Vegas Bound

A friend spotted this pic on Yahoo from my modeling days

 

As of today at 5pm I will officially be on vacation!  I’m heading off to Las Vegas with my two sisters and my BFF is meeting us there.  The very same BFF I forgot to take a picture with who came to visit last month and will be moving to Alaska for three years.  I get a 2^nd chance; and there is no way I can forget to take a single picture in three days.  She loves Vegas so when I told her we were going she was in.   Once again, I’m astounded by all of the things a so called low maintenance person such as myself needs.  I have a medium sized rolling suitcase (the small one wasn't big enough) and an entire bag dedicated exclusively to hair supplies and toiletries.  I HATE packing.   My mind is still racing about all of the things I could have forgotten.   Having to leave from work means that I had even less time to obsess and linger over my suitcase.  I’m going straight from work to my mom’s house where my older sister will be dropping of my nephew for safe keeping.   She’s driving us up to her house.  I’ll spend the night there and we’ll drive to Vegas on Friday morning and come back Monday.  My little sister is flying in Friday night.  It’s been three long years since I’ve been.  Mj had his turn to go with the boys and now it’s mine.  This trip is on point budget wise.  We're driving up there in a hybrid, staying at my time share right on the strip and I found us Groupons for a night out and a show.  That's how I roll.

There is another vacation ahead in the not so distant future.  A real vacation that even requires a passport!  Any guesses?  I've had weekend getaways and a trip to Delaware to visit the in laws but aside from that our last "real" vacation was our honeymoon in Oahu two years ago.  The timing of this trip was going to be very bad for work so for a while I wasn’t even sure if I was going to be able to go but it looks like it’s going to work out.  We haven’t nailed down the dates or itinerary just yet but I’m giddy with excitement and have been having a ball researching it obsessively for the last two weeks.

But first...some Vegas shenanigans with the girls are in order.  Can't wait.

The Fair & Father's Day

I love the County Fair.  I've been going every year since I can remember...  well, except last year.   We skipped it because I was broke but this year it was on!!

I LOVE THIS PIZZA

The first thing we did when we got there was eat.  Because of all the traffic it took us 1 1/2 hours to get there and park when normally it only takes 30 minutes so by the time we got there I was irritable...and starving.   At the fair everywhere you look there are people shoving food in their mouths and I couldn't wait to join in.  You pretty much sit down and eat anywhere you can so we sat in the grass and chowed down.  Every year Papa Gino's Pizza is set up in the same place and I always get the same delicious French Bread Pizza.  Mj got Chicken & Rice in a Pineapple.  Really.  Too bad I didn't get a picture of it.  Considering that they have things like deep fried cereal and deep fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I think our choices were pretty good. 

KETTLE CORN POPCORN

We did a free wine tasting in the infield and then on our way over to BODIES The Exhibition we split a giant sugar twist doughnut.  I've always wanted to see this exhibit and it was there for just $7 extra.  They don't allow cameras or video inside so I couldn't take any pictures which is fine because I would feel really weird taking pictures of what is essentially a dead person.  The tissues and muscles are preserved in a way to prevent decay that allows real human bodies and skeletons to be dissected and displayed.  One man was literally cut in half and opened up so you could see a cross section of the internal organs and bones and what actually exists underneath our skin.   It's so strange that those are real people who were once alive.  I have no idea why they were selected but all the whole bodies are people from China who died of natural causes.  They also had individual organs and body parts like a legs and arms with sections cut out so you can see down to the tissue and bone.  They had half of the head of a baby with encephalitis on display and you could still see the eye lashes.  It sounds super disgusting but it's not.  I mean, it is a little icky but in a scientific way and it was really fascinating.

Then we walked around and looked at exhibits.  You can buy everything from rug cleaner to, a spa to an on the spot teeth whitening treatment at the fair.  I settled for some pretty sterling silver earrings.  No rides this year.  I now go to the fair and don't go on rides when I can still remember the days I used to live in the Fun Zone and the exhibits were sooo boring.  If I wasn't officially old before I am now!  We had a good time.  I'm so glad we got to go.

