Who's first?
The FABULOUS Miss Ginger Grant!
Click here to dig through my stuff!
Search Miss Ginger's FABULOUS World!
Custom Search
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
How's Your's So Far?
Miss Ginger's New Year has started off "swimmingly", as they say... not because she has started a new exercise regimen, mind you... she just started it off swimming in cocktails, but is ready to dry up a bit.
It's started with this rather innocent looking bloody mary at the United Club Lounge at Houston's Intercontinental Airport. I can't speak for any of the legacy United "Red Carpet" lounges (that name conjures images of smokey air and raspy saloon chanteuses), but if you ever have the opportunity to visit the former "President's Club" at Newark or IAH, I can guarantee you the best dang bloody mary you've ever tasted... and it's FREE! Hard to believe I only had one... but it's true!
Miss Ginger met up with Brother J at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas midday, and it was nirvana: no cab line!! We hopped into one of Las Vegas' many smelly and run down, but cheap, taxicabs, and headed to our destination for the weekend: Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino!
If you are familiar with Las Vegas, Rio is the big purple and red monstrosity across the freeway from the strip. Miss Ginger doesn't use the word monstrosity lamely: the place is HUGE! And, it's purple and red. You decide.
So, here's the 411 on Rio:
PLUSSES:
+ It's off the strip, so you get good deals, and you don't have to deal with "strip rats".
+For those who "must" cruise the strip, there are free shuttles back and forth every 15 minutes. (It really is just across the freeway, but it's a LONG walk!)
+ The rooms are HUGE!
+ They take pets. (Shelby insisted that Miss Ginger include that tidbit. No, she did not get to go.)
+ The casino is top notch, with great slots, plenty of table games, and everything else you'd expect from a top Vegas property.
+ The restaurant selection is great, with both a regular buffet and a seafood buffet, plus a wine cellar, a sports bar, and 2 Starbucks! VooDoo Steak has a great view, a great menu, and great service, without being pretentious... tops in Miss G's book!
+ The beverage service on the casino floor is A-MAZE-ING! In most casinos, a cocktail waitress is almost impossible to find, unless you are in the high roller area- heaven help you if you're playing penny slots! And if you do find one, she's usually a bitter old hag with too much hairspray, and lipstick on her teeth. But at Rio, they have "beveratainers"... beverage servers who are also entertainers. There are TONS of them; during slow times, they operate as you would expect, but when it gets busy, they pull out this iPad system that gets you a drink in 2-3 minutes, tops. There's no waiting with a dry glass, either... there are so many of them that you turn a couple away before you are ready for another!
+ Oh... "beveratainment". So, throughout the day, you will hear this little "cha cha cha- RIO!" interlude, and when you look up, your cocktail waiter or waitress has pulled out a little set of hidden stairs, climbed up on the slot machines, and is belting out a song or busting a move to beat the band! They sing live, and the dancers are cute, and they perform like 2 and half minutes, tops. Then they push the stairs back in, pick up their tray, and continue about their business! They have an equal number of boys and girls (you know Miss G loves equality!) and they are all amazingly talented!
+ The "Show in the Sky". Like nothing else! Rio was built in the 80's during the "can't top this" casino days. Their schtick was a Carnival Parade in the sky, and although most of the casino floor has been extensively updated, they have worked around the hanging trolleys to maintain the parade. Thursday through Sunday, from 6pm - 11pm every hour on the hour, singers and dancers come out and do a short little floor show, then disappear momentarily as a big section of a wall moves away. Out come fully lit Carnival floats, hanging from the ceiling on an amazing trolley system that carries the dancers all around the casino floor, slinging beads, dancing, and flirting with the screaming crowd below! It's a Vegas "must-see".
MINUSES
- It's not on the strip... if that's important to you.
- The rooms are huge, but a bit dated. They are clean, and comfortable, with all the amenities... but, it's not NOBU, or Wynn, or even Planet Hollywood.
- Their big show is "Penn and Teller". But, they also have "The Chippendales". And a shuttle to the strip.
