Reaching Out

I don't know how to add music to this site yet or I would be playing Garth Brooks "We Shall Be Free" If you have that song on a CD do me a favor and put it in and listen very closely to the words as you read my post as it will take on deeper meaning.

I am filled with so many emotions tonight from the day I have just experienced. We closed the workshop today and graduated 27 more champions of diversity. I will probably never be able to put into appropriate words the impact this program has on it's participants and it's trainers.

We reflect every morning about the learning from the day before. The exercises we put them through are not easy but have incredible lesson value. This morning a gentleman said he had been mentally abused for 17 years!!!!! That's an entire childhood. This gentleman also said he was told he was stupid and he bought it. He is probably pushing his late 40's to 50's so think about how long he's carried this baggage around with him.

He said this morning that yesterday was the first day he could tell himself that he wasn't stupid and he was worth something and has a contribution to make to society. I will have many many more of these type of breakthroughs with classes in the future but think how powerful it is to have a vocation that allows me to facilitate a course and get people to these kind of breakthroughs!

We talked about reaching down to lift someone else up. How many times in our jobs, relationships, families and with strangers do we not reach down but instead keep down those reaching out to us?

I have tears in my eyes tonight thinking about the day and the opportunity I have been truly blessed with. I feel I have found my life's meaning finally. I have always loved motivating, teaching, encouraging and empowering people and this job offers me that!
This picture is from Hurricane Katrina, the United state's worst natural disaster ever! Look at this picture very closely, do you see skin color? Do you think these people were worried about someone of a different race being on top of that SUV?

How many people reached out and pulled up? How many people watched on their television screens in disbelief but did nothing?
How many people don't think this event in history has any effect on them?

I thought people learned on 9/11 how fragile life is and the ONLY thing that really matters in the end are the relationships we have with our fellow h-u-m-a-n b-e-I-n- g s?

It's 2006 and we haven't moved much as a society to let the atrocities still happen in the world around us.

It's about reaching down and pulling someone up no matter the color of their skin, their different beliefs than ours, the different gender. I am one person that is trying to leave a legacy of lifting people up no matter who they are and no matter if they are a friend or enemy.

Tune in tomorrow when I post the experience standing up for my class of people by myself and the impact it made on someone in my class!

Falwell At It Again

Will we ever stop giving attention to this man's ignorance? Jerry Falwell said at a lecture today that you have to be homosexual to work in Hollywood and slammed Ellen Degeneres as being immoral. He says he prays for her soul everyday but she's still a moral pervert.

AJ on CNN Headlines news handled this story well and I agree when he said it's 2006 and Falwell is still saying stuff like this.

AJ interviewed Ben in Washington that had a much more conservative view and said most of America agrees with Falwell. I'm curious if this has any validity to it?

A very wise man said years ago to me that the Homosexual is the last great stand of the Church. If they church accepted homosexuals into the fold, what good is the Church if they don't have an outcast group. I think most church's have missed the boat cause the Jesus I know would not be worshiping with them if he was here right now, but would be out in the streets with the people these church's are trying to keep out.

I will get off my soap box on religion for now.

Today was a great day, however very emotional. The workshop I'm learning to facilitate had some exercises that reach way into a person and pull out ugly things such as stereotyping.

If you stereotype someone, how much room do you offer them to be the best they can be? It's like keeping them in a box, this is all the room I've given you to be yourself. How empowering is that? One member in the class wanted to know if we could stop the exercise cause it was too painful. A great movie if you haven't seen it is "Crash" which deals with stereotyping.

I'm looking forward to seeing "The Devil Wears Prada" this weekend!

Being Prepared

Today I started a new chapter in my life and new career path. This is a program I wish all my friends and family could go through. A quote was read today that fit the way I feel about this new opportunity I've been blessed with:


"To every man there comes in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered a choice to do a very special thing, unique to him and fitted to his talents; what a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would be his finest hour."


At the height of the bombing in London, the residents of London were wondering if their homes would be there the next day. This is what Sir Winston Churchill said about hope and leadership.

Think this isn't true, think of Mike Brown. Who was Mike Brown? The head of FEMA. Many say he was not qualified for that job. However, once he got it, he should have been making himself qualified for that job, everyday. Because life threw at him the worst natural disaster ever. He was not prepared.