Big Sis, Dad and Me

Sunday we woke up super early so we could go to breakfast with my family for Father's Day before my dad went off to work.  It takes us about 45 minutes to get up there so we had to leave by 7:15am.   Rough for a Sunday but it was worth it.  Eight months after his kidney transplant my dad is doing so amazingly well.  It was worrisome at first because his kidney was slow to get to working but now it's fully functioning, he's handling all of his medications well and he's feeling good.  Instead of going to dialysis all the time he goes to the gym and he's back to working full time as a barber.  He really did get a 2nd chance at life and we're all so glad.  My dad went off to work and then we spent the rest of the afternoon at mom's house.

DJ

Here is my nephew.  He is the cutest thing ever!!  He's going on 2 years old now so he's not driving just yet but knows how to turn the wheel.

Flatout Pizza

For reasons that myself or my mom can't figure out 'cause goodness knows we've tried, I just never took to cooking. It just seems like such a chore most of the time and something I'd rather not be bothered with but I do believe I finally found something that I actually don't mind "cooking." And yes, I realize that to call this cooking is pushing it a bit but it does requires the chopping up of ingredients AND an oven so I think it fits the criteria however loosely.   I've discovered Flatouts.  They can be used as a wrap or as a flatbread.  These are my three creations of the flatbread variety.

The Classic Flat Out

The Classic is topped with grilled chicken, green onions, mozzarella cheese and onion sprouts.  Those black spots don't necessarily look all that appetizing but they are onion sprouts and add a lot of flavor.  I could eat a grilled chicken breast with veggies and a dinner roll or I could just put it on a Flatout and add cheese which I find infinitely more appealing.

The Mexican  Flatout

The Mexican is topped with re-fried beans, ground beef, green onions and Mozzarella or Jack cheese.  I think this one is my favorite.  You can also top it with Salsa and I suggest pairing it with an ice cold beer for maximum enjoyment.  This one has 335 calories, 18 grams of fat and 24 carbs for the whole thing.

The Italian Flatout

The Italian is topped with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, turkey pepperoni, garlic and basil.  It's basically Pizza but with a whole lot less carbs.  The Light Italian Herb Flatout has only 90 calories each and 9 grams of Fiber.  With toppings this version is 330 calories, 16 grams of fat and 24 carbs.

Making these feels creative and fun which is how I imagine people who like to cook feel about "real" cooking.  They are healthy, quick, easy and I can top them with anything I want for variety.  No matter what I have a craving for there is a Flatout recipe to satisfy it. I put the Flatout in the oven on broil for about four minutes so it gets crispy.  I take it out, add my toppings, bake for 8 more minutes and Voila!  Dinner is served in less then 30 minutes.

Homemade Deep Dish Pizza

I didn't make these all in one week in case you were wondering but I totally would.  Saturday night we made deep dish pizza in a cast iron skillet.  It was so good.  We used Pillsbury Pizza dough from the can and filled it with onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, turkey pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and topped it with pizza sauce and fresh garlic.  Because it's deep you can load it with toppings.  We coated the bottom of the pan with cornmeal which gives it a nice little crunch and baked it until the edges of the crust got crispy which was much longer then the recommended 6-10 minutes after topping.  My 2nd favorite food is a Quesadilla.  I guess I just prefer foods that are easy to make, that I can eat with my fingers and are covered in cheese.

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Those Olympic Odds

The Summer Olympics in London are only two months away!!! I am so excited. Most people only pay attention to gymnastics during the Olympics but because I'm always obsessed with all things Gymnastics I've been looking forward to this for a while.  The Visa Nationals (June 9-10) and US Olympic Trials (July 1) are the big competitions leading up to it and Olympic competition begins on July 28th.

