VEGAS FIGHTS VEGAS FIGHTS SO NICE I GOTTA SAY IT TWICE!!



WOWSERS, ANOTHER FIGHT NIGHT IN VEGAS, TWO NEW HOTELS, TWO MORE DARN GOOD RESTAURANTS AND A FREE COACH BAG FOR THE MRS!! AFTER A ROUGH WEEK LIFE IS MUY BUENO.


TWO ROUND TRIP TICKETS ON US AIR USING FF MILES.........FREE

THREE NIGHTS HOTEL IN MANDALAY BAY & HARRAHS USING PROMOS.....FREE

TWO GREAT SEATS AT FIGHT NIGHT IN MANDALAY BAY ARENA.......FREE

REAL COACH BAG FOR THE MRS AT HARRAHS.....FREE

WIFE'S TWO SPA MASSAGES, FACIAL ETC..........&%$#@) $380

SEEING DON KING SLIP AND ALMOST FALL OUT OF HIS LIMO......PRICELESS

FIRST LET ME SAY THAT I AM TRULY FORTUNATE & THANKFUL THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GO AND ENJOY THESE TRIPS TO ATTEND A DISPLAY OF THE SWEET SCIENCE IN ACTION. NOW IF I COULD SEE A BASEBALL GAME AND A FIGHT..........

SO I GET THIS NOTICE FROM US SCARE (US AIRWAYS) THAT IF I DO NOT USE OR ACCRUE MILEAGE BY MARCH 07 THAT I WILL LOSE MY ACCRUED MILEAGE! WELL I HAVE NOT FLOWN US AIR IN YEARS? THEN I NOTICE THAT USA SCARE AND AMERICA WORST HAVE MERGED THEIR MILEAGE PROGRAMS! AHH....NOW I CAN USE MILEAGE AND GO TO VEGAS!!! MEANWHILE THE WONDERFUL KRISTIE DIETZEL FROM MANDALAY BAY CALLED TO OFFER UP TWO NIGHTS AND TWO SEATS FOR THE MOSLEY - COLLAZO FIGHT ON FEB 10TH. THIS ALONG WITH THE POSTCARD FROM HARRAH'S OFFERING UP TWO FREE NIGHTS AT THE HOTEL AND A FREE COACH BAG SEALED THE DEAL. I CHECKED WITH THE MRS JIMITHEGREEK AND SHE SAID SURE WHY NOT AND OFF WE WENT!

WE WERE SCHEDULED TO LEAVE AROUND 8PM ON THE NEW US AIR. A COMBINATION OF AMERICA WORST AND US SCARE = US WORST SCARE AIRLINES. BUT NOOOO THE FLIGHT WAS DELAYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND WE LEFT AROUND 10:30 - 11 PM. EVEN THOUGH I MANAGED TO WIGGLE MY REMAINING MILEAGE TO GET US INTO FIRST/BUSINESS CLASS, THEY STILL MANAGED TO SUCK. GET THIS, SINCE WE WERE LATE THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SERVE/SELL ANY FOOD ON THE FLIGHT!!! NOW I AM NOT SAYING I RELISH AIRLINE FOOD AND WE DID EAT GOOD FOOD BEFORE GETTING TO THE FLIGHT BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FOLKS WHO WERE WAITING OR GOT THERE A LITTLE LATE. HEY AIRLINE IDIOT EMPLOYEES, HOW ABOUT AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE CATTLE WAITING TO GET ON THEIR FLIGHT??? IT IS NO WONDER THE VERY NEXT DAY THE CEO OF US AIRWAYS DOUG PARKER WAS ARRESTED UNDER A DUI CHARGE. NO WONDER CREDITORS AT DELTA REFUSED THE DRUNKS BID TO BUY THAT LAME AIRLINE.

