Vegas Baby!

This past weekend, SK and I went to Las Vegas for one of his medical conferences. It's probably one of the last trips that I'll be taking via airplane for quite awhile, so I tried to enjoy it as much as possible, even though Vegas isn't really my scene. Am I too old to have a "scene"? Probably. But you get my drift.

First of all -- what a nerd fest! Eye docs and technicians everywhere! I must say the Japanese docs looked the dorkiest with their 90-degree bows coupled with "Hai! Moshi moshi!" I wandered the exhibition hall and picked up a bag full of free contact lens solution and refreshing drops samples! Score! Unfortunately, every other exhibitor was selling surgical tools so that meant it was impossible to avoid seeing disgusting videos of eye surgeries everywhere plastered on large plasma screens. Blech! Here are some other high notes and low points of the weekend:

Highlights:

Spa Day -- Besides surrounding myself with a bunch of over-educated eye nerds, I spent all day Saturday at the spa with the fiance of another eye doc. The spa also had a sauna and whirlpool but I couldn't partake in my pregnant state even though my achy feet and legs could have used the therapy. I was really exhausted from spending all day Friday walking around exploring, so I ended up falling asleep in the middle of both of my treatments. If you're ever in Vegas anytime soon, check out Canyon Ranch SpaClub.

Cirque du Soleil -- Someone generously donated some free tickets to SK and a few other eye docs, so a few of us went to the new Beatles LOVE show. Initially, when SK told me we were going, I thought it was a little dorky. Surely, we would rather seek out the latest night club/lounge (after all Nick Lachey and Co. were rumored to be in Vegas that weekend). But I'm glad we went, because it was actually a terrific performance. The dancers/acrobats were amazing and the music was great (Beatles songs!). I couldn't resist singing along to the songs I recognized. Here's a picture of SK and me with some of the Cirque du Soleil ushers dressed in Beatles-inspired costume.

Wynn Hotel & Casino -- We only went to an alumni event there, but even walking through the casino floor felt a little classier -- muted noises from the slot machines and a floor-layout that was not as cramped as other casinos we had been in. We ended the night at a nightclub/lounge in the Wynn called Tryst. It's quite a dramatic set-up with a large dance floor that opens up to an open-air area with waterfall and pool. The night we went was 70's/80's/90's night w/ all our favorite songs, so we couldn't resist getting out on the dance floor and boogie-ing. I bet I looked funny gettin' on down w/ my big ol' belly!!

Lowlights:

Leg & Foot Swelling -- My pregnancy weight gain is starting to have an effect on my legs and feet. Walking around for long periods of time really takes its toll on my legs. I used to wear heels around New York all day and all night long and still be fine, but now even with comfortable flats, my legs feel like a pair of wooden logs after a couple hours.

Overexposed boobage and muffin top -- Why oh why? Since when have bustiers become appropriate evening wear? So cheesy! There was too much of this kind of dressing in Las Vegas where womens' breasts were squished together and 3/4 of their mammary gland was hangin' out. And most of the time, the ladies did NOT have figures to justify such dressing -- meaning they were usually 5 lb. sausages packed into 2 lb. bags (to borrow a saying from my brother-in-law). Also, if you don't know what "muffin top" is, that's when ladies are wearing tight low-riders and shirts that don't quite cover their mid-section, resulting in stomachs flopping out over the top of their pants. There was a lot of this unfortunate phenomenon happening in Vegas. There's nothing wrong with the low-rider look, or even a little bit of pudge poking out. But my friends, this was egregious amounts of flesh -- try the next size up or wear longer shirts!

Sensory overload -- Vegas is just too much... Too much noise, light, people, etc. From the moment we stepped off the plane, it felt like controlled chaos. The airport was packed like Kimpo airport circa 1980, with the added noise of slot machines and airport announcements. Then the strip and casinos were another story. The people who design the layout of Ikea must be the same folks who design casino floors. I was always getting lost and walking around in circles. By the second day, I gave myself at least a 20 minute padding to get myself anywhere, just in case I got lost. I'm sure the casinos do this on purpose so guests end up being tempted by the different games, stores and restaurants. By the time Sunday afternoon came around, I was exhausted. I put my head down after lunch for a little nap, and didn't wake up until dinner.

Pumpkins & Halloween

Last weekend, after another dismal Eagles game, SK and I drove out to the East Bay (Concord/Walnut Creek) to spend time with some new friends. The friends are probably ten years older than us and already have established families -- one family with four kids and another with two. The kids ranged in age from 12 to 2 1/2 months and called us auntie J and uncle S. For SK and me, it was kinda like being adopted into their families. It was also a time to practice being around kids and acting parental.

It was a beautiful day, so we packed up the kids and went to a random pumpkin "patch" -- which turned out to be a dirt covered corner with well-placed scare-crows, hay bales, and of course, pumpkins of all sizes and shapes. There were also some random farm animals which everyone was allowed to pet - rabbits, goats, pigs, chickens and ducks. It was random but still kinda fun.

And then it was back home to carve the pumpkins we so carefully chose. It had been awhile since I carved a pumpkin, but it was fun to get your hands all dirty and generally just make a big mess. We were quite proud of our finished product.

Finally, we had a giant family dinner at a place called "Claim Jumper". I guess they only have these places on the West Coast, but basically, it reminded me of a cross between Sizzler and Cheesecake Factory -- steak house w/ a big varied menu and HUGE portions. SK got a large plate of chicken and biscuits and all I could think about was clogged arteries. SK dove in and ate almost all of it. When SK finished it, the little five-year-old boy sitting next to him declared, "You make me feel sick." Ha ha ha! The next night, I made sure to fix a healthy dinner.

Speaking of not eating v. healthy... Halloween day at work was not full of many healthy eating options. I contributed by bringing in some homemade eyeball cupcakes. I tried to make them diseased looking since I figured the eye doctors I work with would appreciate it.