Success

Dr. Wayne Dyer's 10 Secrets for Success....

1. Have a Mind that is Open to Everything and Attached to Nothing.
2. Don’t Die with Your Music Still in You.
3. You Can’t Give Away What You Don’t Have.
4. Embrace Silence.
5. Give Up your Personal History.
6. You Can’t Solve a Problem with the Same Mind that Created It.
7. There are No Justified Resentments.
8. Treat Yourself as if You Already Are What You’d Like To Be.
9. Treasure Your Divinity.
10.Wisdom is Avoiding All Thoughts that Weaken You.

Thanks, Maureen.

Life

I sit here typing away at my blog which I have more or less done faithfully for five years. I have Restaurant City running in the background. In about 3 hours I will be going to work and then coming home close to midnight. It seems that I've done this a lot in the last while.

I have met a wonderful girl and she means the world to me, but is there something I can do to make things even better? Five years from now will I be in the same position as I am now? Ten years? I know I should be following my dreams but the reality of life stops me from doing that. I could be out on a yacht or cruise ship or flying to exotic places but I haven't won the lottery (and perish the thought but I may never win). I could retire and drop everything but how do I survive the next 52 years?

Is this it?

QB's

There must be a shortage of good quarterbacks in the NFL. You have the Philadelphia Eagles signing the idiotic Michael Vick. Everybody knows he should have signed with the Cleveland Browns so he can be cheered on by the Dogg Pound every week. And now, the 90-year-old Brett Favre will play for the Minnesota Vikings. Maybe OJ should consider a comeback.

The Time Traveller's Wife

While the trailer for this movie was intriguing, I didn't know what to expect as I sat down for this film. I suspected that this was one of those films that was better as a book, and I was right. The cinematography was nice but somehow the story got too confusing. That's not to say that Rachel McAdams isn't beautiful. She still has that beauty that made The Notebook such a wonderful film. But I saw Eric Bana's butt a few too many times. This movie wasn't bad but I guess I was a little bit disappointed.

Julie & Julia: Postscript

The main reason why I liked the movie so much was that it mirrored my life in many ways. I'd often thought about blogging professionally, but I've been thinking a lot about what I can write about. Unfortunately the life and times of a random guy in the universe probably won't turn into a blockbuster movie (and besides, Meryl Streep can't really play me). So perhaps I can ask for advice from my two or three fans. What can I start blogging about? Food blogging (at least with respect to cooking) is really tough to get into. Besides, I really can't cook and I don't plan to go through Julia Child's cookbook anytime soon. Perhaps some sort of an eating blog, where I can go to restaurants every day ($$$) or week? Entertainment or sports blog? Any ideas?

Julie & Julia

Bon Appetit! There wasn't much in the way of good movies this week, and I wasn't in the mood to line up for GI Joe (not that I'd expected it to be any good), so we decided to watch Julie & Julia, which was "based on two true stories". Director Nora Ephron managed to combine two stories from two eras into a cohesive tale. I really enjoyed the "older" story of Paul & Julia Child. Stanley Tucci plays yet another "sidekick" role to Meryl Streep (ala The Devil Wears Prada) wonderfully. And Ms. Streep, is there nothing in the acting profession you can't do? It only seemed like yesterday I was singing and dancing at the Mamma Mia! movie. Your portrayal of Julia Child was amazing.

P.S. "You are the butter to my bread, and the breath to my life".

Music Mania

I spent the last two nights (2 hours yesterday, about an hour tonight) doing a focus group on music. We listened to a total of 1000 (!) music snippets of about 5 seconds each. In the end I (and the other 100 or so people) got $100 incentive. That's not too bad, except I didn't hear one ABBA song. There were two Michael Jackson song but quite a few favorites from the 80's.

Lost Weekends

Evidently this Monday was B.C. Day. So much for a long weekend, since I had Tuesday and Wednesday off. Now I get the pleasure of working six days in a row. Such much for a regular weekend. Ho hum.

The Ugly Truth

We were going to see this movie last week but we went a bit too late and it was sold out. We didn't expect a full house tonight but surprisingly it was also quite busy. But we got our seats early. The movie was better than I thought it would be (there were a lot of negative reviews out there), although perhaps a bit cruder than I would expect. Nevertheless, Gerard Butler has become quite the versatile actor, going from a "man" movie like 300 to romcoms like this one. Katherine Heigl didn't look too bad as well.

Heat

Is it me or is it hot?

The Bachelorette

Other than the Canadian flavor of this season, is it me or is the show just getting sillier? Jillian almost fell for one of the worse species of human beings ever, and it looks bad enough that he got to the Final 6. Canadians aren't that stupid are they? She ends up choosing a guy that left her once. Damn what am I saying, I actually watched the show (but it was with someone special). And with the sparkling record of past relationships from the show, I wonder why people still watch it. I guess it's the American culture for you. Who's looking forward to the upcoming Octomom reality show. The kids get $250 each per show, maybe she'll use those fertility drugs some more.

Skipper!

"So sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip, that started from the River Rock aboard a tiny ship...."

Yesterday Wayne invited me and some friends on his boat for a cruise on the water, followed by watching the firework in the evening. I was working the morning shift but managed to leave a bit past two. At the time the weather was gorgeous. We went to Gibsons and ate at Molly's Reach (which fans of the old series Beachcombers will be more than familiar with). We went to a park and were about to spend some time there when it appeared to start raining. Strange, because there really was no rain forecasted for that day. But as we got back on the boat we realized that as usual the weather forecasters were not even close.

