Happy Thanksgiving!!!

When I was younger the holidays were a huge deal and we always had tons of people around. Our own family was usually about 10-15 people and then whatever neighborhood kids or friends were around always got invited. Usually it was a 20+lbs turkey, buckets of stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and you hoped that's enough!

Now our families are scattered across the world and cooking isn't as easy . To scale things down so much actually makes you think and having to measure out what needs to be cooked so there aren't as many leftovers is a chore. I know it's a pitiful thing to complain about but when I think about it, it makes me miss my family and the drama that goes with everyone being together.

Even though times are extremely tough for everyone we still have much to be thankful for. We are happy, healthy, and together even if it's in a different state or country.

We love you all and hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

I did it!!

I got to my goal weight...nener nener nener!!! The last pound took FOREVER, but I did it!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

Making scary ZOMBIE faces!! (and trying not to laugh)

We hope you and your little ones had fun and safe trick or treating!!

The right thing

How many of you have gone to the store and forgot something in your cart and realized it after you got to your car? Ok, now how many of you have made the long walk back into the store to pay for it?
Ethan and I went to Ghetto-Mart and behind my two 5 gallon water bottles was the can of mousse that I intended to purchase. He noticed it when we were putting the bags in our car and started panicking. "Mom, we have to go back and pay for this. We don't want to go to jail, cause if we don't pay for it, it's stealing."
I was exhausted, this was our last errand of the day and DID NOT want to go back in, but what do you tell a kid who is telling you the right thing to do??? You walk your lazy ass back into the store to pay for the $4 can of freaking mousse!
I thanked him on the way out of the store and told him that not many people would have done that; and that I probably wouldn't have done it either cause I was being lazy, but again thanked him for making me do the right thing. He told me "Your welcome!" and we went on our way home.

Pirates of Grammer Island

Ethan had his first play. It was the cutest thing that I have ever seen and not only because my baby had a solo and nailed it! It was a full on mini production play.

The kids had costumes and individual parts, duos, and then group parts, and back grounds. I remember thinking back that it was sad that in Vegas those things usually aren't done due to school funding. But for this the parents donated money and the teacher and students donated time. It was wonderful. We are so proud of him. The class started working on this the first week of school so after 8 weeks of practice they did an amazing job.

Happy Birthday to me

I had a week long birthday celebration this year!
*9.25.08 My girls at work treated me out for lunch at TGIF. I had the best BBQ sandwich and fries. They also started the yummy treats wagon...they got me a box of Ethel M's chocolates. With dieting for a few months this was the one thing i had denied myself because I am a chocoholic and once it starts it's HARD for me to pass it up. They also got me the cutest doggie picture frame, now I just need to get Dina and George together for a pic so I can display my other babies at work.
*9.26.08 I had girls night. Lani took me, Lisa, and Brenda to Terra Rosa at the Red Rock Casino. It was super yummy Italian food and I got the absolute best cheesecake that I've ever had. We were going to go bowling but they had all the lanes closed for some nerd bowling competition thing, so we went to the movies instead. We saw Lakeview Terrace; it makes me thankful that I don't associate with my neighbors.
*9.29.08 I got beautiful cards from my boys and a yummy chocolate / cookies & creme cake.
*10.4.08 I had my party. Lani, Lisa, Paul and their kids Jalyn and Cameron came over and brought me a home made tres leches cake. It was pure heaven, tres leches is my new favorite cake! The kids got to play and the girls got to gossip! The perfect day followed by the perfect evening. My baby took me to PF Changs and Lani took Ethan for the night. It was every bit as good as I hoped it would be.

Thank you all for a wonderful birthday!!!
(I know I gained 2 pounds this week from all of my goodies, but it was worth it.)

New Store

I'm going out on a limb and trying a new grocery store. We only have a certain amount budgeted for groceries each week so trying something new is a big deal to me. It takes me out of my comfort zone. I made a list of all of the stores I go to and what I typically buy from them so I can see where we can fit everything in and my ultimate goal of not overspending on the little extras.
I've heard tons of good things about this place from a few different people. When we went to Ethan's open house they had a sales rep there and I got my fliers to research. Then when another sales rep called me on Monday I figured I'd give them a try. They are (suppose to be)either all natural / organic, farm fresh, delicious food, and they deliver. It's called Winder Farms. I get my first delivery next Tuesday and I'll give my reviews. Wish me luck!

