05.26.12 UFC 146 @ MGM Grand Garden Arena - Las Vegas, NV

UFC 146 at the Grand Garden

Tonight is UFC 146. Nothing remarkable about the day. Same old crap. Sponsors need info the promoter didn't communicate. So-and-so is unhappy with something. Joe Schmo needs a credential. Sally Sue needs a wristband, numbnuts is missing a box because they addressed it to the wrong place. Stuff so mundane that it's mind-numbing. But after the past 2 weeks, I'll take mundane. 

Burt Watson doing his thing

I get in late, around 11.00a. I had my guy Dave in at 9.00a to babysit the kiddies though so I wasn't worried about it. I've made no secret about the fact that I'm not a big fan of the sport of UFC. I appreciate the fighters as athletes and I like doing UFC shows at the Grand Garden because they're pretty simple but would I ever buy a ticket or purposefully go to a show I wasn't working on or going to meet people at, probably not. To me the best part about UFC is Burt Watson. I get to spend a bit of quality time with my dear friend.

Quiet before the storm

So the day rolls along and before you know it it's time for doors. Our production guru on the UFC/Concom side people have said resembles Justin Timberlake so that's what I call him. I look around for JT and my colleague Zippy tells me he's actually not there this time. JT's not here? What the… So we go ringside (or octagonside as the case may be) and we see Al, one of the owners of the production conglomerate Concom. He's a fun dude. The kind of guy you want to be around. Tres handsome, personable, successful, blah blah blah. I finally say to him, "Since JT's not here I don't even know who to ask for doors." He turns around and asks someone on headset. Truthfully, I could have done the same thing. I was just lazy and wanted to keep talking to with Zippy & Al.

Best seat in the house.

I get doors open around 2.45p and the fans trickle in. I head back to my office to work on budgets, staffing, CADs & other housekeeping things for a couple hours. Tomorrow we have Van Halen so this is the perfect opportunity to get a jump on things so I'm not scrambling to do it at 11.00p tonight while I'm trying to leave.

Crowd of 13,000+

At some point I realize I should head out to see some of the show, walk the floor, feel the energy of the event, check in with staff, spot check guests to see if they're having a good time, take some ops pics. Nothing was out of the ordinary or going wrong so I head back to my office to watch the fights on TV & do a little tweeting & FBing. I never get over the palpability of a crowd totally into a show, whether it's boxing, UFC, Buffett, ACMs or hockey. For a girl who doesn't like crowds, this is a funny occupation choice but somehow it works.

Before I gutted the thing

All's well with the event so I grab Trubes & we head up to Seablue for dinner. Bill tells me the special tonight is red snapper, in the water yesterday, flown in this morning. Ok, ok. I'll get it. It was delish but a bit fussy to eat. It's a whole fish so you have to debone it yourself. Not into fussy food. I'm fussy enough. But it was delish once I figured out where the bones were. I mention to Trubes, "Christ, I'm like a surgeon over here." She laughed. "I know, I'm watching you." I wouldn't order it again. I don't mind the eyeballs looking at me, I just don't like working for my food. 

Later I head over to Zippy's office. One of the fights I catch is so brutal that blood is literally squirting from a cut over this dude's nose onto the mat, like someone severed his carotid artery. I couldn't tell you what fight it was. Google or youtube it and you'll find it. The fighter looked like a neanderthal. So gross. But the crowd loved it. 

Main event fighter walk in

Several of the fights end up as first round knockouts. Leaves for lots of dead time in between fights which is good for the bars, bad for 'code blues' which is the code what we use over the radio for when someone pukes. I feel so bad for the EVS crew who has to deal with that. First round knockouts are also great for the venue, early out - and particularly for us tonight - this is critical. We have 7 hours to load out UFC because we have Van Halen loading in @ 6.00a. It never stops here.

Fans lining the fighter tunnel

The post fight presser takes place in the media center. I didn't pop my head in once. No desire. My gal Peggy has it covered. She's amazing. She puts up with a lot of shit and I give her all the credit in the world for being the strong-willed woman she is. She's one hell of a supervisor. I know she's got everything under control so I hang out chatting with my other supervisors going thru what went well and poorly that night. We had some scanning connectivity issues & some credential issues but that was about it. All and all, an excellent night. Bring on Eddie, Alex, Wolf & David...

Watch What Happens

I haven't posted in a while. Lazy writer, perhaps. Mostly busy with work and living life as one does. 

UFC 146 load in

This week we have UFC 146. Pretty much the same as every UFC fight we do on an operational level. Every time they're here though, they seem to have more and more people I don't recognize. I used to know everyone but a handful. Now I only recognize a handful and hardly know anyone. But it really doesn't matter much. Things still get done and we move on to the next show.

Last week we had the 2012 Billboard Music Awards. I'll try and do a post-date recap of that. It ended up not being as awful as I had imagined - even despite having to hang stage left with the fire inspector while Bieber did his rehearsals and continually bumping into him. It was actually a good event to work on overall. But more on that later.

Had dinner with my life-advisor and longtime friend Burt Watson last night at Seablue. I always learn a little more about myself when we have our dinners. He lays it on the line for me - no bullshit. "Amy, listen to me…" he says. He grilled me about the men in my life. I told him I don't speak to Counselor anymore, told him a little bit about Motorcycle-guy; but mostly he gave me guidance on my future, as he always does. "You gotta let it go, baby, and just let it happen. Be patient." I know Burt but patience is not my strongpoint. My dad's been telling me that since I was 4.

The Dolce Diet: Living Lean

We eventually got talking about my current lifestyle. Burt's been a picture of health for a long time but in the past year he started doing something a little different. He hooked up with Mike Dolce, author of "The Dolce Diet: Living Lean." Mike's an athlete himself, a performance coach to many UFC fighters and Burt's good friend. There are lots of health books & trainers out there but if Burt works with him & says I should too, I listen. So naturally Burt hooked me up with Mike as a favor to him. Mike gave me his book to read before we start any consultations so tonight after I get done tapping this post out, I'm gonna start it. 