Everybody knows by now how the weather was in the Lower Mainland in the evening. We definitely felt like as we were tossed around in the water. It was like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in Disneyland. But Wayne was one heck of a good skipper and even though we were all pretty wet by the end of the trip, it was quite memorable. We still managed to catch the fireworks, simulcast on the radio. It was a trip I definitely won't forget.

Things I've Grown Really Tired of Hearing About 24/7

1) Michael Jackson: I've mourned his death but now I'm tired of the consistent reporting. Like him or not, let him rest in peace. Unfortunately the tabloids won't stop, the news reports won't stop, and the press won't stop. The funny thing is all this time nobody really "knew" about all these drug problems. What exactly has the media been doing the last few years? Their sources suck.

2) Jon & Kate: WHO CARES about these people so obviously exploiting the media for their own good? I truly feel sorry for the real victims in this, their eight children. I don't give a crap who's having an affair.

3) Brangelina: They're together, they're apart, they're together, they're apart. Once again, there are children at stake but of course that means nothing.

I wonder how long I have to wait before I can spend a whole week (heck, even one day) without hearing about these tired topics. Last I heard there were a few wars going on in the world, there is poverty and strife, but those don't mean anything anymore.

Turning Back Time

Just a month ago Roger Federer beat Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in one of the most memorable matches in history. I thought that would be the sports story of the year. But this weekend at the British Open was perhaps the sports story of the decade (and beyond). While 59 in golf usually stands for the "unattainable" 18-hole score, this weekend it stood for the age of one Tom Watson, who turned back the clock and came within one stroke of winning a tournament usually reserved for people half his age. If there had been even a shred of justice in the world, he would have sunk that putt on the 18th hole. But alas it wasn't meant to be. Maybe when I'm 59 I'll still be beating those young whippersnappers at something.

Long Long Ago...

The last two days I worked at Fraser Downs to cover some vacations. It was nice to catch up with the wonderful staff that I remember way back when. It's hard to believe that it's been almost 8 months since I had to say goodbye to everyone. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and I managed to get outside for a few wonderful breaks. I hope I can visit again soon.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Last night I went to see the next installment of the Harry Potter series. Believe it or not, I'd never seen any of the previous chapters, or read any of the books. As a result I found myself confused at what was going on, but managed to make sense of it all. The visual effects were stunning and the British actors were at their best.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Surprisingly it took me this long to finally see the second installment of last year's awesome blockbuster. It was time for more automotive fights and more Megan Fox. OK I'll be the first to say it: Megan Fox is one sexy lady but she really served no purpose in this movie other than to show off her front. Her running was done in Baywatch-like fashion and her voice was rather annoying.

Oh yeah, the Autobots! Awesome! Optimus Prime Forever!

Tim Horton's Plug

For the next month or so I'll be getting mostly morning shifts 6am-2pm. While it is usually quite the effort to get to bed early and wake up at 5:10 in the morning, the reward of a full day after work is well worth it. It's tough to get my usual 8-10 hours of sleep but caffeine carries me through the day. But because we're fairly short in the mornings I don't have too much time to do my paperwork. Still, it's nice to see the morning crew after being on midshifts for so long.

Death of a Laptop

The hard drive on my laptop died a few days ago. Luckily I'd installed Norton and subscribed to some online backup thing that saved some of my documents. But it will be a long process to get the files back. The alternative is to bring my broken hard drive to one of those disk recovery services and pay over $500. I'll see what I can recover. Music I can redownload. But the sad part is all the emails I've saved may be gone. Boo hoo.

Enough Already

I chose to remember MJ for his music and not his private life. The same can't be said for the hypocritical journalists who one minute are making fun of him and the next are mourning him. Let him rest in peace.

Peace and Tranquility

I seemingly vanished from the face of the Earth the last four days. That was because a very wonderful girl took me on a surprise getaway to Whistler. We stayed at the Nita Lake Lodge, an absolutely beautiful place overlooking the water. Time stood still for the weekend as I (more or less) forgot about work and life, and even Restaurant City. On my birthday (June 29) I was treated to a wonderful dinner at the lodge's restaurant, Jordan's Crossing. It was a wonderful complement to a memorable weekend.

Thank you to my baby for taking care of me this weekend.

Break

I have the weekend off to spend with someone who's planned something special. I have no idea what we're doing but whatever it is, I know I'm going to be happy. Don't think about work....don't think about work....don't think about work.

RIP Michael Jackson 1958-2009

Flashback to the night of August 31, 1997. I remember I was dealing roulette that night when the dealer supervisor whispered to me "Princess Diana just died". I remember how sad I was that night. I watched the TV report in the breakroom and was in shock.

Today, 12 years later, I felt that same sadness. Yes, for the last few years Michael Jackson was only remembered for a lot of bad things, from his reclusiveness to his strange behaviour to his lawsuit. Maybe as a person he was somebody that wasn't liked.

But I remember Michael Jackson for an album that was released 27 years ago, perhaps the greatest album of all time. Who hasn't danced to Thriller, or any of the other amazing hits? He has influenced so many musicians from his music to his dancing. There shall be no one else like him. His music will live on forever.

