The anniversary weekend

Sometime late last week, I think on Thursday, I had already started working and B was trying to get started but suddenly had a weird Windows error pop up on his computer. It said something about a conflict with a computer on the network, so he asked me if I was having any problems. Just a minute after that, while B was resetting the modem and trying some other things, I got the same error about a network conflict, so I looked at our router management thing and guess what? Yet again, we had a computer named Scott on our network and I wasn't able to connect via our secure network anymore.

B once again created a new wireless network with a new password, which fixed the problem temporarily, but he decided he'd had enough of this and that we were going to get a big-ass networking cable to physically connect our computers as soon as possible. We made a stop at Staples on our way home from Vegas on Monday to get one and the guy working there said we should report this to the police because it's illegal to log onto someone's secure wireless network. What really blows my mind is that he's now done it three or four times and he's had to crack our password each time. I've done some reading about it, and apparently it's easy to get software to accomplish this. There's no way he's getting on our network anymore because B has turned off the wireless signal from our modem, so this should be the end of it.

So Sunday morning we left for Las Vegas around 10:00 a.m. and got there around 11:30, I think. Of course, by the time we actually got to where we were going on the strip, parked the car and got inside, it was closer to 12:00, I'm sure. We initially went to the Fashion Show Mall on the strip because we wanted to go to the bath & body stores there and also check out the department stores for possible new bedding. We didn't find anything we liked for the bed, but we did get some goodies from The Body Shop and we ate lunch in the food court there. We drove around and around the parking gargage looking for an empty spot, because it was packed, but we ended up getting a great spot right next to an entrance to the mall, so that was nice. While we were there, we were up on the second level and I noticed that something was going on down on the first level, so we stopped to watch from above. There was a runway and it looked like they were going to have a fashion show, but we couldn't see any models anywhere, so B said, "I'm expecting them to come out of the floor or something like Ayumi does at her concerts," and a second later part of the floor started to rise up and underneath was a room with the models standing inside. That was pretty wild. After it rose up completely, the models walked out onto the catwalk and then went back into the room to change into their various outfits between trips down the catwalk.

We ended up driving over to Sephora after that because B wanted some things that he wasn't able to find at the mall. I got a few things, B found what he wanted and he got a butt load of free samples - all kinds of lotions, creams, perfumes and body washes. Then I got two more free samples when I checked out because I'm part of their club or whatever that I signed up for when I was there last year. Whoo hoo! I love that place.

After that we went to the Bellagio to pick up our tickets for "O." There was a long line of people waiting for stand-by tickets, but we just walked up, grabbed our tickets and were done. We debated about whether to just hang around there until it was time for the show or try to go over to Excaliber and check in first. We really wanted to go check in, but we knew it was going to take us a while just to drive up the strip, find a place to park, get checked in and get something to eat before we had to be back for the show. So we decided to go for it and go over to Excaliber. Fortunately we were able to get all that done and get back over to Bellagio in plenty of time. We had a nicer room at Excaliber than usual. The bathroom was nicer and there was a big flatscreen TV on the wall. That was unexpected.

So we saw "O" and then dragged our butts back to Excaliber for the night. Our feet were killing us because we're not used to being on our feet that much after working at home like we do. I have to say I was disappointed by "O" and so was B. It wasn't as good as "Ka," which we saw back in 2005. Not that "O" was terrible, but I guess we were expecting something as good or better than "Ka," and it was neither. Oh, well. I think we would've liked it much better had we not seen "Ka" first.

The next day we were going to maybe do some more shopping or walk around on the strip or something, but we were still pooped from the day before. Mentally, I wanted to stay and have more fun, but physically I just wanted to go home and relax. We both had to work the next day, so we decided to head home after breakfast. For some reason, the traffic coming back was way heavier than going there, especially around Hoover Dam. They have security checkpoints there and you don't have to stop (usually), but you do have to slow way down, so that probably added an extra half hour onto the drive, but truthfully I didn't mind so much. Maybe if I would've been driving I would. :) But I enjoyed seeing Hoover Dam again. They're still working on the big overpass/bypass there and it looks like not much progress has been made since we were there last year.

When we got home, we had a card from my mom and stepdad for our anniversary and they included a check for $400. Mom said half the money was for Christmas and half was for a housewarming gift (because she didn't send anything for Christmas last year). So then of course, I felt bad because I flaked out on Mother's Day this year and didn't send her anything. I did email her and thank her for the check and told her we're planning to use the money to landscape our yard. We got those rose bushes in, but we haven't done anything else. Maybe we can pay someone to come take care of the gravel and stuff for us.

It got kind of cold here for a while last week. We had the AC on, and then suddenly it was cold and we had to turn the heat back on. It really stunk because we were enjoying taking bike rides in the evening, but it got too cold for that. It was too cold in Vegas for me to wear the outfit I bought for the trip, too. It's warmed up this week, though. The lizards have come back out from wherever they were hiding and are slithering around the yard again. I'm still seeing tons of rabbits and birds around. I wonder if they'll be around all year?