I'm still being a good girl, walking 4+ miles about 4 times a week (last week only once though because of the crazy Billboard schedule), juicing when I have time (I smartened up and just bought a half-dozen bottles of Evolution juice for those days I can't do it myself), haven't had any alcohol since February 28, down 14lbs since March 1 and haven't eaten red meat or poultry since April 2. Not drinking is not hard. Not eating red meat is not fun. I literally crave steak. Motorcycle-guy is a big health nut too and he's helping to steer me in the right direction - moderation. Something I'm not particularly good at. But I'm trying. He's coming to Van Halen on Sunday to hang so I'll get to see his charming self again. It's fun to like someone again. I'm 40 and I still get butterflies in my stomach. He's got a big company bash next month. I wasn't sure when he invited me if he was asking me to go because he wants to see me or just because we are in the same industry and I'm with the Grand Garden Arena. Recent texts lead me to believe it's the former but I'm making sure Zippy & his wife are there in case it's the latter. I don't want to look like a total fool, after all. Motorcycle-guy has my ticket so unless I do something monumentally stupid (which isn't out of the realm of possibility) it should be a fun night regardless of why he wants me there. We'll just have to wait and Watch What Happens.

Now off to bed to read about how I'm going to reshape my future (literally) and rest up before the UFC 146 autograph session, fight club q&a and weigh in at the MGM Grand Garden Arena tomorrow. Truth be told I doubt I'll even see more than 10 minutes of any of it. I'll be working on Van Halen, a couple conventions & Pacquiao vs. Bradley. I'm not a micromanager. My team can run the events. They're the best in the business!

04.21.12 Eagles @ MGM Grand Garden Arena - Las Vegas, NV

We have doors

Today - the Eagles. People have joked that they are the MGM Grand Garden Arena house band. We've had them 3 times in under 6 months and will add another before year's end. I wish they were our house band. I could do this show once a week. The entire production team is pretty laid back. The head of their security for this leg, Gio, is one of my faves. We see him at least once a year, 2 if I'm lucky. Last time he was with Aerosmith I think. 

Although I was happy to be doing this show I was not happy about being there at 8.00a. My guy who normally supervises the early shift flew the coop to Italy for a little vaca. He's my savior so I'm thrilled he got out of dodge for a while. But working these 16+ hours days suck. It's not so much the length but the boredom in between the drama. If I were busy the entire time it wouldn't be so bad but there's nothing worse than being bored at work. Yeah, there were about 50 things I could have been doing to curb my boredom but that early on a Saturday morning, who the hell wants to be at work. People think this job is so cool, so glamorous, so fulfilling. That's a bunch of crap. What makes it tolerable are the people… well my small, tight knit group anyhow.

Where's my wardrobe?

As the afternoon dragged on I fuddled with my new BlackBerry. I used to have a BlackBerry with Netel. Remember those? Of course not. No one in the world still has them. I hated mine because unlike the phone you don't have the option to ignore a 'chirp' unless you turn off the network altogether which means you can't receive calls, texts or emails. So annoying to awake to that sound. The worst was when someone would 'accidentally' chirp me. I got the Bold with the touch screen. It's always fun to get a new toy. I am toying with getting an iPhone but am too cheap to pay for the monthly service. Work pays for my CrackBerry so what's the point in paying for another one. When the 5 comes out I might suck it up and get one though. We'll see. So where was I… the Eagles.

Crowd loves them!

Sometime around 1-ish I head to tour catering with the boys. I just sit down with my plate of greens when my phone goes off. It's Gio reminding me of the 1.00p meeting. Oops. Kinda forgot about that. Luckily he was cool and said just pop over when I was done eating. So I mowed down my salad, grabbed Mary who works with me in the arena and we head to studio 4.

Gio is one of the coolest guys I come across. He's the rare breed of tour security who is great at his job, calm, cool, friendly yet stern but most of all respectful towards my entire staff. I can't tell you how many assholes are out there. The best phrase (or variation thereof) is, "…this is your house. I'm just a visitor." We go thru the mechanics of the show. No pyro, no intermission, camera policy has relaxed, blah, blah, blah. The Eagles show isn't tres complique. No theatrics. Just 4 guys on a stage. Pure music. We go over the credential board & the access points. There are a couple of VIP hospitality parties: 1 for fans who paid for the privilege, 1 for the band guests and 1 for the MGM. Nothing out of the ordinary. Best part of the meeting - Gio tells us the band is doing a runner. That means no lingering after the show. The band goes directly from the stage to their vehicles to the jet. And I mean directly. With the police escort it takes all of 4 minutes to go from the stage to the FBO across the street. Now THAT'S a runner.

Joe Walsh working the crowd

From 1.30p - 3.30p not much going on. I got people in place for a sound check, tweeted some random pics, smoked a few Dunhills and gabbed with Zippy about life. Before I knew it 4.30p was here and it was time to brief my supervisory team. I've said it 100x and I'll say it again. My 15 men & women are the best in the business - and they take better care of me than I deserve. I always feel like a load's been lifted when they arrive on site. I know everything will be ok and I can relax. There's nothing like the feeling of complete confidence in your team. Nothing.

How'd you like to be this guy!

5.30p hits and I head out to the 150 ushers checking in for the show. I gave out some employee recognition awards and tell them they've all gotten a raise. Not a huge one but hey, a raise is a raise. It's the 2nd one they've gotten under me - I'm pretty happy about that.

6.25p and I grab Zippy to get doors open. Actually at about 6.00p Max calls me and says that production has already given the go-ahead for doors whenever we're ready. That hardly ever happens. Ever. So I get everyone in place and in my loud-mouth voice, "Everybody UP! Here we go. Have a great night!"

Once doors are open, the show is in the hands of my team. I don't micro-manage, I don't interfere when I don't need to, I fully trust them. I'm always available to them if they need me but they rarely do. I let people actually do their job. That's why I hired them. If I wanted to do it for them, I'd change my occupation. So I head back to my office to true-up my estimate for settlement before going upstairs for dinner.

Eagles don't fly, they roll!

