2017--Las Vegas
Day One---Monday, November 27, 2017
I don’t know that we have ever gotten up this early for a trip. I was up at 2:40 AM. That is 2 hours and 40 minutes after I normally go to bed. I figured if I went to bed at 10 PM, and with having the last several days off I was completely caught up on sleep, I could operate with just 4 hours and change. A cup of coffee once we landed, a nap on the plane, and a nap at the hotel and I could get by.
And, it pretty much worked. Of course nothing ever goes exactly as planned. I was after 10:30 before I crawled into bed on Sunday. We could not find Margo’s neck pillow. With all of the moving and packing and unpacking we have no idea where it ended up. We ended up going to Walmart and getting another one.
And, it pretty much worked. Of course nothing ever goes exactly as planned. I was after 10:30 before I crawled into bed on Sunday. We could not find Margo’s neck pillow. With all of the moving and packing and unpacking we have no idea where it ended up. We ended up going to Walmart and getting another one.
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It is just Margo and I on this trip. We could have found a way to take Jackie, and we plan to on our subsequent trips, but this trip was A) All about Margo and B) We needed a break from Jackie. She is not bad or horrible or anything. She is just always there. It is like having an odd 10 year old. She never “goes out to play”, so unless we are at work she is always there. We can’t have any frank discussions, unless we talk in code, and we can’t talk about her and our concerns and plans. So a few days with just the two of us should be a real tonic.
We left home about 3:20 AM, dropped out car off at USAirport Parking, which happens to be right beside where I work now. The drive was about 20 minutes and it took that long because we seemed to hit every light, even at this godawful hour. I was surprised at how many people were traveling this early. The airport was busy and there were about 20 people ahead of us in line at the TSA Precheck line. I am still happy with that $100 purchase. No undressing, I even got to leave my jacket on. All my electronics got to stay in my carry on. I emptied my pockets, ran my bag and pocket stuff through the x-ray machine, I stepped through the metal detector and I was done. The flight was uneventful. A few bumps climbing out of Denver and few landing in Las Vegas. I was able to get sleep, just as I had hoped. Margo said she could not get into a comfortable spot to sleep. We did not check any bags, so after a bathroom break we headed straight to the Ground Transportation area and hopped on the bus that takes us to the offsite car rental place. We ended up with a blue Honda Ascent. It’s under powered, but it gets the job done. |
The lights of Lss Vegas
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I texted Aunt Prim at about 7:30 to let her know we were on our way. I was going to be about an hour drive and fully expected Margo to turn the car over to me, once we cleared the Rental Car Terminal. It was in her name and rental car companies will charge extra if there is a second driver. Like that costs them anything. Especially if we decline insurance. Anyway, there is a Starbucks in the Rental Car terminal, so we both grabbed coffee. Between my nap and the coffee, I was fine. Margo was good, too. So I did not argue as we made our way out of town.
We arrived at Aunt Prim and Uncle Donnie’s at about 8:30 AM. We expected to go out to one of the casinos, like last time. But, Aunt Prim did not want to waste valuable visiting time doing that, so she cooked us breakfast. We had bacon, sausage, crepes, peaches, grapes, scrambled eggs and biscuits. It was all very good. Tim and Misty game over for the meal as well.
We had a very nice time catching up and listening to Tim and Misty tell us about the issues they have been having with their RV. It sounds like it has been a nightmare, filled with things at production, done wrong, left out, or done slipshod. Getting them fixed has been the big issue, as all of this is warranty work, and requires both the permission of the vendor and getting the parts from them, too. A third party, Camping World, is doing the work and is the middleman, also gets paid less for this warranty work, so they don’t get in a hurry.
Luckily, Margo and I have long since gotten over our desire to own an RV, let alone us it as a residence. Margo has an Aunt who also does this, but they also relocate twice a year between Texas and South Dakota. I still don’t think I could ever do it, even for that reason. We both like a permanent place to call home. Plus you tie up so much money in one, and it depreciates in value, rather than going up. The one they have is very nice and it’s spacious. So, it is not uncomfortable to live in. It is more like feeling like a nomad, I guess.
Somehow in our talks, the subject of KFC came up. I think a doctor told Tim and Misty that KFC was akin to poison and you would be better off eating McDonald’s morning, noon, and night. But, it sounded good to Aunt Prim (Yeah for Aunt Prim!), so she went out and got some for lunch. Margo went with her so Uncle Donnie and I visited for that time.
