Viva Las Vegas!

Well, this whole trip got started with the spousal unit having a companion ticket with Delta, and Aerosmith is in residence, so why not?!!! Early Christmas present to us!

Knowing how the airline business works, and fails, I knew to be prepared for plan B.  The spousal unit travels by plane a lot, and she has enough stories to write a book.  I carried my medicines and my CPAP machine in my bookbag, two things that keep me alive and sane!

Check in at the airport was uneventful, except for the older couple at the counter.  They were asked to put their luggage on the scales. The old guy struggled to get the first bag up the required 12 inches to reach the scales.  It was obvious that he didn't use curb check in, so how on the hell did he get the bags out of his car???

Our departure was scheduled at 4:00, so we would be arriving in Las Vegas, via Delta, a bit late.  We boarded the plane, comfort class, a gift from the spousal unit, nice!  All loaded, plane backs up, ready to go! Nope!

The pilot got us almost to the runway, when all of a sudden we came to a complete stop.  There we sat.  Pilot tells us a circuit breaker has tripped, and they cannot get it to reset.  It powers several sensors that tell the pilot that everything is green.  No green, no flight.  We go back to the gate, deplane,  and wait for the repair.  They had to replace the circuit breaker,  which had gone bad.  Three hours later, we were finally in the air. While we were still in the terminal,  the Delta people were desperately trying to get ahead of the game by booking alternate flights for as many passengers as they could, full plane, and nope, we were not at the top of the list.

I had brought several snacks for the flights, but they were gone, eaten during that 3 hour delay.  Comfort class gets you early boarding, a plusher seat, and complementary beer and wine. Yes!

During the flight to Atlanta, the stewardess noticed that lots of flights had been delayed and were still in Atlanta.  The pilot made up some time, air time was 24 minutes!  Maybe, just maybe, we would make it to Vegas tonight! Once we landed, the spousal unit checked with Delta on their smartass app.  We had been rebooked on a later flight, but one bag was still in Jackson, and after a 3 hour delay, WTH??? Then, she noticed that we had first class seating, oh yeah baby!!!

We exited the plane on terminal B and headed to terminal A.  We chose to go straight to the gate, passing up a food stop, first class, after all!  They had just announced final boarding, we had made it to the gate, just in time.  No boarding ticket, except for the Delta smartass app had ours in it.  Gate attendant scanned it and printed out our seat assignments, handed them to us and sent us through!

The flight to Las Vegas is four hours.  Flight notes said snack and beverage only.  It was now 9 pm Atlanta time.  Remember those snacks in the Jackson airport?  And now, more of the same! Plus several beers and margaritas and movies!

We arrive at the Las Vegas airport, thankful for an uneventful flight. The pilot stops the plane short of the terminal.  All the gates are occupied.   At one gate, the plane will not crank for push back. At another gate, the jetway will not pull away from the plane.  We sat on the taxi way for 45 minutes until the Maytag repair guy could get into motion.  Pilot was not happy, we were just tired and ready for a cab ride!

As expected, only one bag made it to Las Vegas! Thankfully the one that did make it belonged to the spousal unit, so we would be able to look presentable at her conference at 8a.m.  We are staying at the Red Rock Casino,  taxi driver, says it's a bit of a ride out there.  Taxi fare with tip, $75! I asked, he said Uber is actually higher!

Guessing our Aerosmith concert is gonna have a $150 round trip taxi ride.  This concert better not disappoint!

Checked into the hotel, 15th floor, and the room is 400 yards down the hallway.  Minibar is broken.  I have not had any caffeine since 11 a.m. Jackson time.  It is now 4 a.m. Jackson time, 2 a.m Vegas time and our heads are just now hitting the pillow. Second bag should arrive around 10.

Stay tuned......

Cutting The Cord

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine, Becky, and her husband Charlie finally cut the cable tv cord.  I followed her FB posts from their research all the way to their trip to the UPS store to ship all their Uverse bear back to the  mother ship.

Along the way, I started doing my own research.  We have 5 cable boxes.  We have a bunch of house phones we never answer.  The voice mail box is full of robocall messages.  Phone, cable, and Internet are costing us right at $300!  From Becky's research, ditch all of that, buy some streaming devices on the cheap, and your Internet and entertainment costs drop to around $80.  DANG!

