Becca & Dusty: January 2005

Lake Tahoe Photo Album

On the shuttle at South Lake Tahoe (from L to R: Paul Cullen, Kelly Karll, Becca DiPersia, Dusty DiPersia, Rick Pollak, Jen Pollak, & Joey Wuamett)

For more pictures from our Ski Trip in Tahoe, please click here: Lake Tahoe Photo Album

Reno Photo Album

At Aunt Freda's House (from L to R: Frank, Aunt Freda, Dusty, Sato & Becca)

To see more pictures from Aunt Freda's, please click here: Reno Photo Album

Las Vegas: entry

Dinner with Joey & Colleen Brewster in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS

January 11, 2005

Back on the road to Vegas, we checked into our hotel early evening and headed straight for the Strip! Our hotel offered a free shuttle, which dropped us off at the lobby of Harrah’s. In hindsight, it would have been all too easy to walk through the casino onto the main Strip, so we opted for the more adventurous route through the dark alley. Opps! After a few wrong turns, we knew we had hit the Strip when we were blinded by the bright, flashing lights! All very impressive, but we would hate to see their electric bill at the end of the month. Ha Ha!!

Our first stop on the Strip was dinner at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. The food, drinks and entertainment were all authentic to the Caribbean-style that we enjoyed back on our honeymoon. In fact, the dinner entertainment included an island-themed show with people walking on extremely high-stilts as Jimmy Buffet played in the back ground on the big screens. We were impressed!

After dinner, we explored the world famous Caesar’s Palace. Joey got off to a good start on the nickel slots with a grand total winning of $5.25!!! Needless to say he left Caesar’s slightly “ahead.”

With Joey’s recent financial upturn, he treated us to a round of frozen mixed drinks at Fat Tuesdays. He even got us the extra dollar shot on top! Stumbling on, we ventured through the shops and restaurants at Caesar’s Palace, where you truly feel as if you are walking the streets of Rome. Caesar’s even goes as far as creating a dome-shaped ceiling with blue skies and white fluffy clouds, you almost forget that you are actually inside a casino.

Trying to leave Caesar’s, or any casino for that matter, can often take several attempts… at least it did for us!!! It can be hard to navigate through the thousands of slots and gambling tables… especially after several “free drinks.” But alas, we found our way out and headed for Paris.

The Paris Casino also had an authentic European feel to it. In fact, we swear we were walking down Champs Elysees. After a few five cent slots, we ventured onward to Bally’s, etc.

We capped off the evening with one more round of drinks and a slice of Margarita pizza for Becca.

January 12, 2005

We started our day with the thrilling Manhattan Roller Coaster Express at New York, New York Casino. What a rush! After the roller coaster, it was off to the New York, New York’s Arcade. We came across an old-style carnival game that was originally from the Daytona Beach Boardwalk!! We couldn’t pass this one up! Dusty was victorious and won a Patrick doll from the Sponge Bob Square Pants cartoon.

During the day we hit the Excalibur Casino and the Luxor, and then headed back to New York, New York for pizza on Broadway!

Passing through Harrah’s on the way back to the hotel, Becca tried her luck once more and scored! On the last quarter of her dollar, she hit it big and walked away with $125 in pocket. This ended up being our most profitable financial upturn in Vegas .

Later on that evening, we kicked things off at Z Tejas, which was conveniently located next to our hotel. Thanks again Uncle Gus & Aunt Katie for introducing us to these frozen margaritas! From there, we were off to the Luxor to catch the Blue Man Group. If you ever get a chance to check them out, you should! It was awesome. From flying paint to drumming on PVC pipes… it really is hard to put into words. But check it out! Highly recommended.

We ended our evening with a nice sushi dinner at a place recommended by Dusty’s Mom and Steve.

Heading back to the shuttle, we chanced another dollar in the quarter slots, but came up empty handed and a dollar short. Vegas definitely is a town of hit and miss luck!

January 13, 2005

Vegas began to take its toll on us and it ended up being another leisurely start to the day. By noon we were finally ready to check out the Hoover Dam!!! A destination Dusty couldn’t miss! On our drive there, we came across our first, of many, In N’ Out fast food restaurants, where Joey was introduced to his first Animal Style Cheeseburger and said it was “Fantastic!” Joey explained that it was the “best cheeseburger he had ever had in his entire life and looks forward to more as the trip continues.”

