It's a Disgrace

I receive a daily gaming report that mostly talks about the investment arm of gaming.  It tells how the stocks are doing, any major stories, etc.  You know, an industry newsletter.  I read it faithfully.  Never know what you might learn.  It's usually really boring, but I came across something yesterday that really ticked me off.  Please keep in mind that Nevada was probably the hardest hit state by the recession.  Our property values are down 40 to 80%, which explains why we have the highest foreclosure rate in the country.  Our unemployment is still on the rise and is over 12%.  Everywhere you look, you see buildings that are half-built or abandoned.  It's not good. 

Enter the government and how we can always count on them to help.  The following is an excerpt from the Fantini Report, the gaming industry newsletter:

Newspapers seemed to have gaming on the brain in the last 24 hours.   The Wall Street Journal published a story on how the U.S. government may be saying they are not doing anything to hurt areas like Las Vegas but their actions are speaking a lot louder than their words.  The WSJ said that big agencies like the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture are being encouraged to host meetings in places like St. Louis, Milwaukee and Denver, rather than Las Vegas, Reno or Orlando.   The article discussed how a conference planner for MGM Mirage’s New York – New York Hotel & Casino tried to book a conference with the FBU but was sent an e-mail saying the Dept. of Justice decided conferences are not to be held in cities that are vacation destinations/spa/resort/gambling.   Las Vegas and Orlando were the two specifically listed as no-no’s.  The Dept. of Justice told the WSJ that they have guidance that says avoid locations and accommodations that give the appearance of being lavish or are resort destinations.   The U.S. Travel Association showed the irony of all this because locations on the black list are known for having the most hotel rooms and conference space and often offer the best deals on meetings and conferences.   The Association said they believe the agencies are worried about scrutiny and in order to avoid criticism from the media, they are spending more money.   When are they going to start getting media criticism for that or for the fact that their actions are resulting in lost jobs.  Has everyone forgotten the White House Chief of Staff statement that “government travel is not focused on specific destinations but on cost and efficiency?”   The people at the top will point fingers at individual agencies such as the Agriculture Dept. who said the guidelines for meetings include:  a travel hub; low cost; and a non-resort location.

Nice.  In typical government fashion it makes total sense.  Let's spend more money so that no one talks bad about us.  Let's put our money in cities with 9.8% unemployment (Milwaukee), instead of cities with over 12%.  Oh, and for all you convention goers this year, have fun in the Midwest while you think about what you are missing in Vegas.

Ok, I'm trying

I know I have been absent for awhile. There has been a lot going on. Lots of travel, sick family members, wedding showers, etc. I'm going to try to get back to writing.

We are going to start out with more triathlon training (yeaahhhh). I've just started training again for a triathlon in October. Somehow, since the last one I've managed to gain 10 pounds so that stops here. I wish I was at the weight I was when I was complaining I was fat. I'm working with the same coaches as before so that will be good. I'm going to try and log what I do everyday and hopefully that will spark a few stories.

Today I swam 3500 meters. Hmmm, no story.

My coaches suggested getting a new scale. I hate them for that. They suggested one of those fancy numbers that tell you percentage of body fat, metabolic age, and a bunch of other stuff I can't figure out because I can't get past the percentage of body fat. WHOA MAMMA! Have you ever been on one of those bastards? What kind of sick person came up with this tool? I'm guessing someone with 10% body fat. Now, I'm not giving out numbers but let's suffice it to say that it isn't pleasant. Also, probably not great for someone obsessed by their weight. If you lose a pound, then you can gain a pound of body fat. The whole thing is exhausting. I know it's not completely accurate, but yikes. Time to put down the fork, sister. It's just so hard when there is so much yummy food around. Bev set me up with a delicious meal over the weekend and some beautiful tomatoes which cried out for bacon. Of course, I had to oblige. It was my first bacon and tomato sandwich of the year. Based on today's scale numbers, it will also be the last. The few little jewels that came home with me on the airplane, will be eaten sans bacon. Dammit. Why does bacon have to be so tasty?

