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By Vegasbab, January 5, 2012 7:17 pm

Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!

To say that 2011 was an epic year filled with change and good fortune might be an understatement. Needless to say, the celebration to end such an epic year and begin another needed to be memorable as well. In addition, for the first time in six years, this was one New Year’s Eve I was off the clock. Those two things coupled with the desire for a memorable kiss led to quite the celebration.

Kicked off at China Poblano with fantastic food and even better drinks, the night began on a celebratory note. Coupled with a live performance by Stevie Wonder, 57,000 firework explosions and the lights of The Las Vegas Strip as the backdrop made for an unforgettable experience.

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By Vegasbab, December 10, 2011 6:10 pm

Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!

Growing up in Florida, hockey wasn’t exactly a popular sport. In fact, it wasn’t a sport available at all. But, in the midwest, it’s quite popular. When a newfound friend found himself with an extra ticket, I jumped at the chance to go to my first hockey game. Who knew that the arena would be so cold?

With pretzel, hot dog and beers in hand, we settled in to watch the Columbus Blue Jackets play the Nashville Predators. At first, it was challenging to keep track of the puck, but by the end of the first period, I had mostly gotten the hang of it. Even though my partner in crime was kind enough to explain the basic rules along the way, I’m not sure I got all of them.

With any live sporting event, the game was exhilarating, the atmosphere fun and the beer cold. The final score? 4-3 in overtime.

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By Vegasbab, November 25, 2011 7:22 am

Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!

I’m not the biggest fan of Thanksgiving. It’s one holiday that I usually skip and rarely return home to Florida for. This year, I was spending Thanksgiving in my new city, Columbus, alone. It made sense. For the new gig, Black Friday is the biggest day of the whole year and there was no hesitation in my mind that I would be working it. In essence, I was trading working one holiday, New Year’s, for another.

One of my colleagues shared with me the Columbus Turkey Trot. A fun way to start Thanksgiving and feel guilt free about anything consumed that weekend Thinking it was a 5k (not 5 miles), I enthusiastically signed up. What the hell? I had nothing else to do that morning. Two days before the race, I checked the race site again, only to finally realize that it was a 5 mile run! Oy vey, I hadn’t truly run since Disney. But, it was too late to turn back.

For the first time in a race, I wasn’t worried about finishing last. I knew that even if I walked, I’d still make the finish. And, finish I did! With a time of 1:04:43 and an average pace of 12:57, I finished 640 out of 671 in my age group and 3,922 out of a total of 4,381 finishers. Surprisingly, I think it was a personal best for me!

With great weather and high energy, the event was the perfect memory for my first Thanksgiving in Columbus. It’s also one tradition I’ll continue (apparently there’s a Turkey Trot in every city)!

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By Vegasbab, November 20, 2011 11:59 pm

Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!

About a year ago, the Fremont Experience in Las Vegas expanded to include a zip line down the middle of downtown – 800 feet long, 67 feet in the air and speeds up to 30 mph. It became the talk of the town and something even locals wanted to try out.

As part of a tourist-filled weekend of Babycakes, Tacos & Tequila and walking around Fremont Street, we decided to be extra touristy and try the zip line. For $15 each we strapped ourselves into harnesses and climbed 67 feet. When you’re afraid of heights, the first part can be a bit scary. But, the starting push is quick and then the fun begins!

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By Vegasbab, November 15, 2011 8:31 pm

Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!

The first time “the” three words were said was a little awkward. We had fought and the outcome was saying those words sooner than we were both ready. Because it was awkward, I can’t “remember” when they were said exactly

But, I do know the act of saying, “I love you” is still new. And while we might feel them, the words are used sparingly. They still mean something vs. being tacked onto the ending of a phone conversation out of obligation or because it might be the last time to say the words.

Tiny butterflies inhabit my stomach before I say the words or when I hear them. The excitement of saying “I love you” and not only meaning it, but also feeling it is a thrill. It makes me smile. It makes me love him more.

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By Vegasbab, November 7, 2011 8:31 pm

Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!

The new “adage” – “it’s not true til Facebook says so,” holds most true for relationship statuses. Until it’s been publicly declared on Facebook, things aren’t quote “real”. More accurately, they’re real to those whom you interact with daily, but not the larger population. If it’s not declared on Facebook, then you still have the freedom to flirt or date around without anyone being wiser.

Sometimes, changing a Facebook relationship status feels more akin to posting a message on the jumbotron at a baseball game. It’s announcing to your close friends, family and lurkers from high school that this relationship is the real deal. It tells the person you’re with, “I’m proud to be with you; I want everyone to know.”

Nine months after the fact, my relationship became “real” As the boy jokingly said, “What was I doing up til now? Courting you?” The reality? To us, it was a step forward. It meant something. But, to the outside world? It was just another piece of noise in the river of news.