NEEDLESS TO SAY WE GOT IN LATE, APPROXIMATELY 1:30 AM LOCAL TIME. WE RUSHED OUT TO GET A CAB AND THE LINE WAS FRIGGIN 2 MILES LONG. APPARENTLY THERE WAS A COUPLE OF BIG CONVENTIONS IN TOWN. ME N THE MRS STARTED ROLLING TO THE LIMO / BUS SIDE TO MAKE A THE DEAL (AS THEY SAY IN NYC) AND WE SAW A HAWKER/HUSTLER OFFERING A RIDE. TWENTY FIVE BUCKAROOS LATER WE WERE AT THE HOTEL. A NICEY NICE HOTEL I MIGHT ADD. THE MANDALAY BAY HOTEL IS A STYLING HOTEL. CHECK IN WAS A BREEZE AND WE WENT UP TO OUR ROOM. THE MRS WENT TO SLEEP AND I WAS ABOUT TO GO TO THE CASINO FOR A LOOK SEE BUT I WANTED TO TAKE A LITTLE REST. SO I WOKE UP ABOUT 7:00AM.... A WINNER! WHICH MEANS I DID NOT GAMBLE OR LOSE ANY MONEY!! I AM AHEAD THE GAME SO FAR! WE WENT O THE SPA /GYM EARLY. AFTER A BRISK WORKOUT I CHECKED OUT THE STEAM ROOM WHICH WAS EUCALPTAMINTY SCENTED. THIS OPENED UP THE SINUSES PRETTY DARN WIDE! VERY REFRESHING AND MADE ME READY FOR A NAP!

THE WIFEY WAS EXCITED BECAUSE SHE SAW SUGAR SHANE MOSLEY AT THE GYM AND KNOW HE HAS A KOREAN WIFE. SHE IS NOW RECOGNIZING FIGHTERS, I HAVE CREATED A MONSTER!!!!

WE THEN WANDERED ABOUT THE HOTEL / CASINO FOR AWHILE AND TOOK SOME TIME TO CHECK OUT SOME OF THE STORE AND THE HOUSE OF BLUES. I GOT EXCITED WHEN I NOTICED RUSSELL PETERS WAS APPEARING BUT ALAS & EGADS, IT WAS THE SAME NIGHT AS THE FIGHTS. WE CHECKED OUT THE RESTAURANTS AND PICKED THE CHINA GRILL FOR DINNER BEFORE THE FIGHTS. YES IT IS A BRANCH / OUTPOST OF THE NEW YORK CHINA GRILL! SO THE WIFEY WENT FOR A SPA TREATMENT AND I DID A LITTLE GAMBLING AND WON A COUPLE OF BUCKAROOS!

I HAD TO GO TO HARRAHS TO CHECK IN AS WE ONLY HAD TWO FREE NIGHTS AT MANDALAY BAY. SO I GO OUTSIDE TO GRAB A TAXI AND LO & BEHOLD WHO DO I SEE? WELL YOU CANT REALLY MISS HIM, IT IS THE ONE & ONLY ORIGINAL KING OF BLING, DON KING GETTING OUT OF A LIMO! WAIT IT GETS BETTER, HE STUMBLES GETTING OUT OF THE LIMO &ALMOST FALLS ON HIS ASS. ONLY HIS POSSE SAVED HIM FROM COMPLETELY FALLING DOWN. IT WAS VERY AMUSING. I HAD A GOOD LAUGH FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES TILL MY CAB ARRIVED! YES IA M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAS UNCONTROLLABLE FITS OF LAUGHTER AT OTHERS MISFORTUNES! ANYWAYS, WENT TO HARRAHS, CHECKED IN TURNED AROUND AND GOT BACK TO THE HOTEL IN TIME TO PICK UP THE TICKETS AND GO TO DINNER. THE MRS TOLD ME ABOUT HER FACIAL AND WAX GLOVES THINGY. I WAS AFRAID TO ASK HOW MUCH IT COST!! ON TO DINNER!

WE GOT TO THE RESTAURANT A LITTLE EARLY AND HAD TO WAIT ABOUT 15 MINUTES. THE WIFEY WAS A LITTLE ANTSY HAVING NOT EATEN ALL DAY AND PROBABLY THE FACIAL THINGY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT? I WAS VERY CLEVER HAVING STOPPED THERE AND TOLD THEM IT WAS OUR SECOND OR THIRD HONEYMOON AND ORDERED A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE TO BE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE AS SOON AS WE SAT DOWN. (BIG POINTS FOR ME!!) WE STARTED OUT WITH THE "CRACKLIN CALAMARI SALAD". THIS WAS A LARGE PORTION TASTY DISH OF LIGHTLY FRIED CALAMARI MIXED IN WITH ORGANIC SALAD MIX & A LIME MISO DRESSING. WE THEN HAD THE LOBSTER PANCAKES WITH MUSHROOMS, CHILI, SCALLIONS & COCONUT MILK. MRS JIMITHEGREEK WAS NOT FOND OF THE PANCAKES ( MORE LIKE CREPES) WHICH MEANT MORE FOR ME!!! THE MAIN DILL WAS A SIZZLING WHOLE FISH AND AN ORDER OF FIVE VEGETABLE FRIED RICE. THE WAS KINDA LIKE A TEMPURA STYLE CUT UP FISH FRY THING. IT WAS PRETTY GOOD BUT NOT WHAT WE EXPECTED. OH, BEFORE I FORGET THIS RESTAURANT HAD THE MOST BIZARRO BATHROOMS. THEY WERE LIKE A BUNCH OF PORT-O-POTTIES ON STEROIDS! THAT IS THE BEST WAY I CAN DESCRIBE THEM. NOW ON TO THE FIGHTS DARN IT!
WE HAD SUPER GREAT, REALLY GOOD, AWESOME, BRILLIANT SEATS FOR THE FIGHTS THANKS TO THE WONDERFUL KAREN DIETZEL!!!