8 is GREAT!

I took Ethan to the doctor today for his 8 yr old well check. It's a few months late but I'm tyring to avoid going every six months like we did when he was younger. His asthma has been doing so well the past few years that I've been able to stagger off most of his appointments for that exact reason. And if I do it in October then I can get his flu shot along with all of his refills for the next year, so it all works out.
He is 55" or 4'6" tall and 76 lbs. The only set back is he didn't do so well with his mini eye exam. 20/70....my baby might need glasses. I have to schedule an appointment with the eye doctor soon. I think he's going to be near sighted like the rest of us. I can just imagine him now in little glasses....how cute! Maybe he would've seen the pole coming if we knew sooner; but then of course running backwards wouldn't have helped that!
They had him do his first urine sample and he was so embarrassed he did the speed walk back into our waiting room and sat down as fast as he could with the silliest look on his face.
***"Mom, they made me pee in a cup!"
He just couldn't believe that they actually made people do such a thing. I told him that it was normal and grown ups do it almost every time they go to the doctor and just just means that he's getting older.
***"I did exactly what she (the nurse) said to and I filled it all the way to the top of the line."
I was laughing on the inside and silently hoping that he put the lid on tight.

Part of the club 3

I have passed the 20 lbs mark and am so close to my goal I can taste it. 4 more lbs to go and then I will be a happy girl.

Mt Charleston

We went this past Saturday to the mountains with Lani and some of her friends / family. Jared's cousin Lisa and her kids were there so Ethan had someone his age to play with. They do picnics and play games. Here are some pics of our fun day!

What an acomplishment

2nd Trimester Awards...Perfect Attendance and AB Honor Roll!



3rd Trimester Awards...AB Honor Roll!
He missed perfect attendance when we went to Louisiana.

But what a hard worker!

Ouch!

We had our first big OUCH! Ethan got stitches on Friday; 5 to be exact. He was playing tag with some friends and ran straight into a pole. Whoops!!!!

My poor baby was miserable! As soon as I got him from school we raced to the doctors office and got him fixed up. It was the worst thing that I've had to witness. He's old enough to talk and tell you exactly how everything feels and is not shy about doing so. When they numbed him I thought I was going to pass out. I was sweating like I had just finished a marathon. I can watch open heart surgeries on TV and not flinch. I've nursed some pretty gross injuries and no problem; but when it came to his cries and pain I couldn't help myself. I wanted to hug and kiss him to make it all better, punch the doctor for making him cry more, and chop the damn pole that got in his way in the first place! What is mother to do.....tell him your going to take him where ever he wants to go for lunch and get a big ice cream to make it all better.

When it was all said and done the stitches are fine, the pole is fine, and we all survived. He was worried if the kids at school would make fun of him or if he would be embarrassed to have stitches.....awww.....what a cutie......
We go this Friday to get them removed. Wish us luck and a no pain.

Bittersweet

Another month is almost gone. Tomorrow both of the boys go back to school and we will get back to our routine. I must say the summer with them off has been really nice. We have been able to go for walks a few times a week, sleep in, stay up as late as we could, and all of the fun little things that we could think of.
It's bittersweet for me to have them go back. I thrive on routine and schedules but I love spending time with them. The next break will come for Ethan on Thanksgiving when he also goes on track break and won't go back to school until after the New Year. Jared will be out half way through December and won't go back until the last week or two of January. So I'm counting down until December when both my boys are out again and I can be spoiled with all of their attention.

#7 Hash

This is an easy no fail, everyone is happy dinner idea in our house.

We aren't breakfast people so we make breakfast for dinner quite often.


