I'm Vegased out, Baby!

We're back, and still on Vegas time, so we're working on getting tired enough to go to bed! It's after 4 AM here, but in Vegas, it would still be early, with a few hours before Snoozeville! We'll get back into the swing of things soon enough.

Sheeba was very happy to see us (although his Uncle Shane always takes excellent care of him), and seemed happy with his Vegas bling! We all got tons of coupons, and one of them was for a free medallion at Caesar's Palace, so all four of us got one! It's fairly hefty, and on a gold chain, and after Sheeba modeled for a while, we hung ours on the ceiling fan, along with our New Orleans beads. They look pretty cool hanging up there...we cracked up over the medallions, and I think Ken and Steve need to wear them with their silk shirts with the big collars, opened halfway...isn't that how you're supposed to wear a big honkin' gold medallion?!

I have lots to write about, and plenty of pictures to edit, so I'll split it all up into a few entries. For this entry, the topic is "Love." Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves.

I mentioned in my entry from Vegas about how remarkable the show was. I don't know if I can put it into words, but I'll try. The Beatles and their music is obviously legendary, and although they had already split up before I got really into music, I had always had an interest in them and other 60's bands because of my big sister, Diana. She was a Beatlemaniac--still is, actually--and I remember she had all the 45's of their singles, as well as all their albums. When I was maybe 6 years old, she taught me how to do the Monkey to Beatles songs. Ha ha! So I've listened to British Invasion music since I was a little girl.

There is something special about Beatles music that you tend to forget if you don't hear it for a while. How many times have you heard the songs? Hearing them in this venue brought a whole new dimension to the music (and I believe the songs were remastered for this show). The complexity and variety of the music is amazing, whether it's something as lovely as "Here Comes the Sun" or a flat-out rocker like "Revolution." This Cirque show was all about the music. The performers were amazing, but they complemented the music rather than overshadowing it. The previous Cirque shows that we've seen have been heavy on amazing feats of gymnastics and strength. Those were present in this show as well, but I thought they did a great job in letting the music be the star of the show.

The sound system was incredible, and it was so cool to be in the front row, because we were basically at stage level. I'm including a few videos that I found on the Net (I didn't take any of these), with some of the really cool parts. "Octopus's Garden" has never been one of my favorite songs of theirs, but I loved the choreography and costumes in that one! Very creative and fun. The video with the white parachute cloth was neat to see from above, because at the show...we were under it! It billowed out over the lower level, and we all raised our arms to keep it afloat and hovering over the audience. It was fun! Videos follow at the end of the entry.

I think that's part of why I loved this show. It was just so damn much fun. The music, the groovy 60's garb, the close-to-overload visual stimuli, being able to sing along with some of the songs...it was wonderful, and I'm so glad we went and sprang for the extra $$$ for the front row! (Although it looked like a fairly small theater, and I bet there isn't a bad seat in the house.)

Ken and I got drinks to take into the show: he got A Hard Day's Night and I got a Can't Buy Me Love! Ha ha! Basically a punch-type drink made with vodka, but his had a shot of Cointreau in it, too. Very tasty to sip on during the show, and who knows? Maybe they made the pretty colors a little brighter!

Miss Ginger, we didn't stop in Revolution that evening, but we went back Wednesday night and had a drink there. I had told you that I'm not really a martini gal, but I figured what the hell? I'm a trooper, and I was willing to take a bullet for Miss G! Well, turns out that their special that night was a Blueberry Martini, and I was all over that! It was fairly sweet, and went down as easy as a Vegas Strip workin' girl! Ken had a Lemon Drop, and Kim had one that was just Sapphire gin and olives. We all tried each other's, and I have to say that I like martinis! Although I was calling them martoonis (that seemed appropriate, considering it was the Revolution Bar), which I think I must have gotten from some movie. I don't know, but it was fun to say!

Coming tomorrow later today: Meeting Marty! Stay tuned!

All you need is "Love"

I'll write more about it when we get home, but last night we saw "Love," and it was absolutely incredible. I was actually weeping, and I'm not totally sure why...I think it was sheer joy. The music was great, obviously, but the way it was all put together just sort of made me feel like a kid again, at least for a couple of hours. I'm getting a little choked up just writing about it!

