The Year of Botti

The Year of Amy

2014-02-10T00:14:00.000-08:00

It just occurred to me I had The Year of Botti but haven't taken the time to have The Year of Amy. I think that starts now. In actuality The Year of Botti was all about me, not him. I miss it. I kind of miss blogging. It was pretty expensive to jaunt across the country and I felt bad about leaving George Bennett for over 36 hours. Not a very good mommy. But I needed to do that for me.

I'm sitting on a patio (ok, a lanai) of a multimillion dollar home of someone I met once in Vegas. Friend of a friend kind of thing. The view is spectacular. Breathtaking. Something even Instagram can't duplicate. You have to experience the wind, the clapping of the palm tree leaves, the tiny specs in the ocean that are huge boats and yachts, the smell of fresh air. Im' on a hillside overlooking the pacific. I hear a tiny thump. I look off in the distance and see a couple of whales breaching. They're smashing their tails on the water and about 10 seconds later I can hear it all the way up here.

yesterday I went deep sea fishing. One of the most amazing things I've ever done. I got a fish to bite but lost him. Once I got into the seat I feel like it was 10 minutes of reeling. It was really probably only 3 minutes. Whatever. It was cool.

I also went snorkeling. I wasn't going to do it. I felt dumb and I knew I'd have trouble in the water. But I said fuck it and went against my instinct and dove in. I'm so glad I did. Not just to say I did it and not even to see the fish and coral. I did it because I wasn't going to. Make sense. I was more proud that I did it when I didn't want to than any beauty down below. Ok, it was cool and I did enjoy it. Hell, I'm never gonna see any of these people again.

The captain was cool. Good looking too. You could tell he was hot when he was younger. Kinda reminded me of Billy. Or what Billy will look like in 20 years. Tan, white teeth, younger wife. You get the picture.

I have no idea why these people are being so kind to me and generous but I'm just going with it. I have a feeling that these women (and men) are not among the .5% or even the 2% but definitely up there. Do I want this life? I don't know. Prob not. It's not really me. Don't get me wrong. The lifestyle is great but I don't think this is for me. Or maybe it will be in 20 years. I kinda see the DG girls becoming them more than me. I took a different path. I'm ok with it. I just have to figure out how to let someone into my life. I'm single for a reason. Because I put up barriers. Plenty of people who look like me found the love of their life, or even a boyfriend for fuck's sake. I can too. I just haven't tried. I think this is the year I try.

I don't know if I'll be different when I get back to Vegas. I'm sure a part of me will. I did this for me. I have to remember that. I don't have to tell a soul where I am/was. And really, no one actually gives a shit. That's the truth.

2014-01-07T15:20:00.002-08:00

So almost a year to the day that I ended The Year of Botti (sort of) I find myself seeing him one more time in my house - the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Over a year since I've been @ MB. In thinking about it, the first 2/3rds were ok. Looking back, the beach was actually the highlight of the year. The fall has been nothing short of miserable. I'm pretty sure it's a combo of things but I attribute most to the atmosphere there. People ask me all the time about why I don't like it. It's so hard. Putting things into verbal words

The Great American Juicer Experiment III

2012-07-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

I've been juicing now for 23 days. I've missed a total of 3 out of those 23 days but bought xxxx juice so I still downed the goods. It's been pretty easy and since I've been doing it for over 3 weeks it's now just a normal part of my routine. My pal Brian told me I need to ditch the Black & Decker and get a Ninja. Doubt I'll do that until this one breaks. Not really in the mood to spend $150 on a gadget.

07.06.12 Chris Botti @ Smith Center - Las Vegas, NV

2012-07-06T23:58:00.000-07:00

Smith Center - Reynolds Hall

Aside from the intimacy of seeing Chris Botti at the Blue Note, this may have been the best Botti show I've seen, sans orchestra. Granted, I haven't seen as many shows as some but I've seen my fair share.

Botti in the audience

The Smith Center is beautiful at worst. I'm a venue brat at the MGM Grand Garden Arena so I have a fine eye for event management. Their staff was amazing and gives me ideas on how to improve the arena. Granted, they've prob only got 50 employees and I have over 300+ but given the way they took care of me, I learned a great lesson. Great lesson. Only they know what I mean when I say a sincere, "Thank you."

On stage at Smith Center

Botti is a ridiculously great performer. Yes, he's a genius at the trumpet, grammy nominee, sought-after entertainer, blah blah blah - but what makes him a great 'performer' is his relationship with his audience. He's warm, familiar, funny, kind and giving. Like the perfect boyfriend. And beyond that is what he does to his audience. His temperament makes the rest of us want to make friends with our seat-mates. I have no idea how this happens but it does. At my first 2 shows I was so vain as to think it was me who made this happen; the people sitting next to me wanted to talk to me because I was so charming. It wasn't until 4-6 shows later that I realized it was him who made this environment happen. I'm just an average schmo. Botti makes the camaraderie. That's a talent. The naive me would say he doesn't even know he does this but he's a marketing machine. He knows. Otherwise he wouldn't be as successful as he is. Smart man. Smart tour manager. Smart agent.

Backstage @ Smith Center

I could babble on an on about his great performance, the set list and the amazing ensemble but - been there, done that. What made this show extraordinary was the sound and the atmosphere of the Smith Center. I will never pay for a Botti show anywhere else in Vegas unless he's playing the Smith. No disrespect to my colleagues at Station Casinos but you simply cannot beat an orchestra hall. Cannot.

He's so accessible

On a personal note, I had an amazing time. Botti's tour manager Jeremy was nice enough to give me a quickie tour of the place before the show and do a quick M&G with his artist. I put my foot in my mouth (shocker, I know) by saying to him something like, "Go kick some ass tonight!" I don't think Botti appreciated my vulgarity given the fact there were other people in the room, including a little old lady, but he was a good sport.

I sat next to an amazing couple who couldn't say enough about Botti. "I told my grandson I was going to see Chris Botti. He was like, 'who'?" He wanted to bring him to the show to let him hear a different genre of music but it wasn't to be… this time. They were prob 55-ish, successful, articulate, adorable, unpretentious & fun. I love meeting people like this. It's not often you see this calibre of concert-goer at, say, Deadmau5.

Back to the show… there were some regular faves like The Very Thought of You (with 'the snaps'), Hallelujah, The Look of Love & My Funny Valentine & Nessun Dorma but he also had some of his new stuff from the album Impressions. As many times as I've seen Botti, I never bore of him. It's like peeps following the Grateful Dead or Dave Matthews or 311 - only we bathe & don't smoke pot. It's not necessarily Botti himself; it's the sound & feeling that comes out of his horn and the relationship he creates with his audience. My friends all call "bullshit" when I say this because, let's face it, the guy's gorgeous, that's why scores of girls drag their boyfriends to see this "jazz dude." But beauty eventually fades and you come back to the talent; you come back to the sound. This is why Botti keeps selling out venues across the world. When he's 70, ok, maybe girls won't swoon but he'll have some fucking great stories to tell! (Actually, I still swoon @ Tony Bennett so… maybe? Christ, I named my dog after him - Bennett, not Botti.)

