Sticky in Vegas.. honey don’t! Out-takes at Catersource 2018

This should have been designated ‘Year of the Flu’ or the head cold, or the snot-filled days of mucus waiting to be expelled. Coughing and blowing my nose turned my belly button from an inny to an outy and my stomach was emulating Braxton Hicks birthing pains. I was able to fulfill my Ambassador duties only because I am a caterer.

How to get rid of this dreadful bug.. just pass it on to someone younger and stronger than myself. Truth be told, everyone here was younger and stronger than me. In the end, those getting sick were linked back to Meryl Snow as the ground zero patient.. yessss, I got a free pass, thank you, Meryl. Truth be told, there were many sick people there so it was not really a big deal.

This conference had all the usual suspects and friends, and also many friends I had yet to meet. I got re-acquainted with Jackie, Eric, and Matthew, Mathew is the nicest person I know and he always ‘mans’ the Catersource info booth.. thank you, Matthew. Emily Ellyn (my friend from 4 years ago) and I ended up one floor apart in our hotel, right by the elevators.. this was a bonus when planning our work stuff and playtime.. the ‘Sparks’ after party, and celebrating Faustos birthday.

I am using first names only for some to protect the innocent, except Emily, who is an instigator! She is outrageous and not afraid to talk to strangers and she reminds me of someone I used to be (well ok maybe I still am ). She was waiting for her assistant to arrive by plane on Sunday. Little did I know assistant ‘Nettie’ would be just a little crazy too, and we would be instant friends as well.

In the end, it was Fausto who was the most outrageous and we had to take away his blowhorn, yep.. he had a blowhorn! I met Gwen Steffani in the hallway at Caesars Palace. She was surrounded by security and I called out her name and blurted out how I loved her on The Voice (my favorite show btw).

Emily was with me, but engrossed in her iPhone and wouldn’t be distracted… “Emily it’s Gwen Stephani!” In the end, all she saw was her ponytail bobbing up and down as they walked quickly out of sight. I stuffed her autographed piece of paper in my purse and thought wow… Gwen Stefani, I love you.

Meeting up with the rest of our entourage that evening I related the Gwen Stefani incident, which prompted someone with a bullhorn to announce “I hate Gwen Stefani.” That was okay because I dislike country music and I’m not shy either.. in fact, I would rather stick needles in my eyes than listen to it, but I do love Gwen. Later, when Fausto was distracted at supper, I sneaked the batteries out of his bullhorn and stashed them in my purse.

Okay, a piece of advice here DO NOT STUFF ANYTHING INTO YOUR PURSE that is smaller than a breadbox! That includes oranges and bananas from the buffet (that is just plebian.. look it up ; ) and I know some of you do it, okay so we do need healthy snacks once in a while.. wawww! BUT NEVER stuff a little pot of honey in your girlfriend’s purse EVER! Click Here for Video

I also met a fan (I know.. who knew I would have one?) at the noodle place in Caesars after the Sparks party. He introduced himself and said he had wanted to meet me for the last three years… omg! I dragged Emily over and had him repeat what he said to me. We all know Emily Ellyn, ‘The Retro Rad Chef’ has many admirers, but now I have one of my very own! YESSSSSSS!!!!! (“A stalker Cherylle” she leaned in and whispered, but I know she was just jealous, lol and he can stalk me if he wants : )

We met Maggie and Jeremy two sweet young lovers who upon meeting.. didn’t leave each other’s side until they had to go their separate ways four days later. Terrica, a stunning beauty, Joe and Leslie, and Kirsten and Scott D.. where did you come from with that infectious smile… you magically appeared whenever I got lost or turned around.

I am lumping many stories into one because there are too many to relate. Nettie doing headstands on the luggage rack in the room, and riding every dog she saw to create a ‘Kodak moment’ (it was the year of the dog, Chinese New Year in Vegas and frankly I am getting too old for that or I would have been up there with her). Dancing to the music fountains in front of the Bellagio. Celebrating some old guy turning 50, his “quinceanera” four days in a row, hmmmmmm.

We ate at Gordon Ramsays Pub and Grill and they gave us all a complimentary dessert (chocolate with cream see picture), thank you, Randy. We also ate at Homestead where Nettie ordered a ’10 ounce meatball’ yep only in Vegas. AND none of us will forget ‘The Wicked Spoon’ in the Cosmopolitan. (The little pot of honey was born there) It will live on and on and on.. thanks to Charlton Becker and his dam iPhone (pos) video.

Thank you Rueben and Angie for helping me on the afternoon tour of “My Favorite Things” he not only carried the sign, but all the bags of free stuff. Emily also led a tour and I hear she ‘popped’ out of the pig roaster at the BBQ booth more than once. I am not so adventurous the only popping I do is corn.

I did lead the way though, on my tour.. with my arm extended out and my LeoLight held high.. “follow the light my lovelies”…

Gwen Stephani’s autograph went into a plastic baby bottle as a gift to ‘Foghorn’ Fausto lol. I knew he would appreciate the irony, and I love that he is outrageous. (the baby bottle was a remembrance of our time at Pigalis in Vegas three years ago where drinking wine out of them, had us sucking it back, literally, it is also where we met birthday boy and we have been good friends ever since).

so many stories .. these are just the extra-curricular ones….

copyright march 2018