Sunday August 15 and Monday August 16th, 2010

I flew out with Rich on Sunday evening to meet up with Chris and his business partner Cari for the semi-annual Magic Show…the huge fashion and shoe convention that takes up the entire Las Vegas Convention Center and the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Rich and I were mostly just tagging along and had a day at the pool planned for Monday but I did have some other business to attend to, so it made sense. I had every intention of driving there so that I could visit family in Bullhead City AZ afterwards, and also so that I could get myself to yoga  but at the last minute on Sunday I decided that I really just couldn’t do it. I HATE HATE HATE long road trips. I even went so far as to get satellite radio installed in my car on Sunday am, but realized that I had a freebie ticket on SWA expiring in September, so I was golden! We arrived around 9pm and Payless car rental was… out of cars. So despite my reservation they had no car ready til the morning. So annoying. Anyways, this is the waiting area outside the car pick up area that we had to chill out in until we could catch a ride to Luxor. Classy. (Please note my “Shut Your Whore Mouth” tshirt in black.)

First thing in the AM they were still dicking around with the car and the driver and whatnot so I just took a cab to the rental car center so Rich and I could make it to 11am yoga on time! Rich lost a stupid bet on the plane and now had to take the class with me. haha! He did awesome and was kicking ass in several of the poses that I cannot for the life of me master. Little brat. The instructor was awesome and so energetic and really kept Rich enthused. It really makes a difference if the teacher has some positive energy and a bit of a sense of humor. (His name was John and it was the WestSide studio in Summerlin in case you care. Awesome instructor!) After yoga we got ready to head to the pool, but not before I noticed a Redi-Whip can on a room service cart outside of our neighbor’s room. Hehehe. You know what that means!? Whippets! Yes I put an item from someone else’s meal in my mouth. It was totally worth it. (I think it was not open, but I would have done it either way. But yeah, I am 99% sure it was a brand new unopened can.)

It was a breezy 105 degrees out today.

Hours later and many buckets of beer later the sun began to set and our afternoon was winding down.

We switched to cocktails

And began our ridiculous photoshoot underwater. These are shot under the water up into the sky. It looks like I have a mini little top hat on my head. hahaha

And now I look like I have the head of a midget.

We went back to the rooms to take naps before Chris came back from setting up the convention. We had a reservation at Bartolotta’s, but sadly, I was unable to nap and I was pretty buzzed at dinner. It sucks because I freaking love this place.

No idea what is so damn funny. Perhaps my hair! Oh yes, I am trying out for Lion King.

I will try to remember as much as possible about dinner. Pardon my barbaric descriptions of the food we ate. If you remember this is the place where the guy flies his fish in fresh from the Mediterranean every single day. Chris and I took his class last fall and he explained that he literally has the fisherman photograph the fish coming out of the water and sends a text with a photo asking if he would like it or not. Then Paul tracks the fish all the way across the world til it arrives in his establishment in time for dinner. Pretty amazing stuff.

Chris and I did the tasting menu … Rich doesn’t eat fish but was brave enough to try the octopus and loved it. I don’t even like octopus at all and it was out of this world. Moving from top left to right were tiny baby soft shelled crabs that I could have eaten all  night like popcorn. Really tasty…most people are not brave enough to eat soft shelled crab like that, but honestly…give it a shot. For me. Moving down and right, I have no idea what that was. Salad obviously, but I don’t recall. And on the bottom left I assume that is Dungeness crab…I don’t really remember, all I know is that I sliced my knuckle open trying to eat the damn thing.

Umm white fish. I guess?

Aha! Scallops…I remember those because I don’t usually like them and they were good. I believe those are mushrooms underneath.

Risotto with sausage. I think it was a bit bland. Boy, I hope Chris reads this and and chime in with some real comments and an actual review of the food. I suck.

I remember really liking this dish, too. Huge chunks of lobster and a yummy light red sauce with pasta.

But the LTP award went to the sauce that the octopus was served with. It was the same dish he made for us at the  event in Nov of 2009. A reason to visit his restaurant. I swear to you.

Tuscan snapper was our main course and they come to the table and filet it right there for you.

Rich had veal.

I had Rich’s leftovers.

And then we all got in a fight over dessert because Rich is like Christian where he orders for himself only. Chris and I are “sharers” and become infuriated with people do not share a bite or two of their dessert. It is, in my opinion, totally rude. My panna cotta was not as creamy as I like it, the chocolate thing on the right I don’t really remember what else was in it and Rich had the trio of sorbet and was being stingy and jerky about it…the clearish sorbet in the middle was amazing, but I didn’t get very much. Hey Rich, what flavor was it? Or were you too drunk to remember dinner also? Chris was less than thrilled with us, so we went back to the hotel and went to bed early. Dad was mad at us.