Today it's off to downtown Vegas, where we'll get a tour of the Boneyard. I plan on taking lots of pictures there, so I'll subject you all to endless shots of old signs upon our return. I know, I know...you can hardly wait!

Looks like a good weather day, too, getting a little warmer than it has been the past couple. We've been having a great time with Kim and Steve, and Kim is doing great at Blackjack (it's the first time she's played).

More soon!

And they're off!

We're heading out for the airport in 20 minutes--I love small airports!--and so far everything looks cool with our flights. I'll try to post pics and entries while we're there, but I won't be getting much reading or commenting done. I'll get caught up when we get back! Wish us luck in FABULOUS LAS VEGAS BABY!

Livin' on Vegas time

I don't know if it's all the vampire movies we've been watching, or just the anticipation of the late hours in Vegas, but we've been staying up till the wee hours and sleeping very late! It's cool, we know that we'll be staying up late in Vegas, so I'm kind of glad we're getting acclimated. Personally, I think Vegas is much more exciting at night (I love all the lights and neon!), so I'd much rather be wide awake at 2 AM than at 2 PM!

Speaking of 2 PM, we have a nice little visit planned for Wednesday with a fellow blogger! It turns out that Marty of Heard at Starbuck's is flying into town that day for a convention, and we arranged to meet at 2 PM! I hadn't said anything yet, because I wanted to make sure that it was going to work out for him (I told him that we're on vacation, so we're flexible!), and barring any unforeseen last minute glitches, we'll be meeting in one of the bars at the Bellagio. It worked out perfectly, because we're staying right across the Strip at Bally's! I'm looking forward to meeting him and chatting with him in person. I'm actually a little bit nervous, because this will be the first time we've met a blogger in person! Although we did meet our New York friend RaQuel a few years ago, after she and I had corresponded for a few years, and that went great, and we're still friends! Marty seems like such a cheery, interesting, and funny guy, and I have a feeling we'll all get along fine and dandy. I'm sure a Bloody Mary will help alleviate my nervousness! [wink]

But before our meeting, we've got plenty going on, including front row seats for "Love" (the Cirque du Soleil show with Beatles music), a tour of the Neon Museum's Boneyard (where aging signs go to retire), and a seafood buffet probably Tuesday night after the Boneyard. I suspect we'll be able to fit a little gambling in there, as well!We've been practicing Blackjack on Facebook, and it's good to hone our skills a bit before sitting down at an actual table. Except just like in real life, there is always a dumbass or two in the bunch...one guy last night hit on 19. I was thinking, "Dude, WTF? You had 19!" Kind of reminded me of Austin Powers. Didn't he hit on 20? Hahaha!

Speaking of Facebook, one of the reasons we've been staying up so late is because we've both become hooked on Mafia Wars. Milwaukee Dan #2 invited me, I invited Ken, and now we're both hooked. Dan is a Level 14 Mogul, Ken is a Level 12 Mogul, and I'm a Level 10 Maniac. Miss Ginger, Mort, and Barbara have also joined the Family, and they've all had my back several times! Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to save me this afternoon when we were out running errands. Turns out a little weasel named Archie put out a hit on me, and someone whacked me. Jeez, just because I fought him until I took all his money? Well, as Mark Twain said, reports of my death are greatly exaggerated, and I'm back at full strength and ready to carry on with my duties. Watch your back, Archie, whoever you are. Extra Arm doesn't forget.

In the meantime, I've got pretty much everything out that I want to take to Vegas. It was kind of hard to pack for this trip, because we're leaving cold Indiana for Vegas, which will be in the 50's during the day, but get down into the 30's at night. I've got enough variety with jeans, slacks, sweaters, and even a Hawaiian shirt, that I should be okay. I wish I didn't have to take a winter coat, but I know how cold I get!

We got in a Vegas frame of mind last night by watching "Ocean's Thirteen." I know 12 and 13 weren't as good as "Ocean's Eleven" (and I love the original with the Rat Pack!) but I still think the movies are a blast. C'mon...Clooney, Brad Pitt, AND Matt Damon? I'm just sayin'. Anyhoo, it was fun to see the Strip and to start to get into the mood. After the movie, I found the trailer for "Viva Las Vegas," and it is a kicky blast! It shows a lot of downtown (which is our favorite part of Vegas), and it's sad to see how many legendary casinos are now gone. The Mint that was downtown was such a cool building! Quite a few of the downtown casinos have survived, including Binion's Horseshoe and the Golden Nugget (and my personal fave, the Golden Gate). So many on the Strip are gone, though--the Aladdin, the Stardust, the Desert Inn, the Sands, and the "champagne tower" at the Flamingo shown in the trailer are all history. The new casinos and hotels are beautiful, but I'm old school and love the allure of the old, glamorous Vegas. I'm sure that's why I love downtown so much--those casinos have been there for decades. And Vegas Vic abides!