Saturday, Miss Ginger and Brother J spent the day gambling, drinking, and catching up a bit, before heading up to VooDoo Steak for huge hunks of beef and a bottle of wine. After that, there was more drinking.... a hamburger... black jack.... black girls in the elevator... ... ... whatever else happened in Vegas stays in Vegas... mostly because Miss G can't remember!!!
She was feeling a bit puny the next morning, but rallied midday, and by New Year's Eve was all set for the "VIP Dinner" to which high-rolling Brother J had been invited. Beautiful food, obnoxious table mates, and a spectacular view of the fireworks over the strip made for an incredible New Years Eve!
Now Miss G has several more days off before her return to work, so she can get rested, relaxed, and prepared for the coming year!
How did YOU ring the New Year, dear 'Snaps? And how is it treating you so far?
Miss Ginger met up with Brother J at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas midday, and it was nirvana: no cab line!! We hopped into one of Las Vegas' many smelly and run down, but cheap, taxicabs, and headed to our destination for the weekend: Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino!
So, here's the 411 on Rio:
PLUSSES:
+ It's off the strip, so you get good deals, and you don't have to deal with "strip rats".
+For those who "must" cruise the strip, there are free shuttles back and forth every 15 minutes. (It really is just across the freeway, but it's a LONG walk!)
+ The rooms are HUGE!
+ They take pets. (Shelby insisted that Miss Ginger include that tidbit. No, she did not get to go.)
+ The casino is top notch, with great slots, plenty of table games, and everything else you'd expect from a top Vegas property.
+ The restaurant selection is great, with both a regular buffet and a seafood buffet, plus a wine cellar, a sports bar, and 2 Starbucks! VooDoo Steak has a great view, a great menu, and great service, without being pretentious... tops in Miss G's book!
+ The beverage service on the casino floor is A-MAZE-ING! In most casinos, a cocktail waitress is almost impossible to find, unless you are in the high roller area- heaven help you if you're playing penny slots! And if you do find one, she's usually a bitter old hag with too much hairspray, and lipstick on her teeth. But at Rio, they have "beveratainers"... beverage servers who are also entertainers. There are TONS of them; during slow times, they operate as you would expect, but when it gets busy, they pull out this iPad system that gets you a drink in 2-3 minutes, tops. There's no waiting with a dry glass, either... there are so many of them that you turn a couple away before you are ready for another!
+ Oh... "beveratainment". So, throughout the day, you will hear this little "cha cha cha- RIO!" interlude, and when you look up, your cocktail waiter or waitress has pulled out a little set of hidden stairs, climbed up on the slot machines, and is belting out a song or busting a move to beat the band! They sing live, and the dancers are cute, and they perform like 2 and half minutes, tops. Then they push the stairs back in, pick up their tray, and continue about their business! They have an equal number of boys and girls (you know Miss G loves equality!) and they are all amazingly talented!
+ The "Show in the Sky". Like nothing else! Rio was built in the 80's during the "can't top this" casino days. Their schtick was a Carnival Parade in the sky, and although most of the casino floor has been extensively updated, they have worked around the hanging trolleys to maintain the parade. Thursday through Sunday, from 6pm - 11pm every hour on the hour, singers and dancers come out and do a short little floor show, then disappear momentarily as a big section of a wall moves away. Out come fully lit Carnival floats, hanging from the ceiling on an amazing trolley system that carries the dancers all around the casino floor, slinging beads, dancing, and flirting with the screaming crowd below! It's a Vegas "must-see".
MINUSES
- It's not on the strip... if that's important to you.
- The rooms are huge, but a bit dated. They are clean, and comfortable, with all the amenities... but, it's not NOBU, or Wynn, or even Planet Hollywood.
- Their big show is "Penn and Teller". But, they also have "The Chippendales". And a shuttle to the strip.