What happens when life throws something at you and you are not ready? You pay the price and who else pays the price? Anyone else who is counting on you to perform.

The next six months will be intense for me, but I have been called and it's my duty to perform to my absolute best. You will not only see a transformation on the inside but on the outside as well. You can't be your best if you're not at your best. I'm extremely excited about the future and hope to have many more insightful posts coming soon.

Brain twister... what's a Bushido? (Clue it's not a joke about George W. Bush) Post your answer in the comment section!

Ignorance & Respect

Tomorrow is the first day of my new position, Diversity Leadership Manager for MGM MIRAGE. For those of you that know me you know I'm a huge believer that everything happens for a reason. Well here I sit Monday evening after work relaxing in front of the television and what show am I watching but A&E show casing the Klu Klux Klan.

I found this picture and pray this is the way it is on judgment day for every member of that repulsive group.

It's amazing what people can justify in "religions" name. I have a feeling they are all in for huge surprise when they meet their maker someday.

If you want to hear true hatred at it's best just tune into the Southern Baptist talk radio, a nationally syndicated show. They talk about single mothers, drug users, homosexuals and anyone else they don't think are fit to walk on the streets of this country. I'm sure you've heard the saying keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer!


I hope to be a great change agent in my new position and enlighten people that "Everyone is worthy of your respect" Isn't that a new concept? That's actually one of our principles at MGM MIRAGE, Be Respectful.

I'm looking forward to my first day and the journey ahead of me. Keep those comments coming, that's the fun part of blogging, getting people talking.

Weekends Just Aren't Safe Sometimes

It's once again Sunday night and the close to another weekend. I enjoyed an evening with friends in the hot tub last night which turned out to be very eventful. I ended up playing bartender for everyone which if you know me I like my drinks STROOOONGE!

Today I went back to the friends house to find that one of my patrons had drank a little too much and fell out of the car hitting his face on the curb. His face looks like he got severely beaten. I drank a half bottle of Crown, I may not have hit my face on a curb but my head felt like I did.

I did fall out of my jeep years ago in Key West. Landed directly on my face and took the skin off the entire side of my face, blood dripping all over my shirt. Woke up hours later looked in a mirror and wondered what the hell happened.

This picture of Bush looks similar to Pete's face, except move the red to the forehead. Hope you heal quickly Pete! Maybe instead of a life as an attorney you should go into politics, you've certainly got the drinking part down.

Went to see a movie at Regal tonight called the Lake House. It's really good, kinda chick flick but worth seeing. It brought tears to my eyes, don't know if it was the story or Keanu not being able to be with the person he loved.

Francois and I were trying to figure it out and he came a lot closer than me. I won't ruin the movie for you so you'll have to see it.

The movie is good but probably won't make the top movies of the year list.

Some People Like Roses & Some People Like Tulips

Beauty cascades all around you inside the enchanting lobby. Peer overhead and discover a ceiling adorned in a breathtaking display of 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers - the Fiori di Como, created by world-renowned artist, Dale Chihuly. Now you can admire and take home priceless pieces crafted by Chihuly from the Chihuly Gallery.

People can be looking at the same thing and see things totally different. We think the way we see the world is the way the world actually is. But what if the world isn't the way we see it? We can only see the world through our experiences and no one else's. Breaking old Paradigms is part of what my new job with MGM MIRAGE is going to take on. Tonight as I'm walking through the Bellagio I heard a different point of view about the above photograph and description found on Bellagio's website.

Some people thought the ceiling was more ugly than beautiful. We're both looking at the same thing and see it totally different. Now if I was a Southern Baptist I probably would tell them their going to hell for not agreeing with me or seeing it my way and only my way. If I was a Catholic, I'd say lets play with some beeds and light a candle. If I were a Methodist I would say lets have a meeting about it and make sure both views are accommodated.

This is a picture of the front desk at Bellagio, I think it's one of the classiest front desks in town.

Notice the inlaid tile on the sides of the counter and in the floor. This attention to detail definitely adds to the beauty of Bellagio. I'm a little bias since I've worked here and know this hotel better than any other in town.

