Two Tickets to Paradise

Have you ever seen the commercial where the guy gets back from vacation and asks his wife to bring over the dessert cart? 

Yeah, that's what I feel like...

Reality isn't as fun as the fantasy world of Atlantic City, but I missed my reality... my kids, my hubby and dad, my pets, my computer, my bed, wow... yeah... I really missed my bed!!!  So, it is really great to be back home!

Here are two pics from out of our hotel window.  We stayed at The Tropicana.

The first was in bad weather, the second on a beautiful sunny day.  That hotel in the foreground is empty and being gutted and renovated.  It was a Days Inn.

Monday we picked up my mom's friends, Mary and Jackie, and headed down the Parkway.  The ride took a little over two hours and there was no traffic at all.  We checked in had a quick lunch, unpacked, and then mom and I played some slots. 

Dinner was at CUBA LIBRE RESTAURANT, and it was amazing!  I was really excited about dinner there, since I went there only for lunch in May with my Mom.  I had an appetizer of three different empanadas, one traditional, one chicken and one steak.  Yummy.  Then, for the main meal I had another appetizer platter, all different meats cooked in various Cuban ways.  Chicken, two types of beef, pork, and chorizo sausage.  Yummy!  I also had plantains (green bananas) as a side dish, done meduros style.  Can you believe that I don't remember if we had dessert? 

Tuesday was the big convention day.  The New Jersey League of Municipalities convention.  This is something my mom has done for years (since the 80's), so it was very cool to be able togo to it and experience it first hand.  

Stupidly, I had worn heels, comfy boots heels, but still heels, and between that and the bed.  I was sore.  The bed was comfy but only if I lay on my right side.  It was strange, but that caused my right leg to not get enough rest during the night. 

I wore flats, but after walking the hard concrete floor for about 3 hours, I had reached my limit!  We got lots of goodies from the vendors there, candy, calculators, pens, bags, paper clip holders, toothpick holders, highlighters, all kinds of booty!

I went back to the hotel and rested for a while before our dinner.  This dinner was not only with my mom's friends, but also some of her customers and with her boss.  It was at Red Square , which specializes in traditional Russian cuisine.  I tried a beet salad, with greens and goat cheese.  Yum.  Did you know that there are yellow beets?  I didn't know!  My entree was Chicken Kiev.  I figure when at the Russian restaurant, eat something traditional!  It was sooooo good!  

And, oh yeah, their vodka martini's were good too.   lol

Wednesday, there was a brunch for the Tax Collectors and Treasurers Association and it was at our hotel.  It was very nice, and again, I got to experience part of my mom's world, and meet people from it, that I have been hearing about for years. 

Jackie, Mary and my Mom went back over to the convention center for the afternoon.  I decided to read a book that I had brought.  It was a nice restful afternoon of me time, something I don't often get!  I did some gambling, too.  I think at this point, I was actually ahead!  LOL

Dinner was again with my mom's boss and clients, but over at the Borgata Hotel, in the Old Homestead restaurant.  I had their french onion soup as a starter, and it was very good.  My entree was the filet mignon, with bernaise, served with their 'famous' hash brown.  It was excellent.  I eat mine well done, and this was perfectly cooked but still melted like butter in my mouth!   Dessert was an amazing variation of Bananas Foster that I could not pass up! 

Each night we would come back, get the ladies settled in and mom and I would go back to gamble together.  It was fun. 

Thursday morning after breakfast, my Mom took Jackie back to convention center, and I helped Mary meet her ride, as she was going home early.  Then, I spent the afternoon reading the second book I brought with me!

Each day was an early call for me, even though we were usually sleeping by 11pm, I am not used to getting dressed up and walking around and doing a lot of stuff each day, so it was tiring.  I rested as much as I could, but I couldn't actually nap during the day. 

Thursday night was dinner in our hotel again, this time at The Palm, and it too, was fabulous!  I had no appetizer because I learned my lesson last year!  LOL  I had the crab cakes, they were amazing, with a hollandaise on the side, and their famous three cheese au gratin potatoes.  Oh my!  It was heavenly good!

My mom and I had hoped to have a lot of luck gambling after dinner to recoup losses and go home winners.  Lady Luck had other plans... but we did have fun. 

Are you still reading this???  If you are... I applaud you!  LOL

Here is picture of the Star Wars slot machine, and a picture of the Christmas decorations in front of the restaurants.  They actually have it snowing indoors... amazing... real snow from machines.  It was so pretty!

 

So, as I was saying... I got home on Friday afternoon.  I was really tired.  I had been fighting Hubby's cold off all week, and I needed to rest a lot.  I missed the kids, they missed me.  We just spent the weekend doing stuff together.  We had shopping to do, school work to be done and organized, etc. 

Yesterday, we drove to a Borders that is open on Sundays (as ours is not) and spent a few hours there.  It was awesome!  I got two books I had been waiting on.  The new James Patterson 'Alex Cross' mystery was one of them!  I didn't start it yet...

Sorry it took me a while to get here to the blog.  I just didn't have enough 'oomph' to get here sooner.  Dang RA/Lupus... it doesn't like me changing routine very much.  Ack.

Pumpkin has been fighting some ear fluid from allergies, and last night it kept her awake.  Today she stayed home and rested.  I gave her some decongestant to dry her up, and she seems better.  Whew. 

Okay... this entry is wayyyyy too long... signing off now, thanks for all the welcome back wishes!

be well,
Dawn

Tags: atlantic city, restaurants, home again, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, tired, kids, family