Poblete Family Blog

Back to 2010 Blogs Rewind 2009 As we rewind the year 2009, we look back at many fun times and happy memories with family and friends who we got to spend time with this year. As we come to the end of 2009, we are so thankful that we are all safe and sound, in good health, and are all still active with our Church duties and obligations. 2009 started and ended with the Chargers going the NFL Playoffs. (They did not make it to the Superbowl in 2009 but we Chargers Fans are hoping to be there in 2010.) Like every year, we held many family celebrations and events such as Carole's B-day, Richelle and Patrick's B-Day, Lee and Cecile's Anniversary, Ron's B-Day, Mother's Day, Nico and Kiana's B-Day in San Diego and in Las Vegas, Jay and Desiree's Wedding, Monday Night Football Party, Rollie and Pearlie's Wedding Anniversary, Nevaeh's 4th B-Day, Mamang's 70th B-Day, Ron and Carole's 19th Wedding Anniversary, and Thanksgiving Day. This year the family also took time to take many vacations and trips to set aside quality family time due to everyone's busy day to day schedules. Trips were made not only back and forth from Las Vegas and San Diego but getaways to such places as Mt. Charleston, Mission Bay, Lake Las Vegas, Shelter Island, Neverland Ranch and Southern California Theme Parks, Las Vegas Springs Preserve, Red Rock Canyon, and the big trip to the Philippines with a short stop in Japan, the stay in Manila and and all over the city, the drive to Batangas, the time spent at the beach resort, and alot of sightseeing and shopping throughout. Richelle also took trips this year to Seattle, Dallas, New York, and Chicago. The family once again spent alot of family time going out to enjoy many shows and events. Good times were spend with family and friends at concerts such as Michael McDonald, Babyface, UB40, Keith Sweat with Montell Jordan and Bell Bev Devo, Mellisa Manchester and Imelda Papin, Boyz II Men, Air Supply, Temptations, Vanessa Williams, Journey, Kool and the Gang and The Commodores, Wowowee, and Boyz II Men for a second time featuring Salt-N-Pepa. The family also took advantage to see alot of the Vegas entertainment and events on the Strip such as CES, Le Reve, Blue Man Group, Voices with Lani Misalucha, Rick Thomas Magic and Tigers, Steve Wyrick Magic Show, Matsuri, Carrot Top, Mesmerized, Rex Navarette at the LA Comedy CLub, Pacquiao Cotto Weigh-In, Wowowee Live in Vegas, and Cirque du Soliel's Ka. As we say good bye to 2009, we would like thank everyone for sharing all the good times together and making fun memories to remember for years to come. We wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year and hope to make and enjoy more good times in 2010. Posted on December 31, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe One Last Concert for the Year Since the kids were so into watching the acapella singing competition series "Sing Off" on TV and seeing "Boyz II Men" perform during the final show, Ron got tickets for them to see "Boyz II Men" perform live in concert. Ron and Carole had previously seen them during the summer and now it was the kids turn to see them for themselves. They also brought with them family and friends Jay, Honey, Roxy, Harold, Casey, Anna, and Brianna and gathered at the "Star of the Desert Arena" at the "Buffalo Bills Hotel and Casino" at Primm. Along with "Boyz II Men" was the legendary Grammy Award winning female rap group "Salt-N-Pepa" along with their DJ "Spinderella". But before "Salt-N-Pepa" took the stage, a DJ came out to pump up the crowd playing a remix of old school songs to bring everyone back in the day. The DJ also picked out volunteers from the audience to strut their stuff on the stage and entertain the crowd. After the arena was hyped up, DJ "Spinderella" took over the turntables and brought out "Salt-N-Pepa" to perform all their hits such as "Shake Your Thang", "Let's Talk About Sex", "Whatta Man", Shoop", and "Push It". (Immediately after the concert when arriving home, Nico downloaded all the "Salt-N-Pepa" songs and started playing them in the house.) After "Salt-N-Pepa" finished their set and the stage crew made their final changes to the stage, "Shawn Stockman", "Nathan Morris", and "Wanya Morris" took the stage. (Missing was member Michael McCary who is diagnosed with scoliosis and cannot perform with the group.) "Motownphilly" was definately back again as they performed hits from their old albums "Cooleyhighharmony", "Boyz II Men II", "Evolution", and from their recent albums "The Remedy", "Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA", and a song from their newly released album "Love", performing a cover of the "Goo Goo Dolls" song "Iris". For Nico and Kiana, it was great for them to see and hear the songs of "Boyz II Men" live which they grew up listening to in the Poblete household. Click here to see all the photos from the concert. Once again, it was another great night with family and friends to finish the year 2009 with great music. Posted on December 28, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Happy Turkey Day 2009 Another "Turkey Day" has come and gone. And like every year it was a day to give "thanks" and celebrate by eating, eating, and eating. At "Casa de Poblete - Las Vegas" the deep fryer was brought out and another turkey was deep fried. The turkey came out crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Roast beef, baked ham, corn, mashed potatoes, salad, potatoe bread and pumpkin and sweet potatoe pie completed this year's Thanksgiving Day menu. The schedule of events for the day were eating, watching football, eating, quality time with family and friends, eating, relaxing, eating, watching videos, eating, and then more eating. The "Thanksgiving Day" celebration began with lunch with friends Ely & Khit Dabu and their kids who came over for "Part I" of our Thanksgiving Day Feast. For "Part II", Cousin Jay who unfortunately had to work on "Thanksgiving Day" stopped by for dinner as well as the kids childhood friends Aleck and Victoria. All the turkey eating photos are now available for viewing. We are so thankful "everyday" for being blest with a loving family and wonderful friends. "Happy Thanksgiving to All"...not only on this Thanksgiving Day...but today, yesterday, and tomorrow! Posted on November 28, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Ron & Carole's "19th Year" Wedding Anniversary It's been 19 long years since Ron and Carole took their wedding vows. And like many years in the past when they would come up to Las Vegas for an "Anniversary Getaway", they decided to make another "Staycation" this past weekend and celebrated on the Las Vegas Strip. Ron made arrangements for a royal night's stay at the "Excalibur Hotel and Casino" for his Queen and also made plans for dinner and a show. They decided to see Cirque du Soleil's "KA" at the "MGM Grand Hotel and Casino". And since they were headed to the "MGM Grand", table for two reservations were made at reknowned chef "Wolfgang Puck's Bar and Grill" which was right across from the "KA" Theater. The food was fantastic as they ordered fried calamari for their appetizer and Carole ordering the "Grilled Salmon with Artichoke Puree, Seasonal Vegetables and Herb Sabayon". Ron ordered the "Flat Iron Steak with Maytag Blue Cheese Butter and French Fries" and since they were dining to celebrate their anniversary, a "Chocolate Brownie Bar" (Decadent Brownie Crust, Chocolate Mousse, Raspberry Coulis) with a message written in chocolate which read "Happy Anniversary" was served compliments of the Chef. After dinner they proceeded across the way to the Cirque du Soleil "KA Theater". "KA" is a story of love and conflict where twins get separated when they were young and eventually reunite in the end. The show has the classic cirque acrobatic elements mixed with martial arts, detailed sets and costumes, and a colossal stage with platforms that move and change with each scene. "KA" is definately now one of their favorite shows and is a must see for those visiting Las Vegas. After the show Ron and Carole hung out all night under the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip, only to be joined by the kids the next day to continue the celebration. They spent the day bonding and hanging out at the "Excalibur Hotel" browsing through the shoppes at the "Castle Walk" and stuffing themselves at the "Roundtable All You Can Eat Feast Buffet". To finish their weekend of celebrating their anniversary, Ron and Carole made reservation to dine at the "Texas de Brazil" Churrascaria Brazilian Steakhouse at the "Town Square Mall". "Gauchos" or South American cowboys come to your table with sword-like skewers and carve various meats that have been slowly roasted over an open pit. The perfectly seasoned cuts of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and Brazilian sausage was so delicious and just melts in your mouth. The restaurant also has a 50-60 item salad area including appetizers, soup, salads, and side items. House baked Brazilian cheese bread as well as their signature grilled cinnamon bananas were also served. If you are a meat lover, this restaurant is the place for you. Check out all anniversary celebration photos and many thanks to those who took the time to send "Anniversary Greetings" through phone calls, emails, text messages, and messages on Facebook. Posted on November 25, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Mamang's 70th Birthday Earlier this month, Ron, Carole, and the kids traveled down to San Diego once again and joined the rest of the family in celebrating Carole's Mom's "70th Birthday". It was a surprise party which was held in the clubhouse at the Winding Walk Rec Center. Not only was it a birthday celebration for Carole's Mom but it was also Ellen's birthday (Carole's sister) as well as their Mom & Dad's Wedding Anniversary. The theme of the party was a "Mexican Fiesta". Some of the family and friends came dressed in their mexican attire and sombreros filled with nacho chips were decorated throughout at each table. The menu consisted of authentic mexican food such as taquitos, fajitas, enchiladas, nachos, tortillas, guacamole, rice and refried beans and much more. Check out all the mexican fiesta birthday photos from the party and "Happy 70th Birthday Mamang!", "Happy Birthday Ellen" and "Happy 51st Year Anniversary Mamang and Papang! Posted on November 23, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe "Wowowee" Live in Las Vegas Those who subscribe to "TFC" (The Filipino Channel) are well aware of the popular variety show called "Wowowee" which is broadcast by ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation in the Philippines. The "Wowowillie World Tour" made a stop in Las Vegas last Sunday, November 15. Ron, Carole, Richelle, Patrick, and Al attended along with Auntie Rose and Ninang Ester whom they met up with at the "Orleans Arena". Thousands of local filipinos as well as those who travelled from out of town to attend the "Wowowee" event (and those who were also in town for the Pacquiao/Cotto boxing match the night before) packed the arena for the 3PM show. The show's host "Willie Revillame" together with his co-hosts "Mariel Rodriguez", "Pokwang", and "Saicy Aguila and the ASF Dancers" came on stage to entertain everyone with their songs and dances. The whole arena was singing and dancing to "Boom Tarat Tarat" and "Igiling Giling". And just like the TV show, they also went out into the audience to randomly pick out contestants for their games such as "Hep, Hep, Hooray", "Cash o Bukas", "Willie of Fortune", and much more. Their surprise guests that evening happened to be superstar actress and singer "Nora Aunor" and international singing sensation "Charice Pempengco" who both performed live on stage. "Manny Pacquiao" who everyone hoped would make an appearance was not present but an impersonator who looked just like "Pac Man" was there and was actually asked to come on stage. Check out all the "Wowowee" photos and stay tuned on "The Filipino Channel" for the broadcast of the show, "Wowowee Live in Las Vegas". Posted on November 19, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao Weekend! The long awaited "Pacquiao vs Cotto" fight finally came this past weekend. For the Poblete Family it all started last Thursday night with the "Manny Pacquiao Fan Headquarters" event at "Niketown - Las Vegas" at the "Caesars Palace Hotel". Ron, Nico, Kiana, Richelle and Patrick attended the event where they debutted the new Manny Paquiao t-shirts, hoodies, and shoes made by "Nike" and displayed the robe and shoes Manny was to wear on fight night. A live DJ had the music pumping and a photographer was there to take complimentary photos for fans in front of a huge Manny Pacquiao backdrop. Free posters were also give to those who brought any of the Pacquiao apparel. On Friday, Ron, Richelle, and Patrick headed to the "MGM Grand Garden Arena" to witnessed the "Pacquiao Cotto Weigh-In" event. They met up with other friends and were lucky to have arrived early because a line had already started for the scheduled 3PM weigh-in. They got in line at 9AM and the crowd of Filipino and Puerto Rican fans stood there chanting "Manny...Manny!" "Cotto...Cotto!" back and forth until the doors to the arena finally opened at 1PM. As they proceeded inside the arena the atmosphere got even more exciting as the crowd of over 6,500 in attendance were cheering on their fighters. Hollywood actor "Jeremy Piven" introduced both fighters as they dressed down and stepped on the scales. The champion Cotto tipped the scales at 145 pounds and the challenger Pacquiao tipped the scales at 144 pounds. As the weigh-in event finished, the chanting and parading continued through the MGM hotel until everyone reached the main lobby where the crowd of Filipinos and Puerto Ricans continued yelling back and forth "Manny...Manny!" "Cotto...Cotto!" Although it was all in good fun, security had to come out and move the crowd outside because hotel guests could not get inside or out of the hotel lobby. On Saturday (fight night), friends Fred and Lorie hosted the paid-per-view fight at their home. Two monitors were set up, one in the living room and the other one in the family room to accomodate everyone. With most in attendance dressed in their Pacquiao t-shirts and jackets, the excitement started as the national anthems were sung and announcement of the fighters were given. Once the words "Let's get ready to rumble" was heard and the bell rang for Round One, the energy in the house got crazy. Round by round and blow by blow, the punches were felt by everyone and the yelling just got louder, especially during the rounds when Cotto hit the canvas. Before the twelve round was over, the referee stopped the fight and announced Pacquiao the winner by technical knock out. What a great opportunity to have witnessed boxing history as "The Pound for Pound King"..."The Pride of the Philippines"...and "The People's Champion"...Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao accomplished what no boxer has ever done before, winning seven world titles in seven weight classes. Check out all the photos from our Pacquiao Weekend and re-live boxing history! Posted on November 17, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe A "Hella Pinoy" evening with Rex Navarette "He's Talagang Crazy!" Filipino-American Comedian "Rex Navarette" was scheduled to be in Las Vegas this week and Ron bought tickets to catch one of his shows. After watching his comedy DVDs and listening to his CDs over and over for the past years, it was definately a treat for Ron, Nico, Richelle, Patrick and Jay to see his comic show live. After picking up the tickets at the "Four Queens Hotel and Casino", they decided to walk over to the "Cal" (The California Hotel) to have dinner at "Aloha Specialities" for some awesome hawaiian food. As always, the place was packed and the line went out the door. After dinner they headed over to the "LA Comedy Club" for some filipino comedy. The show started with comedian "Dan Gabriel" up on stage. Dan who is half white and half filipino has appeared on Comedy Central, CBS's Late Late, NBC's Late Friday, and appeared in various films and TV shows. Very funny guy and talked about how it was growing up half filipino and stories about his Lola (Grandmother). After Dan's comedy routine, headliner "Rex Navarette" took the stage. Having heard all his past material, it was great to hear all new material which will probably be on his new DVD which comes out next month. Since Rex was also in town for the "Pacquiao vs Cotto" fight, he started his show talking about the "Pride of the Philippines - Manny Pacquiao". He definately gave props to the "Pound for Pound" fighter yet imitated him as Manny does his post-fight interviews. After the show Ron, Nico, Richelle, Patrick and Jay got to meet the Filipino-American comedian and had a photo opportunity with him and got personally autographed DVDs. Click here to see photos from this night of comedy. (For those interested, Rex will be in town until this Saturday. Thursday and Friday 7:30pm & 9:30pm and one show after the Pacquiao vs Cotto fight at 11pm.) Posted on November 12, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Happy 4th Birthday Nevaeh! It's been four years now since our little bundle of joy from heaven, "Nevaeh Joy Poblete" was born. (Go to http://www.poblete.com/nevaeh to go back to that very blessed day and to see photos from throughout the years.) The Poblete Family and a few friends got together this past weekend and headed to "Cici's Pizza" for lunch to celebrate Nevaeh's 4th Birthday. Instead of having a pizza birthday party at "Chuck E. Cheeses" or "Peter Piper Pizza" like her older brother and sister had when they were growing up, Nevaeh's party was done Vegas style with an "all you can eat" buffet lunch with endless pizza, pasta, salad, and dessert. For two hours straight the party goers hung out and ate pizza, chatted with each other, ate more pizza and pasta, played video games, and ate some more pizza and dessert. ("Cici's" makes "fresh out of the oven" cinnamon rolls and brownies that are so irresistable!) Towards the end of the party, Nevaeh's birthday cake was taken out for the traditional singing of "Happy Birthday" and the blowing of the birthday candles. (Her cake was provided compliments of her "Ate Eli" who was in town from San Diego to join the celebration.) Because everyone's stomachs were full from the pizza buffet lunch, the cake was brought home to "Casa de Poblete" where a few of the party goers continued to celebrate with birthday cake, coffee, tea and the opening of Nevaeh's birthday gifts. Check out all the pizza eating birthday photos from the party and many thanks to all our friends and family who came for the celebration. "Happy 4th Birthday Nevaeh!" Posted on November 2, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Michael Jackson's "This Is It" Movie Premiere The long awaited Michael Jackson movie "This Is It" premiered last night and opens today in movie theaters world-wide for a two week engagement. The movie offers fans behind-the-scenes footage of the King of Pop which was shot during rehearsals in the months of April through June as he prepared for his "This Is It" concerts. The footage was shot primarily to document the development and creation of the concert for Michael's own personal library. The sold-out concerts which were scheduled to begin this past summer in London was to be his return to the stage after many years and also his final departure from performing live concert tours, hence the title "This Is It". Ron, Nico and Kiana went to the Las Vegas premiere at the Sunset Station Regal IMAX Theater and even received special "This Is It" badges and lanyards for watching the premiere (Click photo to enlarge). Richelle, Patrick and Eliza also went to the premiere showing in San Diego at the Otay Ranch AMC Theater 12 in Chula Vista. The movie is basically a documentary and not a concert film. A few of the dancers, back up singers, and musicians are interviewed in the movie but take their place in the background as the majority of the film focuses on Michael Jackson himself and what he does on stage. The film shows how humble a person he was and demonstrates the pure genius of his work. And even at the age of 50, Michael still had the voice and dance moves and the movie does provides a glimpse of what might have been if he had not met his untimely death. As far as reviews on the film, Patrick says "Good movie. Awesome!" Richelle says, "He's so awesome! I'm so sad." Eliza says, "Awesome movie. I wanna dance!" Kiana wanted to cry while Nico cried due to eating too many jalapenos with his nachos and Ron is definately buying the DVD. If you are not a Michael Jackson fan, you may want to save your money and just wait for the DVD. But if you are truly a fan of Michael Jackson's art, music, dance, and his genius, definately make the time to see this movie on the big screen. You won't be disappointed. Posted on October 28, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Happy Birthday and Anniversary Rollie & Pearlie! This past Saturday the Poblete Family celebrated Rollie and Pearlie's wedding anniversary and also their birthdays. It's been 45 years since this young man who had joined the United States Navy met this young Nurse from the Philippines and fell in love in Philadephia, Pennsylvania. They two were married on Pearlie's actual birthday on October 20 (Rollie's birthday follows on November 1). An intimate dinner was planned for family members and a few of their closest friends at the "Golden Chopsticks Chinese Restaurant" in National City, CA. This restaurant serves really great chinese food but is well known for their "Salted Pepper Chicken Wings" which are the best in town! Although the family wished they could have invited everyone, the back room of the restaurant which the celebration was reserved for could only accomodate 30 people. The menu consisted of the house fried rice, mongolian beef, house noodles, spicy pork chops, chicken chop suey, honey walnut shrimp, and of course their famous salted pepper chicken wings, and much more! Pots of hot chinese tea was passed around to help digest all the fabulous food. At the end of the dinner a birthday cake was brought out for their youngest grandchild Nevaeh who celebrates her 4th birthday this November 2nd. But after the blowing of the candles, no one had room for dessert so the cake was placed back into it's container and brought home. Check out all the chinese food photos from the celebration dinner. Thank you to those who attended and also thanks to those who sent birthday and anniversary greetings this past week on their birthday anniversary greetings page. (Feel free to click on the link if you'd still like to send or view the greetings.) Posted on October 26, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Kool, Comm & Collected Tour It was a journey back in time as Ron and Carole caught another concert to see Jazz/R&B/Pop group "Kool and the Gang" and Grammy Award winning Soul/Funk group "The Commodores" who made a stop at Primm, Nevada on their "Kool, Comm & Collected Tour". Friends Bing and Mie came along and it was also a journey back in time as "Morse High School" was in the house. Ron's old high school buddy Les Delos Santos along with his sister Mae and cousin Ron and wife Lori were all visiting Las Vegas and accepted the invitation to see the concert with them. It's been over 25 years since Ron and Les hung out with each other since their high school and college days and it was a great opportunity for them to catch up and go back in time listening to music they grew up listening to. To open the concert "The Commodores" were first to take the stage. It was a special treat for Ron as his very first concert he ever attended was "The Commodores" with lead singer "Lionel Richie" who had left the group in later years to pursue a solo career. Former "Heatwave" singer "J.D. Nicholas" took Richie's place and together with original members Walter Orange and William King and a backing band continue to perform as "The Commodores" performing all their greatest hits. On this night they performed hits such as "Machine Gun", "Sweet Love", "Just to Be Close to You", "Easy", "Three Times a Lady", "Lady (You Bring Me Up)", "Nightshift", and many more. They ended their set performing their hit "Brick House" but soon after they left the stage they returned for a quick encore medley of their hit songs before finally turning over the stage to get ready for the next group. After a quick intermission, "Kool and the Gang" came on stage to continue the party. For Ron's friend Les, it was also a special treat as his first concert he ever attended was "Kool and the Gang". Original member and founder Robert Bell (known as "Kool"), and original members Dennis "DT" Thomas and George Brown still perform with the group along with a new generation of Kool and the Gang members. They kept the crowd going as they performed hit after hit such as "Jungle Boogie", "Hollywood Swinging", "Ladies' Night", "Too Hot", "Get Down on It", "Joanna", "Cherish", and many more. Their final song to end the party was no other then "Celebration" which had everyone on thier feet. After the concert, Ron, Carole and the gang headed to their favorite after concert hangout, the South Point Hotel and Casino for the "$3.95 Midnight Steak and Eggs Special". Check out all the concert photos and see the gang "Celebrate Good Times...Come On!" Posted on October 17, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Get "Mezmerized!" This past Saturday night Ron and Carole along with friends Luis, Ninez, Fred, Lorie, Bing, Mie, Noel, and Enching headed to the "V Theater" at the "Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino" to watch hypnotist Marc Savard's comedy hypnosis show "Mesmerized". It also happend to be Ninez (who was visiting with husband Luis from Los Angeles) and Lorie's birthday and the group celebrated by laughing the night away. During this live hypnosis show, curious volunteers have the experience of their lives as they find themselves surrendering to the sound of Marc Savard’s voice; doing, seeing and saying the wildest, most out-of-control things. It's guranteed to be very entertaining and fun all the way through and totally hilarious towards the end. (Note: Adult humor - not recommended for children) Some skeptics may think the show is fake but we dare you to volunteer and see for yourself. After the show while all the others went home to retire for the night, Ron, Carole, Luis, and Ninez got hungry and proceeded to the "South Point Hotel and Casino" for the usual "Midnight Steak and Eggs Special" where they also ran into other out-of-town friends Joey and Jocelyn. And while having their midnight snack, the laughing still continued as they remembered all the on-stage antics of the hypnotised volunteers from the show. No photos from the show are available here (accept the group photo above taken before the show - click to enlarge) but "Mesmerized" is definately a show to catch if you want to laugh or cry laughing. For more information about the show go to http://www.marcsavard.net/mesmerized.html. And for those seriously interested to check out the show, contact Ron to take advantage of $10 admission (Regularly $60 admission) until 12/20/09. Posted on October 11, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe "Anyway You Want It" at the "Journey Concert" The day finally came since tickets were bought months ago to see rock band "Journey" in concert. Ron, Carole, and Nico headed to the "M Resort Hotel and Casino" last Saturday night