Viva Las Vegas!

I am home from my weekend vacation in Vegas with my bff, Eileen! I took SO many pictures, so make sure to check them out. Well, I flew out thursday after school. My first flight got delayed from 6 to 8 pm, causing me to miss my connecting flight in Atlanta. So, they booked me on the 1030 pm flight from ATL to LV. The flight over was ok, I was stuck in the middle seat (aka the bitch seat), but it wasn’t too bad. I get out of the gate, go get a smoothie, and go sit down at what I think my gate is. I sit for a minute, and realize everyone is talking about Tampa. Turns out my gate got chanced from concourse D to the END of concourse C. I barley make the tram, almost falling on a little girl, and I finally get there only to see my 1030 pm flight has been delayed until 1240 am! SO I didn’t get into Vegas until almost 3 am VEGAS TIME. Poor Eileen waited for me at the airport for almost 4 hours.

We finally get to our hotel- Harrah’s on the Strip- and we pass out. We get up leisurely, we go get lunch, and then we walk around. We take a shuttle to the Rio hotel, and we sign up for tickets to see Penn & Teller. We walk around Rio, we shop, and we take the shuttle over to the Las Vegas Paris hotel. Ok, no surprise, but I LOVED THIS HOTEL! lol. It is so cute! It has a huge Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, and inside….it was like you were walking the Parisian Streets. Tinny shops, a painted sky on the ceiling, and lots of french stuff everywhere! I found the cutest Tee shirt that doesn’t look like a  tourist tee shirt, and so many other things! Then we went back to our hotel, changed, and took the shuttle over the Rio again. We ate dinner and then we went and saw the Penn & Teller show. It was a beautiful theater, and it was very cool to see such legends live! The show was amazing! It was very simple and subtle. Nothing to big or flashy (I know, in Vegas right?) but it was perfect. I liked the show because they would explain some of the tricks. Also, Penn talked so fast that you had to keep up with him! It was so cute that Teller never spoke. He still was very expressive.

After the show, both Penn & Teller were out in the hall way taking pictures and giving autographs. So, I actually got to meet Penn, get a picture, and get an autograph! Its not the best picture (it was taken with  my phone), but it was very cool. He kept calling me Boss. It was cute. I told him the show was awesome, and he said “Great Boss!” lol. Then we ended up going back to the hotel. I was so exhausted. Stupid jet lag…

The next morning we got up, got breakfast, and checked out almost ALL of the casinos on the strip. We saw the MGM, New York, New York, the Bellagio, Ceaser’s Palace, etc. We walked through the Forum Shops-where they have all the designer shops there and where we also saw Pete Rose. Then we got lunch at Planet Hollywood. We ended up having Ceaser Salad’s in Ceaser’s Forum Shops!! lol. It was really good too. The ceaser salad we had the night before was amazing too! We went to vegas and found great dressing! hahaha. That night we went to see Rita Rudner (the comidienne). We got to meet her and got a picture with her too! She was really funny.

My favorite line was “I’ve told my husband that he could replace me with another wife, but she is going to do all the same things that annoy him.” lol. After the show, we went to dinner, the venetian hotel (which has a real canal and gondola rides in it!) and walked around. We went back to our hotel late and passed out. lol. Sunday we got up, checked out, and walked around. We went to Madame Toussaud’s Wax Museum. (See me here with French Actor, Gerad Depardieu!). Eileen and I had WAY too much fun posing with the statues. lol. So enjoy those pictures After that we went over to the Mile Shops and saw Popavich’s Comedy Pet Theatre. It was completely campy, but the dogs and cats were so freaking cute!!! After the show we went to the Paris hotel and gambled a bit (I sucked at it lol) and we went and had dinner at this AMAZING french restaurant called “Mon Ami Gabi”. The food was so amazingly good! After dinner, we went to the airport, and the rest is history. Nothing really exciting happened on the flight back except it wasn’t delayed or anything! lol. I came home and passed out for 6 hours-and Im about to go to bed again here soon.

Anyways, check out my pictures and enjoy! I had a really fun weekend and it was so great to see Eileen. Ciao!

Where in the world is Papa Pingouin?

So, for those of you who don’t know, I am obsessed (kinda) with penguins-well at least in my classroom.

I have this HUGE penguin that a student gave me for Christmas who I have named “Papa Pingouin”. Well, Papa has become quite popular lately. To the point that Penguin-nappers have taken notice. He has been taken like 6 or so times in the past week and a half. Sometimes a ransom note is left, sometimes a clue is left.

I have found him in the display case by the elevator, i have found him in the workroom! Well, he was taken again last friday. I started to recieve emails in A-1. Here are the pictures….

The first email said “Do you know where your penguin is?” then it was this picture- (right). Then i got more emails that said I should turn on the radio. Then the last one said “Sayt good bye to your little friend…”

Its incredible. I laughed so hard!!! I can’t wait to see where he goes next….

Hot irish chicks lol

Hot irish chicks lol

Originally uploaded by retrobaby83

St Patty’s Day parade!! Mom, me, David, and Meg all went down to teh St Patty’s day parade down town. My brother and Dad were in the parade with the Irish Brigade. We had a lot of fun *(s you can tell by the pictures). Actually one of my students was in the parade!! It was very cool.

We then went for food and drinks at the local irish restaurant/pub with all of the Irish Brigade. It was…..crazy. But I did eat a very green meal-salad and a midori sour! lol. Greenest meal ive ever eaten! hahaha. But it was fun.

Happy St Patricks day! Slìante!

Retrobebe + a new blog blog

Hello everyone!

I have actually created a new blog for my trip to france this summer so everyone (parents, family, students, etc) can keep up with me for the 8 week Parisian Adventure. I have also started a new flicker page for just France pictures. You can get to them from the new blog.

Please keep comments kosher since I will be giving the address to my family, friends, co workers, and students. For all the juicy stories, check here . I will still be updating this blog too. But please do not link this blog (retrobébé) to my new one. I want to keep it separate from students, co workers, etc. Thank you

new blog: An American in Paris 

Grrrrrr

So, I am still going to Paris. My flight is booked. Im going.

Now, i just need to find a place to live. No luck with the possible roommate I blogged about earlier. To me, it seemed like we had a communcation problem. And if we were having this much dificultly discussing the lease, money, etc-than it would be an interesting summer.

So I am still looking, if anyone knows anyone in Paris let me know please! I do have some leads, and I’m sure it will all work out in the end.

On brighter news, I am going to see Jason Mraz perform in Richmond on the 18th!!!! I LOVE HIM! So, I am very excited. Must be the year of concerts. Maroon 5, Darren Hayes, and No Mr. A-z!! Hopefully Jenn will be able to go, but if she can’t I’ll be looking for someone to join me!

and only $30!!!!

I am moving to Paris!

I booked my flight today!!!

I am so excited! I have also found a room to rent in the Latin quarter for 400 euros a month-WITH AC and a washer/dryer!

My roomate is a grad student from Spain. Go figure that I would be moving to France and living with someone from Spain! But shes a college student, so that will be really helpful! Plus maybe I can sit in on some grad education classes she has and see if I could handle La Sorbonne!!!

Anyways, im so beside myself right now:-) had to share!

I’m moving to france!

I am leaving I think June 16th and Ill be back the middle of august! I found good air fare and a room to rent with a Spanish grad student for like 400 euros! AC and Washing machine and dryer too!!!

Oh I am so excited! Its in the Latin quarter too!! yay! more to come when i have final details!