2010

Finally, this year is coming to end. I've stayed off my blog most of the year, due mostly to some turmoil between myself and my parents. I didn't want to pop off and say something to damage the relationship even more. I'm not really sure where that relationship is going, but I've been urged by a few to write, so I'm coming back here to write about this fat kids world. If I feel like writing about that situation and it ends up making things worse, I'll just have to deal with it when it does. It's been a long, trying year and I've been through and seen very much. Some very important people in my life passed away, my wife and I finally got pregnant, and some other trials and tribulations happened along the journey. I'll be on to recap some of the highlights and some of the lowlights, either way I am back. I have so much hope for 2011 and I promise I'll be on here much more to keep all three of you updated. Stay tuned, Lucille Joy Mabey is scheduled to join my world on 1/3/11. Those of you who know me, understand why that date is pretty cool. Perhaps I'll have to change the blog title to Rants of a Fat Dad?

Feeling odd

2010 has been a roller coaster year. Many down moments filled with incredible highs mixed in. It's left me feeling rather odd. We've found out we are pregnant (major high) and most of my thoughts have been on this. I'm sure most of them are the normal "oh my god, I'm going to be a parent" thoughts that first time parents have. I've also been thinking about getting a bigger home to raise my daughter, wife, and many pets. I've been thinking about my job and wondering if the pay is worth the time lost at home. I've been thinking about my family, wondering why things are they way they are (major low).

My work schedule has left me feeling tired and alone. I work 11-9 five days a week. It's pretty much a day killer. It doesn't leave me much time to visit friends, spend time with the wife, actually be productive around the house, or enjoy my down time. By the time Jill and I have dinner, it's usually time for her to go to bed, and then I have to occupy my time with Netflix, the Internet, or my Xbox.

Oh Xbox. Where has the love gone? Sure I still play it, too much I'm sure. However, I'm just not having much fun doing it. Maybe the quality of games are lacking, or perhaps I'm growing out of it? Who knows? What I do know is that I seem to be having less fun not only on my Xbox, but with life in general.

Now let me clarify that before my three readers think I'm depressed. I'm actually very happy and am looking forward to Lucy being born. But the little things that used to bring me joy, just aren't cutting it lately. I haven't really been listening to music, I've mentioned my Xbox, and the Internet is kind of boring me. Maybe I'm just really focused on Lucy, or maybe I am in need of a new adventure.

I don't quite feel blah, or sad. I'm not really myself though. The only way I can think of describing it it so say I feel odd. Hopefully a quick little trip to San Francisco to visit friends will help me feel refreshed. Either way, January 2010 can't come fast enough.

I'm Still Here

I haven't forgotten about my blog. In fact I have plenty of things I want to write about. However, it has been a very crazy, confusing summer. I've had a very difficult time with some members of my family and I knew that if I wrote on my blog while the emotions were raw, I'd write somethings that shouldn't be aired or would hurt feelings. So I've to let myself cool off and I've reflected on all of it. I've decided that you can't change peoples hearts or minds and that I come from a loving, yet stubborn and confused group of well meaning people. No longer am I going to try to make all sides of my family happy. If they want to continue harboring ill will and false ideas about me, and others, so be it. I am a happy person and I will not let them hold me back. I am going to be a father soon and I have too much love inside for Jill and our family to let the other stuff get in the way. I'll always love them all and I will be here, like always when they want to be too. But from here on out, Matt Mabey is back to write his stupid blog for all three of you that look at it!

It's a baby!

So we went to the "girly doctor" as I like to call it, and we had an ultrasound done on Jill. We are only 8 weeks along so we didn't go to find out the babies sex. No, we went to count babies. Since it was taking us a long time to get pregnant, we decided to take fertility pills. One "side-effect" of fertility drugs is that the chances of multiple births take place. I kept telling Jill that if we have more than one kid TLC better give us a reality show because I can't afford that, plus I'd be funner to watch then that crazy Kate lady! Anyhow, thankfully for us there was the only one little heartbeat. I was so happy! The ultrasound helped me get through a bunch of my worries (multiple kids, zero kids, etc...) and I feel much more confident. The dr. said our little "lima bean" had a good, healthy heartbeat. January 9th is the expected due date.