Becky and Charlie had specific needs, so they ended up with the Roku streaming box, and two service provides. The Hallmark Channel was at the top of her list of things she could not do without, along with every mutation of ESPN, including the SEC network!  They tried the Amazon Fire stick for a bit, but there was too much buffering to suit their tastes.

We have several older generations of the Apple TV box, so I set my course to move to streaming services available on them.  After several hours of scratching my head, I discovered that you cannot add additional services to the older Apple TV boxes.  You have to upgrade to the 4th power of Apple!  I picked up the older boxes off of Ebay.  The 4th generation box is $149!  Damn! That's per unit!  Since the spousal unit has I-phones and I-pads, it made sense to bite the bullet and order it.  The box arrived on Friday morning.  Hot digity!  Plug and play, right?????

After a thorough review of the streaming services, I picked HULU live.  Hulu has everything, including all the ESPN's, but doesn't have the Hallmark Channel.  The Philo service has Hallmark, but none of the ESPN's and mutations.  The ESPN's can be gotten on the UTUBE tv service.  The only thing not on HULU, for us, was PBS and the Weather Channel.  The Weather Channel is only available through established cable networks.  PBS is accessible through the Apple TV box.

I got the Apple TV box, to the 4th power, all hooked up.  I turn it on.  I now need an Apple ID.  What the heck???  Off to my Chromebook I go!  Apple ID in hand, now lets get to streaming!  I went to add additional services to the Apple TV box, but now, I need an I-tunes account!  What the hell????  Are you seeing the pattern?  Apple sells you a box, you have to get the new box for added features.  To get to an I-tunes account, you have to have an Apple device! (but not the Apple TV box!) .  Yep another Apple brick wall to climb over or go around!

Fortunately, the spousal unit has an I-tunes account.  Unfortunately, you cannot access I-tunes from a Chromebook.  The spousal unit's ride home that day was the longest ever!  Once she was home, and once she figured out her password, we were off and running!  Now we just have to figure out all this new technology we have brought into our household!

With the Apple TV box costing $149, I decided to add additional devices, but cheaper.  The Roku express was advertised online for $29.  I decided to buy them online, and pick them up same day once I got my email from Walleyworld saying come and get them.  All afternoon I wait.  At 6:30, bingo!  Email from Walleywold:  order has been cancelled, none of the items in stock at my store.  Walley, you are killing me....... Needless to say, I headed over to Amazon.  Same item, same price.  To be delivered this Wednesday!  The Roku express will be added to the bedroom tv.  If we like it, we will buy another to take with us on our travels.  Margarita Machine and Roku stick road ready!

I posted some of this to my FB account during the day.  My young buck friend Kevin, yells "you old people!  I haven't used cable in over 10 years!"  Then he has the audacity to further add that he just ordered two new tv's with Roku built in, AND he only will have ONE remote control to deal with.  I have young people!

Bluff City Bloggers

Social Media is an entertainment all into itself.  I'm not much into Twitter, but I do spend a bit of time on Facebook and Instagram.  My blog posts are shared on Facebook, and that is how most of you get to this page.

Instagram was acquired by Facebook a good time back.  You may have seen where you can set your Instagram posts to go to Facebook automatically.  I utilize this feature quite a bit.  For me, Instagram is great for posting pictures.  You can communicate thru it, but I mostly use FB Messenger. 

My Instagram following has picked up a bit, but I have no clue how these folks find me, since I only post a few pictures here and there.  One of the interesting things about Instagram, is the number of people posting to their "story".

 Several gals from Memphis that are bloggers also utilize Instagram for reaching out to their followers.''  These girls have huge Instagram followings.  They post pictures, with commentary, links to their blog posts, and also daily updates to their "stories".  Some of these girl's followings are so big, that retailers send them free merchandise for the girls to use and hopefully make a blog post about the items, or include the items in their story line.  One girl has weekly give aways from vendors in the Memphis area.