Farewell To Vegas (I Hate Goodbyes)

It is sad that I'm writing this post but it's finally arrived... my cousin and her husband are leaving Las Vegas! At first glance you probably thought, oh God here we go again... will he ever stay in one place?! My cousin Tina has lived here in Vegas for 19 years and Hector for 26 years.

Tina is a Scorpio like me but I'm not allowed to disclose her age, but you'd be shocked. She's very hot for her age!!

As a going away present and thanks for letting me live with them I'm sending them to see "O" at Bellagio tomorrow night and then joining them afterwards for drinks to see what they thought of the show.

Hector and Tina worked at Lady Luck when I arrived in Las Vegas at the end of 2003. Lady Luck closed this past year and after many years of service Hector and Tina have decided to leave the desert behind for a much plushier and humid steam oven in Naples Florida.

I'm going to miss the nights of going to the bar to see Hector and drinking for free!

Hector and Tina are the cousins that opened their home to me the first time I moved to Vegas. I'm going to hate to see them go, however this Sunday the truck packs up and off they go.

Their So Cute

I'm house sitting for Lori the next few nights and taking care of Roxi and Cricket. Roxi is a chihuahua and Cricket is a mini dauschund or "weiner dog". The dogs are soooo cute! I'm posting from my laptop so I'm a little limited right now but will hopefully get some pictures posted soon.

My cousins are moving to Naples Florida from Vegas this coming Sunday. More pictures of their going away party from last night when I get my camera recharged! I'm sending them to see "O" at Bellagio this Thursday night so I'm very excited to see what they think of the show. I'm going to meet up with them at Bellagio Thursday night after the show to have some drinks and talk about the show.

I will see them in Ohio for the family reunion but it won't be the same not having them here in the city. They are the only blood relatives I have here.

The Cold Within

Six humans trapped by happenstance in black and bitter cold. Each one possessed a stick of wood, or so the story's told.

Their dying fire in need of logs,the first woman held hers back for on the faces around the fire she noticed one was black.

The next man looking cross the way saw one not of his church, and couldn't bring himself to give the fire his stick of birch.

The third one sat in tattered clothes, he gave his coat a hitch. Why should his log be put to use to warm the idle rich?

The rich man just sat back and thought of the wealth he had in store. and how to keep what he had earned from the lazy poor.

The black man's face bespoke revenge as the fire passed from his sight, for all he saw in his stick of wood was a chance to spite the white.

And the last man of this forlorn group did naught except for gain. giving only to those who gave was how he played the game.

The logs held tight in death's still hands was proof of human sin. They didn't die from the cold without, they died from the cold within.

- Author unknown

Weekends Go To Quick

I hate this time at the end of every weekend when another one is gone. It's time to start thinking about the week ahead and get refocused on what needs to be accomplished. Someone definitely got it wrong when they made the weekend only two days and the work week five days.

This is the place I've been working the past two months since I returned to Vegas. The MGM Grand, up until recently the largest hotel in the world with 5,000 hotel rooms.

Now just imagine that many beds and what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. I have a feeling we contribute a lot to things happening in Vegas!



This picture is of the Mansion at MGM Grand. This is for the whales and very wealthy that don't want to be bothered with the regular casino floor. I've seen pictures of the mansion but haven't gotten to see inside yet. This is the roof and front entrance area.



I spent this weekend with a good friend from San Diego instead of moving like I had planned. Jon was here on a working vacation but in the evenings we would venture out to see what kind of trouble we could find.

I absolutely love hanging out with good friends enjoying dinner and great conversation and that's what I did this evening with J. Stan and Paula. They had me over for dinner and God can J Stan cook! Paula landed her a GREAT man with this one.

The thing I miss the most about Atlanta is the few great friends that I had there and getting together every weekend and just hanging out. We would laugh, talk about anything, nothing seemed to be off limits but just enjoying the company of down to earth, incredibly nice people. I had a taste of that again tonight with Paula and J Stan. They are like family to me here in Vegas and I'm very blessed to have such great friends that aren't flaky like so many are in this city.

TGIF

Thank God it's finally here! You know it's not a good sign when I'm already having these images dancing through my head before I even leave for work!

This looks good enough to swim in! Anyone for cocktails later?