Continuing onward, we arrived at the Hoover Dam in the early afternoon. The Hoover Dam truly is an “engineering wonder of the modern world!” Many men sacrificed their lives in order to bring the dessert to life. The entire southwest portion of the United States should be grateful to this turning point in our nation’s history. Dusty would like to extend his personal appreciation to the late President Hoover for showing that men can come together as a team, when lead properly, to accomplish feats that supersede human capabilities.

Later on that evening, we joined our “best friends” Joey & Colleen on Freemont Street, the Old Vegas Strip. We dined on the 24^thfloor of Binions Horseshoe Casino, where we enjoyed “a cheap steak.” The restaurant offered breathtaking views of the downtown Vegas lights. And Joey & Colleen provided refreshing Kirby conversation of everyday Vegas life. It was great seeing you two again!

After dinner it was off to the infamous Golden Nugget Casino, a marvelous hangout of the late, great Sammy Davis, Jr. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any of his luck with the “loose slots.”

Hoover Dam photo album

For more pictures of the Hoover Dam, click here:
Hoover Dam Photo Album

Vegas Photo Photo Album

For more pictures of Las Vegas, click here:
Viva Las Vegas Photo Album

Paradise Valley, Arizona: entry

At Z Tejas with Aunt Katie

January 10, 2005

We took our time in the morning and packed up for our next destination, Paradise Valley, Arizona, the new home of Uncle Gus and Aunt Katie.

The drive to Paradise was uneventful; however, we did have to make one pit stop at a Honda dealership to replace a missing gas cap. The case of the missing gas cap can be added to the list of mysteries of the road. Dusty swore he put the cap back on after each refueling. Perhaps it was those western outlaws that held up the train? If anybody has information regarding the missing / stolen gas cap, please let us know.

After a few hours on the road, and descending nearly 5000 feet into the Phoenix area, we finally arrived at Gus and Katie’s beautiful new house. Sato really loved this stop because he could chase jack rabbits around outside in their big backyard. The lower elevation allowed for much better weather for these weary Floridians. We could finally replace our jeans and jackets with shorts and shirts. The temperature hovered in the upper 60 degrees.

Our first adventure in Paradise Valley was a lunch with Aunt Katie followed by a complete tour of many posh Phoenix area neighborhoods. Considering Aunt Katie is a new resident and realtor in the Phoenix area, she did an incredible job of showing us around the without getting lost, or at least not letting us know about it. One of the highlights of the tour was a crazy looking house decorated with thousands of garage sale antique type items. We give her an A+ for the tour.

Z Tejas was the next stop of choice. Since Uncle Gus could not be there during our stay in Paradise Valley, we drank his favorite Margaritas in his honor. These are not ordinary margaritas, as Z Tejas cuts everybody off after number three. We talked about old times & family stories while in our ‘Happy Place.’ We followed the margaritas up with an excellent dinner cooked by a fantastic chef, Aunt Katie. We give our compliments to the chef for a wonderful, home cooked meal and a nice introduction to an old family drink recipe known as Uncle Artie’s (1/2 shwepps, ½ beer).

We ended the night by looking at old and embarrassing family pictures. Most of these embarrassing pics happened to be of Jim.

January 11, 2005 (morning)

Not to be out down by the dinner the night before, Aunt Katie prepared us a great home cooked breakfast. This is after, of course, her 4:30 am run!!! Can you tell how impressed we are with Aunt Katie. After a filling breakfast, Dusty & Joey said good bye to their “Pre-Sellecks” and officially unveiled “The Selleck” for the first time. What a defining moment!

With the Sellecks in check, we hit the road for Vegas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We would like to take a minute here to thank Aunt Katie for her extremely generous hospitality… if it wasn’t for Hawaii, we just might of moved in with you!

Paradise Valley Photo Album

For pictures of the crazy looking house decorated with thousands of garage sale antique items, click here:
Paradise Valley Photo Album

Grand Canyon: entry

Becca, Dusty & Joey sitting at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon

January 9, 2005

All aboard!