RIP Farrah Fawcett 1947-2009

After a long battle with cancer, Farrah Fawcett passed away this morning. Has it really been over 30 years since she first appeared on TV as one of Charlie's Angels? Even though she only appeared for a short time on the show she became a 70's icon. Her relationship with Ryan O'Neal more or less stood the test of time. Once again the world has lost a great person too soon.

The Proposal

We went to Silvercity Metropolis after dinner, thinking that after a week there wouldn't be as much people watching. Boy were we wrong, the theater was almost full (except for the front seats). I was thinking it was probably a good movie then, and it was. Sure most of the story was predictable but there were a few very nice laughs. Betty White was amazing as the Grandma of Ryan Reynold's character. She is ageless. I grew up watching her in the 70's on The Match Game, as well as other game shows. Sandra Bullock was strangely cast as a mean boss but it worked.

Wake Up Fido

I want the new iPhone 3GS but the idiots at Fido won't let me get it at the discounted rate. I have to pay $800+ although I will get a $100 "promotion" discount plus $30 or so in FidoDollars. Big deal. I can also switch to Rogers and get a similar plan to what I am getting but about $10 more/month. Ridiculous Fido, I've been with them for over 10 years and it means absolutely nothing to them. Now I have a decision to make.

Repeat

And so ends another strange week in the life and times of a random guy in the universe. It's amazing how a day can go so well and then suddenly out of nowhere bad things happen... in threes. As a result I had a week of interrupted sleep. But now my week is over and I can relax on my days off.

So why aren't I asleep yet at 1:40 in the morning?

Russell Peters x 5

I haven't missed a Russell Peters show since he became famous and last night I got to see him perform in front of an almost sold-out GM Place audience. He was at his best and managed to put together almost 2 hours of hilarity. While he didn't make as much fun of the "Asians" as usual he was just as funny. No culture was taboo. I guess the only bad part was a little joke about a certain actor from Burnaby. But as usual I had a good time.

Cloverdale Flea Market

This weekend we went to the Cloverdale Flea Market for the first time. It's strange that I spent almost a year working at Fraser Downs and never went to the Flea Market. It was a lot bigger than I thought and there were a number of good deals, but we didn't end up buying anything. We just enjoyed spending time together.

Late Night

I should have been in bed a long time ago but I decided to stay up to watch Jimmy Fallon because tonight the guest was one of my favorite TV stars, Betty White. I don't know how many times I've seen her on TV in my life. I grew up watching her in so many shows (Match Game, Password, etc.). I can't wait to see her in the Sandra Bullock-Ryan Reynolds flick The Proposal.

Up

Amy and I went to see this Pixar cartoon that was done in the new 3-D technology. We got the silly little glasses and enjoyed a surprisingly sad (in the beginning) tale. The effects were pretty cool and there were even some trailers for more 3-D flicks coming up. This was a nice end to yet another wonderful weekend.

Romantique

My latest obsession (and it seems I'm not the only one among my coworkers and friends) is Restaurant City, a highly addictive Facebook application. At first I thought it was a silly little game but now it's gotten to a point where I have to at least check on "my" restaurant whenever I can. Damn you, Facebook and Playfish!

Anyhow, drop by my restaurant and get your free ingredient from me! Meanwhile, I need peas!

Update

Life is good. I've been better, I've been worse. But now there's somebody taking the road with me.

Weekend Part 2 - White Rock and Giraffe Restaurant

After Deacon's Corner, we drove to White Rock for some lazy time on the beach. The weather was gorgeous and of course the view at Ocean Park was amazing. Dinner was at Giraffe Restaurant, both of our dishes were delicious. We spent a total of five hours there and wished we could have spent more. It was a nice relaxing weekend; I hope I can do this every week for the rest of my life.

Weekend Part 1 - Deacon's Corner

Lunch today was spent at a nice little diner near Gastown called Deacon's Corner, recommended by our good friend Maureen. My corned beef hash was delicious and Amy had a yummy English Muffin and Sausage. I never would have known about this nice place had it not been for Maureen, so thanks! She has a habit of picking just the right restaurant.

Eat Vancouver

The weekend's festivities included attending the Eat Vancouver show at B.C. Place Stadium. We got to sample a large variety of foods and even a bit of wine and sake. There were a lot of interesting products, but unfortunately there wasn't a lot of beef tasting!

Afterwards Amy and I went to Osaka Teppanyaki for a nice dinner.

Star Trek

"Space, the final frontier...."; and so the story begins of how one James Tiberius Kirk became the captain of NCC-1701. While I was never a big fan of the old Star Trek series, I did watch some of the episodes and remember the chemistry and comraderie of the cast. This movie was a great salute to the old series, with a lot of the old jokes. The actor who played the young Spock was scarily similar to Leonard Nimoy (who has a great role in the movie as well) and Simon Pegg was hilarious as Scotty. It would have been nice to see that William Shatner fellow have at least a cameo. But it wasn't meant to be.

Terminator Salvation

Part 1 of action movie night started with the fourth installment of the Terminator franchise. Usually by now a sequel would become a prequel and tell the story of how the movie started in the first place (see Batman, Superman, X-Men, etc.). Arguably this was similar as it told the story of how John Connor met his son who is actually older than he is, etc. But how can you have a Terminator movie without The Governator? Well technically he did show up but perhaps only for a laugh. All in all, as expected, the movie was full of amazing action sequences and CGI, but it lacked a sensible story line.

Back to Reality

I didn't win the Lotto 6/49 jackpot of $50 million. At least somebody in Western Canada did so I didn't have to make plans to fly to Eastern Canada. I hope it's one of my relatives or REALLY good friends.