The Instagram stories are hilarious!  Some are like mini soap operas, "a day in the life" of each blogger.  One girl doesn't wear makeup in her posts, while others have it caked on, because they go nowhere without it.

One blogger in particular, I call "the Queen of Hearts", from Alice in Wonderland.  She lives like a Queen, in her castle, with marble floors, a pool and basketball court out back, a closet full of shoes, and a bathroom bigger than most bedrooms.  She has her court of followers that she invites over for "Bachelorette" viewings.  They even have his and her t-shirts that they wear.  Some days its just posts about her two dogs and how they have the run of the house.  There are lots of posts including her Momma and Daddy, and the trips they take together in the family plane.  Thankfully, her husband comes from money.

These Bluff City Bloggers have significant influence in the Memphis area.  Some of their posts include following them to open houses for new restaurants and boutique hotels that are beginning to open in downtown Memphis.  For the retailers, this becomes relatively cheap advertising, as all of the bloggers that attend, share their experiences in their blog posts and their Instagram updates.

I can't wait to read and view today's posts!

The Poster!

A new season of my Spousal Unit's favorite baseball team is upon us once again.  We Rebels came up one game short of making it to Super Regionals last year, unlike my Dawgs that made it all the way to Omaha.

We were at a  basketball game a few weeks back, and the baseball team was there, signing autographs to a team poster.  After what seems forever in line, we finally got two posters with all the signatures of the players and the head coach.

Then a week before opening weekend a new poster was released that would be available on the opening season first game on Friday night.  Game time was set at 4:30.  Only problem, the spousal unit would not get to Oxford in time to get her "free poster".

She was just in love with this poster!  What to do, what to do......

I, being the supportive husband that I am, volunteered to go on Thursday, do some projects at the condo, and be there in time for the free poster!  Thursday was Valentine's day.  But, hey, I man has to do, what he has gotta do to keep his bride happy!

Otis and I made the trip.  I dropped him off, and decided to go by the Pavilion, to get the Rebel Reward points.  I stockpile the prizes and give them to my daughter-in-law who is a UMMC nursing graduate.  And since it was Valentine's Day, no single dude is stupid enough to go out to a restaurant in this town without a date on this day!  Steak & Shake it was.  Not ideal, since its all precooked and assembled while you wait.  

Next day, I make it to the stadium, called Swayze, a good bit before it started.  I walk through the main gate, and no POSTERS!  What?  Wait a minute!  That spousal unit of mine will be devastated!  Turns out they will be ready for Saturday's game.  Whew!  At least she will be here to get hers at the field.

Saturday, we arrive at the game a little late, because somebody decides to sleep in, game time 12:00.  I learned long ago to never wake her lioness if I want to keep all of my body parts intact!   We walk up to the table, and some dude got the last two posters on the table, with no others in sight, and a line of people behind us.  One of the diamond girls rushes off to retrieve more, if they had any.  That wait seemed like forever!  Finally, posters in hand!  Made it to our seats just in time for the first pitch.

We also had tickets for the men's basketball game, at 2:30.  We left the baseball game after the fourth inning, with her team way behind.  Naturally, there was only one shuttle line, for the parking lots only, none for the basketball game.  You would think after all these years, they would figure this out!  The line only had two shuttles working it, as the others were working the basketball game.  We ended up in the parking lot nearest the Pavilion and walked the rest of the way.  At the side entrance that we took, they would not allow the spousal unit to bring her baseball posters into the Pavilion, they were too BIG!  Oh shit!

After a few minutes of discussion, they agreed to hold them for her until the end of the game.  She guessed that would have to do.....  We stopped and got drinks and a large corndog, then found a spot to sit and eat.  The longer she ate that corndog, the more she stewed.  Then, she noticed that at the front entrance of the Pavilion, they were giving away basketball POSTERS, the same size as her baseball posters!  Honey, they done lit a fire under that woman!  I looked up, she was gone!

The basketball game was in progress, and no spousal unit!  I'm thinking restroom, souvenir shop, more food???  She finally walked up, with you guessed it, all four of her posters!  She had visited every level of security supervisor in the building, even grabbed a highway patrolman and a security guard friend as backup!  She was not letting those posters get away or leave her sight!  I had even FB messaged our friend that is in charge of the Pavilion to be on the lookout for one hot short blonde woman!

