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2012...Not quite the End of the World
If the Mayans were correct and 2012 was to be the end
of the world, than this blog entry would not exist.
But since the world did not end as they predicted it
would on December 21, this blog entry is definitely
not the last one forever but is the last one for the
year 2012. As we look back on this past year, one special
highlight from this year is when a guestbook entry on
this family website was posted from Cathrina Danseco
Poblete who had been searching for her biological father.
Many people throughout the years have used our website
to find other relatives and friends but what a blessing
it was this year to find out that Cathrina (also known
by family and friends as Kaye) was an actual bloodline
relative of ours. It so happens that her father Carlos
who she had never met and had died a few years ago was
actually Papa Rollie's first cousin. Although she wasn't
able to visit us here in the United States this year,
she was able to visit Tita Flore and the rest of the
family in Canada. We look forward to that day in the
near future when we will also be able to meet her and
welcome her to the family in person.
As far as the rest of 2012, this year the family kicked it off by bringing in the New Year in Las Vegas
with a few family and friends at Casa de Poblete. Other holidays throughout the year were also celebrated such as Memorial Day Holiday BBQ'ing,
Labor Day Weekend at the South Bay Drive-In Theater,
Chargers Turkey Thanksgiving, and spending the Thanksgiving Holiday at Mt. Charleston.
And as usual the family celebrated special occasions this year such as Carole's Birthday at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, Richelle and Patrick's Zumba Birthday Party,
Nico and Kiana's Birthday at Circus Circus Adventuredome, Nevaeh's Kindergarten
Graduation, Nevaeh's Birthday at California Adventure,
and Ron and Carole's Anniversary at the Vdara Hotel Resort.
This year the family committed to staying more physically fit and got alot more active. Ron and Carole continued their daily walks and persuaded others to
do the same by inviting everyone to take their Walk a Mile a Day Challenge. Their walking continued and the kids even join in
as they again put their walking towards great causes again this year through Team Poblete and raised funds by
participating in this year's 5K events such as the Aids Walk Las Vegas,
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, and the Las Vegas Heart Walk. The physical
activities didn't stop there as throughout the year they Biked, Hiked, and Walked all over San Diego and did some hiking at Red Rock Canyon.
To balance their everyday life of working, going to
school, church obligations, and other extra curricular
activities, the family managed to find time to also
take a few vacations and getaways this year. Spring
Break Week was spent down in San Diego and they
also got to visit Shamu at SeaWorld
while down there that week. Ron and Carole were able
to finally take a cruise
ship vacation and visited Catalina
Island and Ensenada,
Mexico during their voyage. Kiana and Nevaeh spent
their Summer
Vacation in San Diego again this year while their
older brother was stuck in Las Vegas working the summer
break. But there's no doubt Nico was complaining as
he was working as a Pool Attendant at the Vdara Hotel
and Resort all summer long attending to bikini clad
visitors. While the girls were vacationing in San Diego,
Ron and Carole got the chance to go on their annual
summer
staycation out at Lake Las Vegas for some rest and
relaxation.
When not out of town or away on vacation, the family
continued to balance their busy day to day schedules
with family outing watching concerts and show when in
town. Being the music lovers that they are, this year
they got to see live concert performances by Digital
Underground, Boys
II Men, Chaka
Khan, Kenny
G, Justin
Bieber, New
Edition and Kool
& the Gang. As far as shows, they also got to see
comedian Rex Navarrette, Jeff
Civillico, Jabbawockeez,
Recycled
Percussion, Prince
Tribute Show Purple Reign, Anthony Cools Hypnotist
Show, Surf the Musical, Wicked
the Musical at The Smiths Center, the new Blue
Man Group show, and Murray
Celebrity Magician. And being sports lovers as well,
the family took time to watch a few live sporting events
such as the Pacquiao
Bradley Weigh-In Event, USA
Men's Olympic Basketball Team, San
Diego Chargers Home Opener Game, and the Los
Angeles Lakers Pre-Season Game. But when not out
watching live sporting events, the family hosted friends
and family at Casa de Poblete this year watching SuperBowl
XLVI, backyard tailgating watching the Chargers
on Sunday and Monday Night Football, and the Pacquiao
vs. Marquez 4 Boxing Match.
These are just some of the family highlights that
took place this year but even though the Mayans were
wrong about the end of the world, this family continues
to live life to the fullest everyday and make more family
memories as if the world was to end. Life is too short
not to make the best and the most of everything that
comes your way everyday. And we thank the Lord for His
blessing and guidance each and every day. So from our
family to yours we would like to wish you and yours
a very Happy and Prosperous 2013!
Posted on December 27, 2012
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Fight Night at Casa de Poblete
It was an action-packed night of UFC (Ultimate Fighting
Championship) and professional boxing at the Poblete
household as UFC on Fox aired on network television
and the Pacquiao Marquez 4 boxing match was ordered
through Pay Per View. An open invitation to watch the
fights at Casa de Poblete was put out and the Cadiz,
Dela Cruz, Lajeras, Corpuz, Yap, and Dabu families gladly
accepted. To keep the UFC/boxing fans appetites satisfied,
Carole cooked some homemade Filipino style Arroz Caldo
and Ron ordered some tasty Hawaiian malasadas from their
friends at 808 Island Craves. The rest brought over
desserts, pizza, chicken, and chips and dip and ate
while they watched the UFC bouts on one television screen
and the undercard boxing matches on another screen.
This night's UFC cards were the lightweight championship
showdown of Ben Henderson against Nate Diaz. The rest
of the match-ups were B.J. Penn battling Rory MacDonald,
Mauricio Rua against Alexander Gustafsson, and Mike
Swick against Matt Brown. This night's winners were
Henderson, McDonald, Gustafsson, and Brown.
As the UFC fights were going on, the undercard boxing
matches of Patrick vs. Fortuna, Gesta vs. Vasquez, and
Farenas vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa were also playing simultaneously.
Fortuna, Vasquez, and Gamboa ended up being the winners
of the undercard fights. After all the UFC and undercard
fights were done, the lights in the family/game room
were turned off, the video projector was turned on,
the large video projection screen was pulled down, and
everyone settled into their spots to finally watch the
main event. The excitement and anticipation grew in
the room as the boxers who were meeting for the fourth
time came out of their dressing rooms to make their
way out to the ring. First was the Mexican fighter Juan
Manuel Marquez followed by the Filipino fighter Manny
"PacMan" Pacquiao.
As round one began, it was clear that this match was
going to be a battle. Pacquiao who appeared to be active,
in shape, and ready to fight and seem to be ahead in
the earlier rounds until Marquez threw a punch knocking
down Pacquiao in the third round. However, the Filipino
fighter was able to get up and regain control of the
fight and in the fifth round, Pacquiao evened the score
by catching Marquez with a straight left hand and knocking
him down. The battle continued in the sixth round as
Pacquiao continued to show his aggressiveness and actually
broke the nose of Juan Manuel Marquez. But with seconds
left in the 6th round, Marquez being the techical counterpuncher
that he is found an opening as Pacquiao attacked and
landed a vicious punch directly to Pacquiaos face. The
Filipino fighter dropped  straight
to the canvas, and the fight ended as a victory for
Marquez via knockout. What a shocking view of Pacquiao
falling flat on his face and hitting the canvas. What
was even more shocking was seeing Pacquiao out cold
as he layed there motionless for a few minutes until
he came through with the help of the doctors and his
cornermen. Click
here to see all the photos from this epic fight
during Fight Night at Casa de Poblete. Some wonder if
there will be a Pacquiao Marquez 5? Only time will tell.
Also scroll down to read the blog entry about the Pacquiao
Marquez 4 Weigh In Event and check out all the photos
below.
Posted on December 11, 2012
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Pacquiao Marquez 4 Weigh In Event
Eight years ago on May 8, 2004, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez fought each other for the very first time. After twelve rounds, the bout was scored a draw.
After that controversial decision, a rematch took place four years later in 2008 and it was again a very close fight. Pacquiao ended up winning that bout by split
decision. The two met in the ring again in 2011 for the third time and like the other two previous fights, it was another close fight. But again Marquez lost to
Pacquiao by majority decision. And after much controvesy about that decision, here it is a year later as Pacquiao and Marquez go at each other again for the
fourth time in a non-title bout to put all the controversy to rest.
As in past Pacquiao fights, Ron and Nico once again attended the official weigh in event and this time met up with friends Brent, Fred, and Gilbert at the MGM
Grand Garden Arena. Surprisingly, the huge group of Pacquiao fans that usually arrive early to support the Filipino fighter were not in present when they arrived
and they found themselves surrounded by sombreros and chats in Spanish coming from all the Mexican fans. The Pacquiao fans were definitely outnumbered by the
Marquez fans. However, Gilbert (AKA PacMask) who again wore his Manny Pacquiao mask to the weigh in got alot of attention from both Filipino and Mexican fans who
all wanted to take a photo with him as he made his way through the sea of boxing fans. Click here to see the video Nico produced titled
"Adventures of Manny "PacMask" Pacquiao" which documents the day's event.
After hours of waiting, the time finally came for the weighing of the fighters. Special guest to witness the event was former undisputed heavyweight champion of the
world Mike Tyson who was greeted by cheers from all the boxing fans. Before the fighters of the main event were introduced, the undercard fighters came on stage to
be weighed. First was Irish boxer Patrick Hyland who was to fight undefeated Dominican boxer Javier Fortuna. Afterwards Filipino boxer Mercito Gesta from San Diego and current IBF Lightweight Champion
Miguel Vazquez from Mexico were introduced and weighed. Then Cuban boxer Yuriorkis Gamboa who is promoted by rapper 50 Cent (who also appeared on stage) took to the
scale along with his opponent Filipino boxer Michael Farenas. Then the large video screen started playing blow by blow footage from the previous Pacquiao Marquez
fights to get the crowd started and finally the fighters for the main event were introduced and stepped on the scale. First was Juan Manuel Marquez who weighed in
at 143 lbs followed by Manny Pacquiao who weighed in at 147 lbs. Although Marquez was much lighter, he did appear very muscular compared to Pacquiao as the two stood
side by side.
Check out the rest of the photos
from this weigh in event and see for yourself how all these fighters matched up against each other, especially Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and
Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez. It's expected to be a great and exciting bout and one to remember for some time to come.
Posted on December 8, 2012
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Anniversary Celebrating in Style at the Vdara
This year on November 24 marked 22 years of marriage
for Ron and Carole. To celebrate they made plans to
spend their wedding anniversary weekend on the Las Vegas
Strip. As part of Carole's personal mission to stay
overnight at each luxury hotel on the Strip, Ron made
reservations at the Vdara Hotel & Spa where they haven't
stayed at before. Luckily for them they didn't just
get a room at this luxurious condo-hotel but through
the help of Nico (who worked at the Vdara pool over
the summer) and his co-worker friends, Ron and Carole
got hooked up to stay in the "Penthouse Suite" on the
55th Floor. The kids came along as they got to check
in earlier than the usual 3PM check-in time so they
too could enjoy the room. The 
penthouse suite offered one bedroom which included a
king-size bed, a large master bathroom which included
a large spa-style soaking tub, a separate guest powder
room, a full kitchen with refrigerator/freezer, microwave,
and stove, washer and dryer, 42" Digital LCD flat-screen
televisions in both the living and bedroom areas, and
panoramic views of Las Vegas as far as the eye can see
to the north, east, south and west. The suite was very
stylish decor with modern furnishings inside the room
and throughout the hotel. (Click
here to see a virtual tour of this fabulous penthouse
suite.)
After hanging out with the kids, relaxing and enjoying
the views of the Strip below, Ron and Carole headed
out for a date night out on the town. Their first stop
was Caesars Palace where they were to have dinner at
the new Baccanal Buffet Restaurant. The Bacchanal Buffet
which opened it's doors about a month ago features more
than 500 items prepared by a team of master chefs in
nine globally-inspired open kitchens providing great
gourmet foods such as Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Japanese,
American, seafood, pizza, deli, and desserts which include
as many as 100 French-inspired pastries, buttery cookies
and other sugary (and sugar-free) delights. After a
few hours of dining, trying and tasting as much food
as they could, they walked it all off by strolling through
the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace and then walked outside
under the big lights along the Las Vegas Strip. As they
headed back to the Vdara Hotel they stopped by the Bellagio
fountains 
to catch the water show and did a lot of people watching
as characters such as Elvis and other celebrity impersonators
walked around taking pictures with all the tourists
on the Strip. The rest of their wedding anniversary
weekend celebration was spent doing more window shopping
at the shops throughout the different hotels on the
Strip, relaxing in their penthouse suite, and also celebrating
with Kool & the Gang as the watched their live concert
down at Primm. (Scroll down below to Soul Train Awards
Concert and Kool & the Gang Live in Concert blog entry.)
