January 18, 2005 - 4:37 PM

A New Year

My sister is super. My sister is amazing. She makes me happy, so very happy. I wish that I got to see her more than twice a year.

Sorry for the two-week span of no updates. I didn't have much time, what with the romping about in Vegas, then bringing Soph and cousin Carol back with me to L.A., then shipping them off the day before I started work again. And work has been no day at the park, either, since we had to move all our stuff from the old office in Glendale to the new office in Studio City. Thank jeebus the rain made the proceedings miserable for only the first half of the week. I've got tons of scrapes, slices, and dings from carrying boxes from here to there; putting together chairs, tables, shelves. and lamps; and getting the office organized and trash free (we've filled up the dumpster 4 times, and still have at least 1 more load to go).

The new offices are fabulous. Then again, any place with windows would be fabulous compared to the basement that we were in last year. And that's pretty much the main selling point here: windows and sunlight. Oh sure, it's nice to have everyone in offices as opposed to cubicles. Otherwise, it looks kinda like a dentist's office. The color scheme (a sort've lime-seafoam green and peachy-pink collage) screams Miami Vice, and the fluorescent lighting makes me want to scream.

Mmmm...but it's 4:30 right now, and the setting sun is massaging my shoulders and back with its rays through my southern-facing window, and all is forgiven, my new little office. We shall be friends from now on.

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A few things that happened in Vegas:
1) Phil's wife Jen left Vegas ahead at least $150 from playing slots. She won nearly every time she stuck some money in a machine. Everyone must now rub her head if they want luck.
2) Rain.
3) Phil, Jen, Soph, Gee (her hubby), mom and me were able to clamber around Red Rock on one of the few clear days we had there. It's really quite beautiful there, and I would like to go back to do some more exploratory trekking. Phil and mom were obsessed with building cairns (a stack of rocks that hikers leave next to a trail that isn't well-worn to let other travelers know that they are on the correct path) everywhere and anywhere.
4) I was not left atwitter by Mystere, the Cirque show at Treasure Island. Yes, I was impressed by the acrobats and the strongmen- I especially enjoyed the performers on bungie cords. But I despised the "clown" who embarrased people in the audience, and I didn't like the man-baby and the "silly" elements of the show. I spent much of my time watching the musicians on the sides. They were good.
5) Rain.
6) I won $105 on our last day in the casinos (we didn't go to the strip on the last two days of our stay there) which put me ahead about $60 altogether. That covered how much I paid for drinks and food for the trip.
7) The family, all the aunts and uncles and cousins, we all made it out to the Strip for New Year's Eve after a kickass last-minute dinner in Chinatown. It was ridiculously packed and ridiculously priced on the Strip. At 11:47 or so, the vid display outside Bally's flashed a countdown from :20 and made everyone celebrate Happy New Year. Why? We never figured that mystery out. Another mystery that at least I couldn't figure out was why people brought kids in strollers and old people in wheelchairs out onto Las Vegas Boulevard which was stuffed like a baby cow in a pen on its way to becoming veal. There were at least two instances where people were screaming at us to "make way!" because they had to escape the throngs with their terrified children or their dazed grandparents.
8) Simultaneous, synchronized fireworks displays from the tops of 6 casinos at midnight. Impressive if you can see them all. We couldn't. But we had a clear shot of the fireworks above Bally's, and it was an experience to be so close to the blasting point.
9) Breakfast in Paris at 2 in the morning after the fireworks. I had waffles with strawberries and whipped cream and bacon. Heavenly.
10) I wasn't so good at the games we cousins played. Poker, Nantucket Bridge, 10, Spot the Hookers. I lost at them all. I did kick Phil's newbie ass at Halo, though.
11) Rain.
12) Soph, Gee, Carol and I watched The Life Aquatic. I was surprised to find out that Soph had never seen a Wes Anderson film. I think this movie puzzled her. I liked it, but not in an overwhelmed-at-its-greatness kinda way. The acting was a lot of fun to watch (who is not smitten with Cate Blanchett?), the music was perfect, the typical Anderson quirkiness was enjoyable, and I didn't mind the even-more-haphazard-than-usual jumping around the story did (which is what I think turned Matt off to the movie). I'm not sure what didn't make the movie fully click with me.
13) Soph and I stayed an extra day to attend our cousin Sandy's graduation from Police Academy. Apparently, Las Vegas' Sheriff department has one of the most rigorous training programs in the country, and she was one of 7 women to graduate in the class of 60+. She's a supercop. Maybe I'll post one of her emails she sent the family about what she went through for training.

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Soph and I had lots of plans for her time after Vegas, including going up to San Francisco to see Tony's sister Jennifer, Phil/Jen's sister Elin, and my godbrother Eddie; going down to San Diego; and eating Cambodian food in Long Beach. However, our extra day in Vegas, the rains, and our pooped-ness led us to stick around L.A. for her days with me. We did go to Jin Patisserie in Venice for chocolates and desserts. If you want fancy sweets, this tiny little hole in the wall is the place to go. We also had lunches at Iroha Sushi (my favorite sushi place) and Chili My Soul, dinner with the cousins at Buca di Beppo, and another dinner at an Indian Restaurant near my apartment. I took her to the Arclight Theater to see A Very Long Engagement (the new film from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who directed Amelie) and showed her Drop Dead Gorgeous on DVD at home.

It's been a long time since I spent so MUCH time with Soph. Usually when we get together, it's for the holidays at home, and half the time, we're all out with our high school friends, so we don't see each other all the time. But, this time, in Vegas and then in L.A., everything we did, we did together as a family. And I wished that she coulda spent more time with me. She's a good one, that Soph. I hope that she finds that new dream job.

Now Listening To : Kinnie Star- Tidy
Random Thought : It's a bit depressing, working for older men who have the maturity of high school freshmen.

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