to see the band and filipino lead singer "Arnel Pineda" perform live. But prior to the concert, they met up with friends Fred, Lorie, Bing, Mie, JR, Rose, Rene, and Aileen for dinner at the M Resort's "Studio B Buffet", one of their favorite buffet spots. It was "Seafood Night" and the menu provided lots of crab legs, shrimp, oysters as well as the other delicious appetizers, entrees and out-of-this-world desserts. As the concert began, everyone headed to their seats. The concert was held outdoors by the poolside at their "Villaggio Del Sole Pool" and "Entertainment Piazza". The outdoor venue was nice but the evening was a bit windy at times. But the weather didn't stop the band from rocking the night away performing their greatest hits such as "Any Way You Want It", "Open Arms", "Separate Ways", "Wheel in the Sky", and "Faithfully". They also performed songs from their current album "Revelation". Lead singer "Arnel Pineda" rocked the crowd with his vocals which are very similar to the legendary musician of the band, "Steve Perry". The band ended the night with their number one signature song "Don't Stop Believing". All the buffet and concert photos are all available for viewing. Posted on October 5, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe A Night Out with Vanessa Williams It was another fun weekend spent with out-of-town family and friends as close family friends Ernie and Niza and Carole's Aunt Cindy and Uncle Rick visited Las Vegas. Ron got tickets for everyone to see "Vanessa Williams" in concert who was performing at the "Star of the Desert Arena" at the "Buffalo Bills Hotel and Casino". The couples all got in the family VW Eurovan last Saturday Night and drove down to Primm Valley which is a half hour drive to the state line of California and Nevada. Prior to the concert they headed to the "Fashion Outlet" mall and had dinner at "Cafe Koraku" for some japanese food and dessert. After their dinner they headed back to the arena to see singer, songwriter, actress, and former Miss Universe "Vanessa Williams". Backed by a 6 member band and 4 back up singers, "Vanessa Williams" sang hits from her latest album "The Real Thing" as well as all her old hit songs such as "Dreaming", "The Comfort Zone", "Work To Do", "Love Is", "The Sweetest Days", "Oh How the Years Go By", "Colors of the Wind" (from the "Pocahontas" Soundtrack), and saved the her hit song "Save the Best for Last" for the end. But the song ended up not being the last song as the crowd called out for more and came out to do one last number to end the night. After the concert was finished, the couples drove back to Vegas and stopped by the "South Point Hotel and Casino", arriving there after midnight to celebrate Rick's birthday and ordered the "$3.95 Steak and Eggs" midnight breakfast special. Before the weekend ended, they also all went out for Sunday Brunch at the "Green Valley Ranch Feast Buffet" and got tickets to see "Zowie Bowie's Vintage Vegas Show" at the "Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino". They also got to meet legendary comedian "Sammy Shore" (Father of comedian "Pauly Shore") who opened up the show. Check out all the photos of their night out watching the beautiful "Vanessa Williams" in concert, as well as the rest of the weekend outings. Posted on September 28, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Red Rock Canyon Photo Excursion This past Saturday Ron, Richelle, and Patrick had plans to head out to "Zion National Park" in Utah for some hiking, rock climbing, and to take some scenic photography. Instead they stayed locally and went to "Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area" which is just 15 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip. "Red Rock Canyon" got it's name from the large red sandstone peaks and walls of the mountain range. The area is popular for hiking and rock climbing and there is also has a one-way loop road which provides vehicle access to many of the features in the area. The 13-mile scenic loop road is very popular for bicycle touring. It begins with a moderate climb at the beginning then is mostly downhill or flat towards the end. A Visitor Center is also located at the start of the loop road. For Ron, Richelle, and Patrick it was a perfect day for hiking, rock climbing and photography. The weather was nice and a big cloud overhead covered them during the times they were hiking on the trails. One trail they took brought them to actual historic "petroglyphs" (rock carvings) and "pictographs" (rock paintings) that were created by Native American Indians several thousand years ago. Check out all the scenic photos of their excursion of beautiful and picturesque "Red Rock Canyon". Posted on September 22, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Full Weekend of Vegas Shows Richelle and Patrick took some time to visit Las Vegas this past weekend. Being that Las Vegas is known as the "Entertainment Capital of the World", the family decided to take advantage to see some Vegas shows and concerts. On Thursday night Nico, Ron, Richelle, and Patrick headed to the "Orleans Hotel and Casino" to watch Motown legendary vocal group "The Temptations" live in concert. Backed by a live band, the Tempts performed all their greatest hits such as "Get Ready", "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", "Cloud Nine", "I Can't Get Next to You", "Just My Imagination", "Papa Was a Rolling Stone", and "My Girl". At the end of the concert, they got to meet and shake hands with the group, including original member, co-founder, and sole surviving member of the group, "Mr. Otis Williams". On Friday, Kiana, Ron, Richelle, Patrick, and their friend Ace and his mom headed to the "Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino" to watch "Matsuri", an acrobatic cirque-like show from Japan. The show is a massive hit in Japan and the group has returned to the Vegas Strip after the show left the Riviera in 2006 and the Sahara in 2007. The show includes a variety of musical stunts, extreme sports, comedic routines, and dance which showcases the traditional Japanese culture. The performers include professional athletes and Olympic Medalists who perform impressive stunts and routines. The overall production was great from the costumes to the music to the spectacular stunts that were performed. It's a great show for the entire family. Saturday, Carole, Ron, Richelle, Patrick and their friend Allison headed to the "Hooters Hotel and Casino" to watch a "Michael Jackson Tribute" show by "Michael Firestone" who impersonates "Micbael Jackson" in the "American Superstars Show" at the "Stratosphere Hotel". This impersonator doesn't lip sync to Michael Jackson songs but he actually uses his own natural voice and sings along with a live band. The four piece band named "Dangerous" was awesome and "Michael Firestone" did a great job singing and dancing just like "MJ". The show was great tribute to the "King of Pop" and was alot of fun. For the last show of the weekend of Vegas shows Ron, Richelle, and Patrick got to see comedian "Carrot Top" at the "Luxor Hotel and Casino". Named "Entertainer of the Year," this wacky prop comic wowed the crowd with his original twisted humor and odd inventions. But before leaving Las Vegas, Ron, Carole, Richelle, and Patrick squeezed in one last show and saw impressionist, singer and entertainer "Gordie Brown" at the "Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino" in downtown Las Vegas. Very entertaining show and also highly recommended to see. All the photos from all five Vegas shows and concerts are now available to see. Stay tuned for more Vegas shows and concerts to come! Posted on September 22, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Monday Night Football Party What a great Monday night as the Pobletes' threw a "Monday Night Football" Party at "Casa de Poblete - Las Vegas". With Nico at the BBQ grill, Ron setting up the video projection equipment, and Nevaeh greeting people at the door, everyone soon tackled the kitchen counter that was prepared for a pre-game tailgate party before the game started. The menu consisted of hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, potatoe chips, cheese nachos and watermelon. As the game started, everyone proceeded outside to the backyard and grabbed a seat to watch the "San Diego Chargers" play the "Oakland Raiders" on the 12 foot high inflatable screen dubbed the "Poblete JumboTron". Despite the winds earlier in the day, the evening was perfect to be outdoors under the stars watching the season opener of these two rival teams. The Raiders scored 7 points in the first quarter but at the half the Chargers tied up the game 10 to 10. The third quarter was scoreless but the 4th quarter was a rollercoaster ride. The Raiders scored a field goal to come up top then the Chargers scored a touchdown to pull ahead. The Raiders then scored a touchdown to once again pull ahead leaving only two and a half minutes left for the Chargers to make something happen. And something actually did happened as the Chargers scored a touchdown to win the game 24 to 20. Check out all the Monday Night Football photos of a great evening with family and friends and a win for the "San Diego Chargers". Great way to start the season! Posted on September 15, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe A Day at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve Growing up in San Diego, the Poblete Kids had often taken family trips to the museums at Balboa Park, Old Town, and the Scripps Birch Aquarium to learn more about the history and culture of San Diego. This Labor Day holiday Ron, Carole and the kids spent their Family Day at the "Las Vegas Springs Preserve" getting educated on the natural history and cultural and biological resources in Southern Nevada. The "Springs Preserve" is a 180 acres preserve dedicated to nature walks and displays and built around the original water source for Las Vegas, the "Las Vegas Springs". The "Springs Preserve" includes colorful desert botanical gardens, museum galleries, live desert animal exhibits, an indoor theater, and a series of walking trails throughout the wetland habitat. The Preserve shows people how to live in the desert environment and how to take advantage of what is available. The "Origen Experience" exhibit is filled with interactive exhibits about the natural history of the Las Vegas Valley. The "Desert Living Center" has a "Sustainability Gallery" that encourages sustainable living and teaches everyone how to be "Green". The preserve is also the home of the "Springs Preserve Cafe" by famous chef "Wolfgang Puck" and features a menu with 100% organic ingredients. Check out the photos of their day at this beautiful, cultural and historic attraction just minutes from downtown Las Vegas and the Vegas Strip. The "Springs Preserve" is a wonderful place for the entire family. Posted on September 8, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe "Lost in Love" at the Air Supply Concert Last night Carole got to see one of her favorite music groups, soft-rock duo "Air Supply" who were big back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Ron scored tickets to the concert which was held at the "Orleans Hotel and Casino Showroom". He had promised her they would see them the next time they came to town and friends Rheybert and Rhodora also joined them to watch the concert. They had great seats and sat up front, six rows from the stage. Overall the concert great! Great venue, sound, and lighting. British guitarist and vocalist Graham Russell and Australian lead vocalist Russell Hitchcock still had it and sound just like they did back in the 80s. (Carole's comment, "They still sound great but they look so old now!") For Carole it was great seeing and hearing her favorite group perform live. For Ron it brought back memories of when he was dating Carole back in the day when he had no choice but to listen to "Air Supply" songs. The group performed all of their hits such as "Lost in Love", "The One That You Love", "Now and Forever", and "Making Love". Carole and Rhodora went up front of the stage for a closer view and Carole actually got to shake hands with lead singer Russell Hitchcock. They ended the concert with their hit "All Out of Love", just in time for Carole to rush to work since she was schedule to work that night. Check out the photos from last night's "Air Supply" concert as they rocked the night away. Posted on September 4, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Motownphilly Back Again! Ron and Carole attended yet another concert this month and headed out to the "Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino" to watch Grammy Award-winning/R&B male vocal group "Boyz II Men". They also brought along their friend and concert buddy Allison (Ron's co-worker) and also their cousin Jay. It was an outdoor concert at the "Mandalay Beach" and concert goers had the option to watch in the water or sit on the sand. The weather turned out to be nice considering it rained earlier in the day. As the stage lights came on, the three original members Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris, and Wanya Morris came out singing their first hit single "Motownphilly" from their debut album "Cooleyhighharmony". (Fourth member and bass singer Michael McCary had left the group in 2003 due to chronic back problems resulting from scoliosis.) The group sang most of their hit songs such as "I'll Make Love to You", "On Bended Knee", "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday", "4 Seasons of Loneliness", "A Song for Mama" as well as hits from their latest album "Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA" which were remakes of songs from Motown Records. The group also made a shout out during the concert to rapper and television reality star "Flavor Flav" who