A Sensible Dinner - Pearlieq's Journal

[Rizel]

heya perlie!

Congrats on the weight loss! Great job!
Duane will help, if he stopped trying to kill you xD
Have a great day! Keep at it!

 

[pearlieq]

10/11/05

9:30am

--1 cup Cheerios
--1/3 cup milk
--1 string cheese
--1 fruit leather

I feel pretty good this morning. I'm a little sore from yesterday's workout, but not too bad. Today's a busy day work-wise as I'm trying to get ahead to cover next week when I'm gone.

Plan for the day:

L: 1 1/2 cups lentil soup, 1/2 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese, 2 lc tortillas, 1 apple
S: 2 medium carrots, 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, 1/4 cup hummus
D: 1 veggie burger on whole wheat bun w/onion strings, 1/2 order fries
S: only if desperately needed--1 banana

TTNW: We'll sleep in a bit after last night's fun. Then I imagine DH will want to go play some more poker, or we'll so some sightseeing on the strip, or we'll check out the pool and spa at the Luxor. It should be a nice relaxing morning!

12:30pm

--2 chick'n sandwiches

TTNW: After a morning of sightseeing, DH and I will grab a quick lunch at the Luxor buffet (2 for 1 w/our hotel package).

2:30pm

--2 cups rice w/margarine
--1 bowl pad Thai w/peas
--1/2 cup Panda Puffs

Well, I didn't really need this--not a highlight.

TTNW: DH has to report to his conference this afternoon, so I'll have some time to myself to begin my own sightseeing. Since I've only got the afternoon, I'm going to focus my time on the area immediately around the Luxor. I might see my other IMAX film, go shopping at Mandalay Bay, and go check out a few of the little shows at Excalibur. If I have time after that I may get over to the Tropicana to see their Casino Legends Hall of Fame museum.

7:00pm

--1 boca burger on whole wheat w/onion strings
--1 serving fries
--1 strawberry milkshake

I had a great time at dinner with my friend. It was so nice to chat and laugh and just enjoy each other. Today was a mighty expensive day--I had car repairs done which were over $600 (on top of DH's for $250 yesterday) plus I finally broke down and bought a cell phone for emergencies, which was almost $200 with a years service (a good deal, but yikes!). Oh well--I guess I can't take it with me!

TTNW: This is going to be the coolest night of the trip! DH's conference is having a welcome reception, which will be fun, but the best is that one of his vendors got us tickets to see Elton John!!! I cannot wait! I love Elton John's music and the show is set up with video images by David LaChapelle and it's always been a show I really wanted to see! I absolutely cannot wait!

9:30pm

--1 Snickers bar

To my credit, I settled for just one regular bar instead of buying the whole bag of fun size ones on sale. This was quite yummy!

TTNW: After the show we'll catch a quick dinner if needed, then head off to bed. DH's conference starts early the next day so he'll need to be rested.

 

[Strings]

Pearlie,

I love you TTNW. It is such a great idea. You are doing a fantastic job. Keep up the hard work.
Take care,
Beth

 

[eeyore25]

Hi Pearlieq!

You are doing such a great job. And it sounds like you are enjoying yourself. Good for you

Keep up the good work and have a wonderful day!

 

[pearlieq]

10/12/05

So I've got a bad case of battle fatigue. I know part of the reason I don't feel so great is because I didn't eat all that well yesterday, but I'm also just a little tired of all the mental energy and then frustration/guilt/self denial/disappointment that has come with trying to stay OP recently. I'm meeting with Duane the trainer today, and I'm kind of glad it's our last session until after Vegas. I just need a break and I need to figure out how to fix this.

Plan for the day:

B: 2 eggs, 2 low carb tortillas, 2 T salsa, 1 apple
S: 1 SB bar
L: 1 cup veggie chili, 3/4 cup rice, 2 kiwis
S: 2 carrots, 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, 1/4 cup hummus
D: Not sure yet--I'm on my own tonight. Maybe stuffed rigatoni, maybe macaroni & cheese with tuna and peas.
S: Small treat

I have to go to the grocery store, but just to get a few staples and some baking supplies. I also have to start working on dishes, laundry, cleaning, and kitty baking while simultaneously trying to get ahead at work for the week. These next couple of days are going to be pretty full!