THE FIRST FIGHT WAS A 140 LB MATCH BETWEEN TEXAN "VICIOUS" VIVIAN HARRIS & JUAN "HISPANIC CAUSING PANIC" LAZCANO. THIS FIGHT WAS A PERFUNCTORY SORT WITH AN APPARENT HARRIS WIN. THE PERPLEXING PART OF THE FIGHT WAS REF TONY WEEKS TAKING POINT FROM LAZCANO FOR LOW BLOWS WITHOUT ANY WARNING IN THE 12TH ROUND?? THAT KIND OF SEALED THE DECISION. IT WAS KIND OF COOL TO SEE THE GREAT FREDDIE ROACH WORKING LAZCANO'S CORNER. FOR MORE DETAILS OF THIS FIGHT CHECK OUT BOXING TIMES.

IN THE MAIN EVENT "SUGAR" SHANE MOSLEY PUT ON A BOXING CLINIC CLEARLY DOMINATING A GAME AND MORE THAN CAPABLE NEW YORKER LUIS COLLAZO. MOSLEY LOOKED LIKE HE WAS 25 ISO 35 YEARS OLD. HE WAS QUICKER, FASTER AND CLEARLY OUTBOXED THE MUCH TATTOOED TOUGH LEFTY. COLLAZO MANAGED TO GET A FEW GOOD SHOTS IN AND HE DID MANGED TO THROW OFF MOSLEY WITH HIS UNORTHODOX LEFTY STYLE A COUPLE OF TIME. THE PROBLEM FOR COLLAZO WAS THAT MOSLEY CAME TO FIGHT WITH GREAT FOCUS AND WAS IN TIP TOP SHAPE. HE REALLY PUT ON A BOXING SHOW AND GAVE LESSONS ON HOW TO GIVE RAPID FIRE COMBINATIONS. IT WAS A JOY TO WATCH. FOR MORE DETAILS BOXING TIMES.

ON A SIDE BAR, ME N THE MRS FOUND THE TWO GUYS NEXT TO US WATCHING THE FIGHT VERY AMUSING. THEY WERE SOME LA FELLAS GETTING BLASTED WHILE ENJOYING THE FIGHT. ONE OF THE BOYS WAS DRINKING TWO DRINKS AT A TIME. JAGERMEISTER & JOHNNY WALKER BLACK. ALSO AT RINGSIDE WERE THE DONS OF AMERICAN HAIR DON KING AND DONALD TRUMP. ALL I CAN SAY IS GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!!!

SO AFTER THE FIGHTS THE MRS GOES TO BED AND I AM STILL JUICED FROM THE BOXING SO I GO TO THE CASINO. BIG MISTAKE!! TH LONGER YOU PLAY THE LONGER YOU PAY!!! AFTER A QUICK SPANKING, I WANDER ABOUT DOING A LOOK AROUND. THERE ARE LOTSA OF YOUNGINS OUT PARTYING ABOUT THE VARIOUS BARS IN THE CASINO. I RUN INTO THE GREAT FREDDIE ROACH BY THE BURGER JOINT. HE WAS JUST LOOKING TO GET SOMETHING TO EAT. I JUST TOLD HIM I ADMIRED HIS WORK AND DEDICATION, SHOOK HIS HAND AND WISHED HIM WELL. HE IS REALLY A NICE GUY AND IS SMALLER THAN HE LOOKS ON TV!! ALSO WANDERING ABOUT I SEE HBO BOXING COMMENTATORS JIM LAMPLEY & LARRY MERCHANT IN THE OASIS BAR HAVING A DRINK CHATTING. I JUST SAID HELLO TO THEM AND SHOOK THEIR HANDS. IT WAS KINDA NEAT AS THEY SAY. JUST FRIENDLY REGULAR GUYS. LARRY MERCHANT DOES LOOK LIKE HE IS UP THEIR THE YEARS DEPARTMENT. I DID WONDER WHERE MANNY STEWARD WAS. THE LATER ON THE HOTEL WAS PAGING EMANUEL STEWARD AND I HAD ANOTHER FIT OF LAUGHTER WITH MYSELF. HEY THIS WAS VEGAS NOBODY EVEN NOTICED! AHH ENOUGH EXCITEMENT FOR ME AS I GO TO THE ROOM TO PASS OUT!