You'll need:

3-4 med potatoes

1 roll of turkey or pork breakfast sausage (jimmy dean type)

3-4 turns of olive oil

minced onion, garlic powder, salt & pepper


To Start:

Peel and dice potatoes very small (a little smaller than a dice)

Add olive oil to pan

Add potatoes to a med-high heat

Add spices to your liking

You'll want your potatoes to be mostly golden brown then add your sausage. Break up the sausage w/ your spatula so it's in pieces. Fry everything together until your sausage is cooked through and your potatoes are done. We usually eat it with eggs. Jared eats his with ketchup and Tabasco.

Part of the Club....2

I've now made it to the 15 lbs mark!!! I think another 10 lbs and I should be good and ready to gain much wanted baby weight next year :)

Family

My grandfather passed away this past month. Even though we had gone to visit him it was still hard for me. I loved spending time with him. When we were there it was like we had gone every year and it was very comfortable for us. I regret not getting to spend more time with that side of my family. I know there really isn't much I can do about it other than what I'm doing now. We write back and forth (ok, email) and call so everyone is up to date. I know in the future things will be different and we will be able to "go do" a lot more than we are able to now. I'm very thankful that they are as understanding of our situation and are proud for how far we have come. I'm very proud of my Grandparents and hope that one day Jared and I are as happy as they were.

Part of the Club!

I am officially part of the Weight Watchers club!! And have been for almost a month. I'm horrible at diets and have very low motivation on my own. So thank goodness that Jared is helping me!!

I don't do the online meeting or the get in your car and drive to find a location meetings. I'm a very "to myself" type person, so those just aren't for me. I bought the books at the first of the year and it only took me 6 months to get the dust off of them and start putting them to use.

As of this morning I have lost 9 lbs!! I haven't officially decided on a goal weight but I have a ball park. So when I get close.....I'll brag then :)

Wow....how the time flys

........So much has happened in the past month I don't know where to start.


The end of May, Jared finished his spring semester with straight A's. Go baby Go!!


Ethan has improved in his ice skating class, he can now stop (with out slamming into the wall) and he's getting the hang of going backwards.


Ethan also got an excellent report from his teacher stating that if he keeps up his hard work he is on his way to straight A's. Last Trimester he made A/B honor roll so this would be a first.


On June 5th we made our trip to visit my Mom's side of the family in Louisiana. We put the dogs in boarding for the week and Lani came over every other day to check on the cat and birds. Ethan had never been on a plane before and it had been a long time since Jared and I had been on one. Jared is a bit claustrophobic, and I was nervous how everything would turn out and how well the flights would go, would we make our connections, are we sitting together, etc.. The typical Mom stuff I guess. On our flight out of Vegas we were not scheduled to sit together so I had to work on that with one of the attendants and it took up until the last boarding call before we got our seats figured out. Then we go to sit down and someone is sitting in my seat! And Jared being the nice one tells Ethan in front of her that don't worry....she moving!!! Needless to say she moved and I sat. Our flight from Vegas to Houston was nice; not to bumpy and not very stressful. On the other hand the flight from Houston to Shreveport was a little plane and was very bumpy and stressful. After about the third good bout of turbulence Ethan blurted out "Mom, I think the plane is going to crash!" I'm sure that made everyone feel very comfortable.

My Mom, Jackie (my stepfather), and Johnathan (their son, my 9 year old half brother) picked us up from the airport and we got to stay with them for the first two days. Ethan and Johnathan had the best time. They played together like the have seen each other everyday. It's amazing how kids can adjust so quickly to things. It was so nice to spend time alone with my Mom and her family. We live so far away from each other that we defiantly don't see each other as much as we should. In the mornings we got to watch the birds; they have about four different kinds that we don't have out here and they have their own daily schedule. They attack each other and play around in the trees. It's neat to see something like that.....something so simple and yet so amazing.

On Saturday we took the two hour drive to visit my grandparents. We were my Grandpa's 49th anniversary present / birthday present / surprise. Everyone did an excellent job of keeping the secret. On Sunday all of the family came out for a big dinner. There was family there that I had never met before. I haven't been there since I was about 4 so it was very nice to visit and meet them.