British scientists have pinpointed the exact chemical reaction that makes bacon so tasty. The Maillard reaction, which occurs between an amino acid and a reducing sugar when heated, releases the smells and flavors that make people salivate. Your mouth is watering now, isn't it?

In my many trips this month, I read the Spirit magazine on the Southwest flights. There was actually a drink made with bacon. Bacon flavored vodka and the garnish was a little piece of tightly wound bacon resembling a straw. Oh, you wrinkle your nose but you know you want to try it. In fact, everywhere I turn there are more and more ways to use bacon. America is in a sort of bacon explosion, and I can only applaud the expansion. I'm not, however, applauding the expansion of my waistline but to be fair to bacon, I don't think it is entirely to blame. I have recently seen bacon-flavored coffee. Now, we could get our entire breakfast from our coffee. If you had someone who had pancake flavored coffee, you could switch off and have a great breakfast - all with very few calories. For dessert, there is chocolate covered bacon. Mmmmmmm. Right when all the great bacon recipes are emerging, I have to watch my bacon input. It's so unfair.

Wake up, America. Embrace the Bacon Explosion. To fully enjoy it, I don't suggest buying one of those stupid scales.

My life aint so bad

This is why I'm involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Elli Wolpe, a cancer survivor, became part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society family when her husband David was diagnosed with follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma. She is now one of our Team In Training® (TNT) participants. Here is a portion of her speech from the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Pasta Party.
I remember reading once that when people tell the story of an event that changed their lives, they often begin with the words: "It was a day that started just like any other day..."
The same is true for us. It was a day that started just like any other day when I got a follow up call after my annual exam. I was 31 and a new mother. And I had cancer. It changed my life forever. But I was one of the lucky ones, it was caught early and I survived.
It was a day like any other day when my husband, David, had a grand mal seizure. We learned it was caused by a brain tumor that was removed in a 10-hour surgery. But he was one of the lucky ones. It was benign and he survived.
It was a day like any other day when, just two a half years later, David found a swollen lymph node that led to the diagnosis of follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Luckily, the chemo worked and he went into remission. But being in remission is not the same thing as being cured. In January, he got the last of his Rituxan®, a monoclonal antibody that was developed in part by funding from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Now we play the waiting game. Because incurable means it's coming back. Only we don't know when. All we know is that it will be on a day just like any other day...
Your support for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society matters - to my husband, my daughter, myself... You are changing the world for people like us.

To learn more about LLS, please visit us at www.LLS.org.

Hey! Hey! Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey!

Taylor was complaining about the food at her Dad's house the other day.

Taylor: He even fed us a Macho Man.

Me: A Macho Man?

Taylor: Yes, a Macho Man. Can you believe how gross that is?

Me: Um, do you mean a Hungry Man?

Apparently, over there they have their food provided by the Village People.

Airplane Bathroom Etiquette

One of the most debated and biggest frustration for women is the toilet seat debate.  Seriously, how hard is it to put down the toilet seat?  About as hard as replacing the toilet paper, I think.  Both seem tricky for most men.  Leaving the toilet seat up is a clear statement of control and power.  Men do not own the toilet seat.  Men don't get to decide that the normal position of the seat is up.  If it were meant to be up, it would be decorated better so it looked good in the up position.  Now, it just looks like it has been cleaned and no one put it back down. 

I don't have this problem in my house as my husband is a gentleman, and Nick is too lazy to put it up in the first place.  However, while I was on my flights last week, I had to use the restroom on the plane.  Usually this is something I can avoid, but the 5+ hours of flight time sometimes get me.  I stand up and start to climb over my husband to get to the aisle, and the 50ish year old man behind me jumps up and rushes in front of me to the restroom.  He clearly saw me and was just being a jerk.  So, he comes out of the bathroom and I move in.  HE LEFT THE SEAT UP.  Ugh.  Now, if we can get past the point where it is just rude, WHICH WE CAN'T, it is also extremely unsanitary.  If you don't put the toilet's lid down before, the forceful flush will vault microscopic bits and pieces of the throne's remnants into the air like a windblown dandelion. So, not only is he a gross disgusting man, but now he has catapulted little bits of shit all over the bathroom. 