was also out in the crowd enjoying the concert. (Ron and Carole also saw "Flavor Flav" (who happens to be a neighbor who also resides in Silverado Ranch) after the concert as they bumped into him in casino at Mandalay Bay.) After the group sang their hit "End of the Road" as if it was the end of the concert, they actually ended the concert with the song they started the night with ("Motownphilly") and got the crowd on their feet. Check out the rest of the Boyz II Men photos from Saturday Night's concert. Posted on August 23, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Kids' Southern California Summer Vacation As the school year starts next week, Nico, Kiana, and Nevaeh's summer vacation has finally come to a close. It was a fun-filled summer with family and friends as they left the Las Vegas heat to enjoy the beautiful weather of their hometown San Diego. During their two and a half month stay, Nico and Kiana got to hang out with their cousins and friends and visited the "San Diego County Fair", minature golfed, swung bats at the batting cages, and got wet on the bumper boats at "Boomers Family Fun Center" and "Fun 4 All", ate at many restaurants and went swimming every chance they got. Kiana got to see the broadway musical "Wicked" and Nico got on a boat and went deep sea fishing out in the Pacific Ocean with the guys. Nevaeh who started the summer in diapers went through "Potty Training Bootcamp" with Mama Pearlie and graduated in one week. The girls also got new hairdos for the summer. The summer was also filled with alot of sightseeing throughout Southern California. They got to pay their respects to the King of Pop "Michael Jackson" and visited "Neverland Ranch" and also stopped by his star on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame". While in Hollywood they toured around looking for movie stars at the famous "Grauman's Chinese Theater" and on "Rodeo Drive" in Beverly Hills. They also stopped by the legendary "Pinks" hotdog stand which is a Hollywood landmark where all the movie stars go. While still up in Los Angeles they also hung out at "Venice Beach" and the "Santa Monica Pier" for some fun in the sun. No visit to Southern California is complete without visiting at least one of the many theme parks and attractions. The kids got to go on the VIP Tour at the "Warner Brothers Studios" where they toured the lots and sets where movies and television shows are shot. They got on the set of television show "Two and a half Men", saw the "Harry Potter Musuem", and also saw famous cars from the movies. They also visited "Universal Studios" and hung out at "Citywalk", rode roller coasters at "Knotts Berry Farm", watched the fireworks at "Disneyland" and hung out all night at "Downtown Disney". The kids are so grateful to their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends who helped make this a fun summer to remember. Check out all the fun they had during this summer vacation! Posted on August 21, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Making the World a "Burger" Place This past Saturday Night, a few friends and family decided to go to "Fuddruckers - Home of the World's Greatest Hamburgers". It was Nico, Kiana and Nevaeh's last night of their summer vacation in San Diego and everyone decided last minute to get together for dinner after Jay and Des' wedding. "Fuddruckers" is a shrine to the art of the hamburger and can be found in different locations throughout the United States. Burgers are cooked to order and can be ordered as 1/3 lb., 1/2 lb., 2/3 lb., or 1 lb. patties on white or wheat buns. Turkey, veggie and even ostrich burgers are also available as well as chicken and fish. Sides such as salads, fries and onion rings are also on the menu and fresh baked cookies and shakes for dessert. This isn't your typical burger establishment like "McDonald's" or "Jack in the Box". The unique thing about "Fuddruckers" is that you build your own burger. You customize your own burger with farm-fresh produce and all the other fabulous "fixins" and condiments that are available to you. An art form indeed as the best looking burgers that night were Elson's "Bacon and Mushroom Cheeseburger" and Eric's "Chicken Bacon Guacamole Sandwich". Brittney wanted to try something different and ordered the "Ostrich Burger" while Junior and Rob were brave enough to order the huge 1 lb. burger. (Junior eating most of it while Rob only able to take four big bites.) Another great evening with family, great friends and great grub! Check out all the burger eating they all did. Posted on August 17, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Jay and Desiree's Wedding It was another beautiful day in San Diego as the family attended yet another summer wedding this past weekend. This time it was the uniting of groom "Genesis Baltazar" (also known as "Jay" who is also part of the "Poblete Family" from his father's side) and beautiful bride "Desiree Lugue". The two exchanged their wedding vows in the Church of Christ House of Worship in South San Diego. Pearlie and Ron were also part of the wedding entourage as they were chosen as Principal Sponsors to witness the wedding. Shortly after the wedding and all the picture taking, everyone proceeded to the reception which was held at the "Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel" in downtown right by San Diego Bay. Hor d' oeuvres were served outside the "Elizabeth Ballroom" and more picture taking and reuniting of friends and family took place. The doors finally opened and everyone proceeded into the ballroom which was elegantly lit with purple accent lighting throughout. The celebration began with the entrance of the wedding entourage and the bride and groom. Lunch was served and the program began. Nico played part in the musical skit about the couple as well as played the drums with Mark (bass guitar) and Elison (guitar and vocals) as they performed "I'd Rather Be With You" by Joshua Radin. All the photos with family and friends are now available and congratulations once again to "Mr. and Mrs. Genesis Baltazar". Posted on August 17, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe San Diego "Staycation" It was another weekend together in San Diego to attend a wedding and instead of staying at the Poblete home ("Casa de Poblete San Diego"), it was decided to make it a "Staycation" in San Diego. Since the wedding reception was held at the "Kona Kai Resort Spa and Marina" on Shelter Island, reservations were made to enjoy the resort and the beautiful San Diego weather and scenery after the wedding. Louie and Daylene (now Mr. and Mrs. Louis Rivas..."Congratulations Newlyweds!") had a beautiful wedding which was followed by a beautiful outdoor beach reception beside the marina. The Bride and Groom wanted a semi-casual attired affair and luckily for these "staycationers", they were able to change out of their formal attire in their room which actually overlooked the entire reception area. For guests who weren't prepared for the sandy beach, "flip flop" slippers were given as giveaways from the newlyweds. It was a beautiful evening with friends and family celebrating Louie and Daylene's special day. After the reception, the kids jumped into their swimming suits for some night swimming before the pool closed for the evening. After swimming they went across the street to meet up with Papa Rollie and Mama Pearlie who had parked the family motorhome by the fishing pier at Shelter Island. A few friends also joined after the reception to hang out and enjoy the nice evening weather, drink coffee and watch people catch fish in the bay. Before retiring for the night, a quick run to "Jack in the Box" was made for a midnight snack. The rest of their stay at the "Kona Kai Resort" consisted of breakfast at the hotel with other friends who also decided to make it a "staycation", more swimming, lounging, and enjoying the beautiful scenery of San Diego Bay. Check out all the photos from the wedding reception and the resort during this "staycation" in San Diego. Posted on August 10, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe "Poblete Chat" now available! When talking on the phone just isn't enough, this family from time to time gets online and holds web conferences. Due to the miles apart they are from one another or during trips and travels, or even during the day from the office to the home, web chats usually takes place with family and friends. But web chats typically happened from one computer to another...until now. Introducing, "Poblete Chat!"...our very own online chat room. No account sign up necessary. Simply come to www.poblete.com, click on the "Webcam" icon and click on the link to "Poblete Video Chat Room". Webcam and mic needed for video and audio and up to 20 people allowed in the chat room at one time. Text chat is also available. Join one of our online video conferences, view one of our parties or events live online, or use this chat room to interact with us (email to schedule chat appointment) or chat with others. "Poblete Chat" is available to everyone. Check it out! Posted on August 6, 2008 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Music Concert Weekend "While the children are away...the parents get to play!" Usually that phrase is heard the other way around? But since this was the last weekend together for the summer without the kids, Ron and Carole took advantage of the free time and got tickets to see a few music bands and artists perform live in concert. It was a full weekend of music and memories from the past...kinda like a musical time machine going back through the 90's, 80's and 70's. First stop, the R&B groups and artists from the late 80's and early 90's. Saturday night Ron and Carole headed over to the "Star of the Desert Arena" at Primm Valley and met up with Ron's co-workers Allison, Ace and Leile. The headliner for that evening was R&B/soul, singer-songwriter "Keith Sweat". But before he took the stage, R&B singer "Montell Jordan" opened the show singing a few of his hits such as "I Like", "Get It On Tonight", and closed the set with his #1 hit "This Is How We Do It". Next on stage was the group "Bell Bev DeVoe", the three previous members of the group "New Edition". Along with their band, DJ and back up dancers they performed their hits such as "B.B.D. (I Thought It Was Me)?", "Do Me!", as well as other hits and ended their set with their hit "Poison" from their debut album. Then "Keith Sweat" came on and got the audience going singing his hits such as "I Want Her", "Make It Last Forever", "Make You Sweat", "Nobody", along with many other hits. He ended the night performing his hit single "Twisted". Sunday night Ron and Carole continued their musical journey back to the 70's and headed to the "Showroom at the Orlean's Hotel and Casino" to see Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter "Melissa Manchaster" and filipino vocalist also dubbed Sentimental Songstress "Imelda Papin" in concert. Carole invited her co-worker Lucy and her husband Tony to watch these two international icons who came together to perform a three-day back to back concert. Imelda Papin opened the show backed up by her band, background singers, and dancers and performed hits from her latest album, as well as her old hit "Bakit?". Her singing and dance performances with her dancers were just as good as watching Celine Dion or Tina Turner on stage. But it's her extraordinary voice that catches your ears. The song she sang as an offering to God accompinied by an acoutic guitar was spectacular. The show transitioned with a duet from the two stars singing Melissa Manchester's hit "Theme from Ice Castles (Through The Eyes Of Love) as the second part of the concert continued. Melissa Manchester took over singing her hits from her new album. Even after years of not performing and recording (which she mentioned she took 10 years off from her career to raise her children), she still has the voice and can really rock the piano! Singing songs that she wrote for other artist, she also sang her old hits such as "Midnight Blue" and "Don't Cry Out Loud". These concert-goers also got the chance to meet and had a photo op with these stars after the concert. Come along on the musical journey and check out all the photos from this weekend's concerts. Posted on August 3, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Lake Las Vegas "Staycation" They had a free weekend and wanted to get away for a short weekend vacation but didn't want to drive to far. Ron and Carole originally had plans to drive down to San Diego to visit the kids but were kinda tired of making another 5 hour drive again (10 hours total round trip). So how about staying in Las Vegas? Everyone travels to Vegas for a vacation? Why not stay in town and have a "Staycation"? So a staycation they had and packed their bags and checked into the "Montelago Village Resort" at Lake Las Vegas. Lake Las Vegas is located east of the Las Vegas Strip (just 17 miles away). The resort amenities include first class hotels, pampering spas, casino, a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, a full service marina with watercraft rentals and yacht cruises, and the MonteLago Village which offers plenty of shopping and dining centered around the 320-acre private lake. The Montelago Village Resort houses two separate hotel buildings. The "Viera" is the main hotel which is adjacent to the village and the "Luna Di Lusso" which is across the lake. These "staycationers" reserved a one bedroom suite at the Luna Di Lusso which had a great view of the lake and golf course. The rooms at the Luna had a modern design and offered the same amenities as the Viera such as a fully equipped kitchen with all the appliances and cooking utensils needed for preparing and serving meals. The hotel and the village itself reminds you of towns in Italy with it's