My grandparents have a pool, trampoline, and a swing set for the kids to play on. So that along with tons of yard for them to play in they were non-stop from the time they got up until the time they went to sleep. Ethan got his first sunburn and heat rash; it didn't matter how much sunblock I put on him with them playing out in the sun all day it was bound to happen. Whenever it got to warm a nice breeze or quick rain shower would come to cool everything off. Such a different experience and a very, very pleasant.

We had an absolutely amazing time. I would love to be able to go back and spend a few weeks down there. We were all sad to leave and happy to get home. It's one of those bittersweet feelings. We all thrive on our routine at home but the time away with family was great.

And to top it all off.....the plane ride home was easy, no problems until we got to Vegas and they were nice enough to put our luggage on the flight after ours. But other than that, all of the stress I had about flying and layovers was a breeze.

***I will put up slide shows when I get all of my crap organized :)***

#6 Personal Pizzas

Last night I made the best dinner I've made in a long time. It was light, full of flavor, and best of all it was EASY!!

Pita bread (enough for however many you want)
Mozzarella Cheese (the less fat the healthier)
Tomatoes
Fresh Basil
Olive oil
2 - 3 Cloves of Garlic (3/4 clove per pizza)
Parmesan Cheese

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-Slice your tomatoes, chop the basil, shred or slice your cheese. (buy shredded to save time)
-In a small skillet do about 3-4 turns around the pan, grate / shred your garlic on a small grater into the olive oil, and saute until it just begins to turn golden brown. Turn off heat.
-With a regular teaspoon spread the olive oil and garlic on your pita breads until there is a nice even coating.
-Put in this order cheese, tomato (about 3-4 slices), basil, and lightly sprinkle parm on top.
-Pop in a 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes or until cheese melts, then in the broiler to get the top edges crispy.
-ENJOY :)

*and of course it's an easy and fun dinner night for kids because they can make their own. Ethan likes cheese, light sauce, and turkey peperoni.

May Days...

*Ethan had field day on Friday and came home with soaking wet clothes. He was bummed because he said they only had 3 water stations they could get wet at. We prepared him the night before with and extra change of clothes, a hat, swim trunks, and an old pair of shoes to get dirty in. Needless to say he slept really well that night.

*Report cards came out about two weeks ago and Ethan raised all of his grades up. He made AB Honor roll and Perfect Attendance. (I'll post pictures later). At the first of the school year he went to a Magnet School and it did not fit him or his personality at all. His behavior changed (not for the better) and his grades slipped because of it. That was the first time he had not made Honor Roll. So for him to bring up all of his grades to 1 A, 2 almost A's, and 2 B's is a huge accomplishment for him. Getting Perfect Attendance with his Asthma is a huge deal for all of us. I'm hoping this means that he is out growing it like the doctors said he should. He still has problems but not nearly as bad as they used to be. Thank Goodness!!!

*Jared is done with spring semester this Thursday. He's got finals this week and then I get him back for the summer. Even with me working full time and doing the Mom thing, he is still busier than me! I don't know how he does it but he does............and I love him even more for it.

*Mother's Day was a day that I wasn't required to do a thing, and I loved it. Ethan and I went to the library, did a little shopping, and watched Transformers while Jared caught up on his studding so he could spend the night with me. That night they took me out to dinner for BBQ ........MMMmmmmm.......

Why we love April

April is our busy birthday month. We have extended family and then our own. We had three different kinds of cake in three days. First we started out with Jared, I got him a Mexican 3 milk cake. Then Ethan, I made him a strawberry cake with white frosting with candy bugs on it (in post below). Finally for Ian Lani bought an angel food cake and we made strawberry short cakes for him.

Here's Ethan with his new Idog. He asked for money this year and this is one of the things he picked out while shopping. He's trying to explain to Nana what an Idog does.

My grandparents came in from California and made it just in time for all the parties. I hadn't seen them in a few years so I was really excited. Ethan loves his Grandpa!! They went shopping, he let Ethan steer the scooter, and of course all of the treats they snuck in on the side. I got to enjoy some girly time with my Grandma, we haven't gotten to do that in years so it was really nice. We went shopping and saw some of the newer sites. They both just adore Jared and my Grandpa is great at telling stories so the boys got in a lot of laughs. I can't wait for them to visit again!!

