Greetings from Las Vegas. This is Day 10 of our trip report, covering Thursday, October 21, 1999.
What an ordeal! We are totally exhausted after our day, and yet we spent almost all of it in chairs, sitting at a table.
This was the day we met with our consultant at the Sun City Anthem Design Center. Time is of the essence when we will have to deal long-distance with house matters over the next few months, so we knew that a marathon session was required. We started at 9:00 a.m. and didn't quit until shortly after 5:30 p.m., except for a short lunch break.
Our consultant took us through all the options and upgrade choices one step at a time. We had already settled on cabinet styles and colors, flooring and appliance upgrades a week earlier, which helped the process along somewhat. By the time this day was over, we had selected and priced every possible option there was, from lighting to countertops, from placement of outlets and TV/phone hookups to ceiling fans, from window treatments to sinks, from grout color to insulation. We left a little lighter in the pocketbook; but, though we stayed within the general budget we had in mind, we still face some expenses for home-theater work and custom cabinetry that we'll be commissioning from outside contractors.
For our lunch break we went to Cook On Wok, a Chinese restaurant in the Beltway Plaza on Eastern. We each had luncheon combo plates that included spring rolls, hot & sour soup, steamed rice and an entrée. We shared our respective entrees, sautéed green beans and sesame chicken, and had a very nice lunch for a total of less than $12.00.
After our Sun City Anthem planning session, we drove back toward The Rio, stopping for dinner at the Outback Steakhouse across from Rio on Flamingo. Barbecued shrimp as a shared appetizer; rib eye steak for me, grilled chicken over rice for Roz. A good value for about $38.
Some more of this house stuff to take care of tomorrow, our getaway day.
--Best wishes from David ...in Las Vegas