Our day began at 9:30 am, as we boarded the Grand Canyon Railway and headed to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon Railway originated in the early 1900’s providing visitors from around the world a more assessable route to the Grand Canyon. Still in service today, the railway provides visitors with an array of entertainment as they are en route to one of the Seven Wonders of the World. On our way there, we listened to the live music of a guitarist and harmonica player, who really got us rocking and rolling!

We spent the afternoon walking along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. What an amazing experience! The picturesque views are almost indescribable. We were fortunate to see the Grand Canyon after winter snowfall, which accented the various shades of canyon rock and foliage.

More excitement was awaiting us on our train ride home. Although we thoroughly enjoyed our Grand Canyon experience, it seemed one of our fellow train passengers was disappointed with her day at the park. It was too cold, the food wasn’t good, and all she really wanted was a McDonald’s chocolate milkshake. Don’t you just love those people who can find a problem with anything, in particular one of our Seven Wonders of the World. Go figure…

Despite her attempts to bring negativity onto the train, we still managed to have a great time as the crew entertained us with a dancing fiddler that really got the crowd going. After the fiddler wrapped up, we thought we were in for a peaceful ride home. However, our train was boarded by a group of Western outlaws in search of valuables. To our surprise it was all a part of the Grand Canyon Railway’s show … Ha Ha!

We spent the evening at Cruisers Café located on Historic Route 66.

Sedona, Arizona: entry

Red Rock of Sedona, Arizona (a view from our hotel)

January 7, 2005

Leaving the sunny skies of Santa Fe, we drove right into a heavy Sedona snow storm. Driving conditions were extremely poor, but thanks to Dusty’s patience and skillful navigation… we made it safely into Sedona! This was not a simple task, a drive that would normally take about 30 minutes took closer to 2 hours. With such poor visibility, we caught no glimpses of the Red Rock that Sedona is famous for.

Somewhere along this treacherous journey, the windshield cracked. It’s debatable how this occurred: some say it was a small pebble, others argue it was aggressive defrosting. We may never know the truth.

Once we made it to the hotel, we were very happy to hear about the free shuttle service into town. Needless to say, we took advantage of that for diner. Thanks to our driver, Jerry, we made it into town. After a long day of winter driving, you can bet that we spared no expenses by spoiling ourselves a bit at the Cowboy Club and enjoying a great dinner. Thanks, Jerry, for the recommendation!

Later on that evening, Dusty & Becca took Sato out for his evening walk and introduced him to his first snowball fight. With snow flying, the dog that the world once knew as black was completely white covered in snow. Sato had a blast!

January 8, 2005

We awoke to clear skies and were fortunate to see Sedona’s Red Rock on our way out to Williams, Arizona. None of us could believe the breathtaking views and had no idea that Arizona truly is much more than a desert.

Our final destination for the day, Williams, known as the “Gateway to the Grand Canyon,” lies 60 miles south of the Grand Canyon. Once we were checked into our Holiday Inn, we leisurely enjoyed our afternoon walking around the historic downtown district. Unfortunately most of the downtown was still shut down due to the prior heavy snowstorms the week before.

We spent the rest of the evening watching the NFL playoffs.

Williams & Grand Canyon Photo Album

For more pictures of Williams, Arizona, and the Grand Canyon, click here:
Grand Canyon Photo Album

Sedona Photo Album

For more pictures of the Red Rock in Sedona, click here:

Sedona Photo Album

Selleck Update Photos

Joey reveals "The Selleck" 1/12/05

The Pre-Selleck Era has ended, on January 11^th, 2005, Dusty & Joey revealed their “Sellecks.” What do you think, have the ends justified the means?? I suppose time will tell.

Dusty reveals "The Selleck" 1/12/05

Sato Sightings continued...

Sato @ the Nevada Border

Sato has embarked on his Cross Country Tour in an effort to become the Most Famous Sato of all Satos.

Sato never starts small, his first task was to achieve Racial Equality in the South. Here he is at his first stop, Dixie Outfitters deep in the Panhandle of Florida.

(See Dixie Outfitter Pic)

Sato quickly left after being harassed about the color of his fur and made a swift leap for the Alabama border.

