The woman is in her mid-fifties. Educated but not employed. Married. Her life is a misery. No cable “R-rated” movies allowed in the house. Weekends are spent with religious music and hysterical prophets on the radio and television bombarding her ears; invading her privacy from speakers in… Read full post »

The American way of life certainly is easy. That is unless you’re going through or have recently gone through a divorce. Divorces come in so many packages—there really is no such thing as a Designer Divorce unless you have a Prenuptial. But even those legal promises can be broken. For bre… Read full post »

Electronic dating has been around for years. Huge numbers of men and women create Personal Ads on the Internet in search of, well, just about anything. There are ads for dominatrices as well as your basic “couples seeking couples” liberally sprinkled among the homo/hetero/ bi-sexual seeke… Read full post »

The Las Vegas Vampire Chronicles

By

Christine L. McKellar 

-Chapter One-

The Gift That Keeps On Giving  

I became one of the undead a week ago. It happened at a nightclub on the Las Vegas Strip where I really had no business being—… Read full post »

 It’s been awhile since I’ve written a post for OpenSalon. The last entry was in June. My post was a testament to my departed shepherd, Sultan. And I do mean “shepherd.” I had to bid adieu to ten years of all love the morning of June 24. On July 17, I… Read full post »

Sultan

August 14, 2000 - June 24, 2010

Portrait by Paulette Frankel

If ever a dog was more aptly named, it was Sultan. Why? Because he was regal, strong and handsome. It was my former husband who named him. I was on the phone describing the darling… Read full post »

For those of you who responded with such genuine (and appreciated) concern re my post “I Am an Idiot” for my German shepherd Sultan’s well being, I have an update. I do apologize for being so tardy but work, deadlines, and travel ran away with me.  

First I think it… Read full post »

 Someone referred to  me as an idiot this morning. Before I'd even had my second cup of coffee and before the veterinarian assistants got here to take my six-year-old German shepherd into the clinic for x-rays on his poor deteriorated hips--and tests for other issues.

Sultan’s h… Read full post »

Greeted by... right off the bat Tableau and Ka...how can you beat that?

Friday night I was as bedazzeled as a  vestal virgin at the 2010 Grand Tasting culinary spectacular at the Garden of the Gods, Caesar's Palace.  This fourth annual four-day event, Vegas Un… Read full post »

A pride? A herd? A gaggle? A bevy? A host of culinary genius!

Following a red carpet event that was awash in a sea of spotlessly starched world renowned and celebrity chefs, media and guests were escorted to a security elevator to celebrate the 2010 “Saber-Off” launch… Read full post »

 Seriously, there is something in the water here in Nevada. I guess I’m fortunate that in my small gated community we’re on a private well. Whatever that something is it obviously drives men over fifty crazy. First there is the Luv Guv, Jim Gibbons, who  cheated on his wife, Daw… Read full post »

 The crowd was enthusiastic—the atmosphere nostalgic. Long time Elvis impersonator Pete Willcox took center stage at the Night Owl Showroom inside Hooters Casino on Tropicana Avenue last night and delivered The King—lock, stock and flowing scarves. The sixty-eight… Read full post »

John Bakie, Christine McKellar, El Segundo Sol Assistant GM, Michael Heid

With bragging rights to being the only “taco shack” on the Las Vegas Strip, El Segundo Sol® at the Fashion Show Mall i… Read full post »

  "Mom? I'm home!"

"Don't I look cute?"

"Can I have a treat now?"

"What do you  mean I have to sit and roll over?"

"Do I look like a trained seal to you????"

"L… Read full post »

 Sirdeaner L. Walker explained to AOL Black Voices: "It's about giving schools the tools they need: training staff, having lessons about respecting each other and peer motivation techniques."

It’s a sad day indeed when parents feel that the federal government should be brought in to teach… Read full post »

Ride em, cowgirl!

There's no better greeting for a media maiden like me than walking the gauntlet of twenty bull riding cowboys from all over these U-nited States of America.

Last night's pre Grand Opening party at Gilly’s inside of Treasure Island Hotel was a rodeo l… Read full post »

AOL News reported today that Russia has (high-handedly) temporarily suspended all adoptions to US families on the heels of the unsupervised return of a seven-year old boy by a Tennessee woman. The scandal revolves around the way the woman handled a situation that she felt was out of control; the chil… Read full post »

The Garden of the Gods at Caesar’s Palace was the perfect backdrop and a delectable opportunity for me to sample some of celebrated Pastry Chef Francois Payard’s dazzling, delicate and delicious pastry creations during a rare media preview Thursday,… Read full post »

2005 was an unusually wet year in Death Valley. Tourists and photographers had come from all over the world to record the sight of the desert in full bloom. I've never seen Death Valley so crowded. I really wanted to see the flowers so I drove with  my brother's ashes … Read full post »

Even though Governor Jim Gibbons was unable to attend two significant Las Vegas fundraiser events this week due to illness, his supporters were out not in full formal regalia (Friday night's black tie event at Southern Highlands Country Club) but in Levi's and T-shirts for Saturday night's spectacula… Read full post »

 The news link below brought to mind an op/ed piece  I wrote for the LV Mercury (now defunct) in October, 2004. While the name of the captive has changed, the motive remains the same. I hope and pray this young man comes home soon. And all in one piece. 

Click… Read full post »

Today's headline about people smuggling "tainted" honey from China into the US reminded me of my second ever post on OS last November (which I reposted at the bottom of this report)

"In 2001 and 2002, Chinese bee… Read full post »

 When I checked in at my club yesterday and wished the young man at the desk a Happy Easter he responded,” Yah?  That’s the most ridiculous holiday of the year.” If I hadn’t been running late for my tennis match I might have taken the time to enlighten this product o… Read full post »

 A trauma nurse friend of mine for over twenty years spoke about her job tonight. God knows what she has seen over the years that she’s never talked about. She loves her job. She just never goes into the gory details. She must have a heart and a spirit the size… Read full post »

Long before whole foods became a trend, then a way of life for some, I used sea salt, ate humus, and drank old-fashioned elixirs like vinegar, lemon and honey as an immune system booster: All compliments of my beloved and departed mother who was way, way ahead of her time.  

 Rita… Read full post »