re-visions: nexus: LA: day three

Drove to the LBC to hang out with Uncle Ralph and cousins et al ... cupcakes from SPRINKLES and Trash Can chicken, oh me-oh my-oh. I have not eaten this much fried food this mentally unfettered in a loooong time. (Aunty's fried won ton with ... salsa? It was a must.) Also have been inspired by Miss Mercedes to possibly wRalk (yeah, that's a word) my first marathon in Dec. Here we are cozying up to the neighbor's apple tree. (I'd never seen a real live one before.) More pics, coming.

Madam Tussaud's

My 4-of-a-kind

Tiny jeans @ Primm

Don't mess with the Panda Express!

LA Day 2: Shrimp-heavy dim sum with relatives this afternoon ... a trip to Trader Joe's in which I bought NOTHING (because there's no room left in the suitcases), a huge family pow-wow tonight at Grand Buffet in Lomita, featuring nai huang bao. I ate FOUR. Because G knows when we'll see those again ...

Vegas Day 4 / LA Day 1: Woke up EARLY (9 a.m., sob), finished packing, broke bagel chips to smithereens while trying to shift liquids and non-liquids into check-ins and carry-ons. Bah. I'm over Bath and Body Works. After some TSA drama, survived minor bumps to LA. We are in Torrance, I believe. (Popped a dramamine chewable during the flight, which rendered me useless for the rest of the day, so I could actually be in Timbuktu because I haven't seen a highway sign yet.)

Vegas Day 3: I don't know how the girls up here keep their hair in check. I am a big, staticky porcupine-head today.

Had continental breakfast, got dropped off at Caesar's (homecoming ... sniff sniff!). After those cheaper-than-cheap outlet deals, though, it was really hard to shop at full retail prices. Mart decided he wanted to see the Venetian, so we walked there from Caesar's - and not at a leisurely pace, since we had 30 minutes to walk there, take it in, and walk to Planet Hollywood where we met M & D for the Gregory Popovich show. Funny - and makes me want to rescue more kitties from the HHS. Just kidding, our darling cordless bungee jumper is more than enough for us.

Stopped by Karen's at the Plaza to pick up beef jerky and bagel chips for S, then had dinner at the Cal after Mart and I lost $28 and $20, respectively, on nickel machines. I may not be a very strategic gambler, but I know when to walk away. Dinner for me was prime rib, which includes salad bar and cherries jubilee. I swear, someone is going to have to roll Happy Girl off the plane Tuesday night. I ate the whole thing.

So we're back at home, taking care of last-minute laundry and packing up to fly to LA tomorrow. Maybe one last run at Megabucks before we leave. VIVA!

Vegas day 2: Woke up earlier today - promises of Primm Fashion Outlets ringing in my ears, and visions of a really hot Banana Republic sale dancing in my head. Scrambled (unsuccessfully) for leftovers from last night's pizza feast for breakfast. At Primm, I skipped Coach, Nine West and Tod's completely, in favor of beefing up my fall teaching "wardobe" (reasoning that I really shouldn't teach in jeans every day.) I did buy a completely baffling dress just for fun, though. It's like a Vegas tradition all my own: must buy at least one dress with so many bells and whistles that I will not know what to do with it and therefore, it will spend its entire life hanging beautifully and uselessly in my closet. Went to dinner with the cousins tonight (in Las Vegas' version of Chinatown) and then came home for Rich Man Poor Man, "Cloverfield," stuffed animal confessions, and pimp hats. In the pic from L-R: Kenny, Mart, Alan, Christine, and Alex. Except for Alan, all are at dangerous ages (22, 21, 16, and 13).

Vegas Day 1: Had poolside bacon and french toast upon finally waking (at around 11 a.m.) Went outlet shopping. Spotted three friends downtown, had dinner at the Cal, got a full house (but FORGOT TO HOLD THE CARDS - yeah, you don't want to go to Vegas with me), then by some sheer stroke of dumb luck, got four of a kind with a kicker. All losses considered, I am something like $100 up. With me, this is as good as it gets ... so I pocketed that and got the hell out.