Caroline Campbell & me

After the show I was fortunate enough to get a pic with Caroline Campbell, violinist extraordinaire. Normally I loathe beautiful, blond, thin, talented girls like this but she's so kind and warm, I couldn't help but adore her. Yeah, I'm a jealous, superficial, prejudiced idiot. I admit it. I wish I looked like her and had her talent. But I love being proved wrong. She was not only lovely but put up with my antics. Again, class act. My only contribution is hopefully I can be the butt of a joke they talk about on the road; I deserve it.

The bow

I know there are only like 5 people who read my blog (especially since I took down all of my posts about the Grand Garden Arena shows) but if you do and haven't seen Chris Botti - go. GO. GO! His ticket prices are affordable, he puts on a truly unforgettable performance and some of his songs will bring you to tears, not in a sappy way but in an I-never-thought-I'd-be-moved-by-music kind of way.

And a very sincere, special thank you to Jeremy - you know why. Love you kid.

2012-07-03T12:08:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday night I kissed one of DQ's buddies. I didn't set out to do this. When I met him he was actually introduced to me as Bren's brother, Derrick. I don't know what happened - actually it was probably all the Sapphire I drank but I remember seeing him for the 1st time and thinking there was something kinda attractive about him. No attractive as in cute but attractive as in a magnet. But it was initially fleeting. I walked into the beach with my Mandalay House credenial and made a beeline for the elevator to the 3rd floor villas. I get up there and see Big Rod. Soon to follow was Bren, Baldizan and Derrick. Bren kind of dished his brother off on Big Rod and me. Apparently all the girls (Bren's and Balrizan's daughters) were in a room up in the hotel and Bren had to get back to watch them. Derrick was left alone - with me. Big mistake. Or best mistake ever. Still trying to figure that out. Anyhow, not sure how or why but we stayed attached to the hip for a long time. At first I kinda felt bad he didn't have anyone to talk to but normally I'd just say fuck it and leave to hang out with Big Rod and the other peeps I know. But this time I didn't. I stuck to him like glue all night. Maybe it was wounded bird syndrome. I saw a helpless man and took advantage of him. Actually I think we both took advantage of each other. We went thru the normal pleasantries. I worked into the convo if he had any kids, a wife, a girlfriend, etc. None of the above. But he's young. Like sick young. 32. That's 8 years younget than me. He's tall, 6'2" bald as an eagle and "in transition" with jobs. He's a substitute teacher at the moment. He wants to be a math teacher and apparently in CA there's a really hard certification test he hasn't passed yet. I think he said.

Clean Margins

2012-06-20T00:31:00.001-07:00

So I wasn't gonna blog anymore but I've got a couple more posts in me so here goes.

My best friend from home Terri Harder launched into the blogosphere with her chronicle Clean Margins. If you like my sensibilities check out her writing. She's like me only smarter, fearless, funny & a great writer.

06.16.12 Nickelback

2012-06-16T23:59:00.000-07:00

What an amazing night. The truth is I wasn't a Nickelback fan. I appreciate them as musicians but it's not my kind of music. I like light jazz. We've had them before at the MGM Grand Garden Arena back in 2010 but I couldn't tell you how that show went. I could prob look back on a blog but if memories of it don't pop into my head upon first thought, then who cares. But this time was different. Not sure why but it was. The entire day was different. It might have had something to do with me having spent much of the previous night hanging with Tequila-guy but that only contributed to my good mood. It didn't have anything to do with my new appreciation for this band.

The day started off quiet which is always good. The more phone calls, emails and texts you get, the longer the day seems to go. I met with their head of security, Chris - again one of the coolest dudes on the planet. Cool, calm, reasonable, respectful - the way you want them all to be. It's a great reflection of the tour as a whole.

I snap a couple of pics as the stage is being built in the middle of the arena. This is one of my fave parts. It's so amazing to know that it 5-6 hours an entire light rig, stage & all the production elements of a major show goes up like an erector set. Better yet, this thing comes down and goes into specific set cases in 1/2 that time. Simply amazing. If you've never seen this, at the very least, catch it on a youtube time-lapse.

I didn't pay much attention to the CAD when we went on-sale with the show. I knew there were pods stage right and left with cocktail tables but I didn't notice the massive circular b-stage next to the FOH mix. At some point in the afternoon I head out to the floor, look up and see this thing. Awesome. Jay, my colleague tells me it lowers and spins. Awesome. Can't wait to see this thing in action.

It's a GA floor which means everyone stands. I love GA floors for rock shows. They're such a cool experience and makes it seem much more intimate and old school. In the 7 years I've been at the arena we've never had a problem with GA floors. In fact, it's the opposite. The fans appreciate the space, the freedom and the environment.

Before I know it we're 15 minutes to doors. Granted this show was a little earlier than normal. Usually we have 6.30p doors with an 8.00p show start but for this one we have 6.00p doors with a 7.00p show start. They've got 3 opening acts: My Darkest Days, Seether & Bush. Actually we're 15 minutes to early entry. This has become the norm for major tours coming thru. You purchase a special ticket package, get some merch, maybe access to a party room with food and drink, a souvenir lanyard and early entry. The kids stroll in quite nicely I have to say. Most of the time they come running in like madmen. These guys are pretty well behaved. No running that I saw.

So I'm on this ridiculous health kick: no drinking (Yeah, kinda blew that on Thursday & Friday night but more on that later, maybe.), no red meat or eating badly, no smoking - what the hell am I gonna do while the bands are on stage? I've got a novel idea. How about actually checking out some of the concert. I'm so used to taking this stuff for granted that I decided to make a conscious effort to watch as much of the show as I could. And man am I glad I did. I missed all of My Darkest Days because I was busy doing work stuff; missed most of Seether although managed to snap a pic or 2; caught 3 songs of Bush and watched 2/3rds of Nickelback. Have I mentioned what an amazing show this was?

All thru the week I'd been tweeting from the MGM Grand Garden account and following Bush & Gavin Rossdale. He'd been giving out tics to fans. It amazed me how fan-friendly & accessible he is. During Bush's set he went out into the audience bleachers on the east side, then to the GA floor, then to the west side. Totally hung with the fans. He's in great shape so he ran up and down the isles with ease.

Best part for me was when they hit the b-stage. I couldn't wait for this part. Luckily it was only 4 songs into the set. The arena goes dark, the band heads down the house right trough we create for safety and onto the circular stage. In hindsight I found out the guys from Nickelback are hockey fans and are playing the NHL Awards Dinner which is ironic because the b-stage seemed to be made of the same kind of plexiglass they have attached to the hockey dashers. But I digress. They get up on the stage and up it goes… and then it starts spinning. It was the coolest thing. It just worked for them. Not sure why. Maybe because they were pure rock and the structure was metallic and clear. Who knows. I don't think this kind of thing would work as well for most other bands.

