Happy Birthday Fred Pete!

I'm also probably not the best person to speak to the gambling either, because while I do, it's limited to either nickel (or penny, if available) video slots which are silly and entertaining, or as low limit blackjack as I can find, where I am more interested in the people watching and conversations than I am in the game. I never expect to win, and I set very firm limits on how much I can lose before I have to walk away.

eta: Which is not to say I don't enjoy it, just that I'm probably not your typical gambler.

So, I need a new bag. Or at least to start looking around for one. I've been browsing on ebags and feel uninspired - any suggestions?

I just bought this one from Target yesterday: [link] It was kind of an impulse purchase, but I have been needing a new purse, since my everyday purse was getting ragged.

This new one is a little deep, and I'm not used to that, but it has 3 sections, so I can separate my stuff more logically, which cancels out the problem of it being deep. (See, if a handbag is deep and has only one compartment, you have to dig and dig to find what you're looking for. But having 3 sections means that stuff can be divided up across the sections, so there may still be *some* digging, but since everything is separated more neatly, the digging should be minimized.)

(At least, this is how *my* logic [such as it is] works.)

Hot chocolate--Hershey's syrup in milk, nuke, then stir like a mofo. Delicious!

I use the powder Ghirardelli mix for cocoa. When we can't afford that, Quik.

Hershey's syrup in milk, nuke, then stir like a mofo. Delicious!

This is what I get when I order hot chocolate nearest my office, and I just don't like it. Not least of all because of the sweetness.

Does anybody else wanna take all the different hot-chocolate-creating methods, try each and every one of them, then taste them all and compare and contrast and rank them and then taste some more?

Oh, that's Very Cute!

I will look there. (I've looked at Zappos & Bluefly - it's distressing how much money people will pay for really, deeply, ugly bags.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FRED PETE!!!

It helps if you have an appreciation for the cheesy and the over-the-top and the run down. The amount of time we stayed is about my limit...although I could have done with another day in the Golden Nugget pool.

Ohhhh, yeah. I could do with more pool and hot tub time.

It's called vanilla sugar in English, but it's pretty difficult to find in supermarkets here

I make it - I don't use it that much, but it makes an awesome gift for people.

I can't digest milk that well, so I don't have hot cocoa that often. However, I do have Ghirardelli, Scharffenberger, and Mexican-style mixes, since I apparently believe in overkill. Mexican-style is my favorite when I do have it. Spicy chocolate, nomnomnom.

Oh, that's Very Cute!

I will look there. (I've looked at Zappos & Bluefly - it's distressing how much money people will pay for really, deeply, ugly bags.)

That's why I tend to buy bags at Target -- because, much like my effect on my shoes, I'm really hard on handbags, and they get beaten up and wear out too often for me to justify paying more than $30 for them. (As a matter of fact, I hesitated over spending $28 on the one I just bought, because I know it's in for a tough life with me.)

Vegas didn't have that much hold on me—I think I spent 50¢ on the slots while I was there, and that was to give me an excuse to stay in the air-conditioned casino for a while before my hotel room opened up. If there's a next time, I'll make sure my room will be available sooner than 14 hours after my flight arrives.