Too bad the weather doesn’t know it’s summer.  Anyway, I digress…

I’ve lost track of how many times Jen and I have seen Poison in concert.  But last night was a first - we took Arianna to see Poison and Def Leppard.  So Jen and I decided to have a little extra fin with it.  I put on a red bandana (I’ve never worn a bandana around my head) and wore my earring (I still dig it out every now and then).  Jen…  Well, she’s Jen.  She put in green hair clip-ons, but this is something we would expect from her anytime anyway…  And Arianna wore her tie-dye shirt and a bandana.  Transformation Rockstar complete.

We arrived early to tailgate.  I brought a little charcoal grill, some burgers, corn on the cob, sausage and hot dogs.  I loaded the car with folding chairs and a table.  And against my better judgement, I brought along some Corona Light and fresh limes (At least it was ‘light’ beer).  We ate, listened to music out of the back of the car, then went to the concert.

We had a great night.  Arianna has been asking for years to go and see Poison.  She was looking forward to hearing “Ride the Wind” and seeing “C.C.” play.

In the traditional style, on the way home, we were listening to music that was opposite of the concert we just saw.  I had the new Black Eyed Peas album on, but I kept the volume low since my ears were ringing from the concert.  After the last concert we saw (Air Supply), I had Disturbed playing for the car ride home.  Go figure.

Today is the 20th anniversary of my grandfather’s passing.  I will always remember him.

I am constantly asked about Las Vegas, the best things to see, where to stay, what to do, etc… So I’ve decided to write some tips and tricks, which I’ll add to as time goes on.

Where to stay (and how to book it)

Many people want to stay on the “strip” their first time in Vegas and for that I can’t blame them. While I’m not going to provide a review on each hotel, here is some advice for you:

• Any of the top, newer, or high-end casinos are your best bet for amenities and service, but it may cost you: Caesars, Venetian, Bellagio, Wynn, Palazzo, Mandalay Bay, Mirage, Monte Carlo
• If you are more value-conscious but still want the strip, check out Treasure Island, New York New York, MGM Grand or Paris
• I wouldn’t bother with the following for your first time in Vegas: Flamingo, Sahara, Circus Circus, Excalibur, Luxor, Bally’s, Stratosphere.  Even though the price of the rooms may be tempting, for a few dollars more you can stay at a place that will be a better first experience.
• There is more to Las Vegas than the strip.  Only two city blocks away are the Palms and the Rio.  If you are under 75, you will at least want to check out the Palms on a Friday or Saturday night.  Red Rock Casino is a few miles away, but it is a high end place and worth at least a visit to.
• Book your hotel rooms directly through the hotel. Don’t buy a package through your airline or through a reseller like expedia or travelocity.  You will not always get the best deal this way.  The days of airline/hotel packages are over.  Then, periodically, recheck the rates online - they frequently drop.  Just call and rebook or cancel and rebook.  I have saved 50% from my original reservation by doing this.
• Never pre-pay for a hotel room unless you must stay there.  Some hotels like the Golden Nugget require this, but not most.  Again, rates change.  Pre-pay rates are sometimes non-refundable and have restrictions.
• You won’t spend that much time in your room, so keep that in mind when choosing how much to spend.
• Some hotels have Movie Theatres: The Palms, The Orleans, Red Rock, MGM Grand, South Point
• Others have Bowling Alleys: The Orleans, South Point and Red Rock
• Some have Kids Quest childcare onsite so parents can also enjoy adult activities on their own: The Palms, Red Rock, Sunset Station, and some other Station Casinos.  The Orleans has Kids Tyme, which is pretty much the same thing.
• Bring your kids’ vaccination records if you are going to bring them to Kids Quest or Kids Tyme

(more…)

My daughter came home with an awesome report card along with an award from her teacher because she raised her grade in every class!  We are very proud of her.  She certainly takes after her Mommy!  Congratulations Arianna!

I don’t get the obsession with food places these days. Everyone wants to feed me food in a basket. I went to Mo’s Southwest Grill yesterday, they gave me my burrito in a basket.

Last week, I went to Longhorn to have a burger… Guess what? It came in a basket.

Today I went to Panera Bread and I was no so surprisingly served in a basket-like tray.  Now to be fair to Panera Bread, their basket is partly a tray, but it is mostly a basket!

But grab a bite to eat at Red Robin and you are going to get yourself the most basket-like basket you ever had. A freakin’ basket.

All of these baskets have wax paper which makes it all that more annoying to eat from.  I feel like a second-class citizen whenever I eat from these things.  Like I’m not worth a plate or something.

“Hey Joe, just throw that food in a basket.  It’s just Len, he doesn’t need a plate.“

It used to be that only fried clamstrips or chicken came in a basket.  Now everything winds up in a basket.  Why?  It all comes down to lazy people and lazy companies that don’t want to buy real plates, nor do they want to clean them.

So to be really clear, here is a Perroots.com list of approved food basket use:

• Fried clams
• Fried chicken
• Fruit baskets
• Easter baskets
• Gift basket (cheese, pepperoni, crackers, etc…)