Birthday Boys

Ethan's bug cake





















Holy Hppy Birthdays!! Jared, Ethan, and Ian....three right in a row. We had so much cake I started throwing it away. Our biggest challenge each year is to make sure each boy gets something of their own. Whether it be cake or dinner or get together.

I can Skate!

After the first thirty minutes of Ethans' ice skating class they let the kids have thirty minutes of free skate time. So this week I finally got the courage to get out on the ice with him. We went around the rink about ten times and I only fell down once!! But I had help....of course, Ethan and I got twisted up and we tripped over eachother. No bumps or bruises though, just really sore feet. Poor Ethan got blisters on his feet from the skates being to tight. I think his feet grew in the past week at least a half size.

Happy Birthday Alan!

Wow, 16 already!! Time goes by so fast. We miss you and love you very much, and good luck in drivers ed and passing your test!

Beating the Odds

I received an email last week from my Grandpa (Mom's Dad). He's got a long list of things that he has survived and an even longer list of things to be proud of. But in this email he was letting everyone know that the cancer that he had beaten had spread to other parts of his body. It started with colon cancer and that was cured and now it has spread to his lungs, liver and bones. The doctors give him 2-3 months but we have hope that he will once again beat the odds and go when he is ready. I'm still in shock over it and I can't believe that even with undergoing treatment it still spread so fast.
There are a lot of things I wish could be different first off, wishing that he and my Grandma would never have to go through this. Secondly, I wish things could be different for everyone so we could all have had the time and the money (at the same time) to make the trips and take the vacations that never happened. Third, I hope they know just how much we love and think of them. Even though we don't speak as much as I know we would all like you are all in our thoughts and prayers.

XXXOOO
Janae, Jared, and Ethan

My Little Ice Skater!

For an extra curricular activity we decided to sign Ethan up for Ice Skating. It's a starting place for Hockey and he is so cute on the ice. I felt bad for him because he's the tallest one in his class. I think there is one other boy that is close to his age but about 2 inches shorter and they really hit it off. He even made it through class without any bumps or bruises, and no owies on his bum! They let the kids use a metal bar for balance (AKA training wheels for ice skates) and when it was freestyle he was zooming across the ice. I was so very proud, I can't wait for him to get a little more practice so I can skate with him. It's been a really long time but I really loved it when I was younger. Maybe I can make it out with no owies on my bum!
There are little ones out there that are just adorable they are so tiny and graceful. It would be nice to have a little girl in figure skating and Ethan in hockey.... Aww, my daydreaming...
Next Saturday I will remember my camera and take some pictures. I took some on my cell phone but they are too blurry and do not look good.

Happy 90th Birthday Nana!

Most of us can only hope to make it to 90. Jared's grandma made it and planned a party for herself with invitations and everything. She decided that she wanted her party held at Olive Garden. So who are we to disagree! Lani got her a huge ice cream cake, roses, and a beautiful spring bouquet. Her face lit up when everyone walked in with the roses for her and you could just tell that she enjoyed every moment of it. We love you and hope to be there for your 100th!!!

George

(Sorry for the blue eyes, photo shop made them black and beady, blue was the better alternative.)



(I found this old video and thought it was hilarious!!)

We took our baby George to the Vet. last week and our fears were confirmed. He has hip dysplasia in both hips one more so than the other, and he also has arthritis in his lower back. German Shepards are prone to hip problems and we used to just baby him and he would get better, but since we moved into our new house with stairs he has gotten worse. The Vet. gave us anti-inflammatory meds and some vitamins to help his joints and prolong the better hip from getting any worse. We take him back on Tuesday to see if the medication is doing him any good or not.

