A little over eight years ago, my sweet husband and I left on our honeymoon to Las Vegas, NV. I had never been there before, so it was a new, delirious, and slightly overwhelming experience. I immediately fell in love with the excess of it all. For heaven's sake, where else can you go to see a castle, a pyramid, a volcano, and a lake full of pirates all in one spot? How do you not adore the fact that everyone from Liberace to Sinatra to Sigfried and Roy have taken a little piece of Vegas and made it theirs forever?
How can you not rejoice in the 24-hour buffets??Well, fast forward to 2009. Randy and I just spent a long weekend in Vegas to celebrate our anniversary. And let me tell you folks--Vegas has lost its mystery. We've been there a few times over the years, and each time I go it wears on me a little more. However, this trip did have some really really good moments, so without further ado, I present to you the highlights and lowlights of our whirlwind Vegas trip.
(I'll start with the worst so that we can end on a high note.)
THE WORST--
1--The usual: cigarette/cigar/marijuana smoke everywhere you go, the constant drinking and drunkards, and total disregard for the fact that some people prefer not to see pictures of boobs of all sizes, shapes, and colors on every possible flat surface on the strip. (Strip--an appropriate term, no?)
2--The buffet at the Flamingo. I know, I know, how can this come close to the ickiness of porn and cigarette smoke everywhere?! But you have to understand, it was highly disappointing. Even the desserts--THE DESSERTS!!--had no flavor. A word to the wise--go to the Luxor instead.
3--The broken window on the car and my waterlogged phone (I dropped it in the tub). That was a quick $400.
4--The $50 I lost on slots and roulette. Don't lecture me, ok? I had a feeling we would win big. Unfortunately, that feeling was hope, not intuition. But wow, I totally understand how you can get addicted to gaming. The rush of winning totally overpowers any rational instinct you may have.
5--Anthony Cools. He's a hypnotist we went to see. Only we didn't find out till mid-show that it was the R-rated version of his show. Yeah, he's funny. Yes, seeing people wear their underwear on the outside of their clothes is hilarious. However, the sexual suggestions and repeated use of the F-bomb made it hard to enjoy.
On the upside,
THE BEST--

1--My sweet husband Randy. He's had a hard time of it lately. Work and his business and finances have been stressing him out so much. So it was nice to take three whole days and just relax and spend them together. It was our first trip alone together since before Carter-man was born. Also, ever the one for surprises, he bought us two tickets to......

2--LOVE!! The Cirque du Soleil Beatles show!!! What a great guy, huh? He had promised to take me after I
graduated, but I didn't think we'd be able to afford the tickets and told him we could do other stuff instead. However, he knows how much I ADORE the Beatles, so he got them anyway and didn't tell me until we were wandering through the Mirage and he said, "Here. We need to stand here." I asked him why we were standing in a random line with a bunch of random people and he said, "Because it's the Will Call line. I promised I'd take you to see the Beatles." I love that man!
If you go to Vegas, GO TO THIS SHOW. It was indescribable and one of a kind. I'm not ashamed to say I cried--twice.

Me, right after the show.

Some random woman who jumped into my shot. I had to post it because it was hilarious.
3--Being in Vegas without the kiddos. Yes, I felt guilty...a little. But when the two kids in front of us on the sidewalk escalator by the Bellagio hit the emergency stop button and all of us just about tumbled to our deaths, I was really really glad I was not their parents and eternally grateful that my own kids were not there to learn that trick.
4--Mental. This is a really great little show at O'Shea's casino. The guy can read your mind. No seriously, trust me. It was amazing. Randy's still trying to figure it all out.
5--The wierd, fabulous stuff you see in Vegas that you can't find anywhere else. Did you know that Batman, Elvis, and Edward Cullen hang out together? Well they do. I know because the three of them passed us in a crosswalk on the strip. They were probably headed over to Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville to throw back a couple of shots together and dwell on their life experiences.
6--RELAXATION. Pure and simple. We slept in almost every morning and had nowhere to be and no one to see. That's the most sleep either one of us has gotten since about three years ago.
So all in all, despite the icky stuff, it was a pretty great trip. Happy Anniversary to us!