I don't think the house is crazy enough...

...so why don't we just get another dog? This, my friends, is the philosophy around here. With that in mind, we welcome to the house our new friend, Oscar, a 3-yr-old mutt that my aunt and cousins so graciously adopted. Thankfully, despite the lack of preparation for having a new dog in the house, things have gone pretty well. Oscar gets along pretty well with Scottie, and he knows how to pee outside (remarkable!). He's pretty quiet and just minds his own business. He won't let me take him for a walk... we figure he's afraid he'll go back to the shelter. Oh well. Interestingly, Oscar made his debut while I happened to be out of town briefly (and by briefly, I mean literally 30 hours). Imagine what will happen when I leave for four days....

My friend Brett arrived from NY this past week. She will be starting work with another company here in Vegas shortly, and whileher mom was in town to help her move in, we all went out for dinner. It was lovely. Her mom, Ro, was looking to go somewhere on the strip, but I suggested that it might be cheaper (and frankly, better) to go off the strip. We found this lovely Italian restaurant on Trop called Casa di Amore, which was ranked on TripAdvisor as one of Vegas' top restaurants. It was tacky, of course, but also had the most delicious Italian food I've had in months, AND had a guy playing piano and sinigng Frank Sinatra tunes and the like. As it turns out, it's one of my Aunt Bobbi's favorite places (which makes perfect sense).

The downturn in the economy is really showing its effects here in Vegas as well. Aside from the fact that friends of mine were able to get a room here for only $74 right on the strip (the cheapest room they paid for on their three-week cross-country journey), but the lovely staffing cuts have made it to MGM as well. So it looks like I'll be staying put in the department I'm in rather than rotating to help cover some folks who will be leaving. It's unfortunate, but such are the times.

I got to see Wall-E today. First time I had been to the movies in quite some time, and I must say I really did enjoy it... very well done. I really need to go to the movies more often. It's really convenient here... there's a movie theater in every casino off the strip.

Not too much else going on..... in a little over four weeks I'll be back on the east coast for good!