The posters made it to the condo, and one of them made it to a frame and is on the wall!

And all of this for a free poster! 

NOLA, it's been a while

A few years back, I swore not to come back whole the Mayor started taking down some of the history that makes this space so special to me.  Well, he was voted out of office, but the statues are still down.  But, this City has been calling out my name, and it was just time!

The invitation has always been open, so mancub and his bride decided to join us.  We try to stay at the Wyndham Avenue Plaza, which is on St. Charles, on the edge of the garden district.  We love the location, and we leave the car behind and hit the street car lines to go and discover the day.

We have to get our Acme Oyster house fix, and our favorite is the one in Metairie.  Mostly locals eating there, and the staff is so much more friendly than the ones in the Quarter.  We then made a stop at the Square for the open air Cafe De Monde beignets.  The powdered sugar flies much more better outside.  A little trick, enter from the back side to avoid the wait line for a table.  You get to the tables on that side a whole lot quicker. And, the lines are a whole lot shorter!

For the streetcars, the all day pass for $3 is the way to go.  The spousal unit discovered that you can use the RTA mobile app and not have to keep up with a paper ticket.  The only downside is the additional drain on your phone battery.  An external backup battery will fix that.

This was the mancub & his spousal units first visit to NOLA.  We decided to give them slices of the city.  Our first stop of the day was for brunch at Red Gravy.  A meatball as a side item is a must!  This place is just off Canal, on Camp St.

Time for the day visit to Jackson Square.  A pleasant surprise was that the Canal Street street car now continues on along the Mossissippi River to the French Market.  The line down past the Riverwalk has been discontinued.   We got off at the French Market and made our way back to the Square.   I always wonder how they make a living selling that stuff.

The Square was full of activity compared to the night before.  Artisans were everywhere,  and the Beignet line was full of tourists, waiting on the front side.

We took a carriage ride tour for some history.  It included a tour of the cemetery in the Quarter. The tour guide made the ride even more interesting with his view of his city.

For a late lunch, we made it back to Central Grocery to share a whole mufaletta.  I swear I'm looking at the same dust on the shelves from our last visit.  We walked over to the river to enjoy sandwich, and watch the river flow by.  We were entertained by a street musician playing the blues.  He was from Costa Rico.  He was in heaven, playing his music in this city.

The mancub picked up a box of pralines at Aunt Sally's.   You can sample all of their goods before making your purchase.  We decided to ride the St. Charles line to the end and back, with a quick stop at the Avenue Plaza to drop off purchases.  That stop ended up being a 2 hour nap!

The streetcar line ride through the garden district later at night tends to have more locals on it.  We have never met someone who was not friendly, and they always offer your suggestions on places to see, and they help the tourists in getting back on track when they have lost their way.

We stopped at Superior Seafood for dinner.  The large frozen Rose hit the spot!  Everyone was feeling the spirit by the time we were seated, and the food was wonderful!

Back on the street car, we headed back to the Quarter.  A birthday girl and her party got on.  We sang HBD to her, and I offered to do a stripper pole if she would go first! I love joining in with others celebrating a birthday in NOLA.  Unfortunately, the birthday girl and her party exited the car for another adventure before we reached Bourbon Street.  The guy behind us was from Iowa, and he just loved hearing the spousal unit talk southern.  It didn't take much prodding to turn it up a notch!

Bourbon Street is currently under construction.   They are replacing the sewer lines.  They are digging up the street a block at a time.  This nor anything else will deter the partying crowd.  We're accustomed to the attraction of the "big ash beer". The latest trend is to buy your colored drink in a plastic fish bowl and have it hanging from your neck!

We finished off our walk down sin row with a stop at Pat O's for a hurricane experience for the two Morgans.  The trip back to the condo included yet another life experience.   A drug influenced streetcar rider was escorted off after being confronted by the driver.  The dude had an open bleed, sorry, no can ride!

Trip home included a stop at Manny Randazzos for a king cake, or four!  Mardi Gras season is just around to corner.  We will be back!