Click
here to see all the celebration photos, especially
photos of their luxurious penthouse suite at the Vdara
Hotel & Spa and thank you to all who took the time to
sent their anniversary greetings!
Posted on November 28, 2012
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Thanksgiving Holiday at Mt. Charleston
Last year for Ron and Carole's wedding anniversary,
they spent it up in the mountains at the Resort on Mt.
Charleston which is about a 30 minute drive away from
downtown Las Vegas. It was then when they decided that
the next time they would come back and stay at the resort,
they would bring the kids. So for this year's Thanksgiving
instead of preparing a Thanksgiving meal with family
and friends at Casa de Poblete for the holiday, they
decided to head up to Mt. Charleston for some fresh
mountain air, rest and relaxation, and to spend some
quality family time together. So after the kids got
off from school for the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend,
they drove up to the resort to check in for the night.
The charming rustic log-built hotel retreat houses only
sixty-one rooms high in the mountains of the Humboldt-Toiyabe
National Forest. The majestic mountain surroundings
offer breathtaking views and a small pond that is right
in the front of the hotel.
As they checked into their room on the third floor of
the resort, the room had it's own private balcony which
overlooked the pond below and provided great views of
the surrounding mountainous scenery. After relaxing
a bit in their room, everyone was feeling hungry and
they decided to head down for dinner at the "A Cut Above"
restaurant which was located right inside the resort
by the lobby area. For dinner Ron had ordered the Southern
Fried Chicken which he enjoyed the last time they stayed
at the hotel. Carole got a big bowl of chili and shared
a BLT sandwich plate with Kiana. Nico had the shrimp
alfredo pasta 
while Nevaeh ordered the corn dog with fries. After
dinner they hung out by the huge fireplace in the lobby
and got hot chocolate and coffee at "The Bistro" which
was the hotel's little coffee shop and snack bar. For
the rest of the night they sat around the fireplace
and played the board game "Beat the Parents" where parents
are asked questions most kids can answer, and the kids
are asked questions most parents can answer. On this
night the kids were the winners because alot of the
questions could not be answered by Ron and Carole which
made them wonder if the kids really knew the answers
to those questions. After and hour or so playing the
game, everyone headed up to the room to relax and retire
for the night.
As the family woke up on Thanksgiving morning they got
dressed and took a short drive up to the Mt. Charleston
Lodge for breakfast. Hoping that there would be snow
up there, they arrived and found no snow on the ground
but snow was visable as they looked up towards the top
of the mountain range. Despite not getting to play in
the snow, they still enjoyed the breaktaking views from
the top as they looked down towards Kyle Canyon. Afterwards
they drove back down to the resort and got ready to
partake of the Thanksgiving Day Buffet that the resort
was offering for the holiday. Because of the limited
seating, Ron had booked in advanced which was required
for their 12 noon lunch reservation. The hotel was serving
their Thanksgiving Holiday Feast for that day at 12
noon, 1:30PM, 3PM, and 4:30PM only. As they were seated,
they got to sit at a table by the window which provided
great views of the scenery outside. The buffet menu
consisted of a garden salad bar, oven roasted turkey,
honey glazed ham, sweet corn medley, fresh cranberry
sauce, Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, Southern Style Sweet
Potatoes, green bean almandine, 
turkey gravy, and dinner rolls. Dessert consisted of
pumpkin, pecan, and apple pie. It was a big spread and
the food was delicious! And the best part of all was
that everything was prepared for them by someone else
and there no pile of dishes to wash which was two of
the things this family was thankful for on this Thanksgiving
Day. Check
out all the photos from this Thanksgiving holiday
up at Mt. Charleston. One other thing this family is
so thankful for are the great opportunities like these
spending prescious time together.
Posted on November 28, 2012
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Chargers Turkey Thanksgiving
Because Ron, Carole, and the kids had plans this year
to go up to Mt. Charleston for Thanksgiving and because
family was in town the weekend prior to the holiday,
they decided last minute to go ahead and have an early
Thanksgiving Feast since everyone was in town. Jun,
Lisa, Justin, Jake and Tyler had arrived that Saturday
as well as Bob and Ruby with all their girls Alli, Sam
and the twins Drew & Kendahl. They all got together
and hung out the night before at Fremont Street in downtown
Las Vegas and decided to get together again for an early
Thanksgiving lunch and for some Sunday NFL Football
at Casa de Poblete. It was a typical Thankgiving menu
with a San Diego Chargers Football theme. 
A turkey had been roasting in the oven all morning long
and sides of mashed potatoes, corn, garden salad, and
dinner rolls were prepared. Lisa also brought pumpkin
and pecan pies for dessert. As game time rolled around
for the 1:30PM kickoff, a prayer of thanks was given
and the turkey was carved. Everyone filled their plates
with food and secured their spot to watch the game while
the others hung out at the dinner table by the food.
Click
here to see all the photos from this early Thanksgiving
celebration. It was great getting together with family
for this early Thanksgiving Feast but a bummer because
once again, the Chargers lost the game to the Broncos.
Not much to be thankful for if you were a Chargers Fan.
Posted on November 27, 2012
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November Las Vegas Show Outings
Blue Man Group and Murray Celebrity Magician
Other than the gambling, partying, and all the buffet
eating that Las Vegas has to offer, people also come
to this town for it's entertainment. This family usually
takes advantage of heading out to the Vegas Strip from
time to time to catch a show, especially when family
or friends are in town. This month friends Mark and
Emily Buentipo and Eris and Cindy Sandie were in town
for a bowling tournament that Mark and Eris were competing
in. They also took time to hang out with the family,
dine out, and also catch a show. While Mark and Eris
were attending their bowling function, Emily and Cindy
had joined the family to watch the new Blue Man Group
show. The Blue Man Group show which was previously at
the The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino had recently moved
to their new venue at the Monte Carlo Resort. Not only
was it a brand new venue but a brand new show as well
with an all new different stage, new visual effects,
and new material added to the show. A few of the old
routines were 
still in the show but majority of the show had been
revamped and updated with new technology in some of
the segments such as the use of large iPhones or iPads
and even a female robot who joins them from time to
time on stage. The venue is a much larger theater than
their previous intimate one at the Venetian. They now
perform in the huge theater originally built for Lance
Burton. As the family arrived, their seats were up in
the balcony area and at first they thought it was way
to high to catch all the action. But as the show started,
sitting up higher actually gave you a better view of
the entire show as the lighting effects were shown throughout
the whole theater and the large video screen provided
close ups of the performances on stage. If you've seen
the old Blue Man Group show before, you definitely should
watch the new show at the Monte Carlo.
The following weekend, Jun, Lisa, Justin, Jake, and
Tyler were in town and the family took them to see Murray
Celebrity Magician who was a contestant on the NBC show
"Americas Got Talent". The show was held at the Laugh
Factory at the Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel. Murray currently
guest stars on the History Channel’s hit TV series “Pawn
Stars” as a magic expert. His other TV credits include
starring on the popular VH1 series “Celebracadabra,”
Comedy Central’s TV series “Reno 911,” NBC’s “Last Comic
Standing,” VH1’s “Tough Love,” and Fox’s “Celebrity
Blind Date.” As the family entered the room they were
seated right in 
front of the stage which fortunately for them was a
great view to watch the show. But unfortunately sitting
up front also gave them a great chance to be picked
and be part of the show which is what actually happened.
Justin was called up to the stage as he assisted in
performing a card trick in front of the live audience.
Lisa was also picked as guest magician Michael Turco
who was also a contestant on Americas Got Talent brought
her up on stage to assist in a very daring and dangerous
magic act. Check
out all the fun photos from both the Blue Man Group
show and the Murray Celebrity Magician show featuring
Justin and Lisa. It's never a dull moment in Las Vegas,which
is why it is referred to as the Entertainment Capital
of the World.
Posted on November 26, 2012
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Soul Train Awards Concert (featuring Miguel, TGT, and New Edition)
and Kool & the Gang Live in Concert
This month of November seemed to be a month of going
to shows and concerts. The Soul Train Awards 2012 was
held and taped this month in Las Vegas and as part of
the Soul Train Awards Weekend festivities, a special
concert was held at the PH Live Theater at the Planet
Hollywood Resort and Casino. Ron was able to get tickets
for the concert and he and Carole along with friends
Allison, Carlos, Uyen, and Casey joined them for some
great R&B music. The concert which was hosted by
comedian/actor Alonzo Bodden and songwriter and singer
Jody Watley (formerly from the R&B group Shalamar).
The headliner for the concert was this year's Soul Train
Awards 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients New
Edition. But to kickoff the concert, Best R&B/Soul Male
Artist winner Miguel took to the stage singing a few
of his songs, especially his big hit "Adorn". Afterwards
Tank, Ginuwine and Tyrese all separately took to the
stage, each performing their own set of songs and then
came together performing as the newly formed group "TGT".
After a quick stage change for the big headliners for
the night, DJ Shakim who had been touring with New Edition
on their current World Tour got the crowd started by
spinning old school R&B hits to get everyone hyped up.
Then the stage lights dimmed with only the five microphone
stands still lit and the 5 members Ralph Tresvant, Michael
Bivins, Ricky Bell, Ronnie DeVoe, and Johnny Gill walked
up to the mics. Shortly after a slight pause as the
crowd kept on cheering, the music began as they started
the show with their hit song "If It Isn't Love". After
that they performed a couple of their other hit songs
like "Candy Girl", "Cool It Now" and "Mr. Telephone
Man" as former and original member Bobby Brown join
them on stage. During the groups career, each member
worked on side projects, such as the group Bell Biv
Devoe. Brown, Gill and Tresvant also recorded successful
solo albums. So mid way during the concert, each one
performed their hits starting with Johnny Gill singing
"My, My, My" and "Rub You the Right Way". Then Ralph
Tresvant sang his #1 solo hit "Sensitivity" followed
by Bobby Brown singing a medly his hit songs including
""My Prerogative". During that song, Bobby Brown's 3
year old son came out on stage and joined the group
performing the same dance routine. The concert ended
with a medley of Bell Bev Devoe hit songs with "Poison"
being the last song for the night. This night's performance
was also the last stop of their current World Tour.
Another group that came to town this month was the jazz,
R&B, funk and pop group Kool & the Gang. Ron and Carole
had seen them 2 years ago when they toured with the
Commodores. Since they were celebrating their wedding
anniversary this month, what better way to celebrate
it by seeing Kool & the Gang sing "Celebration" live
and to hear and see them perform all the other songs
they use to listen to during their courtship days before
they got married. The concert was held down at the Star
of the Desert Arena at the Buffalo Bill's Resort & Casino
at Primm. Since the group has been making music and
performing for several decades, the audience was pretty
diverse with young and old concert-goers from all different
nationalities. Part of the fun during this concert was
all the "people watching" as older gray haired men and
women were on their feet dancing the night away. Kool
& the Gang started the concert with a few of their 80's
hits like "Fresh" and "Misled" followed by a few of
their hits from the 70's like "Funky Stuff," "Hollywood
Swinging," and "Jungle Boogie". The concert mellowed
quite a bit during the middle has they performed their
love ballets such as "Too Hot", "Cherish" and "Joanna"
only to liven up again as they performed their chart
topping hits "Let's Go Dancin'", "Get Down On It", "Ladies
Night" and ending the night with their all-time #1 party
song "Celebration" which was the most perfect song to celebrate
Ron and Carole's anniversary. Click
here to check out all the concert photos from from
these great music groups as they performed live.
Posted on November 25, 2012
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Nevaeh's 7th Birthday at Disney's California Adventure
What better place to spend your birthday than at the "Happiest Place On Earth". It was Nevaeh's 7th Birthday and to celebrate the family headed down to Anaheim, California to spend the day with Mickey Mouse and all the other Disney characters. To beat the Southern California Morning Rush Hour Traffic, they left Las Vegas at 2:30 in the morning and arrived in Anaheim at 6:30AM. Since the park did not open until 9AM, the family stopped by the Original Pancake House for a hearty breakfast before checking out all the rides and attractions they plan to tackle throughout the day. After breakfast they headed to the Disneyland to conquer the theme park as soon as it opened. Instead of visiting both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure parks, they decided to just spend the whole day at California Adventure since there were new rides and attractions they have not seen or experienced yet. As soon as they entered the park they tried to grab all the "FastPasses" for the rides and attractions they wanted to ride and see. FastPasses are tickets you get at most rides that are stamped with a certain time period when you can return to ride instead of waiting in the regular line for that particular attraction. You simply return and enter through the FastPass entrance which is a shorter line and either instantly jump on the ride or wait a few minutes versus waiting in the long regular line which in some cases may take up to an hour or more for the more popular attractions.
Once all the FassPasses were obtained they stopped by
one of the shops to get Nevaeh a "Birthday Button" to
wear for her special day. Throughout the day all the
Disney staff and employees greeted her "Happy Birthday"
which made her smile each time and made her feel special.
As they set out to start their California Adventure,
they walked through the big Redwood Trees of Grizzly
Peak and entered Condor Flats where they stopped and
rode the "Soarin' Over California" ride. Afterwards
they spent most of the morning hours at Hollywood Land
where they ran into many Disney characters. The family
dropped in at the "Animation Academy" which was displaying
an art exhibit of Tim Burton's "FrankenWeenie". They
also checked out "Turtle Talk with Crush" and "Muppet
Vision 3D". While Ron and Kiana took an elevator ride
on the "Tower of Terror" and Carole and Nevaeh hung
out with more Disney characters, Nico stayed behind
to watch some middle school bands performing at the
park as special guests which reminded him of when he
use to come to Disneyland to perform back when he was
in band during middle school. Afterwards they all met
up and headed to the Hyperion Theater to watch "Disney's
Alladdin - A Musical Spectacular".
After having lunch at the "Taste Pilots' Grill" back
at Condor Flats, the rest of the afternoon was spent
at "CarsLand" which was the big attraction they all
wanted to see. Nevaeh's favorite movie growing up was
Disney Pixar's "Cars" and it was definately a special
treat for her to walk through "Radiator Springs" and
seeing the Cozy Cone Motel, Flo's V8 Cafe, Sarge's Shop,
and Fillmore's Taste-In from the movie come to life.
Since they got FastPasses for the "Radiator Springs
Racers" ride, they only waited about 5 minutes to get
on the ride instead of waiting over an hour or so like
those who were standing in the regular line. They all
jumped in a blue car which sat 6 people. With the kids
up in the front, Ron and Carole sat behind them (with
some other random kid) and drove off on a rode trip
through Radiator Springs and ended with a race with
another car across Ornament Valley. They also rode on
the "Luigi's Flying Tires" and "Mater's Junkyard Jamboree"
rides and also got a photo opportunity with both cars
"Lightning McQueen" and "Mater the Tow Truck" who were
driving around CarsLand. After a few hours at CarsLand
they headed off to the Paradise Pier section of the
park and rode "The Little Mermaid-Ariel's Undersea Adventure",
"Golden Zephyr", "Goofy's Sky School", "King Triton's
Carousel", and the "California Screamin' Roller Coaster"
rides. 
As the sun set and nightfall came, the last attraction
for the night which was the other attraction at the
park that they had not seen yet was the "World of Colors".
Also having FastPasses for that too plus being in line
early got the family a great viewing spot to watch this
spectacular and colorful water show on Paradise Bay.
Check
out all the Disney California Adventure photos from
this fun day of celebrating Nevaeh's 7th Birthday Disney
style. It's definately the "Happiest Place On Earth"
where "Dreams Come Throught", especially for the Birthday
Girl. Happy 7th Birthday Nevaeh!
Posted on November 8, 2012 |
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New Years at Lake Las Vegas Anyone?
The new year is just around the corner and because Ron, Carole, and the kids are stuck in town this year and will not be able to travel
because of work, Papa Rollie, Mama Pearlie, and the rest of the family decided to bring in the new year up in Las Vegas. And instead of
celebrating at Casa de Poblete, the family has made reservations again at Lake Las Vegas for some rest and relaxation and to spend some
quality time together. If anyone is interested to join in this year, the family will be checking in at the Monte Lago Village Resort
and will be staying at the "Viera" which is right adjacent to the Monte Lago Village. (Note: If there is no availability at the "Viera", rooms
are also available at the "Luna di Lusso" which is across the lake and walking distance to the Monte Lago Village or at the nearby Ravella Lake
Las Vegas Resort Hotel.) Rooms are currently still available but will go fast, especially in the month of December.
If interested, reservations can be made on the Monte Lago Resort website at http://www.montelagovillage.com/.
The Monte Lago Village at Lake Las Vegas is located
east of the Las Vegas Strip (just 17 miles away). The
resort amenities include first class hotels and spas,
a full service marina with watercraft rentals and yacht
cruises, and plenty of shopping and dining centered
around the 320-acre private lake. This was the same
place where the family brought in the year 2010 as they
partied up in Suite 201 which was a large 3-bedroom
suite which overlooked and village resort and the lake.
This year the family has reserved a 2-story 3 bedroom
casita with it's own private entrance to the Village
and the lake (Click photo on the left) and will be checking
in on Sunday, December 30th and checking out on January
1st, New Years Day. The ice skating rink will be available
again this year by the lake and a big fireworks display
will occur right at midnight of New Years Eve. Click
here to see the photos from the past New Years 2010
at Lake Las Vegas and if you're interested to join us
again this year, make your reservations now at the website
link mentioned above.
Posted on November 1, 2012 |
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Lakeshow in Las Vegas
For the past few years now, the Los Angeles Lakers would
hold a preseason game every year against the Sacramento
Kings at the Thomas and Mack Center on the campus of
UNLV. Since the Staples Center is about a 4 hour drive
from Las Vegas, Ron and Nico decided to take advantage
of this opportunity this year to see the 16-Time NBA
Champions play in person since they were coming to town.
It was also a chance to see this year's new Laker players
Steve Nash formerly from the Phoenix Suns and Mr. Superman
himself, Dwight Howard who was traded to the Lakers
from the Orlando Magic. Unfortunately Howard was not
suited up to play due to his recovery from surgery to
repair a hernitated disk in his back. However, the rest
of the Laker superstars such as Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol,
Metta World Peace, Antawn Jamison, Steve Blake, and
the rest of the team were all present and suited up
to play.
Ron and Nico got to the Thomas and Mack Center early
to hang out and watch the pre-game warm ups. It was
a "Father and Son Night" as they were shortly
joined by family friends Manong Willie and son Matt
for a night of Lakers Basketball. After the singing
of the National Anthem and the introduction of players,
the teams took to the court to start the game. Nash,
Bryant, World Peace, Gasol and Sacre were the starters
for the Lakers. Considering it was a preseason game,
the starters got alot of play time on the court. It
was great to see Nash in a Lakers uniform and to see
him work the court in his typical Steve Nash fashion
as he would feed the ball to assist his new team mates
in scoring points for the Lakers. But throughout the
first and second quarter the Kings held their lead over
the Lakers and at the half the score was 50 to 46 Sacramento.
During the third quarter the Kings still held on to
their lead to as many as 10 points and after the third
quarter the score was 81 to 75 as they headed into the
fourth quarter. With the Lakers starters playing all
of the third quarter, the forth quarter was played primarily
by the bench unit led by Steve Blake and Antawn Jamison.
The Lakers got as close as 2 points as they tried take
the lead but unfortunately the Kings still held on and
at the end of the game they won with the final score
being 103 to 98. Even though the Lakers lost, it's hard
to judge them without Howard in the line up. But it
was a preseason and we'll all soon find out if the Lakers
will come up on top at the end of the season to possibly
win their 17th championship. But despite the lost, it
was great to see some Lakers Basketball in person and
most especially the Laker Girls! Click
here to see all the photos from this year's Lakers
vs. Kings preseason game in Las Vegas. Go Lakers!
Posted on October 24, 2012 |
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Prime Time NFL Football at Casa de Poblete
This year the San Diego Chargers got a lot of prime
time slots and were scheduled to play in two Monday
night, one Sunday night and one Thursday night football
games this season. As in past years when the Chargers
would play on Monday Night Football, the family would
take the opportunity to start up the barbeque grill,
set up the family's 12 foot high video screen and projector,
and enjoy the nice autumn temperatures of Las Vegas
in the backyard. For the first game of this season the
Oakland Raiders hosted the San Diego Chargers on Monday
Night Football and the family also hosted a few friends
and family over at Casa de Poblete to watch the game.
Cousins Jay and Honeylette, the Sioson Family, and friends
Matt and Gilbert came over as Nico took charge of the
barbeque pit and grilled some hamburgers for everyone.
It was a nice evening outdoors and a great evening for
Charger Fans as they beat the Raiders 22 to 14.
On Week 5 of the season, the Chargers were scheduled
to play on Sunday Night Football. This time Ron took
charge of the barbeque grill and grilled some steaks
and bacon wrapped hot dogs for the family. Instead of
tailgating out in the backyard, this time the ate inside
and pulled down the 100" video projection screen in
the family game room to watch the San Diego Chargers
host the New Orlean Saints. With the Chargers coming
into the game with a 3 and 1 record and playing the
0 and 4 Saints, it was expected the San Diego would
have this game in the bag. Unfortunately on this night
they gave New Orleans their first win for the season
losing 31 to 24.
The following week the Chargers were again on Monday
Night Football. This time it was a conference game against
Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. Ron barbequed
some Korean Short Ribs and made Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
and the family tailgated inside again due to the cooler
weather outside. Family friend Fred came over to join
them for dinner and they all ate and watched as the
Chargers who were leading 24 to 0 at the half, lose
the game to the Broncos 35 to 24. It was an upsetting
game but at least there was still more barbeque left
to eat their sorrows away. Check
out all the photos of the prime time football fun
at Casa de Poblete. Despite the two prime time loses,
the Chargers are currently still tied for first with
the Denver Broncos. Let's hope the rest of the season
brings more wins and more backyard barbeques!
Posted on October 21, 2012 |
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2012 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
and Las Vegas Heart Walk 5K Events
October is awareness month for many organizations and
it's usually the time when alot of fundraising campaigns
and events are held. As this family has been taught
that "Whenever you possibly can, do good to those
who need it." (Proverbs 3:27 TEV), there was no
better time to give then this month of October. "Team
Poblete" which primarily consisted of Ron and Carole
participating as a team of two in past 5K events, participated
in two back to back 5K walks this month. This team of
two however grew into a much larger team as they recruited
more team members to join them. The first of the two
events was the "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer"
walk. Carole's sister Timi is currently battling the
disease and having an actually family member diagnosed,
she was inspired to recruit more to walk for the cause
and got four of her co-workers to join. So on the morning
of the event, they met up with Kori, Angela, Marisol
with her baby, and Christina with her sons Teddy and
Louie and granddaughter at the JW Marriott Las Vegas
Resort. There were pre-walk festivities with booths
promoting breast cancer awareness. Once the announcement
was made to start the walk, all the 6,000 plus participants
proceeded to the starting line for a 3 mile walk up
and down Canyon Run Drive. The team did the entire 5K
in 1 hour and 10 minutes and raised a total of $180.00
for the American Cancer Society.
The following weekend "Team Poblete" was at it again
and participated in the Las Vegas "Heart Walk" which
was sponsored by the American Heart Association. Having
their own grandfather diagnosed with congestive heart
disease, Kiana and Nevaeh signed up for the walk in
support of their Papa Rollie. They also recruited their
good friends Erica and Abi to walk for the cause. Carole's
co-worker Christina and her sons also sign up again
to join the walk but had to cancel last minute due to
a family emergency. The team all headed to the Fremont
Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas early last Saturday
morning and also met up with Aleck who was there to
walk for Nevada State Bank where he works. There were
also pre-walk festivities at the event with booths promoting
heart disease awareness and prevention. Nevaeh had fun
as she learned quite a bit at the "Mini Med School"
that was set up for the kids. And once the walk started,
she also walked about a mile or so until she got tired
and sat in her stroller for the rest of the course.
The 3 mile walk started and ended at the Fremont 
Street Experience and went through the streets of downtown
by The Smiths Center and the World Market Center. All
together "Team Poblete" raised $150.00 for the American
Heart Association. Click
here to see all the photos from both 5K walks. Thank
you to all who supported and made donations. Although
the team's donation goals could have been higher, promoting
both breast cancer and heart disease awareness and promoting
exercise and health wellness was their primarily goal.
And by reading this blog entry is just a friendly reminder
to always to take care of your health by exercising
regularly and eating right.
Posted on October 15, 2012 |
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Kiana's Bad Case of Bieber Fever!
Back on June 2nd of this year, tickets for the Justin
Bieber "Believe" Tour went on sale and one of the tour
dates was set for September 30 in Las Vegas. Days before
tickets actually went on sale, Kiana kept hinting that
all she wanted for her birthday was Justin Bieber concert
tickets. But after being told that they couldn't afford
it with all the expenses that month plus there was no
way Ron or Carole could camp out at Ticketmasters or
even call in for the tickets on that day because they
were scheduled to be out of town, Kiana finally came
to realize that her chances to go to the concert was
slim. And after calling the radio station every hour
to win free tickets and finding out that morning of
June 2nd that the entire concert sold out in one hour,
it seemed for sure her wish to go see Justin Bieber
in concert would not happen. Little did she know, Ron
found out that he could pre-purchase the tickets before
they go on sale if he were to join the official "Justin
Bieber Fan Club" which he did and is now paying quarterly
dues. 
Being that he was now an official "Justin Bieber Fan
Club" member, he was given a special code to purchase
the pre-sale tickets and secured 4 tickets. (3 for Kiana
and one for friend Lynei who's Mom coordinated with
Ron to also get her a ticket for Lynei's birthday.)
So on the night before June 4 which was Kiana's 17th
birthday after everyone was fast asleep in their beds,
Ron taped a printed confirmation of the purchased tickets
(since the tickets were to be delivered at a later date)
to the mirror in her bathroom to surprise her in the
morning with a note which read, "Happy Birthday Kiana
Lei! One Less Lonely Girl with Concert Tickets! Love
Mom and Dad". Needless to say, no alarm clocks were
needed that morning as screams came out from the bathroom
and down the hallway as this hysterical birthday girl
jumped on the bed waking her Dad up with hugs and thank
you's.
So finally the Justin Bieber "Believe" Tour rolled into
town last Sunday and Kiana along with her two friends
Erica and Natalie got ready for the concert they've
been waiting for. Dressed in matching "I Love JB" t-shirts
that Natalie custom made for them, they headed out to
the MGM Grand Garden Arena at the MGM Grand Hotel. They
arrived early to beat the crowds and to purchase more
Justin Bieber souvenirs and to also meet up with Lynei
who didn't know she was attending the concert until
they all met up and her Mom presented her with the ticket.
So off they went as the foursome entered the arena for
the time of their lives.
Before Justin Bieber came out, Austrailian pop singer
Cody Simpson who is currently signed to U.S. record
label Atlantic Records came out on stage to open the
show playing some of his new music off of his new "Paradise"
album. Afterwards Canadian recording artist and singer-songwriter
Carly Rae Jepsen took the stage singing a few of her
songs, especially her hit "Call Me Maybe". During her
set Cody Simpson also joined her on stage and performed
with her. Then after the opening acts were finished,
a countdown on the screen had all the Bieber Fans screaming
louder and louder as the countdown dropped to seconds
before Justin Bieber was to take the stage. As the video
wall played the intro showing the pop star flying around
on the screen, the wall opened up with Justin Bieber
himself coming through and being lowered to the stage
with these huge wings on his back. 
Once he landed the music started and he performed hit
after hit throughout the night. Fans also got a big
treat as he performed his hit "Somebody to Love" with
his mentor Usher who came on stage during this Las Vegas
concert. Justin also sang with Carly Rae Jepsen on their
duet "Beautiful". After the concert the girls hung out
at the MGM and actually ran into Justin Bieber's Manager
and some of his backup dancers while walking through
the casino. Check
out all the photos from Kiana's night with her friends
at the concert. And just like the tour's name, if you
really want something (like going to see Justin Bieber)
I guess all you have to do is "Believe".
Posted on October 4, 2012 |
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San Diego Chargers vs. Tennessee Titans
For the past few seasons now, it has been an annual tradition to attend the first home opener Chargers game to kick off the NFL
Football Season. So in order to not break tradition, Ron, Nico, Richelle, and Patrick got tickets and headed out to Qualcomm Stadium
again to watch the home opener game against the visiting Tennessee Titans. After coming from a 3 and 1 Preseason and winning the first
game of the season on Monday Night Football against the Oakland Raiders, the Chargers were back for battle on their home turf on
Jack Murphy Field. And so was this family of Chargers Fans as they got on the San Diego Trolley at Hazard Center in Mission Valley and
rode the trolley straight to the stadium early to catch the pre-game warm ups on the field.
Before the game started, the San Diego Chargers had a pre-game ceremony honoring and officially retiring Junior Seau's #55 jersey.
(The former Chargers Linebacker Seau had committed suicide earlier this year.) Present at the ceremony were Junior's parents and his
three children. Former Chargers Quarterback Dan Fouts spoke at the podium and said, "There is only one Junior Seau and only one 55 ...
and they belong together forever.” Then at the end of his speech after he said "#55 is officially retired!", the #55 jersey banner was
raised high above Qualcomm Stadium among the other retired jerseys of Hall of Fame wide receiver Lance Alworth and Hall of Fame
quarterback Dan Fouts.
After the singing of the National Anthem and the coin toss, the Chargers received the opening kick off and scored 2 touchdowns which
were passes from Quarterback Philip Rivers to Tight End Dante Rosario in the first quarter pulling ahead 14 to 0. In the second quarter
both teams made one field goal attempts each bringing the score at half time 17 to 3. At the start of the third quarter yet another pass
from Rivers to Rosario brought the Chargers up 24 to 3 until the Titans fought back scoring their first touchdown of the game. But in the
fourth quarter the Chargers defense kept the Titans scoreless and the offense scored two more touchdowns, both which were 1 yard runs
into the end zone by Chargers Runningback Jackie Battle. The final score at the end of the game was Chargers 38 and Tennessee 10.
Click here to see all the photos from this year's Chargers season opener game. So far this family tradition of attending these home
openers these past years has been a winning one. Let's hope the rest of the season is a winning one that will lead them all the way to
the Super Bowl!
Posted on September 19, 2012 |
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Wicked the Musical at The Smiths Center
It was a nice summer evening on this particular Friday
Night as Ron, Carole, and the girls headed to "The Smiths
Center for the Performing Arts" by downtown Las Vegas.
In the past the family had watched many Broadway musical
shows at the Civic Theater in San Diego and some on
the Las Vegas Strip. But this was their first time watching
and visiting the newly built Smith Center which opened
it's doors earlier this year. This was also the night
they've been waiting for to finally see the Broadway
musical "Wicked" which was at the Smiths Center for
a special engagement from August 29 to October 7. Luckily
for them they had bought their tickets early because
shortly after the word on the street was that dates
for all the shows were almost sold out.
When they arrived the parking lot was only a short walking
distance from the building. But because Nevaeh wanted
to ride on the golf cart, they decided to take the free
golf cart shuttle ride to the building. From the outside
one cannot help but appreciate the architectural design
of the building but once inside you will be impressed
by the classy and beautiful decor throughout. As they
hung out in the lobby area, they took the opportunity
to have their photo taken for a souvenir keepsake and
checked out the Wicked merchandise they were selling.
Afterwards they headed up the elevators to the 5th floor
to the balcony level where their seats were. Since it
was still early they got to hang out outside on the
balcony patio area and enjoyed the sunset and the views
of downtown Las Vegas.
As the show was about to start, everyone quickly headed
inside the main theater. Even though their seats were
high above in the balcony, they still had a great overall
view of the stage and binoculars were brought in case
they wanted to get a more up close view. For those who
have not watched the show "Wicked", it is the untold
story of the Witches of Oz, based on the novel "Wicked:
The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West".
The story is of one — born with emerald-green skin,
smart, fiery and misunderstood who had become to be
known as the Wicked Witch of the West. The other one
is beautiful, ambitious and very popular known as Glinda
the Good Witch of the North. Knowing the story or watching
the old classic movie "The Wizard of Oz" is probably
best before watching "Wicked" because the musical is
told from the perspective of the witches of the Land
of Oz and its plot begins before and continues after
Dorothy's arrival in Oz from Kansas. Wicked is definitely
a must see musical for the entire family. Nevaeh was
glued to her seat with binoculars in hand throughout
the entire show and Kiana who had seen it once before
loved watching it the second time. Check out more of the photos from this evening at The Smiths
Center and go watch Wicked the Musical if you get the
chance!
Posted on September 18, 2012 |
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Walking for a Cause
Ron and Carole are at it again, putting their walking
towards a good cause! Next month they both as well as
others they hope to recruit to join them will be participating
in two back to back 5K events to raise money for breast
cancer and heart disease. On Saturday, October 6, they
will be participating in the 2012 "Making Strides Against
Breast Cancer" sponsored by the American Cancer Society
which will be held at the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort
and Spa at Summerlin. The following week they will also
be participating in the 2012 "Las Vegas Heart Walk" 
sponsored by the American Heart Association on October
13 which will be held in Downtown Las Vegas by Fremont
Street. Ron and Carole as always will be helping by contributing
their monitary donation and their time to do the walk.
You too can help by donating in support to "Team
Poblete" or even join them participate in one or both
events! If you find it in your heart to help or join,
click this link to their "Team Poblete" webpage
for more information or to donate or register. Thank you in advance for your support!
Posted on September 13, 2012 | Read
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Labor Day Weekend at the South Bay Drive-In Theater
Since the family was all together in San Diego for
the Labor Day Weekend, instead of the usual evening
hang out with family and friends barbequing by San Diego
Bay or sitting around a bonfire at the beach everyone
decided to meet up at the South Bay Drive-In Theater.
It was a double feature as Screen 2 was showing both
"The Expendables 2" and "Total Recall". As the gates
opened at 7:30PM, everyone started to arrive and a spot
was reserved towards to the middle back rows of the
lot to be closer to the snack bar and restrooms. Between
the 7 or so cars that arrived for the group, one single
parking space was open to set up a table for the food
and for open sitting. It was a potluck so everyone brought
pizza, chicken, sandwiches, and drinks to share and
eat throughout the movies. Prior to the 8:30PM start
of the first movie, everyone picked their movie viewing
spot. Some sat in or on top of their cars or vans, some
on lawn chairs out in the open air, while most of the
little kids sat in Uncle Junior's canopy tent that he
set up for them.
As the first movie started, everyone tuned in their
radios to 89.1 FM as "The Expendables 2" came up on
the big screen. Just like the first Expendables movie,
the sequel also provided an all-star cast of action
hero stars that included Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham,
Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews,
Liam Hemsworth, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. As the movie
continued the gang got excited as Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude
Van Damme and Chuck Norris who were not in the first
Expendables movie appeared on the screen. The movie
provided alot of action which was expected considering
the movie had a full cast of action hero stars. The
second movie "Total Recall" was a remake of the 1990
film of the same name which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger
and Sharon Stone. Actor Colin Farrell starred in this
2012 remake and also included Kate Beckinsale and Jessica
Biel. Unlike the first Total Recall movie, this remake
does not include a trip to Mars and the setting for
the movie was primarily on Earth. Overall the movie
was entertaining but kind of predictable if you've watched
the first Total Recall movie. Check
out some of the photos from this past Labor Day
Weekend night at the South Bay Drive-In Theater. Despite
what was playing on the big screen it's always good
times hanging out outdoors with good company.
Posted on September 8, 2012 |
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Kiana and Nevaeh's San Diego Summer Vacation 2012
Another school year has ended and as in past summers,
the girls made their annual trip back to their hometown
of San Diego for the summer to spend a few weeks with
family and friends. Their brother Nico did not make
it down again this year due to his college classes and
his new job as a pool attendant at the Vdara Hotel Resort.
So it was once again a summer of fun in the sun for
the girls as they enjoyed the beautiful climate of San
Diego versus spending the summer in the dry summer heat
of Las Vegas. It was also their opportunity to spend
time with their grandparents, uncles, aunts, and all
their cousins and friends they grew up with.
Like most summers in San Diego, the girls spent alot
of time lounging and swimming at the pool, getting some
sun at the beach, and going out to eat. But aside from
the usual relaxing and spending time with family, the
girls got to do and experience alot of other activities.
One of which was attending the 6th Grade Graduation
of Sunnyslope Elementary School as family friends Josh
Torres and Chelsea Bobis graduated with the rest of
the Class of 2012. Congratulations to the both of you
as you move forward to middle school! The girls also
got to attend the 1st Birthday Party of their twin cousins
Drew and Kendahl by the lake at the Eastlake Beach Club
Pavilion. It was a great opportunity to get to see more
of their cousins and for Kiana to hang out at the clubhouse
and lake where her and her brother grew up.
One day as Nevaeh spent time with one of her BFF (Best
Friends Forever) Mikki and Auntie Leeann, Kiana had
a "Spa Day" with her Tita Reesh as they drove
up to Corona, California to the Glen Ivy Hot Springs
where they both spent a day relaxing and getting pampered
and rejuvinated. Kiana also had a "Beach Day"
with some of her childhood friends as they spent a day
in the sun at Coronado Beach. But what's a San Diego
Summer Vacation without spending at least one day with
Shamu. Thanks to their Uncle Elmer (and everyone having
their own Sea World Fun Pass), he brought all the girls
with him to Sea World and where they spent a day with
Shamu and all the other marine animals. Click here to see the rest of the photos from this year's
"San Diego Summer Vacation". A special "Thank You"
to all our family and friends who went out of their
way and took the time to spend time with them and take
them out, making their summer vacation a fun and memorable
one!
Posted on August 10, 2012 |
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Kenny G in Concert
The music of Kenny G has been playing in the Poblete
household forever since Ron's days of producing wedding
videos up to now as smooth jazz is usually played at
home during the evenings when the television is not
on. So since Kenny G was on tour and had made Las Vegas
one of his stops, Ron and carole got tickets to see
and hear him play live in concert. It was a warm Las
Vegas evening on this particular Friday night as they
headed out for his concert which was held at the Sunset
Station Outdoor Amphitheater in Henderson. As they arrived
they got to meet Kenny G himself and got his autographs
but unfortunately wasn't able to take a photo with him
as security personel took him away to get ready for
the concert.
As they got to their seats, the sun started to set which
made the summer evening much cooler for the concert.
However the temperature was still slightly warm as the
concert was held outdoors. Luckily drinks were available
to keep concert goers cool during the warm desert night. As the skies overhead got
darker the stage lit up as the band took to the stage
and the sound of a lone saxaphone started coming out
of the speakers. Then a spotlight lit up sending a beam
of light towards the back of the audience as Kenny G
walked out stopping at midpoint on a platform in the
middle of the crowd. After ending the song with that
last note, he 
continued playing that note which seem like forever.
As he stepped off the platform, he walked from the middle
of the audience all the way to the main stage while
still playing that same note. He must have played that
note for several minutes until he played the notes transitioning
into the next song. Throughout the night Kenny G performed
most of his popular hit songs and also new songs from
his new album. Click here to see more concert photos from this evening
outdoors listening to Kenny G live.
Posted on July 30, 2012 |
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The Rubber Chicken Visits Las Vegas
This past weekend Richelle, Patrick, and Liezl traveled
up to Las Vegas to bring Nevaeh back home from her Summer
Vacation down in San Diego. As usual when family and
friends are in town, it's usually a fun-filled weekend
of dining out and catching a show or two on the Vegas
Strip. On this particular weekend not only was family
in town but a special visitor who accompanied Liezl
from work. A "Rubber Chicken" who is the division mascot
for the company Liezl works for came along for a weekend
of fun with the family and to see the sites of the Las
Vegas Strip. So wherever the family went, the Rubber
Chicken came along and took part in all the fun.
On Saturday afternoon the family got tickets to see the "Jeff Civillico - Comedy in Action Show" at the Imperial Palace Hotel. Fortunately for them, "Rubber Chickens" were allowed to see the show for FREE so an extra ticket was needed. But a seat was not available for the chicken so it sat on top of the table throughout the show. Ron, Carole and the kids have seen the show before but it was the first time for Patrick, Richelle, Liezl and the Rubber Chicken. Comedian/Juggler Jeff Civillico had them laughing throughout the show as he performed juggling acts by himself and with participants from the crowd. After the show they got to meet the star in person as he meet with those who watched the show and signed autographs. The highlight of their meet and greet was when he meet and even autographed the Rubber Chicken. After the show the family got some ice cream at the ice cream parlor at the Imperial Palace Hotel since it was Happy Hour and scopes of ice cream were only $1.50. Afterwards they ended up at Yama Sushi for a late lunch/early dinner. "Table for seven plus one Rubber Chicken please?"
Later that night Ron, Carole, Richelle, Patrick, Liezl and the Rubber Chicken met up with Nico, Honeylette, and Liza to see the "Anthony Cools Hypnotist Show" at the Bally's Las Vegas Hotel. Because the show was for a mature audience, the Rubber Chicken was snucked into the show because no extra ticket was available and they weren't sure how old the Rubber Chicken was since 18 and older were only allowed in. So the chicken stayed inside of Liezl's purse while they watched.
The show was hilarious and it was definitely a show for mature audiences. If you haven't seen a hypnotist show before, this show is one to check out. (Inside Joke: "Ruth!") After the show the Rubber Chicken was released from Liezl's purse to get some air and to do a little sightseeing at the Bally's and Paris Hotels and the Vegas Strip. Later on that night they ended up in Chinatown to grab a quick late night snack at the Fukuburger Food Truck where the Rubber Chicken got to meet Fukuburger Truck owners Colin and Mags and hung out with them eating their delicious asian-inspired burgers.
The next day the family decided to have on last meal together before heading back home on the I-15 Freeway. They decided to eat at "The Boiling Crab" to get down and dirty on some fresh cajun style seafood. 6 lbs. of shrimp with the "Whole Sha-Bang" seasoning was ordered along with some cajun seasoned corn, rice, cajun and sweet potato fries for the entire family plus one Rubber Chicken. It was a feast that lasted several hours which was fine as it gave them time for traffic die down from all the tourists leaving Las Vegas.
Check out all the photos from this Rubber Chicken's visit to Las Vegas. From the looks of it, this Rubber Chicken's weekend of fun will probably not be it's last and will most likely be taking more future trips and vacations from this point on.
Posted on July 16, 2012 |
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USA Men's Olympic Basketball Team
After hearing on the radio and watching the news about
the USA Men's Olympic Basketball Team training in Las
Vegas and an exhibition game to take place against the
Dominican Republic National Team this week, the family
decided last minute to purchase tickets to watch the
game. Since it was last minute the only seats available
where in the upper level but that didn't stop them from
going to witness history and to see the best of the
best in the NBA play together on the court. This year's
team to represent the United States in this coming Summer
Olympic Games in London consist of Carmelo Anthony and
Tyson Chandler from the New York Knicks, Kobe Bryant
from the Los Angeles Lakers, Kevin Durant, James Harden,
and Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder,
Andre Iguodala from the Philadelphia 76ers, LeBron James
from the Miami Heat, Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves,
Chris Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers, Deron Williams
from the Brooklyn Nets and Anthony Davis from the New
Orlean Hornets who replaced Blake Griffin from the Los
Angeles Clippers due to a torn meniscus in his left
knee.
The game took place at the Thomas & Mack Center on the
campus of the University of Las Vegas. Ron, Carole,
and Kiana got there early to watch the pre-game warm
ups while Nico followed after he got off from work.
After the warm ups the national anthems from both countries
were rendered. Then game started shortly after with
USA scoring the first points with a dunk from Carmelo
Anthony. From that very first point to half time, this
USA team over powered the Dominican Republic team as
they stole the ball several times and outscored their
opponents leading 50 to 27 at the half. Prior to half
time, an 
intermission took place introducing players Scottie
Pippin and Chris Mullin and coaches from the 1992 Olympic
team (also known as the original Dream Team) who were
present at the game. Other current and former NBA Basketball
players were also present at the game as spectators
in the crowd. During time outs the video screens displayed
and announced players present such as Gary Payton, Dominique
Wilkens, and Steve Smith. At half time world renowned
Artist David Garibaldi did a live painting of a portrait
in the middle of the court. The painting ended up being
a portrait of Scottie Pippin and presented it to him
after it was finished. The basketball action then continued
as this USA team continuing to dominate and show that
they were far faster and more intense than their opponent.
At the end of the game they had beaten the Dominican
Republic team 113 to 59. Check
out all the photos from this memorable game as this
USA team moves forward to compete for the gold medal.
GO TEAM USA!
Posted on July 13, 2012 |
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July 4th Hike at Red Rock Canyon
Since everyone was off for Independence Day, the kids
wanted to go on a July 4th hike at Red Rock Canyon.
The meeting time was set for 5:30AM at Casa de Poblete
and as everyone waited for each other to arrive, they
decided to amuse themselves by watching the movie "127
Hours" which was about a mountain climber who becomes
trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone in
Utah. Once everyone arrived they all headed out to Red
Rock Canyon to take on the Ice Box Canyon Trail.
Ice Box Canyon is a significant area to hike because it has two unique features which are rock scrambling and
tall narrow canyon walls. This moderate trail is approximately two and a half miles round trip wit a 300 foot
elevation gain. The first half a mile of the hike is across the open desert. After this point, the trail becomes
uneven terrain with tricky rock scrambling and bouldering involved. This popular hike is well known for
name Ice Box. As you enter the canyon, there is a significant decrease in temperature approximately 10-20 degrees.
This is due to the tall narrow canyon walls that shade this area. The canyon walls begin to close in forming
a natural end to this hike where a seasonal waterfall flows for a short time after rain and snow melt during the
spring and winter seasons. Fortunately the weather was kind on this summer day as the clouds were up ahead during
most of their hike. Click here to check out all the photos from their hike and of the scenery through the Ice Box Canyon Trail at
Red Rock Canyon and Happy July 4th to All!
Posted on July 4, 2012 |
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Lake Las Vegas Summer Staycation
It's summertime again and also time for Ron and Carole
to take their annual staycation out at Lake Las Vegas.
For the past four years now, they've made this an annual
event since the kids are not around as they usually spend
their summer vacations back home down in San Diego after
the school year. Having stayed at all three hotel resorts
at Lake Las Vegas in the past, this year they made reservations
to stay at the "Luna di Lusso" hotel again. The "Luna
di Lusso" is one of the two hotels at the MonteLago Village
Resort which is located on the other side of the lake
across the Ponte Vecchio Bridge. (The other hotel is the
"Viera" which is adjacent to The Village.) They've stayed
at the Ravella Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa (formerly
the Ritz Carlton) which is a very elegant resort with
great pools and spa. The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort
& Spa (formerly the Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort) is also
a nice resort that offers dining and alot of recreational
activities and perfect for a family getaway. (Go to our
2011
blog page and scroll down to Loews Lake Las Vegas
and Ravalla Resort Staycations for review of those hotels.)
For this year's Lake Las Vegas Staycation they chose
to stay at the MonteLago Village Resorts which are spacious
condo suites with alot of luxuries and complete with
a fully-equipped kitchen. Since this weekend was meant
for rest and relaxation, it was nice to have all the
amenities of home such as a kitchen yet be away from
home. So after packing up and stopping by Albertson's
to pick up some groceries for the weekend, they drove
off to Lake Las Vegas in Henderson which was about a
15-20 minute drive from their home. After checking in at the
front desk at the "Viera" which is the main hotel adjacent
to the MonteLago Village, they drove to the other
side of the lake to the "Luna di Lusso" and parked the
car in the underground parking which is another great
amenity offered by the resort that the other hotels
don't offer. With luggage and groceries in hand they went
up to Suite 538 to unload. Then they opened the door
to their private balcony where some of their time will
be spent enjoying the views of the lake and the golf
course when not enjoying the same views down by the pool.
When not relaxing in their suite or by the pool, they
did venture out to The Village to stroll through the
shops and have dinner at one of the many restaurants.
On Friday night they dined at "Harry's" which is located
inside the MonteLago Casino. After dinner they sat outside
at the La Havanna Cigar Bar and listened to some live
music under the stars. On Saturday the "Jazz on the
Lake" outdoor concerts continued as usually during the
summer months every Saturday night but on this particular
night the MonteLago Village kicked off an early July
4th Independence Day Festival since July 4th falls in
the middle of the week this year. Aside from the live
music, barbecue stations were set up throughout The
Village and face painting and other booths were set
up for the kids. Then at 9PM the big fireworks spectacular
went off exploding over the lake. Later on that night
after the fireworks show, they dined at "Xing - Asian
Latin Fushion Restaurant" at their outdoor patio and
people watched while listening to the Irish band playing
music by U2 at the Irish Pub across the way. Check
out all the photos from this year's staycation out
at Lake Las Vegas. If you're thinking about a Las Vegas
Vacation or Staycation and need a weekend getaway for
some rest and relaxation, consider a weekend at beautiful
Lake Las Vegas. You won't be sorry!
Posted on July 3, 2012 |
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Typical Las Vegas Weekend
Las Vegas bills itself as "The Entertainment Capital of
the World" and is internationally renowned as a major
resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment.
So it's a given why every weekend throughout the year
people come from all over by plane or enduring a couple
hours drive by car through the desert to make Las Vegas
their weekend destination for fun. But living in Vegas
has it's advantages too. Having all this entertainment
right in your backyard is great if you choose to take
advantage of it. There's no doubt this family does on
weekends when they are not busy or out of town. And that's
what they did this past weekend starting on Friday night
when Ron, Carole, and Nico got last minute tickets to
see the Jabbawockeez show. Since the girls were still
on their annual summer vacation down in San Diego, they
had extra tickets and invited their family friend Allison
(who is probably one of the biggest Jabbawockeez Fan around),
Nico's co-worker Steve, and family friend Roger and his
son Rondell. Although the family has seen the show numerous
times, they were curious about the show since they had
moved it from inside the theater at the Monte Carlo Resort
to outside in their very own pavillion. The show was primarily
the same with a few new segments here and there but as
always very entertaining to watch. The Jabbawockeez will
continue their performances at the Monte Carlo until the
month of September and afterwards will be performing at
their new home down the street at the Luxor Hotel.
On Saturday Ron and Carole had a date night as drove
to the Star of the Desert Arena down at Primm, Nevada
to pick up their tickets to see 10-time Grammy Award
winner Chaka Khan who is frequently known as the "Queen
of Funk". Before embarking on her solo career, Chaka
Khan was the frontwoman for the funk band "Rufus" in
the 1970s and had successful hits such as "Do You Love
What You Feel", "Tell Me Something Good", "Sweet Thing",
and "Ain't Nobody". In her solo career she was known
for her hits like "I'm Every Woman", "What Cha' Gonna
Do for Me", and "I Feel For You". "I Feel For You" was
the first song that started the concert. As the house
lights went out as the crowd went crazy in the dark
after hearing the beginning of the song as the voice
started saying "Chaka Khan...Chaka Khan...Chaka Khan..."
Then that the stage lights lit up as the song continued
to play and Chaka Khan walked out on stage with her
signature big hair. She sang all her hit songs just
as good or even better than what is heard on the record
or CD. It was a great concert that brought everyone
back in time to the 1970s and 80s.
Usually during the weekends it's typical for family
or friends to come into town, and on this particular
Sunday Jun, Lisa, and the boys did arrived. While Jun
had practices with the Henderson choir, Ron, Carole,
and Nico took Lisa, Justin and Jake to see former "America's
Got Talent" finalist the "Recycled Percussion" who were
headlining at the Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel. If you
didn't catch them on television on America's Got Talent,
this band of four guys bang away on make-shift drums
and instruments made out of trash cans, paint cans,
buckets, etc... But it's not only the band making noise
but the audience participates as well. The show is very
interactive and everyone is given their own drum stick
and pick out their instruments which are basically pots
and pans and play along with the band. It's a great
show for the entire family, especially for young kids
who get to make alot of noise without their parents
getting mad at them. Later that night after Jun was
finish with his choir responsibilities, Ron took him
and Lisa to "The D Hotel" in downtown 
Las Vegas to see the ultimate Prince tribute show called
"Purple Reign". The show has been playing in Las Vegas
for years inmitating the artist (formerly) known as
Prince by playing and singing live on stage. No lip-syncing
here as show includes a full band and the Prince imitator
singing, dancing, and talking just like Prince. The
show also includes a set done by two other impersonators
doing Morris Day and Jerome singing hit songs from the
group "The Time". It's a must see show for all Prince
fans and you will be surprise how good they actually
are. Click
here to see all the photos from this full weekend
of shows and concerts and check them out for yourself
on your next weekend visit to Las Vegas!
Posted on June 30, 2012 |
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Friday Night at the Circus Circus Adventuredome
Last Friday Night the family decided to hang out with a couple of the kid's friends at Circus Circus
Adventuredome. It was kind of a little celebration for Nico and Kiana's recent birthdays, Nevaeh
graduating from Kindergarten, and to just basically hang out to kick off their Summer Vacation from
school. It was a fun night that started with riding the "The Canyon Blaster" which is the world's
only indoor double-loop, double-corkscrew roller coaster speeding through The Adventuredome at 55 mph.
The other larger rides that they rode were the "Sling Shot" and the "Chaos". After tackling the larger
rides the gang participated in some Laser Tag at the "Laser Blast" as they ran around in the dark
zapping each other with their laser guns.
After riding the larger rides, they all joined Nevaeh in riding all the Junior Ride such as the
"B.C. Bus" which was a bus ride up in the air, the small roller coaster "Road Runner, the "Drifters"
which is a hot air balloon ferris wheel, and also the "Circus Carousel". A few even watched and
experienced the 4D features in the FX Theater and the "Happy Feet: Mumble’s Wild Ride" in 4-D. After
a few hours of fun, the gang decided to head over for the midnight specials at the South Point Hotel
for some Steak and Eggs. Check out all the fun photos from the family's fun-filled night with the
Cool Kids at Circus Circus Adventuredome.
Posted on June 11, 2012 |
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Pacquiao Bradley Weigh-In Event
It was time for yet another big boxing match in Las Vegas
as Filipino professional boxer and the first eight-division
world champion Manny Pacquiao faces the undefeated challenger
Timothy Bradley for the World Boxing Organization (WBO)
Welterweight Championship which was to take place on June
9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. And as usual the weigh-in
event the day before the fight is usually attended by
thousands of boxing fans which includes Ron, Nico, and
friends. However this year Nico had to work and the gang
who usually accompanies them could not or had no interest
to attend so Ron went solo. And because he did, Ron was
able to get on TV as HBO showed him in the crowd at the
introduction of the event. (Check out Ron's 4 seconds
of fame 0:36 seconds in from the beginning of this YouTube
video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biGaFIt1xJA)
The event overall was attended by several thousands
of boxing fans but not as many as past weigh-in event
due to less of a fan base for the boxer Timothy Bradley
and not attended by the Mexican or Puerto Rican boxing
fans who usually attend to support their Mexican or
Puerto Rican fighters. Even though majority of the fans
were there to support Pacquiao, there were a few but
not as many Bradley fans in attendance. A few celebrities
that were sighted at the event were boxers Roy Jones
Jr, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Amir
Khan, and former Five-Time Heavyweight Champion Evander
Holyfield. Also spotted in the crowd was Floyd Mayweather,
Sr. and of course boxing commentators from HBO Max Kellerman,
Jim Lampley, and Emanuel Steward.
Once 12 noon arrived, the doors opened to let all the
fans and the press in and it was the typical weigh-in
event fan fare with lights, music by DJ Justin Hoffman,
the Tecate Girls up on stage, and the press roaming
around capturing all the excitement for the media. The
arena slowly started to fill up as each hour went by
before the the scheduled live coverage at 3PM on HBO
(which you can view at the link mentioned above). Prior
to going on air the undercard fighters were weighed
in and once 3PM rolled around the arena went crazy as
the event began with Mr. "Let's Get Ready to Rumble"
Michael Buffer himself started with the introduction
of the fighters for the main event. As the fighters
took the stage the challenger Bradley stepped on the
scale first and weighed in at 146 lbs. Then the champion
Pacquiao took to the scale and weighed in at 147 lbs.
Then after an intense stare down with Bradley "mean
mugging" the champion and Pacquiao staring back with
a smile, post weigh-in interviews took place before
the event ended. Click
here to see all the photos from the weigh-in event
and may the best fighter win! (Side Note: Bradley ended
up winning the fight with a very controversial split-decision
by the judges. A rematch is planned for November 10.)
Posted on June 11, 2012 |
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Nevaeh Graduates from Kindergarten
It seems like it was just yesterday when Nevaeh enrolled
at Roger D. Gehring Elementary School for Kindergarten.
Now after months of learning the alphabet, numbers,
sight words, reading, and interacting and making new
friends, the day has come for her and her Kindergarten
classmates to graduate and move on to First Grade. So
on Thursday morning which was the last day of school, the families of the Kindergarteners
from both Mrs. Bravin and Miss Silva's class gathered in the
school auditorium for the graduation ceremony. The ceremony
started with the procession of the graduating class
to the stage where they sang a few songs for the families
in attendance. Afterwards all the children sat down
and everyone was entertertained by the slideshow presentation
of the school year's activities. Then after the slideshow
all the children were called up one by one to receive
their Kindergarten Diplomas in recognition of their
accomplishments. Check out all the photos
from the ceremony as Nevaeh graduates and moves on to First Grade.
Posted on June 11, 2012 |
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A Memorial Day Holiday Weekend of Relaxing and Laughing
Since most weekends for Ron, Carole and the kids are typically
busy or spent out of town, there were no big plans for
this year's Memorial Day holiday except to stay in town,
relax, and have a stress-free weekend. Friday of the Memorial
Day Weekend was spent with everybody at home basically
doing nothing which is unusual. On Saturday the family
was invited to a birthday party at the Tiquia's Residence
and later that evening they headed out to Lake Las Vegas
to relax and listen 
to some live jazz outdoors by the lake. After the concert
a fireworks display went off to finish off the beautiful
night. The weather was perfect with much cooler temperatures
than the usually high 100 degree temperatures around this
time of the year. On Sunday the family took advantage
of the unusual cooler weather and spent most of the day
out in the backyard talking and lounging around together.
And what is a Memorial Day Weekend without barbequing
which is what they did and also ate outdoors in the backyard
patio for both lunch and dinner.
Monday on the actual Memorial Day holiday, the family had tickets to see the new "Jeff Civillico: Comedy in Action" show
at the Imperial Palace on the Las Vegas Strip. Kiana's friends Abi and Nicole also joined the family and they also met up
with the Tiquia Family who as also there to seer this afternoon show stars which the world champion juggler Jeff Civillico
who has been an entertainer for Disney Entertainment and is a regular guest performer at "Nathan Burton: Comedy Magic" show
at The Flamingo. He now headlines his own show at the Imperial Palace everyday (except on Tuesdays) at 2PM. His humor,
stunts, and juggling is very entertaining and is a great show for the entire family. This family enjoyed it so much and
 were laughing throughout the entire show and actually met the entertainer afterwards. It was definitely an entertaining
show for all ages. If you would like to check it out for yourself, currently you can see the show for FREE by going to his
website at http://www.jeffcivillico.com/las-vegas-show/ and print out a voucher for 4 free tickets (Each ticket is a $38
value). After the show they all headed out to Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers for an early dinner. All in all it was a
very relaxing and fun Weekend. Check out some of the photos from this Memorial Day Holiday Weekend by
clicking here.
Posted on May 31, 2012 |
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Un día en Ensenada, Mexico
Day 3 of Ron and Carole's Mexico Cruise (See "4-Day
Carnival Cruise Ship Vacation" blog
entry below) which was to be a day spent in Ensenada,
Mexico started with the arrival of the Carnival Cruise
Ship "Inspiration" into Puerto de Ensenada. Having visited
Ensenada in past years, Ron and Carole decided to sleep
in again and set out on their Mexico excursion after having
brunch since the stay at this port was longer as the ship
was scheduled to depart at 10PM. Since the ship was docked
right by the Cruise Ship Terminal, disembarking was much
easier than at Catalina Island (See "Catalina Island" blog entry below)
as they walked straight down the gangplank on to the pier
to where the shuttle buses were parked to take them into
town. Originally they planned to walk into town but
after seeing and realizing it had been over 15-20 years
since they last visited, they noticed that the city that
was once a small resort town had become a much larger
cosmopolitan city.
The shuttle took them into town to Plaza Pueblo Antiguo
by the shops of Avenida Lopez Mateos (also known as
Paseo Calle Primera) which is the main tourism street
of Ensenada that has shops selling handcrafted ornaments,
clothing, food, and other souvenirs. After learning
from the shuttle bus guide that they could purchase
excursions at half the cost of what the ship was selling,
Ron and Carole decided to take the tour out to "La Bufadora"
(The Blowhole) which was a natural sea geyser that shoots
out water over 60 feet in the air. The bus ride was
nice as the tour guide pointed out landmarks and places
of interest along the way on their scenic drive through
the city, the agricultural areas, 
and the shoreline of Ensenada. Once they arrived at
La Bufadora everyone got off the bus and walked down
to see this amazing natural attraction as ocean waves
are forced into a partially submerged sea cavern, causing
great amounts of air and water pressure to build. The
air and ocean water were expelled through the only exit,
launching it several stories into the air. Luckily for
them it was high tide while they were there and the
geyser was constantly shooting out water 50 to 60 feet
up in the air. La Bufadora is considered to be the second
largest marine geyser in the world (the largest is located
at Makapuu Point in Oahu, Hawaii).
After spending some time at the blow hole it was time
to do some shopping before getting back on the bus.
The street that lead them to the blowhole were lined
with aggresive street vendors selling food and souvenirs.
This was the place to do some bargain shopping unlike
the shops in town where prices were pretty much set
at a certain price. After buying a few souvenirs for
the kids, Ron and Carole boarded the bus to head back
to town and back to the cruise ship. As the ship left
Ensenada that night, they spent some time outside at
the rear of the ship relaxing and looking at the light
of the Ensenada skyline as the ship left the harbor
of Puerto de Ensenada. Then they proceeded up to the
Lido Deck where a late night Mexican Fiesta was taking
place with everyone dancing the Macarena and partaking
in the huge Mexican Buffet that started at 11PM and
lasted way pass midnight. Click
here to see all the photos from this day in Ensenada.
Era un día de diversión en México! (Continue below to
read about the excursions at Catalina Island from Day
2 of their cruise.)
Posted on May 16, 2012 |
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Cruising Around Catalina Island
It was Day 2 of Ron and Carole's Mexico Cruise (See "4-Day
Carnival Cruise Ship Vacation" blog
entry below) on the Carnival Cruise Ship "Inspiration"
and the first port of call at Santa Catalina Island which
is 22 miles southwest of Los Angeles off the coast of
California. This small island is only 8 miles across at
its greatest width and was once own by chewing-gum magnate
William Wrigley, Jr. Today it is a major tourist attraction
destination and vacation spot visited by about one million
tourists every year. Ron and Carole have visited the island
many times in past years along with the kids so on this
day they decided to sleep in and head out to the island
alittle later in the morning. (Note: If you plan to take
this cruise and plan on doing excursions and activities
while on the island, it's best to head out to the island
early because the ship sets sail at 5PM.) After their
had a late breakfast Ron and Carole headed down to get
on one of the shoreboats that take you back and forth
from the ship to the island. The ship stays anchored right
outside the harbor because it is much too large to dock
inside Avalon Bay. After a short boat ride they arrived
at the Green Pleasure Pier which leads you right into
the town of Avalon.
The City of Avalon surrounds Avalon Bay and is basically
a resort community. The pedestrian mall along the waterfront
are lined up with shops, restaurants, and hotels to
serve the many tourists visiting the island. After walking
along the pedestrian walkway by the beaches of Avalon
Bay Ron and Carole decided to rent a golf cart to cruise
around town. One thing you will notice in Avalon is
that everyone gets around the island by foot, bikes,
scooters, or golf carts due state legislature allowing
the city to regulate the number and size of vehicles
allowed to drive on city streets. After paying for the
golf cart rental (which for your information was $40
an hour) and leaving a deposit, they ventured around
town following the road map that was provided to them
which mapped out the scenic route they were to follow.
The route allows you to explore the mountain terrain
around Avalon for breathtaking views of the town and
harbor. It also passes by most of the many landmarks
and attractions that are on the island such as the Wrigley
Memorial and Botanical Gardens and the Catalina Casino.
There are so many activities to do on Catalina Island
whether on land, water, or in the air. Air activities
include helicopter tours and para sailing. Water activities
include fishing, glass bottom boat tours, kayaking,
ocean rafting, sailing, scuba diving, Sea Trek Undersea
Adventure, Semi Submersible Tours, snorkeling, and watercraft
rentals. Land activities include golfing, motor tours
and walking tours, museums, zip lining, bike or even
a segway rentals, or basically rent a golf cart and
explore the island just like Ron and Carole did on this
visit. Check
out all the photos of the many things to do on this
beautiful island getaway destination called Santa Catalina
Island.
Posted on May 16, 2012 |
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4-Day Carnival Cruise Ship Vacation
Since Carole had to use up her vacation hours at work and it so happen to also be Ron's birthday as well, they decided
last minute to book reservations with Carnival Cruise to take a 4-day cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico for a
post-Birthday/pre-Mother's Day celebration. They've taken 1-day cruises from San Diego to Ensenada in the past but this
was to be their first long cruise. And since it wasn't quite Summer peak season yet, how can they not pass up going with
cruise packages as low as $329 per person. So with their passports and boarding passes in hand they headed to Long Beach,
California to board the Carnival Cruise Ship "Inspiration" for their fantastic voyage to Mexico.
The ship was scheduled to set sail Monday at 5:30PM but boarding was available as early as 12:30PM. To take advantage of
the time Ron and Carole arrived early to get a head start to check out all the amenities and get familiarized with the ship.
After they found their stateroom and dropped off the rest of their hand carry bags (the rest of their luggages were to be
delivered directly to their room), they headed up to the Lido Deck for lunch where the smell of hamburgers and hot dogs grilling
was in the air from the "Off the Grill" buffet. Eating on the cruise ship is non-stop and food is available 24-hours of the
day. Aside from the "Off the Grill", the "Mongolian Wok" which prepared made to order stir fry entrees and the "Rotisserie"
was also available outside by the pool area during late morning and early afternoons during the cruise. Other casual dining
options were at the Lido Deck Buffet providing different menu items and desserts each day including a deli preparing
sandwiches and a Pizzeria that is open 24 hours a day (not to mention ice cream 24 hours). For more formal dining there are
two formal dining rooms where passengers are assigned to dine at either the early dining time at 6PM or late dining at 8:15PM.
Formal breakfast and lunch are also available at these dining rooms as well. But the food doesn't stop there as certain times
during the cruise you can enjoy all-you-can-eat sushi from the Sushi Bar during 5PM-9PM or have afternoon tea with various
pastries from 3PM- 5PM at the Piano Bar. On this particular cruise, a late night Mexican Buffet was also scheduled at 11PM
after leaving Ensenada. And if that wasn't enough food for you, 24-hour room service is availble whenever you want.
Before the ship departed Long Beach, all passengers had to go to their assigned Muster Station which was a designated area
assigned to you to go in an event of an emergency. Passengers were then instructed what to do, how to properly put on
their life jackets, and shown where they were designated to go in case an emergency were to happen. The 30 minute exercise
was mandatory for everyone to attend and as soon as it was finished the ship set sail. On this cruise, the ship departed
Long Beach and cruised out to international waters for the night and arrived at Catalina Island for day 2 of the cruise
and to Ensenada, Mexico for day 3. (See blog entries above for Catalina Island and Ensenada ports of call.) Day 4 of the
cruise was their "Fun Day at Sea" where the ship is out in open waters all day long as it sails back to Long Beach.
On this day you are able to enjoy all the amenities and entertainment the ship has to offer such as the resort pools,
water slides, stage shows, comedy club, karaoke, live music, night club, video arcades, shopping, bars, lounges, library,
art gallery, miniture golf, spa & fitness gym, and all the fun and games available for children and adults. There is so
much to do as you will see from all the photos from this Carnival Cruise Ship "Inspiration". If you've never been on a
cruise ship before, you difinitely need to experience it at least once. It's guaranteed to be one of your
favorite and fun vacations ever!
Posted on May 16, 2012 |
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Team Poblete completes AIDS Walk 2012
After signing up to participate and weeks of soliciting for voluntary donations to help raise money for AIDS Walk 2012,
"Team Poblete" (A team set up which basically consist of Ron and Carole for their participation in 5K Run/Walk events) was
able to raise $210.00 to help AFAN (Aid for AIDS of Nevada) with the cause. AFAN provides support and advocacy for adults
and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in southern Nevada. AFAN works to reduce HIV infection through prevention
education to eliminate fear, prejudice and the stigma associated with the disease. Since they signed up to participate
as a team, they also entered the "Penn & Teller Challenge" which individual teams could enter to maximize their fundraising
efforts. World renowned comedians/magicians Penn & Teller was to match every dollar that teams raised if they signed up
under this challenge. Teams also were given special incentives for money raised and were given access to the Penn & Teller
VIP Tent on event day.
So last Sunday morning, Ron and Carole headed out to the University of Las Vegas (UNLV) where the walk was to take
place. Participants gathered at the Student Union which was the starting point for the walk. Since they arrived early,
they got to hang out at the Penn & Teller VIP Tent which provided participants with bagels from Panera Bread, cupcakes
from The Cupcakery, and water, juices, etc... They also got to meet and hang out with the famous duo Penn Jillette and
Raymond Teller and got photo ops with them. The main stage offered pre-walk entertainment and several booths were also
available throughout the Student Union area giving out free stuff and health information.
Right before the start of the walk, dignitaries such as the Mayor of Las Vegas, radio personalities, and the Grand Marshalls
Penn & Teller spoke to the crowd. And after a stretching session to get everyone loose, the walk finally began. As walkers
left the Student Union, everyone proceeded on the course that went throughout the UNLV campus. Television news crews lined up
along the walk route, different bands played music to entertain the participants, and water stops were set up for thirsty
walkers and dogs alike throughout the course. It a 3 mile walk total and the finish line ended up at the Student Union
where the walk began. Afterwards, food trucks were lined up for the post-walk party and closing remarks were made by
Penn & Teller and the officials from AFAN. Click here for all the photos from the event and "Thank You" do to those who supported "Team Poblete!"
Posted on April 17, 2012 |
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Zumba Fitness Birthday Party
To celebrate Richelle, Patrick, and Daylene's birthdays
last month, Daisy planned a small celebration at Papa
Rollie and Mama Pearlie's house and invited a few friends
and family for a Zumba Fitness Birthday Party. Zumba is
an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired,
calorie-burning dance fitness-party that’s moving millions
of people toward joy and health. Everyone loved the Zumba
session held at Daisy's birthday so she invited Julie,
the same instructor who taught at her party back to teach
them again. And since it was a Zumba Party, everyone came
dressed in their workout clothes and shoes and was ready
to sweat!
But prior to the workout, a potluck lunch had taken
place at noon in the backyard. Junior broke out the
grill to start barbequing and everyone got to eat and
digest their lunch before Julie the Zumba Instructor
and her assistants arrived. Once they got there, everyone
got excited and started stretching and got ready for
the workout. Those who did not participated continued
eating, sat down and relaxed, and participated as spectators.
The backyard was the perfect place to hold the session
because the instructors taught from the elevated stage-like
gazebo while everyone who participated remained below.
Once the music started the Zumba Fitness session began!
Zumba involves dance and aerobic elements and the choreography
incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue,
mambo, martial arts, and some Bollywood and belly dance
moves. Squats and lunges are also included. It was a
full hour and a half of non-stop exercising! Check
out all the photos of everyone in action and they
Zumba'd away and Happy Birthday to Richelle, Patrick,
and Daylene!
Posted on April 17, 2012 |
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Bike, Hike, Walk, Run San Diego
Usually when on vacation everyone tends to eat alot. And
as everyone knows, this family is no exception. So in
order to burn off some calories from all the eating that
was to happen during this Spring Break vacation, regular
exercise was also planned for the week. To start off Ron
and Carole had several walks at their favorite scenics
spots along San Diego Bay and at Coronado on the beach
by the Hotel Del. One day they headed back out to Coronado
again and took the girls with them on a  2.5
mile bike ride. Instead of getting individual bikes for
themselves they decided to rent a 4-seater bike so that
everyone can help pedal. They started from the "Bikes
and Beyond" bike rental shop at the Coronado Ferry
Landing and biked along the bike path along San Diego
Bay, past the Loews Resort and around Tidelands Park to
the Coronado Bay Bridge where they turned around and headed
back to return the bike. Kiana and Nevaeh even took the
front seat for awhile on the way back so they too could
have a chance drive. Afterwards they stuck around to enjoy
the sunny weather and the scenery of San Diego Bay and
downtown as you will see by clicking
here to view the photos from this day's bike ride
in Coronado.
Their next recreational outdoor activity to burn off
even more calories was to test their strength and endurance
by hiking up to the top of Cowles Mountain. On this
early Wednesday morning Ron, Carole, and their sister-in-law
Cynthia headed out to the east part of town to Mission
Trails Regional Park to try and reach the 1,593-foot
summit of Cowles Mountain which is the highest point
in the city of San Diego. The mountain is named after
George A. Cowles, an early ranching pioneer in San Diego
County. The hike to the summit is 1.5 miles up with
a 950 feet elevation gain. The trail consist of lots
of switchbacks that will take you to the top and boulders
and rocks form a natural stairway along the path.  As
you hike up higher you will start to notice the vast
views of San Diego but the real reward is at the top
where you'll encounter 360-degree panoramic views of
the entire San Diego County. Once at the top you'll
be able to see all the way out to the Pacific Ocean
to the west, Tijuana, Mexico to the south, and all of
North and East County to the north and east. Ron, Carole,
and Cynthia stayed at the summit for awhile taking in
the spectacular views and taking photos of themselves
after their accomplishment of reaching the top before
they headed back on their 1.5 mile hike down the mountain.
Check
out all the photos from this hike to Cowles Mountain.
And if biking and hiking wasn't enough, on that Friday
of their Spring Break Week vacation, Ron and Carole
met up with brother and sister-in-law Rob and Cynthia
for a 5 mile walk/run around Lake Miramar. Lake Miramar
is a reservoir located in the Scripps Miramar Ranch
community of San Diego. The lake is a popular recreation
site that offer activities such as boating, fishing,
picnicking, and has an over 5 mile long trail wrapping
around the lake that is is very popular for bicycling,
jogging, walking, and rollerblading. The Lake Miramar
Trail provides beautiful scenery of the lake and at
one stretch of the trail provides panoramic views of
Mira Mesa, Miramar, University City, and other northern
San Diego communities. It was a perfect morning for
a walk/run around the lake and a great time for them
to catch up and reminiscing about old times which kept
their minds off of the 5 miles walk they were doing.
Click
here to see the photos of scenic Lake Miramar and
their walk/run around the lake.
Posted on April 14, 2012 | Read
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Time to Renew those SeaWorld Passes!
Ever since Nico was one years old, Ron and Carole had
renewed their annual SeaWorld passes every year and brought
both Nico and Kiana there to see Shamu and all the other
marine animals throughout the year as they
were growing up. But after relocating to Las Vegas years
ago, they stopped renewing their passes and unfortunately
Nevaeh didn't get the chance to visit the park as often
as her older siblings did. So on this visit to SeaWorld
they once again got passes to enjoy the park whenever
they come back to visit San Diego. And why not? The SeaWorld
Fun Card Pass is the same price as one regular one day
park admission. (Note: Fun Card Pass entitles you to unlimited
visits to SeaWorld for the rest of the year except for
certain blackout dates.)
Since it was Spring Break Week, Junior, Daisy and the
boys as well as Chelsea and Brianna came along to spend
the day at SeaWorld with them. It was just like old
times when they all use to visit the park together back
in the day except this time Ron and Junior weren't pushing
the kids around in their strollers. It had been years
since Ron, Carole and the girls last visited SeaWorld
and there were lots of new shows and attractions to
check out. The "Sea Lion Live Show" was hilarious as
SeaWorld’s resident sea lion comedy team Clyde and Seamore
performed live-action TV 
and music spoofs. Shamu's all-new "One Ocean" show was
very entertaining and educational as they taught that
we are all part of one world, one ocean. The "Blue Horizon"
show at the Dolphin Stadium was also new where soaring
birds, playful dolphins, and dramatic pilot whales interacted
with Cirque-like acrobatic performers to entertain the
audience. They also checked out the "Pets Rule" show
which really hasn't changed much but is always fun and
entertaining to watch.
After watching a few shows the gang headed out for lunch
and set up a little picnic in the SeaWorld parking lot
serving the leftover food and bbq from the previous
night at Shelter Island. But for dessert they headed
back into the park where they all ordered churros and
funnel cakes topped with ice cream and all the fixings,
a must have when at SeaWorld. Afterwards the kids got
to play at the "Sesame Street Bay of Play", ride "Journey
to Atlantis", pet some animals at "Animal Connections",
ride "Riptide Rescue", and checked out the sharks at
the "Shark Encounter" and the sea turtles at "Turtle
Reef". Click
here to see all the rest of the photos from this
fun day at SeaWorld. Since the SeaWorld passes have
been renewed, this will definitely not be the last visit
to SeaWorld for the year.
Posted on April 11, 2012 | Read
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Starting Spring Break at Shelter Island
Last weekend Ron, Carole and the girls headed down to
their hometown of San Diego for Spring Break Week. Unfortunately
Nico was left behind due to work and school since his
Spring Break was the week prior. Their plans for the week
was basically to enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery
that San Diego is known for. On this late Sunday afternoon
that was originally planned for camping, the family and
a few friends decided to head out to Shelter Island instead
to relax throughout the evening by San Diego Bay. Shelter
Island has been one of the family's favorite hang out
spots ever since Papa Rollie and Mama Pearlie brought
Ron and Richelle there when they were growing up as kids.
They are so fortunate that after all these years they
can still enjoy their favorite hangout spot but now with their
grandchildren.
Ron, Patrick and the girls headed out there first to
pick out a spot. Instead of their usual spot by the
boat launch and fire rings, they picked a spot closer
to the pier since they didn't bring any wood or pallets
for a bonfire. Shortly after setting up their picnic
spot, Papa Rollie, Mama Pearlie, Elmer, Marites and
the girls, Rob, Cynthia and Tyler, Jerry, Genneth, Lisa
and the boys, Alex, Jean, Aleka and Rika, and Junior,
Daisy and the boys arrived. Although it was slightly
windy when they first arrived, the winds calmed as the
sun set over the horizon which turned out to be a perfect
cool evening for a nice walk along the bay, or relaxing
while enjoying the views of the downtown skyline, and
most of all for barbequing. Hot dogs and carne asada
were cooked on the grill and later in the evening s'mores
were made over the fire. Since there was no school and
no work for some the next day, they ended up staying
at the park until midnight. Check
out all the photos from that evening at Shelter
Island. It was definitely a great start to Spring Break
Week!
Posted on April 10, 2012 | Read
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AIDS Walk Las Vegas 2012
After participating and raising funds for the "Walk to
End Alzheimer's" last year, Ron and Carole are at it again!
This coming Sunday, April 15, they will be putting their
walking towards another great cause by participating in
the 2012 "AIDS Walk" in Las Vegas on the campus of UNLV
(University of Las Vegas). As of today there is still
no cure for AIDS. Some people with HIV/AIDS are living
longer thanks to new therapies but research still continues
to find a cure. And that's where everyone's support comes
in. Ron and Carole are helping by contributing their monitary
donation and their time to do the walk. You too can help
by donating in support to "Team
Poblete" or even join them by registering to do the
walk on that day! If you find it in your heart to help,
more information is available and donations can be submitted
on their "Team
Poblete" webpage for this year's "AIDS Walk". Thank
you in advance for your support!
Posted on March 30, 2012 | Read
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Carole's Cosmopolitan Birthday
Since Carole has this goal to experience spending one
night at each of the big hotel resorts on the Las Vegas
Strip, Ron made reservations for her to stay at new Cosmopolitan
Las Vegas Hotel for her birthday. So on the eve of her
birthday, they checked in at the Cosmopolitan and received
their room key cards for the Terrace Suite on the 35th
floor of the East Tower. Room 3596 turned out to be a
one bedroom suite with an oversized private terrace with
panoramic views of the Strip and the famous Bellagio fountains
below. The suite offered a comfortable seating area with
a large flat screen TV and a kitchenette with it's very
own microwave and Sub-Zero mini-bar stocked with unexpected
treats. 
The large decadent bathroom featured a sensuous Japanese
soaking tub with a view of the skyline and famous fountains
and telescoping doors separate the living area from bedroom
area for more privacy. The bedroom area featured a king-size
bed and another large flat screen with sliding glass doors
that opened to the private terrace, allowing fresh air
and sunlight to pour into the suite.
Since Richelle, Patrick, Mark, and Cynthia were still in town, they also came up to hang out at the
Terrace Suite and enjoy the breathtaking views before they all met up with the kids for Carole's birthday
dinner. Originally they planned to have dinner at the Cosmopolitan's Wicked Spoon Buffet
but due to the long lines and early closing time for the buffet, they ended up going to the Rio's World
Carnival Buffet instead. After dinner they also ran into friends Richard and Mimi who were also visiting
Las Vegas for the long Presidents Day Holiday Weekend.
For the rest of the evening and throughout the rest
of their stay at the Cosmopolitan, it was rest and relaxation
and enjoying the amenities that the hotel had to offer,
especially the breathtaking panoramic views from the
35th floor. Click here to check out the photos from Carole's Birthday
in this luxurious suite at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas
Hotel. If you haven't had the chance to visit this new
luxurious hotel resort for yourself, make sure you do
on your next trip out to the Las Vegas Strip.
Posted on February 23, 2012 | Read
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Motownphilly Back Again!...Again!
Boyz II Men were back in town again on their North American tour. Also back in town
were Richelle, Patrick, Mark and Cynthia who were in Las Vegas working on a project for INCTV
Producions. After a full day of filming they joined Ron and Carole for their first concert of the year
and to start Carole's Birthday Weekend Celebration. It was also a celebration for Boyz II Men as they
were celebrating 20 years in music and the launch of their latest album "Twenty". This was
the third time seeing Boyz II Men perform live in concert for Ron and Carole while for Richelle,
Patrick, Mark and Cynthia it was their first.
They all headed down to the Buffalo Bill's Star of the
Desert Arena in Primm, Nevada where the Grammy Award
winning R&B group was to perform. Once inside the arena
lights went dimmed and Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris,
and Shawn Stockman took the stage. (The forth original
member Michael McCary left the group due to chronic
back problems resulting from scoliosis and personal
problems.) The trio sang a few of their famous hits
such as "End of the Road", "Water Runs Dry", "On Bended
Knee", and "A Song for Mama" just to name a few. They
also sang some remake hits from their "Motown: A Journey
Through Hitsville USA" album as well as a rendition
of Journey's "Open Arms" and new songs from their latest
album "Twenty".
The concert ended on an upbeat note as they performed their very first single "MotownPhilly" from their
first album "Cooleyhighharmony". After the concert they met up with Ron's cousin Jay and wife Honeylette
who were also at the concert. They also ran into Ron's co-workers Ace and Leile as well as an old friends
Ric and Dan. Before heading back home, the gang headed over to Chinatown to grab a bite to eat at the
Fukuburger Truck before calling it a night.
Check out rest of the photos from their fun evening at the concert with Boyz II Men..."In the Still of the Night".
Posted on February 23, 2012 | Read
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Walk a Mile a Day Challenge
Is your New Year's Resolution to lose weight? Feeling
sluggish and tired? Having problems coping with stress?
Are you dealing with high blood pressure or high cholesterol?
Do you lack exercise? If so, here is a challenge for you!
Since Ron and Carole started walking regularly last year,
they're continuing to do so and encourage everyone to
join them by walking a mile a day. All it takes is setting
aside 20 minutes to a half an hour of your day. Are you
up for the challenge? If so get out your walking shoes
and click
here to go to our "Walk a Mile a Day" webpage for
more information and join us in living a healthier lifestyle.
You'll be glad you did!
Posted on January 23, 2012 | Read
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New Year's Weekend 2012
This year the Poblete Family gathered at Casa de Poblete
in Las Vegas to bring in the New Year. It wasn't the usually
large gathering of family and friends as in past years
but a nice intimate time spent with immediate family before
12 midnight. Prior to the big countdown the family prepared
a large feast and ate their last meal for 2011 which consisted
of a roasted turkey, baked ham, mashed potatoes, rolls,
soup, vegtable trays and assorted desserts. It was good
non-stop eating until the TV was turned on to watch the
countdown and the huge fireworks display on the Las Vegas
Strip. Shortly after midnight family friends Jerry and
Genneth arrived after their flight from San Diego to Las
Vegas was cancelled due to the fog. (James who flew in
from Ontario to meet up with Jerry and Genneth at the
airport actually arrived and was picked up prior to midnight.)
After an hour or so of hanging out after midnight, everyone
went to bed for their first good night's sleep of the
year 2012.
The following day the weekend celebrating continued starting with lunch with the Dela Rosa Family who were also in town from
San Diego to bring in the new year. After lunch everyone hung out for exchanging of gifts, watching a photo slideshow of 2011 family
activities, and and evening of watching movies in the Poblete Home Theater until midnight. Then everyone headed over to the
South Point Hotel to meet up with the Carlos and Baciles families from San Diego and Canada for some midnight steak and eggs
and midnight dollar bowling.
To end the this year's New Year's Weekend, the family joined by the Carlos and Baciles families had lunch at Lucille's
Barbeque Restaurant for some mouth watering barbeque. Afterwards they all joined the Dela Rosa family back at Casa de
Poblete for the rest of the afternoon before everyone headed back for their drive back home to San Diego.
Click here to see all the photos from our New Year's 2012 Weekend and from our family to yours, may you have a very happy and
properous new year!
Posted on January 20, 2012 | Read
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