05.27.12 Van Halen @ MGM Grand Garden Arena - Las Vegas, NV

2012-05-27T23:55:00.000-07:00

So tonight I received an unexpected gift. Jeremy, Chris Botti's tour manager shot me an email to say they were here @ the MGM to check out Van Halen. Jeremy, Botti's tour manager, Tim, one of his bass players & Sergi, a tour liaison in the Ukraine all popped down to do a quick look-see of the load in. How fun that this time they're on my turf. Loved that. That was earlier in the day. Right now Van Halen is on stage and the trip are out there. I'm gonna pop over to say hi. We joke but there's a fine line between being a fan and a stalker. I like Botti's music. I don't know him, I don't know much about him. I just like his music. But Jeremy I like. He's quite nice in a Canadian sort of way. Tim is a jokester. I liked him a lot. Sergi was sweet too. Quiet. Then again I don't give others much opportunity to speak.

We bumped into Mick and they all chatted a while. Jeremy's been around a while so he knows a lot of the touring guys.

UNCHAINED

RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL

SHE'S THE WOMAN

ROMEO DELIGHT

TATTOO

EVERYONE WANTS SOME

SOMEBODY GET ME A DOCTOR

CHINA TOWN

HEAR ABOUT IT LATER

PRETTY WOMEN

DRUM SOLO

YOU REALLY GOT ME

TROUBLE WITH NEVER

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY

I'LL WAIT

HOT FOR TEACHER

WOMAN IN LOVE

OUTTA LOVE AGAIN

BEAUTIFUL GIRLS

ICE CREAM MAN

PANAMA

GUITAR SOLO

AIN'T TALKING ABOUT LOVE

JUMP

05.26.12 UFC 146 @ MGM Grand Garden Arena - Las Vegas, NV

2012-05-26T23:17:00.000-07:00

UFC 146 at the Grand Garden

Tonight is UFC 146. Nothing remarkable about the day. Same old crap. Sponsors need info the promoter didn't communicate. So-and-so is unhappy with something. Joe Schmo needs a credential. Sally Sue needs a wristband, numbnuts is missing a box because they addressed it to the wrong place. Stuff so mundane that it's mind-numbing. But after the past 2 weeks, I'll take mundane.

Burt Watson doing his thing

I get in late, around 11.00a. I had my guy Dave in at 9.00a to babysit the kiddies though so I wasn't worried about it. I've made no secret about the fact that I'm not a big fan of the sport of UFC. I appreciate the fighters as athletes and I like doing UFC shows at the Grand Garden because they're pretty simple but would I ever buy a ticket or purposefully go to a show I wasn't working on or going to meet people at, probably not. To me the best part about UFC is Burt Watson. I get to spend a bit of quality time with my dear friend.

Quiet before the storm

So the day rolls along and before you know it it's time for doors. Our production guru on the UFC/Concom side people have said resembles Justin Timberlake so that's what I call him. I look around for JT and my colleague Zippy tells me he's actually not there this time. JT's not here? What the… So we go ringside (or octagonside as the case may be) and we see Al, one of the owners of the production conglomerate Concom. He's a fun dude. The kind of guy you want to be around. Tres handsome, personable, successful, blah blah blah. I finally say to him, "Since JT's not here I don't even know who to ask for doors." He turns around and asks someone on headset. Truthfully, I could have done the same thing. I was just lazy and wanted to keep talking to with Zippy & Al.

Best seat in the house.

I get doors open around 2.45p and the fans trickle in. I head back to my office to work on budgets, staffing, CADs & other housekeeping things for a couple hours. Tomorrow we have Van Halen so this is the perfect opportunity to get a jump on things so I'm not scrambling to do it at 11.00p tonight while I'm trying to leave.

Crowd of 13,000+

At some point I realize I should head out to see some of the show, walk the floor, feel the energy of the event, check in with staff, spot check guests to see if they're having a good time, take some ops pics. Nothing was out of the ordinary or going wrong so I head back to my office to watch the fights on TV & do a little tweeting & FBing. I never get over the palpability of a crowd totally into a show, whether it's boxing, UFC, Buffett, ACMs or hockey. For a girl who doesn't like crowds, this is a funny occupation choice but somehow it works.

Before I gutted the thing

All's well with the event so I grab Trubes & we head up to Seablue for dinner. Bill tells me the special tonight is red snapper, in the water yesterday, flown in this morning. Ok, ok. I'll get it. It was delish but a bit fussy to eat. It's a whole fish so you have to debone it yourself. Not into fussy food. I'm fussy enough. But it was delish once I figured out where the bones were. I mention to Trubes, "Christ, I'm like a surgeon over here." She laughed. "I know, I'm watching you." I wouldn't order it again. I don't mind the eyeballs looking at me, I just don't like working for my food.

Later I head over to Zippy's office. One of the fights I catch is so brutal that blood is literally squirting from a cut over this dude's nose onto the mat, like someone severed his carotid artery. I couldn't tell you what fight it was. Google or youtube it and you'll find it. The fighter looked like a neanderthal. So gross. But the crowd loved it.

Main event fighter walk in

Several of the fights end up as first round knockouts. Leaves for lots of dead time in between fights which is good for the bars, bad for 'code blues' which is the code what we use over the radio for when someone pukes. I feel so bad for the EVS crew who has to deal with that. First round knockouts are also great for the venue, early out - and particularly for us tonight - this is critical. We have 7 hours to load out UFC because we have Van Halen loading in @ 6.00a. It never stops here.

Fans lining the fighter tunnel

The post fight presser takes place in the media center. I didn't pop my head in once. No desire. My gal Peggy has it covered. She's amazing. She puts up with a lot of shit and I give her all the credit in the world for being the strong-willed woman she is. She's one hell of a supervisor. I know she's got everything under control so I hang out chatting with my other supervisors going thru what went well and poorly that night. We had some scanning connectivity issues & some credential issues but that was about it. All and all, an excellent night. Bring on Eddie, Alex, Wolf & David...

Watch What Happens

2012-05-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while. Lazy writer, perhaps. Mostly busy with work and living life as one does.

UFC 146 load in

This week we have UFC 146. Pretty much the same as every UFC fight we do on an operational level. Every time they're here though, they seem to have more and more people I don't recognize. I used to know everyone but a handful. Now I only recognize a handful and hardly know anyone. But it really doesn't matter much. Things still get done and we move on to the next show.

Last week we had the 2012 Billboard Music Awards. I'll try and do a post-date recap of that. It ended up not being as awful as I had imagined - even despite having to hang stage left with the fire inspector while Bieber did his rehearsals and continually bumping into him. It was actually a good event to work on overall. But more on that later.

Had dinner with my life-advisor and longtime friend Burt Watson last night at Seablue. I always learn a little more about myself when we have our dinners. He lays it on the line for me - no bullshit. "Amy, listen to me…" he says. He grilled me about the men in my life. I told him I don't speak to Counselor anymore, told him a little bit about Motorcycle-guy; but mostly he gave me guidance on my future, as he always does. "You gotta let it go, baby, and just let it happen. Be patient." I know Burt but patience is not my strongpoint. My dad's been telling me that since I was 4.