Saturday, Miss Ginger and Brother J spent the day gambling, drinking, and catching up a bit, before heading up to VooDoo Steak for huge hunks of beef and a bottle of wine. After that, there was more drinking.... a hamburger... black jack.... black girls in the elevator... ... ... whatever else happened in Vegas stays in Vegas... mostly because Miss G can't remember!!!
She was feeling a bit puny the next morning, but rallied midday, and by New Year's Eve was all set for the "VIP Dinner" to which high-rolling Brother J had been invited. Beautiful food, obnoxious table mates, and a spectacular view of the fireworks over the strip made for an incredible New Years Eve!
Now Miss G has several more days off before her return to work, so she can get rested, relaxed, and prepared for the coming year!
How did YOU ring the New Year, dear 'Snaps? And how is it treating you so far?
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
What Are We Gonna Do?
Sorry to be heavy, folks. I promise to have some great crafts for you soon. But today, Miss Ginger heart is in other places.
No cute pictures or funny videos. Just worry.
Worry about our country, and the epidemic of crazed shootings we are suffering. Half the country seems to think we should ban guns; the rest are crazy trying to defend their right to bear arms. (I'm pretty sure our forefathers never anticipated the killing machines our military has invented to fire off multiple rounds in seconds.)
The way Miss Ginger sees it, there are 2 elements to a mass killing: guns, and mental illness. And no matter what laws our congress passes, on this Earth, and in this country, there will always be guns and mental illness. The problem arises when we put them in the same room together. So how do we fix it? That part is not something Miss Ginger can solve... if she had that answer, she wouldn't have time to be writing this silly little lifestyle/drag/craft blog. But, Miss Ginger does know something she can do: DEMAND MORE!! More attention from Congress! More attention from our President! More attention from the medical community, the scientific community, and the business community! We can't just roll over and say "oh, well!"
Regardless of what anyone may think or hear, Obamacare is a small step in the right direction, in that it will provide medical insurance to help with the expenses of treatment for mental illness. Now I know it's not the vaccine to end all violence, but if a person has access to health care, they may be able to treat depression, schizophrenia, or other mental conditions that can escalate without care. And with health insurance, when a routine illness like the flu comes along, they are more likely to see a doctor who may then recognize signs that more assessment of their mental state is needed.
But we must demand MORE! When a patient sees a doctor in most clinics, they are routinely screened for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other common disorders that the patient may or may not have. These are not symptomatic diseases, so blood testing is the only way to find them. We think nothing of testing for or treating these conditions.
But what about mental illness? Have you ever been screened for it? Has your doctor ever recommended treatment? No? You know why? These aren't big money makers for big pharma! You've all seen ads on TV to treat high cholesterol, impotence, even urinary incontinence! But do you ever see an ad for a drug that treats schizophrenia? Bipolar disorder? Panic disorder? Nope. Taboo. Not glamorous.
The assessment tools used to diagnose mental illness are specialized, time consuming, and expensive. Most "family practitioners", the doctors we see most often, aren't of the mindset to consider mental illness, unless the patient shows clear signs of instability. Even then, most doctors would rather perform a "digital rectal" than approach a patient about the possibility of mental illness!
We, as a society, need to DEMAND MORE attention to the discussion, assessment, and treatment of mental illness! Through open and frank dialogue with physicians and patients, we can make a difference in how and when the conditions are treated!
Now, on to guns. Don't worry, you can keep your fucking pistol in your handbag, and no one wants to take away your precious squirrel rifle, though for the life of Miss Ginger she doesn't understand America's love affair with guns. But that single shot rifle, or even that relatively low caliber revolver aren't what worries Miss Ginger, nor is that what massacres scores of people in minutes. Miss Ginger is talking about weapons that load themselves automatically, spraying exploding bullets into crowds of people. It's illegal to hunt deer with those things, and they would blow a duck to bits, so why the hell does anyone need those? Best case scenario, they are outlawed except for military and police personnel. Since Miss Ginger knows the NRA's lobbyists will never allow that to happen, we should at least recognize that it's not the gun that kills a person... it's the bullets. So, let's limit the amount of bullets anyone can buy for those things. And while we're at it, before they could own or carry the gun or the bullets, they should be thoroughly screened for signs of mental illness, with follow-up screening at renewal intervals, just to be sure.