We're taking the laptop, both of our cameras, and my little Flip video camera, so stay tuned for the sights and sounds of Vegas, Baby! In the meantime, sing along with Elvis!

Viva Las Vegas

Bright light city gonna set my soul
Gonna set my soul on fire
Got a whole lot of money that's ready to burn
So get those stakes up higher
There's a thousand pretty women waitin' out there
And they're all livin' devil may care
And I'm just the devil with love to spare
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas


How I wish that there were more
Than the twenty-four hours in the day
'Cause even if there were forty more
I wouldn't sleep a minute away
Oh, there's blackjack and poker and the roulette wheel
A fortune won and lost on every deal
All you need's a strong heart and a nerve of steel
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas


Viva Las Vegas with your neon flashin'
And your one arm bandits crashin'
All those hopes down the drain
Viva Las Vegas turnin' day into nighttime
Turnin' night into daytime
If you see it once
You'll never be the same again


I'm gonna keep on the run
I'm gonna have me some fun
If it costs me my very last dime
If I wind up broke up well
I'll always remember that I had a swingin' time
I'm gonna give it everything I've got
Lady luck please let the dice stay hot
Let me shoot a seven with every shot
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas
Viva, Viva Las Vegas!

Vamps revisited

The day after we watched "From Dusk Till Dawn," we watched "From Dusk Till Dawn 2 Texas Blood Money." I won't say that it was unwatchable, but it totally did not grab me. It was just kind of blah. It even had Robert Patrick in it (the liquid metal terminator), but really...yaaaaawn.

Last night we watched "From Dusk Till Dawn 3 The Hangman's Daughter." Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about! It goes back to Mexico (remember, the Titty Twister strip club in the first movie was in Mexico), but is set about 100 years ago. We find out pretty quickly that one of the main characters is none other than Ambrose Bierce!

I was delighted! I've written about Bierce before, and my interest in him. He lived in Elkhart County for a while (one county east of us) and they have some of his things at my sister's museum. Bierce was a fascinating character--his satirical writing style was similar to Mark Twain's, but much more acerbic--and although his body was never found, it is believed that he traveled to Mexico to fight with Pancho Villa, and perished there. And that's where he comes into the story of FDTD3--he's on his way to find Villa and join up with him.

But the course of a revolutionary is never easy, and in a small town, he witnesses an execution gone awry. The bandit about to be hanged has an unexpected shooter who helps him escape, and the bandit grabs the cruel hangman's beautiful daughter on his way out of town. Bierce gets out of town on a stagecoach, where he encounters a pious couple determined to save his soul (considering how Bierce felt about religion, this was a nice touch).

Bierce: They say when a man drinks, he develops certain... powers.
The husband: What kind of powers?
Bierce: Clairvoyance. Second sight.
The husband: My wife is right, Mr. Bierce. You ought to take better care of yourself.
Bierce: This is a preservative, and I'm pickling myself for your great... beyond.

The escaped bandit and his gang believe the stagecoach is carrying a fortune in gold, so they ride after it and rob it, only to find there is no gold aboard. The bandits take the horses, and Bierce and the pious couple trek through the desert until they find a building.

It turns out to be a bar, as well as a house of ill repute. Things get bad for the pious couple when he leaves her in their room to get her some water, and he decides to cut loose a bit. The bandit and the hangman's daughter travel through the desert and also end up at the bar, and we find that the hangman's daughter and the madame of the house have a connection.

The bloodbath soon begins, and Bierce and the bandito end up fighting together to try to defeat the evil that thrives in the desert.

As lame as the second movie was, this one was top-notch! Not quite as fresh and exciting as the first one (and no George Clooney), but still very, very good. Interestingly enough, it seems that those involved in writing (Quentin Tarentino) and directing (Robert Rodriguez) the first one had very little to do with the second one, with both of them listed as executive producers. In the third one, they both also get executive producer credits, but Rodriguez is also listed as one of the writers. Although he didn't direct it, I think he must have steered it back in the direction of the original.