I Hate:

-My car that decided to break on the way home from Costco at 5:30pm.
-Tow truck drivers who say they are going to be there in 45 minutes and take 3 hours while I'm sitting on a 215 off ramp 3 miles from my house.
-Having to rent a car that cost twice as much as it did a month ago.
-A rental car company who puts a $400 hold on funds to rent a car for $167.
-Having to pay more money to fix my piece of crap car.
-Spending money that I really really wanted to save.

Needless to say it was an eventful weekend and not in a good way. I can't wait until we can get a new car for me. Jared tells me that he figures that if we fix all the big things on it then nothing else can break and my car will run better than his. Ah, I can only hope!!

Freak Out!

It's way to soon to be freaking out but I think I'm entitled. Jared has 3 more semesters left in school and he has to intern somewhere in the summers because he doesn't have the time to do it during the school year. So being the supportive wife I take the initiative to apply him for any and every opening that would suit his interests. Whether it's in California or Indiana or even DC for that matter. There is a research program in the summer here but he has to look into that and then apply. As long as he has options so he, (and I mean we) can choose where he will go for the summers then it will help. We have three months before this takes place but I'm already getting nervous. He helps me so much and with Ethan being on a track school it makes things more difficult. I sooo can't wait for these next 3 semesters to be over and done with!

Happy Valentines Day

More Graphics at pYzam.com

I Cheated....on my car!

And now I have to deal with it! My broke car is in the shop and has been since Monday. I'm praying that I will get it back on Friday. I rented a car since Jared is back in school and I couldn't take a week off at a time. But now I'm in love with my rental car! It has everything and only 750 miles on it, the new smell the fancy electronics........ahhh......And my poor car is in the shop all alone with a really bad leaking problem that cost about as much as my house payment to fix. The worst part of it all is that there is more wrong with it but I can't afford to fix it now. So the major work is getting done and the minor work is going to have to wait. I HATE foreign cars and why I bought one is beyond me. Well I know why I bought it, it's because I was being stingy with my money and didn't want to spend a lot and I suckered myself into buying a car for "right now" financial reasons. I knew that they were more expensive to repair but goodness how much more. I told Jared that when he is done with school he has to buy me a new car! Along with a few more things, but for starters a car.

Attack of the Clones

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01541.html

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20061228/fda-says-cloned-meat-safe

Here is a little reading for those who haven't heard about the cloned meats and dairy that will be hitting our market sometime and will not be labeled any differently. I don't know about you but this has made me very cautious about eating anything that is not natural, it's just to bad those types cost more.

Costco vs. Sam's Club (in my opinion)

I used to be a Sam's shopper and now since we have moved after much contemplation we have changed over to Costco. I must say that I am much happier with the products they carry. The crowds are annoying but as long as I have Jared with me they don't seem to bother me as much. They have many of the same or comparable items with not much of a price difference.

They carry a lot of natural / organic / better for you - products that Sam's just didn't or haven't yet. Here is a list of the things that I have noticed and / or purchased so far: milk (cow and soy) butter, eggs, juices, fruit, breads, fruit spreads, peanut butter, pasta, pasta sauce, and laundry detergent* (which so far I love) turkey bacon, breakfast and dinner soy meats, fruit leathers, nuts, chips and all kinds of goodies that we love.

The only thing that I wish they carried that they don't yet is organic / natural paper products and beef, but I guess either they don't come in bulk yet or there isn't a high demand for them. I wonder if after they start releasing the "cloned" meats if the sales of organic beef and dairy products will rise, or are we just all destined to be science experiments?

#5 Easy Chili

I don't care for spicy chunky chili, I like simple meat, beans and limited tomatoes so I threw this together a few weekends ago and it worked out really nice. Jared who isn't a comfort food kind of person even said that it turned out good.

1 can of Rotel tomatoes and green chili peppers (I used the Milder cause I don't do spicy and the original has kick to it.)
1 can of Chili beans (usually a mix of pinto & kidney) in sauce
2 small or 1 lg can of tomato sauce
1 lbs of ground turkey, beef, or soy meat
Use your own discretion for the following spices: minced onion, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika
Garnish with Cheddar cheese

Brown meat and spices in a large pot add everything else to it and simmer for about 30 minutes and WHAM your done.

