TravelStream™ news feed for member pawelek on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/pawelek en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:20:20 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1230131580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1230131580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1230131580/tpod.html Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:20:20 -0400 The Desert Beckons

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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

During the first 2 month's of our stay, I have been blessed with Jose Luis' great cooking almost nightly, since I work 2P-9PM, he picks me up from work and we have a late dinner together. Always fantastic. The days that he works he goes in at 6AM and finishes at 1230PM or 1PM, so that works out for us for now.In between we have been discovering some of the local ethnic restaurants as well as checking out what an Elements (our past venture) might do here and if there are any comparables.Have discovered Nora's Wine Bar, with dozens of wines by the glass, served via a Enotique system. Large bar, 55 seats in dining room, very upscalish but comfortable. Prices not cheap, portions ok. We order some appetizers, but watch the other diner's dishes and comments....mmmm....people are still willing to spend some money going out, but value is important, but so is atmosphere, martinis are still in as well as wine galore.It looks like the $70 steak, with nothing else accompanying it has gone the way of the DoDo bird, and the ubiquitous barfood like poppers and fried onion rings are not high on anybody's list.We find that places like PF Chang's have not only reasonable food prices, decent food- consistent, good service-not great but attentive, and they are busy Monday-Sunday. So are places like Olive Garden, BJ's Brewerey (Las Vegas likes it beers, especially unique ones).
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1229368140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1229368140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1229368140/tpod.html Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:13:14 -0400 The Desert Beckons

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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

We buy a Christmas Tree, decorate and get snow....in Las Vegas? what the heck. The Welcome to Las Vegas sign and downtown Strip, covered in snow. In Summerlin, where we live, 5 inches on our front lawn. Snow in the dessert, it feels like New Hampshire.Did we make a wrong turn somewhere. It is in the 20's, That's Fahrenheit guys not Celsius. Where is my sunshine?Jose Luis has been offered to work a big party at MGM on New Year's Eve, but it will be worth it.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1228741500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1228741500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1228741500/tpod.html Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:09:34 -0400 The Desert Beckons

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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Today- first day of training for me at HGVC and today Jose Luis heard back from Red Rock Resort, he has a part time on call with them starting next week.We are both employed.Training day - lots of info and we start with 23 trainees. I have a feeling that some will fall by the wayside, none too soon. Lots to learn, memorize, inflection, sales technique etc. I love it, comes naturally. Yes it will be different and I do prefer dealing with people face to face, but still, I feel that my voice will come over well on the phone. I have been told that I can sell Ice to eskimos, pineapples to Hawaiians, coffee to Colombians, so now let's see if that is true. Get me a phone.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1259679360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1259679360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1259679360/tpod.html Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:05:09 -0400 The Desert Beckons

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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Although I had 4 interviews with the M Resort, and 3 with MGM, instead of waiting for their decision (or indecision) I have accepted a job with Hilton Corporations division Hilton Grand Vacation Club. Anybody that knows me, realizes that I can talk the tail off a monkey, whether in person, or on the phone (or via blog for that matter), so I may just be in my Elements (how apropos).I will be working at their call center, base salary plus commission (was asked whether the commission part scared me, cause if you don't produce , you don't make money). Puhleeeaaase. This is what I thrive on and although it will depend somewhat on luck and some days may be better/easier than others, just like a waiter, some days are more plentiful than others. I start December 8...The days of leisure are over, and I am pleased as punch. I can see myself working there for quite a while, rung by rung, working up the ladder of success, with a company that has been around for a while and will be for a long time to come. Today Jose Luis cut his hair. It was like watching Sampson get a hair cut. It has been long for soooo long, 5 inches of hair on the floor, but eventhough it was always neatly pulled back we felt that it might go more with a company's image. He also cut off all his rope bracelets (he had about a dozen, accummulated over the past 13-14 years). new image, New Look, New Hope
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1227819060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1227819060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1227819060/tpod.html Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:55:50 -0400 The Desert Beckons

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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Dirk, our contact, exec. corp chef(son of friends of ours from St. PEte)had invited us to his home for Thanksgiving Dinner. Thank you friend.Bringing my home-made streudel was our contribution, the food and friendship was abundant. OVer a dozen people, loads of food. If we had all stayed for a week, there still would have been food left over. Everything was delish, especially the Turkey, cooked by the master himself. He lives in the North East corner of Vegas, hugging a mountain and the view is phenomenal.ME thinks that we will like Las Vegas. Now let's get a job (I know it has only been 3 weeks since our arrival, but we want to work)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1257618840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1257618840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1257618840/tpod.html Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:51:27 -0400 The Desert Beckons

