Music, dining, slots and a Hotel: An overnight at Del Lago

Waterloo, NY
Del Lago resort and casino
January 16 &17 2018




My husband is (and perhaps always will be) a gambling man. I have shared several of my spousal perks of being married to such a man in previous posts. This past week I was blessed with yet another perk of his "hobby".

He was given (yes 100% FREE) an overnight stay, concert tickets and dining for Wednesday evening at Del Lago resort and casino.

I took some time off from work to enjoy the fun.

First up was the Free concert:
Green River Revival is a Creedence Clearwater Revival cover band.

They were actually pretty AMAZING. Songs like Midnight Special, Have you ever seen the Rain,  Fortunate Son, Proud Mary, Lookin out My Back Door and Bad Moon Rising filled our ears for over an hour and a half. They even did an on cour return to the stage. 

The music was very very good.  I was surprised that  I really enjoyed the show and even more surprised I new most of the songs.

After the show, we checked into the room. We even had a champagne toast check in. 

OH YEAH.....and THE ROOM WAS BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

 The bed was so COMFY!!! I joked with Mark about taking the hotel room and planting it in our house. Bathroom included. 

 Mark and I had a few laughs about the robes.  He had been awarded a free robe from Del Lago a few weeks prior, but had set it down and it was taken. He had complained, but got no results.
Well....my husband is not one to "Let things go!" So he emailed Del Lago and his "hostess" granted him a new robe before we left on Thursday morning. NICE!!! Guess we will be back....

Included in our FREE stay was a $50- food voucher. The place we were suggested for dinner was closed to renovations..so we went to Smash Brothers.

Of course I am not one to complain about Burgers and Fries...EVER.....and THESE DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

Yummy!!!!! Mark got Smash Fries and they were SUPER YUM!!!! (Highly recommend)

 After dinner and some relaxation we played some slots. I walked away about $24- richer. Mark was up...down...up....down...He eventually walked away a WINNER!

Later that evening.....

Mark had free food vouchers on his players card that would go to waste so he suggested we do the buffet. Perhaps a little pricey for just dessert, but I have decided that Del Lago has the BEST desserts I've had at a casino!  Maybe even EVER!!!!!
(I struggled to eat much of this plate......but it sure is pretty.) An added bonus to a buffet. You can take anything that catches your eye and NOT feel to guilty if you leave a piece of cake. 

I did eat the ENTIRE slice of Raspberry Cheesecake!!!! Generally one of my vices. 

WOW...what a full day! Evening ended with a fill to my water bottle from the FREE beverage area before heading to the room and a landing softly into that WONDERFUL big bed. 

The following morning...I found George Jr. getting into the goodies...

 Up to now...we only have paid for our tips....Get out of there George.
Ahhhhh!!! What a wonderful break from a usually stressful week. Thanks Lago for the great time.

-TTFN

 

Scrappy Cold Winter weekend! a Princess Party! POWERS OUT!

Central NY
1/11-1/15 2018


As of January 1st, I am no longer a Close to My Heart consultant. Although I have loved being a part of the Close to My heart team for as long as I had, I simply do not seem to have the desire to keep up my end of the partnership. (THE SALES) . I have enjoyed the many hours, retreats, the projects and most of all the women I have met from being a part of Close to My Heart and all of this will be missed, but it is time to move on.
On a more positive note, no longer being a sales person for the company, I can still be a part of the customer world and enjoy the product, the art and the people without the sense I have to make my quarterly quota. I can actually enjoy someone else's business and support them as well.
This being said I signed up for a monthly club with my original upline Sandy and made some beautiful projects on Thursday. I also brought Aimee and saw some old friendly faces, Cheryl.
Aimee and I (who had been doing Weight Watchers on Thursdays) were now on our way to busting the belts with Dinner at B'ville Diner. I had Hot turkey and peanut butter pie for dessert.

After dinner...we decided we both needed a little exercise and while I climbed into a race car out back of the diner....

Aimee took up a little horse back riding....

I did not take any pictures of my time at club.....but rather plan to fill my layouts with the thousands of pictures I already have!
I think it is a happy medium.

Friday our area had a Winter Storm warning. It was nearly 60 degree's during the day (A record breaker for this time of year.) and plummeted to the teens by 6pm. With this came flooding, and ICE!  I had another scrapbooking event planned for Saturday and was convinced there would be no leaving the house. Hubby to the rescue. He took me and pushed through the SNOW in his truck.
The crop was held at Christine's house. Ten people were originally scheduled to attend. It ended up to be a total of 4. The weather was so bad it kept many people at home.