As soon as the band hits the stage I head to Seablue and am looking forward to a quiet dinner alone. I'm not in a social mood and just want to watch whatever dumb Stanley Cup Playoff game Bill has on the screen. Shortly after I sit down Sebastian comes in and asks to join me. He's the Director of Restaurants or something. To be honest, I don't remember his title. He's a good guy and despite my desperate need to be alone, I oblige. What am I gonna say, "No, go away." It ended up being really fun. We laughed for a good 1/2 hour straight. He's French so when he tells stories in his accent it's so hilarious. In the end I'm glad we had dinner together. Unexpected surprise.

Where's your seat? Front row?

Around 9.00p I head back to the arena to check on the show. At this point I've seen zero of the concert, and that doesn't bother me one bit. I saw them twice back in the latter part of last year and we'll have them back in November of this year. But I figure I should Tweet a couple of pics for the Grand Garden Arena feed so I head to the concourse and grab some shots. I don't have the patience to sit thru a whole song so I head backstage to chew the fat with the guys. Another favorite site: the artist cars lined up. Watching their taillights drive away makes me so happy!

Crowd heading out

I head back to my office and decide to go watch the last song from the vommy. I walk thru the tunnel and I see house lights up. The show is over. Even better! Everyone is milling out like civilized adults. I wander onto the floor to say hi to some guests and ask if they had a good time. A resounding yes. The chair racks move in as do the cleaning crews. My favorite part of the night. The End. I wrap up with my team and my 1.00a I'm home. Ahhh.

Thanks for a great show Glenn, Joe, Don & Timothy. We'll see you again November 17th - if I'm still around...

Today

In response to the question, "So what did you do Today?"

7.30a BlackBerry alarm goes off. Click snooze.
7.40a BlackBerry alarm goes off. Click snooze.
7.50a BlackBerry alarm goes off. Click snooze.
8.00a BlackBerry alarm goes off. Turn on the Today show.
8.05a Open Mac Air. Check Twitter & FB.
8.30a Hit the kitchen. Open the fridge & take out the vegis. Wash & slice.
8.45a Shove vegis in juicer. Pour juice into wine glass. Drink.
8.50a Wash juicer parts. Give dog food & replace water in dish.
9.00a Put on tee, sweats, Nikes & earbuds. Turn on Shuffle.
9.15a Head out for 4 mile walk.
10.30a Back at the house to walk the dog.
10.45a Shower & get ready for work.
11.45a Give dog treat. Turn on HBO for dog.
11.46a Get in car. Plug in iPod. Unlock BlackBerry. Drive.
12.05p Arrive at work. Drop bags in office.
12.10p Head to lunch with the boss.
12.55p Head back to the office. Work.
3.00p Text Motorcycle-guy to go to dinner.
3.10p Receive text for rain check because Thursdays he plays hockey.
5.30p Walk up to Seablue. Try hamachi without chili peppers. Order to go.
7.00p Drive home.
7.30p Say hi to neighbor. Get bit by his dog.
7.35p Greet my dog. Wash face. Put on man's dress shirt. Unpack dinner.
7.45p Eat salmon & asparagus. Pour decaf iced tea into wine glass. Watch tv.
9.00p Start 3 loads of laundry.
9.45p Begin daily blog. Check Tweets & FB.
10.15p Ice forearm from dog bite.
10.30p Paint fingernails. 2 coats.
11.00p Eat carrots.
12.30a Brush & floss teeth.
1.30a Head to bed. Read news online. Turn on Law & Order.
2.45a Fall asleep.

For Some Reason

Me with Chef Michael Mina

Tonight I had a quickie dinner @ Seablue. It was actually the night the namesake Chef Michael Mina was in hosting a "Have dinner with the chef" promo. I think it was like $100. I wouldn't mind paying the hundred bucks but I'm not really interested in mingling with a bunch of foodies or casino guests or executives. I just like sitting at the bar, eating really good food - and so that's what I did. As I finished my hamachi appetizer Ed the GM came over with Chef Mina and they said hi. Michael is pretty soft spoken, nice - and I mean that in a very good way. We chatted about the new menu items. He asked if I liked the yellowtail. "It's very peppery," I said. That was my way of criticizing the new spin on what used to be a perfect dish without actually insulting the chef. 

Hamachi sashimi

Seablue changed up their menu (again). Chef Tony mentioned this was coming. I'm always tentative when they do this. Sometimes they hit it out of the park. Other times, not so much. Couple of my faves are back like hamachi (yellowtail), beef tartare & veal carpaccio. I wasn't a big fan of this round of yellowtail though. Kind of bland and too much pepper. I'm not a huge pepper fan so next time I order it I'm going to ask if they can skip that. I also ordered the halibut. That was juicy, fresh and delish. I'm not eating red meat or fowl right now For Some Reason. I say 'for some reason' because it didn't start intentionally. I haven't had red meat since late March. Since I had dinner with Motorcycle-guy @ Shibuya during the Lionel Richie & Friends show when he told me about juicing I just kinda stopped eating meat. But when I saw the tartare & veal on the menu @ Seablue again I really wanted to try it. But I abstained. Not sure how long I'm going to go without red meat. I don't really have a plan. I'm just winging it. When I feel like having a dripping blood rare piece of cow I'll have it. 

Halibut

As I left Seablue tonight Bill gave me a great compliment from behind the bar, "I'm proud of you. Keep it up." May not sound like much but Bill does not shell out feel-good stuff, or say anything particularly nice, ever. It's not that he's a bad guy; he's one of the best men I know. He's just more snarky & deprecating than encouraging. That's part of why I like the guy. He's been tres supportive in round 2 of my health initiative. It was just the thing I needed to hear to keep the momentum going. Thanks Wm. Thanks.

Benjamin

Dinner at Bouchon

Tonight was the last night at dinner with my parents. We started with Seablue on Monday, ended with Bouchon on Thursday. Perfect bookends. Last year I hooked up my pal for Bocelli and he returned the favor tonight. 

Dad, Mom & Me. 

