Viva Las Vegas: Part I

We are counting this as our vacation for the year, though it was a quasi-vacation at best. Todd had to be in Vegas for two weeks running conventions so I came down for a week to hang out with Abby and to “keep Todd company”. I usually hate Las Vegas, but had I known the magical time I was to have last week, I would have spent the full two weeks down there enjoying sister time, romantic evenings with Todd, and eating out at really good places on the company’s dime (so to speak).

We stayed at the Venetian, which was a pretty sweet deal. Our room was on the 33rd floor over looking the pools (including the “European-optional-clothing-pool”) and Treasure Island hotel and casino (so we could see their new “show” each night… totally lame with scantily clad “sirens” singing “let’s go all the way!” to crowds of adults and children).

Here is the view of the pools: the “topless” pool is the one at the very top. We had binoculars (a must in Las Vegas) but we didn’t see anything untoward. You know the only people who would actually swim topless would be real Europeans who you would NOT want to see topless.



This is our swanky room:






It was fun. I fell in love with the bathroom. It was perfect. Todd and I mused about selling our home and moving into a hotel. It had everything we needed. It was big enough, too, with the nice couch and separate “bedroom” area. I figure to live at the Venetian it would break down like this:

For two people…
Room (daily rate): $200 – ish
Small breakfast: $26.00
Lunch: $50.00
Dinner: $80.00
Daily water supply: $12.00

Daily total: $368
Yearly total: $134,320

So we’re not going through with that plan; it’s like having a monthly mortgage of $11,000 (although utilities and upkeep are included). Las Vegas is expensive. Throughout the week I had become so conditioned to my $4.00 water bottles that by the time Abby and I went to the movies I was thinking I was getting a screaming deal with $7.00 popcorn.

Speaking of spending money… thank goodness for gift cards. I still had my Anthropologie gift card from Mom and Dad from Christmas, so I hauled myself out onto the strip (I felt so exposed after being safely cloistered in the Venetian!) and headed to the Forum shops at Caesar’s Palace. So many details to mention and so little attention span. Each moment was an adventure. I found a dress


and a shirt


and a necklace.


I wore my heels out walking up to the Miracle Mile Mall. The H&M sucks there (yes, it can people) and Urban Outfitters is in a three story space and all the clothes are on the third floor. It didn't stop me from buying a lovely, light, luscious, tissue thin cardigan (a sophisticated lady layers... even in the summer).

I am SO grateful for the illegal vendors who sell ice cold water on the bridges. Seriously. They saved my life a million times... well, two times. I love them. They are the smartest people in Las Vegas. And what a bargain! Bottles water for a dollar! "May you be invisible to the cops..."

Here's what Todd was doing all week:

There he is!

This whole week he and the crew had to wear black shirts and black pants. They looked like hair stylists. But it was SO strange to have Todd so close, but so far away. I would walk down and say "hi" sometimes and feel so guilty for walking away and going to the pool...

One of Vegas's LARGEST attractions that week was hanging out with Abby> and Caleb

(again while her husband James slaved away... Oh, the searing conscious of a woman of leisure...). We went swimming, we ate, we went to the movies, we went to Target, we went to get our nails done. Heaven except for the 104 degrees (the fact that people spit their gum out on the pavement in Las Vegas is unconscionable... do you know what that kind of heat does to gum?) Here we are being pampered...

(See that full sugar Dr.Pepper? I know... who does that? Oh yeah, Metabigail McCoy.) This is Abby from the side:

She actually looks normal here, but the size of her bump loosed the mouths of every sales clerk and stranger we encountered. "Oh my gosh, are you having twins!?" "When are you due?" Abby handled it with grace, and now she's got a darling little lady to show for it!>

More to come!