Thursday, November 29, 2007

Qua Spa and Baths

It's been two weeks since I indulged in a spa day at Qua Spa and Baths at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, but the pampering effects have lingered since. It was my first time visiting a spa, so it was quite an experience to spend a day lounging around in a bathrobe and being spoiled.

The spa is frequented by many celebrities who pass through Sin City, such as Eva Longoria and others. 

Qua is located on the "M" floor of Caesar's Palace, across the hall from top-tier restaurant Guy Savoy. The entrance is like walking into the mouth of a softly lit stone cave, with gorgeous foliage and a cascading waterfall along the wall behind the desk. 

It was quiet in the spa area, even though there were plenty of guests relaxing in the mineral Roman Bath and in the whirlpool. There are a number of saunas to choose from after you have had your treatment, such as an herbal sauna, a hot stone room, and Qua's newest addition, the Arctic sauna. There is a vanity room complete with products and appliances guests may use to get ready after their stay, and a shower room full of Qua's herbal hair and body cleansers. The artisans and the employees are wonderful and make you feel right at home.

I had one of their signature 80 minute facials done, complete with a diamond-tip microdermabrasion, arm and leg paraffin wax, and laser anti-aging light treatment. I also had an eye treatment that rejuvenated my tired eyes from staying up all night in the city that never sleeps. It made quiet a difference right away!

I have always had problem combination skin and have used countless medications and creams to remedy it. After my facial, I feel like I have a brand new, softer complexion. The minerals in the Roman Bath soothed my skin and left me feeling silky smooth.

When I return to Vegas, I will for sure dedicate another day to relax at Qua Spa and Baths. 

Check out Qua's website for information on treatments and packages at www.harrahs.com/qua.

Nip/Tuck doesn't make the cut

Five episodes deep into the fifth season of FX's Nip/Tuck, I'm still not as thrilled as I usually am during the first five minutes of its premiers. 

Based on the lives of two hotshot Miami plastic surgeons, who in this season have relocated to LA, the show has the power to make even the most ho-hum suburbanite's Tuesday nights spicier and more scandalous.  

Known as TV's guilty pleasure that delivers "Sex, seduction, and liposuction," the show has had a long run of exciting, nail-biting, hair-curling events that have kept me on the edge of my seat for the last four seasons. From the surprise paternity mixup between Sean and Christian, the slasher who preyed on beautiful people in Season 3, Matt's all-around disfunction and Kimber's domino relationships with Christian, Sean, and current marriage to their son, who can pry their eyes away from the screen? 

The drama is addicting because the events are so out-of-this-world and unrealistic. The glitz of their nightlife and beautiful staff make the plastic surgery scene intriguing and desirable. Yet, through the glam, the wild love pentagons, and devious situations, I feel the characters' real human hearts and identify with their struggles-- even though the storylines are outrageous and I have never stepped foot in a plastic surgeon's office.

This season's events are hardly as traumatic as the past ones. Matt and Kimber are iceheads, Julia is now a lesbian, Sean gets engaged to his show's costar, and Christian is still after Julia. Then Sean breaks his engagement because he can't stop thinking of how she pooped in the hot tub, and then Sean admits he's still after Julia too. I have to admit though, this season is hilarious.

So is my disappointment in this season's progress premature, and something is going to happen to knock my socks off? Or are they running out of ideas and resorting to more humor and predictable stories because of it? 

My DVR is now programmed accordingly because I have lost the will to park myself in front of the TV for an hour on Tuesday nights, even to watch my favorite show.


Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Unexpected holiday cheer

It all started about ten years ago when my father put up simple icicle lights around the house and cute little candy canes out in the yard. Since then, he’s upgraded to waving blow-up snowmen, a softly lit Nativity scene, chasing icicle lights and has adorned the tree with glowing ornaments. Last year, he even found a hilarious set featuring a cowboy on a horse who is trying to rope a Christmas tree.

When I rounded the corner of my parents’ street to have Thanksgiving dinner with them, I almost expected my father to be climbing ladders and hanging odds and ends on our house and finishing up the final touches to our yearly Christmas carnival.

Instead, the Master of Lights had a special holiday surprise for me. He had gotten a tiny tree, complete with ornaments and lights, for me to take home to my equally tiny apartment in South Austin. Through all the years I have been away, I had never thought to decorate my apartment. Now with my little tree, my home feels so much more festive and I can’t wait for Christmas to come.