A Week in Vegas

This probably doesn't look like the Vegas picture you remember... because it's not. We sidetracked to Hoover Dam one day in the 110 degree heat so Tim could marvel at the engineering wonder of the dam. We took the dam tour, walked across the dam bridge, etc. (The phrase never got old) I would say I was a good wife as I walked in the heat all the way across the dam with Tim so he could take a picture of the intake tunnel. ?? I won't mention the part of the trip when he was a good husband and picked out my size pants in various styles in the Banana Republic outlet as I searched the sale rack.

Most of our Las Vegas experience involved food, food, and more food. We ate well to say the least. The trick was attending the time share talk at the hotel for $150 in meal vouchers on the strip. This restaurant was the Mesa Grill which is Bobby Flay's restaurant if you watch the cooking channel. Best pork tenderloin I ever ate...

There's just something so magical about the Bellagio water show. We could have sat there all night and watched it.

Les Artistes Steakhouse at the Paris Hotel. The best seared scallops and risotto I have eaten.

Tao restaurant at the Venetian. You must go there when you are in Vegas!

Only in Vegas do you open your fortune cookies to read this....

I know I have been raving about the food, but this curry shrimp dish at Tao inspired us both to try and start experimenting with cooking tastier dishes.

Just a few people we met on the strip.

Baby Boy Coming Soon

I was in Watsonville last weekend showering my sister. She is due Sept. 29th! I can't believe it is getting so close already.

Fair Time

Living in Paso this year only a few blocks from the fair made for two entertaining weeks. You could hear every concert from our front yard (slightly muted from in the house) . We found a great spot just up the street where we could see the grandstands of the concert arena. You can't beat free concerts from your hillside. We listened to Justin Beiber, Aerosmith, Sammy Hagar, and Offspring for free.

These were pics from the Keith Urban concert that I won tickets to. So fun. Keith actually went into the crowd and walked all around while singing one of his songs. It was the best concert I have been to this date. Keith is very funny and genuine on stage. You can tell he really wants to be there performing for you.

These pics are from the second time we went to the fair. It was obviously all about the food that night.

New Hobby

We have really enjoyed living up in Paso discovering all the new restaurants and such so I thought it was time we figured out all of the wineries. During the wine festival a few months back we picked up the a pamphlet that lists all of the wineries in the area. I think there are like 140 or so. (Actually I know there are more because I drove past one the other day that was surprisingly not in my book!)I had no idea that there were so many wineries up here and there are so many more tasting rooms being built all the time. Well, my goal/new hobby has been trying to check out all these wineries to find the best ones with the perfect picnic atmosphere as well as good wine to bring all of our friends to when they come up and visit. Tim and I have been chipping away at the list steadily over the last 5 years, but now it is great that we live so close we can just drive a mile up the road and be at a great winery. So from my original list, I now have 98 wineries to spot that I have not yet been to! Overwhelming to say the least...As I slowly chip away at them I am making notes in my little pamphlet (mostly about the atmosphere...because I am way more into that than the actual wine) and how good the wine tastes. I am beginning to find some gems and some to completely avoid. It seems a little daunting to get to my now narrowed down list of 98 but it is a work in progress. Before long we will know the best of the best to take you to, and by that time I'm sure there will be so many new ones to frustrate me. These gigantic doors belong to Eagle Castle Winery. I love this place for its showmanship. (Havn't had the wine yet, sad to say) The place is literally a castle, you have to cross a moat to enter. I also like this place because I recently met the owner who leads the bible study I was in at our church.

Christa was visiting all week so she got in on the wine tour. Poor girl, because of my list she had to experience two bad ones before we found the perfect picnic spot at Summerwood.

Babies in Bakersfield

My whirlwind summer had to include a stop to Bakersfield to see some sweet new baby girls. Cody and I headed over for a short trip to hang out with old friends and new additions. It was great getting to spend time with everyone.

Dodger Game

What would summer be without heading to the ballpark to catch a Dodger game? I was given 4 tickets (with excellent seats, I might add) from one of my students this past year to attend the game. I had my pick of games so we had to see them play the Giants of course. There were plenty of Dodger dogs as well as movie stars in the stadium to make the game fun. (we saw Will Ferrell, Cedric the Entertainer, and Sasha Vujacic from the Lakers all sitting relatively close by)

My Love Hate Relationship

Succulents... I always had this hate relationship with succulents swearing them off as "old people" plants grown only in the desert where you can't pick out anything lovlier to plant. Well I have done a 360 on my thinking when it comes to succelents. Maybe its because I now live in Paso Robles where it has been 105 all week or maybe it is because I am rapidly approaching my 30's or maybe it is because I am increasingly looking for ways to save money when it comes to the backyard. A teacher at my school is pretty much the succulent queen and gave me so many clippings from her plants this summer I was overwhelmed. I think I have counted 10 pots sitting on our back patio right now just filled with baby succulents growing strong. The things are amazing. You just break a small piece off and stick it in the ground and it starts to grow. I recently scored the plant I am holding in the picture from Charity's house before she moved. It is now planted on our hillside. I hope it survives because I bet is has been growing for over 20 years in the ideal climate of Shell Beach. (If anyone knows what this particular succulent is called let me know) So yes, I've become the lady with the succulents pots on her porch and a little more money in her pocket saved from not having to constantly buy flowers for those pots.