things i didn't think i'd miss so much

rain
bugs
squirrels
Vitales' pizza
random Sunday cookouts
The Barrel (tipping back in a rickety chair, crushing peanut shells, that first sip of a long-awaited long island)
my brother's cartoon-watchin' laugh
people who appreciate the words pop, basement and Meijers
days that start at 10:20 a.m.
my Gma


things i now appreciate

the 'take-your-life-into-your-own-hands' U-turn
perfecting the homemade mojito
my nalgene
night-shift, east-coast chatters
raiding others' Google Readers subscriptions
no humidity
the cat

I hope you brought your earbubs to work

How did we solve our problems without her?

This is the face of a modern-day poet, a soccer mom's prophet, a radio star.

This is Delilah.

As much as her advice is baseless and her song choices never fit that situation, you have to love her. She is embodies easy listening. I mean who hasn't driven home, no matter where you are in the world, and felt comforted when you heard the soft "Del-eye-lah" caress the airwaves? It's like the great common denominator in a complicated world.
Well, I was driving home tonight and I may or may have not been enjoying another velvet voice, Josh Groban (don't judge), when the Divine Ms. D came on after him. Before I clicked to the next station, I decided I wanted to see attach a face to voice.

So I Googled her and found THIS.

Omigod.

This Web site has it all, bad poetry, bad musical selections, bad sound bites, bad graphics, bad bios, etc. It's so bad, it's good. The only thing that could make this better would be to see photos of Delilah's listeners. Every single one of the "I've had some bad times," all of the "he's such a great daddy and I just want a crappy love ballad he'll never hear to play for him," and each "I'm just so proud of my ____ in Iraq..." I want it bad enough I just may have to call in.

Tourist of the Week

Sin City tourists are a dime a dozen and I'm about to cash in.



If we could only read the contents of that text message.

So I guess these Dunkaroos will do nothing for you?

In an unscientific poll taken while I was babysitting, I got a taste for what Nevada kids like.
"So, what are your favorite foods?"
Will, 5: "Hotdogs, asparagus, sushi"
Gabriella, 3: "Salmon, artichokes, French toast."

The fifth anniversary party of Vegas Magazine at The Palazzo, June 21, 2008

The red carpet


The greeters



The eye candy


The food



The dare (they bet him $800 to casually walk through the Palazzo pool, he did it and continued to party)


The view of the Strip


The highlight


Other notes
The martini dancer left a Hansel & Gretal-esque trail everywhere during her break
The music was so good, everyone lost their minds when "Don't stop believin'" came on. Universal language of Journey.

I bow to eyebrow threading

To any male readers, this post may bore you to tears. I won't take offense if you stop reading.

To my female readers, this post will change your facial hair removal routine and end your tears. I'll accept thanks later.

On Saturday, I decided I needed to address my eyebrow situation. I'm a big fan of "tidy" facial hair on myself and others, but I get frustrated easily when dealing with my eyebrows. I can ensure I don't have a unibrow painlessly but when I move on to pluck a scultped brow, I usually wince in pain, cuss and tear up. This doesn't last though, because I give up and figure I'll cover my left eyebrow with my side-bang.

I don't mind waxing, although it hurts like a mofo, but I don't know of a legit place to get it done here. So Saturday, I thought I would try eyebrow threading, an Indian method of hair removal in which a twisted piece of thread "pinches" about five or six hairs out a time. I did a little research and went across town to a reknown threading salon.

Now, the name of the place, Eyebrows R Us, was a big of a turnoff. However, their reputation and $7 charge were a big turn on. If I really hated it, I wasn't wasting money.

I had to wait forever. The waiting room was packed with all kinds of people, including this cranky Gremlin of a woman with a knee brace and scrunchy, and the only reading material was a business review from India and The Bible.

When I finally got my turn, the petite woman sat me down and didn't say much as she wiped oil away from my brows with a cotton ball and started wrapping a red string around her fingers. I had to hold the skin around my eyebrow taught as she got to work. Her movements were so fluid and calculated. With this wrist snaps, she pinched full rows of hair out. The pain was so minimal that I asked if she would get my upper lip, heck it was only $4 more.

The procedure lasted 6 minutes, tops, and it was worth every penny. I am reformed.

My before and after pictures are pretty botched but rest assured the man eyebrows that so strongly run in my mom's side of the family were tamed. Here is a video demonstration, this may not be an Indian woman but her British accent is just delightful.



Here is my threading plug (pun!), find a threader in your area. You won't be sorry.