We got to Bouchon at the Venetian around 6.10ish. It was still light out so the dining room had a great glow about it. The enormous windows looking out onto the courtyard & pool were great backdrops to our table. Not too many people there, but a couple of tables were occupied. It was nice and quiet. Not silent but quiet. Enough that we could have a conversation at a reasonable level. I just love restaurants like this. A tad upscale but not uppity. You can wear a suit or pop by in jeans like my dad did. Fancy silverware but the menus are printed on baguette paper you throw out. Music in the background that doesn't overpower. (Note, they played Botti. Well, of course they did!) Great bar too. I love that it's completely away from the casino. If you self-park it's a short elevator ride to the 10th floor to Bouchon. 

Olives. Simple but tasty.

After we were seated the GM Adam came over to introduce himself to us. He's the one I did the favor for but I've never actually met him in person until tonight so this was as much for me as it was for my parents. Shortly after he leaves our table out comes some celebratory Champagne for mom and dad. I'm still on the wagon so I raised my glass of water in cheers.

The trout. 

Our server was Brittney, the girlfriend of my pal Charlie who used to be the sommelier @ Seablue. She was very sweet and cute. (Good going Charlie!) We took our time to order. My parent's aren't big eaters so we didn't go nuts with food. It's a good thing because they brought out an amuse: their special of gnocchi with shrimp & creme fraiche. Dad really liked that. It was good but I'm not a big gnocchi fan. Something about the consistency. Mom ordered the Saumon Poele (salmon) and app-ed it with a carrot soup. Dad got the prime flat iron and I decided on the Truite Amandine (trout) with some olives to start. They loved their dishes as did I. The shaved toasted almonds on top of the trout were ridiculous. I could have eaten a bowl of those. They brought out braised cabbage fondu and macaroni much to our surprise. They were also delish. The cabbage fondu would be good on a cold winter's day in Minnesota.

Desserts. Yum.

Dessert anyone?

At this point we were full but not uncomfortably so. Brittney brings us desert menus. Mom & dad decided to "go all out" on their last day since they'd been good the past 4 days and share the Profiteroles. I got the Classic Blue Log cheese. I'm not a sweets fan. I like salty. About 10 minutes later, out come not only what we ordered but 2 other deserts including their special brownie & Thomas Keller's signature lemon tart. Mom & dad did their best and got thru about 1/2 of the deserts while I ate my cheese. At this point we're now all deliciously full. We need to stand up and walk…

Goodie Bags from Bouchon

I ask Brittney for the check. I'm fairly certain there won't be one but I don't want to embarrass anyone, least of all my parents. "It's taken care of," she says. I leave her a Benjamin and we head for the door. On the way out I went to say thank you to Adam the GM for taking such great care of us. "I almost forgot the most important thing," he says as he turns and grabs 3 bags with goodies from Bouchon Bakery. This is how it's done. The goodies aren't fancy or expensive. But it's a classy move that makes the night that much better. 

Thank you to Adam, Brittney, Charlie and the team @ Bouchon for capping off a great week with my parents. Sante. 

Fantasy

Ahi tuna

Had dinner tonight at The M Resort with the 'rents. We went to Anthony's. It was good. We sat at a table right next to the glass looking into the grill in the kitchen. Loved it but watching them cook all the huge pieces of meat was hard given my current I-only-eat-fish-and-vegis situation. After the hostess sat us the server came over and introduced himself as Bill. He was cute. Lean like Bill from Seablue. He looked at me kind of strange, cocked his head and said, "I think I remember you." Oh Christ. It's never a good thing when a man says that to me. What drunken idiot girl thing did I do or say to him. "You've been in here before." Thank God. Then it clicked. He was so good looking that I wouldn't have minded if I'd slept with him but turns out he actually waited on us the last time we were there. Whew. He was the perfect blend of playful & absent. My perfect kind of waiter. I hate it when they hover. I can pour my own Pellegrino into the glass. I don't need someone to do it for me.

Sea bass

I started with the ahi tuna. I could have eaten 4 of these little rosebuds. So delish and I love it when they put roe on stuff. I love squishing them in my mouth like manual pop rocks. Dad got the bone in filet. George Bennett is munching on the bone now. The filet actually had 2 bones on it so he'll get another one tomorrow. Poor dog. He's so neglected and abused. Mom got the halibut. I tried to stay away from it because it rested in lemon butter but I should have gotten that instead. My pan seared sea bass was yummy but entirely smothered in a butter-based sesame soy glaze. The word 'glaze' should have been my clue to stay away from it. It was good but if you're watching your calorie intake I suggest getting the halibut or asking for it sans glaze. 

George Bennett's dinner

We talked about old times - my cookie monster birthday cake when I was a toddler, our old house, the time I went to work with my dad, funny stories about how people gave my mom their seat on the Monorail because she looks like a little old granny, the fact my dad retired 16 years ago. It's crazy to think that he retired at 56. 

The check came and dad paid, of course. No matter how old I am, I'm still their little girl. I don't even challenge them anymore. "Of course we're paying," my mom says. I love that about them. It's nice to be taken care of once in a while. 

After dinner we hit the (ugh) slot machines for about an hour. Dad went on his own and I hung with my mother. I loathe gambling but I get to spend alone time with mom and we bond. She's so funny. She checks out slot machines like I eat my sushi. There's a process and it can't be rushed. She takes her time to prepare, picks the right one, lingers a bit to make sure it looks good and then dives in. She knows the machines she likes, what icon you need to get into the bonus round, how much to bet, which machines are new, where to cash in. It's simply adorable in a Q-tip/senior citizen kind of way. I hate throwing away my money like that so I only bet the minimums. She's betting a dollar a pop. Not massive by any means but the thought of dropping a hundred bucks in a machine in an hour gives me acid reflux. Now ask me (pre or post current health trend) if I'd lay down $100 on a bottle of wine or some foie, hell yes! We all have our priorities. 

