What happens in Vegas…
I recently returned from Las Vegas — and I can tell you everything that happened while I was there. My brother says this is a sure sign that I did Las Vegas all wrong. I think his actual words (while laughing at me) were: “You’re a Vegas Virgin.”
But let me set the record straight. My husband and I travelled there for our first vacation together (sans kids) in over two years. Leaving Denver, we had visions in our heads of late nights, fancy meals, a few extra cocktails, sleeping in (but not so late that we’d miss the breakfast buffet), seeing a few shows, and maybe doing something a little wild and crazy. After all, we’re still hip, right?
Unfortunately, we set our sights a little too high. Being on a budget, we picked a hotel that was not in the heart of the Las Vegas strip. I mean, the address said it was on the strip — but this thing was past Circus Circus and the Stratosphere, for anyone who knows the area. For those who don’t, let’s just say we became very familiar with the bus driver during our stay. That is to say that I think I spent more time on bus trips than I did in all my years in grade school. Did I mention that it poured rain for two of the four days I was there (FYI — Las Vegas gets only about 10 rainy days per year)? This meant I had to stand at the bus stop (no umbrella, no jacket) in the pouring rain, while I could feel my naturally curly mane frizz out and give a new meaning to the phrase “bad hair day.” Our hotel had no restaurant (so much for breakfast buffet), no bar, and no in-room movie rental service.
Plus, my husband and I don’t even gamble. What’s there to do on a rainy day in Vegas if you don’t gamble and are on a budget (ie: no shopping)? Well, I’ll tell you what: have a melt down! All of the sudden, both of us started wondering if we were even capable of vacationing together without kids. Some vacation.
It was about that time that I remembered that we had forgotten to have an attitude of gratitude. After all, our good friends had treated us to see “O” (Cirque du Soleil) and to a very fancy dinner while there. I had gotten all gussied up and had my makeup done one night. In addition to “O”, we saw Mystere and Ka too. So, this story has a happy ending — we salvaged the vacation and even decided that we might like to go back some day. Next time, though, we’re staying on the REAL strip.
One observation I had about Vegas (and the real reason I’m writing this blog) is to say that breasts are everywhere in Vegas – peering out of dresses, popping out on billboards, pressing us against poles (in advertisements everywhere)! And amazingly, I didn’t hear one person complaining. There was no news story about how many breasts could be seen, nobody got kicked out of a restaurant, and nobody seemed uncomfortable. Isn’t it crazy how breasts are acceptable if they are sexy, but unacceptable if they’re used for their REAL purpose — feeding our babies!!
Until next time…