The Fight

So Andrew, Brian, and myself went to Vegas last weekend for the fight. We only got two tickets from the hotel, so Brian and Andrew went to fight and I was on my own. After playing in the casino for a few hours (thanks B & Drew) I ended up buying a ticket for the PPV at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. I had a great time and got to watch my boy Floyd Mayweather defeat Shane Mosley. It was a great time and it was a great experience!

Who's your Daddy?

ME!

After two years of trying, Jill and I are FINALLY pregnant! I am so excited. I've really wanted this for a long time. I'm just trying not to get my hopes up too much until we get further along, since it's taken so long for this to happen. We'll see a doctor around May 24th to check up on things and see if the fertility medicine caused our one baby to be many babies!!! Keep us in your thoughts and send all your good vibes and karma my way!!!! Yay, I'm going to be a DAD! :)

Fight Night

I might be heading back to Vegas sooner than expected. My friend Andrew, might have scored us some tickets to the Floyd Mayweather VS Shane Mosley fight on May 1st.

South Parked myself....

Nightmare!!!

Is it bad that I am excited?

http://nightmareonelmstreet.com/

Baseball

When we were in Phoenix a couple weeks ago we did more then just WrestleMania. We went to some Cactus League baseball games. The Cactus League is a collection of teams from the MLB whom make Phoenix their winter home. They get together and play preseason games to prepare for the regular season. Between Phoenix and Tucson, there are 12 stadiums for the different teams. The Phoenix metro area has 10 alone. This town is definitely a baseball town.

We had a couple friends come down with us on this trip. Brian and Rachel are some good friends and they both are, unfortunately, Cubs fans. But luckily for them, the Cubs call Mesa, Arizona their winter home. So logically we had to go see the Cubs play. We went to Hohokam Stadium to see the Cubs take on the Padres. The game was fun and ended in the 10th inning in a tie. We learned that day that they don't keep playing to win in just a practice game. The stadium was nice, but a bit older as our seats were just bleachers. The best part of the game was that there were MLB legends there signing autographs for charity. Among the ball players was Bill Buckner. For those who don't follow baseball, Mr. Buckner is a hero to all of us Mets fans, and was a villain in Boston, whom he played for, for quite sometime. But instead of me describing it, just watch this clip. So anyhow, I walked right up to Bill Buckner, I was dressed in my David Wright Mets jersey and asked for his autograph. The look on his face was worth the $20 alone.

The next game we made it to was a clash between the Cleveland Indians and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jill selected this game as she grew up rooting for the Dodgers as her father is a die hard fan. The stadium was in a newer area of Phoenix called Goodyear. The stadium, Goodyear Park, is only a year old and is the joint home of the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds. The stadium was much smaller then Hohokam, but was so much nicer. Every employee was beyond nice and really made you feel welcome there. One gentleman at the hotdog stand of all places asked if he could hear about how Jill and I found each other. He said he could really tell we loved each other. The weather was perfect that evening and made for a special night. There is just something about the smell of cut grass, warm evening weather, the sounds of the crowd, the crack of the baseball bat, and being with friends that is hard to describe. There is just something about baseball that makes me relaxed and happy. People who get baseball know what I mean.

Luckily for us, this summer we are going to LA to see my father in laws Los Angeles Dodgers take the field against my New York Mets. In the meantime you will probably find me on my nights off from work at Spring Mobil Ballpark, to watch my Salt Lake Bees, and to enjoy everything that makes baseball, baseball.

WrestleMania and my love for fake fights

Two weeks ago I took a 5 day weekend and drove to Phoenix, Arizona. The purpose? WrestleMania. For those who know me, they know that ever since I was a child I have been hooked on the pageantry of the WWF/WWE. I still remember being a 8 year old boy and arguing with my best friend David, that Wrestling was real. He would tell me how it was fake and stupid, and I would argue that it was real and that Hulk Hogan's fights were legit because he would often bleed. It would be at a house show at the Old Salt Palace that would forever change the way I looked at Wrestling. Brutus the Barber Beefcake would be facing The Honky Tonk Man for the Intercontinental Title. I remember being extra excited for this match as Beefcake was my mothers favorite wrestler. I'm sure it was because of his see-through spandex. Anyhow, during this match Beefcake went to kick Honky right in the chest. Problem was he missed by a good two feet, yet Honky just acted like his chest just caved in. He rolled around in pain and the crowd ate it up. I thought to myself, "Damn it!!! David was right!".