I love it that they included a historical figure in this, especially one as intriguing as Bierce. A very cool and interesting twist!

A quick spoiler for the first and third movies

One of the coolest shots in both movies comes at the very end, when the backs of the Titty Twister and the bar in the third movie are shown. We see that the front is only the tip of the building, and the back goes much further down; in fact, it appears to be a Mayan temple, and the two bars are actually the same building. It makes me wonder what birthed these nasty creatures, and what their exact origins are. Cool idea.

End of spoiler

When watching all these guys get lured in by beautiful women in the first and third movies, it made me think about how classic that scenario is. I'm not sure exactly how far back that theme goes, but the one that I think of the most is the Sirens in Greek mythology, who sang so sweetly from their island that sailors were lured to their deaths upon the rocks in trying to reach the women. I suppose that falls under the "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" umbrella. She doesn't want your hot self. She wants your money...or your blood.

Vampin' it up

One of my Christmas presents was the set of all three "From Dusk Till Dawn" movies. Nothin' says Christmas like a good vampire movie! We watched the first one the other night, and I had forgotten how good it is! It's always been one of my favorite vampire movies, and it was fun to revisit it after a few years.

Spoilers ahead, along with some language

George Clooney and Quentin Tarentino play a couple of brothers, Seth and Richie Gecko, who are crooks and killers, and need to get to Mexico to meet a guy for a "business" deal. They hijack the motor home of a preacher named Jacob (Harvey Keitel), and his two kids. They make it to Mexico, and get to the meeting place, which is a biker bar and strip club called the Titty Twister. As the evening progresses, they find out that these girls really suck...and not in a good way!

This movie is just a heck of a lot of fun. There is plenty of subtle humor, as you can see in this exchange between Jacob and one of the bikers:

Jacob: Has anybody here read a real book about vampires, or are we just remembering what a movie said? I mean a real book.

Sex Machine: You mean like a Time-Life book?

I told Ken that all the great horror movies have a touch of dark humor. I liked this conversation, where Seth has just been through a very rough night:

Carlos: So, what, were they psychos, or...

Seth: Did they look like psychos? Is that what they looked like? They were vampires. Psychos do not explode when sunlight hits them, I don't give a fuck how crazy they are!

End of spoilers

I was surprised to see that this movie was made in 1996--I thought it was quite a bit earlier. This was made during George Clooney's "ER" time period (1994-2000), so it was when he was just starting to make the transition to movies and away from TV. Even though his character is a killer, you can't help but like him, because he ends up doing the right thing and being a bit of a hero. It's hard to dislike George, though, isn't it? Quentin Tarentino is great as the slimy Richie, and I always like Harvey Keitel--remember The Fixer in "Pulp Fiction?" I'm not a big fan of Juliette Lewis, but she was good in this, and Cheech Marin plays not one but three roles (the hawker outside the club is a riot). The guy who plays Sex Machine is Tom Savini, the legendary horror movie makeup and special effects guy who went on to act and direct.

We may have George Clooney in this movie, ladies, but the guys have Salma Hayek and her dance. I told Ken, "I'm a girl and even I have to admit that's hot!"

It's not a movie for the faint-hearted, because there is plenty of foul language, lots of blood and decapitations, melting, gooey vampires, and junk like that. It also has a totally kickass soundtrack, which I think I'm going to have to look for. This is a modern classic vampire movie, ranking right up there with "The Lost Boys." Hey, now that I think about that movie, there were a couple of brothers in that one, the Frog brothers. In "From Dusk Till Dawn," we have the Gecko brothers. I wonder if that was an homage?

Here's the trailer, and if you like this kind of movie, this is a great one. Thanks for the present, Honey!

Starting the new year right...with a little superstition

RABBIT RABBIT RABBIT!

Some of you who have read me for a while know that I say that on the first of the month. I don't always put it in a blog entry, but I always say it at some point on the first. Chick on the Bob and Tom Show says it, and that's where I picked it up. I've been meaning to find out a little more about it and write an entry, and it seems like the first day of the new year is a good day to do so. (A while back, a reader--I think it was Estela--found a few bits of information about it, but I neglected to save her email. Sorry, Estela!)