THE NEXT DAY WE GET UP EARLY TO GO TO HARRAHS HOTEL. NOW HARRAHS IS A BIT WORN BUT THE PEOPLE THAT WORK THERE ARE VERY FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL. THE SERVICE IS GREAT AND THEY JUST TREAT EVERYONE WELL. I LIKE THE PLACE.

WE GOT THERE PRETTY EARLY AND WENT TO THE GYM. THE MRS WENT FOR A MASSAGE AND I WENT FOR A RUN AND A STEAM. THEY ALSO HAD THE EUCALYPTAMINT STEAM. I GOTTA GET ONE FOR MY SHOWER! WE THEN HAD A LITTLE SNACK AND WENT FOR A WALKABOUT. THIS IS ALL GOOD AS IT KEEPS ME FROM GAMBLING AND SAVES ME MONEY. ( EXCEPT FOR THE FRIGGIN SPA STUFF)


AFTER MUCH WANDERING ABOUT WE ENDED UP AT THE VENETIAN AND DECIDED TO EAT AT A FANTASTIC ITALIAN RESTAURANT NAMED ZEFFIRINO. FIRST WE EACH HAD A $12 DRINK AT THE NIFTY BLUE BAR AT THE AQUAKNOX RESTAURANT. WE LOVE ITALIAN FOOD AND THIS ZEFFIRINO WAS THE REAL DEAL. THE WAITER WAS A REAL ITALIAN McCOY FROM THE OTHER SIDE AS MY DAD USED TO SAY. THEY HAD AN EXTENSIVE WINE LIST BUT I WAS AMAZED THAT MY FAVE LA SCOLCA GAVI WAS NOT ON THE LIST. WHEN I ASKED THE WAITER ABOUT IT HE LOOKED SURPRISED AND IMMEDIATELY ASKED IF I WAS FROM NEW YORK? OKAY I ADMIT I DID GET NERVOUS THERE FOR A MOMENT. HE JUST SAID THAT SINCE HE WAS STUCK IN THE DESERT IN LAS VEGAS ALL THE EAST COAST RESTAURANTS ESPECIALLY IN NYC GET ALL OF THE LA SCOLCA WINES FIRST AND THEY NEVER MAKE OUT WEST. OH WELL, I SAID THAN WE GOT SOME CHAMPAGNE SINCE THE WIFEY REALLY LIKES IT. ( MORE POINTS FOR ME). THE FOOD AND SERVICE WAS AWESOME. WE HAD A BUNCH OF APPETIZERS INCLUDING TUNA TARTAR WITH ONIONS, VINEGAR, OLIVE OIL & BUTTER & BAKED OYSTERS WITH SEASONED BREADCRUMBS WITH CHEESE & WATERCRESS SALAD WITH OLIVE OIL, VINEGAR, GARLIC, MINT & SHRIMPS WITH SCALLOPS IN BUTTER, WINE, GARLIC ALL WITH THIS GREAT CRUSTY SEMOLINA BREAD. THE MEAL WAS FINISHED WITH FRESH HOMEMADE CANNOLIS AND SOME ESPRESSO. WE WERE GOOD TO GO.





NEXT DAY OFF TO AIRPORT EARLY. IT TOOK US + ONE HOUR TO GET THRU SECURITY. WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!! AT LEAST FLIGHT WAS ONLY LATE ABOUT 1/2 AN HOUR. IT WAS GOOD TO GET HOME TO THE FRIGGIN FREEZIN NY WEATHER!!!



OH WELL AT LEAST SPRING TRAINING IS HERE AND IN FULL YANKEE GEAR!!