TTNW: Supposedly DH bought a meal package from his conference for me, so I'll be getting up early and heading down to breakfast with him. After we're fininshed and we've parted company, I'll continue on with my sightseeing. I haven't made up my mind about today. I may go hotel touring, or I may try to do some serious shopping at the Fashion Show Mall and/or the Forum Shops at Caesars.

10:00am

--2 eggs
--2 lc tortillas
--2 T salsa
--1 sm apple

Well, waiting until 10am was a little dumb, but at least I was able to talk myself out of a combined Burger King/Dunkin Donuts run and stick with what I planned. The most I can hope to get out of this is the ability to stay reasonable. One doughnut would have been reasonable. The two donuts, two sandwiches, and large hash browns was not reasonable. I'm really trying to get better at drawing those lines.

11:30am

--1 SB bar

1:30pm

--1 cup veggie chili
--3/4 cup rice

I must say I'm feeling a little better. It's amazing what not eating 1500 calories of improperly balance junk will do for you in a morning! I'm enjoying a little break from my angst by focusing on a work project and chores around the house. So far it's giving me a lift.

TTNW: After some hard core shopping in the morning, I'll head back to Mandalay for lunch with DH at his conference. After lunch I've got to hop a cab up to Ballys or Harrahs (I can't remember!), because I'm going on the Jubilee backstage walking tour. I can't wait--it just sounds so fascinating. One of the showgirls takes you backstage and you get to see the sets, the costumes, and the dressing rooms. I can't wait to see one of those giant feathered headpieces!

5:30pm

--1 pt grape tomatoes
--1/4 cup hummus
--1 sting cheese

Hopefully this will hold me long enough for me to go get my shopping done. I'll figure out dinner (and maybe a little treat) when I get home.

I had a really good workout today. I'm so sorry if I gave the impression that Duane the trainer was part of the problem. He's definitely not. He's everything one could ever ask a trainer to be, and very flexible and open to my preferences. He pushes me, but I want and need to be pushed. Yes, honestly the squats kind of suck, but I've never felt my thighs working like that before! He's really an excellent trainer. I get a lot out of working with him and I always leave feeling much better than I did when I came in.

TTNW: After I get back from the Jubliee tour I may stop off and catch a few sights on the way back to the hotel. We didn't make it to the conservatory at Bellagio last time and I'd really like to see it this time. I also might try to scope out the lounge that overlooks the Bellagio fountain and enjoy a nice break there. Afterwards it's back to the hotel to pretty up for the big conference party!!!

7:45pm

--1 bowl pad Thai
--1/2 cup peas

OK, I really, really, really need to start looking for some new, healthy quick meals options. Lots of veggie meals take a lot of work, and sometimes I just need something decent I can nuke. These pad Thai bowls are nice, but they're a little carby and they need more protien. I made it through my shopping--neither of the stores I went to had the Hugs or Rolos at a reasonable price so I'm going to have to make another trip out tomorrow, probably to Walmart. Aside from the pretzel candies I'm also doing lemon poppyseed bread, banana bread, apple crisps, and mini pineapple upside down cakes. I'm going to try to get the breads done during the day tomorrow, then I'll do the crisps, candies, and upside down cakes on Friday night.

TTNW: This should be the ultimate geek party. The convention actually got Jamie from Mythbusters on the Discovery channel to come in and run a robot battle challenge! Did I mention this was a party for thousands of computer nerds??? DH was so thrilled when he found out he felt compelled to call me in the middle of the day to tell me all about it. It should be a really nice party with plenty of food, drink, and entertainment. So far it seems like these people really do it up right!

10:00pm

--all but once piece of a large cheese pizza
--1/2 cup m&m's

Well that was stellar. I got very hungry again and made some very bad choices. Ugh...

 

[Mykelogan]

Hi Pearlieq!

Sorry to hear that everything is weighing you down when it comes to staying OP! We're here for you!! Is there anyway to maybe cut down on some of that mental stress/pressure? Something I was thinking of when I read your message was maybe after you're back from Vegas maybe taking some time one day to plan out your food for the next 5 or 6 days, ie. portion out snacks, make up and freeze a few dinners. So all you need to do is grab & go. Puts the energy stress on one day as opposed to spread out. Just a athought, and also YMMV as planning all of that at once could feel even more overwhelming. Whatever you do end up doing, I am sure you can stick with this!! Look at how well you have done!! You have made some great choices for yourself and deserve all the good it is doing for you!!

Hope that your full days ahead are fun days!
Mike

 

[Jane E.]

