Las Vegas, But Classy

I know I have said it before, but this time our trip to Vegas really was a classy affair. 

Anna, Shannon and I were due for what has now become our bi-annual trip to see each other. And with flight options to warm weather locations limited out of Walla Walla, we decided to meet up in Vegas for a three day weekend getaway. We planned on good food, some shopping and a spa day. And with Shannon being pregnant and me living my best 47 year old life (because while I look a bit beat up and tired for 43, I look pretty good for 47), that is exactly what we got. No hangovers, no late night clubbing, just some really good meals, a big day of shopping, a show at the Sphere and a full day at the spa. 

Here are some ruminations on the trip. 

I love planning and enjoying a good meal. But even more, I relish the challenge of ordering the perfect meal for a group.  And Anna and Shannon were willing to humor me the entire weekend, making every meal into a shared affair. We had sushi at Catch (easy enough to share), a traditional steak dinner at Vic and Anthony’s (with a shared steak and all of the sides) and tapas at Julian Serrano (no effort required). We also had a really yummy breakfast at Bardo Brasserie (shared pastries were a must) and had our only miss meal-wise at Giada’s which I blame on too much onion juice the night before. 

We bought into the hype and saw Postcards from Earth at the Sphere. The hype is worth it. The show was incredible, difficult to explain but totally a must when in Vegas (despite the fact that the super steep seats were vertigo inducing). However for those going in the future, you really only need 15-20 minutes for the Atrium pre-show. That was about as long as it took me to get fully creeped out by the life-like robots on interactive display. 

We relaxed Saturday with spa treatments at the Aria (one of the main reasons why we stayed at the Aria was the reviews about their spa). While the treatment was nice and the amenities were luxurious, the time before and after the treatment was a bit too chaotic for my liking. Not sure if it is an Aria issue or an overall Vegas issue, but the sheer number of people at the spa, not to mention the bachelorette party hanging out in the whirlpool definitely wasn’t what I was expecting.  My 47 year old self was slightly annoyed. 

And then there was the shopping which was a bit over the top. After a year of not buying anything “new” (my New Year’s resolution for 2023 was that I wouldn’t buy new clothes but could buy vintage or used clothes) I was officially ready to open the flood gates. In addition, while I hate to admit it, I felt the need to buy myself a nice purse to add some clout to my new fancy job title. Unfortunately my $50 Michael Kors purse from Nordstrom Rack really doesn’t scream “I am good with money!” when dining with bankers. So a new purse was in order… Let’s just say, it was a successful trip shopping. And I haven’t fully given up on buying used or vintage. 

Success after shopping!

I have said it before, but need to say it again.  These women are amazing. And I am so lucky to have met them over 16 years ago in Switzerland. While we have all changed and grown so much over the years, we can still pick up right where we left off like no time has passed at all. 

"47" and Fabulous

New Year’s Resolutions

I can, hand on heart, state that for my first 43 years of life I have never made it through a month let alone a year of a New Year’s resolution. Hell, I couldn't even go 40 days without eating a banana (which I gave up for Lent in college because I didn’t like bananas). The only time I have actually exercised restraint and denied myself something for some arbitrary purpose was that time in high school that I briefly gave up eating four legged animals. I think I made it at least a year (my mom will have to fact check me) and it did help day Dana had given up all animals with legs. 

But on January 1 2024 I officially made it a whole year without buying new clothes thereby actually seeing my 2023 new year’s resolution to completion. Granted there were quite a few caveats. I could buy clothes just not new from a factory (e.g. vintage and used was okay), I could buy new undergarments because otherwise, gross, and after 4 failed attempts to buy used jeans I gave up and bought 2 new pairs. Oh and this only applied to clothes.  I in fact bought a lot of other things over the course of the year. But otherwise I made it! And it felt good! 

I had to get creative with my options, I loved finding unique vintage pieces to mix in and it prevented me from buying fast fashion that I really didn’t need. 

Now with all of that said, I did go on a little bender immediately after January 1 but it really was just for the basics (t-shirts, a jacket, and a new pair of work pants).

To The Mountains, with no Snow

What do you do in Arnold CA when there is no snow? You improvise. And make do with what you got. 

We spent a day at Columbia State Park mining for gold, eating old fashioned candy and reliving core memories from your fourth grade field trip. 

We skied, sort of. Alva and I might not have skied for long but we did enjoy 90 minutes on the sun deck eating snacks and drinking hot tea. 

I attempted ice skating and, after one lap around the pond desperately clinging on to Martin for stability, I decided I had no desire to continue. My children decided to inform me that if I gave up, I would never learn and that I shouldn’t be afraid to fall since falling is part of the process. It really does suck when they use your words against you. 

And I learned a very fun fact about my mother in law: she always travels with both a potato peeler and a paring knife.  Did I mention she is German? 

2023 in Books

Nearly broke 50 this year... the commute 3 days of week must have helped: 

The Rabbit Hutch, Tess Gunty

Fortune Favors the Bold, Stephen Spotswood 

I’ll Show Myself Out, Jessi Klein 

Who Killed Jane Stanford, Richard White 

The School for Good Mothers, Jessamine Chan 

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, Shehan Karunatilaka 

The Trees, Percival Everett 

Blaze me a Sun, Christoffer Carlsson 

When Women Lead, Julia Boorstin

White Noise, Don DeLillo 

Welcome Me to the Kingdom, Mai Nardone

The Light Pirate, Lily Brooks-Dalton 

Oh William!, Elizabeth Stout

An Assassin in Utopia, The True Story of a Nineteenth-Century Sex Cult and a President's Murder,  Susan Wels

Florida, Lauren Groff

Hello Molly, Molly Shannon

The Guest List, Lucy Foley

Liberation Day, George Saunders 

Empty Theatre, Jac Jemc 

I Have Some Questions for You, Rebecca Makkai 

The Yes Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience in Your Child, Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

Home Baked, Alia Volz 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky 

Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel 

Murder under Her Skin, Stephen Spotswood

Severance, Ling Ma 

Dava Shastri’s Last Day, Kirthana Ramisetti 

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of Dead, Olga Tokarczuk 

Good Anxiety, Wendy Suzuki 

Then We Came to the End, Joshua Ferris 

The Other Dr Gilmer, Benjamin Gilmer 

Pax, Sara Pennypacker 

The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton

Chasing the Dragon, Domenic Stansberry

Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus 

Pineapple Street, Jenny Jackson

All The Sinners Bleed, S. A. Cosby 

5 Habits of a Highly Successful Team 

National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home, Anya von Bremzen

Holding Pattern, Jenny Xie 

The Best Possible Experience: Stories, Nishanth Injam 

Leaving Time, Jodi Picoult 

The Bee Sting, Paul Murray

The Woman In Me, Britney Spears 

Dare to Lead, Brene Brown 

The Exceptions, Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science, Kate Zernike

Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins