It's Las Vegas, so there's always plenty to see.
One of the first things I did was go watch college football from the sports book at the Excalibur, which is a unique experience. I'm used to being on one side or the other and rooting for a win or a loss. There, people are obviously more interested in the spread, so it was interesting to see who was cheering for who, and why.
The one thing I did most was walk. You can walk, and walk, and walk and still never get where you're going, even though you can reach out and touch the place you want to go. With all the walking there was lots of people watching. I saw one tastefully dressed person wearing K-State purple. I was not similarly dressed, but I did give him an EMAW as we passed one another. He replied in kind. This was not too long after the Cats beat Miami 52-13, so all was right with the world.
Many others chose to dress poorly, seemingly always wearing (or not wearing) things that do not flatter themselves or their body types. I'll let it go at that.
I also remember sitting in McCarran International Airport and looking out the windows. I saw mountains that really looked like the homeland. I know I've been away from the desert longer than I was a part of it as a kid, but it sure reminded me of the terrain in El Paso and seeing mountains as soon as I walked out the door. Kinda seemed like home.
Let's see-- what else am I missing here. Oh yeah, the casinos. I'd been to Sin City in 1998 or 99 with some different friends, and I was curious to see what all the gambling was about. So I tried some craps and some blackjack, and lost a minimal amount. But I'm older (wiser?) now, and I had zero interest in any gaming. None. May have something to do with being married to a financial planner, may have something to do with working hard enough for the money we do have. So we laid off the tables, except for the two bucks I lost on video poker. I kind of wanted to see my friend in action, since he's had his rooms comped by casino types because he's been there and done this. But no such luck.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Vegas I
A good friend from college got married in Las Vegas over the weekend, and the wife and I got home last night at about 11:45 PM after a three-day and two-night excursion to Sin City.
I'll try to break things down a little bit at a time by category and not chronologically over the next little while. First up-- the traveling itself.
First thing Saturday morning was 3 o'clock, and we left the house a little after 4:00, stopping at the fast food joint on the way out of town. We got our order in decently enough, but decided to punt after sitting in the same line, in the same place for ten minutes.
So we headed into Birmingham without breakfast, and no prospect of it. Our Delta flight left the gate on time but took off 30 minutes late, which didn't help us, since we had to catch a connecting flight. The original plan was to fly into Memphis and then head west, but then the plan changed (and so did our seating assignment, thanks) and we flew into Atlanta and followed a half-hour flight with a 3:47 trip across the country. The vibe on a plane headed for Vegas is upbeat, and there were lots of folks with energy to burn. Given when our day started, we weren't among them. No checked baggage, so we went from the gate to the cab line and off to Excalibur.
American Airlines flew us home, leaving McCarran International at 2:45 Monday. We flew into Dallas and then to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth at 10:40 PM. It was really weird walking into an airport that was basically closed. All the shops were shuttered for the night and there were very few people who weren't travelers. It seemed like a ghost town. We headed west on Interstate 20/59, driving home in just under an hour.
We would also like to take this time to thank the Department of Homeland Security, who is keeping our country safe. They're also keeping a half-empty bottle of the wife's shampoo in the name of national security. They even ran a test on her contact lens solution on the way out of town Saturday morning. The bottles weren't the required size, I realize, but come on.
Anyhow, more to follow, including people watching, the wedding, my friends, the scenery, and more.
I'll try to break things down a little bit at a time by category and not chronologically over the next little while. First up-- the traveling itself.
First thing Saturday morning was 3 o'clock, and we left the house a little after 4:00, stopping at the fast food joint on the way out of town. We got our order in decently enough, but decided to punt after sitting in the same line, in the same place for ten minutes.
So we headed into Birmingham without breakfast, and no prospect of it. Our Delta flight left the gate on time but took off 30 minutes late, which didn't help us, since we had to catch a connecting flight. The original plan was to fly into Memphis and then head west, but then the plan changed (and so did our seating assignment, thanks) and we flew into Atlanta and followed a half-hour flight with a 3:47 trip across the country. The vibe on a plane headed for Vegas is upbeat, and there were lots of folks with energy to burn. Given when our day started, we weren't among them. No checked baggage, so we went from the gate to the cab line and off to Excalibur.
American Airlines flew us home, leaving McCarran International at 2:45 Monday. We flew into Dallas and then to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth at 10:40 PM. It was really weird walking into an airport that was basically closed. All the shops were shuttered for the night and there were very few people who weren't travelers. It seemed like a ghost town. We headed west on Interstate 20/59, driving home in just under an hour.
We would also like to take this time to thank the Department of Homeland Security, who is keeping our country safe. They're also keeping a half-empty bottle of the wife's shampoo in the name of national security. They even ran a test on her contact lens solution on the way out of town Saturday morning. The bottles weren't the required size, I realize, but come on.
Anyhow, more to follow, including people watching, the wedding, my friends, the scenery, and more.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Conventions
I've spent the last week or so watching the political conventions. The Republicans last week, and the Democrats this week. The First Lady and I watched most of last week, and we're on track to do the same this week.
Most times, I tend to get too wound up in the political process, but right now I've found the conventions to be great fun. We pay little attention to what they say (it's been said over and over) and focus more on the entertainment value. How bad his (alleged) hair looked, crowd cutaways, and what so-and-so wore are all fair game for us. Sometimes we share it with each other, sometimes with our friends on Twitter. And the folks we follow on Twitter usually have nuggets to share. I've done pretty well so far, keeping things in perspective-- understanding that 99% of this is just theater.
As for the political parties, my leanings are a little more toward the Democratic side. That said, I know that most (all?) are bought, sold, and paid for. On both sides.
What disappoints and saddens me is the hate. People wishing that evil things happen to decent people just because someone disagrees. We can and should and must do better.
Most times, I tend to get too wound up in the political process, but right now I've found the conventions to be great fun. We pay little attention to what they say (it's been said over and over) and focus more on the entertainment value. How bad his (alleged) hair looked, crowd cutaways, and what so-and-so wore are all fair game for us. Sometimes we share it with each other, sometimes with our friends on Twitter. And the folks we follow on Twitter usually have nuggets to share. I've done pretty well so far, keeping things in perspective-- understanding that 99% of this is just theater.
As for the political parties, my leanings are a little more toward the Democratic side. That said, I know that most (all?) are bought, sold, and paid for. On both sides.
What disappoints and saddens me is the hate. People wishing that evil things happen to decent people just because someone disagrees. We can and should and must do better.
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