Christine made the most delicious meals for us, and I completed 12 layouts. (That is pretty impressive.)
Lunch was incredible.....

BUT Dinner.....was INSANELY good!!!!

I was in good company for the day; Ann, Christine, Judy and Lynne. It was nice to catch up, be creative and KEEP warm. Very Very Very grateful for my Husband for being the Uber for me last night.
Once home...I updated my albums by putting my finished layouts away and Mark informs me that he has been invited to Del Lago resort and casino for vouchers to a Caribbean Cruise.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????? Looks like we may have another cruise coming our way. I so hope we can take it in 2019. I don't think I can do three this year...but if I MUST....

Sunday evening I had a Girls NIGHT!!!! Party Princess themed.

 Okay....so it was silly. BUT good FUN!!!!

 Riley even dressed for the occasion.

The Princess's that attended were; Stefanie, Carol 

 Stacey.....

 Aimee and Renee.

 We had some alcoholic beverages out of princess straws, ate a ton of food off Princess plates, napkins and placemats. (Riley was all about the food. Pain in my butt!)

Peanut was in Heaven with Renee.  We had some fun with games, catching up and enjoying the evening. 

BONUS is there is no WORK tomorrow!!!! It was a nice night being all about THE PRINCESS LIFE!

Tuesday....BACK TO WORK!!!! I set out my morning plans, showered and headed off to meet with my first client. Completed that morning plan to enter into the office which was in COMPLETE DARKNESS!!!! Apparently we had a POWER OUTAGE!!!!!! Several of us hung around the office with flash lights attempting to do notes on the ipads. (The system was also down.) Finally it was announced that we were to CLOSE the office and we were sent HOME!!!! Can anyone say HOLLAR?????? Several of us decided to have a lunch date and met at Stella's diner!

Awesome!!! (Jenifer, Becky, Barb, Me, Aimee and Stacy.) Becky had just returned from a Cruise. She brought us back maracas!!! She is planning a couples Jamaican VACATION for 2019. I would LOVE to be invited to this one.
I cannot think of a better way to spend my call off from work then with some of the amazing co-workers I have.

FROZEN in Central NY, Disney on Ice seems appropriate.

Disney On Ice
Central NY
January 5th 6th and 7th. 2018

This past week Central NY was COLD!!!! ICY!!!! SNOWY!!!! YUCK!!!
Predictions for Friday's weather called off most local schools on Thursday evening. I have never heard of that. My son was grateful. I was conflicted.
Do I attempt to go into work or do I work from home. My first two clients had CA gratefully, but I did have one in the afternoon. Hummmm! I wagered most of my morning at the house returning calls, doing notes and getting caught up. BUTTTTTT!!! Mark is home for a week of vacation and HE WAS DRIVING ME NUTZ! He is so not good at being home. This is one man I foresee will not be good in retirement!
SOOOO....I went into work...to get some work done. Not the wisest thing ever, but I did it. Going in was not to bad. It was snowy and very very very cold, but the roads were not to bad. By 2pm that afternoon, I was having panic over the drive. I had picked up my client at 1:30 and headed to a residential viewing. We were in the house for about 10 maybe 15 minutes. My car was COVERED in snow. The roads were a complete mess and that white stuff just kept on falling. I had to back track to get this guy home then decided the best thing was to get my butt home. Below is my car and the weather outside before I went into work.

Later heading home. This was in like a 3 hour period. It doesn't look nearly as bad in the pictures at it was on the roads. Complete white out in some areas.

I was just glad to be in the house. Decided by 4pm on Friday afternoon, I was not moving til spring.
It's CRAZY how the weather can change that much so quickly. I have lived in NY most of my life. One would think I would be at least accustom to these HARSH reality, but I just hate it. Not that I mind the snow. I love it when the world looks like it has been glittered by a Snow fairy...but I hate the roads and the slush and the cold and the wet shoes....the wipers that are frozen up...On Sunday morning the skies opened up and there was actually some sun. The day was pretty and our deep freeze seemed to stop. I ventured to church...(My first time out since Friday) Despite the warmest day we had in several days (15 degrees) I could NOT for the life of me get warm. I was literally FROZEN to the bone. I did have activities planned for Sunday. An adventure.....

DISNEY ON ICE!!!! (How appropriate.)

My mother had started a tradition with me and my older children when they were little. Every Jan. we took a trip to see Disney on Ice. There were a few years later when my youngest was little that we also went, but mostly I remember going with my older kids with my mother. It was her gift to us each year and we always enjoyed it.
Many years of Disney on Ice have come to Syracuse since, and I have missed it. After all my children are pretty close to adults. Wouldn't I look silly enjoying this show all alone? Maybe...but Danny had mentioned that she had discounted tickets from work....I wasn't even invited (I dont have young children) when I spoke up and said.....can I join you? So an old tradition was re-kindled with new friends....and I was off to Disney on Ice.