It wasn't long after that match that I stopped watching wrestling. The characters became too cartoon like and other interests came in my life. I played baseball, basketball, and other rec sports. I also fell in love with music and was once again burned by someone pretending to be something they weren't, Milli Vanilli, but that's another blog. It took about another 10 years for me to fall for wrestling, but I did in the summer of 2000.

I became friends with a nice kid named Adam, who worked at Smiths with me. Adam is a very eccentric person and one of his favorite things is Pro Wrestling. He likes it a little too much maybe. If you don't belive me, just look at his High School photos. He liked to lug around a 20 pound replica Heavyweight Championship belt with him. I like wrestling, but not like Adam does! :) But anyhow, Adam asked me to go to a show with him and I agreed. We scored front row tickets and the show was very fun. We saw The Rock, Triple H, and many more attitude era stars. I was hooked again. Which brings me to the present day. I am stuck on this phony fighting. It's my guilty pleasure. I am intrigued by the "art" of pulling off a match. The production of the show, and how two fake fighters can tell a story through choreographed risk. One of my favorite performers is a man named Michael Hickenbottom. Of course he doesn't go by that name, he wrestles as Shawn Michaels, or HBK as some call him. It's short for his nickname, The Heart Break Kid. HBK will go down in this fake sport as one of the top five performers of all-time. Other wrestlers say his matches are so good, he could go out with a mop and make it look like a fight. At this years WrestleMania, he was booked in match he couldn't "win" and placed his career on the line if he lost.

In the world of fake wrestling, Shawn Michaels had booked his retirement match. He was scheduled to fight a man called The Undertaker in a rematch from last years Wrestlemania classic. The twist this year was that if Shawn lost, he would retire. The Undertaker is undefeated at Wrestlemania, and the WWE is going to keep pushing his streak as the ultimate accomplishment in the business. So any "mark" (lingo for wrestling geek that is in the know) knew that Michaels was going to lose and move on. I had to go to the show. I had to see the "Show-Stopper" one more time. I asked Jill if we could go. She laughed at me, but said ok, probably thinking I was just being silly. But then I did it. Booked a hotel and bought two tickets online. Phoenix, here we come.

We invited some friends to come down, who agreed but politly declined to watch the phony fights with us. We had a good time in Phoenix as we went to the Zoo, and to two sping training baseball games, but the highlight for me, and even Jill, was WrestleMania. Over 72,000 fans packed The University of Phoenix Stadium to watch the event. The production value of the show was amazing. Many of the matches were well told, but there were a few stinkers (McMahon VS Hart). But in the main event for the night, HBK would take on the "Dead Man" in another instant classic. The match went back and forth and for 20 minutes it had 72,000 people in attendance and millions around the world on the edge of their seats. We all were caught in the moment and suspended disbelief. Finally, after the Undertaker delivered another devastating tombstone piledriver, Michaels was pinned for his final three count. Fire works shot off, and an 18-0 logo appeared on the jumbo tron. Undertaker did his trademark pose, and then did something out of character. He picked up Shawn Micahels, shook his hand and then they hugged. Shawn Michaels received a huge ovation from the live crowd and thanked everyone. Tears filled his eyes, as it did many in the arena. Jill herself, who thinks wrestling is foolish was moved to tears. In the world of fake wrestling, this moment was very real.

Not very bloggy

So we are growing close to the end of March, and I have a whopping total of one blog posted for the year (minus this one) and it was mainly a recap I wrote ages ago. I haven't felt very inspired to write. It's not that nothing good is happening, because my life is pretty darn sweet right now. I just haven't felt like taking the time to share with you. Not that it's a big deal. I have zero regular readers and maybe a few friends that occasionaly glance in this direction. Perhaps soon I will feel inclined to finish my blog about greatest video games. Maybe I'll write about baseball and the two stadiums I will be visiting soon. Or perhaps about the fact I am going to WrestleMania Sunday. But for now, the spoilers are all I have. Goodnight!