Love that The M has Dyson
dryers in the restrooms

I drove them back to the MGM. Dad always asks me how my car is running. I'm sure he's never asked my brothers that. "Good, dad." It's a 2011. It'd better be running well. He knows it. He just likes to check on me. "How's the (portfolio)?" Yeah, I'm not as good at saving as they were but I'm doing fine. He knows that too. He actually manages it for me. There's no one on earth I trust more with my money. I love that they'll always take care of me for as long as they're alive but it makes me sad that the only thing I can give them in return, I haven't. A grandchild. They have never, ever, ever, ever asked or put any kind of pressure on me but since my oldest brother and his wife aren't having kids (by choice) and my middle brother is now dead, I'm their only hope for a grandbaby. I feel guilty for letting them down. They don't see it that way and think I'm ridiculous. They tell me they are proud of me & love me just the way I am but really, what are they supposed to say. "Amy, you suck as a human being because you aren't married or in a relationship and don't have kids like the rest of the world." I feel like since they gave me such a great gift in adopting me as an infant, the least I can do is give them a grandchild. But life hasn't worked out that way for me. Yet still I have hope. I just want to do it in the correct order: find Mr. Right, date, fall in love, get married, enjoy time together, have a baby, raise a child, grow old together, die. Jesus, I'm a control freak even in my Fantasy life. 

Remember

My parents are in town this week. Tonight was dinner at (where else) Seablue. They just got in today and are still on central time so it's where we normally have our first dinner when they first get to Vegas. Easy in, easy out, great food, excellent service, you know the drill. It was bitter sweet for us though. Mom and dad won't likely be back before they close so I made a silent toast to the 4 of us: me, mom, dad & Seablue. 

Dad mentioned going to Red Rock (the canyon, not the casino) so I think that's on tap for Wednesday. We'll hit Red Rock (the casino, not the canyon) for dinner that night I'm sure. I'm not crazy about any of the restaurants there but it's close to the park and not a bad place so I'm sure it will be fine. Tomorrow we're headed to the M. My parents and I really like it there. It's small, classy, comfortable, great decor, great customer service. We go there every time they visit. We usually hit Anthony's for a steak or Marinelli's for Italian. I'm thinking Bouchon for dinner on Thursday, the last night they're here. I've been there a couple times and loved it. Mom & dad dig French fare so it'll be a hit. We normally go to Mon Ami Gabi, one of my all-time faves but I'm gonna skip it this year. Last time we were there Counselor joined us. Time to create new memories in a new restaurant. I found it odd they didn't ask me about him but they asked me about Big Rod. I think they secretly wish Rodney and I were dating. They love that kid. I don't have the heart to tell them it will never happen. Rodney is great; he's one of my best friends. Just not the guy for me.

Dinner tonight was early so we were done around 8.00p. They know I hate slot machines so they let me off the hook and we said good night. As they walked away I watched the 2 of them. Married for 55+ years. I'm always amazed at how tiny they are now. They shrink a little more every time I see them. I'm not terribly tall myself; 5'6" flat footed, 5'9"-ish with heels. I tower over them now. My father used to be tall. Or maybe I just imagined him tall because I think of him from the perspective a little girl. I still remember watching him shave in the morning before work. He'd lather up his face, then bend down & lather mine. He'd shave a section on his face, then take a wash cloth and wipe off that same section on mine. I couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 years old. I remember the swishing sound when he shook the razor in the water to clean it off. It's funny what you Remember as a kid. I've said it before, I've got amazing parents. No better role models. I'm a very lucky daughter. Lucky indeed.

Honest

I was the last one out of work today. It's Friday before Easter weekend. I wasn't planning on even being in the office today but these convention clients are brutal and don't really know the meaning of tomorrow, or weekend, or later. They could care less if you just worked 18 hours on an awards show the night before or if your house just burned down. It's the sales team's fault for being so spineless and afraid of saying no that the clients' attitude is like that of a child who is a brat because his parents never taught him any better.  Sales. A necessary evil. 

I was just going to call Sumo II and pick up some sushi on the way home but thought I'd BBM Rodney to see what he was up to. "Come to Strip and meet me for a drink," he text back. Ok. On my way. 

StripSteak was pretty quiet. Sucks for business but good for me. I've never cared for crowds or loud restaurants or busy places where people crowd you. I like quiet & space. I got there before Big Rod, as always, and am greeted by Monica with a smile. Strip is my 3rd home behind Seablue & Fiamma. 

Hamachi @ Strip

I'm in the middle of this cycle of health so I ordered Saint Geron. Anthony the hot bartender popped over to say hi and was surprised I'm still on the wagon. Supportive though. I am starving so I order a double order of hamachi. I love this stuff. They used to have it at Seablue, which makes sense since they're both Michael Mina restaurants, but they don't anymore. It used to be my favorite. Sometimes I go to Strip just to get this. 

At some point after I finished my yellowtail the other bartender, who's name I cannot remember (which is odd for me), heard me talking about juicing. He perked up and ambushed me with all kinds of juicing facts, figures, recipes, recos on juicers & health stats. He was a bit of a zealot and it was all a little overwhelming, but adorable of him and I appreciated his enthusiasm. He wrote down a simple recipe for me on the back of a coaster. It's funny how from one simple conversation with Motorcycle-guy the other day, now all the sudden juicing is all around me. It's true that what you focus on surrounds you. Time to focus on a single, 40-something, tall, successful, stable, social, funny, good looking, Honest man. That can't be harder to find than a juicer, can it?

What I Don't Want

I went to dinner with M the other night. He was about an hour late. So irritating but I cut him some slack because I know how busy he was. We met at Seablue (shocker) and spent about 4 hours there. Somewhere around hour number 2 I literally caught myself not listening to a word that was coming out of his mouth and thinking, "Jesus, Amy. What were you thinking?" There was a time not too long ago when I really liked him. Really liked him. Like, like-liked him. He's got a special quality. A warmth and real-ness that I connected with. A year ago I would have shoved a little old lady in front of a bus to date him. And it's funny because he's the opposite of my type. But that night at dinner I looked at him and thought wow, someone was looking out for me because at that very moment I couldn't imagine being with him or understand what drew me to him in any romantic fashion. Don't get me wrong, he's an amazing guy, a guy I have a tremendous amount of respect for and a person who will probably be one of my friends for a very long time. I just wonder what happened in a year that turned me off? He didn't do anything; I haven't seen or spoken to him in a year. It's clearly me. I'm the one who changed. Is it because of Counselor? Or because of Tequila-guy? If I had to guess I'd say it's probably a combination of both. After the closeness & affection of Counselor and the magnificence & manhood of Tequila-guy, my standards are a tad bit high. That may a problem because they were high to begin with.