Thankfully, I'm not married to this guy because if he does it on the plane, you KNOW his wife falls in.  Can we be a little considerate to fellow passengers? 

Children In First Class

Should children ever be allowed in first class?  My answer is a big, fat NO.  Well, maybe a qualified no.  I say this since I spent hours with children in first class as we traveled across the country last week.  On the first leg, which was an overnight flight, there was a 3 year old in the seats in front of us.  She didn't misbehave, but she didn't use her indoor voice either.  Half way through the flight, somewhere over Kansas, she throws up.  Not only that, but the Clampets had also brought their dog and she threw up on the dog carrier.  So, there was all kinds of drama in the middle of the flight/middle of the night cleaning up her puke.  Clearly not her fault, but none of the adults in first class puked.  If they needed to, they would know that they needed to go to the restroom to do so. 

When business travelers complain about kids in first class, fellow frequent fliers call them elitists, kid-haters or worse.  I always feel for the mother who has to deal with the crying baby on the flight.  As we all sit in coach, I have great sympathy for her and always want to volunteer to hold the little tyke and give her a break.  In first class, it makes me crazy.  People think it is self righteousness or over-inflated self worth and they are trying to decide who can or can't fly on a plane, but I just look at it like I have paid a premium to sit here.

The next flight, there was another under 4 child who sat in front of us with a case of what sounded like swine flu.  The child didn't cover her mouth and blew the germs all over the cabin.  I didn't tell Robert as he is a germophobe and it could have ruined the entire trip.  None of the adults in first class had swine flu, and if they did, they covered their mouths when they sneezed and coughed.

My qualified answer is if the parents have raised their children properly, there should never be a problem on a flight.  When my kids were little, I brought their car seats on the plane and they sat in those on the flight.  Just like in the car, they had to sit in their seats until the plane stopped moving.  I did have them in business class back and forth to Australia.  There was no way in hell I was flying coach to Australia.  I did it plenty of times, and if they wanted me over there to work, they were paying for business.  The kids were perfect.  I know the other people in the cabin cringed when we came on board, but the kids slept for 10 hours, watched movies, ate, and enjoyed being pampered. 

As with everything with children, don't blame the children.  It is usually the parent's fault.  However, toddlers in first class is never a good thing.  Once they hit about 7, you can reason with them (or beat them in the bathroom).  Until then, keep the little ones out of first class so I don't catch swine flu or have their puke roll back on my shoes.

Funerals

Robert had a relative that died late last week.  The funeral was on Monday, and so we went to Rhode Island for the services.  Why do people get so weird anytime you mention the word funeral?  People ask the most bizarre questions. 

First, they want to know how old the person was when they died.  I'm not sure the magic age where they "had a good life" but if it is over 70, then they had a good life and the death was justified.  I think this is so people can vary their degree of sympathy.  For instance, this lady was 86, so you wouldn't get much sympathy.  For someone like my sister who was 39, or God forbid, a child, then the sympathy level is raised.

Another favorite question is how close were you to the person.  Wow, that is so none of your business.  Again, I think this is so people can justify the amount of sympathy they are going to project.  What, do you want to know if I cried?  Will it make you feel better to know that I cried?  Are you trying to justify me taking a few days off to go to the funeral? 

They are in a better place.  Really?  Because I thought they were just fine where they were and I could see them and talk to them as much as I wanted.  Funerals really aren't for the people who are gone, but for the people that are left behind.  AND I WASN'T DONE WITH THAT PERSON!  Maybe they are in a better place, but they left me in a crappy place.

I told someone today where I had been, and he simply said, funerals are never a good thing.   See?  How hard was that?  He's right.  No matter how old the person was, how close we were, or if they are in a better place, funerals are never a good thing. 

Robert's cousin, Anna, used to make me the most amazing lasanga every Christmas.  In fact, she made sure that Robert had a piece for me after I got off the plane at midnight on Christmas night.  God speed, Anna.  I'm going to miss you.