So...Viva Las Vegas!

My life's pretty...ho-hum these days. So when one of my best friends asked if I was in for a (double) birthday Vegas trip, I immediately said yes. I hadn't been there since BiSC back in May, so I was ready.

One of the birthday girls (there were 2) scored us double rooms at The Venetian. Can I just say...wow?! We had no idea they'd be so gorgeous. All 6 of us had our own beds. Glorious.

[Ta da!]

After arriving on Friday, we got dressed and headed down to Otto Enoteca Pizzeria for a birthday dinner. Under the blue sky (inside!), we had an amazing meal chock full of cheese, wine, veggies and pasta.


Super full and ready to party, we headed to Rain at The Palms. Most of the girls weren't fans, so we walked a few feet over to Moon. We immediately fell in love with this club, although I didn't realize the reason for the name of the place (there's no ceiling, so you can see the moon if you look up) until we got back to the room. Whoops.

It was around 5 in the morning when Cambria (birthday girl #1, second from left in the photo below) pounded on our door to tell us she had won $700 playing Wheel of Fortune. Seriously. (It was a very happy birthday.)

We woke up the next morning afternoon not wanting to do much of anything except try and score tickets to Zumanity (which we did). I bought some really cute boots (when you're out every night dancing, sometimes you have to choose comfort over fashion, yanno?), we got a quick bite and before we knew it, it was time to get ready for our busy evening.

Have any of you seen Zumanity? If not, one word: sex. So much sex, so much naked, so much fun. Some of the performers came out to mess around with the audience pre-show, so we had to get in on that. I mean, hello ABDOMINALS.

[The birthday girls, Meghann and Cambria, with gorgeous man #1]

The show was hilarious, hot and so, so beautiful. We were mucho pleased. Afterward, we went to Lavo for a (free) late night happy hour. Then it was on to Tryst at Wynn. I had a lot of fun and therefore, didn't take a lot of photos. Apologies.

The weather during the day wasn't very pool-friendly, so we got up the next morning, ate a huge room service breakfast and went to the hotel's spa, where we bought cheap day passes and had access to all the fun rooms. So nice.

After that, we got ready for XS at The Encore. Such a gorgeous club! (Personally, I couldn't get over that we were out clubbing on a Sunday night.)


Before we knew it, Monday rolled around and it was time to bid farewell to our beautiful Venetian suites. But that was okay, because I got to meet up with my lovely Kathleen at Hash House a go go. We don't see each other, well, ever. So it was beyond nice to see her, catch up and laugh our asses off per usual. (And to nobody's surprise, my friends fell in love with her.)

There were s'mores mochas, skillets the size of our faces and hash. So. Much. Hash. (No, not that kind of hash.)


Oh. Also? Big Balls.


We hit the road right after brunch, and 4 hours later, were back to reality. Ah, Vegas. I miss you so...

So, I Miss Girls

[via]

Growing up, I always had a tight group of girlfriends.

I lived in a small town in New York. I attended a public school with a grade size of 85. Everyone knew everyone's skeletons, their dirty little secrets, along with which food they couldn't stomach and whose parents were swingers (my neighbor's, for one). So naturally, I had a close knit circle ever since I learned how to read. I loved them, of course. But I always felt like a bit of an outsider. I didn't drink or "hook up" with guys (not at 16, anyway). I didn't dress in the latest fashions (unless you consider Jenkos cool). I wasn't thin by any means (my baby fat stayed until I, uh, wasn't such a baby anymore...). So when my family moved to Los Angeles, I was sad. But I was also ready for a fresh start.

I was jolted awake on my first day of junior year with a whopping 500 people in my grade. I was so happy! And so overwhelmed! I was no longer a big fish in a small pond. But I couldn't have asked for a better last couple of high school years. I found my niche in the theater, and formed a giant group of friends with similar morals and interests. And I was convinced I'd be friends with them forever.

I kept in touch with a few of my girlfriends from New York, three to be exact. And while I missed them, I always felt that I had had a better experience at my California high school.

But through those last two years, something was missing that I've only now come to realize, and that's a small group of girlfriends. It's a big void, and one that hasn't been filled since I moved across the country eight years ago.

One of these friends recently came to visit on her way up to San Francisco, with two of her college friends in tow. Spending time with them was like a breath of fresh air, just what I needed at that time. But throughout their entire visit, there was a constant tug at my heartstrings: the desire for multiple female companionship.

I returned on Monday from an amazing trip to Vegas (more on that later, promise). I went with five other girls, four of whom are a tight group. And guess what? The tug returned.

I'm not sure why this feeling has hit now, but it's really been on my mind. I had those kinds of friends years ago, but that was before I knew what true friendship was. Those years between 16 and 24? Well, a lot goes down during that window of time, for anyone.

If you need me, I'll be hanging out with Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte (season 4).

Do you have a close circle of friends?

[So, Silence Please]

So, Here Are My Thoughts On This Monday

[via]

Whoa! That was a fun mood I was in yesterday, now wasn't it?