The Dolce Diet: Living Lean

We eventually got talking about my current lifestyle. Burt's been a picture of health for a long time but in the past year he started doing something a little different. He hooked up with Mike Dolce, author of "The Dolce Diet: Living Lean." Mike's an athlete himself, a performance coach to many UFC fighters and Burt's good friend. There are lots of health books & trainers out there but if Burt works with him & says I should too, I listen. So naturally Burt hooked me up with Mike as a favor to him. Mike gave me his book to read before we start any consultations so tonight after I get done tapping this post out, I'm gonna start it.

I'm still being a good girl, walking 4+ miles about 4 times a week (last week only once though because of the crazy Billboard schedule), juicing when I have time (I smartened up and just bought a half-dozen bottles of Evolution juice for those days I can't do it myself), haven't had any alcohol since February 28, down 14lbs since March 1 and haven't eaten red meat or poultry since April 2. Not drinking is not hard. Not eating red meat is not fun. I literally crave steak. Motorcycle-guy is a big health nut too and he's helping to steer me in the right direction - moderation. Something I'm not particularly good at. But I'm trying. He's coming to Van Halen on Sunday to hang so I'll get to see his charming self again. It's fun to like someone again. I'm 40 and I still get butterflies in my stomach. He's got a big company bash next month. I wasn't sure when he invited me if he was asking me to go because he wants to see me or just because we are in the same industry and I'm with the Grand Garden Arena. Recent texts lead me to believe it's the former but I'm making sure Zippy & his wife are there in case it's the latter. I don't want to look like a total fool, after all. Motorcycle-guy has my ticket so unless I do something monumentally stupid (which isn't out of the realm of possibility) it should be a fun night regardless of why he wants me there. We'll just have to wait and Watch What Happens.

Now off to bed to read about how I'm going to reshape my future (literally) and rest up before the UFC 146 autograph session, fight club q&a and weigh in at the MGM Grand Garden Arena tomorrow. Truth be told I doubt I'll even see more than 10 minutes of any of it. I'll be working on Van Halen, a couple conventions & Pacquiao vs. Bradley. I'm not a micromanager. My team can run the events. They're the best in the business!

Second Nature

2012-05-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

Nights like tonight remind me why I love this business… and it couldn't have come at a better time.

The day started out like most this week. Typical fight goofiness. Who gets wristbands for the green room? Where do we put 'Joe Schmo' celebrity's security who doesn't have a ticket for the fight? So-and-so needs to be added to the credential list. We need to hold 20 more seats @ the weigh in for the casino. Can we add a banner here? Where's my FedEx shipment? Who gets billed for this? We need a space to do a breakfast meeting. Can you hook me up with parking? I need a bout sheet. Who put the ring cards in my office? I need this CAD and manifest asap. Can you do a map for 'show x'? I need directions to the arena for the VIP party. Can you email me the updated budget for 'convention x'? Blah blah blah.

Around 4.00p I head up to the fight media center to go meet up with the VP of Public Affairs. Today we have a gaming and tourism tour set up. We do these once or twice a year to give the peeps who promote tourism in Vegas a behind the scenes, comprehensive look at what goes into a major event here at the MGM Grand & the MGM Grand Garden Arena. There are about 40 of them. I give them the schpeel on the fight ops. I've given the speech a million times before. I do walkthrus with clients all the time but rarely are the groups this large. We head to the arena so they can get a glimpse of the boxing ring. That's a big hit. I don't think the HBO lighting crew appreciated us too much because I busted in on them raising the light rig. But they got over it. I took a couple of group pics of them on the ring apron with their iPhones and we were outa there. I did screw up big time though. Floyd Mayweather was doing an interview for HBO along with some press in the stands. I was pretty loud (me? naaa…) when speaking to the group. I'm usually very good about being aware of my surroundings but this time I missed it. Major faux pas. Put it on my karma tab. It's 10 miles long.

We finish up the tour out back by the TV trucks with the senior VP of HBO production telling the group about HBO Boxing ops. He's one of my favorite people on earth. I just love this man - smart, tough, funny, charming & has impeccable taste in food, wine and travel. If I could have anyone's life, his would be high on my list.

I head back to my office and it's 5.00p. I have no idea where my day went. It's funny. People ask me all the time, "So what do you do?" Recently I had to update my job description and it was such a ridiculous exercise. And I had to put percentages to it. There's no way to accurately come close to doing this unless I put "And other duties as necessary" as 90%. What do I do all day? Troubleshoot, maintain relationships & problem solve. Some days I'm better at it than others.

Hopcraft & Zopfi

So why do I love this business? Because tonight I had dinner with my girls from HBO @ STK at the Cosmopolitan. Not only did I get to hang with women who are at the top of their game I also laughed my ass off! So fun and funny these gals are to be around. Swapping stories - love it. These relationships make all the idiotic people, stupid situations, douchebag clients, irritating exercises in futility worthwhile. My friend Steve Hopcraft is the executive chef @ STK but I didn't call him to let him know I was coming. I didn't want to bug him. After we order, low and behold over pops Hopcraft. He looked at me like, "I can't believe you didn't tell me you were here." He popped over a couple of times to check on us.

3 deserts, in addition to the cake!

One of the girl's had a birthday today so Chef hooked us up with ridiculous deserts and a cake with sparklers coming out the top. Actually they were more like road flares. They were HUGE! Dinner was a total success all the way around. Hopcraft entertained - as he does. Tonight I tweeted: I love this man. I miss this man. And it's true. I never had more fun than the time I spent @ Seablue when he was the chef there. We finished up what we could and chef asked if we wanted the cake. "Naa, just give it to your guys here." I am still on my health kick but even if I weren't, I'm not a sweets fan and the girls are all staying @ hotels so it worked out well. No cake went to waste. And Tyra the Director of Marketing was so sweet to pick up the champagne.

I've spent the greater part of the past 20 years building professional relationships. It's one of my strengths and luckily it's Second Nature to me; I don't have to work at it. If only I could carry that over into my love life.

My One And Only Love

2012-05-02T23:13:00.000-07:00

Oh how I wish I could write about what really happened today. Instead I'm just going to post a link to one of my favorite songs, despite Law & Order SVU linking it to a psychopath on tonight's episode. Introducing John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman's My One And Only Love.

05.01.12 Mayweather vs. Cotto Arrivals @ MGM Grand - Las Vegas, NV

2012-05-01T23:31:00.000-07:00

The place to be this week!

Today we had the ceremonial arrivals of Canelo Alvarez, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto & Floyd Mayweather in the lobby of the MGM Grand. I strolled up there around 1.30p. I've done enough of these to know they rarely start on time. Decent crowd although it looked like there were more people there than there really was in part due to the fact the barricaded area was enormous. Not only did we bike rack off the area around the ring but much like we do for the now standard UFC press conferences, it wrapped around the makeshift stage which held the "Throne" and the Corona girls. Every fight it gets more silly and gaudy. I'm not a fan at all. But what do I know. That's why I'm not in PR or marketing.

Canelo Alvarez arrival

I managed to get there just as Canelo arrived. I really don't like crowds and have no desire to be around this hoopla so I stay just long enough to snap some ops pics (so when someone asks what the hell we did, I can show them). People seem to be having a good time. Lots of iPhones and Androids in the air trying to click a pic of the fighter. Good for them. Hope they get the souvenir photo they're looking for. Maybe it makes their trip a little more memorable.