It's been a long week for some reason and I'm ready for the weekend. I should be moving tomorrow but not sure it will happen this weekend or next weekend since I haven't reserved a truck there's a good chance this picture to the right it going to win over me moving into a new house!

I don't have big plans for the weekend but I think I may have a friend from San Diego coming up for the weekend. I guess I should probably check into that... cause I definitely ain't moving if friends are in town.

Someone text messaged me yesterday and of course I don't know who it's from since my damn phone won't show me phone numbers or names. FYI if you send me a text message please include your name at the end of it. It's not fun when someone sends you a text message for COCKTAILS and you don't know who to call!! Talk about an emergency!

As much as I paid for this phone to replace my Palm Pilot you would think it would be able to text people back and at least know who the freaking text is coming from! While I'm on it, has anyone else got problems with Sprint/Nextel dropping their calls? Maybe it's all those 976 numbers I've been dialing! ; ) Just kidding!

Who Says You Can't Go Back

I love that Bon Jovi song! Well I'm going back to my hometown one month from today. I booked my airline ticket today. It seems the family gets together for more funerals than family reunions so we've picked this year for a reunite, reconnect family reunion over a two day weekend. My hometown is Bucyrus, Ohio about an hour north of Columbus, Ohio. This is a picture of a mural they had painted in the town square a few years back. It looks real doesn't it? Birds fly into it thinking it's real!!


Here is a picture of our town square many many years before I came into this world. Compare this picture to the mural above and you can see the same buildings with the top of the courthouse showing.

I never knew until seeing this picture that Bucyrus had cable cars! I think this picture may have even been before my Father was born! It seems very small compared to the city I live in today. The property I'm currently working at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas would take up this entire city square plus a few more blocks.


I'm looking forward to my trip back for about four days to spend with the family and see the other 200 plus family members that will come to my parents house for a giant family reunion party. Here is a picture of my High School, my father was the second graduating class from this building. The middle school which is just a few years old is actually bigger or appears bigger than the high school. Wynford is one of the largest square mile school districts in Ohio although it's still a country school. There were only 98 in my graduating class and everyone knew everyone!!

Living In A City Of Entertainers

Joined some friends last night at Hamburger Mary's for karaoke and ended up having a few too many Crown and Cokes. It just hit me why I didn't sleep well having that much caffeine late at night! Anyways they had some incredible talent singing. I approached one singer to find out that he was in a Las Vegas show and sung for a profession. Another guy sounded just like Josh Grobin when he sung.

It's also fun to read the Monday morning paper here to see the celebrity sightings in the city. Vegas has become the tabloid playground as some call it. It's just a shame I don't go to some of these clubs where these sightings happen. A friend did see Celine recently having brunch at Green Valley Ranch a couple weeks ago.

My night of playing at Mary's caught up with me today as the day didn't want to move very fast. I did receive a call from Trent and Richard tonight as they sat at Starbucks in Ansley. God I miss those evenings sitting out watching all the gym bunnies parade down the runway from the gym. Peter even got on the phone and has promised to make me some sunshine cupcakes when I return to Atlanta for a visit!!

I need to get some good pictures of Frank and Kelly so ya'll can see the great friends I've been living with the past month and a half. I took a picture of Frank but he was surfing porn on the PC and the picture didn't turn out very well. Frank and Kelly left this past weekend and left me "Home Alone" thank God it was uneventful and no burglars came a knocking. I wouldn't have minded a rapist, cause I would have laid down and enjoyed it. They would have probably reversed the rape charges over to me since I wouldn't have let go!! I would have said you have a job to do and you're not leaving until you've done it!!!

Let Your Light Shine

If you've been following my posts, this quote will make a lot of sense with some of the phrases I've used. This is a quote from Marianne Williamson:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

I hope you read and re-read this quote as it's incredibly powerful. I bolded the parts that relate to some conversations I've had with friends recently about playing it on a higher level or rising above it.

I Geeeet Knocked Down..... But I Get Up Again....

nothings going to keep me down... I get knocked down... (do I have that song buzzing in your head yet?) al-Zarqawi can't say that... oh wait maybe that's what he we mumbling on the stretcher before he died. I hope this picture doesn't bother anyone, it didn't me since I've lived in a funeral home in the past and use to seeing things like this. The biggest lesson I learn whenever I see a dead body is how fragile life is and how so many people take it as a dress rehearsal. I live everyday like it's my last cause I don't know when my time will be up.

