REMODELING

We started a major remodeling project at our business last month.  First we demoed our mechanic shop and turned that into a pump shop/warehouse. Then we gutted our oldest warehouse and turn it into the main small parts warehouse. The space where I’m getting a new office/server room/storage room had small parts and racks in it. We cut out the back wall to get all that out and currently we’re waiting on drywall finishing for that area. Two new offices, for my brother and niece, are going into the featured image. We gutted that out today.

I’ve been very busy lately. Sometimes working 7 days a week. It’s great fun but stressful and tiring. I don’t think my folks are enjoying it as much, not being their first foray into large renovations.

NEW YEARS DAY

Jerry and I were both dragging this morning. Glad I tacked on that extra day now. He didn’t hang out too long before he was headed back to Delaware to work on Sunday. I went down to the gym and knocked out my 2 miles then back to the room for a shower and to get ready for the day. I had no real plans; just figured I’d head back to Caesars and perhaps see if Carluccio’s Pizza in Bally’s was serving that fresh mozzarella and Roma tomato pizza.

I ended up at Tun Tavern for a light lunch then went back to the room to work on my blog posts for this past week. After about 3 hours I got that all done and had the maid in to clean the room and make the beds. Which reminds me to mention take care of the people that take care of you. I’m not talking about your family & friends. I’m talking about the person that pumps your gas, your waiter/waitress, maid/cleaning people, the person that takes your carry-out order or makes your food, etc.

I ended up leaving the hotel around 4:30pm. I arrived at Caesars and went to Gordon Ramsay’s for an early dinner. I had a Braised Short Rib with Wild Mushroom Ragout, Peas, Carrots, Pomme Frites, & Braising Jus. For dessert I had toffee “pudding” which was more of a cake-like consistency, a little pot of liquid toffee to dump on top of it, and vanilla ice cream on the side. It was so good.

I got a text from that fellow I met at Ramsay’s bar on Tuesday asking me if I was still around and I responded that I was ironically at the same bar that we met at before. A few minutes later Will shows up saying he was just down the way in the Laurel Lounge, an area for reserved for more prominent casino customers. He had a table held and I went to meet him after dinner. We sat, drank, watched football and chatted for a time.

We ended up paling around the rest of the night. Gambling some, drinking, and conversing about all kinds of topics.

I called it night around 3am and headed off to the hotel, parting ways with Will. Have to get up with that guy again sometime.

NEW YEARS EVE

I woke up before Jerry and hit the gym to get that out of the way. When I got back to the room Jerry was up and starting to move around. I grabbed a shower and eventually we made it down to Tun Tavern for a late lunch of beers and nachos. On the way back to the room I tacked on Saturday to my reservation because I decided I didn’t want to leave on New Years Day.

Our dinner reservations at Cuba Libre were for 5:30pm and we arrived at the Tropicana around 4:30pm. We window shopped a bit, drank a couple beers while waiting.

The hostess seated us upstairs and I can’t say I was impressed by the amount of loafing some of the staff was doing. I get it, its New Years, but time theft is time theft any time. I will always look at things through business owners eyes.

The food was good but not on the same caliber as the previous 2 nights dinners.

After dinner we hit the slots for a bit. Then caught the tail end of the fireworks show. We posted up at a bar for a few drinks before making our way to Kiss Kiss. We had open bar wristbands with free champagne at midnight. Admittedly, I haven’t been in a nightclub in a while but it wasn’t so long that didn’t recognize the music they were playing.

Everyone was pretty cool the whole night even though at times it was asshole to elbow packed.

About 1am we left Kiss Kiss looking for munchies and beers. We hit the marketplace and grabbed some sandwiches, beers, then a pizza we ate half of. I think we finally left around 3am and the Tropicana was still poppin’ off.

IZAKAYA

I arose around 10am and went directly to the gym as I wanted to knock out my miles before Jerry arrived. I returned to the room, showered, and headed down to Tun Tavern for lunch. Jerry called, said he was arriving, and I said I’d meet him at the room.

Jerry got settled in and we went out to Caesars for lunch and some gambling. After, we came back to the hotel to get ready for Izakaya dinner reservations at 6pm in the Borgata.

We arrived a bit early at the Borgata and did some gambling before dinner. Dinner was fantastic. We choose the Chef’s Selection which is a 4-course pre-selected menu served home-style. Pictured in the featured image is our 3rd course items: Soy Glazed Salmon, Karaage “Hot” Fried Chicken, Brussel Sprouts, and Shrimp Fried Rice.

After dinner we gambled a bit more and called it a night.