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By Vegasbab, September 23, 2011 1:00 pm

Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!

After living in Las Vegas for six years, the lights started to fade. While The Strip always held magic, working where everyone else played took some of the tourist magic away. The lights, the sounds, the food, the amazing architecture, the phenomenal shows and concerts that were in town every weekend started to become a part of everyday life. To say that I took it all for granted would be an understatement.

Yesterday, for the first time in a long time, I got to experience The Strip through the eyes of a tourist. This wasn’t just any tourist. This was someone who had never been to Las Vegas. This was also someone who has been my dearest family friend since the day I was born. He’s also someone who is amazingly perceptive and sees the world like no one else I know.

With camera in hand, we walked about a third of The Strip. Every few moments, he’d stop and take pictures. He’d gasp in awe. Sometimes, he’d even stop to take pictures of things I had stopped seeing. I forgot how beautiful or unique they were to someone who had never seen them before.

His favorite (and still mine) were the Bellagio Fountains. We stopped and watched them twice through. To this day, they are my favorite part of the Las Vegas Strip. They never get old or boring. Some nights, I’ve even sat and watched them six times through.

These days, I have few friends who have never been to Vegas. I have even fewer who would allow me to tag along for their first time. And, I only have one that sees the world the way he does. Last night, was a memory and a reminder that will last a long time to come.

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By Vegasbab, September 7, 2011 8:50 am

Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!

I’ve been lucky enough this year to travel to New York City more times than ever before. In fact, I’ve even used four NYC experiences for this project here, here, here and here (each in a different group of course). The city is a never ending maze of wonder. I have yet to complete my list of “things to do” in a single trip (or even five). And, each time I discover a new piece of NYC.

This time was no different. Even though I’ve been to Times Square and Central Park a dozen times, on this trip, I discovered two wonders that I didn’t even realize were there. The first was an amazing dinner at The Central Park Boathouse overlooking The Lake. Great company, great food and a great view.

The second discovery was even more magical. In the middle of Times Square inside the Toys R’ Us is a 3-story high children’s ferris wheel! This isn’t just any ferris wheel. For this one, each cart is themed to a different toy. One was Toy Story, another Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. Still another Scooby Doo.

The ferris wheel reminded me that even in the places you’ve been and looked a thousand times, there’s still magic and new things to be discovered.

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By Vegasbab, August 21, 2011 10:19 am

Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!

A few weekends ago, I took a road trip to San Diego to visit my cousins and attend BlogHer. Every night of the conference there was a great display of fireworks. I love fireworks. To me, they are a reminder of the magic and beauty that is all around us. The first night I thought the fireworks were from the Weezer concert that was going on nearby. The second night, someone jokingly said the fireworks were for BlogHer. I almost believed them. Finally, my cousin let me in on a little secret. The fireworks happen every night. They’re from Seaworld’s nightly show. “OHHHHH,” I said, “How cool.”

Can you imagine? How fun would it be to see fireworks nightly? At 10pm every night, you could look up and be reminded of the little things, of how special and beautiful the world is if we just looked around us. At the very least, it would be a consistent way to end each day. No matter what happened during the day, you’d know that at 10pm, there would be a fantastic fireworks display to see. But, then I wondered if seeing fireworks every night would be the equivalent of seeing the Vegas Lights every night or working in Times Square. I’m not sure. Yet, I do know that the memory of fireworks helps me to see the magic that is all around us.

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By Vegasbab, July 17, 2011 10:14 pm

Huxley said, “Memories are a man’s private literature.” Memories are private and you never know which ones will be picked up, stored away and treasured. In 1 Year, 10 Projects, 100 Discoveries, ten of the discoveries are memories- fun, sad, happy, I’m not sure what types there will be, but I do know that they will all be treasured. This post is part of that project. You can see all 10 memories here and the entire project here. Enjoy the memories, I am!

This year, I’ve been traveling often for both business and pleasure. When you travel for business, you often travel alone (at least I do). I’ve come to enjoy it. I’m learning how to discover new restaurants, places within cities and connect with the locals. Doing these three things makes every trip memorable.

On my first long trip to Columbus, Ohio I discovered Le Chocoholique. It’s an upscale chocolate boutique in the heart of Short North (Columbus’ downtown). The chocolates there are all made on the premise and unique. There’s even one called the Velvet Elvis made of chocolate, bananas, peanut butter and bacon. Although odd sounding, it tasted amazing. Another favorite was lemon flavored and shaped like Nemo.

In this shop on the corner, I got a real taste of Columbus, midwest hospitality from both the shop owner and customers. One customer even though he was in a rush stayed to talk with me for over ten minutes!

This is one boutique that I’ll be going back to for not only the chocolates but also the people.