Las Vegas Hotel Review Part 2

View from TI

Back in December of '08 I made a list of my favorite Las Vegas hotels that I have stayed in. Since that post I have stayed in a few more rooms that I hadn't before. So I will repost my original blog but I will add in the reviews of the following hotels, The MGM Grand, New York New York, and Treasure Island.

17. La Concha. I stayed at the La Concha during my many retreats after high school graduation. It would always be a spur of the moment decision to run off to Vegas with a group of friends. We were all minors and this was a rare place on the strip that let you rent a room under 21 and without a credit card. It was a major dive and I swear one room we had was once a murder scene. The trips were well worth it though. The motel has since been demolished for condos.

16. Westward Ho. The reason this room is listed so low is because I don't remember much other then it looked like a brown Motel 6 room. I was only around 9 or 10 when I stayed here so I don't remember it so well, other then I wasn't into the Cowboy theme. This was around the time MC Hammer was rocking my world. Sheesh... This motel has been torn down and is a future site for a McDonalds.

15. The New Frontier. On my honeymoon Jill and I traveled to Disneyland and had bookend stops in Vegas. On the way out we stopped at the Stratosphere, and on the way home we stayed at the New Frontier. The Casino was dingy and dark. It smelt of Cigars from years past. The room had a nice view of the strip, but the bed was hard, the room smelled, and it felt dirty. It did have some old Vegas charm and we laughed at the beer bottle opener built into the marble sink tops. The New Frontier has recently been imploded and a Swiss themed hotel is scheduled to take its place.

14. The Sahara. The ONLY reason I place the Sahara this high is because of the great times we've had watching The Amazing Jonathan performances. He no longer plays here, but he still performs in Vegas and I highly recommend his show! The Casino is ok if you like to gamble. The food is edible, but the rooms here are hands down the worst rooms I have stayed in, in Vegas. The beds are full size, not queen. The doors do not reach the ground so the hall lights shine in. The walls must be made from cardboard as you can hear your neighbors every move. The rooms do not feel clean, and even though they can be the cheapest room on the strip I suggest you pony up the extra couple dollars and stay at the other cheap hotels like The Stratosphere or Circus Circus.

13. Harrah's. I stayed here as a kid and they used to shine green lights at the building at night to make it glow green. I remember these lights being intrusive and interrupting my slumber. They no longer shine these lights however, and the room was clean and nice.

12. Stardust. As a kid, the Stardust was my favorite place. Back when Vegas was about the lights and not the huge buildings and crazy architecture. The Stardust seemed futuristic and the pink and purple lights lit up the night. The rooms were simple, but clean. The Echelon resort is being build on the site the Stardust once stood.

11. Imperial Palace. This hotel/casino has the worst car access from the strip. If you are driving south on the strip it takes forever to turn in. The Casino is small, but fun. The rooms are ok, but have nothing to do with the Asian theme of the resort. The only reason to stay here is the low room prices and the excellent strip location.

10. The Tropicana. The room we had here was a corner room, which are much larger then the standard room. It had a really nice view of the strip. But this room was located in the back tower which took forever to walk to from the hotel lobby. The rooms felt too warm even with the ac on. They also had tacky mirrors on the ceiling. Nothing about this room was really great, but nothing was really wrong either.

9. MGM Grand. As far as a casino and resort, the MGM Grand has it all. It is one of my favorite places to play, dine, and hang out in. They have a lion habitat in the casino with very large lions roaming around. Alright, they mostly just lay around, but it is still awesome nonetheless. But as far as the rooms go, they are clean and comfortable but the walls are paper thin. To make matter worse it seems like the "I'm only in Vegas to get drunk and act like a retard crowd" choose this hotel.

8. NY NY. Like the MGM Grand, I love the casino and theme of this hotel. The restaurants here are all great. There is a little cake shop that Jill and I like to stop by and visit. Every time I go to Vegas I spend a good amount of time in this place. When I got the chance to stay here last May I was very excited. My friend Andrew got free tickets to the Pacquio VS Hatton boxing match and two rooms at the NY NY for free! That trip was so much fun, my brother Keven came down too, and we all had a great time. The room itself was fairly large, but the beds and amenities seemed sub par far the resort and its price class. The pool is probably the worst on the strip.