Personally, I love KFC and so does Margo, so we had a nice lunch. Tim and Misty were meeting with someone who was going to fix a valve on their RV, so they had to leave. During lunch, and then after, we spent our time talking about the 2019 cruise we are all planning to take. They are up for about anything. The only thing we decided on that seems to be firm is that we are taking a Disney cruise, and it will probably be a 7 day one. With those parameters we are almost certainly going to be in the Caribbean somewhere. Time to start that research
We left Uncle Donnie and Aunt Prim’s around 3 PM, with full tummies and warm thoughts from the visit. We were glad we had come out and wished we could have stayed longer. We talked about maybe coming out and doing a six hour road trip to LA to visit Sister Stephanie. I like the idea, but I don’t know where or how we will work it in. It always boils down to time and money, and now Jackie, too. It will work out.
We arrived at the Stratosphere at 4:15ish. I upgraded our room to a higher floor with a view. It was probably not the best way to spend money, as our plan was not to spend a lot of time in our room. But the view of The Strip is electric, and I wanted to enjoy this trip as much as possible.
I was dog tired and my plan was to take a nap. Margo was with me in spirt, but could not get comfortable, so she gave up and went downstairs to gamble. She left me a note, but I heard her up and I figured she would not just look out the window with all those slots calling her name. The nap did me a lot of good. I was up at 6:20 and it was time to start the Las Vegas part of our trip.
Our plan for the rest of the evening was to go to Downtown Las Vegas, tour the Mob Museum, and then wander about Fremont Street until we were tired. We parked at The California. It is probably the cheapest lot without validation. It would cost us $5 for the evening, is covered, and easy to get to.
We parked and then walked to the Mob Museum. I was worried that is was going to be in a bad part of town. I had checked the internet and all indications were that we would be fine. We were. It was a two block walk, was well lit, and there were no shady characters. Not a crackhead, prostitute, or politician to be seen.
The Mob Museum is housed in an old courthouse/post office and is on the National Register of Historic Places. One of the Kefauver Committee Hearings on Organized Crime was held in this very building back in 1950. We learned that later in the tour. I really liked the Mob Museum and I want to go back.
We paid our money and after a lady took several mug shots of us, were put on an elevator going to the 3rd floor. You start there and work your way back down to the ground. One of the very first things we saw was the actual wall in which the victims of the St Valentine’s Day Massacre were killed against.
We arrived at Aunt Prim and Uncle Donnie’s at about 8:30 AM. We expected to go out to one of the casinos, like last time. But, Aunt Prim did not want to waste valuable visiting time doing that, so she cooked us breakfast. We had bacon, sausage, crepes, peaches, grapes, scrambled eggs and biscuits. It was all very good. Tim and Misty game over for the meal as well.
We had a very nice time catching up and listening to Tim and Misty tell us about the issues they have been having with their RV. It sounds like it has been a nightmare, filled with things at production, done wrong, left out, or done slipshod. Getting them fixed has been the big issue, as all of this is warranty work, and requires both the permission of the vendor and getting the parts from them, too. A third party, Camping World, is doing the work and is the middleman, also gets paid less for this warranty work, so they don’t get in a hurry.
Luckily, Margo and I have long since gotten over our desire to own an RV, let alone us it as a residence. Margo has an Aunt who also does this, but they also relocate twice a year between Texas and South Dakota. I still don’t think I could ever do it, even for that reason. We both like a permanent place to call home. Plus you tie up so much money in one, and it depreciates in value, rather than going up. The one they have is very nice and it’s spacious. So, it is not uncomfortable to live in. It is more like feeling like a nomad, I guess.
Somehow in our talks, the subject of KFC came up. I think a doctor told Tim and Misty that KFC was akin to poison and you would be better off eating McDonald’s morning, noon, and night. But, it sounded good to Aunt Prim (Yeah for Aunt Prim!), so she went out and got some for lunch. Margo went with her so Uncle Donnie and I visited for that time.