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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

A week's worth of looking at homes for rent with some pretty specific requirements.*One story (neither Tango nor Jose Luis or I feel like climbing lots of stairs)*In a quiet and safe neighborhood, away from the strip (Fun to visit, but wouldn't want to live int he midst of the jingle jangle)*Reasonable rate (sure we could spend $3,000 per month....but why would we )*Little back yard (The dogs need to be able to stretch their legs a little, and we like to sit in the sun)*2 Car garage (Never had one, always wanted one- not to park cars in but to store all the stuff we still have accummulated over the years)We saw 21 houses, some still occupied....ooops, others in foreclosure (one had the toilets ripped out, empty holes in the floor, in another the home owners must have been so angry that paint was spilled all over the carpet. Some had not been cleaned in years... helllloooo anybody hear about this newest invention called a vacuum cleaner- it sucks up dirt....who knew?)We settled (I should not say settle, as it seems that there weren't a lot of choices, but this had all the necessities). on a 1 story home in the Arbors community of Summerlin, 15 minutes from the strip, but a world away. Coming down the drive we are on a hill overlooking the strip and it is Beautiful.We have 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, 2 car garage, fireplace and our neighbours are the nicest. Jim(works out of his house) and Nancy(works for AIG).Mike across the street, very very nice area.As we unpack we realize that the unemployment rate has hit 8 % but we need to start looking for a job. Next week
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1227307380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1227307380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1227307380/tpod.html Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:50:21 -0400 The Desert Beckons

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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Both of us have put in our applications (most have to be sent in online here in Las vegas) in at least 30 Hotels/Casinos/Restaurants each. And we both have some callbacks scheduled for next week, including M Resort (both of us), MGM Grand (me), Red Rock/Station Casinos (Jose Luis) and a couple of others.Those of you that know us, know that for our age (AARP carrying 50 plus year olds) we are in pretty good shape, look presentable, dress accordingly, speak intelligently, have travelled extensively, have team player personalities and have over 30 years of Hospitality background.But we are competing with 60-70 other people for one job, and these competitors are in their 20's-50's. Would a company prefer to hire a less knowledgeable 30 year old, that is still wet behind the ears and know that they might last with the company 20 years, or hire us and know that we will want to start collecting social security in less than 10 years.It is not up to us to decide but I can assure you that it is interesting looking at it from our perspective, having owned our own businesses since 1990, Travel Agency, Restaurants, Inn. Will it be more difficult for us to take direction from a manager who is younger and less wise than us, when we have been so used to making all the decisions, and taking all the consequences of such, ourselves.Don't know...will see.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1225561620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1225561620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/pawelek/5/1225561620/tpod.html Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:34:35 -0400 The Desert Beckons

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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

After 4 1/2 days on the road, hauling a 21 foot Uhaul and our Jeep, from St. Pete to L.V. with Jose Luis driving 99.9% of the time, we made it in one piece.Tango and Cassis (our dogs) were the most well-behaved with the droning of the road, lulling them to sleep.The last hour must have been the most harrowing.Boulder City's 17% road pitch almost had us driving backwards and although the speed limit was 55 mph, we were going at a 25 mph pace.Next the Hoover Dam------ the Slalom reminded us of the Grand Prix of Monte Carlo and since nobody could pass us on the one lane stretch of road along the Dam, we made hundreds of enemies, as they trailed behind us. Hopefully they did not write down our license plate to track us down at a later timeWe make it to Las Vegas.As we start our search for a home, we will keep you all informed. for now we are staying at a pet friendly extended stay hotel, a block from The Rio.
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Williams, Arizona, United States

As we leave N.M and heat through Arizona, we will spend our last night just outside of Williams Arizona. Could probably have pushed our way to Las Vegas, but 8 hours of driving will suffice today. We will leave the last 4 1/2 hours to tomorrow.
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Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Thank goodness we choose a hotel North of Dallas, so that we did not have to face the early morning rush hour traffic. We headed through Oklahoma, a small stretch of Texas and ready to spend the night in New Mexico, in a tiny town, dry (no alcohol). Dinner was a fried chicken breast with soft creamy green beans and creamed corn for me with a glass of iced tea. Jose Luis had the ribs with creamy scalloped potato and cream spinach (Is there a dairy farm around?). Woe be our stomachs.
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