Friday

Friday the 13th. Nothing particularly remarkable about today. I was supposed to take the day off but ended up working several hours anyhow because of some extremely needy people who I wish would fall off a cliff. I was not happy about going in so as soon as I hit the arena I popped into Trubes' office and said, "5.30. Seablue." She just nodded in agreement. Thank God. This is why we're friends. She gets me. 

This is one of the last free weekends we have in the next couple of months so it's pretty quiet. The guys are painting the offices so they're right outside my door. They can hear me singing so I belt out some old school Whodini. They just laugh - but I hear them singing along to New Edition, Luther Vandross and PM Dawn. Yeah, they made today bearable. I love horsing around with the guys. 

Bouchon goodie bag

Last night was dinner with mom and dad @ Bouchon and we got goodie bags. My parents didn't want to bring them home in their luggage so they gave them to me to bring into work. I gave them to the girls in the office. I think they like getting stuff like this. And if they don't, they can toss it. 

5.25p rolls around and we're at the entrance to the restaurant. Yeah, we're a little eager. I got oysters. Haven't had them in a while. She got a bun-less hamburger and I got the ahi with broccolini to go. We couldn't have been there for more than an hour. Quickie tonight. Suited us both just fine.

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. 

I'm Good At What I Do

The weather today was chilly and windy so my parents and I bagged Red Rock Canyon and headed to the casino instead. Dinner tonight was at the Yard House @ Red Rock. Big mistake. It was so loud we couldn't hear each other talk. Humungous portions of average food. More is not better. Sometimes more is just more. I should have learned my lesson from the horrible food I got at the Yard House at LA Live in Cali last month. I got the seared ahi tuna and once again it was slathered in sauce. It was a big filet though so I was able to eat around the sauce without sacrificing any substance. It came with brown rice which was packed so tightly I could have given it to Motorcycle-guy to use as a puck for when he plays hockey. Fitting as half the flatscreens in the joint had on the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

Talk was labored at the table. Just too loud. Even if I weren't with my parents this wouldn't be my favorite. I'm just not a sportsbar kind of gal. I'm more sit at the bar in a nice restaurant kind of girl. The last time I was at this Yard House I was with Counselor after we went to a party at the home of one of his partners. We met some other of his law buddies there but eventually left and went to the sportsbook bar where he apologized to me for breaking my heart 5 years earlier. I hate that places still remind me of him. 

We finish dinner and head out to the dreaded casino. I hit the slots with my mom again. I just don't get it. As my mom pointed out, "Well, we won't have to worry about you becoming a problem gambler." No truer words spoken. I caught myself looking at people walking by and not even paying attention to whatever was going on with the machine I was playing. All the dinging, the randomness, the ridiculousness of chance. I don't see much value in it as entertainment - but hey, whatever floats your boat. Those gamblers are why I don't have to pay state income tax. People sometimes say it's why I have a job. That's pure bullshit. I have a job because I'm Good At What I Do. It just happens to be at an arena attached to a casino. If I hadn't ended up at the Grand Garden I have no doubt I'd be working in sports, probably at a major sports facility or for a pro team somewhere or maybe still in golf or boxing. But no sense in speculation. What's done is done. Now I'm just working on my exit strategy. But that's for another post...

So where was I? Oh, the slots… when changing machines we see my dad so I hang with him for awhile. He's a much more conservative bettor than my mom. I'm more like him. I don't think he would ever have ever dropped a penny in a slot machine if my mom didn't like to go. But for them it's casual entertainment. They don't buy fancy cars, have expensive jewelry or own multiple homes. They do travel but beyond that, blowing a couple thousand dollars on slots isn't a big deal. They've earned the mind-numbing privilege. 

I managed to walk out with $80. I doubled my money. I'm perfectly happy with that. And I got to spend more time with my ever aging parents. I'm perfectly grateful for that. Tomorrow Bouchon. Thank God. After tonight I need a respectable restaurant.

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.