Have fun in Vegas. We took our sons last year & by the end of the trip I wished we'd stayed at the Luxor. Originally dh requested that we stay there but a friend talked me out of it. We ended up at Bally's but our teenagers hated it there. Luxor is definately a lot more fun! You'll get a lot of walking in - everything is so spread out there. Have a great time seeing Elton John.

If you need help staying OP, why not get another cat to chase around?! I have the purrfect one for you. She's weighs less than 6lbs, is very quiet, and is hell on wheels! She's also very mischevious and loves to tease big dogs!

As for your trainer, do you think his style might not be your style? Maybe you'd do better with someone who did workouts more akin to what you enjoy doing. With my knees, squats and lunges aren't something that I'd want to focus on either.

 

[rcyannacci]

Elton John! That's so great! Your trip is sounding better and better.

I hear ya on the battle fatigue...I think I've got a case of it this week too. Just remember that one day off...even one week off...is only a blip in the whole scheme of things. It's a not a race; it's a life-style change.

Have a great Wednesday!

 

[pearlieq]

10/13/05

8:45am

--1/2 cup M&Ms

Well, I had M&M's for breakfast, anyone want to hazard a guess about how today's going to go? I need a break. I really do appreciate the perspective, Christin. Even if I do need a break, all is not lost, it's not forever, and it doesn't mean I'm abandoning everything I've hoped for.

I had a dream last night that included my WISH journal! I dreamt I was just finding out I was pregnant, except I didn't believe it so I kept taking test after test and then going to the doctor and forcing them to do tests. As I was sitting in the dream waiting room waiting for my lab tests I couldn't wait to go home and post in my WISH journal that I'd finally figured out why I hadn't lost any weight in the last few weeks. Strange, huh?

TTNW: After another early breakfast with DH, I think I'm going to book a Vegas tour where they take you around the city and show you some of the sights. I think it will be a fun overview and a chance to see some things I normally wouldn't have.

10:00am - 1:30pm

--1 serving veggie chili & rice
--6 mini biscuits w/1 T margarine and nsa strawberry preserves
--1/2 cup M&Ms

I'm kind of enjoying this "break" thing at the moment. I feel a little more relaxed even though I still can't seem to escape the guilt. I feel more hopeful than I have in a while. I'm still very comitted to journaling, but I don't think I'm going to revisit seriously trying to stay OP until we get back from Vegas. Of course, I don't want to spend my whole time in Vegas in a food coma, but I don't want to spend my whole vacation agonizing over whether it's really OK to have a scoop of the baked pasta with cheese on the buffet line either, kwim?

Duane the trainer made an interesting comment. He said he usually advises his clients that for every year you continued a bad habit, it can take a month to come out of it and establish new patterns of behavior. By that math, I'm looking at over 2 years of trial and error, and I'm only about a third of the way along since I started this last March. Interesting to ponder...

TTNW: The tour runs over lunch, so I'm not sure if we're stopping somewhere or doing without. We're scheduled to go to the Elvis-a-Rama museum and to see one of the impersonators do a show. I absolutely cannot wait--I cannot imagine a situation where this would not be fun! We're also slated to go to the Ethel M chocolate factory and botanical gardens. I think I can deal with some chocolate...

5:00pm

--1 SB bar

7:00pm

--2 Boca burgers, no cheese

Well, in the last few hours I've gone shopping, run dishes, run laundry, made 2 loaves of quick bread, 2 pans of kix treats, and unwrapped about 500 Hugs and Rolos! I think I've earned my break for Bunco!

I plan on having a few treats tonight, but not losing it and going on a bender. I just hope we have enough women to play tonight--I don't want to wind up sitting around making small talk for 2 hours...

TTNW: After my tour I'll probably just head back to the hotel and relax, maybe even start a little packing. I'm totally at a loss for what to do for dinner. I was hoping to stick close to our hotel, but so far none of their restaurants is really calling to me. I'll have to keep brainstorming on this one...

7:30pm - 10:30pm

--abt 2 cups broccoli casserole
--2/3 spanikopita
--1 cupcake
--abt 6 or 7 smallish frosted sugar cookies (I lost count)
--1 sm glass coke (maybe 6oz)

I had a really nice time at bunco tonight! With the exception of one lady who's always a pill, everyone was a lot of fun and it was great to catch up! There was lots of laughter and I won $20. How can you really go wrong with that?

