Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Viva Las Vegas

NOTE: This post was written about a week ago. I've been fighting with blogger to get the pictures up. So anyway... hope you enjoy.

That's right kids! I have returned from Sin City. I'm alive and well and only about $100 poorer (shut up... it's a word) than when i left. The whole time i was there i kept thinking... i have to blog about this. It was so AWESOME! So here goes.... CRAP!!!!! i totally forgot... you know what they say... What happens in Vegas Stays In Vegas (right Will?) Sorry... guess you'll have to settle for what happened last week.

So... Last Sunday the Republicans that control the NFL (this is a theory Will has and i find it amusing so i indulge him by going along with it) decided it was time for the long awaited Manning Bowl. That's right kids... Eli and the Giants versus Peyton and our Indianapolis Colts. Of course the verdict was what we all knew it would be... Colts win.... take that little brother!!! It was a really good game and it was made extra fun because the Quitter, her hubby, and Zoe came over and we watched it together.

In other big news... Oscar graduated from doggy training!!!!! YEA OSCAR!!! It was pretty cool. He even got a diploma and I got a magnetic bumper sticker that says "My dog graduated the novice class at First Friends K-9." How cute is that?!?! Here's a picture of Oscar with hottie trainer Uncle Bruce and assistant Meg.


So... did you guys really think i wasn't gonna talk about Vegas.... DUH!!!! So i get to Vegas and hop on a shuttle to my hotel, the Luxor. It's far to early to check in so I check my bags and the bell desk and head off to win some money. I started by just making a lap around the casino, checking things out. There were all kinds of flashing lights, loud noise, screaming people... it was like having ADHD and then taking speed! So, as i'm meandering i come across the poker room. Never in my wildest dreams would i have thought... hmm... i should play poker in Vegas. But then i saw this sign that said "Free poker lesson at 2pm" I figured, hey that's a good way to kill some time until i can check in. So i wonder over to Mandalay Bay to kill the half hour until the lesson. Again... ADHD and Speed!


We got settled in and changed and headed over to the MGM Grand for dinner and a show.We had dinner here which was amazing. I had Penne pasta with Black Truffle Prosciutto, Peas, and Parmigiano. FANTASTIC!!! I considered licking my bowl when i was done, but decided it might be frowned upon. After dinner we headed to the Cirque Du Soleil theater to see KA. (Note to all of you CSI watchers... The season premier is tomorrow and the team is going to be at KA... super cool!) I've only seen one other Cirque du Soleil show. La Nouba in Orlando was very circus like, it was almost like a series of circus acts. KA on the other hand is more of a story set to music. There's no dialog, but a very clear story. I could probably write about this show forever. The performers were incredible. The set was nothing short of UNBELIEVABLE. It was on some kind of hydrolic thing that basically lifted the floor of the stage, spun it 90 degrees and then flipped it vertical so that the performers were actually climbing the stage. It's impossible to describe with words, but it was amazing.

By the end of the show I was freezing and we were both kinda tired because of the time change and dehydration due to the inabiltiy to take water on planes now. (P.S. apparently lip gloss is illegal, but not lip stick. And the best thing... News flash.... the Tide Pen To Go is now considered a deadly weapon of mass destruction and cannot be take onto a plane. AWESOME!!) So we decided to call it a night.

Saturday was time to shop! We went to the outlets and while i could have been REALLY bad, i was only a little bad. There was a Coach outlet people! And i didn't buy anything!!!! I deserve a medal. (The Quitter right at this moment is formulating a comment that says something to the effect of... MEDAL?? you should be thrown in PRISON. Not buying Coach on sale is a crime against humanity! You should be punished for you sins!!!!) I did find a cute pair of black sandels with just a little bit of heel at Rack Room shoes for $20. Score!!! But the big find of the day was at the Movado store. Oh how I heart Movado... especially discounted Movado. So to make a long story short... i left with a new Movado watch... oh... did i mention that it was 70% off. 70% PEOPLE!!! I used to sell Movado's and didn't get that kind of discount!!!! After a looooong day of shopping we were ready for dinner and a night out!!!

We had dinner in the New York New York Hotel at Gallaghers Steakhouse. I, of course, had the Filet Mignon and it was oh so yum! I love me some dead cow!! After dinner we started the quest for a club. After seeing a couple ridiculous lines and realizing that my feet felt like they were bleeding from walking EVERYWHERE in my newly acquired shoes, we found Light at the Bellagio. It was a blast!! Probably the best dance DJ i have heard in a really long time maybe ever (then again i haven't been out dancing in a really long time... so ... oh well) We had an incredible time. My feet continued to kill me, but how can you sit down when they are playing Britney?!?!?! We eventually left and after having a conversation with 3 other girls in the elevator about how unfair it was that we have to go through so much pain for our look and guys don't, i surrended to their solution of taking the shoes off and walking bare foot through the casino.

The next day was a little calmer. PSU boy wasn't feeling too hot so we decided to take it easy. We slept in late and then headed over to Mandalay Bay to check out the Shark Reef. It doesn't give a lot of info on that page, but if i remember correctly it was over 2000 animals and over 1.3 million gallons! They also had a touch pool where i got to poke... i mean pet... a sting ray! Slimely little buggers!
Later that night we headed over to Caesar's Palace, home of Pure, which is home to the Pussycat Dolls. We first went to have dinner at Hyakumi. It was a great Japanese restaurant where they did Teppan Yaki style cooking. OH SO GOOD!!!! (If the Narrator is reading this... I had shrimp and lobster and liked them both! yea!!) We walked back across the street to watch the fountains at the Bellagio.

Then it was off to stand in line for an amount of time that i am FAAAAAR too embarrassed to admit (it was longer than Disney lines) in hopes of getting into Pure.

That pretty much wrapped up the night. We did manage to lose a bit more money in the slots before heading to bed. The next day PSU boy caught a waaaaay to early flight while i slept in. My flight left in the afternoon and stopped over in Phoenix (my favorite airport... YACK!!!). I did get to snag some California Pizza Kitchen (sorry Will) before catching my next flight. The 3 hour flight back to home blessed me with a baby in front of me and a 2 year old in a car seat behind me whose legs were just long enough that everytime he moved he kicked the back of my seat. AWESOME!!! Did i mention the screaming ... because there was definate screaming. Also, tried to watch the 3rd of the X-men movies (our in flight entertainment) and the screen in my area started as dull in color and progressed to no picture at all by the end of the movie. Stupid US Airways!!! Oh well... i went to Vegas, lost money, ate awesome food, hung out with a great friend, saw the Pussycat Dolls, poked a sting ray, danced my ass (and feet) off, saw an incredible show, and did I mention the part about getting a Movado?

Ok... if you've survived the longest post with the most links in the history of the world... you get a prize!!!! Pics of the Pussycat Dolls. If you're offended by the Pussycat Dolls... your prize is you get to stop reading right now!

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!