[Photo Source]  Seven Olympic Dreams in 1996

In the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta there were Seven.  Who can forget the Mag 7 team Gold and Kerri Strug's heroic vault?  For team finals 6 gymnasts competed on each event and 5 scores counted.  In the 2000 Sydney Olympics they reduced the number on each team to 6 with 5 gymnasts up on each event and 4 scores counting.  In Beijing 2008 they kept the number on each team at 6 but they changed the format to only 3 gymnasts up on each event with all 3 scores counting.  Very unforgiving as there is literally  no margin for error plus that often means less Olympic action for each gymnast.  And now, for London 2012 they have reduced the  number to only 5 with the same 3 up 3 count team finals format.  Obviously, everyone can't be an Olympian but Seven gives a decent number of gymnasts that chance.  But only Five? Even to reduce it by two spots is major.  Each reduction from 7 to 6 to 5 basically cuts someone's Olympic dream.  The IOC says the cuts were made to encourage diversity and more participation from other countries.  Limiting athletes per team allows more individual slots from other countries.  But still, Five is just too low.

[Photo Source] 2011 World Team:  Ana, Jordan, Mckayla, Sabrina, Aly, Gabby.
All six are going for the 2012 Olympics but only five spots are available.

It is mind boggling to me that only five female gymnasts will get to the Olympics this year.

The 2011 World Team Medalists~The whole Gold medal winning World Championship Team is trying for a spot but there are only two that I consider to be a sure thing.  Jordan Wieber the current USA #1 and reigning World All Around Champ is all but guaranteed a spot as long as she doesn't get injured.  Aly Raisman is another World medalist that is almost guaranteed because she has great difficulty, is consistent and has proven herself time and time again.  The way I see it there are really only three spots that are up for grabs!  Out of the remaining four who made up that team I'd say Gabby Douglas has the best chance, Ana Li is a long shot and McKayla Maroney and Sabrina Vega fall somewhere in between. 

[Photo Source]  So beautiful! She Nailed that beam routine 2 weeks ago.

The Veteran /Comeback group~  So what about a gymnast like 2007 National Champ Rebecca Bross?  After two back to back injuries she still hasn't given up in this.  Three years ago she was the one everyone thought would be next in line to be the All Around Champion in 2012 but things have changed and that won't happen now.  She got injured, she's out of time and has been reduced to only two events; Bars and Beam with her Beam routine being pretty shaky.  I can't imagine how difficult it must be for her to continue training so many hours per day six days a week when with only two events and the fact that she is barely getting back into competition the odds are really not in her favor.  Two time Olympian Alicia Sacramone is back and only plans to do Vault and Beam whereas at the last Olympics she did those events plus floor.  She's also coming off of an injury and hasn't competed in a while but can usually be counted on to be consistent.  Her odds are better then Rebecca's in my opinion.  2008 Olympic All Around Champion Nastia Liukin has come back to the sport after three years with her best two events Bars and Beam.  She nailed her  beam two weeks ago at the Secret Classic showing us this comeback is for real.  Her beauty is unmatched on those two events and I'd love to see her in the Olympics again.  Not being All Arounders and doing the same events you already know that at best only one of those three girls has any chance of making the team.  And there is also Bridget Sloan; a member of the 2008 Olympic team and the 2009 World All Around Champion who has been mostly out of commission ever since. I think she's planning four events.  Shawn Johnson (2008 All Around silver medalist) decided to make a comeback after blowing out her knee skiing and was supposed to be competing but just announced her retirement on Sunday. 

Right there alone, that's ten athletes battling for only five spots.  On top of that there are a few up and comers who are not veterans and who were not part of that World Championship team last year that also have an outside shot.  It's the World Champions who have proven themselves to be ready right now and want their turn VS the veterans with great past accomplishments who still think they have what it takes VS the exciting newcomers with amazing talent, nothing to lose and everything to prove.

Only Five gymnasts.  More dreams will be crushed then will come true.  Who will make it?