TTNW: We're going to get tickets for a show called Toxic Audio tonight. DH really loved a capella music and vocal percussion, and apparently this is an ensemble group that does a lot of that kind of thing. It sounds unique and fun, so I can't wait to try it out! After that, off to bed to rest up!

 

[Lesli54]

Good morning, Pearlieq!

Glad to see you have made it further down the scale. CONGRATS to you! I know you have been working at this for a long time, but your persistence is paying off.

I will catch up on your journal over the next day or so. For now, I need to get myself caught up. Looks like maybe part of you is still hoping for a baby to enter your life. I can't wait to start reading about your Vegas trip.

Have a great and wonderful day!

 

[rcyannacci]

This week is going to be a struggle on my front too, I can already feel it. And, it may seem like a little thing, coming here to post 1/2 a cup of M&M's, but it shows that you are still committed. Posting here has become part of your routine, a good habit, and even if you do take a break, all of the good habits you've developed will continue to inform your choices and help you through.

I hope you have a great day!

 

[Mykelogan]

What a dream Pearlieq! hehe Did you have any pickles and ice cream before bed last night? hehe

Hope that your day is going well! M&Ms for breakfast aren't bad as long as you don't have Reese's cups for lunch, and a Snicker's casserole for dinner! hehe

Mike

 

[AprilN]

OK, I really, really, really need to start looking for some new, healthy quick meals options.

I haven't looked through these recipes much (I'm not a vegetarian, but do enjoy vegetarian meals), but I thought these might be some useful resources for you: for some recipes, there's the Vegetarian/vegan meals board on 3 Fat Chicks. There's also a "veggie chicks" board where other vegetarians might have some advice to offer, and a WW-focused vegetarian board - I don't think you're doing WW, but the recipes could still be useful.

HTH! And I hope you have a fabulous time in Vegas - I'm definitely jealous!

 

[pearlieq]

I haven't looked through these recipes much (I'm not a vegetarian, but do enjoy vegetarian meals), but I thought these might be some useful resources for you: for some recipes, there's the Vegetarian/vegan meals board on 3 Fat Chicks. There's also a "veggie chicks" board where other vegetarians might have some advice to offer, and a WW-focused vegetarian board - I don't think you're doing WW, but the recipes could still be useful.

HTH! And I hope you have a fabulous time in Vegas - I'm definitely jealous!

Thank you so much for these resources! I will definitely check them out.

BTW, I hope you know how inspiring you are to folks around here. What you've accomplished is amazing!!!

 

[eeyore25]

Hi !!! Happy Friday!

Hope you are having a great day!

Keep up the good work!!!

 

[pearlieq]

10/14/05

7:10am

--2 mini biscuits

OK, this is the worst night I've had in a long time. I'm sleeping on my own, which usually means I don't sleep all that well, but I also got to bed really late. For some reason my body decides it's hungry after I lay down (after all the junk I ate last night?) but I try to ignore it because I'm tired and the kitchen is all the way downstairs and in the dark and the boogie man might get me if I venture down there. Did I mention I'm a big scaredy cat? Of course ignoring it doesn't really work, and DH and I really need a new bed because ours is all saggy and misshapen and I couldn't get comfortable. When I finally did start to drift off (around 5:30 am or so...) Magellan starts making a mook of himself with a constant stream of meows, and climbing over me, and trying to lick my hair! I finally had enough and kicked him out of the bedroom around 6:00am. I manage to drift off for half an hour, only to be awakened by my growling stomach. So, I march downstairs, grab the first thing I see, shove in my face while I feed the cats, and go upstairs and try to lay down again. Mercifully the cats leave me alone and I'm able to get a whole hour and a half of sleep before the phone wakes me up. It's gonna be that kind of day...

TTNW: I'd be asleep!!!

I've had all sorts of flotsam today--lots of candies filched while baking, pretzel pieces, etc.

I did have some chick'n sandwiches and tater tots, which I would suppose counts as a meal.

TTNW: We'll be finishing up our trip with a few last stops. My must-do today is the CBS television research center at MGM grand. I love seeing the new proposed TV shows and being able to evaluate them. We'll grab lunch together and then head back to the hotel to collect our luggage and head back to the airport.

 

[goldcupmom]

Wow, Pearlie! Quite a night! Aren't animals fun??

He just wanted some mommy lovin'!