In life we get knocked down every day by something. I just got knocked down last night by all people the bartender waiting on us. It goes back to the "Stimulus and Response" that I wrote about a few posts ago. I take that space in between but it's still hard sometimes not to examine what we're being knocked down about. I can't help it that I look like Opie Taylor or Richie Cunningham and if you're old enough you'll know who I'm talking about. I have dealt with this crap since grade school and frankly I'm tired of buying everyone eles's bullshit! What I have come to realize is there are a lot of insecure people out there and no matter how good they look, how well they take care of their bodies, deep inside they are so insecure with how the world views them that they have to deflect by pointing out flaws or what they perceive as flaws of someone else.

A problem in this country is, Hollywood has sold to us the bullshit that we all need to look like the people we see on the screen... I give you exhibit "A"

I wish I could look like him but then I wouldn't have a life cause everyone on the planet that I didn't know or wish to know would want a piece of me! I wouldn't be able to talk openingly about my beliefs no matter how f'ed up they sounded. Poor Tom may be suffering from something I call self-righteousness! He's right everyone else is wrong and there's no open discussion about it. Wow, where's the power of communication in that??

I believe I'll play it on a higher level. Rise above it as I like to say. I may not turn heads or have the GQ look that everyone seems to be looking for these days, but I'll tell you something I do have is an incredible heart, love of life and great values and principles. Not everyone is meant to see my gift and I think that's a way of God protecting me from the BS of this world.

Why would I want to date or have a relationship with someone that doesn't recognize the gift in front of them? If people stopped looking for the GQ types and started looking closer and recognizing the gifts right in front of them, we would have a huge drop in the divorce rate, and there would be a lot more happy people on this big ball we call earth!

I think I've figured out why the Extreme Right is wanting to "protect marriage" if the gay people are allowed to marry and do it better by having lower divorce rates then how's that look on the straight people that have fucked it up so bad in the past few decades? God forbid a bunch of perverts (as I heard on Christian radio here in Vegas Thursday morning) come along and do something better than us, God's people!

When something knocks you down, do as the song say get up again and keep going. Don't buy someone else's bullshit! Look at the top picture, it's better than the alternative and I can guarantee that!

A Few Very Cherished Friends

Here is a couple of great looking women but only one is available can you guess which one?

Sonia is on the left and Lori on the right. They are my friends that work in the Bellagio employment center.

Lori is so much fun to hang out with and we've become closer this time around in Vegas. She exposes me to experiences I would not normally be exposed to. Lori also set me up in the Corporate HR department with MGM MIRAGE which has been an absolutely amazing experience. The ironic thing is I work for a lady with the last name of Murphey!!

Sonia works for Lori in Employment. She has a crazy sister named Sandra who I haven't gotten to see yet since I've been back. I've given Sandra some sex advice which I still don't think she's used?!?

This is my dearest friend Trent. If his heart were any bigger he'd explode! Talk about a blast to be around and it doesn't matter if we were out bar hopping getting wasted or just hanging out at Starbucks solving the problems of the world. God definitely broke the mold when he made this guy. Trent was one of the best things about moving back to Atlanta temporarily. We knew each other before but didn't really get to know each other. This time he became family to me and it will be a friendship that will last eternity! Trent is also why I miss Atlanta the most, not being able to see him on a daily basis and support Starbucks!

This is a dear friend of mine Rashid who lives in Atlanta. He and I are dangerous when we get together with laughing too much. From the first day I met Rashid and he rented this townhouse David and I use to live in I knew I loved this man. He's got a huge heart and a no BS approach to life. You should have been at dinner with us in the Highlands a couple months ago. I have not laughed that hard in years. Every time I would look at Rashid it would get worse, if you only knew the reason we were laughing... hell I'm laughing writing this and thinking about it all over again.

At What Level Do You Play?

How many times a day, week, month do you find yourself involved in some sort of drama?
Do you believe in or practice "eye for and eye"?
Do you walk away?
Do you turn the other cheek?
Are you the type that has to be "right" at all costs?