(See Alabama Pic)

He then took a moment of silence to commemorate all of our Nation’s fine men & women who have dedicated their lives to preserve our Freedom.

Continuing on his journey and feeling a bit homesick, Sato decided to spend a little bit of time in the Great State of Mississippi, where “it’s like coming home.”

(See Mississippi Pic)

After realizing that Mississippi was definitely not like home, he continued to prance West, like only a Sato can. Once entering the State of Louisiana, he realized that something was missing from his life: Sato had never gone to college. He decided to start off slowly by taking a brief Leadership Seminar at LSU.

(See LSU Pic)

With his newly acquired certificate in Leadership, he decided that it is time to Mess with Texas.

(See Texas Pic)

Once entering the state of Texas, Sato made a phone call to his good friend George W. W invited Sato out to his ranch where the two further discussed Sato’s life long dream of reducing the homeless canine rate in Puerto Rico. After a day long of discussions and playing fetch, W suggested that Sato take a break and visit the “Land of Enchantment.”

With that, Sato made a leap for New Mexico…

(See New Mexico Pic)

While in New Mexico, Sato took in some good R&R with his good friend, Marley.

(See Marley pic below)

But it didn’t take long for the Land of Enchantment to begin to feel like the Land of Entrapment. On the advise of his buddy, Marley, he set forth to explore the Grand Canyon.

So he continued on to the Land of the Rising Sun…

(See Sato @ Arizona border)

Sato found himself in paradise frolicking with jack rabbits by day and sipping margaritas poolside by night. Coming out of his margarita daze he remembered Marley’s advise and set forth to the Grand Canyon. After being robbed of all his valuables by the Western outlaws on the Grand Canyon Railway, Sato knew he needed to replenish his funds and decided to take his chances in Vegas, baby…

(See Sato @ Nevada border)

To be continued…

Cross Country Driving Ticket Count

0 Florida
0 Alabama
0 Mississippi
1 Louisiana, Town of Washington , 77 mph in a 70 mph zone = $125
0 Texas
0 New Mexico
0 Arizona
0 Nevada

Santa Fe: photo album

To see more pics from Santa Fe, please go to the following link:

Santa Fe Photo Album

Santa Fe, New Mexico

From left to right: Joey, Becca, Dusty, Nicole

Santa Fe, New Mexico: entry

January 5, 2005
The skies began to clear as we approached Santa Fe. We took in an amazing view of the high desert. It was nice to leave the dreary weather behind us in Texas.

As we made our way into Santa Fe a little ahead of schedule, our cousin, Nicole, was still off at work. Fortunately, we were greeted by her friendly dog, Marley. Marley and Sato instantly became buddies and we knew right then that this was Sato’s favorite spot thus far.

For our first night in town, Nicole introduced us to an authentic New Mexican restaurant, La Choza. Our food was flavored with traditional red and green hot chile sauce that we washed down with the local Santa Fe Pale Ale. After catching up over dinner, we headed downtown to “The Lantern,” a frequent hangout of Billy the Kid. Live Jazz music was played as we got to know some of Nicole friends. Here we also caught a glimpse of traditional Flamingo dancing, right around the time the “tequila talk” set in. After a couple of shots of tequila, Joey entertained us all with his “sharp” insights and knowledge.

January 6, 2005
We took our time getting up today and made sure to keep ourselves hydrated in our new altitude of 7,500 feet. Once we all finally got going, we hit Guadalupe for brunch. In Santa Fe it doesn’t matter if it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, it is always customary to compliment your meal with red and/or green chile sauce. So we did!

Another interesting fact about Santa Fe is that all the buildings, residential or commercial, are required to reflect an Adobe architecture that the Pueblo tribe has used for centuries. So whether it is Burger King, Target, or a residential neighborhood… it’s all Adobe.

Later on that afternoon, Nicole and Marley thought that Sato might enjoy their local dog park. At first glance, Sato was excited to see a wide open area to run & play. However, he wasn’t expecting to encounter the several local dogs that frequent the park. With his tail between his legs, the locals barked him out of the park. And our suspicions were confirmed once again that Sato is the biggest chicken of all the Satos.

