'Misery'? I think not!

Last week I was sent to Jefferson City, Missouri for work. I was really not looking forward to the trip (let's face it, there are other places I'd rather be sent), but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. We were working at a hotel within walking distance of the capitol building and many other government institutions. I was scheduled the PM shift, so I was able to really take advantage and inspect my surroundings. On the first day, however, I had the evening off, so I decided to take a trip to St. Louis.

I've flown over the Gateway Arch before, but never had the experience of seeing it up close and personal. I immediately determined St. Louis is a place I want to see more of!

Although it was dusk by the time I arrived, I still managed to see a lot of the downtown area. I was reminded of Indianapolis in that it is definitely a city, but has a small town feel. I drove along the Mississippi River and took in the sites of the riverboats just in from their last tour.

I also watched as eager families awaited their turn to ride in horse driven coaches. There is a centrally located city garden off of Olive Street that displays works of art by local artists. I particularly liked the larger than life Pinocchio

and a sculpture of a giant bronze head called Eros Bendato by Igor Mitoraj.

I eventually made it to Union Station to dine at the Hard Rock Cafe.

I always try to make it to HRC if there is one even close to where I'm working. I like the atmosphere and knowing exactly what to expect from the menu. I also like the groovy new bottle opener/magnets they sell ;0) Anywho - back to Jeff City (as the locals would say). I took a tour of the Governor's Mansion

one afternoon before work and was more impressed by the little lady who guided me along than by the house itself although it was lovely. The first family continues to live on the premises which isn't always the case now a days. My guide pointed out the various first ladies whose portraits grace the first floor and told me little tidbits of gossip about each. She also pointed out that the home has possession of all the silver from the USS Missouri. I took a photo of the punch bowl since it was the largest piece.

It was neat to see after having just toured the USS Missouri last month in Hawaii. After my tour of the mansion, I went to a local place called Madison's Cafe for lunch. The place was quite charming with it's mixture of antiques and warm woods and the food was excellent.

Although I was a tad disappointed in my service, I'd be willing to give it another try should I venture back to the area. Following lunch, I strolled over to the capitol building

and took a self-guided tour. The rotunda was beautiful, but still nothing compared to ours back in Austin. Here too, there were artifacts from the USS Missouri and 2 complete models of the battleship. I continued to walk about the downtown area trying to see as much as possible in my short amount of time there. One place that I found at the last minute was Central Dairy.

It's probably a good thing I didn't find this nugget on day one! The dairy was opened in 1932 with an ice cream counter out front. It has been known as "the place to be" and still does things the old fashioned way. On another day of sightseeing, I drove over to Columbia and toured the campus of the University of Missouri.

It is a beautiful campus. It's times like that when I wish I were back in school... As you can tell, my trip to Missouri was quite pleasant. I truly hope to go again one of these days!

Viva 2010

Well, it has been many months since my last blog post, so I though I'd better get caught up... Following Cincinatti, I had a few short trips (which I'll blog about soon), then a big trip to Vegas to work on the MGM Grand. I didn't do as much site seeing as I did the first time, but since I now have friends in Vegas, I was able to enjoy the trip even more than before!

I was scheduled the 5pm - 2am shift for training and had an MGM associate in all my sessions to ensure I stuck to MGM policy/procedure. This turned out to be such a blessing! Billy quickly became my partner in crime - giving me the insider point of view and the VIP treatment. He even managed to get us a tour of the Mansion! While touring, we had our photo taken inside a plush Rolls Royce Phantom... it was AwEsOmE!!!

I made friends with another associate, Lily, who was willing to hang out with me after hours and take me to some of her local favorites. She got us tickets to see The Rat Pack show one night and it was very entertaining. She also introduced me to a very sinful restaurant called Hash House a Go Go where the atmosphere is fun and the portions are ginormous!

Some friends of mine from San Diego drove over one weekend to surprise me and we were able to enjoy some time lounging at the pool, walking The Strip, and seeing the famous white tigers at Sigfried and Roy's Secret Garden. The garden is lovely and I highly recommend a visit should you be given the opportunity; there is even a dolphin show as part of the attraction.

My cousin Kim and her husband Kirk were in town at one point too! Her dad was renewing his wedding vows, and we were able to meet up one afternoon for lunch. The visit was short and sweet, as they had things to do, but I really appreciated them taking the time out of their busy schedule to make it happen.

My friend Carmina, whom I met on my initial visit to Vegas back in December, was kind enough to invite me to join her group on their "Girl's Night Outs". We dined well, gambled some, drank a little, and laughed a lot! I really enjoyed feeling like I was part of the group.

I was also fortunate enough to spend some time with my friends Alicia and Jason. If you'll recall, when I last visited Vegas they invited me over for a Christmas party. This time, there was no party to attend, just a chance to hang out for happy hour, then little groovin' at Studio 54 before heading to their lovely abode for a relaxing weekend of vegging out with movies. It was just what I needed! Their cat, Winston, even slept with me which helped me feel right at home since he's about the same size as Ethel.

As a 'Thank you" from the site, we received complimentary tickets to KA - the Cirque du Soleil show on property. After my first experience with a Cirque show, my expectations were not terribly high for this one, but I'm happy to report that I was most pleasantly surprised by this show! The music was good, the plot was easy to follow, the special effects were awesome, there were parts that had us cracking up with laughter, and when it was over, it didn't feel as though we'd sat there for nearly two hours. This was one show I'd definitely see again!