tuscan-inspired architecture and design. During their stay they strolled through the cobblestone streets and plazas at the village. There are plenty of shops, boutiques and galleries to browse through and plenty of restaurants and eateries for dining or to grab a quick snack. The village also has a small market that's available if you need groceries or toiletries to take back to your room. The village also offers activities such as free outdoor concerts by the lake during the weekends. Blues guitarist "Guy Davis" performed one night as well as the Cornell Gunter's "Coasters" (who also performs regularly on the Vegas Strip) the other night. Rest and relaxation, beautiful scenery, good music...right in the comfort of your backyard. Definately need to take more "Staycations" in the future! Check all the photos of this weekend getaway. Posted on June 28, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Magic, Tigers, and Show Girls Summer is still here and the kids (Nico, Kiana, and Nevaeh) are still down in San Diego spending their summer vacation with their grandparents. Casa de Poblete Las Vegas has been very quiet and quite boring without the kids there. So to get out of their quiet home, Ron and Carole decided to go out to the Las Vegas strip for some entertainment.They scored tickets to watch a new show that just opened at the Sahara Hotel and Casino..."The Magic and Tigers of Rick Thomas". Magician Rick Thomas ("The Best Magician in Vegas Period!" according to Millionaire Magazine) debutted his new show this month at the Sahara Hotel. The show is filled with lots of magic, illusions, music, dance, show girls, (ooh la la!) and exotic animals. You'll be amazed as he makes large Bengal Tigers appear and disappear right before your very eyes. There's never a dull moment as he keeps the audience entertained with stories from his childhood and throughout his career between acts. The show is also very interactive as he calls up volunteers from time to time to be part of the act. Overall the entire production was awesome and it's definately a great show for the entire family. Check out photos of Ron and Carole hanging out at the Sahara Hotel, meeting Magician Rick Thomas in person and also doing alittle magic of their own at the buffet making their food disappear. Posted on June 28, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Virtual Surround Sound to Go! Are you one of those people who can't live without your mobile devices such as your mobile phone, laptop, digital camera, ipod, etc...? For business or pleasure, it's hard not to have these high tech gadgets with you. One of the pieces of technology Ron (the Gadget Geek) can't live without is his netbook. Netbooks are small laptop computers (smaller than your average Notebook) designed for wireless communication, access to the Internet, and small enough to carry around. They are typically 2 to 3 pounds and offer several USB ports, a webcam, LED backlit screens that displays a 7 to 10 inch range, integrated speakers, Wi-Fi and more. Ron, Richelle and Rollie all have their own personal netbooks (Acer Aspire One's) and can usually be found surfing the Internet, web conferencing with one another or kicking back watching a movies on their little 8.9" screens. One drawback with the small netbooks is that the audio it produces isn't all that great, epecially in a loud room. Because of this, Ron went to "Frys Electronics" in search for some portable speakers and came across these speakers made by "Micro Innovations" called the "Notebook Speakers Travel Pro". The cost of these speakers at Frys was $19.99 (Can be found online from $13.98-$34.95). If you are looking for portable speakers for your notebook or netbook, these speakers are great! Fits all notebooks, USB Powered (no AC power required), and 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound (includes software providing virtual sound effects by making it appear you are listening to 7 speakers and a subwoofer). The cool feature is that the speakers mount on the sides and the adjustable screw tightens to the laptop screen so they won't fall off if carried around. The sound quality is great, especially for movies. But because it's USB powered the sound won't fill up a room but it is sufficient enough for personal use or 1-on-1 (or 1-on-2 or 3) presentation use. Check out more photos of this cool gadget that's portable enough to carry around and take on the go. Yet another piece of technology you just can't live without. Posted on June 23, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Pilipinas kong Mahal! As their vacation comes to a close, these vacationers are sad to leave but are happy to have had this opportunity to visit the Philippines. The trip was not only a humbling experience but a spiritual and fullfilling one as well. The chance to finally visit this country, worship here, and to see their friends and loved ones will be a memorable trip to remember for a long time to come. To all who have made this trip so memorable, here are a few messages of gratitude and love. Praises be to our Lord God - "For His protection and guidance during our trip." Mom and Dad - "Thanks for sending us on this trip and for taking care of the grandkids. We had the time of our lives but wish we were all together to share the memories as originally planned. We can't wait to hear your stories with the kids and of Nevaeh's "Potty Training Bootcamp"." To Auntie Auring - "Thanks for being our travel coordinator and tour guide. We hope you enjoyed your vacation with us and your massages at the beach resort." To our cousins Jen-Jen, Ja-Ja, Jun-Jun and Boom-Boom - "It was great to finally meet you all in person. Thanks for the seafood dinner and for the pizza party on our last night in the P.I. We'll definately stay in touch with you all." To Kuya Angel, Ate Fely, and kids - "Thanks for having us at your home and for all the lunches you prepared for us. Ate Fely, you're such a great cook!" To Peter AKA "The Transporter" - "Thanks for driving us around. You sure know your way around the P.I. (and without GPS). To Ka Jun - "Thank you po for meeting with us at your office and for all your advices." To Ka Fer, Ka Edwin, Andre, and the rest of the GEMNET/INC-TV Staff - "Thank you for the tour of the offices and studios. It was very inspiring and we'll share the experience with the GEMNET bureaus abroad." To Ka Arlene and the rest of the Net-25 Staff - "Thank you for the tour as well and for accomodating us during the taping of "Spoon". Auntie Beth, Kimberly, and Bruce - "Thanks for lunch during our visit to GBasa Street." To Ate Julie - "Thank you for sharing these happy moments with us. We will see you again soon!" Ka Reino and family - "We had a great time catching up and meeting the family at Starbucks!" Bojet and Beth - "Thanks for the ride home from church and for joining us for dinner." Jennifer and Ann - "Thanks for the visit and having dinner with us as well." To Auntie Donina - Thank you for lunch at your beautiful estate in Laguna." To Rod, Delvin, Christian, and Jun - "It was great running into you at Central." Marla - "Thank you for having pizza with us and for the ear rings you personally made." Click here to see photos of all the family and friends we spent time with. And to the rest of our family and friends we may have failed to mention - "Thanks for making this trip to the Philippines so enjoyable and memorable!" "Pilipinas kong Mahal!" -Ron, Carole, Richelle, and Patrick Posted on July 3, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Back to the Manila Lifestyle After spending the weekend away from civilization, Ron, Carole, Richelle, and Patrick returned to the city for more shopping, eating, shopping, and eating. They first went on the filipino fast food experience eating at McDonalds and Burger King. Come to find out the menus at these american fast food establishments actually cater to the filipino lifestyle serving rice, chicken and gravy (Chicken McDo) and filipino spaghetti (McSpaghetti) and even serve your typical filipino breakfast menu of eggs, rice and choice of corn beef, spam or bacon. Burger King also caters to the cellphone texting lifestyle here providing free cellphone charging stations as well as iPod and PSP chargers. They also experienced the ultimate shopping experience at the 2nd largest shopping mall in the Philippines called the "SM Mall of Asia" (1st largest being the SM City North EDSA). The mall attracts a daily foot traffic of 200,000 people and also features the first ever IMAX theater in the country (one of the world's biggest IMAX screens in 3D) and also the Philippines's first Olympic-sized ice skating rink. After hanging out for a few hours at the "SM Mall of Asia" and strolling along the "Seaside Boardwalk" along Manila Bay to watch the sunset, they joined the rest of the family at the "Seaside Seafood Paluto Restaurants" on Macapagal Blvd. They ate at "Aling Tonya's Seafood Palutuan" for some fresh seafood where you hand pick the seafood you want and the restaurant cooks and serves it to you. It was a very nice evening spent with their first cousins and a great opportunity to bond with them. There was plenty more shopping and eating that took place as they went back to the "Green Hills Shopping Center" to shop for gifts (pasalubong) for the kids and co-workers back home. Carole and Richelle also found time to get their hair done at the "Ricky Reyes Beauty Salon". After all the shopping, they ate again and had lunch with their old friend Marla and her daughter and ordered pizzas at the "Yellow Cab Pizza Company." The Chicken BBQ Pizza was their favorite. After lunch they had the opportunity to visit the Net-25 Studios and sat in on the taping of the television show "Spoons" and met former actress and star host of "Spoons" Janice De Belen and her studio guests actress Yasmien Kurdi and the musical guests that performed on the show. Check out all the photos of them experiencing the Manila Lifestyle! Posted on July 1, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Paradise Found After the long day's drive from Manila, Auntie Auring, Ron, Carole, Julie, Richelle, Patrick, and Peter finally arrived at the "La Luz Beach Resort" in San Juan, Batangas. They arrived just in time for dinner and immediately after their meal proceeded to their suite. Their "Premiere Loft Suite" was able to accomodate them all as it housed 4 beds downstairs and 3 more beds upstairs in the loft. They all retired to their beds for a good nights sleep, only to wake up the next morning to a beautiful sunrise view on the beach. The "La Luz Beach Resort" is a beautiful private beach resort right on Sabangan Bay. The staff was friendly and the services they provided were great. The resort provided plenty of palm-thatched cabana huts and lounge chairs with umbrellas along the beach where you can relax, take a nap, or pamper yourself with a massage, manicure, and pedicure right by the sandy beach. Unlike in the city where all you do is shop, eat, shop, and eat again, here at the resort you basically rest, eat, rest, and eat again! As part of the package, guests are served breakfast, lunch, dinner, and also a light snack (or "marienda") in the afternoon during their stay. Meals are served buffet style with a variety of filipino dishes that was so delicious that you had to go back for more. As the ladies pampered themselves at the cabanas, Ron and Patrick ventured out and hiked around the resort's surroundings to take photos of the beautiful scenery. For anyone wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the "La Luz Beach Resort" is a nice place to stay. Beautiful private beach, spacious rooms, buffet meals, friendly and accomodating staff, and plenty of services and activities are what you will find here. There were alot of photos taken to check out of this beautiful paradise found at this resort. A resort so far away from civilization with no internet and television that it wasn't known until after they left the resort that the "King of Pop" Michael Jackson had past away. Posted on June 30, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe The Drive to Batangas After their ritual morning breakfast at the Fior Cafe in the Torre Venezia Hotel, Ron, Carole, Richelle, and Patrick were picked up by their driver Peter and Auntie Auring. It had rained the night before and in the morning hours of the day they would travel away from the big city to the rural province areas of Cavite and Batangas. As they left Manila the scenery had changed quickly. Coconut and banana trees, green pastures, rice fields, fish ponds, small stores and small makeshift homes where these humble people lived were the images seen along the way. Cavite City was their first stop to pick up Carole's sister Julie. The reunion of the two siblings was quite touching as they were finally reunited after 27 years. After a short lunch they headed back on the roads through the small towns of Batangas. The roads were not as conjested as in Manila but these passengers were in good hands as "Transporter Peter" drove through the mayhem of tricycles, buses, and jeepneys that occupied the roads. They made a brief stop in town of Tagaytay at the Taal Vista Hotel for a quick glimpse and photo op of Lake Taal and the still active Taal Volcano. They then proceeded to San Juan, Batangas to the beach resort where they were to get some rest and relaxation and get pampered for the next few days. Check out the photos of their long journey and the sights along the way. Posted on June 29, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Big City Life in Manila First impression you may have is "Wow, this sure isn't home!" Life in the city and in the Philippines overall is quite different. Things we take for granted in the U.S. may not come so easy here. The way of life seems simple and easy going yet people here work