7. Excalibur. I have a love hate relationship with this casino/hotel. I love the location, the theme, the casino, the restaurants, and I always park here when we go walking the strip. I do not like the rooms or the tiny pool though. The price here has come down in the past few years to make it a good choice, but the rooms are dingy and boring. But the good outweighs the bad here and I'll stay again.

6. Circus Circus. The casino here makes you feel lost. The old folks flock here. Kids run ramped here as their parents take them to the free circus shows and for the midway games. The buffet is weak and forgettable. But surprisingly the rooms in this old casino are nice. They have an old motel like building in the back, but I have never stayed there. I have stayed in the standard and upgraded rooms here and have not been disappointed. They have been remodeling the rooms too and though I haven't stayed in the new ones, I look forward to it as they look really nice. The theme park here can be fun. The Steakhouse is excellent and it is where Jill and I had our first dinner as husband and wife.

5. El Cortez. This place is located in old Las Vegas, just off Fremont Street. The Casino is small, but fun. It has the old Mafia feel too it. The main hotel is one of the oldest still standing in Vegas. They also have a tower that was built in the 70's. Jill and I stay in the tower rooms when we go. They are very large and clean. They have antique furniture and good views of Vegas. My brother stayed in the old portion and swears it was haunted and didn't sleep much. I love the old school charm of this place and want to stay again.

4. The Stratosphere. This place is my safe bet. I've stayed here many times because of the cheap prices, clean yet simple rooms, fun casino, good shows, and of course the Tower. Nothing about this place is mind blowing, but it has never let me down. I love the Tower and seeing the Vegas lights from 1,149 ft in the sky. The rides at the top are excellent, if not down right scary. The shows we've seen here are fun and between the mall and casino, there is always somewhere to go. If you want to do Vegas for cheap, yet still fun, I highly recommend this place.

3. The Luxor. My favorite themed casino/hotel. The Egyptian motif is fun, and staying in the pyramid hotel is so fun. We stayed 20-something stories up and the view from inside is just amazing. I suggest that everyone stay in the pyramid once. The casino is great, the food is awesome as Fusha is one of my favorite restaurants. The show here are great. The Imax theater and arcade are fun. Nothing bad to say about this place at all. PS- Chris Angel... UPDATE - Since I first wrote my review of the Luxor, Jill and I stayed here again. After we booked a pyramid room, they told us at check in that they only had tower rooms, and that they would give us the "free" upgrade for their error. The upgrade, was anything but an upgrade. They Luxor doesn't have the best amenities or beds, so this room as just a standard hotel room. Being in the pyramid is really what makes this place fun. Also, Fusha is closed now and sits vacant....

2. Treasure Island. We always visit the casino when we are here. We have even seen Mystere here a few times. But until a couple weeks ago, Jill and I had never stayed in the hotel. When we first got there I thought this place was going to be a nightmare. When we checked in there were about three employees checking in about sixty people in line. After the wait to check in, which was faster then expected, I was hit with a $20 a day resort fee that they tack on top of your room rate. I was SO MAD. But then as soon as Jill and I made it to the room, everything got better. We were 27 floors up, with a strip view. This view also gave us a perfect look at the Siren Pirate show they do 3 or 4 times a night. The fireworks they shoot off would pass by our floor to ceiling windows nightly. It was so cool. The bed in this hotel was probably the nicest bed I have slept in, in Vegas. It was so relaxing. The air conditioning unit was perfect. The walls were solid and the hotel was rather quiet. It was too cold to visit the pool, but everything else about this hotel was almost perfect. I would recommend this place to all, but warn of the resort charge!

1. Trump International. This place is soooo nice. There is no casino here, just a top of the line hotel. Everything here is over the top fancy. The beds are so comfortable. The bathroom is as large as most Vegas hotel rooms. The mirror in the bathroom has a TV behind the glass. The tub is a huge jacuzzi. They give you slippers and robes. Plasma TVs here. Books to read. Amazing views. Excellent furniture. Everything is mind blowing. The only drawback is you have to pay for parking everyday. If you can afford to go stay here. The only reason I got to stay here is because of a sweet deal on hotwire.com and splitting the cost with a friend.