I am Lars Vargas

Blog

  • OK, so I took a week off…

    I love writing this site. And I appreciate the feedback from my friends and family who visit. I kind of wish more people would visit and leave comments, but I’ll get to that in a minute.

    Unfortunately, real life sometimes gets in the way of sharing bits and pieces of your life online. I have a full time job and also to a little side work here and there when I can. Doing that, along with being married, simply takes up a lot of time. The lovely Mrs. Vargas and I realized how crazy busy we are. We’re happy and all, but when you come to the realization that you live in one of the entertainment capitols of the world and haven’t’ been to a single show since you moved here, it serves as a wake-up call that maybe it’s time to either throttle back a bit or learn some time management skills. (more…)

  • Happy New Year!

    2005 was a year of change in the Vargas household. Most of it was good, and we’re better off at the end of the year than when it started. We hope the same is true for you.

    May 2006 be a year of health, happiness and prosperity for you and yours! Happy New Year from the Vargases.

    Lars, Mrs. Vargas, and Luella

  • Merry Christmas from the Vargases

    Christmas brings up so many fond memories of turkeys at Grandma’s, her special stuffing, presents, and happy family times. Memories of snow, cold, and even some bad weather. So many wonderful memories, and too many to mention here.

    To me, Christmas simply means joy. I cannot think about Christmas without smiling.

    Mrs. Vargas and I are spending our Christmas at our new home in Las Vegas with Luella the cat. We will roast a turkey breast and have a few other goodies, but nothing complicated or crazy. While we won’t be with our families and friends, you will be in our hearts as we celebrate, and remembered with love.

    Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family.

  • A Hot New Casino Opening. Sort of.

    There are two types of casinos in Las Vegas. The first ones are the ones that most people think of: the famous ones on The Strip. Names like Luxor, Bellagio, Paris, Monte Carlo, and Caesar’s Palace come to mind. The others are the “local” casinos. These are smaller and less flashy. They are also located in areas where people live and dot the landscape around the Las Vegas valley. Two of the larger local casino companies are Station Casinos and Coast Casinos. Coast Casinos recently opened a new casino called the South Coast.

    When the South Coast Casino had their grand opening celebration, Mrs. Vargas and I thought it would be fun to go. Neither of us had ever been to a casino grand opening, and with rumors of the slots being really loose during the first few days, we couldn’t resist. To further pique our interest, the local news had been talking about it for a week and it was being advertised in plenty of places. Las Vegas likes a casino opening. (more…)

  • Feeling Testy? Try Doing What I Did

    If you are a member of my family (this means you, Special K) you might want to stop reading right now. This is the follow-up story to Analyze this: a test you can’t study for. If you continue reading, you have been warned.

    If you read the story linked above, you know I had some fertility testing done a while back. And as revealed in that story, my output wasn’t the greatest. Not only was the sperm volume very low (duh!) so was the count (duh again!). This double whammy of having not only too few swimmers but a shallow pool necessitated a trip to a specialist to make sure that my plumbing was capable of proper baby-producing output.

    Seeing the specialist is no problem at all. I’ve seen enough doctors over the years to not make much of a deal of it any more. Some of the tests, however, are troublesome. I had to go for a testicular ultrasound. (more…)

  • Tonopah Restaurant – Good Eats in the Middle of The Desert

    Banc Club Restaurant
    Tonopah, NV
    (directions below)

    This review was thoughtfully provided by my good friend Louis. We used to work together, and he is a regular reader of this site. Thanks for the review, Louis, and if anyone else is interested in writing for the site, please get in touch.

    It’s not often that one finds a restaurant that makes you take a second look. But I found one.

    It’s at the Banc Club and it’s in Tonopah. Where in the heck is Tonopah? Tonopah is the approximate half-way point between Reno and Las Vegas. On 95N @ Craig Rd. it’s 200 miles to Tonopah or about 3.5 hours drive. (more…)

  • An open letter to the Lexus drivers of the world

    Dear Fellow Driver:

    Hi there! I’m another driver on the road. Just like you, I’m using the paved conduit to get form point A to point B. I know this may surprise you, since when you paid twice the going price of a Toyota for a Toyota with a badge that looks like a rip-off of the Mercedes-Benz logo, you thought you bought the road as well.

    I also hate to tell you, but the ES300 didn’t remove the stink from your shit. Neither did the LX470, so no smiling over there, OK? (more…)

  • Confessions of a Newly-Minted Starbucks Decaf Regular

    Coffee is one of those things that has always perplexed me. I remember trying it as a kid, the bitterness was unpleasant and it burned my tongue. Why would anyone drink that stuff when there is soda in the world? I’d rather have a Coke. At least that’s how I grew up.

    I pretty much avoided coffee in my youth. I avoided coffee in my 20’s and most of my 30’s as well. I did learn to appreciate the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee, but never quite got around to enjoying the flavor. Even as an ingredient, that coffee flavor would jump right out at me and take over whatever I contained it. Tiramisu was right out. Anything mocha was politely refused entry to my plate.

    So no fan of coffee, I would nonetheless have an occasional chance to stop in a place like Starbucks. If I want a hot beverage, which is rare, I go with tea. If I am at a Starbucks and want a hot beverage, which is even rarer, I also have tea. I like tea. Pretty much any flavor is fine. Regular, herbal, etc., although I try to avoid caffeine, so it’s usually decaf or herbal tea.

    Yet the siren call of coffee keeps me curious. I stare at the Starbucks menu and wonder what riches may lie beneath the carefully encoded words.

    Frankly, the menu at Starbucks perplexes both me and my wife. We go in and watch the customers who know what they want bark off 20-word orders: “Venti double cappuccino with an extra shot, room for cream, and …” my eyes are glazing over. (more…)