hard doing anything they can to make ends meet. Experiencing life here first hand really makes you appreciate the finer things in life. A very humbling experience indeed! Like any other big metropolitan city, the cities in Manila have its share of tall buildings, commercial businesses, restaurants and traffic. Getting around the city is not a problem because the streets are filled with tricycles, taxis, buses and most of all jeepneys. (Talk about "Pimp my Ride".) Luckily for these first time visitors, Auntie Auring hired Ron, Carole, Richelle, and Patrick their own personal driver name Peter (or who they liked to call him, "The Transporter" or "Transporter Peter")...and boy can Peter drive! All there is to do in the city is shop, eat, shop, and eat again. You'll find plenty of street vendors and markets along the city streets. Shopping malls are also all around the city. And because the value of the dollar to the peso goes along way, you can really shop until you drop. "Transporter Peter" dropped these vacationers off at the SM Super Malls and at the Green Hills Mall to get the best bargains. But you cannot go shopping without eating, and eating is what they did! A few of the restaurants they ate at were "Dencio's" with Auntie Auring and cousin Boom; "Icebergs" with Carole's longtime friend Bojet; and twice at "Jay-J's Chicken Inasal", once with Patrick's cousins Jennifer and Ann and a second time with Bojet and his wife Beth. Check out the photos of big city life in Manila. Next destinations, traveling the roads through the small towns in the provinces of Cavite and Batangas. Posted on June 27, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Modern Living in the Big City Arrived in the Philippines safe and sound yet tired from the long flight from the United States. Ron, Carole, Richelle and Patrick stepped off the plane into Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila around 10PM (Philippines Time) and were picked up by their Auntie Auring, cousin Jun, and their hired driver Peter. They were dropped off at the "Torre Venezia Hotel" in Quezon City which was to be their home for the next few weeks. After unpacking their luggages they all drop dead from the lack of sleep during their travels. As morning came, they were welcomed by a beautiful pink sunrise which was their first real glimpse of the Philippines. The view was awesome from their deluxe 2 bedroom loft on the 25th floor. (Ron and Carole taking the larger master bedroom, Richelle in the smaller bedroom while Patrick camped out on the livingroom sofa.) The room had a modern decor and was equipped with a kitchen, 2 bathrooms, A/C, cable television, and wi-fi internet access. The hotel itself had all the amenities one could ask for such as a fitness gym, swimming pool, landscaped walkways and gazebos to relax and lounge at. Located on Timog Avenue (corner of Scout Santiago Street) in Quezon City, the Torre Venezia is close to major shopping malls, restaurants, and entertainment venues. But right on the hotel premises itself conveniently houses the "Fior Cafe" which offers hotel residents free breakfast every morning. (Typical filipino breakfast with fried egg, garlic fried rice, choice of longanisa, tocino, tapa, ham, sausage, or corned beef, and coffee.) A 7-11 type convenience store called "Kaycees" is located right outside the hotel lobby where you will find everything you may need from toothpaste to laundry soup to snacks or groceries that you can take up to your room. The "Nailcraft Foot and Hand Spa" is also located in the building and offers a variety of spa treatments as well as the "Calayan Surgicenter Care" offering cosmetic and dermatological care. Accomodations are great however there are a few not so great experiences such as the slow elevator ride to your floor and the stuffiness in the un-airconditioned hotel hallways. Nonetheless the pros do outways the cons and if you are ever in the Quezon City area in Manila and looking for a place to stay, you may consider staying at the "Torre Venezia Hotel". Check out the photos and see for yourself. Next stop, conquering the fast paced city life. Stay tuned for the next blog entry as these vacationers experience shopping, eating, and getting around in the big cities of Manila! Posted on June 24, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Fil-Am Kids Philippines Bound First generation Filipino-American born Poblete kids, Ron and Richelle finally headed to the Philippines for the very first time in their lives. This was also an exciting trip for Carole who had not been back home to her native country in over 27 years and finally had this an opportunity to see her older sister Julie who she hasn't seen since she left. Patrick also came along on the trip and together they journeyed on a 16 hour flight to this country in southeast Asia. A country full of culture, different foods and a different way of life then they are use to in the United States. Flying out of San Diego's Lindberg Field to Los Angeles International Airport, they boarded the huge 747 Jumbo Jet on Japan Airlines bound for their layover stop in Toyko Japan. The 12 hour flight to Japan was not bad and the seats although in the "Economy" class was pretty comfortable and had all the amenities such as video on demand, video games, and a variety of audio music to keep you entertained. Being that it was a long international flight, several full course meals with dessert were served which was actually pretty good and quite filling! Choice of Chicken Terikayi or Halibut with Pasta was served for the first meal. The second meal was another pasta dish with crab salad. In between meals, snacks were also provided. Not your typical peanuts were served on Japan Airlines but rather a tasty oriental mix of crackers was given with your choice of drink. Japan Airline's signature citrus drink "Skytime" was the favorite. To keep the blood flowing through their legs several trips to the makeshift lounge where the stewardess prepared the meals was the hang out place to stretch your legs and also get a drink. After a 2 hour layover at Japan's Narita International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, they boarded once again for another four hour trip to Ninoy Aquino International Airport. But instead of seating in "Economy" class, they ended up in "Business" class. Each seat had more space and leg room, equipped with slide out video screen, and the seats reclined almost horizontally. In fact, the seats were so comfortable that Carole skipped her meal and slept all the way to Manila. One cool thing about the flight was the video screens gave you the Pilot's view of taking off or landing on the runway. Check out the photos and experience the flight for yourself. Stay tuned for more blog entries regarding this trip to the P.I. and the experiences in the big city of Manila as well as in the remote province areas. Posted on June 22, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe A Day at Mission Bay It was another trip down to San Diego this past weekend as Ron and Carole dropped off the kids with their Grandparents for the summer. (Since Nico and Kiana were out of school for the next three months and Ron and Carole have vacation plans of their own to go to the Philippines, Papa Rollie and Mama Pearlie suggested the three Poblete Grandkids stay with them for the summer.) As the kids loaded up the family VW Eurovan with their gear for the summer, they also packed up their sand castle gear and mountain bikes as the family was also invited to a little birthday party for Josh and Jason Torres at Mission Bay Park. After the morning gloom burnt off (The usual "June Gloom" as known by local San Diegans.), it was a perfect day for sand castle building, kite flying, RC car racing in the sand and bike riding at Mission Bay. Richelle, Patrick, Elmer and Ron took off cruising their mountain bikes around the south end of Mission Bay and through the Mission Beach Boardwalk and Belmont Park (Home of the famous Big Dipper Roller Coaster). Beautiful weather and beautiful scenery - Check out the rest of the photos to see why San Diego will always be home for this family. Posted on June 13, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Serendipity 3 Las Vegas New Yorkers or those who have visited the "Big Apple" may know of the popular restaurant in the upper east side of Manhattan called "Serendipity 3". Established in 1954, this New York restaurant is a favorite among New Yorkers, tourists, and especially celebrities and is known for its foot-long hot dogs and frozen drinks, particularly its trademark "Frrrozen Hot Chocolate". The restaurant is also associated with the 2001 movie "Serendipity" starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale which centers around a couple that meet by chance and share dessert at the restaurant later that same night. "Serendipity 3" is also in the Guiness Book of World Records for having the world's most expensive dessert, the "Golden Opulence Sundae" which cost $1,000.00. (The sundae is actually covered in 23-carat edible gold leaf.) This weekend, friends Arni, Fred, Archie and Sarah were our out of town guests at "Casa de Poblete". Their weekend consisted of partying at Nico and Kiana's Birthday Party, Seafood Buffet at the M Resort, watching a comedy show, and sightseeing all night long on the Las Vegas Strip. To end the weekend, Ron also accompanied them to "Serendipity 3 Las Vegas", the same New York eatery which opened recently at Caesars Palace. No one ordered the $1,000.00 sundae but Archie was brave enough to order the "One-N-Only Las Vegas Buffet Steak Sandwich", which consist of five kinds of steak sandwiches from different countries, all in one. The famous "Frrrozen Hot Chocolate" was also order for dessert. Check out the photos of all the great food "Serendipity 3 Las Vegas" had to offer. Posted on June 7, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Birthday Party with the Vegas Gang After celebrating their birthdays down in San Diego with family and friends last weekend (See next blog "Nico & Kiana's Bonfire Birthday" entry below.), Nico and Kiana continued the birthday celebrating at home in Las Vegas this past Friday night. This was their last weekend and chance to hang out with their friends in Vegas before moving back home to San Diego for the summer. The gang hung out past the midnight hour munching on food, playing pool and UFC Fighting on the Playstation 3 in the game room, Yu-gi-oh battling in the dining room, practicing hula dances in the backyard, and performing jam sessions up in Nico's music studio bedroom with the inpromtu band. Photos of all the partying are available and thank you to the whole gang who came and celebrated the night away. Good times indeed! Posted on June 6, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Nico & Kiana's Bonfire Birthday It was a great Memorial Day Weekend the last few days as Ron, Carole and the kids traveled down to Southern California once again. Ron and Carole got to witness the nuptials of Billy & Ivy and attended their beautiful wedding reception at the Laguna Cliffs Spa and Resort in Dana Point. (Congratulations again Mr. & Mrs Billy Fermin!) To add to the weekend festivities, Nico and Kiana got to celebrate their birthdays in San Diego and held a "Bonfire Birthday Party" with family and friends. The family packed up the Volkswagon Eurovan with the usual gear of canopy, tables, chairs, bbq grill and most of all the food and set up the party at Shelter Island by the fire rings. Right away the kids ran to the beach and started building sand castles while Elmer and Ron started the bbq grill to cook hot dogs. As the sun started going down the rest of the guests arrived, the rest of the wooded pallets were brought in, and the bonfire was lit. Once again it was another evening of good times with good friends and family having plain ol' good fun! Thanks to all who came and for those who couldn't make it, we'll do it again someday. Check out all the photos from the Bonfire Party and also, special thanks to the gang for collecting and bringing the wooden pallets. It truly wouldn't have been a great "Bonfire Party" without your help. Posted on May 25, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe The Poblete Family Home Theater Taking the whole family to the movie theaters can be very expensive. The price of the tickets, cost of popcorn, nachos, and drinks for a family of four or five, plus the cost of gas to get there can really add up. That is why one of the extra rooms at "Casa de Poblete" in Las Vegas was converted into our very own home movie theater. Equipped with video projector, 100" screen, surround sound system and decked out with movie posters and memorabilia, this home theater is just as good as watching at any movie theater outside. And the best thing of having your own home movie theater is that you don't have to deal with other people or strangers, bring your own food or have dinner and a movie, and if you ever have the urge to go to the restroom you can always pause the movie at anytime! The Poblete Family Home Theater can sit up to five people comfortably but can also accomodate more seats or there is room on the floor to sit or lay down. For larger groups we would accomodate them at our outdoor movie theater pending the weather conditions outside (See "Outdoor Movie Night at the Pobletes" blog entry below). Ron is usually found in the theater room once a week as he uses it as a private screening room to catch up on the latest DVD releases or to watch older movies. He can usually be found in the theater's "Multimedia Room" which is housed in the walk-in closet of the room working on a video project or editing photos. The theater room has more upgrades in the works such as adding curtain treatment around the screen, creation of a make-shift stage below the screen, and