The 2012 Visa Nationals Women's Day 1 can be seen Live Friday 5pm West Coast  here at Universal Sports online and on Sunday the Finals will air on NBC at 1pm West Coast time.  Both days will remain viewable on Universal Sports online.

UPDATE:  Who made the 2012 Olympic Team?
UPDATE:  The Mag 7, where are they now?

Memorial Day Weekend

Mj:  Do you want to help me bake the cake? 
CC: Uh...No.  Not really.
Mj:  Why not? 
CC:  Because I don't really like baking.
Mj:  C'mon, I need your help.  It'll be fun.  We can spend time together.  
CC:  You know you don't need my help and I'm right here.  We're already spending time together. 

Samoa Bundt Cake.  A Giant Girl Scout Cookie

So Mj was in one of his baking moods.  This time it was all about the Samoa Bundt Cake and I ended up helping him out.  Sometimes it's really hard for me to say no to him.  He did Batter 2, the icing and everything else.  He put me in charge of Batter 1 but he watched every move I made.  I was a glorified assistant and I just followed his instructions so I absolutely can take no credit for the deliciousness of this cake.  Not only does it look like the Girl Scout cookie it tastes like it too.  Its perfectly moist and the coconut gives it this amazing crunch.   

 

Condensed Milk turned Caramel

We did discover something truly amazing.  Did you know that when boiled condensed milk turns into Caramel?  It's like magic.  He put the can in a pot and boiled it for four hours and when he opened it up it had magically transformed into Caramel.  Who knew?  Well if you didn't know now you know.  If you want to make this cake and I think that you do, you can find the Samoa Bundt Cake recipe here.

Our own Bar B Q

  Saturday morning I did an exercise video.  Then, I did a little shopping and we went to a Bar B Q.  Gymnastics was on!  I got to watch the Secret Classic-the official first step to the Olympic Games which is coming up soon.  Sunday morning I woke up and went to the gym and spent most of the rest of the day relaxing.  I love it when I can go to the gym in the morning while I am energetic instead of having to drag myself in after a long day of work.  Monday morning I woke up and went to the gym for another 1 hour sweat session.  Later on, Mj fired up the grill and we enjoyed the sunshine outside and ate sliders, hot dogs and beans while listening to music.  We had time to watch two movies and I squeezed in a load of laundry.  All in all this was a pretty fantastic three day weekend.

My BFF

From the archives:  Oct 2007

I hung out with my best and oldest friend on Wednesday.  I don't mean old as in age but oldest as in I've known her since 8th grade.  We did gymnastics and cheer leading in high school together.  We were neighbors and she used to pick me up every day from school our Senior year in high school and we explored the night life of Tijuana together in college.  She's moved away and come back and them moved away again but we have always stayed in touch.  That's not something I can say about too many friends in my life.  She came to visit in 2009 and the last time I saw her was my wedding two years ago in 2010 and even then I didn't really get to see her, see her what with the whirlwind that day was.  

I got off work a little early so I could spend a few extra hours with her.   We met at the mall of course.  Shopping is our thing.  Then we went to dinner and she came over to see our new house, eat some dessert and see Mj.  She actually met him before I did and if it weren't for her we wouldn't have even met.  She gave me the best gift ever the day she met him while they were both in Arizona and told him "Hey, you need to meet my friend."  She's that friend that you can meet up with to go shopping at Walmart or invite over to watch old 80's movies in your pajamas.  That friend that you can talk for hours on end with about nothing and have no secrets from.  I've never had very many friends and even of the ones I have had in my life she's the only one who I have that kind of relationship with.  I feel like she's one of my sisters.   Chances are I won't see her for about three more years because now that she's finishing up her Army adventure she's moving to Alaska.  Yep.  Never a dull moment with her.  And wouldn't you know it I forgot to take a picture?  I was so mad when I realized that.  It was a really nice visit and it was so good to see her.  It's a bummer that we don't get to see each other more often but I'm so glad to have a friend like her in my life.