Month: November 2006

Back from Las Vegas

Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower

Originally uploaded by Ken Dyck.

We returned from Las Vegas yesterday. Photos here and here.
The highlights:

  1. Love, the Cirque de Soleil show based on the music of the Beatles, was one of the most magical experiences of my life. Highly recommended.
  2. I wasn’t expecting much, but the Fountains of Bellagio impressed me.
  3. The Cheesecake Factory makes a great sandwich. Wish they’d come to Canada.
  4. Red Rock Canyon is a landscape unlike anything in southwestern Ontario. Check out our photos.
  5. All the architecture along the strip is over the top. Check out our photos.

The lowlights:

  1. There are four things to do in Vegas: drink, gamble, pay for sex, or shop. If you aren’t especially interested in any of them, you are likely to get pretty bored pretty fast.
  2. Sirens of TI, the free live show put on by Treasure Island, was far and away the cheesiest thing we saw in Vegas. And that’s coming from somebody who saw the Fall of Atlantis.
  3. Timeshare hucksters were everywhere; the scourge of Vegas.

Leaving for Las Vegas

Mandy and I are heading to Vegas for the weekend. Neither of us have ever been there.

Neither of us are much on gambling. Mandy doesn’t expect to spend any time in the casinos at all. If I happen to do any wagering at all, it’ll be solely for the entertainment value. I expect anything I bet to go directly into the pockets of the casino operators. You might as well tatoo the word ‘fish’ on my forehead.

The main reason for going is to catch a Cirque du Soleil show: Love. It is set to the music of the Beatles, and in our household the combination of Cirque du Soleil and Beatles music is simply irresistible.
This will be the first time I’ve seen a live performance by the company. If the video clips I’ve seen are any indication it should be spectacular.

Expect some photos when we return.

How to patch a hole in drywall

Patching a hole in the drywall - part iPatching a hole in the drywall - part ii

Here’s a tip for patching a moderate-sized hole in your drywall. I used this technique to patch a hole left behind by a toilet paper dispenser in our powder room.

  1. Cut a piece of wood large enough to span the hole, but narrow enough that you can still hold on to it. I used some oriented strand board I had kicking around, but plywood or 1x strapping would probably work just as well.
  2. Before placing the wood inside the wall, hold the wood over the hole where you’d like it to be positioned. Mark the wall at the where the board ends so you know where to start the screws. Mark the board where it overlaps the hole so you know where to hold the board so it lines up with the marks on the wall.
  3. Place the board in the wall, holding it so the marks on the board line up with the edge of the hole. Screw through the drywall into the backer board.
  4. Cut out a piece of drywall that fits in the hole.
  5. Screw it to the backer board.
  6. Apply a deep-crack filler around the edge of the patch with a putty knife. This may take several coats to get it smooth.
  7. Sand the wall smooth.