I am the same way with no sleep when DH is gone. Hope tonight goes better for you.

Hang in there!

 

[pearlieq]

10/16/06

9:30am

--2 eggs, scrambled
--2 sugar free cinnamon rolls

These rolls were really very good! They're Pillsbury and they're about 110 calories each, which is a nice bonus since they're so tasty.

We're fully in pre-trip mode. We put away all of the laundry last night, and this morning we began cleanup and did haircuts. After I finish here it's back to cleaning and then time to start packing. I'm trying to use things up from the fridge so we're having grilled cheese, hummus, and carrot sticks for lunch and chicken-ranch cups and macaroni salad for dinner. I've put together a few snack for the trip since it's such a long plane ride, but I'm not too worried about it. We'll manage.

 

[Lesli54]

Good morning, Pearlieq!

Sorry, I haven't been around lately, but I have been trying to peek in every once in awhile. I understand about what you mean by taking a break. Things are so hectic here that I am having a hard time concentrating on my weight loss. Short breaks are probably good every once in a while to regroup and realize what is important. I do agree with what was said earlier, you will be able to manage this Vegas trip much better than before because you have been making better choices for awhile now and have built healthier habits. When I went to Atlanta, choosing good foods was always on my mind and many things just didn't appeal. Of course the portion control was another matter.

I hope you get everything done before your trip. Have a great day!

 

[pearlieq]

10/17/05 - Hello from Las Vegas!

6:00am

--2 egg, potato, & cheese tacos

There's a Lalo's at Midway--they make the most wonderful Mexican food and there isn't one near us, so it was a special treat to get to eat breakfast there.

We were up at 4:00am to get some last things done and get out the door. It just broke my heart to leave the kitties, but I know we'll be back in just a few days. Our flight was at 7:00am and the car was scheduled to pick us up at 4:30, which should have been plenty of time to get to Midway, but, surprise!, they added an extra passenger. Luckily it wound up being only a 15 minute detour, but they did have me sweating there for a little while.

It's great to have the option of Midway and I do love the low fares on Southwest, but I don't think I'll be doing it again anytime soon, with the exception of our Dec. trip we already have booked. Midway is so inconvenient from our house, and I just have this thing where I hate the Stevenson Expressway, which is the main route to Midway. It's some kind of death-highway where people zoom in and out around and in front of you at 80mph and you narrowly miss having a fatal accident at least 6 times on any given trip. I don't know what it is about it, but I'm almost always in knots by the time we're done. I already make DH promise we could take 290 and cutover on Cicero for our December trip. I know it will take longer, but I will arrive at the airport sane.

Luckily since DH and I book an extra seat for the two of us we're allowed to preboard. I hadn't witnessed a Southwest cattle call in a long time, but it was pretty intense. People started crowding the gates as soon as the plane arrived. I tend to be very competitve and wound up about these types of things. I'm not really a "go with the flow" type of gal. It's OK--I've accepted it about myself. Having to do the cattle call would not help me have a relaxing trip. So, in the future, no more Southwest!

With all that being said, it was a quite pleasant flight. The crew was friendly, the airplane was comfortable, and we arrived early, which was nice.

10:00am

--2 fig newton bars
--1 100 cal pkt wheat thin crisps
--3/4 big grab back of munchies

The fig newton bars and wheat thin crisps came in the snack pack on the airplane. There were also peanuts and Ritz cheese sandwiches, but I traded those with DH for his Fig Newton bar, which was really yummy. I ate this mostly because I was trapped on a plane and bored, but I'm not going to worry about it.

Once we touched down and collected our luggage we caught a cab to the hotel. We thought we were lucky being able to pick up a cab so quickly, but the guy turned out to be a pretty bad egg. To get to the Luxor from the airport, it's pretty easy just to exit on Tropicana Blvd and take it up to the strip. You would then turn on to the strip and the Luxor is the 2nd hotel after the intersection. It's a quick, easy trip and should cost about $12 all together. This cabbie pulled a dirty tourist trick and went all the way back under the airport in the tunnel and then took us out to the highway, adding about $5 to the fare. Needless to say, DH and I weren't pleased. The driver was unapologetic, of course, but I got his cab number and called both his company and the taxi authority. The cab company was actually really nice to deal with. They took the matter quite seriously and had a manager call me back within 15 minutes. He agreed to send us a refund of the difference in fare and to reprimand the driver. The taxi authority also got back to us quickly. I was really impressed with the response!

