Weekend in Las Vegas, Part I

As I look back on my whirlwind weekend in Las Vegas, I have two all-encompassing thoughts.
1. That was the most relaxing fun time I've ever had in Sin City, and...
B. I am absolutely exhausted, but I wish I were still there.

Amy and I made plans -- and I'll recap them as I go along -- but we kept it flexible. As a result, we didn't do a lot of things we talked about doing. I wish the trip had been longer so I could have done them. On the other hand, it keeps me lookin' forward to the next trip! Woo hoo!!!

Friday, June 22

I'll start with the flights. My first leg to Atlanta was short and the plane was totally full. There were a bunch of big, burly, good-lookin' young men on the flight, which made me wonder if they were baseball players or something. They all seemed to know each other. The guy sitting next to me was one of 'em, and he sat down while sniffling, sneezing, coughing, and carrying on. After a minute of this, I turned to him and said, "Tell me those are allergies. OK? Just tell me that."

And he was surprised and said, "Oh, yeah! Of course! Allergies!" And then we laughed. They really *were* allergies. But dang, no one wants to sit next to the guy with a cold on a plane, y'know?

The flight to Atlanta was totally ordinary, and we landed a bit early. As I battled my way to the A concourse (had to take the train), my phone beeped -- I had voice mail. I was in a rush because my connecting flight was *fairly* soon, and I wanted a chance to have a cigarette before the long flight. Fortunately, as I checked my voice mail, I had one message from Amy and one message from Delta -- my second flight was delayed a bit. Woo hoo!!!! I had plenty of time to have a cigarette, go to the ladies' room, get situated and such.

The second flight... Well, I had my usual window seat -- I *need* to be able to see the earth -- and the guy sitting next to me was feeling crowded, I guess, because before the plane took off, he moved across the aisle to a more spacious seat. That was fine with me; I like to have my elbow room, too. I read my magazines (latest issue of Entertainment Weekly and the in-flight mag Sky) until the movie started. IPod earbuds work on planes! That was good, because I never remember to pack the $2 headphones I bought years ago. The movie was "Starter for 10," I think, and it was a very strange British movie. A college freshman in 1985 traverses the perils of university life. It was OK, it was just ... incomplete. Also, they bleeped out the cursewords.

About halfway across the country, we hit a storm system. That was probably the worst turbulence I've ever encountered, and it was not fun. But I didn't actually think we were gonna die.

Then I started getting hungry. We had already gotten a snack of crackers and Havarti cheese, with raisins and Oreo cookies. I got a Sprite Zero to drink because they only had regular Diet Coke. But I wanted more food. Then someone in front of me pulled out a sandwich. OMG. That thing smelled so good, I thought about climbing over the seatback and taking it away for myself. My mouth watered. Then they brought out the second round of snacks, and I got a tiny bag of Sun Chips with the Sprite Zero. I was licking the inside of the bag by the time they started taking away the trash. Sniffle. I was *hungry*.

When we started our descent to LV, the guy who had moved away came back to my row and placed himself in my lap so he could see The Strip. He was a newbie and had never been to LV before -- and then, as we conversed, it turned out he wasn't even staying in LV. He was gonna catch a plane to someplace *else*. And he was very unhappy about that. I think this one was part of a church group or something, but I have no idea where they were going after LV. He kept exclaiming over the sights as we landed, and I finally explained to him that The Strip is not as close as it appears. He flipped out about that. I think he just didn't believe me. He asked if there was a place to smoke in the airport, and I broke the bad news to him. Las Vegas has gone non-smoking. Then I told him, "But there are slot machines in the airport." And his eyes just about popped out of his head. ROFL!!!!!!

Soon we were off the plane, and fortunately, no one stopped in front of me on the moving sidewalks or escalators, because I think I would've run right over them if they had. I was *dying* to see Amy!!!

Strange thing happened on the monorail to the terminal -- a pair of brothers, a young kid, maybe 18, and a little kid, about 10, passed through the train, and then turned around, and the opposite doors closed before they got back to where they were supposed to be. They asked people around them where this train was going, and then they looked a little panicked. I don't know how that happens, but there it was -- it happened right in front of me. When the train stopped, they stayed on to go back to the concourses.

I got to Baggage Claim, and there Yamy was!!!! Skinny, but there!!!!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! We hugged, and then we clasped hands and skipped past Paul toward the door outside for a cigarette and some squealing. DANG! It was hot outside! We were next to the limousines, and it was HOT HOT HOT. I couldn't believe how hot it was, because the sun was down and I would've thought it would get cooler at night. But it wasn't much cooler at all!

Still laughing, we went to gather my suitcase, and because mine is so nondescript and boring, it went around three times before I finally said, "I think that one might be mine." Paul pulled it off the carousel and we laughed on our way to the parking garage, where I got my first glimpse of Paul's new hybrid Ford Escape. OooooooooooOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOo

oo!!!

It's gorgeous!

It's big!

And it hugs trees!!!!

That Ford Escape really is a beautiful machine, and I am terribly impressed.

In no time at all, we were headed toward Amy and Paul's house -- with commentary from the navigational system that is built right into the Escape -- and the moment I spied the red-and-yellow sideways diamond sign, I hollered, "FATBURGER!!!!!!! Yaaaaaaaaaayyyy!!!!!" And Amy and Paul laughed at me, but I think they probably secretly agreed with me.

I got a FatBurger and Fat Fries and a chocolate milkshake. Amy got a milkshake, too. Paul was *really* good and didn't get anything that night. (Amy and Paul are both losing weight on the NutriSystem plan. They both look fabulous.)

Soon we were at the house, and I tackled the meal right there in Amy's kitchen. Oh, y'all, Amy's house looks sooooo good!!!! It's just as clean as can be, and her art collection looks so good! And her little birds said hello, and -- oh, poor Leon! Leon the bulldog had been to doggie day care that day (he always goes to day care when the housekeepers come to clean the house). And he plays *so* hard, and he exhausts himself. So then I came along and totally wrecked his nap. He was so tired, but so excited to see me. What a good dog!

I didn't stay up late because we had so much to do on Saturday. Paul brought a fan to the guest bedroom -- yay! -- and Leon's bed came to the guest bedroom, too. Yay!!! I had a dog and a nice breeze, and all my luggage made it to Las Vegas, and I had had the rapture of a FatBurger meal and milkshake -- dang, this trip was off to a great start!!!