I guess it took a year for me to figure out What I Don't Want and I already know what I do want - so what's stopping me from getting it? That's the million dollar question... 

Maybe

Seablue is closing in 9 months, around Thanksgiving. As with everything in life, my time with Seablue too will come to an end. My friend Michelle who worked there just left for San Fran. My other friend there, Christine, is doing the same only moving to Florida in a few weeks. They're both just picking up and moving. Reminded me of when I did that and moved out here to Vegas 12+ years ago - when I ran away from home. I left everyone and everything I knew back in the Twin Cities. I just threw all my crap in storage and flew out here. Once I found an apartment I had the moving company drive what little stuff I had and started over. I was in my late 20s. The thought of doing that now at 40 isn't scary. It's something I think about often, especially lately. There's nothing for me here anymore. I'm not sure there ever was.

Something significant is looming on my horizon. I can feel it. Don't know if it's good or bad. Maybe it's a move, a love or a death. Not sure if I'm headed for danger or a revelation. I could be walking into a trap or the most amazing experience of my life. Or maybe it's the Ambien I just took. Time will tell I suppose... Maybe as early as tomorrow morning.

03.11.12 311 @ MGM Grand Garden Arena - Las Vegas, NV

311 rocking out

Day 2 of 311. By now everything was on cruise control so I didn't make an appearance until about 3.00p. Given the hour we lost to Daylight Savings it really felt like 2.00p. And like clockwork my boy Dave was there so I knew everything was oky doky. I text him earlier in the morning to make sure the place hadn't burned down. I think he responded, "Just trying to stay awake" or something to that effect. 

I didn't make it to church today. When my alarm went off at 9.00a I was so tired. When I got home last night I made the mistake of staying up until 4.00a watching HBO's Game Change. It was fantastic but I paid the price the next morning. Church would have to wait until next Sunday.

Front of the GA section

The afternoon flew by. Before I knew it I was doing another security briefing with my team - basically said, "Remember what you did last night? Do it again tonight. End of meeting." My team is so amazing. If it weren't for them I never would have taken the job 6+ years ago. I used to handle operations and credentials for boxing before I started at the MGM but one of my clients was the Grand Garden Arena so I knew many of them for many years before I worked there. In fact, that's why I got the job, because I had a previous relationship with the arena and the folks there knew me and how I operated. It was win/win and the perfect fit. 

Stage left

Before I knew it I was standing in front of the stage with the production manager Daniel waiting for the ok for early entry doors again. Here we go. The kids come rushing in. Probably about 400 of them. Then the throngs of general public. The initial crowd tonight was significantly thinner than last night. We had a bet going that most of them forgot about Daylight Savings and losing the hour so they'd all come around 9.00p, thinking it was 8.00p - and we were right. Around 9.00p the turnstiles were jam packed. We got them in quickly and most didn't miss a beat. 

Good night!

Once again, when the band hit the stage I headed up to Seablue for a bite. It was pretty dead which was fine by me. I'm not a big fan of crowds - which is kind of silly given I work on shows with crowds in excess of 16,000 sometimes. I don't like loud music either, unless I'm in my car, working out or cleaning my house. Goofy. I ordered a simple hamburger, sans bun, condiments, fries & vegis. Only shredded lettuce. Chef Tony came out to check & make sure that's actually what I wanted. "Yep,"I told him with my sincere apologies. I just bastardized his hamburger. Honestly, he didn't seem to mind. Mike, one of the cooks came over to double check my order with me too. "You've never ordered this before," he said. Yeah, sometimes a girl just wants a hunk of beef. 

Around 10ish I head back to the arena and check out a couple songs. I tried to look for Bill, bartender @ Seablue but couldn't remember where I got them seats. I hooked him up with tics so he could take his girlfriend and my other friends Premo & Anna. Premo used to be a bartender @ Seablue too. They Facebooked me later saying they had a good time. 

Confetti cannons 

Before I knew it, it was midnight. I headed back out to the floor and did a couple walkthroughs. On GA floors we create 'moats' on each side of the floor for emergency egress. I head down the house right moat and snap a couple pics of the band from stage left. Jake, 311 venue security guy gives me a tap on the shoulder and a smile. We talk a little about the band's transportation out on Monday but it's so loud the convo doesn't last long. I head back up the moat and to the other side. The band's on their last song and I know the confetti cannons are about ready to fire so I stand back and watch. 

Another great night of 311. The concert is over but the VIP room has lots of people milling about. One of the guitar players is in the room but it still clears out quite quickly. By 1.00a everyone is clear. By 2.00a I'm headed home. Monday is my day to rest. To do laundry. To run errands. To order sushi. To drink Pellegrino. To hang with the dog. To live a normal life - at least for 1 day.

311 Set List - Sunday

Set 3
Down
Rock On
Grass Roots
Hive
Sever
Off Beat Bare Ass
Amber
Firewater
You Wouldn't Believe
And A Ways To Go
Applied Science
Jupiter
There's Always An Excuse
Brodels
Trouble
Still Dreaming
Beyond The Gray Sky
Creatures

Set 4
Cali Soca
Speak Easy
Stealing Happy Hours
Life's Not A Race
Use Of Time
Too Much Too Fast
Lucky
DLMD
8:16am
Beautiful Disaster
Uncalm
Juan Bond
Eons
I Told Myself
All Mixed Up
Gap
Homebrew
Who's Got The Herb
Livin' N Rockin'
Random
Sometimes Jacks
Feels So Good

Monkey Business

Today was better than yesterday. Not sure what this funk is that I'm in. I think I am just grieving a little over the loss of my previous lifestyle. There's no disputing, it was fun. I'm trying to get my sense-memory back on how good it felt to be healthy, work out, eat right, think straight. 

Throughout the day random 311 fans were milling about, trying to sneak into the venue for a peek or to see the sound check. It's funny to watch them. Our arena is situated a little differently than most so when the band is playing you can actually hear them (albeit muffled) thru the locked doors. Several people had their ears plastered to the doors trying to catch a song or 2. Harmless, but funny. I guess part of me gets it. I was (still am) a Chris Botti fan and followed him around the country listening to the same setlist, hearing the same jokes & shtick, getting the same post-show m&g pic with him. When you like something, nothing seems crazy in the attempt at getting closer to it.

