Vegas tomorrow!

Karen and I were giddy with excitement and anticipation for this trip. We had bought 'Las Vegas for Dummies' months ago, and we had been reading it on an almost daily basis since. We visited websites and talked with and heard stories from friends and family who had already been to Las Vegas, and we were given suggestions and ideas on where to go and on what to do. The day finally came when our plane tickets were booked, our hotel reservations were made, our bags were packed, and we had a vague idea of what we were in for (based on the movie The Hangover) and what we were going to do when we got there. For all intensive purposes, we were ready to go to Las Vegas!

Chicken 'n Ribs

Impressed by our visit last year, we were eager to come again and enjoy the flavours, sights, and smells of the Ottawa International Chicken and Rib Festival. I met up with Karen after work at Bank and Sparks and we quickly took our place in line at Uncle Sam's (pictured left) from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

As we were waiting in line, we noticed that each time someone ordered a full rack of ribs, the guy manning the barbecue would slam his first into a cow bell above his head, proclaiming 'full rack' in the deepest and loudest voice he could muster. It was quite entertaining. Needless to say, when it was our turn to order, we got a full rack of ribs and our bell blast. The price had gone up to $22 this year (from $20 last year). We took our ribs and went and sat down at a patio table along Sparks Street. The ribs were excellent..

Next, we went to get some gelato on Elgin Street. We got a small cup of half chocolate Skor, half blackberry, which turned out to be a very nice combination. We went back to the festival and met up with friends. Our friend Dan, recently arrived from Toronto, parked his motorcycle right there on Sparks Street. With sustenance in hands, we went up to Parliament Hill and sat on the lawn, where preparations were already underway for Canada Day.

Montreal

While having breakfast, I got the idea for us to go to Montreal and quicker than you can say 'frivolous spending', we were on our way! We got there just a little after noon, and parked the car in the garage at the Palais des congrès. From there, we walked to our first destination, Carlos and Pepe's. It's a nice Mexican restaurant located on Peel Street that we have frequented many times before, and to which we keep coming back to again and again, mainly for their fajitas and margaritas.

Our next destination was H&M, conveniently located on St. Catherine's, Montreal's main shopping street. This store's first two floors are entirely comprised of women's clothes, and the third floor entirely comprised of menswear. We parted ways and I went all the way up to the top floor and looked around. I found a plaid shirt that looked nice on the hanger, but not on me. Karen came away with a nice red summer dress, for which I can't wait for her to premiere.

Our next stop was Simons, which only has stores in Quebec. We each wandered around in our respective areas, and once again, I came away empty handed, just like last time. It wasn't a total loss however as Karen found herself a nice top. Another staple of any shopping trip is RW & Co., which is where we headed next. Disappointment followed as neither of us were able to find anything we liked. Our last stop was Winners. Here, I was determined to find something. Last time, I was able to score a nice pair of black dress pants, but this time, it was not meant to be.

Thirtysomething

This post is not about the television drama about a group of baby boomers in their thirties that aired on ABC between 1987 and 1991. It's about a guy, let's call him Alex, taking his first steps into this new world. I am now thirtysomething. Your twenties are a blur. Your thirties, you raise your family, you make a little money and you think to yourself, "What happened to my twenties?". Bonus points to whomever knows what movie that line is from, and whom said it.

Today was a very busy day. It started at noon at the aerial park at Camp Fortune where seven brave individuals walked a very fine line between victory and disaster, all the while being supported by, a very fine line. We set out on their beginners course, aptly named The Explorer. Three hours of tempting fate while climbing ladders, walking across ropes, and cruising across the sky on a zip line. It was invigorating and definitely worth doing again. For pictures, go here.

Next, we went to the private room at Dooly's, situated in the back corner of the pool hall and featuring two pool tables, leather sofas, coffee tables, stone fireplace with heater, personal stereo system with multi CD player, 50 inch HD plasma screen, and hi-speed internet connection. We even had our own waitress who proceeded to card everyone in the room, even if our order solely consisted of an iced tea; they don't mess around. Lastly, we went to Tucker's to belly up to their fantastic buffet. 

Bluesfest Update!

Since my last posting, new bands have been added to the Bluesfest lineup, such as Hole, so check out the official website for an updated roster.

Karen and I will be going to see Great Big Sea on July 16 and Weezer on July 18. You're welcome to join us!