Dancing With the Stars

Sometimes I don't understand what all the hype is with all these celebrity reality shows. For me, last night was a good example of how silly they really are. For the last four weeks of the show, it had nothing to do with who was the better dancer, but rather who was the most popular. Ask any dancing judge who was the better dancer last night and almost all of them would have said Gilles Marini. But we all know the show has nothing to do with skill. The same goes for American Idol. The better person doesn't always win.

$49 Mllion

The 6/49 jackpot for this Wednesday is a paltry $49 million. Well what am I going to do with so little money? Hopefully it will go to somebody who doesn't live east of Manitoba as it almost always does. It's about time the jackpot goes to a River Rock floor manager who wants to go back to Vegas as soon as possible.

Dinner and Dessert

Tonight Amy and I had dinner on the patio of Monk McQueen's. The weather was gorgeous and the view was beautiful. Across the water I could see the old Concorde Pacific side which brought back a lot of memories. After dinner we took a little walk then went downtown to the Marble Slab Creamery for some yummy ice cream. This is a cool concept, although it was a bit on the pricey side.

Boo Hoo Canucks

After a gallant season, the Canucks bowed out of the playoffs to the Chicago Blackhawks last night. Unfortunately, as usual, the city of Vancouver was quick to jump off the bandwagon as they always due. Blogs were already giving Luongo a hard time. This is Roberto Luongo, the hardest working hockey player by far, the one who came back from injury to lead the Canucks into the playoffs. This is Roberto Luongo, the goalie who can literally steal a game for Vancouver with death-defying saves. But of course as usual, the Vancouver press will have only bad things to say. Will anybody thank the Canucks for a memorable season (that includes the so-called fans)? No, because as usual they jump off the bandwagon. These are the same fans who had already given up on the Canucks in January. These are the same fans who had already given up after Game 4 because supposedly the Canucks didn't have the heart anymore. Well, enjoy the time off the bandwagon. Now at least the real fans in Detroit and Chicago will have something to cheer for.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Next to that space movie, this movie was on my list of "must-see" movies. Even Amy wanted to go see it, but for a different reason. The film was a nice insight for the non-X-Men fanatics into how Wolverine became, well, Wolverine. Hugh Jackman was his usual excellent self playing this character. There were some cool cameos in the movie as well, including a famous poker player.

RIP Danny Gans

It is with sad news that I report the death of one of Las Vegas' most famous performers. Mr. Gans passed away the morning of May 1 and I only found out about this sad news today. I was fortunate to have finally got to see his show at the Wynn on my last trip to Vegas the end of March. His impersonations of performers was amazing. Another life lost way before his time.

Spring Waltz

I've become addicted to this 2006 Korean 20-episode soap. I'm up to Episode 13 and although it's somewhat of a standard Korean drama (boy meets girl, girl likes another boy, etc.) it is very addicting. Evidently Spring Waltz is part of a series of dramas each with seasons in their names. I remember way back when I was addicted to those Chinese tearjerkers on TV. Maybe I won't have time for Facebook.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

I never was a Matthew McCoughney fan (I don't even know how to spell his last name correctly) but I heard good things about this movie. And Michael Douglas was in it so what the heck. I took my good luck charm Amy and once again the movie was a thumbs up. Parts of it really hit home but overall I had a good time. Call me silly but Michael Douglas' performance was so cool that he might even have an outside chance for one of those Oscar nominations.

Swine Flu

There appears to be somewhat of a health scare in the world due to the outbreak of swine flu from Mexico. It's very scary because evidently cases have now been found in North America. There's nothing much one can say except be careful and stay safe. The world is already saddened by financial woes and now it looks like there is something even worse to worry about.

Crack of Dawn

The next two weeks I am on morning shifts (either 7:15am or 7:30am start), a bit of a change from the mostly midshifts I've been accustomed to. While it will be a lot tougher to wake up at 6:30 or so in the morning, it also means that after work I'll have time to do things like taking a pretty girl to dinner and/or a movie. It'll also be good to see the daytime managers because I haven't for awhile.

Hockey Leaks

For all you hockey fans out there, you may or may not be interested to know that I am now the blogger for the Montreal Canadiens on Hockey Leaks. The blog itself will have posts from thirty different bloggers; to see mine click on the Montreal Canadiens label, but make sure you read the other teams too! While my first post is one of sadness, I hope the future will be bright for my beloved team. See you there!

Birdies

It'd been a LONG time since I'd done any form of exercise. Yes, I could argue that all the walking I do as a floor manager can be construed as "exercise" but perhaps it's not the same. Anyways, yesterday, Amy managed to get me to go play some badminton with Andrew, Suzanne, and two of Andrew's friends. I didn't embarrass myself as I thought I would but right now I feel like "fill in the blank". Obviously I didn't stretch enough. Nevertheless it was good to do something other than moping around at home.

P.S Go Habs Go

Susan Boyle

I don't know how many times I've watched the video in the last two days but every time I listen in awe at this beautiful voice. And it's not just the voice it's also the story of how a 47-year-old Scottish lady who has never been kissed has become the singing sensation of the planet. The song she chose "I Dreamed a Dream" is about as appropriate as could be. Each one of us can learn a lesson of how anybody can fulfill his or her dream if she only takes that first step.

Dreams

Britain's Got Talent

I can't watch this show but I heard about this amazing performance so I did a search. Wow, what more can I say? Spectacular!