The press congregates.

I don't have the patience to wait for the other fighters, least of all Mayweather who I know will be late. Little did I know HOW late. He was scheduled to be there shortly after 2.30p. At 3.30p, one of my supervisors came down to the arena and said he wasn't there yet. Rumor was he hadn't even left home yet. Who knows what the truth is and I really don't care. This is precisely why I didn't wait around. Been there, done that, not gonna waste my time again.

Decent crowd

I make it back to my office and at this point it's almost 2.00p. I am so behind with fight stuff, upcoming convention crap, getting back to the Drake & Billboard people. Meanwhile instead of doing any of that I was busy working on onsale CAD drawing and seating manifests. Like it or not I've been tasked with this stuff now. Shit runs downhill and when there's no one else around who can or is willing do it, I get stuck with it. This isn't a pity-party statement. It's a simple fact.

The Throne

I finally get that stuff out of the way and go for a quick jaunt to stretch my legs. I head into an empty office where we have a digital scale to check to see how the Great American Juicer Experiment is progressing. In 2 months I'm down 12 pounds. Not bad. I can do better. On my way out of the arena admin offices go go smoke a Dunhill I tell my bosses assistant, "If anyone comes in here looking for me, tell them I'm not in the office." I've got too much shit to do and don't have time to sit and chit chat with people. So what happens? She goes to lunch (which she should, she's not chained to the office) and in walks 3 different people at 3 different times, each who stay and talk for 20 minutes. There goes an hour. I like these people but holy hell, I'm in no mood to play catchup, either with what's been going on in our lives or on the mounting count of the unread emails in my inbox. But I can't say that so I sit thru it. In the end I'm glad I got to talk to these people - their lives are important - much more so than any idiotic emails I need to respond to but sometimes a girl just wants to shut the door and pound out some work.

Photogs waiting for the next fighter

Before I know it, it's almost 7.00p. Where the hell did the day go? I've barely made a dent in my emails and at this point I could care less. I'm only 1 person and last I checked my 24 hours last as long as everyone else's. I'm just trying to improve the quality of mine. Rodney is on his way over for TWR so I pack up and head up to Fiamma for some sushi with my BFF. All of this crap can wait until tomorrow.

You Are Not Alone

2012-04-30T22:40:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the official start of fight week. Mayweather vs. Cotto. Tuesday we start with the media circus also known as the arrivals. Because the name of the fight is Ring Kings, apparently, there's going to be a throne in the lobby of the MGM Grand. Great. What a treat.

Normally I love fight weeks. I know all the players, I get to have lots of fun dinners & convos with my pals in the industry. I'm a schmoozing machine. But this time I'm really not looking forward to it. I am going to dinner with my friend Cindy from HBO @ STK on Thursday. Now THAT I am looking forward to. There aren't many females I like working with and even fewer I call friends in this business. Too much drama and idiocy with many of them. But she's one of the best. We're like sisters from another mother. She handles all the big parties and celebs for HBO. Much like me people don't understand that while we work on big events, our jobs aren't glamourous - we don't hang out with George Clooney (well, she might) and we don't get paid big bucks (well, she prob does). Shit, I should go work for HBO. (Note to self, talk to Cindy about this.)

For this fight we're doing 2 press conferences, because one just isn't exciting enough. Wednesday @ Hollywood Theatre is the presser for Mayweather & Cotto and Canelo & Mosley and Thursday they'll do the rest of the undercard. Friday is the weigh in @ the MGM Grand Garden Arena. And Saturday is the fight. Hopefully by Wednesday my attitude picks up. Fight weeks should be fun, not a pain in the ass. People coming to me for help should be flattering, not irritating. Problem solving should be satisfying, not torturous. Staff who just want someone to talk to should be my opportunity for generosity, not a moment to wish for a Steinway to drop on me or them (whichever is more convenient for God). All this no-drinking-no-red-meat-daily-exercise-crap has made me more bitter, less fulfilled and increasingly introverted. Great. So I'll live to be 100 years old, but alone because I've alienated myself. Tremendous job Amy. Bravo. Well done. But You Are Not Alone yet, so hang in there. There's light at the end of the tunnel you're in. Just be patient...

Change

2012-04-24T23:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a message can Change your life.

04.21.12 Eagles @ MGM Grand Garden Arena - Las Vegas, NV

2012-04-21T23:59:00.000-07:00

We have doors

Today - the Eagles. People have joked that they are the MGM Grand Garden Arena house band. We've had them 3 times in under 6 months and will add another before year's end. I wish they were our house band. I could do this show once a week. The entire production team is pretty laid back. The head of their security for this leg, Gio, is one of my faves. We see him at least once a year, 2 if I'm lucky. Last time he was with Aerosmith I think.

Although I was happy to be doing this show I was not happy about being there at 8.00a. My guy who normally supervises the early shift flew the coop to Italy for a little vaca. He's my savior so I'm thrilled he got out of dodge for a while. But working these 16+ hours days suck. It's not so much the length but the boredom in between the drama. If I were busy the entire time it wouldn't be so bad but there's nothing worse than being bored at work. Yeah, there were about 50 things I could have been doing to curb my boredom but that early on a Saturday morning, who the hell wants to be at work. People think this job is so cool, so glamorous, so fulfilling. That's a bunch of crap. What makes it tolerable are the people… well my small, tight knit group anyhow.

Where's my wardrobe?

As the afternoon dragged on I fuddled with my new BlackBerry. I used to have a BlackBerry with Netel. Remember those? Of course not. No one in the world still has them. I hated mine because unlike the phone you don't have the option to ignore a 'chirp' unless you turn off the network altogether which means you can't receive calls, texts or emails. So annoying to awake to that sound. The worst was when someone would 'accidentally' chirp me. I got the Bold with the touch screen. It's always fun to get a new toy. I am toying with getting an iPhone but am too cheap to pay for the monthly service. Work pays for my CrackBerry so what's the point in paying for another one. When the 5 comes out I might suck it up and get one though. We'll see. So where was I… the Eagles.

Crowd loves them!

Sometime around 1-ish I head to tour catering with the boys. I just sit down with my plate of greens when my phone goes off. It's Gio reminding me of the 1.00p meeting. Oops. Kinda forgot about that. Luckily he was cool and said just pop over when I was done eating. So I mowed down my salad, grabbed Mary who works with me in the arena and we head to studio 4.

Gio is one of the coolest guys I come across. He's the rare breed of tour security who is great at his job, calm, cool, friendly yet stern but most of all respectful towards my entire staff. I can't tell you how many assholes are out there. The best phrase (or variation thereof) is, "…this is your house. I'm just a visitor." We go thru the mechanics of the show. No pyro, no intermission, camera policy has relaxed, blah, blah, blah. The Eagles show isn't tres complique. No theatrics. Just 4 guys on a stage. Pure music. We go over the credential board & the access points. There are a couple of VIP hospitality parties: 1 for fans who paid for the privilege, 1 for the band guests and 1 for the MGM. Nothing out of the ordinary. Best part of the meeting - Gio tells us the band is doing a runner. That means no lingering after the show. The band goes directly from the stage to their vehicles to the jet. And I mean directly. With the police escort it takes all of 4 minutes to go from the stage to the FBO across the street. Now THAT'S a runner.