I also made cornbread and *french fries (*per Jared's request) to make it a complete meal. I guess if it was bad by itself the fries and cheese would overpower the Chili!

All of us

This is our quickie family picture on Christmas Eve. Doesn't Ethan look thrilled. He'd rather be playing with the other kids instead of posing for a picture!

Jared's second Robot

This is a Line Tracer Robot. Jared's second extracurricular project for the engineering group he is a part of.

Irv

After Jared's father had passed his older sister Maia and brother Rocky had a beautiful memorial for him at a jazz bar in town. Ethan and I went for Jared since he had a final exam and couldn't make it. I took a few pictures while I was there.




There was an amazing artical posted in the Las Vegas Sun dedicated to him.

Irv Gordon: 1933-2007
Vegas saxophonist played with legends, lived for jazz
By Jerry Fink Las Vegas Sun
The last time I saw saxophonist Irv Gordon was five or six years ago at Pogo's, where he got together and jammed every Friday night with drummer Irv Kluger and an ensemble of other old-time jazz musicians.
The club was owned by Jim Holcombe, who provided the place for musicians to come and play the kind of music they didn't often get to play on the Strip.
On that night, a young clarinet player slugged Gordon in the mouth and was ejected by Holcombe. Gordon had criticized the playing of the amateur musician and the man took offense and expressed it with a right hook.
The punch was a surprise, but that Gordon would criticize inferior playing was not. He was a purist who didn't condone someone passing himself off as a musician if he wasn't serious enough about it.
"My father taught me that you either play or you don't, you (give it your all) or you don't do it at all," said his son, saxophonist Rocky Gordon. "He said to go with both oars in the water 'or else I don't talk to you.' That's the way he treated me. He said, 'Are you serious about this, because if you're just doing it as a hobby, let me know and I won't think anything, but if you're doing it for real you're going to have to put more time in.' "
Irv Gordon died Nov. 8 of complications following a heart attack. He was 74.
Irv Kluger died last year, Jim Holcombe the year before that.
Music was the highlight of memorial services for Kluger and Holcombe.
It will also take center stage during a memorial planned for Gordon, which will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Dec. 8 at the E-String Grill, 2031 W. Sunset Road in Henderson.
"My dad didn't want a big memorial service," Rocky said. "He wants us to all go to a club and play. That's his memorial. He doesn't want guys to get up there and say a lot. He'd basically rather just get into the music. My father could say a lot of wise things, but the playing was the most important thing."
Irv Gordon had an illustrious career that began in his native Philadelphia. When he was 18 he performed behind Billy Holiday during the first interracial jazz concert in that city, Rocky said. It was the summer of 1952.
His credits include performing with such legends as Sarah Vaughan, Stan Getz, Tony Bennett, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, and Elvis Presley.
He came to Vegas in the early '60s and played for orchestras at resorts, including the old Thunderbird and Caesars Palace.
In addition to Rocky, Irv Gordon, who had been single for the last 17 years, had five other surviving children: daughters Maia Matisse-Lorenzen and Ameena Gordon and sons Aaron, Ian and Jared Gordon.
Gordon tired of playing for production shows in the '90s and retired to play jazz with such greats as Kluger and the late Carl Fontana and saxophonist Bill Trujillo.
"My father was a really humble man," Rocky said. "He was not a big social guy."
He was devoted to music.
"That was his religion, his spirituality," Rocky said. "He was in a constant growth mode as a musician."
His son has become one of the top jazz saxophonists in the city, thanks to his father's guidance.
"He told me the reality of the dark side of the business, the way it would really be," Rocky said. "He taught me that you didn't get a lot of pats on the back, other than knowing yourself that you did a good job. If you don't get thrown out of the band, then you're doing a good job. But they will tell you if you do something wrong. That's they way it was with the jazz groups in Philly. They weren't great communicators, and maybe that's why they played - it was a higher level of communication."
Rocky learned honesty from his father.
"He taught me that I would be the one to know before anyone else whether I was playing well," he said. "He was as hard on himself as he was on everyone else."