I frowned, I sulked, I'm over it. Moving on.

Let's take inventory, shall we?

* It's pouring. Pouring, I say! If you live in SoCal, you're probably either rejoicing with me or feeling down and out because of it. Personally? I love the rain. It makes me want to grab a blanket, a book and a cup of coffee (maybe a cookie...) and just be. (As if I haven't had the time to do that enough lately!)

* I think that since I'm going through a decent amount of change in my life, that I want my blog to reflect that with a little makeover. I have a bit of ADD when it comes to my...stuff, and I think a new layout will give me the motivation to put some more effort into my blog. I have some ideas, so stay tuned.

* Who's been keeping up with Sister Wives (aside from Liza and me)? Last night was the season finale, and I couldn't help but feel a little tug in my heart for those women and their 80,000 children. Anyone? Bueller?

* I'm going to Vegas this weekend! That one kinda crept up on me. A bunch of girls are heading there to celebrate a 25th birthday, and I'm really looking forward to it.

* I'm nearly finished with my book (Her Fearful Symmetry) and am going to need another soon. In other words...book recs, por favor!

Think that about covers it for now. Oh, and if you guys wouldn't mind sending up a little prayer for Molly, I'd be more than appreciative.

Off to enjoy the rain. Happy Monday, one and all. Thanks for bearing with me. :)

So, Bad Mood

Wow, am I in a shitty mood.

I hate it, absolutely hate it, when person #1 writes or says something to which the typical reaction would be for person #2 to ask about it, only to have person #1 say something along the lines of "never mind" or "I don't want to get into it" or my personal favorite, "don't worry about it."

Which is why I'm going to tell you exactly why I'm in a shitty mood.

First and foremost, I'm just plain antsy. I want to have a purpose; you know, a daily purpose. I suppose the normal population would call this a career. I'm not very good at not having one of those, because this means that my days are pretty unpredictably predictable. As in, I don't have a whole lot to do. I don't do well with that either. I guess that's my own thing, but I don't know how to get rid of that guilty feeling that pops up when I can't come up with anything to do but just...chill. Man, do I hate that.

The idea of having every day free may seem like a dream to many people, but in my opinion? Not all it's cracked up to be.

Oh, wait. Hold up just a second.

I was singing a completely different tune in this post, wasn't I? Whoops. Let's backtrack.

I'm not going back to school for my teaching credential, and here's why: my heart just wasn't in it. When I had initially decided that I would become a teacher, my best friend said that while he was happy for me, he felt like I was settling. At the time, I went on the defense. But you know what? He was right. I would be settling by getting my credential.

To avoid any potential blog backlash, please let me just note right here and now: I am in no way putting down teachers. In fact, I think teaching is one of the most admirable professions in the world (I did consider pursuing it, after all!). It's just not where my heart's at.

And so, as of last Sunday, I'm back to square one. Remind me to talk about that lovely little quarterlife crisis that hit immediately after this realization, and how I'm currently investing in The Joy Equation (and Molly, for that matter).

So there's that. There are also some dating doubts (never fun), and Molly's cancer has gotten worse. My family and I are doing our best to come to terms with the fact that she's in a sort of hospice situation, and that we just need to make her comfortable. We've been through this with our dogs in the past, but it never gets easier. Ever.

I need to stop discussing this now.

I apologize for the Debbie Downer of a post, you know I rarely ever get this way on my blog. But I just had to let it out. Maybe it'll help me get out of this mood.

So, I Bake

I have some things to tell you; semi-important things, but to be honest? Not really in the mood right now. So instead, I'll tell you about that one time (yesterday) that I decided to break in my kitchen. Since the only things that had previously taken place there were the heating up of a few slices of pizza (microwave), cooking an egg in a pan (stove) and "baking" those break-and-bake cookies (oven), I figured it was time to actually, you know, make make something.

I had this recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (from the lovely Naomi) just hanging out on my computer for a while now, so I finally gave it a shot.

[The stars of the show]

[If you're anything like me, the squash-like look/texture may freak you out a bit, but just wait it out]

[Chocolate chips make everything better]

[Read below for why that looks juuust a bit off...]

[Hello, cooks!]

Verdict? Delish.

However, a few notes from me to you:
-Don't pull a me and substitute the egg for egg beaters. I think this was the reason for the extra softness.
-Make sure you buy a cookie sheet that actually fits in the oven. This always helps, you know, the cookies actually bake.
-Contrary to popular belief, you don't need an electric beater! I used a spoon and stirred like I've never stirred before, and it worked like a charm.

I highly recommend you try these out, they're perfect for fall. And if you do, let me know!

So Everything (European)'s In One Place

Now that I'm done blogging about my trip around Europe, things are going back to normal around these parts (whatever "normal" means for this blog...). And I'm happy about that. But before that happens, I figured I'll just put my Europe posts all in one place. Because I like to make things easier for anyone that is interested. And because I'm so very Type A like that.