Joe Walsh working the crowd

From 1.30p - 3.30p not much going on. I got people in place for a sound check, tweeted some random pics, smoked a few Dunhills and gabbed with Zippy about life. Before I knew it 4.30p was here and it was time to brief my supervisory team. I've said it 100x and I'll say it again. My 15 men & women are the best in the business - and they take better care of me than I deserve. I always feel like a load's been lifted when they arrive on site. I know everything will be ok and I can relax. There's nothing like the feeling of complete confidence in your team. Nothing.

How'd you like to be this guy!

5.30p hits and I head out to the 150 ushers checking in for the show. I gave out some employee recognition awards and tell them they've all gotten a raise. Not a huge one but hey, a raise is a raise. It's the 2nd one they've gotten under me - I'm pretty happy about that.

6.25p and I grab Zippy to get doors open. Actually at about 6.00p Max calls me and says that production has already given the go-ahead for doors whenever we're ready. That hardly ever happens. Ever. So I get everyone in place and in my loud-mouth voice, "Everybody UP! Here we go. Have a great night!"

Once doors are open, the show is in the hands of my team. I don't micro-manage, I don't interfere when I don't need to, I fully trust them. I'm always available to them if they need me but they rarely do. I let people actually do their job. That's why I hired them. If I wanted to do it for them, I'd change my occupation. So I head back to my office to true-up my estimate for settlement before going upstairs for dinner.

Eagles don't fly, they roll!

As soon as the band hits the stage I head to Seablue and am looking forward to a quiet dinner alone. I'm not in a social mood and just want to watch whatever dumb Stanley Cup Playoff game Bill has on the screen. Shortly after I sit down Sebastian comes in and asks to join me. He's the Director of Restaurants or something. To be honest, I don't remember his title. He's a good guy and despite my desperate need to be alone, I oblige. What am I gonna say, "No, go away." It ended up being really fun. We laughed for a good 1/2 hour straight. He's French so when he tells stories in his accent it's so hilarious. In the end I'm glad we had dinner together. Unexpected surprise.

Where's your seat? Front row?

Around 9.00p I head back to the arena to check on the show. At this point I've seen zero of the concert, and that doesn't bother me one bit. I saw them twice back in the latter part of last year and we'll have them back in November of this year. But I figure I should Tweet a couple of pics for the Grand Garden Arena feed so I head to the concourse and grab some shots. I don't have the patience to sit thru a whole song so I head backstage to chew the fat with the guys. Another favorite site: the artist cars lined up. Watching their taillights drive away makes me so happy!

Crowd heading out

I head back to my office and decide to go watch the last song from the vommy. I walk thru the tunnel and I see house lights up. The show is over. Even better! Everyone is milling out like civilized adults. I wander onto the floor to say hi to some guests and ask if they had a good time. A resounding yes. The chair racks move in as do the cleaning crews. My favorite part of the night. The End. I wrap up with my team and my 1.00a I'm home. Ahhh.

Thanks for a great show Glenn, Joe, Don & Timothy. We'll see you again November 17th - if I'm still around...

Today

2012-04-19T23:59:00.010-07:00

In response to the question, "So what did you do Today?"

7.30a BlackBerry alarm goes off. Click snooze.
7.40a BlackBerry alarm goes off. Click snooze.
7.50a BlackBerry alarm goes off. Click snooze.
8.00a BlackBerry alarm goes off. Turn on the Today show.
8.05a Open Mac Air. Check Twitter & FB.
8.30a Hit the kitchen. Open the fridge & take out the vegis. Wash & slice.
8.45a Shove vegis in juicer. Pour juice into wine glass. Drink.
8.50a Wash juicer parts. Give dog food & replace water in dish.
9.00a Put on tee, sweats, Nikes & earbuds. Turn on Shuffle.
9.15a Head out for 4 mile walk.
10.30a Back at the house to walk the dog.
10.45a Shower & get ready for work.
11.45a Give dog treat. Turn on HBO for dog.
11.46a Get in car. Plug in iPod. Unlock BlackBerry. Drive.
12.05p Arrive at work. Drop bags in office.
12.10p Head to lunch with the boss.
12.55p Head back to the office. Work.
3.00p Text Motorcycle-guy to go to dinner.
3.10p Receive text for rain check because Thursdays he plays hockey.
5.30p Walk up to Seablue. Try hamachi without chili peppers. Order to go.
7.00p Drive home.
7.30p Say hi to neighbor. Get bit by his dog.
7.35p Greet my dog. Wash face. Put on man's dress shirt. Unpack dinner.
7.45p Eat salmon & asparagus. Pour decaf iced tea into wine glass. Watch tv.
9.00p Start 3 loads of laundry.
9.45p Begin daily blog. Check Tweets & FB.
10.15p Ice forearm from dog bite.
10.30p Paint fingernails. 2 coats.
11.00p Eat carrots.
12.30a Brush & floss teeth.
1.30a Head to bed. Read news online. Turn on Law & Order.
2.45a Fall asleep.

For Some Reason

2012-04-18T23:06:00.004-07:00

Me with Chef Michael Mina

Tonight I had a quickie dinner @ Seablue. It was actually the night the namesake Chef Michael Mina was in hosting a "Have dinner with the chef" promo. I think it was like $100. I wouldn't mind paying the hundred bucks but I'm not really interested in mingling with a bunch of foodies or casino guests or executives. I just like sitting at the bar, eating really good food - and so that's what I did. As I finished my hamachi appetizer Ed the GM came over with Chef Mina and they said hi. Michael is pretty soft spoken, nice - and I mean that in a very good way. We chatted about the new menu items. He asked if I liked the yellowtail. "It's very peppery," I said. That was my way of criticizing the new spin on what used to be a perfect dish without actually insulting the chef.

Hamachi sashimi

Seablue changed up their menu (again). Chef Tony mentioned this was coming. I'm always tentative when they do this. Sometimes they hit it out of the park. Other times, not so much. Couple of my faves are back like hamachi (yellowtail), beef tartare & veal carpaccio. I wasn't a big fan of this round of yellowtail though. Kind of bland and too much pepper. I'm not a huge pepper fan so next time I order it I'm going to ask if they can skip that. I also ordered the halibut. That was juicy, fresh and delish. I'm not eating red meat or fowl right now For Some Reason. I say 'for some reason' because it didn't start intentionally. I haven't had red meat since late March. Since I had dinner with Motorcycle-guy @ Shibuya during the Lionel Richie & Friends show when he told me about juicing I just kinda stopped eating meat. But when I saw the tartare & veal on the menu @ Seablue again I really wanted to try it. But I abstained. Not sure how long I'm going to go without red meat. I don't really have a plan. I'm just winging it. When I feel like having a dripping blood rare piece of cow I'll have it.