Fast & Furious

Did I write the title of the movie correctly? What was the first movie called? THE FAST & THE FURIOUS? Gee, what originality they used. Will Part 5 (ooh, will there be a part 5) be called just Fast? Poor Vin Diesel. He realized that he had no movie career outside of this franchise (although perhaps a sequel to the Chronicles of Riddick would be better). Nothing much about this movie, fast cars, that's about it. I'm just waiting until movies such as Star Trek and Transformers come out.

Observe and Report

After catching up on things with Joe over dinner we decided to watch this "Dave Letterman"-recommended movie starring Seth Rogen. It was his usual gross humor, and while there was nothing special about the flick, it was OK. I'm not sure about seeing Anna Faris as a blonde bimbo character; she didn't seem to fit into her role. And then since it was only 9:30 we decided to walk into the other theater to watch....

Masters

I just finished watching the sudden-death playoff of the 2009 Masters. Wow. Congratulations to Angel Cabrera, and also my heart goes out to Kenny Perry. He led for so much of the tournament but in the end, one errant shot was disastrous. It was great to see how two 40+ golfers could withstand the charges of the younger generation (including stellar efforts from two guys named Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson). This was one for the ages indeed.

Hockey Playoffs

The time is near once again for the NHL playoffs, and time for another great story. Can the Red Wings do it with arguably one of the weakest goaltending tandems in a while? Can the Habs do it on the 100th anniversary of their existence? After all, they are 24-7 all time in playoff matchups against the Bruins. Can the Sharks finally show heart in the playoffs? What will all those Canuck fans who gave up on their team three months ago do now that their team is one of the hottest heading in? Tune in folks.

P.S. Go Habs Go!

Randomness

And so ends yet another work week for the random guy in the universe. Things are a bit more relaxed at work but unfortunately morale is not too good. We are still feeling the aftereffects of the world "crisis" but hopefully things get better, especially with the upcoming Olympics and the building of the Canada Line. We shall see.

Ill

What had originally seemed to be a great weekend is turning into a solitary time recovering from a bout of the flu. I'd thought my 7:30am shift on Friday would mean I could spend time in the evening with someone but throughout the day I started to sneeze and realized that I was starting to get sick. Lo and behold this morning I barely made it to work for my 3:30 shift. I was not in good shape and went home early. Work or stay home, tough choice. I hope my rest tonight will result in being refreshed for my two days off.

Vegas Recap

Well, that makes it 4 times in 10 months (and twice this year) that I've been to Vegas. While in the past I've spent most of my time gambling, these trips have been mostly about going to shows and fine dining. So for those thinking about going I present to you the best and worst. Feel free to email me if you have questions.

Best Show: It's a tough one. I've seen Donny and Marie three times now (and yes folks, the ticket was $260+ each time but the chance to meet and talk to one of the sexiest looking 49-year-old ladies in the world made it worthwhile) but I'd have to say the Danny Gans show at the Encore was awesome. He's that good.

Worst Show: Hands down it is Criss Angel's Believe. It doesn't help that before Joe and I watched the show we talked to ten people and they all said it was a bad show. It sucked. You could see the wires and to say it was a Cirque du Soleil show is an insult to Cirque du Soleil. Plus it's over $100. NO.

Best Afternoon Show (and Best Value): If you like magic, then go see the Mac King show. It's great value and the guy is pretty good too. It's a small theater but he's amazing with his closeup magic.

Best Food on a Budget: Fatburger of course! Well, not when Joe and I went. They do make the best burgers in Vegas and if you dare, join me as one of the elite who have eaten a Tripleking Burger (that's 1.5 pounds of meat! WOOOOOO!).

Favorite Steakhouse: Bally's Steakhouse, and make sure you ask for James because he's by far our favorite waiter. The restaurant has 50% off entrees if you get a coupon from Tix4Tonite, you can't beat that. By the way, when you go to Vegas always check out the Tix4Tonite booths for deals on shows.

Best View: While the view from the "fake" Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas is nice, nothing beats going to the Voodoo Lounge at the Rio. It is 50 floors up and the patio has a panoramic view of Vegas. Simply breathtaking and great for taking princesses to.

Handy Airline Tips: On the third trip back from the airport, I inadvertantly left my bottled water in my carry-on, as well as a lighter that I was going to give as a souvenir. No no. On the last trip, Joe was worried about his Gillette Fusion blades that he bought. Those were OK, but unfortunately his bottle of Listerine was a weapon of mass destruction and had to be removed. Silly.

Most Beautiful 49-Year-Old: Oh I did that one already.

Duplicity

Clive Owen as a spy, what a stretch for him. This Clive Owen-Julia Roberts pairing was quite good, and the movie was quite enjoyable. It did end up getting a bit predictable in the end, but there was some good chemistry between the two. It's nice to see Julia Roberts back in business.

Knowing

While in Vegas, Joe and I managed to catch one movie, the new Nicholas Cage thriller Knowing. The story was quite interesting, but unfortunately once "the secret" came out, everything went downhill. It is unfortunate that the storyline couldn't have been thought out a bit better.

Returning to Reality

I haven't posted since my return to civilization after my trip to "that place" March 22-26. It was a nice relaxing holiday that would have been better had I not lost on the gaming tables. But I got to see my favorite show (and person?) in Vegas (no need to ask who that is) and caught some other nice shows too. Now I've seen every Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas except for O.