Personally, I love KFC and so does Margo, so we had a nice lunch. Tim and Misty were meeting with someone who was going to fix a valve on their RV, so they had to leave. During lunch, and then after, we spent our time talking about the 2019 cruise we are all planning to take. They are up for about anything. The only thing we decided on that seems to be firm is that we are taking a Disney cruise, and it will probably be a 7 day one. With those parameters we are almost certainly going to be in the Caribbean somewhere. Time to start that research
We left Uncle Donnie and Aunt Prim’s around 3 PM, with full tummies and warm thoughts from the visit. We were glad we had come out and wished we could have stayed longer. We talked about maybe coming out and doing a six hour road trip to LA to visit Sister Stephanie. I like the idea, but I don’t know where or how we will work it in. It always boils down to time and money, and now Jackie, too. It will work out.
We arrived at the Stratosphere at 4:15ish. I upgraded our room to a higher floor with a view. It was probably not the best way to spend money, as our plan was not to spend a lot of time in our room. But the view of The Strip is electric, and I wanted to enjoy this trip as much as possible.
I was dog tired and my plan was to take a nap. Margo was with me in spirt, but could not get comfortable, so she gave up and went downstairs to gamble. She left me a note, but I heard her up and I figured she would not just look out the window with all those slots calling her name. The nap did me a lot of good. I was up at 6:20 and it was time to start the Las Vegas part of our trip.
Our plan for the rest of the evening was to go to Downtown Las Vegas, tour the Mob Museum, and then wander about Fremont Street until we were tired. We parked at The California. It is probably the cheapest lot without validation. It would cost us $5 for the evening, is covered, and easy to get to.
We parked and then walked to the Mob Museum. I was worried that is was going to be in a bad part of town. I had checked the internet and all indications were that we would be fine. We were. It was a two block walk, was well lit, and there were no shady characters. Not a crackhead, prostitute, or politician to be seen.
The Mob Museum is housed in an old courthouse/post office and is on the National Register of Historic Places. One of the Kefauver Committee Hearings on Organized Crime was held in this very building back in 1950. We learned that later in the tour. I really liked the Mob Museum and I want to go back.
We paid our money and after a lady took several mug shots of us, were put on an elevator going to the 3rd floor. You start there and work your way back down to the ground. One of the very first things we saw was the actual wall in which the victims of the St Valentine’s Day Massacre were killed against.
Our first Mugshot. She told us to look unhappy.
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This one she told us to show that the other guy did it
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Now we were supposed to look like we got a good lawyer
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I don't recall what we were trying to show this time, but we look happy
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The museum covers the Mob from all over the US, even mentioning the Smaldones from Denver. The St Valentine’s Day Massacre happened in Chicago in 1929 and is widely thought to have been carried out on orders from Al Capone. On that Feb 14th morning seven men were in a garage in Chicago. Several men dressed as police officers entered the building. The men in the garage were ordered to face the wall. Thinking they were about to be arrested they complied. The men dressed as cops them began to shoot them in the back with pistols, a shotgun and Tommy guns. The wall they faced, or at least most of what remains in a group is the museum.
It had an interesting journey getting there. The garage was being torn down in 1967. A businessman from Vancouver, George Patey, bought it and had it shipped to Canada. The man displayed it at various events and eventually put it the men’s room of his club, The Banjo Palace. He put Plexiglas in front of it, and used it as the urinal. When the club failed he tried to sell the wall brick by brick. This was pre E-bay, so he did not sell a great many. He died and the wall went to his niece. She just wanted to be free of it, and sold it to the Mob Museum for a reported $300,000. We took our pictures in front of it.
It had an interesting journey getting there. The garage was being torn down in 1967. A businessman from Vancouver, George Patey, bought it and had it shipped to Canada. The man displayed it at various events and eventually put it the men’s room of his club, The Banjo Palace. He put Plexiglas in front of it, and used it as the urinal. When the club failed he tried to sell the wall brick by brick. This was pre E-bay, so he did not sell a great many. He died and the wall went to his niece. She just wanted to be free of it, and sold it to the Mob Museum for a reported $300,000. We took our pictures in front of it.
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The museum had a lot nice displays, including a mock of the New York City electric chair. I sat in it. It was kind of weird. The display with the chair was called “The Richest Men Ever Executed”. It talked about some high ranking Mafioso who were tired, convicted and then executed at Sing Sing Prison in New York. I’m going to have to some reading on a lot of what I saw, as it really sparked some interest.
We kind of cut the museum short as we were both hungry. Margo also doesn’t have as much enthusiasm for this sort of thing. She is interested, but not to my extent. We wanted to view the mug shots they took at the beginning, as well. But, that part of the museum was shut down. We left about 8:30ish, but I could have easily spent another hour. We made ourselves two promises; to go back tomorrow to see our pics, and to return one day and spend more time.