Halibut

As I left Seablue tonight Bill gave me a great compliment from behind the bar, "I'm proud of you. Keep it up." May not sound like much but Bill does not shell out feel-good stuff, or say anything particularly nice, ever. It's not that he's a bad guy; he's one of the best men I know. He's just more snarky & deprecating than encouraging. That's part of why I like the guy. He's been tres supportive in round 2 of my health initiative. It was just the thing I needed to hear to keep the momentum going. Thanks Wm. Thanks.

Impressions

2012-04-17T20:52:00.008-07:00

Chris Botti's new album Impressions is out today. Grab it.

Good Enough

2012-04-16T23:20:00.014-07:00

Today I was there when a friend needed me, one of my best friends, Big Rod. He asked me if I'd pick him up from the hospital after a minor surgical procedure. There was no question. I'd drop everything for that kid, even at 7.30a this morning. I love him like my baby brother. Around 6.50a he BBMed me telling me to go back to sleep. He wouldn't be done until 9.30a. At that point I was already up so I grabbed my Mac Air and checked Twitter. Not much going on the feed so I hopped into the kitchen for my 'new normal' of juicing. It's much better when I'm not rushed. I like to be able to take my time. I like to put the vegetables in the juicer by color. It's silly because when it's finished it all gets mixed together anyhow but it's part of my OCD, control-freak nature. It's part of the fun.

I managed to get out of the house by 9.00a and to the Same Day Surgery lobby @ St. Rose Dominican Hospital, Sienna Campus by 9.20a. As I turned to look for a seat the nurse called me in. Perfect timing. Big Rod was a little loopy after his procedure but in good spirits. Nothing serious but he couldn't drive home because of the anesthesia A short while later there were minor complications and he was in serious pain. Big Rod has that nickname for a reason. He's 6'5" 250. Big. And to see a man of his size suffering, to see my dear friend in pain, and not be able to do a thing about it was excruciating. In time the doctor came and he was well on his way to some relief.

I was there from 9.30a until 4.30p. I left for about 45 minutes to go shoe shopping when the nurse kicked me out so they could fiddle with him but other than that he was a captive audience to my mindless rambling about my non-existent love life. He hates hearing about it. "Oh God Zopfi," he says to me all the time. But he was my hostage so I made him listen to me talk about Motorcycle-guy... and coincidentally right then Motorcycle-guy shot me a text. I hadn't heard from him in a week and a half. He'd been in Hawaii with his girl-du-jour so I took this as a good sign that he text me when he got back to town. He said he gained 5 lbs on vacation and needed to get back to juicing. I told him if he broke up with his girlfriend he'd lose 120 lbs. Yeah, not exactly a classy move but I needed to be bold. Let him know I'm serious in a playful, passive-aggressive manner. (I know, I know. I'm disturbed.) A couple of texts later he asked me if I knew anyone at Lavo or Tao. He needed a hookup. A hookup. He didn't want to talk to me or give a crap about where I was or what I'd been up to. He needed something from me. I told him I didn't know anyone at either place, which is true. I'm not a club kid. Never have been. Damnit. I was disappointed. He's such a good guy, and smart and cute and charming and blah blah blah. I thought he had potential to be different, and he may still but until proven otherwise he falls into the annals of the rest of the good men who just want things from me instead of want me. I realize I am overreacting and blowing these simple texts out of proportion and reading way too much into his words. It's hard not to though. If it quacks like a duck… and man have I known a lot of ducks. Poor Amy. Boo hoo. Yeah, I'll get over it. It's just unpleasant to be reminded that no matter how hard I try I can't stop being me, and that even if it's not good enough for some it has to be Good Enough for me because I can't escape myself.

Heaven

2012-04-15T23:36:00.000-07:00

The tailored white dress shirt. Is there a more perfectly crafted piece of fabric? I simply cannot resist a man in a dark charcoal suit, tailored white dress shirt, unfastened tie. God that gets me going. My love for the white dress shirt started way back in high school when I worked in the Mens Dress Shirt & Tie Department at Dayton's in downtown St. Paul. Those were the good old days. Assisting helpless, clueless men pick out shirts and ties to go with their Hart Schaffner & Marx suits. Heaven. I never appreciated it as much as I do now. Even back then I had a deep respect for classic, tailored, conservatively dressed men. Some call it boring, stuffy. I call it masculine and sophisticated. Athletic and European cuts are my favorite but not a lot of men can or like to wear those. I've also been into french cuff shirts lately too but you've got to be built like a modern-day quarterback or hockey player to pull it off. The only person under 6' I've seen it work for is Zippy. For 5'10" he cleans up tall.

Ripping a man's shirt off him, having hot sex and throwing it over your naked body in the morning is nothing short of perfection. Smelling his scent on the collar of his shirt is one of my favorite things. I can't imagine why Julie Andrews didn't sing about that...

The Great American Juicer Experiment x2

2012-04-14T22:02:00.048-07:00

Vibrant veggies & fruit

The Great American Juicer experiment is one week old. So far it's a success. I've managed to stick to it for 8 days. I feel great and look better. My pants are looser but I don't know if that's attributed to juicing for a week or to the effects of being a good girl for a month and a half. Either way I guess it doesn't matter because the end result is the same.

Vegi swirlie

I've been back to walking my 4+ miles again too. With mom and dad in town last week I only managed to venture out Sunday and Monday but I didn't beat myself up about it. I'm was back to it again this weekend. It's funny how my muscle memory came right back. I'm glad. My endorphins need to kick in so I don't loose momentum.

Best tasting concoction

I'm getting used to the taste of the juice too, getting the hang of what to put in it to make it taste bearable. I like the process. It takes me about 40 minutes from bed to walking out of the kitchen so it's certainly not quick. Then again, I'm a little compulsive about making sure to wash all the parts before I even drink the concoction so I'm sure I when I'm in a rush I could shave 15 minutes off my time.

Pulp this

I've learned a couple of things about juicing to my tastes. Broccoli is pointless. You have to shove a lot of it in there to get anything to come out. Kind of like a slot machine. I find the combo of spinach, cuke or celery, red or yellow bell pepper, couple of carrots, a Braeburn apple & half a lemon works the best for me. I like layering the colors. The non-greeneries go in after the vibrant colors. It all gets mixed together in the end but as long as I'm taking the time to do this, I'm going to take the time to make it pretty, albeit just for a second.

Starbucks has froth envy

Today I tried putting the pulp on a sandwich with some low cal vegi spread left over from Einstein's Bagels. I read that the pulp is full of fiber. The concept wasn't bad but I learned that I need to separate the lemon and apple pulp from the vegi pulp if I'm going to do that. The lemon zest makes the filling very bitter. I know there are sites that reco using it in muffins, as a supplement to dog food or compost. You can dehydrate it to make some kind of 'cookie' too. Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen. My experiment with the pulp is over. From here on out it goes down the disposer.

Day 8 is over and I don't see my current love affair with it ending anytime soon. And so The Great American Juicer Experiment continues...