The night ended like many - at Seablue with Trubes. I got a 4 pack of tics to 311 for Bill the bartender. In my 8+ years of knowing him he's only ever asked me for tickets once - to some 80s band whose name I can't remember - at the Palms. I couldn't come thru and still feel bad about that. When he asked for tics to 311 there was no way I was going to refuse. Bill's been with me thru all my boy-drama, all my job woes, all my highlights & lowlights. And when I need it most, he gives me the cold, hard, brutal truth. He doesn't know it but he's been one of the most influential people in my life and one I'm terribly grateful for. 

Tonight we got a to-go order but I decide to try the new (actually old because they used to have it years ago and brought it back) Root Beer Float that's on the desert menu. It's yummy. Got some decaf tea too. That was strategic. I did want the tea but I also wanted the baby spoon - the replacement for the caviar spoon that Counselor still has. Speaking of him - he called me today. "Do you have (Joe Schmo's) cel phone number?" he asks. "Yeah, I'll text it to you." "You want me to send you my number?" "Uhm, it's the one you called me from, right?" "Oh, yeah." He could have gotten that number from about 10 other people just as easily. I don't know why he called me for it. Is he trying to flaunt himself in front of me & make me feel bad that I don't have him? An oh-so-subtle reminder that some part of me isn't good enough for him? I don't know why I answered my phone either. I have Counselor listed in my contacts as 'Do Not Answer' so now when caller ID pops up on the screen it literally reads 'Do Not Answer.' But little good it did. It's almost worse. It makes me want to answer it more. 

Trubes and I finished up and we headed out. A short but good night. Two days of 311 starts tomorrow so I'm going to get a good night's sleep and get ready for 40 hours of a band I've never heard of until we booked them. I am looking forward to seeing VP-guy. Not sure what else to call him and still protect his privacy. We work in the same industry and have been flirting for the past 6 months or so. Never actually been out with him (other than on business stuff) but given the opportunity there'd definitely be some Monkey Business going on. We'll see how the weekend goes. 

Easy To Remember

Tonight I went to my pal Jay's 40th surprise birthday party at Republic Kitchen. (It was actually the site of my pal Sumo's 40th birthday too but back then it was Fado's.) I got there late, not fashionably but because I literally laid down to take a nap in the sunlight with the dog and didn't wake up until his wife text me. Yeah, not a brilliant move on my part because Jay's one of my closest confidantes. He, much like the rest of the brain trust, are my closest friends. He's a good guy and - by leaps and bounds - the smartest guy I know. He and his wife Melissa are so remarkably perfect for each other, much like DQ and his wife. Gives me hope that it exists. 

Anyhow, I get there late and there are about 30 people mingling around. I know about 10 of them. Walking into a crowd of strangers never bothered me though. Being social and fearless in that regard is a skill at which I excel. I work the room a bit and eventually make it around say hi to the birthday boy and his wife. He looks happy. So does she. 

Sitting on the corner of the black leather sofa is a tall, dark haired guy. He looks kind of familiar but I don't remember his name. Luckily Jay introduces me to him. I still don't recall what it is but immediately after he stands up so I can shake his hand I remember it's the guy Jay mentioned I might like. Strange because I usually come up with a trick about people so their name is Easy To Remember but this time it didn't work. He'll just have to be Actor-guy. At least I think Jay said he's an actor. Creative-type. Quiet. A little mysterious. He didn't have the bad-boy vibe but rather a cool reservation about him. Although I will say, quel annoyance, he had a bluetooth earpiece in. Ugh. He had it in all night, even when he played pool. It was such a strange juxtaposition. Jeans, leather jacket, tattoos I'm sure - and a bluetooth. He pretty much steered clear of me so I took that as a sign I'm not up his alley either. It's funny the people your friends think you'd be interested in. He was good looking though. Great hands. Strong. Good at pool too. 

Since I wasn't drinking and had enough of the smalltalk I said my goodbyes after about an hour. Jay did his best linebacker move to try to get me to stay. "What, are you going to see (Counselor)!" he jibes. "Nope," I smirk. "Then at least tell me you're gettin' a bootie call from Tequila-guy!" Yeah, Jay knows more about my life than most. 

I make the drive back to the southwest side of town, home. I just wanted to eat some Seablue leftovers with George Bennett, drink a bottle or 2 of Pellegrino and watch whatever new movie is on HBO tonight. 

Mission accomplished. 

(Postscript: Turns out the guy wasn't Actor-guy. "I'd never set you up with this guy. He's definitely got some bodies buried somewhere." Whew. Thank god.)

Freedom

A long time ago my friend Dena recommended a book to me. Before I tell you about it you need to know I absolutely LOATHE reading books. I'll read a Steve Martini courtroom thriller on a long plane ride or articles online but I'm not the kind of person who enjoys reading for pleasure. Oprah will not be calling me for her book club.

Dena and I were talking one day and how we were both going thru something with the current men in our lives. She said, "Amy. You HAVE to get this book. It's called Why Men Love Bitches (by Sherry Argov)." I'm not really into self-help or blame-it-on-yourself-or-someone-else books but this one sounded fun. I read an excerpt from Amazon and thought, what the hell, and bought it. It's a comical read - pretty much what you'd expect from the title. Don't be so available. Don't let him think you're too interested. Don't nag. Don't give him too much power. Let him rescue you occasionally. Make him feel needed. Let him miss you. Be a challenge, not easy. Don't be afraid to not be without him. All that shit. The funny thing is, I actually go back to this book occasionally and re-read chapters. Some of them contain gems. It's like watching a Nancy Meyers movie for the 10th time on HBO just because you want to be reminded of what you should do.