On my way

London and Amsterdam
St. Goar and Munich
Austrian Tyrol and Venice
Rome I
Rome II
Florence
Lucerne
Paris I
Paris II and return to London

And now for the last journal entry of my trip.

9.16.10 - FINAL THOUGHT

On the plane, headed home. Do I want to go home? My immediate answer is no. What I really want is to be back with the people who have so quickly become my family, who can make me cry from laughing so hard and who I've come to genuinely trust. I want to gasp (again) at the fact that prostitution is legal in the Netherlands and continue to be pleasantly surprised by just how much I love a country I expected to dislike (Germany). I want to swoon over the sleepy little Austrian village we visited and freeze my ass off in the white water rafting river. I want to gorge on more pizza and swoon over the men in Italy. I want to sit on top of the Straserhorn and eat Bel Swiss chocolates in (guess where?) Switzerland. And oh, how I'd I want to eat a baguette with cheese and wine at the Eiffel Tower. All while teasing Nathan, dancing with Mish, cuddling with Bec, bonding with J and Ami and laughing at Eric and Tom. This is what I really want.

But all good things must come to an end. I really despise that saying, but it's true. This was an experience unlike anything I could have ever anticipated, and I couldn't feel more lucky for everything it brought/taught/blessed me with. My eyes have been opened to a world that is absolutely amazing in so many ways. And my heart has been touched by some incredible people.

Thank you, Europe. For everything.

All my love,

Ali

PS: The 17th miner just emerged. This will never get old.

[photo via]

So, This Is Europe: Paris (Day 2) and Au Revoir, Europe

9.16.10 @ 10:42 am

Got distracted yesterday. To continue...

Day 2 = free/on our own time. Awful (read: boring) river cruise. Notre Dame Cathedral. Shopping. Got insanely lost en route back to hotel. Cue minor panic attack. (Note: this was also the day I left my camera at the hotel room, hence the lack of pictures of everything I just wrote.) Got all dolled up for cabaret at Nouvelle Eve. Felt pretty.

[My favorite picture of the entire trip of my favorite people looking so gorgeous!
(L to R: Michelle, Nathan, Bec, J, Tom, me, Eric, Ami, Jaimie and Michael)]

[Dining at Nouvelle Eve, so Parisian!]

Had amazing, fancy dinner filled with foie gras, meat, cheese and lots of wine. CABARET. Bar afterwards.

[My first time ever having foie gras; verdict...loved it!]

[Cheese + wine in Paris = my own personal heaven]

[Partying on our last night of the trip]

Next morning = back to London. Goodbyes. Hotel room with Stacey (going on Pedro's next trip!) and Nathan.

[Big Ben!]

Drinks for the last time at London Pub. Full circle moment. Sore throat #2. Tears. Sleep.

[The remaining Contiki-ers on our last night...
(L to R: Aki, me, Tom, Nicole, Eric, Ami, Nathan, Jess, Jaimie, Pedro and his girlfriend, Rebecca)]

Now = airport gate. Saw J. Homeward bound. Mixed feelings. Grateful, blessed, happy, sad. Sad.

Scene.

So, This Is Europe: Paris (Day One)

9.15.10 @ 11:06 am

Paris. Stunning. Louvre + Eiffel Tower + banana/Nutella crepe + drinks (always drinks) = day 1.

[Bonjour, Mona Lisa!]

[Ze Venus di Milo]

[OMG, we're actually here! -- L to R: Michelle, me, J, Bec and Ami]

[It's a pretty surreal feeling, being underneath the Eiffel Tower...]

[At the top! I managed to forgo the insane price tag for a teeny tiny glass of champagne, and instead con the bartender into giving me one for free.]

[THE best crepe in the world, I promise!]

If it's one big tip I have concerning the Eiffel Tower, it is this: if the absolute top is too congested to buy a ticket at that particular moment (as it was for us), buy a ticket to get to the midway point, then buy one for the top once you get to the midway point before getting in line there. Trust me, I speak from experience. We were under the impression that we could buy tickets to the top once we got to the front of the line at the midway point, only to be told (after waiting for about 45 minutes!) that we had to go buy them and get back in line. Fortunately, I was a real pain in the ass and realized that the door we were forced to exit through also unlocked from the outside and we squeezed our way in without having to wait again. Long story short (although I'm pretty sure I've already surpassed that point!): buy your tickets pre-standing in line. This story had a happy ending, but it was stressful and exhausting. Phew!

So, This Is Europe: Lucerne, Switzerland

9.12.10 @ 11:09 pm

Today we drove a few hours to Switzerland. We went up the Strashern (sp?) mountain in a cable car and took a 20 minute hike up to the top, felt really good and the views? Absolutely breathtaking.


Looked at Swiss watches and army knives. Bought one for Rob, hope he likes it. Ate Swiss chocolate and nearly died.


Staying at a jail hotel. Not kidding. Took a cruise in the pouring rain. Mini walking tour. Early night.


Paris tomorrow. Nearly done. Don't want to think about it.

Ciao!