jessie

Moose is loose!

Tac attack.

When I was a kid, we had horses. We never worked hard with our horses, but, then again, I wasn’t the parent and we had pastures for them to run in. We didn’t have dried poop-filled arenas that needed daily cleaning-up to ward off hoof problems. Because grass is expensive and downright impossible here in Vegas-Baby, the locals who want horses take the horse by-product, dry it and re-surface the arenas and open stalls with it. The wind stirs it around constantly making the air not only full of dust but horse poop. Makes having horses in the desert less attractive to me but I’ve known differently and wouldn’t do it this way. Nope. When I live out west, I won’t have horses. I’ll rent one if I get a hankerin’ to ride.

As with people, there are so many more health issues with our animals, big and small alike. For example, just last week, I heard of a herpes outbreak with some horses in Utah at a rodeo type event. As there’s no cure and, because it attacks their neurological system, they all had to be destroyed and the state is in quarantine.

We rarely called a vet or blacksmith. We just “had horses”. We didn’t have to labor over any of it. I fed the horses and jumped on their backs when I wanted a ride around the pasture. And, after being reminded yesterday of Maya’s hot, backbreaking daily tasks with even these extraordinary animals, I wouldn’t do it. Nope. Even loving horses as much as I do, it ain’t happening. Plus, I woke up this morning with a horrible spinning in my head from an allergic reaction to all the poop in the wind. I’m basically incapacitated even with two daily anti-histamines. Any fast movement of my head sends the room spinning until I sit still again. Now, those of you who know me well, know I don’t do well sitting still.

The funny part? Jessie. When Maya scratches just in the right place, Jessie extends his upper lip like something I’ve never seen. He moves it like an Aardvark snout in hunt for tasty ants! Maya administered just the right scratching needed for Jessie to show his “Dopies” while I clicked away. Look at this crazy horse.

Jessie “Dopies”. Can you see how far out he extended his upper lip from his lower one?

I’ll keep trying to download the video. It’s absolutely hilarious!

Tags horses, Las Vegas, Mexican, Nevada, restaurant

Categories Baby Boomer, southwest, travel, United States, west

Lucille’s – a Vegas tradition

May 20, 2011 //

I’m in R&R right now and, an integral part of that is doing what I love to do when I finally get to Vegas-Baby: eat at Lucille’s, listen to my girl sing, sleep in my room at Ava’s and hang out with my girl.

So, here’s the scoop on Lucille’s. It’ one of the finest places out of the south that serves good, authentic, down home barbecue and veggies. Lucille’s is in a shopping center near Green Valley (I think) off the 215. Here’s a visual for you: