Q: Second visit to Scottsdale -- second visit to Pasta Brioni. First time was great. This time -- "eh". Ordered the mussels in a tomato broth (this was very good). Husband said his chicken parm was just okay; friend's spaghetti and meatballs same thing -- just okay. My salmon was a bit on the fishy side and I was uber thirsty the entire night. Actually had to get up out of bed for water during the night. Seemed pricey for what we got ($40/per person) - with 1 drink each. Probably won't go back. Have since heard that ownership has changed and really -- it wasn't worth the drive from Surprise. Sorry.

A: negative

Q: As south on the Strip as you can get sits this gorgeous golden high-rise. I'm tempted to say I'd rather be more centrally located on my next Vegas visit, but I don't know. I really enjoyed Mandalay Bay! The rooms are pretty swanky, in addition to being very spacious and comfortable, though our romantic bath for two did turn into a comedy of errors in the way-smaller-than-it seems bathtub. It really is far from everything. There is a tram that takes you to Excalibur and the taxi line moves along quickly, but if you plan on spending a lot of time on the strip, walking will be a pain in the ass. Blisters, blisters everywhere! They have an entire beach situation going on complete with sand, a wave pool, lazy river, etc. We spent an entire morning cruising around the lazy river in some inner tubes. It gets pretty packed, so come before 11 for some solitude and relaxation. There are many dining options, but the one you should go to is Border Grill! Like, every night. Don't even bother with the other ones. Oh and I had a delicious pasta from my first ever room service experience! In all honesty, we ended up staying here because it was the only place under $400/night we could book a week in advance of a holiday weekend. And I want to think I'd want to be more central next time, but in reality I'd be whining about Border Grill and the lazy river all weekend.

A: positive

Q: I can't say enough good things about Dr. Bowers and the staff at Johnson Ranch Animal Clinic. My beloved Ginger got sick and ultimately had to be put to sleep last week. Everyone was so wonderful to me and to Ginger. You can see that threy truly care about the animals. One of the vet techs even gave her a kiss on the head after completing her IV. As hard as this was for me, they all really made it as bearable as possible with such excellent care of me and my dog.

A: positive

Q: New location! I am happy that they finally got one closer to where I am at. I had visited the one located at Westgate a few times and loved it. Now I have one close to where I am at and it will definitely be a new stop for lunch for me.

A:
positive