Many weeks later, and Disney on Ice a far off thought, my daughter text me and asks...do you want to go to Disney on Ice with me and the boys. (Her boyfriends children.). Somehow I had forgotten that there are little ones in my direct family right now. Sad that I had forgotten this, but happy my daughter has began a new (old) tradition with her pre-made family, and I got she and the boys tickets for Christmas.

Although I was sitting in a different area, my daughter and the boys went to the show together and I did get to see their faces before it started.

 T

With the boys and my daughter all set with (expensive) Disney goodies, I found my way to my seat and met up with Sandy; her Birthday girl daughter Liberty, Danny and her daughter Lani.

 We had great seats!!!

I sooooo wanted one of those lights for myself, but I simply could not justify the $25- $30- price tag.
Soon the show had started.

(I had my camera with the telephonic lens attached to get some close up shots.) We had great seats but we were not down in the front.

Aladdin was the first show to be presented. I was trying to figure out my camera at the time. Its not the best camel picture, but I wanted to get him before he was off the ice. My photo skills got better as the show progressed.

This Disney on Ice was a mix of several Disney favorites, but some of the shows I saw with the kids years ago were the entire move. Aladdin was one of them. I remember at one point there were like 50 Geni's on the ice all skating together.

Today's show had several movies and a whole lot of couple skating. (Later the boys asked me why there was so many times the girls were lifted in the air.) Aladdin and Jasmine did a beautiful skate to "A whole new world."

Up next was Snow White and Prince Charming. Some Day my Prince will come.

Snow White and the 7 dwarfs, always reminds me of my Grandmother. She would play the piano and sing these classic Disney songs.

And of course there are the 7 Dwarfs....Who doesn't love Doopey?

Tinker Bell, along with Micky and Minnie were the in between acts. Here she is with all her fairy dust. 

Beauty and the Beast was the next performance. Belle skated with the candlestick and dishes.....

..to Be our Guest.

Up next was a skit from Tangled. This is one movie I do not know well...

The performance was pretty just the same. 

The Little Mermaid came center ice with some incredible acrobats. Flips into the air onto a box while in ice skates....WOW!

Sebastian and all of Arial's sister performed before Arial herself skated in with Flounder.

Soon the whole arena was looking like the bottom of the ocean. Under the sea.

But with every happy princess....there is an evil witch, Or Sea Hag, I guess in this case. Or maybe she is an octopus. I'm not sure...but she is evil.

Ariel is without her beautiful voice.....She must get loves first kiss to save her....lucky for her there just happens to be a Prince around to help her.

..but 1st a little skating.

Following Ariel and Prince Eric's beautiful performance alone to Kiss the girl....was a movie I don't have a lot of reference to. I believe the title is The Princess and the Frog. 

Despite my awareness of the movie....look what fun these skaters had.

But.....oh no! Lurking behind the diming of house lights.....The Evil Maleficent. She has banished Sleeping Beauty to the tower and placed a SLEEP over the Kingdom.

Only the Prince can save her....He battles the beast and makes his way to the sleeping princess.

And once again.....all is happy!

Up next is another story of a Princess who needs a Prince to save her from Evil....an evil step mother of course.....

and her two evil yet incredibly clumsy step sisters.

Thank goodness Cinderella has a fairy Godmother to get her to the ball. 

An of course, the Prince finds her and they all live Happily ever After!

Up next was FROZEN! (by now I have a pretty good idea how to take pictures with my camera.)

I just love some of these quirky songs....

Once Anna tells her sister of her plans to marry and she saids NO! Elsa's FROZEN side comes out.

We have all HEARD the Song...."let it go...let it go.."

Ana has to find her sister and runs into Hans....and Olaf the snowman.

Elsa cannot control her wintery touch and freezes Ana's heart by accident. 

Only loves true sacrifice can save her....

Of course the sacrifice saves both Ana and Elsa.

Olaf is given his own snow cloud, Elsa and Ana are sisters and best friends....and Ana's real LOVE if Hans.

Then there was the finale. All of the Princes and Princes came out and did a number.

and our fairy Princess Tinkerbell.

...and they all lived Happily Ever After!!!!!!
What a great show..Disney never fails to bring the very best in shows and attractions. I have been so inspired by these gals...I'm hosting a Princess Party myself.   TTFN