It's only when you get away from Disney that you realize how spoiled you are! We had arrived at the Luxor at the 9:30am local time and I marched straight up to the desk, fully expecting to check in and get keys, even if the room wasn't ready yet. Surprise! They don't do that! We actually had to come back at 11am to do the whole process. It wasn't the end of the world or anything, I'm just used to Disney service.

We wound up killing an hour walking through the shops at Mandalay Bay. They have some upscale boutiques and it was really quite an education for DH! He had never seen stores or prices quite like that before and was shocked! He was most mystified by a store called The Art of Shaving which had some kind of luxury shaving service that cost $55! DH can shave for a whole year on that! Unless it's an electronics store, DH will do anything to get out of shopping so it was funny to see how alien this was for him!

11:30am

--Luxor lunch buffet

Well, it pretty much went as one would expect from a buffet, for which I'm actually kind of grateful. I honestly feel as if I got it out of my system--see a buffet, eat several plates of food in a short amount of time, feel awful and sluggish and sleep all afternoon. OK, done. Now I can move on. I don't think we're going to do much buffet-ing for the rest of the trip.

4:30pm

--1/2 cup M&M's
--1/2 cup virgin strawberry daquiri

The M&M's were just some mindless snacking. I was a tiny bit hungry and they were tasty. Not health food, but I didn't really go overboard. These are leftovers from kitty baking and I'm working through them slowly buy surely.

DH played poker while I napped. He did really well and had a great time. Afterwards we headed up to the Stratosphere hotel to see their afternoon show of "Viva Las Vegas". I had heard that it was pretty well done and a "typical" Vegas revue, which I had wanted to experience. The show is "free" if you purchase a drink for $9.15. Yeah, whatever. The show itself was kind of a mixed bag. There was a really good comedian, a middling comedian, a fair to good magician, a pretty good singer, and the world's worst showgirls. At least, I hope it doesn't get worse than these girls! They were trying, bless their hearts, but it looked like a junior high dance recital, except in bottomless chaps. They were either very new to the coreography or just really bad dancers because you could practically see them counting in their heads, as they went the motions of their movies. Not one of them seemed to actually "feel" what they were doing.

The one thing that concerned me a little as I was watching them is that there were a couple of girls that were not exactly svelte and I found myself judging them poorly because of it. Is it OK to think that fat is unattractive? I've spent so much of my life hurt by people judging me about my weight--how can I think like that? On the other hand, I'll never forget a Dear Abby column I once read where a woman wrote in saying that she had lost a lot of weight and now a man that had never been interested in her before had started paying attention to her. The woman couldn't decide whether to be flattered or insulted, which I understand. Dear Abby answered that she couldn't fault the man for finding her attractive now and not before because she herself must have obviously found her appearance lacking since she had decided to change it. I'm still not really comfortable with my reaction to these women's bodies--I'll need time to ponder.

8:30pm

--1/2 basket of tortilla chips
--1/4 cup really yummy salsa
--most of a black bean, rice, and cheese burrito
--2 T sour cream
--1 few bites of rice and black beans
--1 mango smoothie

This was such a yummy dinner! DH and I had originally decided to punt and head toward the food court, but we saw this little cantina on the way up and decided to give it a try. The salsa was amazing--it had such a robust tomato flavor and a healthy dose of garlic. I ate too many of the chips, but again, I'm not worrying about it. I did realize that I'd had enough of my burrito and laid down the last few bites, which is something of a victory for me.

We did have a fun evening. After the show we headed to downtown Las Vegas. We took a quick spin around the older casinos and the Freemont Street Experience before DH begged off to go play some poker. I did some more exploring and window shopping, then went into the casinos to find somewhere to watch Monday Night Football. DH played football with Orlando Pace in high school and we've always enjoyed following his career. Unfortunately I couldn't really find a comfortable spot to watch the game due to all the smoke, but I did at least get to see that electric first quarter! It was amazing to see the Rams score so quickly!!!

I also caught the light show before I went in to meet back up with DH. It was neat, but not anything I need to repeat now that I've seen it. DH was in a good mood when I found him--he had won more at the tables and had a good time doing it. The ride back down to the Luxor was uneventful and now that we've had dinner and I've updated my journal, I'm going to go take a bath in our big, deep soaking tub. I've never seen anything like it in a standard hotel room and I'm sure going to take advantage of it while I'm here!