We kind of cut the museum short as we were both hungry. Margo also doesn’t have as much enthusiasm for this sort of thing. She is interested, but not to my extent. We wanted to view the mug shots they took at the beginning, as well. But, that part of the museum was shut down. We left about 8:30ish, but I could have easily spent another hour. We made ourselves two promises; to go back tomorrow to see our pics, and to return one day and spend more time.
Me and Ole' Sparky
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Exploited much!
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We walked two blocks to Fremont Street and went into the Fremont Casino and had our late dinner at their buffet. It was decent. Good, but not great. Then it was time to hit the slot machines. Since were already in a casino we gambled at The Fremont. I did OK, coming out a few bucks ahead. Margo was having little luck, so we left and went to Binions. No luck at Binions or at the Golden Nugget.
I enjoyed Fremont Street much more than I did the slot machines. I kept ducking out of the casinos, at the top each hour to see the shoe above Fremont Street, but we missed the (PM show because we were eating and the midnight show because we were leaving. The shows were new, but I did not recognize any of the songs. They must be from newer artists who I don’t follow.
The people watching and the street vendors were more entertaining than the light show. There were a couple of topless women, with painted on tops, who you could take pictures with. One tipped the scales well over 200 lbs., and the other was height-weight proportional. I never really got close enough to get a good look to see how the artists did with their paint work. Oddly there were no super heroes this time. Last year we saw Batman, Ironman, Captain America, and many other characters. This time just the R rated types.
We gave up right before midnight, found our car, and drove back to the Stratosphere. We valet parked this time. Margo was hungry, so we went to Roxy’s, their all night diner. I had a mild shake and fries
Margo was far from ready to quit, but I gave up about 1:15 AM and went to bed. I think Margo was an hour behind me. Long day, but we enjoyed it.
I enjoyed Fremont Street much more than I did the slot machines. I kept ducking out of the casinos, at the top each hour to see the shoe above Fremont Street, but we missed the (PM show because we were eating and the midnight show because we were leaving. The shows were new, but I did not recognize any of the songs. They must be from newer artists who I don’t follow.
The people watching and the street vendors were more entertaining than the light show. There were a couple of topless women, with painted on tops, who you could take pictures with. One tipped the scales well over 200 lbs., and the other was height-weight proportional. I never really got close enough to get a good look to see how the artists did with their paint work. Oddly there were no super heroes this time. Last year we saw Batman, Ironman, Captain America, and many other characters. This time just the R rated types.
We gave up right before midnight, found our car, and drove back to the Stratosphere. We valet parked this time. Margo was hungry, so we went to Roxy’s, their all night diner. I had a mild shake and fries
Margo was far from ready to quit, but I gave up about 1:15 AM and went to bed. I think Margo was an hour behind me. Long day, but we enjoyed it.
Day Two--Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Margo was up and down all night with acid reflux. That late night dinner came back to haunt her. She was up at least once during the night to go down to the all night store by the elevator (Essentials) to get Tums. When that didn’t help she just skipped sleep and went downstairs to start contributing to the Las Vegas economy. I think she was gone around 7 AM. I didn’t have any trouble sleeping, as I had still been wiped out, so I didn’t get up until 8:30.
We had breakfast at Roxy’s, which was so memorable that I completely forgot what I had. Margo remembered being unimpressed, so we didn’t eat there again. I think her bad night might have prejudiced her a bit. It didn’t much matter to me where we eat. Margo and I share similar tastes, so whatever she picks I will find something.
Now that we were fueled up and ready to go, it was off to the Mob Museum to get our pictures. There is parking by the museum, for $7. I didn’t want to pay that much to park AND then pay more for souvenirs. When we pulled in, the attendant asked if we were going to the museum. I told him, “Yes, but just to pick up some pictures” He let us park for free. Score! That was nice of him and we ended spending more than the $7 above the cost of the pictures. We really liked the pictures, so we bought all four. I also bought a magnet for Mary, at work, and a fedora for Margo. It would come in handy at our next stop.
We had breakfast at Roxy’s, which was so memorable that I completely forgot what I had. Margo remembered being unimpressed, so we didn’t eat there again. I think her bad night might have prejudiced her a bit. It didn’t much matter to me where we eat. Margo and I share similar tastes, so whatever she picks I will find something.