In stark comparison Why Men Love Bitches is lying next to my Bible in my nightstand. Yeah, lately I've been blogging some God-ish stuff and yes, I recently joined Green Valley Presbyterian Church but I assure you I'm not a bible-thumper or a religious nut, I'm not a born-again Christian and I'm not going to try to convert anyone. I'm far to selfish to give a fat rat's ass about what you believe. Anyone who's read more than 2 of my posts knows I'm much more sinner than saint. About a year ago I wanted to go to church for Easter and Counselor decided to go with me. Ever since then we've both been going - first together, then alone, now separately. The pastor is just so fucking good at speaking - THAT'S what keeps me coming back. If my soul gets saved in the meantime and if God decides to move me in ways I'm not conscious of, well all the better. Sometimes just showing up is enough, for now. 

So for the 2nd Friday in a row I'm home alone with George Bennett, and not out. Of course I went to Seablue to pick up a to-go bag but was there for less than an hour, enough time for a salad and couple glasses of fizzy-water while my steak cooked. It feels good to just hang out at home. I like the privacy, the Freedom, the independence. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

02.19.12 Lenny Kravitz @ MGM Grand Garden Arena - Las Vegas, NV

Lenny Kravitz is mesmerizing

Lenny Kravitz show tonight. Once again I only caught a couple of songs - but Jesus does this man have charisma. I'm not a fan of tattoos, nose rings, leather jackets, guitars or tough men but wow, Kravitz has something that just makes you adore him. 

The day started out late for me. Because of KMA/Ali 70 the night before I was in no hurry to get back to the arena. Luckily my man Dave was there to pick up the slack. He's one of my supervisors. Without him I'd lose my mind. He babysits the early shift so I can sleep in. I thank God for him every day we have a show. 

I got in around 2ish I think. Things were quiet. I was thankful for a small show after the night before. Quel nightmare. Lenny's production team was awesome to work with. Love tours like that. No major egos, just pure teamwork and a let's-get-it-done attitude.

The only major drama revolved not around the show but autographed guitars and meet & greets. Yeah, really important stuff. Autographs and m&gs are the bane of my existence. Spoiled people meeting people they probably don't really give a shit about otherwise. Real fans hardly ever get access like rich people. That's life. It isn't fair. The only 2 artists I can think of that actually do m&gs with true fans are Lady Gaga and (yeah, you guessed it) Chris Botti. 

What is all the fuss about?

So all day 6 v-shaped guitars were sitting in my colleague Jay's office. He was tasked with getting them signed from our executives so he dumped the pain onto me. He's a good guy and I had a good relationship with the tour manager because of the m&g crap so I said I'd do it. After speaking with the tour manager he says, "No prob. Just put the guitars in Lenny's dressing room and I'll get them signed." Excellent. Check that off the list. Then I check my CrackBerry and the executives are asking that 2 of the guitars be personalized, not only with a name but with certain wording. Are you fucking kidding me? It's not enough you rich bastards are getting a free, personalized signed guitar but you want something specific written on it? Things like that make me realize I work in fantasyland - a place where people with real problems and real life strife don't exist. I'm seriously embarrassed to ask the tour manager for Lenny to do this. He just kind of smirked and told me to write a note and stick it on the guitars. "If he does it, he does it." Yeah, and I'm Lucy Liu. But I do my due diligence and write a note next to both guitars. 

Onto the next drama - the m&gs. One was planned. Completely. It was a group of radio winners from a local station coordinated thru the tour. It happened after the sound check around 5.30ish. The one that I was coordinating wasn't even on the tour manager's radar. I was the one who broke that news to him. Luckily we had already established a good rapport or he'd be like, "Who the fuck are you and why should I give a fuck about your m&g." Turns out he was on a couple of emails from our execs so all was well in the land of Oz. The casino m&g was to take place @ 8.45ish. Well, 8.30p rolls around and I head down the dressing room hallway to find the tour manager. He wasn't even on site which meant Lenny wasn't on site yet. Not good. Not good at all. Around 8.40p Kravitz arrives avec tour manager extraordinaire. Thank you Baby Jesus. I ask him if he's all set and he breaks the bad news to me. Since his guy (Lenny) was running late he wants to do the m&g after the show. 

Let Love Rule on the b-stage

Aw FUCK. Deja vu Bocelli. I went thru this once with Bocelli. His management agreed to do a m&g with our casino before the show. Bocelli wasn't feeling well so he asked to do it after the show. So I'm the ass who has to break the news to the casino guests, the ones we all suck up to and bust our asses for because they spend shitloads of money and make the world go 'round. They took it well. After the show, Bocelli decided to hop in his vehicle and do a "runner." That means they go directly from the stage into their car and leave the venue. No Shower, no changes, just outa there. So I had to go back to these guests and tell them that Bocelli had left the building and there would be no m&g.

Anyhow, back to Lenny. So I looked at the tour manager and said, "He's gonna do this after the show, right?" like a child begging for a piece of gum. "He will be there," he says with complete confidence. 

Last carrot cake.
Chef Jacque is leaving. I'm heartbroken!

Show was awesome - so I'm told. Truthfully, once I found out this m&g was going to be after the show I headed up to Seablue for dinner. After this weekend I'm ready to sit and relax a bit. As always Seablue does not disappoint. After about and hour I head back down to see a couple songs and make sure the m&g happens. I catch Let Love Rule where Lenny goes from the stage, thru the audience to the b-stage by the mix and back to the stage again. God, he's so sexy. 

Lenny finishes his set and I head to the dressing room looking for my man. After about 10 minutes, I see my man with 2 signed guitars in hand. Thank you baby! I call Jay on my Nextel and tell him to get his ass down to Lenny's dressing room - I've got the guitars. Check that off the list. Then the tour manager tells me to get the people lined up and ready to roll. Meet & greet is on. We stage the 25 peeps at the end of the dressing room hallway. Eventually they all get their pic taken with Lenny and all go home happy. 

Another night bites the dust. Oh, and incidentally, Lenny did kinda personalize the guitars. He didn't write the specific notes the people wanted but he did write their names on the side of the guitar. 1 outa 2 ain't bad. Ain't bad at all.

Set list
Come On Get It
American Woman
Always On The Run
It Ain't Over Til It's Over
Mr. Cab Driver
Black & White America
Fields of Joy
Stand by My Woman
Believe
Stand
Rock & Roll is Dead
Rock Star City Life
Where Are We Runnin'
Fly Away
Are You Gonna Go My Way
Push
Let Love Rule