Unfortunately it looks like there will be no more Vegas trips for a while. I've taken way too many holidays for the year and will have to start saving money again.

Save the Last Dance For Me

I miss you baby.

Natasha Richardson 1963-2009

I am saddened by the sudden and tragic death of actress Natasha Richardson, the wife of Liam Neeson. She died in a freak accident while skiing in Montreal. Sometimes your time comes far too soon, and without warning. May she rest in peace.

Olympics Bleh

When Vancouver/Whistler was awarded the 2010 Olympics I was of the opposing view, and that hasn't changed. In fact, I hate what it's done to the city. First a lot of businesses on Cambie Street had to close down due to all the construction of the almighty Canada Line. We hear of the unbelievable underbudgeting of security and other costs. It's quite obvious the traffic "plan" is a farce; things are bad enough as it is. And now we hear that Hastings Racecourse will be closed down for a month because of security concerns. Thank you VANOC for screwing around with the lives of 200 workers who will receive no compensation. I can't wait to see all the extra taxes we'll have to pay. How long did it take to pay off the Olympic Stadium in Montreal again?

Movies

I had dinner with Joe then we watched two interesting DVD's. The first one Miracle at St. Anna's, a very powerful movie from Spike Lee. While I'm usually not a fan of war movies, this film was more than that. The ending was bittersweet but was well made. Then we saw Man on Wire, a documentary that won the recent Oscars. It was a documentary on Philippe Petit, the Frenchman who wirewalked across the Twin Towers of New York way back in 1974. Wirewalking, something I'm sure I'll never do in my lifetime.

Upcoming Movies

Upcoming movies that I can't wait to see.

Watchmen
Star Trek
Duplicity
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Wake Up

Sleep is such a precious commodity and for most of 2009 I have not been able to get a lot of it, or rather I've been getting it sporadically. But the last week or so things have been getting better. Thank you to a special someone who has the kindest heart in the world.

Chop

No, this isn't a review of some new slasher flick. It is the name of a new steakhouse that opened up in Richmond two months ago. It was a very nice surprise perpetrated by Amy, and it was greatly appreciated. The restaurant was simple in design but the food was not bad (perhaps not in Gotham's or Morton's leagues). I had the 18-ounce Prime Rib and the cut was very nice. I ended with my usual Creme Brulee which unfortunately had raspberries in it, resulting in an unusual taste. Nevertheless, I recommend this place.

Coraline

There was a big shakeup at work and as a result, my days off changed from Wednesday Thursday to Tuesday Thursday. Joe wanted to see this 3-D movie so I thought what the hell. While the story was pretty "childish", the 3-D effects (with the cool glasses) were amazing; times sure have changed since the olden days in terms of 3-D. I was quite impressed, even though I took a little nap in the middle of the movie.

FML?

I came across an interesting website. It's both hilarious and depressing. Maybe it's time I contribute. Enjoy.

FML

Back to the 80's

Today I had a supervising shift. It was interesting (and somewhat scary) that there were three hourly floor managers supervising today, in addition to the salaried managers. My shoulders are aching because I haven't "stood" for an hour for a while. I remember how important it is to keep moving. Anyways, it was a pretty good stressless day at work. The band at Lulu's Lounge was playing 80's music for most of the evening, and a lot of great songs too. It brought me back to the days at the Holiday Inn when I would have the casino music on channel 902 or 905. Unfortunately there was no ABBA but they played enough disco-era songs (Heart of Glass for example) and that was good enough.

Shoot 'Em Up

After watching The International, I decided to watch this previous Clive Owen DVD at Joe's. If I haven't said it before, I'll say it again. Clive Owen should have been James Bond, not Daniel Craig. Again he never smiles and again he never shaves and again he is a fine actor. While this movie was quite violent, a number of characters had fantastic oneliners. Paul Giamatti is his usual fine self, and Monica Belluci is delicious. There's even a side joke involving carrots that I'm sure somebody would enjoy.

Pink Panther 2

I remember when I was young I would love to watch Peter Sellers doing all those Pink Panther movies. He used to have me in stitches with his humor. He was the bumbling detective but somehow always managed to solve the crime. There have been a number of attempts to recreate the role, and this is Steve Martin's second attempt to make a decent movie. He failed. While I respect Steve Martin as a comedic actor, there are certain roles that should never be done, and Inspector Clouseau is one of them.

The International

Clive Owen is one of my favorite actors today (I still think he should have been chosen to be the new James Bond instead of Daniel Craig) and I don't usually miss a chance to see his movies. This movie was a classic thriller similar to the older ones. Clive has that rugged look that's perfect for the part. He never smiled, he looked like crap, but it worked. He will be in a movie with somebody named Julia Roberts in March, called Duplicity. That will be a must-see as well.

Triskadekaphobia

I think that's spelled correctly but that's the fear of the number 13. Yesterday was the dreaded Friday the 13th, which of course was followed by the equally dreaded (to some) Valentine's Day. Just thought I would share that with everyone.

Tough Times

Ever since Joe and I came back from Vegas the casino industry in BC (well, the casino industry in general) has been full of gloom and doom. I've had to say goodbye to some very fine people who are no longer part of GCC... and that includes my good friend Joe (as well as many others). I just want to give my best wishes and regards and hope things turn better for them. I've known some of them almost half my life, and it's sad to see them go but with the unstable economy, one never knows what will happen.

Sadness

Some days as a floor manager you have to do tough things and today was one of them. We had to say goodbye to some great people, and I wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

Cough

The last few days I've been stuck with a nagging dry cough that I obviously caught at work. It's not exactly painful but it's ongoing and I hate it. Perhaps I shouldn't be at work but I've worked on worst days for me. I'm not the only person with this cough, but hopefully I will be better soon. I've been taking Benalyn and I also bought some cough medicine.

Wow, what an exciting post!

Memories

I miss Vegas. I miss $120 Wagyu Beef. I miss 6-Card Pai Gow and Mississippi Stud. And I miss Paper Roses.

Paper Roses

From 1976, wow, time sure flies and that singer is just as beautiful today.

Post Vegas

I've had two days to recuperate from my memorable time in Vegas. Things are getting back to normal now and I must admit my outlook on life is a lot better now. Do I have Marie Osmond to thank for this? I guess going to her and Donny's concert TWICE really put a smile on my face. Sure, I'm not exactly rich now but it was such a wonderful time I hope I can replicate it again. Tonight I was laughing and smiling in the blackjack pit. Even though the economic downturn has a lot of people nervous, there is not much you can do but go to work each day and enjoy it.

Vegas: January 28

The afternoon event was the Bodies Exhibition which was a weird but really interesting "show". It was also quite educational as I learned a lot about the human body. We had our usual dinner at Bally's Steakhouse where Joe and I planned the rest of the evening. I happened to walk by a lady selling individual roses for $10 each. Yes!

So at 7:30pm for the second night in a row, Joe and I were seated at the very front. I could literally jump right on stage (and believe me, I've dreamed about doing that). The concert started again and at one point Donny looked down and saw Joe and I and actually said "What are you two doing here again?". Even Marie looked down and saw us and pointed at Joe's forehead.

Near the end of Marie's solo part, just before she sang Pie Jesu I stood up and held my little rose up. She looked down and said "is that for me?". The whole showroom did their "awwww" and I felt like a teenager again. She joked about having eight kids and being single. Boy if I even thought I had a chance....she gave me a hug and I stole a kiss from her. I'll never forget that moment.

At the second meet and greet, we were one of the first people in. Donny's first words were "there they are!". We got some more nice pictures and promised that we would be back, although it probably would not be for a while. But it was the time of my life. Thank you Donny and Marie.

Vegas: January 27 (Bedtime)

Our original plan was to watch Jersey Boys the next night. But Joe and I were talking about what a wonderful time we had at Donny & Marie. We joked about going to the show again, and spending $280 each again. Then we decided it wasn't a joke and at 1 in the morning we called the Flamingo Box Office and ordered two more tickets. Hey, we kept going back to Bally's Steakhouse because it was so good, why not go to a show that we enjoyed? I joked to Joe that Donny and Marie were going to flip if they saw us in the front row again.

Vegas: January 27

After our usual lunch, we went to the Price is Right Live show (for the third time!). Unfortunately neither of us got on the show, even though the dreaded $130 tabletop wine cooler was one of the items up for bid. Oh well.

Dinner time was spent at our favorite restaurant, Bally's Steakhouse, with our favorite waiter, James. He has been at that restaurant for 33 years, and he's shared many stories of the past greats entering the doors, Sinatra, Dean Martin, etc. I'm really glad that Joe and I discovered this restaurant.

And so, it was at about 7:30pm that we made our way to The Flamingo Showroom so I could justify spending $280 to watch one show. I laughed at the fact that Joe had seen the show twice already, spending $150 and $280 respectively. And then the curtain opened and I saw Marie Osmond. And my jaw dropped and the world stood still. She looked absolutely beautiful and suddenly I was transported back in time 30 years ago when my Grandma and I would watch the Donny & Marie show on TV. I had a little crush on her back in those days and it was so wonderful to bring back those memories. While she may have had weight problems in the past, she just looked simply HOT. Wow. And she could sing too, not just her usual hits but she was very diverse. Who would have thought that during her Broadway medley she would sing All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera (my favorite musical of all time)? She also sung Pie Jesu, one of the most haunting pieces ever. Marie Osmond singing opera? Well she could, and she did very well. I felt like a screaming teenager at times and even a few times she would look at me and smile. Joe even got a kiss on his bald head from Marie (one of her trademarks near the end other show).

Now to justify spending $280, there was a meet and greet afterwards. I managed to get one or two poses, and politely asked to kiss one of my childhood idols on the cheek. She said yes.

Oh yeah, Donny was there too.

Vegas: January 26

After waking up a number of times in the night due to my stomach flu (or whatever it was) I wasn't in the best of shape (in fact this occurred through most of my trip) and didn't start our day until the early afternoon. We didn't even go to an afternoon show, and ended up playing a bit in the Flamingo. We opted for a simple Fatburger for dinner (great for my upset stomach but you only live once). At night we did catch two shows. First there was Louie Anderson, another act that I've followed for many years. I've always liked his sense of humor. Then we caught Mystere, one of the original Cirque du Soleil shows. As usual, the acrobatic feats were amazing and I really enjoyed it. With the exception of Criss Angel Believe, all the Cirque shows are highly recommended.

Vegas: January 25

I totally underestimated the drive to Bellingham and almost missed my 9:45am flight to Las Vegas. I ended up being the second-to-last passenger on the plane but I managed to settle in just before liftoff. I got to the hotel by about 12:30 and had lunch with Joe. After lunch we decided to see Nathan Burton and his Comedy Magic in the afternoon. It was a pretty enjoyable show. Afterwards we decided to go to the Rio before our next show. We had dinner at the Voodoo Lounge. Wow, what a view! The restaurant was located on the 50th floor, with perhaps one of the best restaurant views of Vegas. There was also a patio that allowed us to see the best city in the world.

At this point I will note our first big expense....FOOD! While there was the normal "steak" fare, the various $35-$50 cuts of steak that are everywhere, I looked at the "Australia #8 Wagyu Beef" and so did Joe. The last few times we never got a chance to eat REALLY good steak. We found out it was $15 an ounce! Joe went easy and opted for 5 ounces but I went for 8 ounces because, well, I had to. And the steak was worth every penny. Absolutely delicious. Afterwards Joe also ordered Bananas Foster for dessert, which came with a nice fire show. It was quite the experience that ended up being $300 for the two of us! Bleh, it's Vegas.

After dinner we went to the Penn & Teller show, which I'd been dying to see for a long time. I've enjoyed their magic for many years and I finally got the chance to see them live.

Last Chance Harvey

At last, a somewhat happy movie! I'd been "cursed" with a number of terribly sad (but well-made) movies and really wanted a good pick-me-up movie. Tonight's selection fit the bill and once again demonstrated the great acting abilities of both Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. It was a short but beautiful story, perfect for my holidays.

Off

I'm off for 9 days! It's a well-deserved rest for me after all the stress both at work and at home. I will spend four days in beautiful Vancouver before making my way to Sin City for some more shows. I'll be joined by my cousin and her husband, as well as another coworker. It will be fun. Maybe this time I'll get to play Plinko.

???

Was there a full moon tonight? I just had one of those weird days at work, things happening that usually don't happen. Well, there's one more 8-hour shift before my mini-holiday at my favorite place in the world. All will be well I hope.

Goodbye Grissom

Amidst all the events happening all around me, there was also the fact that tonight was the CSI episode that signalled William Petersen's last show as a regular. After 9 years, it was time to move one. The show just won't be the same without him, even if they are "replacing" him with Morpheus, oh I mean Laurence Fishburne.

The ending was somewhat of a surprise, as I kind of expected him to end up with Lady Heather. But this one made sense too.

And now back to reality.

Half

There is a lot of negativity in the world today. The world economy is at an all-time low and there are no signs it will pick up in the near future. Nothing is certain anymore and all one can do is to wake up each day and see what happens.

I've tried a lot not to think about all the bad things. I'm blessed to know some wonderful people who have shown me the positive side of life. For them, the glass is still half full.

Today I spent some quiet time (well, that happens a lot) at my favorite hangout, thinking about the past, present and future. It's hard not knowing what even tomorrow will bring, but let's hope it's something positive.

Golden Globes

While not as prestigious as the Oscars, I decided to spend a quiet evening at home to watch this year's edition, if only to see the one award that was more deserved than anything else: Best Supporting Actor. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house when it was announced that Heath Ledger won. The other awards were OK I guess. It looks like I should see Slumdog Millionaire, since it won pretty much every award it was nominated for.

Yesterday Once More

Oscars

It's tough for the regular moviegoer to predict the Oscars because what I consider a good performance is not necessarily what the Oscar pickers consider a good performance. Besides, I haven't watched all the movies this year. Nevertheless here are my picks.

Best Picture

I hear a lot about Milk and Frost/Nixon but I never saw them. I'm going to make it easy and predict a mini-sweep for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Best Actor

I think it's time for Brad Pitt to be recognized for his great work. It was a unique role that he did very well.

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett is one of the most underrated actresses around. While she has been recognized for her stunning performance as Elizabeth, her performance as "Mrs. Button" was just as amazing. She will have to compete with that Ms. Streep but who knows.

Best Supporting Actor

If Heath Ledger does not win then I may consider to never watch a movie again.

Best Supporting Actress

I have no idea.

Marley & Me

After seeing two pretty sad movies (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Seven Pounds) and a pretty bad movie (The Day the Earth Stood Still) I thought that tonight's selection would be a nice pick-me-up. The beginning was rather funny, although I did take a little nap (not due to the movie but rather my lack of sleep the last few nights). But the ending was quite sad. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable film, although I must say I was somewhat puzzled by the pairing of Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston.

Regrets, I've Had a Few

Maybe, just maybe, the cold and snowy weather has finally gone away for the time being, and I can have time to reflect on all that has happened in the last few weeks. Would it have been different if it wasn't snowing and people weren't stranded? Could things have turned out better? Unfortunately, what's done is done.

Cycle

So far the year has been uneventful. Wake up, work, sleep (and some eating in between). With my afternoon/evening shifts it is tough to pursue a social life, which is unfortunate. Plus I'm now trying to get accustomed to all the paperwork that is a part of River Rock (and there is a lot of that). I don't have a lot of time to wind down before I have to get to bed. But I've decided to take some time off end of January.

The Day the Earth Stood Still

After ending 2008 on a high note movie-wise by watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Seven Pounds, 2009 was a disappointment as I went to watch Matrix 4. Keanu Reeves really needs to stop making all these sci-fi flicks because he is obviously typecast. I'd swear they took scenes from his previous movies (Matrix, Johnny Mneumonic, etc.) to make this really bad adaptation of the original movie. There was nothing memorable other than the fact that I finally saw the trailer for the new "old" Star Trek movie.