Friday

2012-04-13T21:21:00.031-07:00

Friday the 13th. Nothing particularly remarkable about today. I was supposed to take the day off but ended up working several hours anyhow because of some extremely needy people who I wish would fall off a cliff. I was not happy about going in so as soon as I hit the arena I popped into Trubes' office and said, "5.30. Seablue." She just nodded in agreement. Thank God. This is why we're friends. She gets me.

This is one of the last free weekends we have in the next couple of months so it's pretty quiet. The guys are painting the offices so they're right outside my door. They can hear me singing so I belt out some old school Whodini. They just laugh - but I hear them singing along to New Edition, Luther Vandross and PM Dawn. Yeah, they made today bearable. I love horsing around with the guys.

Bouchon goodie bag

Last night was dinner with mom and dad @ Bouchon and we got goodie bags. My parents didn't want to bring them home in their luggage so they gave them to me to bring into work. I gave them to the girls in the office. I think they like getting stuff like this. And if they don't, they can toss it.

5.25p rolls around and we're at the entrance to the restaurant. Yeah, we're a little eager. I got oysters. Haven't had them in a while. She got a bun-less hamburger and I got the ahi with broccolini to go. We couldn't have been there for more than an hour. Quickie tonight. Suited us both just fine.

Benjamin

2012-04-12T23:31:00.055-07:00

Dinner at Bouchon

Tonight was the last night at dinner with my parents. We started with Seablue on Monday, ended with Bouchon on Thursday. Perfect bookends. Last year I hooked up my pal for Bocelli and he returned the favor tonight.

Dad, Mom & Me.

We got to Bouchon at the Venetian around 6.10ish. It was still light out so the dining room had a great glow about it. The enormous windows looking out onto the courtyard & pool were great backdrops to our table. Not too many people there, but a couple of tables were occupied. It was nice and quiet. Not silent but quiet. Enough that we could have a conversation at a reasonable level. I just love restaurants like this. A tad upscale but not uppity. You can wear a suit or pop by in jeans like my dad did. Fancy silverware but the menus are printed on baguette paper you throw out. Music in the background that doesn't overpower. (Note, they played Botti. Well, of course they did!) Great bar too. I love that it's completely away from the casino. If you self-park it's a short elevator ride to the 10th floor to Bouchon.

Olives. Simple but tasty.

After we were seated the GM Adam came over to introduce himself to us. He's the one I did the favor for but I've never actually met him in person until tonight so this was as much for me as it was for my parents. Shortly after he leaves our table out comes some celebratory Champagne for mom and dad. I'm still on the wagon so I raised my glass of water in cheers.

The trout.

Our server was Brittney, the girlfriend of my pal Charlie who used to be the sommelier @ Seablue. She was very sweet and cute. (Good going Charlie!) We took our time to order. My parent's aren't big eaters so we didn't go nuts with food. It's a good thing because they brought out an amuse: their special of gnocchi with shrimp & creme fraiche. Dad really liked that. It was good but I'm not a big gnocchi fan. Something about the consistency. Mom ordered the Saumon Poele (salmon) and app-ed it with a carrot soup. Dad got the prime flat iron and I decided on the Truite Amandine (trout) with some olives to start. They loved their dishes as did I. The shaved toasted almonds on top of the trout were ridiculous. I could have eaten a bowl of those. They brought out braised cabbage fondu and macaroni much to our surprise. They were also delish. The cabbage fondu would be good on a cold winter's day in Minnesota.

Desserts. Yum.

Dessert anyone?

At this point we were full but not uncomfortably so. Brittney brings us desert menus. Mom & dad decided to "go all out" on their last day since they'd been good the past 4 days and share the Profiteroles. I got the Classic Blue Log cheese. I'm not a sweets fan. I like salty. About 10 minutes later, out come not only what we ordered but 2 other deserts including their special brownie & Thomas Keller's signature lemon tart. Mom & dad did their best and got thru about 1/2 of the deserts while I ate my cheese. At this point we're now all deliciously full. We need to stand up and walk…

Goodie Bags from Bouchon

I ask Brittney for the check. I'm fairly certain there won't be one but I don't want to embarrass anyone, least of all my parents. "It's taken care of," she says. I leave her a Benjamin and we head for the door. On the way out I went to say thank you to Adam the GM for taking such great care of us. "I almost forgot the most important thing," he says as he turns and grabs 3 bags with goodies from Bouchon Bakery. This is how it's done. The goodies aren't fancy or expensive. But it's a classy move that makes the night that much better.

Thank you to Adam, Brittney, Charlie and the team @ Bouchon for capping off a great week with my parents. Sante.

I'm Good At What I Do

2012-04-11T23:54:00.005-07:00

The weather today was chilly and windy so my parents and I bagged Red Rock Canyon and headed to the casino instead. Dinner tonight was at the Yard House @ Red Rock. Big mistake. It was so loud we couldn't hear each other talk. Humungous portions of average food. More is not better. Sometimes more is just more. I should have learned my lesson from the horrible food I got at the Yard House at LA Live in Cali last month. I got the seared ahi tuna and once again it was slathered in sauce. It was a big filet though so I was able to eat around the sauce without sacrificing any substance. It came with brown rice which was packed so tightly I could have given it to Motorcycle-guy to use as a puck for when he plays hockey. Fitting as half the flatscreens in the joint had on the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Talk was labored at the table. Just too loud. Even if I weren't with my parents this wouldn't be my favorite. I'm just not a sportsbar kind of gal. I'm more sit at the bar in a nice restaurant kind of girl. The last time I was at this Yard House I was with Counselor after we went to a party at the home of one of his partners. We met some other of his law buddies there but eventually left and went to the sportsbook bar where he apologized to me for breaking my heart 5 years earlier. I hate that places still remind me of him.

We finish dinner and head out to the dreaded casino. I hit the slots with my mom again. I just don't get it. As my mom pointed out, "Well, we won't have to worry about you becoming a problem gambler." No truer words spoken. I caught myself looking at people walking by and not even paying attention to whatever was going on with the machine I was playing. All the dinging, the randomness, the ridiculousness of chance. I don't see much value in it as entertainment - but hey, whatever floats your boat. Those gamblers are why I don't have to pay state income tax. People sometimes say it's why I have a job. That's pure bullshit. I have a job because I'm Good At What I Do. It just happens to be at an arena attached to a casino. If I hadn't ended up at the Grand Garden I have no doubt I'd be working in sports, probably at a major sports facility or for a pro team somewhere or maybe still in golf or boxing. But no sense in speculation. What's done is done. Now I'm just working on my exit strategy. But that's for another post...

So where was I? Oh, the slots… when changing machines we see my dad so I hang with him for awhile. He's a much more conservative bettor than my mom. I'm more like him. I don't think he would ever have ever dropped a penny in a slot machine if my mom didn't like to go. But for them it's casual entertainment. They don't buy fancy cars, have expensive jewelry or own multiple homes. They do travel but beyond that, blowing a couple thousand dollars on slots isn't a big deal. They've earned the mind-numbing privilege.

I managed to walk out with $80. I doubled my money. I'm perfectly happy with that. And I got to spend more time with my ever aging parents. I'm perfectly grateful for that. Tomorrow Bouchon. Thank God. After tonight I need a respectable restaurant.