What else can we do? We can't just sit by and let this happen in America. Miss Ginger wants to know how she and the rest of Ginger Nation can help end, or at least reduce, these senseless killings!!
No cute pictures or funny videos. Just worry.
Worry about our country, and the epidemic of crazed shootings we are suffering. Half the country seems to think we should ban guns; the rest are crazy trying to defend their right to bear arms. (I'm pretty sure our forefathers never anticipated the killing machines our military has invented to fire off multiple rounds in seconds.)
The way Miss Ginger sees it, there are 2 elements to a mass killing: guns, and mental illness. And no matter what laws our congress passes, on this Earth, and in this country, there will always be guns and mental illness. The problem arises when we put them in the same room together. So how do we fix it? That part is not something Miss Ginger can solve... if she had that answer, she wouldn't have time to be writing this silly little lifestyle/drag/craft blog. But, Miss Ginger does know something she can do: DEMAND MORE!! More attention from Congress! More attention from our President! More attention from the medical community, the scientific community, and the business community! We can't just roll over and say "oh, well!"
Regardless of what anyone may think or hear, Obamacare is a small step in the right direction, in that it will provide medical insurance to help with the expenses of treatment for mental illness. Now I know it's not the vaccine to end all violence, but if a person has access to health care, they may be able to treat depression, schizophrenia, or other mental conditions that can escalate without care. And with health insurance, when a routine illness like the flu comes along, they are more likely to see a doctor who may then recognize signs that more assessment of their mental state is needed.
But we must demand MORE! When a patient sees a doctor in most clinics, they are routinely screened for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other common disorders that the patient may or may not have. These are not symptomatic diseases, so blood testing is the only way to find them. We think nothing of testing for or treating these conditions.
But what about mental illness? Have you ever been screened for it? Has your doctor ever recommended treatment? No? You know why? These aren't big money makers for big pharma! You've all seen ads on TV to treat high cholesterol, impotence, even urinary incontinence! But do you ever see an ad for a drug that treats schizophrenia? Bipolar disorder? Panic disorder? Nope. Taboo. Not glamorous.
The assessment tools used to diagnose mental illness are specialized, time consuming, and expensive. Most "family practitioners", the doctors we see most often, aren't of the mindset to consider mental illness, unless the patient shows clear signs of instability. Even then, most doctors would rather perform a "digital rectal" than approach a patient about the possibility of mental illness!
We, as a society, need to DEMAND MORE attention to the discussion, assessment, and treatment of mental illness! Through open and frank dialogue with physicians and patients, we can make a difference in how and when the conditions are treated!
Now, on to guns. Don't worry, you can keep your fucking pistol in your handbag, and no one wants to take away your precious squirrel rifle, though for the life of Miss Ginger she doesn't understand America's love affair with guns. But that single shot rifle, or even that relatively low caliber revolver aren't what worries Miss Ginger, nor is that what massacres scores of people in minutes. Miss Ginger is talking about weapons that load themselves automatically, spraying exploding bullets into crowds of people. It's illegal to hunt deer with those things, and they would blow a duck to bits, so why the hell does anyone need those? Best case scenario, they are outlawed except for military and police personnel. Since Miss Ginger knows the NRA's lobbyists will never allow that to happen, we should at least recognize that it's not the gun that kills a person... it's the bullets. So, let's limit the amount of bullets anyone can buy for those things. And while we're at it, before they could own or carry the gun or the bullets, they should be thoroughly screened for signs of mental illness, with follow-up screening at renewal intervals, just to be sure.
What else can we do? We can't just sit by and let this happen in America. Miss Ginger wants to know how she and the rest of Ginger Nation can help end, or at least reduce, these senseless killings!!
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Ain't Nobody Got Time For That!!
My new mantra. Loves me some Sweet Brown!! (The good part starts at :50)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