Now that we were fueled up and ready to go, it was off to the Mob Museum to get our pictures. There is parking by the museum, for $7. I didn’t want to pay that much to park AND then pay more for souvenirs. When we pulled in, the attendant asked if we were going to the museum. I told him, “Yes, but just to pick up some pictures” He let us park for free. Score! That was nice of him and we ended spending more than the $7 above the cost of the pictures. We really liked the pictures, so we bought all four. I also bought a magnet for Mary, at work, and a fedora for Margo. It would come in handy at our next stop.
Our plan for the day was to spend most of it at the Venetian, on The Strip. Why the Venetian? They still have free parking and the have Minus 5. First my soapbox rant about parking. The corporation has made the decision to start charging for parking ($12 per day, even for guests) at all of their properties. It includes some of the most well-known casinos; The MGM Grand, New York-New York, Luxor, Excalibur, and others. Last year when we went to the MGM Grand I knew about it in advance, but just decided to pay it. But, it ended up bothering me. They already charge a mandatory resort fee (all of the big hotel/casinos do, which is another topic), and now add on Parking. I just decided to not patronize a casino that charges for parking. My line in the sand.
Not that I have wasted a paragraph, the other reason why I wanted to take Margo to the Venetian was a bar called Minus 5. This theme of the bar is that it is kept at minus 5 Celsius (22 F) in order to preserve all of the furnishings, walls, bar, and glasses, which are all made of ice. It seemed to be something novel and certainly something we had not done before.
When we went to the Mob Museum they are affiliated with Minus 5 in some manner, as they offered a combination admission ticket. Purchased separate admission would have been about $50 for the two, per person. Purchased together is was $31 per person. Still not exactly cheap, but at least reasonable.
The experience was just OK. Everything was as advertised, but it was small. The whole place was probably 25 x 25. There were a few ice partitions ice chairs (including an ice electric chair, carrying on the Mob theme), ice bar, ice surfboard with wave, ice pictures, and of course ice drinking glasses. Margo had a Margarita and I had a Mud Slide. Again, good, not great. We were the only two people there, plus the bar tender and a photographer, who was finishing up someone else who had just taken pictures.
They lend you a parka, give you a pair of gloves, and turn you loose to wander. That takes all of ten minutes. Getting a drink and finishing it might add another ten. You would think the photographer could make it fun. She tried, the first time. But, when she screwed up the camera and none of the pictures turned out, she retook them, but really rushed us through.
I had brought a Russian ushanka (fur hat) and Margo had her pick fedora from the Mob Museum, so we thought they would be good for the pics. Margo had bought some candy cigarettes, so we tried “smoking” them for the pictures. In one I was about to adjust it, when she snapped the picture. I think I look like I am lighting it. Jessi said it looks like I have a sucker in my mouth. So much for looking tough. The whole thing probably would have been better with more people and a bigger area. I don’t know that we would do it again.
Not that I have wasted a paragraph, the other reason why I wanted to take Margo to the Venetian was a bar called Minus 5. This theme of the bar is that it is kept at minus 5 Celsius (22 F) in order to preserve all of the furnishings, walls, bar, and glasses, which are all made of ice. It seemed to be something novel and certainly something we had not done before.
When we went to the Mob Museum they are affiliated with Minus 5 in some manner, as they offered a combination admission ticket. Purchased separate admission would have been about $50 for the two, per person. Purchased together is was $31 per person. Still not exactly cheap, but at least reasonable.
The experience was just OK. Everything was as advertised, but it was small. The whole place was probably 25 x 25. There were a few ice partitions ice chairs (including an ice electric chair, carrying on the Mob theme), ice bar, ice surfboard with wave, ice pictures, and of course ice drinking glasses. Margo had a Margarita and I had a Mud Slide. Again, good, not great. We were the only two people there, plus the bar tender and a photographer, who was finishing up someone else who had just taken pictures.
They lend you a parka, give you a pair of gloves, and turn you loose to wander. That takes all of ten minutes. Getting a drink and finishing it might add another ten. You would think the photographer could make it fun. She tried, the first time. But, when she screwed up the camera and none of the pictures turned out, she retook them, but really rushed us through.