utimately adding a media server to house all the movies. But for now you can check out the rest of the photos of the "Poblete Family Home Theater" in its current state or come over sometime and watch a flick. We're sure you can find something to watch from our video library. Posted on May 20, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe One of our Favorite "Hole in the Wall" Restaurants On our way down to San Diego this past weekend, we had a craving for some authentic mexican food and met Richelle and Patrick for lunch at "Las Cuatro Milpas". This place which opened in 1933 is no high class restaurant but rather it's an old "hole in the wall" establishment in Barrio Logan close to Chicano Park. This place is so ghetto but the food is the best! It's so good that during the lunchtime hour, the line forms outside the restaurant and goes down the sidewalk. But despite the long line, the wait is really worth it! By the time we arrived the big lunchtime crowd had left. As you walk into the door you come up to the counter where the women are gathered around the stove preparing and serving everything from tacos, tamales, burritos, chorizo, fresh tortillas, rolled tacos, rice and beans. And the salsa they provide is something else! The menu is simple and cheap but food is incredible. As you receive your food you'll have to find a table in one of the adjoining buildings. The decor is nothing fancy...red concrete floors, red and white-checkered table cloths and painted blue walls. Check out the photos but definately check out this restaurant for yourself! It's a must visit if you are ever down in the Barrio. Posted on May 18, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Happy Mother's Day! Mother's Day is a time of celebration and honoring Mom. However, with all the sacrifices mothers make and have made, mothers should be honored every single day. Yet at times we tend to forget to show our appreciation and on every second Sunday in May we celebrate Mother's Day by giving Moms the day off, let her take it easy and relax while the rest of the family does the work. Yesterday's Mother's Day started off like every other Sunday as the family attended church services. Afterwards Ron, Richelle, Patrick and the kids honored Carole with a buffet brunch at the Green Valley Ranch Resort. While having brunch and also throughout the day, phone calls and text messages were made back and forth to our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, etc...greeting them all a "Happy Mothers Day". After a full morning of church activities and stuffing our faces with more shrimp, crab legs and the rest of what the buffet had to offer, the family went home to let Carole enjoy her favorite past time..."Sleeping". As the family prepared for possible out of town guests (which seems to happen every weekend or so here in Las Vegas) they last minute decided to take advantage of the nice warm weather and planned for a Mother's Day dinner in the backyard. "Surf and Turf" was the main course as barbequed steak and shrimp was prepared. Check out all our Mother's Day festivities and to all the Mothers we weren't able to greet in person or by a phone call or text message, "Happy Mother's Day!" We hope you enjoyed your special day! Posted on May 11, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Outdoor Movie Night at the Pobletes It was a perfect Spring evening last night as the Pobletes hosted an "Outdoor Movie Night" to celebrate Ron's birthday with a few friends and family. While Ron and Patrick were setting up the 12 foot high inflatable movie screen in the backyard, Carole was busy barbecuing hot dogs on the grill to add to the menu of "movie theater food" which also included pizza, nachos, and popcorn. As the sun went down, the video projector was about ready to start the show. It was a double featured night as the first movie that played was the family comedy "Marley & Me" starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. While the first group of movie goers watched, some of the other guests hung out in the game room to watch the NBA Playoff Game and also battled on the war zone on the Playstation 3. The second movie that played was an unreleased DVD copy of the movie "Push" starring Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning, which was provided by a movie pirate guest (who's name we cannot reveal due to the FBI and copyright laws). The movie ended around 12 midnight but the partying continued til 2:30 AM as some stayed behind and hung out. After cleaning up around 3:00 AM, Ron, Kiana, Richelle, and Patrick got hungry and decided to head over to the South Pointe Hotel and Casino to take advantage of the "Graveyard Special" and got ordered the Steak and Eggs breakfast. Check out the photos from our first (but not the last) outdoor movie night. There will definately be more movie nights to follow at the Pobletes as summer and fall approaches. Posted on May 9, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Lee & Cecile's Anniversary Weekend This weekend Carole's sister Cecile and husband Lee celebrated their wedding anniversary here in Las Vegas. The family celebrated with them on Friday Night and headed to a buffet dinner at the Green Valley Ranch Hotel. The Green Valley Ranch buffet is one of our family's favorite buffets because it's away from the hustle and bustle of the Las Vegas Strip and it's right by the house. The other reason why we enjoy this buffet is because it's the only buffet we know where the chef takes your plate of crab legs and shrimp and sautees it with butter, garlic, celantro, tomatoes, green onions, chili flakes, etc... as shown in the photo (Click to enlarge.) This camera phone photo doesn't do it justice but you should really taste and smell it for yourself. It's the best! Saturday night Ron and Carole brought Lee and Cecile to see a brand new show at the Las Vegas Hilton called "Voices" starring world renowned award winning entertainer "Earl Turner" and Asia's Nightingale, filipina singer Lani Misalucha (formerly of the Society of Seven who performed at the Flamingo). If you've seen the Society of Seven show in the past, you'll also enjoy "Voices". The show is truly an explosion of vocal energy as these two talented singing sensations perform various duets and solo numbers backed by a live high energy band of musicians. Ron, Carole, Cecile and Lee got to meet the star performers and also had a photo opportunity with them. After the show they hung out at the Miracle Mile Shops at the Planet Hollywood and had a late dinner. Once again it was another fun weekend of good food, good music and good times. (It's even more special celebrating and spending time with visiting family.) Happy Anniversary Lee & Cecile! Posted on April 26, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe They Way You Do the Things You Do! So it was a nice spring evening out last night as Ron and Carole had the opportunity to see british reggae band "UB40" at the "Beach" at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. The venue was cool as the band performed outdoors by the pools at Mandalay Bay. The "Beach" is literally a beach as the stage was set right by the sandy poolside. (Note to anyone attending concerts at the Mandalay Bay Beach: There are no seats and is standing room only. Bring a towel or beachmat if you would like to sit in the sand.) UB40 played most of their hits such as "Red Red Wine", "Cherry Oh Baby", "Kingston Town", "The Way You Do the Things You Do", etc...as well as hits from their new album "TwentyFourSeven". It was a perfect night for an outdoor concert listening to some reggae tunes. No photos available except for the photo on this blog which was taken by a passer-byer at the hotel who we had asked to take our photo. Him and his buddy didn't mind doing us a favor and in return we gave them the 2 extra tickets we had for the concert. The look on their faces was priceless as they couldn't believe their eyes. See it pays to be at the right place at the right time! :) Posted on April 19, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe "Wii" Can Surf the Web! As if there wasn't enough computers at the Poblete household for everyone to get online, there's yet another option to check email and surf the web by using the family's Nintendo Wii. Ron being the gadget geek that he is couldn't resist purchasing this wireless keyboard made especially for the Wii console. The "Logitech Cordless Keyboard for Wii" cost as low as $38.00 online and comes complete with a wireless fullsize keyboard (with Wii system keys for navigating, Zoom In/Out, Forward/Back, Quit, and OK button.), 2.4 GHz USB mini-receiver and 2 AA batteries. Installation is very easy. Install the batteries, connect the USB mini-receiver in back of the Wii console, turn on the keyboard and start typing away. So how can you access the internet from the Wii? Well if you haven't done so already, here are simple instructions on how to do so. First of all, you will need a wireless internet connection in your home and setup your connection on the Wii. Once your connection has been made, simply go to the "Wii Shop Channel" from the main Wii menu to download the internet browser. You will need to add Wii Points to purchase the browser which you can purchase with your credit card ($10 for 1000 Wii Points). You will need 500 Wii Points to download the browser. Select "Wii Channels" from the "Wii Shop Channel" menu and look for the "Internet Channel" and follow instructions to download. Once downloaded, the "Internet Channel" will appear on the main Wii menu for you to select for surfing the web. Navigating on the screen will be done using the Wii remote and an onscreen keyboard is also available for onscreen typing using the remote. But we highly suggests purchasing the wireless keyboard for easier typing of web addresses, searching, and for typing email messages. Check out the photos of Kiana demonstrating surfing the web on the Wii and start using your own Wii to get online on your big screen from the comfort of your living room couch. Posted on April 9, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Earth Hour 2009 Today March 28, 2009, people around the world of all ages, nationalities, race and background had the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote - Switching off your lights for one hour from 8:30 to 9:30 pm is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. Our family headed out to the Strip to witness this global vote but not before switching off our lights prior to leaving the house as we voted for Earth. We headed to the "Panevino Ristorante" parking lot on Sunset and Gillespie here in Las Vegas which had a great view of the Las Vegas Strip. Starting at 8:29 pm, hotels started turning off the lights on the outside of their buildings and turned off their large video marquees. Witnessing the hotels switching off their lights one by one was a sight to see. By 8:30 pm, all the hotels who participated had their lights off. To get a closer view, the family drove up from the south end of the Strip by the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign (which was also turned off) for the remainder of Earth Hour until the lights turned back on at 9:30 pm. Check out some photos we took during this global event. Posted on March 28, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Happy "Pizookie" Birthday! To celebrate Richelle's and Patrick's birthdays, the family went to the new "BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse" that just opened up near the house here in Las Vegas. BJ's Restaurant originated in Southern California and has expanded across the US. We're glad they opened one up here in our neck of the woods. BJ's is casual dining, has a fun and child-friendly environment, and has a great menu with large portions. But a must have if you still have room for desert is to order BJ's famous "PIZOOKIE"! It's a freshly baked, hot out of the oven, rich and delicious cookie topped with 2 scoops of vanilla bean ice cream and served in its own deep dish. Your cookie choice is either chocolate chunk, white chocolate macadamia nut, peanut butter or oatmeal raisin walnut. You've got to try it if you get the chance! As Kiana says, "It's the Bomb!" Check out the photos of us devouring our "Pizookie" and "Happy Birthday Richelle and Patrick!" Posted on March 23, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Those Funny Blue Men To finish off this past weekend, the family went to the Venetian Hotel and Casino to watch the "Blue Man Group" show. This is one of Nico's favorite shows (being that he is a musician and percussionist himself.). He always says he wants to try out to be in the show someday but said one of the requirements is that you have to be 6 foot tall. We told him to try out anyway and maybe they'll call him "Little Boy Blue". The family has seen this show many times but it was a first for Patrick who was visiting from out of town. So what is the "Blue Man Group" you may ask? For those who haven't seen it yet, it's a theatrical show featured at the Venetian Hotel and Casino which features music, comedy and multimedia visual effects. This visual production is centered around a trio of these "Blue Men" who appear in black clothing and wear blue grease paint over latex bald caps and play a mixture of idiosyncratic, often percussive, instruments. These blue men do not speak, are usually expressionless, and only communicate through intense eye contact and simple gestures. This is not your typical Las Vegas show, however this show is very unique, hilarious and the music is fun. It's a very entertaining show that's great for the whole family. The kids really love this show and we'll probably go back and see it again. Check out last night's evening out at the Blue Man Group show. Posted on March 22, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Whip