One of the hardest parts about visiting Las Vegas is knowing we can't see everyone we'd like to. We once tried to fit in too many visits and ended up rushing from place to place without really getting quality time with anyone.
Now we try to keep things simple and spend meaningful time with one or two people each trip. To those we missed this time, please know it wasn't intentional--we hope to catch up on our next visit.
This time around we stayed with Cora Lyn and Steven, along with their two pups, Bo and Lily. Of course, we had a bit of an ulterior motive for staying with them: they were Ira's first ballroom dance instructors. Remember those dance shoes we bought in Edmonton and our dream of dancing the Viennese waltz in Vienna? Well, this trip we were taking another step toward that goal.
Thankfully, the Nevada State court system cooperated and informed Ira that his services were not needed--though his jury duty obligation had been fulfilled. Yay! Suddenly our schedule was wide open.
We took two lessons from Cora Lyn, who is very technical and focused on teaching us the precise footwork for the basic steps. The next day we took two more lessons with Stephen, whose style leans more toward the feeling and mechanics of the movement. Their approaches were quite different, but together they worked beautifully. By the end of it we were dancing the Viennese waltz to tempo--albeit for only about 45 seconds. But you have to start somewhere!
We were thrilled with our progress and promised ourselves we'd find somewhere in Italy to continue the work we'd started.
Beau and Lily
After the dance lessons, Ira picked up some work with our old club, the Las Vegas Bonsai Society. For those who don't know, we both joined the club in 2012 and Ira served as president from 2015 until we moved to Oregon in 2022. We both invested a lot of time and energy helping build the club into what it is today, so it felt especially nice for Ira to return--this time as a professional--and be paid for his efforts.
He had two full days work scheduled. The first was a private session with Josh, the current president, who had a large juniper forest planting that needed pruning and styling. I left the jeep in the "before" photo to give you an idea of the scale--it was a massive composition. Ira spent about ten hours working on it...a very long day. But the client was happy, which is what matters most.
Juniper forest - before
Juniper forest - after
The next day was another full schedule. In the morning Ira did a demonstration, and in the afternoon he ran a workshop. Both were held at the home of one of the members, who also happened to have the cutest little Pomeranian that completely fell for Ira. You'd never guess she was 15 years old--she still had plenty of pep in her step.
The demonstration tree was a pomegranate, that coincidentally, used to belong to Ira before we moved. I think he secretly enjoyed working on it again. He repotted the tree, lower in the new pot, adjusted the angle, and did some pruning and styling--a pretty ambitious scope for a morning-only demo.
Pomegranate - before
Pomegranate - after
He barely had time to wolf down a slice of pizza before workshop attendees were lining up for help over the next four and a half hours. It was a long day, but everyone made great progress on their trees and left happy.
Afterward, Ira decided it might be time to raise his fees. Hallelujah! I've always thought he was undercharging--now we finally agree.
So what was I doing while Ira was working?
Kimber and Rebecca heard we'd be in Las Vegas and decided they'd had quiet enough of the wet, cold Seattle winter. They hopped on a plane in search of sunshine, and I was able to join them for a lovely visit.
Thanks to Rebecca's reconnaissance, we ended up having a memorable dinner at Bazaar Meat by José Andrés. He's also the founder of World Central Kitchen, which provides meals in disaster zones. Our friend RC actually volunteered at one of their kitchens in Ukraine when the war first began.
The meal itself was extraordinary--beautifully prepared and incredibly creative.
My Manhattan and Croquetas de Pollo (chicken bechamel fritters)
Top: Not Your Everyday Caprese Salad
(Cherry tomatoes, liquid mozzarella, pesto)
Below: Onion Soup Cappuccino
A5 "Philly Cheesesteak"
(airbread, cheddar, wagyu beef)
Corn Cotton Candy Foie Gras
Wagyu/Black Angus from Rosewood, Texas
Jasper Roasted Leeks
Winter truffle, hazelnut, goat cheese
Brown butter cauliflower
Egg yolk emulsion, idiazabal crisp, lemon, fresh herbs
Hazelnut Mousse dessert
It was one of those meals that leaves you with bittersweet feelings. On the one hand, I deeply appreciated the artistry involved--every bite was exquisite. On the other hand, meals like this, together in Las Vegas, always remind us of our dear friend Jacqueline. The food--especially the steak dinners--was always her favorite part of our annual girls' trips.
So I chose to focus on the good: good food, good friends, and good memories.
Before long it was time to head back to San Diego, with a quick pitstop in Sierra Madre. Apparently Ira may have left his boots behind at Steve's house the last time we visited.
Ciao ciao!
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