I had brought a Russian ushanka (fur hat) and Margo had her pick fedora from the Mob Museum, so we thought they would be good for the pics. Margo had bought some candy cigarettes, so we tried “smoking” them for the pictures. In one I was about to adjust it, when she snapped the picture. I think I look like I am lighting it. Jessi said it looks like I have a sucker in my mouth. So much for looking tough. The whole thing probably would have been better with more people and a bigger area. I don’t know that we would do it again.
Sittining in the ice electric chair, smoking a candy cigarette.
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Trying to look like a Russian gangster
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It was Margo's birthday trip after all
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We are on an ice surfboard, with an ice wave around us. So I am trying to surf
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Afterwards we had lunch at Johnny Rockets. We spent forever wandering around the Venetian’s shops trying to find anything. It was just so big. We gambled at the Venetian until about 5 PM. I left up a few dollars for the day. Margo was down and wanted to move on to change her luck.
I was tired, so after only about half an hour or so, I told Margo I was going to take a nap. We were seeing a show at 9 PM and I didn’t want to fade out. I got in about 45 minutes of sack time and had just woke up when Margo texted me. She had just hit a $200 jackpot, so I went down to see, and then do dinner. She did not want to go back to the Roxy. I reminded her that the Stratosphere had a buffet. It is not like the old days where you would pay $5-$10. It think it was $16 per person. But, the food was good enough and we both left full. I had really not been than hungry. I think I only had a big salad and then Bananas’ Foster. I googled it at the table and discovered it was invented in New Orleans and was named after a local gangster. The theme continues. Then it was back to slots. I hit one machine for $100, but by the end of the night I had given it all back and then some. We lined up at 8:30 for the World’s Greatest Rock Show. This is a tribute show, meaning that they had bands who pretended to be some famous band. They would dress like them, play their music, and act like them on stage. They were playing the music I listened to in high school so it was looking forward to it. |
At the Venitian
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There were five different acts and they played 4-5 songs each. The bands were Van Halen, Heart, Journey, Meatloaf, and the finale was Kiss. If you know anything about Kiss, you can imagine the costumes. They all did a great job and had the smallish crowd (it was the Tuesday after Thanksgiving) rockin’. The guy on lead guitar for Van Halen and Heart could really tear it up. They might have been as good as the originals. The final song was Rock and Roll All Night. About half way through all of the bands came out to join in. Then it was back to the slots. I basically lost the amount I said I would not go past for the day and called it a night at 12:15. I worked on this a bit and went to bed about 1 AM. Margo was in not long after that, but I don’t think I looked at the clock. We had had a fun day. |
At our table, at The World's Greatest Rock Show
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The guy doing David Lee Roth was high energy and did a great job!
The guys playing Eddie Van Halen was pretty good!
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The lady doing Ann Wilson of Heart. Nothing wrong with her performance!
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I was never a Journey fan, but again, no complaints. The guy doing Steve Perry nailed it
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Meatloaf and Carla Devito impersonators. Very good!
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There was a reason these guys came on last. They were awesome!
Day Three---Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Wednesday morning did not start out even remotely like I hoped. At just after 9 AM I was awaken by the sound of my phone chiming the arrival of a text. I don’t get a ton of these, and most of them are from Margo. She was in bed, decidedly not texting, so I was wondering what the hell was so important to bother me on vacation. My first thought was work. Mary or Savannah needed something. It would have had to be important, as they saw how stressed I was and were not going to bother me, unless it could not be help.
I turned out to be half right. It was work. But, it was my boss. Checking the time and converting into Mountain Standard Time, I realized that he and the rest of the leadership team were in the AM meeting. His text asked if I could call in to talk about the Christmas schedule. I was still half asleep and wasn’t even sure I could tell him what day Christmas was on. I asked when, via text, and his answer was for 9:45. I grabbed a shower and was getting dressed when my phone rang. They had finished early and called in. I was clear headed by now and explained my part. There were not a lot pleasantries of asking how my trip was. I am hoping that is because they were embarrassed to have called at all. I guess I will get the full story on Monday.
We finished getting dressed and started our day. Today was going to be a day at the Stratosphere. They have a whole floor of retail shops, there is the World’s Largest Gift Shop down the road, we were attending another tribute show (Michael Jackson), and the ubiquitous slot. But, first, breakfast. Really at this hour, more like brunch. There was a Mexican restaurant in the retail shops, so we opted for that. It was decent. I had fajitas. Margo really thought the peppers and onions had a good flavor.