Appealing at the Babyface Concert Ron got tickets to see singer/songwriter/producer Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and American Idol winner Jordan Sparks in concert at Primm Valley. Richelle and Patrick were also in town to celebrate their birthdays and along with Cousin Jay they all met up with other friends Rene, Aileen, JR, Rose, Fred and Lorie and kids and some of Ron's co-workers Ace, Leile, and Allison. While at the box office picking up their tickets, who else but "Babyface" himself walks right by them. Carole runs off to meet him and stands right beside him holding his arm and posing for the cameras. Unfortunately Ron doesn't get the camera out in time for a good shot of Carole with Babyface in arm. (Come on, Ron's a "Photographer" not a "Paparazzi".) Although the shot was not documented, the memory of Carole meeting and talking to Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds will forever be etched in her mind. The gang headed over to Tony Roma's for dinner before the concert but the wait was 1 hour and a half long. Babyface was also having dinner there. We should have mentioned that we were with him since he and Carole with now pretty tight. (LOL!) Instead the gang headed to the Primm Outlet Mall for some Japanese food at the "Café Koraku". (Note: This place was pretty good and alot better than any of the food fast places at the food court.) The concert itself was fun. Jordan Sparks opened the night singing a few of her hits such as "One Step at a Time", "This Is My Now", "Tattoo", "No Air", and finished up with her rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition". After a short intermission the crowd went wild as Babyface himself took the stage. He started the show singing a few of his own R&B hits such as "For the Cool in You", "My Kinda Girl", and "Whip Appeal". Slowed down the tempo a bit and sang his rendition of James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" and then broke out with a medley of hit songs that he wrote for "The Deele", "Bobby Brown", "Johnny Gill", "Tevin Campbell", and "Boyz II Men". He also sang the song "Change the World" which he wrote for "Eric Clapton" and left the stage as if the concert was over. As some people were exiting the arena, Babyface came back out to do his last song. (Remember people, the concert's not really over until the house lights come back on.) He finished off the night with an acoustic guitar rendition of "When Can I See You Again". All in all it was an awesome concert, great story telling by Babyface in between sets and a full night of songs that brought us all way back in the day. Check out our night with good friends, good music and just having good times!. Posted on March 21, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Hanging out at the "M" The M Resort, Las Vegas's new billion dollar luxury hotel and casino finally opened its doors earlier this month. The M stands for Marnell, a family owned Architecture firm responsible for the design and/or construction of dozens of resorts in Las Vegas such as the Rio, Wynn Las Vegas, Bellagio, Mirage, New York New York, Treasure Island, and the list goes on. The M Resort's stylish glass tower hotel sits on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and St. Rose Parkway just south of the Las Vegas Strip (and right in our backyard, about 4 miles or a 3 minute drive away). The M has 390 hotel rooms, a 90,000-square-foot casino, nine restaurants, 60,000 square feet of meeting facilities, a 20,000-square-foot spa, and 2.3 acres of pool area with fire and water features and an outdoor entertainment stage. One cool feature that we had not seen at other hotel/casinos was the complementary self serve fountain drinks just like what you have at fast food restaurants (serving your usual coke, sprite, raspberry iced tea, lemonade, etc…). We couldn't miss the opportunity to see this spectacular hotel, especially when the marquee was advertising "Free Buffet". (Note to locals or frequent visitors: Sign up and get your M Resort Rewards Card for Free Buffet offer while time allows. Rewards Card also gets you $2 discount off future buffet visits. Also you will need the Rewards Card to use the M Resort coupons some of us received in the mail.) The family took advantage of the Seafood Dinner last Saturday night at the "Studio B Show Kitchen Buffet". The food was great and the desserts were out of this world! One tip to offer when waiting to be seated is to ask for a table or booth with a Strip view. If you're lucky, you'll be lead to a room off of the main dining area which has an awesome view of the Strip, especially at night. (We've been seated there on both our visits so far.) Today we took our family friend Roger who was in town to see the M Resort and had lunch at our "new favorite buffet" out here in Vegas. Check out the photos of us hanging out at the M and definately make time to get out there and see it for yourself. And remember, if you get thirsty don't forget to look for the complimentary fountain drinks stations. Posted on March 20, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Another Day in the Snow Just when you thought they were tired of snow from the last snow storm back in December, Ron took the kids on a snow trip in the VW Eurovan up to Mount Charleston with some other families from church. The group headed out to Lee Canyon for some snowball fighting, football in the snow and sledding down the hill. It was smooth sailing as they traveled alittle over 35 minutes up to Mount Charleston and the weather was picture perfect. After a few hours of playing in the snow, sledding in the snow, and eating snow (but not yellow show), they made a pitstop over to the Mount Charleston Hotel Resort before heading down the mountain. They hung out in the lodge to keep warm and sat around the fireplace sipping hot cocoa. The kids found a "Love Tester" machine by the arcade and threw quarters in the slot to see how well they scored on the love meter. Everyone scored high receiving results as "Uncontrollable", "Hot Stuff", and "Passionate" except for Nico who unfortunately scored low twice receiving results as "Clammy" and "Try Again". Check out all the activities from another day in the snow. Posted on February 21, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Carole's Special Day Another year has come and like every month of February, the family celebrated Carole's birthday. Carole is one who would rather not plan for a big birthday celebration which is why Ron and the kids have given her many surprise parties these past few years. (See photo gallery for past surprise birthday celebrations.) This year they honored her request to have a low-profile celebration with just the family. (Hmmm...maybe it's because she doesn't want to be reminded of her age or announce to the world that she is getting old?) So for her special day, the family planned for an intimate lunch celebration at "The Cheesecake Factory" at The District at Green Valley Ranch after the kids got off school. Not only does "The Cheesecake Factory" have the best cheesecakes around but their menu is so abundant and the food is really good. (Plus they give you big servings too!) After their late lunch, the celebration continued throughout the evening as they caught a magic show starring "Dixie Dooley - Master Mystifier" at the Royal Resort off the Strip. To end the night they also strolled around the "Town Square Mall" stopping by "Yogurtland" for some flavored yogurt (taro, strawberry, green tea, and mango just to name a few). Check out the photos of her special day. Happy Birthday Carole! Posted on February 20, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Le Reve: A small collection of imperfect dreams One of the shows on the Las Vegas Strip that Ron and Carole have always wanted to see was "Le Reve" which plays at the Wynn Las Vegas Casino Resort. That opportunity became reality last night as they finally got to see the show. They invited the Cadiz's (Happy B-Day Manang) to come along and found the show to be absolutely amazing! The theatre was stunning, the music was outstanding, and the acrobatics and stunts were thrilling. The overall production value was superb from the lighting and special effects to the costumes and stage (a water stage at that...one million gallons of water). The show is an acrobatic water performance much like Cirque de Soleil's "O" which plays at the Bellagio. Le Reve which means "The Dream" in French is truly a surreal dreamy experience. Every seat is a good seat as the audience sits in rows surrounding a circular lake - while characters appear and disappear from inside the water and from up above. The actors are olympic level divers and do all of the dances/stunts without any nets and from so high up. Photos are available from our night out at Le Reve but they really don't give it justice to the actual show. Le Reve is definately a must see for anyone visiting the Las Vegas Strip. Posted on February 3, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Primm Valley Getaway and Michael McDonald in Concert Located about 40 miles south of Las Vegas, in Primm, Nevada, on the California/Nevada state line is the Primm Valley Resort and Casino. Ron, Carole and the kids started this past weekend with a short drive down to the California/Nevada border for a quick over night stay at the Buffalo Bills Hotel and Casino. The hotel itself had a "Old West" theme similar to Knott's Berry Farm and has plenty of amenities and restaurants. It is also the home of the "Desperado", the tallest, fastest, and longest steel roller coaster in the state of Nevada. (Unfortunately we weren't able to ride it due to the weather.) Also adjacent to the hotel is the Fashion Outlets Mall which features more than 100 designer and top name-brand outlet stores and shops. After spending the whole afternoon shopping with the kids, Ron and Carole had tickets to see R&B/Soul singer and songwriter Michael McDonald perform live in concert that night. The former member of the Doobie Brothers now solo artist who has a very deceptive husky and soulful voice performed a few songs from his former band such as "Takin' It to the Streets", "Minute by Minute" and "What a Fool Believes". He also performed hits from his solo albums, especially hits from his tribute albums Motown 1 & 2 singing hits originally performed by such artist as Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. The hour and a half concert show was great and his talented band of musicians was awesome (especially the female drummer who also sang backup while playing the drums). Check out the photos from our one day/night getaway at Primm. You wanna know the best part of it all?...The hotel room and the concert tickets were FREE! Yes...FREE! Email us back and find out how you too can take advantage of such a great deal :) Posted on January 24, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe 2009 International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) Ron has finally recovered from covering the 2009 International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) these past few days. CES is the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow which is held every year in Las Vegas. It featured 2,700 exhibitors, including companies who manufacture products or provide services for the audio, digital imaging, home theater, wireless, content and gaming markets. Ron along with the rest of the crew (Arni, Ryan, Jason, Imee, Henry, Aldine, and Junen) ran around with their gear videotaping, photographing and interviewing vendors for NET25's tech show "Convergence." (http://www.net-25.com/convergence.html) After spending the whole day (all 3 days) on their feet, the crew treated themselves to buffets every night stuffing themselves with unless crab legs and even caught a comedy hypnosis show called "Mesmerized" featuring Marc Savard at the V Theatre at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. (Highly recommended and a very fun, entertaining, and hilarious show worth seeing!) Click here to check out a few photos of the crew working the show and hanging out at "Casa de Poblete." Posted on January 12, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Yay Chargers...a Happy New Year Indeed! You can't ask for a better way to start off the new year than having the San Diego Chargers defeat the Colts at yesterday's AFC wild-card playoff game! Mark and Ron scored tickets and headed to Qualcomm Stadium to witnessed the wild and exciting game between the Bolts and the Colts. The energy at the stadium was insane as the Chargers came from behind at the very end of the game to tie the score and send the game into overtime. At the end the Chargers prevailed as #43 Darren Sproles scores the winning touchdown beating the Colts 23 to 17. Check out the photos from this awesome Chargers Victory! Now onward to Pittsburgh to meet the Steelers in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs. GO CHARGERS GO! Posted on January 4, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Happy New Year 2009 A new year has come again and as always we welcomed the year surrounded by our friends and loved ones. This year we celebrated the new year down in San Diego. As the year ended we took time to reflect on all the happy times this past year (Read below for a "Year in Review" of 2008.) and we are all looking forward for what 2009 has in store. From our family to yours, we wish you and yours good health, prosperity and happiness in this new year 2009. Continue to stay in touch and "Happy New Year to All and God Bless!" -The Poblete Family (Rollie, Pearlie, Richelle, Ron, Carole, Nico, Kiana & Nevaeh) Click here to see photos from our family's "New Year's Festivities!" Posted on January 1, 2009 | Read Comments | Post Comment | Subscribe Click here to view 2008 Blogs