There are two phrases that I will probably be saying until the day I die:
"Play the game at a higher level" and "Rise Above It"

When I say "Play the game at a higher level", I mean just because someone else is playing at a lower level doesn't mean you have to play at that level." When you put out to the universe that you're ready to play life at a higher level, the universe will send you deeper relationships, friendships and opportunities never imagined.

When I say "Rise Above It", I mean don't let someone bring you down to their level and play in the dirt. The problem with "An Eye for an Eye" is there are two people missing eyes! Rising above it will give you an advantage like an eagle in flight to see things from a new perspective.

Both of these are very hard to do at times, but the more you practice them, the easier they become. You will also notice the personal peace and power that comes when you put these into action.

Remember Stimulus & Response!

How Do You Respond?

I wanted to share with you something that has changed my life and continues to change my life on an ongoing basis on how I respond to things:

Stephen Covey writes in his book that one of the most profound and truly life-changing experiences of his life-one conceptually fundamental to his work on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He said it staggered him to the core reading these three sentences:

Between stimulus and response there is a space.
In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response.
In those choices lie our growth and our happiness.

Next time something stimulates you think about this model. Then stop before you respond and ask yourself just a couple questions:

What is this stimulation worth to me?
What is my vested or not vested interest in the person stimulating me?
Do I fight? OR
Do I come up with a “Win-Win” or “No Deal” (think win-win means we come up with a solution that all parties win, or we have “No deal”) OR
Do I flee?
What effect will my response (good or bad) have on the parties involved?
Will my response be from an Abundance Mentality or a Scarcity Mentality?

If you stop and realize there is a space in between stimulus and response you can control how large or small that space is and gain power from it. How many times have people told you that someone pissed them off or so and so did this? Do you think they simply reacted to a negative stimulus 0r did they take the time to "choose" their response?

I am practicing this daily and it has become both exciting and empowering. I feel myself having totally different reactions, more positive reactions to the things that stimulate me.

One final thought from Stephen Covey’s “The 8th Habit”:

An Awareness of our freedom and power to choose is affirming because it can excite our sense of possibility and potential. It can also threaten, even terrify, because suddenly we’re responsible, that is, “re-sponse-able.” We become accountable. If we’ve taken shelter over the years in explaining our situation and problems in the name of past or present circumstances, it is truly terrifying to think otherwise. Suddenly, there is no excuse.

Amazing Conversations With A Couple Friends

I had a couple conversations with dear friends tonight that got me thinking about a lot of things. The one friend and I had a relatively deep conversation that is not uncommon but rather very invited. I love it when people get me thinking about my paradigms and when I can hear the wheels start turning in their heads as well.

The reason I started this blog not to be a promotional tool selling people on Vegas but rather a journal type tool that will hopefully stir conversations with friends, family and even strangers in the comments sections.

If you desire to leave comments I ask that you select “other” and type your name in so it’s easier to see whose communicating. You don’t need to put your full name if you don’t want to but at least a first name. If you have comments you are passionate about but don’t want your identity revealed please feel free to use the Anonymous option. When you revisit this site, be sure to scroll up and down and look for additional comments that have been added or see if I have responded to your previous comments, that's what makes blogging really fun!!

I haven’t even started my new job yet and already feeling changes in myself by what I’ve read in the book The 8th Habit by Stephen Covey. In the next few days, weeks, months you will hear me refer to a lot of things from this book and my training to become a Diversity Leader within MGM MIRAGE. There are sure to be many valleys and peaks as I train for this leadership role.

One thing I would like to put out there for people just so it is clear Diversity in the workplace is NOT Affirmative Action. Diversity is a whole other world within itself and although it’s good for Affirmative Action, it’s not the same thing. Diversity is really so much more! The MGM MIRAGE Diversity Mission Statement which I am very proud of is this:

In order for MGM MIRAGE to be first and best, we accept the accountability to acknowledge and value the contributions of all people.

Think about how different and powerful the world would be if we simply acknowledged and valued the contributions of all people from all corners of the world?

I’ll leave you with one final thought that I will expand on soon. How much of the BS have you bought over the years from people or society telling you that you weren’t good enough or you didn’t measure up? It’s amazing when you can reprogram the programming that we’ve received, some since grade school. I am one person that is starting to see life through a whole new set of lens, a much clearer lens as well.