I turned out to be half right. It was work. But, it was my boss. Checking the time and converting into Mountain Standard Time, I realized that he and the rest of the leadership team were in the AM meeting. His text asked if I could call in to talk about the Christmas schedule. I was still half asleep and wasn’t even sure I could tell him what day Christmas was on. I asked when, via text, and his answer was for 9:45. I grabbed a shower and was getting dressed when my phone rang. They had finished early and called in. I was clear headed by now and explained my part. There were not a lot pleasantries of asking how my trip was. I am hoping that is because they were embarrassed to have called at all. I guess I will get the full story on Monday.
We finished getting dressed and started our day. Today was going to be a day at the Stratosphere. They have a whole floor of retail shops, there is the World’s Largest Gift Shop down the road, we were attending another tribute show (Michael Jackson), and the ubiquitous slot. But, first, breakfast. Really at this hour, more like brunch. There was a Mexican restaurant in the retail shops, so we opted for that. It was decent. I had fajitas. Margo really thought the peppers and onions had a good flavor.
Shopping was next, but even at this 11 ish hour, not many shops were open. So we went the aforementioned World’s Largest Gift Shop, which really is pretty big. It is about the size of five or six 7-11s on the face, and probably 50% deeper. I bring things back for Savannah and Mary. We kind of do that when any of us goes on a trip. Mary always at least gets a magnet, which I got from the Mob Museum. I got Savannah a key chain with a light, with her name on it. I think we picked up a few other things, but I don’t remember what. I do know I was using my Discover card quite a bit.
We figured the Retail Shops would be open so we trudged back to the Stratosphere. The weather had been really good. It was in the upper 60s or low 70s. We did get wind the first day, but that was gone. Margo had gotten a cheap jacket because her down vest was too hot. Now she wanted to dump the jacket, too.
We wandered the retail shops, and fended off several of the aggressive ones, trying to give us something for free. Helpful hint. If they have to be pushy and give you something for free to entice you to stop, they are selling something you don’t need and if you think you want it, you’re just wrong. It’s usually some product for wrinkles or something like organic, hormone free toilet paper. Or a free show that requires you sit through a two hour sales pitch for a time share. Just like Nancy Reagan advised us in the 80s; Just Say, No.
We figured the Retail Shops would be open so we trudged back to the Stratosphere. The weather had been really good. It was in the upper 60s or low 70s. We did get wind the first day, but that was gone. Margo had gotten a cheap jacket because her down vest was too hot. Now she wanted to dump the jacket, too.
We wandered the retail shops, and fended off several of the aggressive ones, trying to give us something for free. Helpful hint. If they have to be pushy and give you something for free to entice you to stop, they are selling something you don’t need and if you think you want it, you’re just wrong. It’s usually some product for wrinkles or something like organic, hormone free toilet paper. Or a free show that requires you sit through a two hour sales pitch for a time share. Just like Nancy Reagan advised us in the 80s; Just Say, No.
But the Retail Shops did have mookies. What’s a mookie? No, it’s no Harrison Ford’s sidekick from Star Wars. A Mookie is a kind of ice cream sandwich. You pick the type of cookie and the kind of ice cream. I had cookie dough ice cream and chocolate chip cookies. Because there is no other kind of cookie.
That morning we had wandered the shops and came across this place called “Pictures on Wood”. This company would take any picture that you could email them, and could laser etch it into a wooden plaque. The sizes went up to about 14 x 20. The salesman was nice, not high pressure. But the prices were kind of high. Margo was falling in love with them, and I did not want her feeding the salesman ideas what to sell her. I wanted to talk with her one on one and come up with a game plan, so I kind of herded out and said we would come back later.
It was now later, and my plan was to get on for Jessi and Pete with one of their wedding pictures etched into it. Margo thought that was a wonderful idea and after shooing the salesman away so we could decide on the right picture, which Margo had on her phone, we decided on the pic, size, and what to have put onto the bottom, in the form of saying.
With that decided we ordered up what we wanted from the salesman, and Margo mentioned how nice one of the smaller ones would look with Enzo picture on it. She was right and I thought it would be a nice birthday present for her, so we got a small one, maybe 8 x 10.
But, it was not quite that that easy. My card was decline when I went to pay for this second order. Then I got a text. Turns out Discover was thinking my card was stolen again and wanted me to verify the purchase. I could do that via text and did. Then my purchase went through. Kind of a hassle, but I’m glad they are watching out.