As dinner time rolled around, we headed to La Tomasita for some more New Mexican cuisine. We were accompanied by Heather, another one of Nicole’s friends, who faintly reminded us of Nate-dog from back home. She provided laughter and entertainment for the night. We wrapped up the evening with some games of pool.

Thank you Nicole & Marley for a great time in Santa Fe!!! We will definitely look you both up again.

Selleck Updates

Inspired by the great looks of Tom Selleck, Dusty & Joey will be growing their version of “The Selleck” on our Cross Country trip.

It has gotten off to a rough start (see pics below), but they have assured me that the ends will justify the means.

Dusty's "Selleck" 1/8/05

Joey's "Selleck" 1/8/05

Sato with Marley

Sato @ the Border

Our Wingmen

Joining us on our Cross Country Journey is Becca's brother Joey & our favorite Puerto Rican Sato.

Our Wingmen Joey & Sato

Baton Rouge / New Orleans Entry

January 2, 2005:

After ten hours on the road, we were warmly welcomed by Mike & Barb in Baton Rouge, LA and treated to homemade pizza and ice cold beer. They displayed excellent teamwork while Mike baked delicious smoking hot pizza and Barb skillfully smacked the smoke detector with a damp dish towel. We were thoroughly entertained and impressed. Several beers later we turned in for a good night sleep.

January 3, 2005:

To view our photos from New Orleans, please go to:
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=15ezj4ql.7dxhbvdp&x=1&y=-m9geyy

Mike and Barb’s plan for the day started off with a quick tour of the LSU campus. Much to these Gator’s surprise the campus was filled with many lakes, parks, and large oak trees and presented a nice southern charm. After an hour or so, we had enough of LSU and decided to head for N’awlins.

Before lunch we explored the Uptown / Garden District, home to Tulane and Loyola University, one of Emeril’s original restaurants, Audubon Park, and many historic Victorian homes.

Hunger pains began to set in so we headed for the French Quarter in search of the infamous Muffuleta Po’ boy sold at Central Grocery Co. However, this required finding a parking spot during Sugar Bowl festivities that turned into a fiasco. Eventually we found a spot and enjoyed our first Muffuleta and ice cold Dixie Beer. For those wondering what a Muffuleta consists of it is made with imported salami, ham & cheese, mortedella, and Central Grocers special olive salad served on Italian bread.

After lunch it was time to hit Bourbon Street and experience “New Orleans Most Powerful Drink” the Hand Grenade. This green concoction, discovered and perfected by Tropical Isle will put even the most experienced drinkers on their asses. After leaving Tropical Isle we were momentarily tempted, but managed to bypass Love Acts. This place could be the most disgusting hole in the wall ever established. We headed for Molly’s Pub where we enjoyed another cold beer and regrouped. After Molly’s we straddled the Lavender Line which borders one of the more colorful and flamboyant sections of the French Quarter. Ironically, the Lavender Line is not straight (Ha-Ha).

The streets of the French Quarter were filled with Auburn and Virginia Tech fans preparing for the Sugar Bowl. By preparing, we mean getting really, really drunk and that’s when we ran into Joey’s high school buddy, Ryan who was prime for the big game. We watched the game and called it a night. Thank you, Mike and Barb, these cross country travelers give you guys two thumbs up and will recommend you to all of our friends.

January 4, 2005:

Today was supposed to be a quiet drive to Wichita Falls, but was quickly interrupted by the sirens of Officer Hugh Johnson of Washington, LA. Apparently, it is illegal to supersede the speed limit on Interstate 49. Going 77 mph in a 70 mph zone equals $125.00 US currency and no dinner for Dusty.

January 5, 2004:

Headed for Santa Fe.

The Infamous "Hand Grenade"
Pictured from left to right: Dusty, Joey, Becca, Mike, Barb

Joey's "Selleck" 1/4/04

Dusty's "Selleck" 1/4/05

Congratulations Are In Order....

First and foremost, we would like to extend our warmest Congratulations to the Couple of the Year for making a momentous step towards a committed life together. CONGRATULATIONS PAUL & KELLY ON YOUR PRE-ENGAGEMENT!!!

And we would also like to congratulate our Louisiana hosts Mike & Barb on their recent engagement and upcoming wedding planning! Can’t wait to hear more about the Savannah wedding.