The exact origin of the superstition is unknown, though it has allegedly appeared in print at least as early as 1920 in England. Today it has spread to most of the English-speaking countries of the world, and is related to the widely held belief that rabbits are a "lucky" animal (think of carrying a rabbit's foot for good luck).

Blog forum posts range from hearing this in the early forties from a coworker, to hearing it from their uncle who served in World War I, to their mother using it as a child in Kentucky in the late 1800's. Most accounts trace the saying to England. Maybe some of my British friends can weigh in on this. Are you familiar with this custom?

There are multiple variations:

It is believed that saying "Rabbit Rabbit" on the first day of the New Year will bring yearlong good luck, and the converse: believing that not saying it will bring bad luck.

Being the first to say "rabbit rabbit" to a person on the first of the month will bring good luck. Once someone says rabbit rabbit to you, you are no longer allowed to repeat it to anyone, and you will have bad luck for the month.

Although some of the earliest written references using "rabbit rabbit rabbit," other versions repeat it only twice, or saying just "rabbit" or "rabbits."

The earliest referenced usage may be to saying "rabbits" three times before going to sleep the last night of the month, and then "hares" three times first thing upon waking, but accounts from just two years later report it was three "rabbits" in the morning with no "hares" at all.

Another variation is "bunny bunny hop hop."

Saying "black rabbits" the night before, and "white rabbits" following morning.

Believing that the effect is stronger on one's month of birth.

Referring to the first day of each month as "Rabbit Day."

Various ways to counteract forgetting to say it, most commonly saying it backwards ("tibbar, tibbar") before falling asleep or saying "Moose Moose" upon waking on the second day of the month.

A different but related practice of saying "Happy White Rabbit's Day" to someone in order to bring good luck.

One variation involves an element of competition: Saying "rabbit, rabbit" to another person on the first of the month entitles the speaker to the luck of the listener for the duration of the month. A more modern variation is to say "rabbit, rabbit" to someone on the first day of the month, and whoever says it first wins. The idea of luck is not involved.

Saying "White rabbits, white rabbits, white rabbits."

Saying "white rabbit, white rabbit, white rabbit" as the first words of the month, before getting out of bed -- and the speaker must first reverse position, so that speaker's head is at the foot of the bed and vice versa.

Around 1920 the following belief is common in many parts of Great Britain, with local variants: To secure good luck of some kind, usually a present, one should say ‘Rabbits’ three times just before going to sleep on the last day of the month, and then ‘Hares’ three times on waking the next morning.

Another variation brought about by the Polish is the phrase "Bunny, Bunny."

In the early 1990s, Nickelodeon had a segment called "Nick days," which had an event for every day of the year. The first of every month was "Rabbit Rabbit Day." According to the segment, the phrase "rabbit rabbit" must be the first thing said to the first person you see.

In some areas of the Southern United States, e.g., Tennessee and Mississippi, campers will say "I hate white rabbits" in response to campfire smoke blowing into their face, hoping the smoke will go elsewhere.

At least I know I'm not crazy for saying it--it really is a common superstition in many countries. I'm not really a superstitious person, and it's just kind of a fun and silly thing to do. But just in case, I made this entry early enough so that you still have time to say "Rabbit rabbit rabbit!" and bring yourself some good luck for the coming year!

As for last night, I hope everyone had a safe and fun celebration. The Havarti-Cheddar fondue turned out great (it had sun-dried tomatoes and green onions in it for some extra flavor) and I loved our new fondue pot for cooking beef! Ken made the dipping sauces, and although all were good, my favorite was the honey mustard. Next time I'd like to try a soy-ginger sauce. We couldn't even eat everything I'd set out, and we were both so stuffed we didn't have room for the fruits dipped in chocolate! That might be tonight's meal--along with the champagne we also didn't get to last night! After we cleaned off the table, we curled up on the couch (Sheeba included), and watched the countdown. We (all three of us) then proceeded to fall asleep. We're a bunch of firecrackers here at Nutwood, make no mistake about it! At least we made it to midnight--when I was working, I rarely did.

Today we're going to take down the tree, since we're leaving on Sunday. We'll get that taken care of so we don't have to worry about it when we get back. Perhaps more later!

___________

Rabbit rabbit. (2008, November 25). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:13, January 1, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rabbit_rabbit&oldid=254044558