“Once in awhile it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to.”
- Alan Keightley

Lake Las Vegas - Vegas's Hidden Paradise

Low key day today and much needed after last night! Met some friends and drove out to Lake Las Vegas for lunch. The temperature hit 103 today so it was like being in hell. Actually not that bad. It really does make a difference when the humidity level is very low. We found a nice Italian restaurant and met up with some other friends that work at Bellagio. Lake Las Vegas is absolutely gorgeous however it's a little hike from the Strip. It's a very quiet and the views are amazing. In Atlanta they have screen on the green and here Lake Las Vegas does something similar but it's on the lake instead. I
will have to check it out sometime.

This building was very unique built like a bridge over the canal. It's kinda freaky being in the middle of the dessert with all this water. I think a future investment will be a wave runner if not a boat to play around on the lake. The water temp is like bath water.

After lunch returned to the Strip and dropped of some laundry at the MGM Grand and back home. It's amazing the size of these resorts and thinking there are over 10,000 employees at Bellagio alone. I'm not sure of the total number of employees at MGM Grand but it's got to be even higher since it was the worlds largest hotel with 5,000 hotel rooms.

Fix!

What and end to the week! I met Frank and Kelly at Fix a restaurant at Bellagio. Dinner ended up costing $600 for the four of us, however it was all comped since Frank works for the company. We left a very good tip though! All the wait staff at Fix was beautiful!

This was our waiter Josh, we kept him blushing and smiling like this most of the evening. He was a good sport and quick with a come back!

If you're at Bellagio and looking for an incredible restaurant, this is one of them. Kevin (dear friend from Columbus, OH) Fix is definitely a place you would love.

Perfect End To A Perfect Weekend Part II

Minutes after Celine finishes her show we go down her private elevator backstage and start my favorite part the "Behind the scenes tour". Here J Stan is pointing to the flying props used during her show as Andy, Richard and Trent look upward. The stage behind them, doesn't show just how large this stage really is.
J Stan (on left) shows us Celine's stage changing room. I think one thing J Stan and I have in common is we love showing people things they have never seen before. Thanks J Stan for being an incredible friend and tour guide, it's GREATLY appreciated!


This is probably my favorite picture of Richard and Trent outside Celine's dressing room door. I would have shit if the door opened while they were posing. Last time I stood outside her door I could hear her talking and it scared me she or her body guard would open the door... that would been all she wrote... Craig dead outside Celines dressing room due to a massive heart attack. I guess there are worse ways to go but probably not as embarrassing.

These two guys were attending the show from Atlanta, GA and Austin, TX. J Stan had them meet up with us after the show for the tour. Shane (right) is a huge Celine fan and Trent said halfway through the tour that we were about to see a Clay Aiken moment like the one on the last show of American Idol where the boy was singing and Clay walked out. Shane would have died if there would have been a Celine sighting backstage. We almost lost the poor boy in the costume area when he saw the dresses she had worn earlier in the show. The whole evening was just incredible... Thanks J Stan for making memories!

Perfect End To A Perfect Weekend Part I

Well here we are on Sunday night the end of Memorial Day weekend. Just minutes ago Celine Dion was standing where you see Richard (left with back to us), Trent (center smiling big) and Andy (right with a look of amusement). My friend took us on a behind the scenes tour after Celine's show concluded.
The theater seats 4,158 and can be seen behind these guys. It's amazing to be standing center stage looking out at all those seats. I can't imagine what it must be like when their full of screaming fans.

This picture to the right will give you an idea how large her stage is. Elton John makes jokes about her stage being so large and that's why she's so f'in skinny. Her stage is the steepest "rake" in the industry meaning it slopes downward to the audience. When I walk on it, I always wonder how the dancers don't go flying off the edges.

There are so many things to watch during the show and they've recently added a duet with Celine and Frank Sinatra which is a must see. I love technology and the things it's capable of doing. The picture below is a staircase that pops up out of the stage, another amazing technical marvel.

Celine's show is another must see when you visit Vegas. Even if you're not a Celine fan you will be blow away by this Cirques' type show created by Franco Dragone. The dancers, the largest indoor video screen in the world make this show amazing.