Wow, has it really been over a month since I've posted? Jeeze.
Well, October went by pretty smoothly. I am still trucking along at my home care job, and at Trillium on the weekends. Ryan has been going to school on campus, and also participating in "Ohio Project," where the students go to various sites in Ohio to provide dentistry to the under served.
Ryan's interviewed for a GPR in Vermont last week. He's got interviews scheduled in Seattle, Denver, and Portland all in the next month. It still drives me nuts that I have no idea where we'll be living in 6 months, but it's exciting that Ryan's at almost a 1:1 application to interview ratio.
At the end of October we were fortunate to be able to accompany mom and Greg to Las Vegas to attend the wedding of my step-brother and his beautiful now-wife Robyn.
We've never been to Vegas so I was really pumped to see what all the hubub was about. One of my favorite parts of the trip was simply looking out the window on the flight in. So much interesting land formations with flat areas and deep gouges and cuts in the reddish desert land. So cool to see from above.
We had a scare at baggage claim, my mom's suitcase was no where to be found, and after some panic finally arrived on the next flight in from Denver. We piled into the rental car and made our way to Mandalay Bay hotel. As my guide book forewarned me, it smelled like coconut oil. A man in a suit (tux?) handed out mini water bottles from a tray at check-in. I would learn later that I should have taken two.
After finding the elevator we went up to our room. It was a nice room, with a large bathroom. The shower was awesome with great pressure. We only had an hour to get gussied up and head to LAVO for the rehearsal dinner. The food was great and the camera crew from the Travel Channel was there filming around the restaurant.
Mandalay Bay
My mom and Greg went to the Beatles Love Cirque show after the dinner, and Ryan and I went back to the hotel and went to bed. The next morning we got up and went to run around the "track" in the pool area. Unfortunately, it's cement, so we went inside to the treadmills.
After running a little, we decided to hunt for some coffee and breakfast. All we could find was a starbucks in the casino that shook us down for 10 bucks for 2 coffees and a banana. Luckily, we won our 10 dollars back at the penny slots :)
When my mom and Greg woke up we went for pricey omlettes at the Luxor.
Cesear's Palace
-- break--- Vegas blogging has become very detailed for some reason. Let me condense: The wedding was beautiul and Robyn's dress and bejeweled headband were so awesome I couldn't stop staring at her. After the ceremony we pigged out on awesome VEGETARIAN food. Thats right. I was so good. Veggies cheeses salads beets figs nuts... Loved the food.
The next morning Ryan and I grabbed some McD's coffee and oatmeal before picking up our race packets for the Zombie run and getting omelettes as big as our heads at a breakfast joint nearby. We also took a drive down to the Hoover Dam, even stepping foot in Arizona. We came back in time to change and drop off mom and Greg at the Sugar Factory for dinner. Ryan and I went slightly out of Vegas and got spring rolls and pho at a Vietnamese restaurant.
I have some of Vicente Fernandez's tunes on my ipod!
The next morning we ran off to the Zombie Run 5k to run from Zombies with flag football belts around our waists. Greg is the only one who made it through with a flag still attached.
Again we ran back to the room and got changed for an amazing buffet at The Wicked Spoon in the Cosmopolitan. We enjoyed bagels and lox, sushi, fruit, sausage, gelato, pastries, and lots more. It was a huuuge buffet. After we ate it was time to .head back and then on to the airport. We brought our winnings with us (we ended up winning 120 bucks on penny and nickle slots).
Congrats to TJ and Robyn on great Vegas Wedding, and thanks to Mom and Greg for hosting Ryan and I!
In other news, some of my paintings are currently on display at 83 Gallery in the Short North. I've never shown my work anywhere besides a high school art show, so I'm really excited and I hope something sells!
Hope everyone's fall is starting out well. We've got a way-too-big pumpkin pie from sams club, and we've already made 2 boxes of Trader Joe's pumpkin bread.