We finished that, and we were walking out the door with a promise that they would be ready at 10 AM tomorrow, when one of us said “What about Jolene?”. Yeah. We could not do one and not the other. So we ordered another one. We had more trouble with the picture for this one, because Margo did not have those 7 year old pictures on here phone, or could remember what their exact wedding date was. Both of those were on my website, but I could not get the picture to attach to a text. In the end, Margo was able to access my site and did it.
Margo bought a fourth picture, a small one with Eve on it. She plans to make little memorials to put next to the large “All Dogs Go to Heaven” Jim Warren glicee print I got for her four years ago. Sounded like a nice idea. She got emotional when she was thinking of Enzo and looking at her favorite picture of him, which will end up on the wood.
That morning we had wandered the shops and came across this place called “Pictures on Wood”. This company would take any picture that you could email them, and could laser etch it into a wooden plaque. The sizes went up to about 14 x 20. The salesman was nice, not high pressure. But the prices were kind of high. Margo was falling in love with them, and I did not want her feeding the salesman ideas what to sell her. I wanted to talk with her one on one and come up with a game plan, so I kind of herded out and said we would come back later.
It was now later, and my plan was to get on for Jessi and Pete with one of their wedding pictures etched into it. Margo thought that was a wonderful idea and after shooing the salesman away so we could decide on the right picture, which Margo had on her phone, we decided on the pic, size, and what to have put onto the bottom, in the form of saying.
With that decided we ordered up what we wanted from the salesman, and Margo mentioned how nice one of the smaller ones would look with Enzo picture on it. She was right and I thought it would be a nice birthday present for her, so we got a small one, maybe 8 x 10.
But, it was not quite that that easy. My card was decline when I went to pay for this second order. Then I got a text. Turns out Discover was thinking my card was stolen again and wanted me to verify the purchase. I could do that via text and did. Then my purchase went through. Kind of a hassle, but I’m glad they are watching out.
We finished that, and we were walking out the door with a promise that they would be ready at 10 AM tomorrow, when one of us said “What about Jolene?”. Yeah. We could not do one and not the other. So we ordered another one. We had more trouble with the picture for this one, because Margo did not have those 7 year old pictures on here phone, or could remember what their exact wedding date was. Both of those were on my website, but I could not get the picture to attach to a text. In the end, Margo was able to access my site and did it.
Margo bought a fourth picture, a small one with Eve on it. She plans to make little memorials to put next to the large “All Dogs Go to Heaven” Jim Warren glicee print I got for her four years ago. Sounded like a nice idea. She got emotional when she was thinking of Enzo and looking at her favorite picture of him, which will end up on the wood.
Then it was off to the slots. Only not at the Stratosphere. We had played there a lot already. I suggested we try somewhere else and mentioned the Rio. It was off strip, had free parking and we had not been there in at least ten years. I liked the looks of the place once we got there. (We missed a turn) and I would not mind staying there. When I mentioned this to Margo, she agreed, but suggested downtown. I would be ok there, too. Anyway, I did OK, coming out $60 more than when I entered. Margo lost more than she won, but we stayed until around 5:30.
Then it was off to the slots. At least for a few minutes. Our show queued up at 6:30 and I expected a bigger crowd, and wanted to be early. If I had actually looked at the tickets I would have seen we had assigned seats. No matter. We grabbed drinks and nearly as soon as we got in line they opened the doors and seated us. We were in the exact table as the night before, just on the other side. These were primo seats, right on the stage.
Then it was off to the slots. At least for a few minutes. Our show queued up at 6:30 and I expected a bigger crowd, and wanted to be early. If I had actually looked at the tickets I would have seen we had assigned seats. No matter. We grabbed drinks and nearly as soon as we got in line they opened the doors and seated us. We were in the exact table as the night before, just on the other side. These were primo seats, right on the stage.
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Beside us was black family from Atlanta. The kids arrived first and asked me to take their picture. I tried very hard, but the camera would not balance out the bright imagine of the sign behind the guys with the people in the foreground. Margo took some pics with her camera and sent them to him. The parents showed up just a bit later and he introduced himself right away. We chatted for a bit. Nice guy. They were from Atlanta and we talked a bit about Georgia, as Margo and I had vacationed there a couple years back.
The show itself was very good. If you are a big Michael Jackson fan, you would probably think it was great. I am a casual fan. Margo is a bigger fan and she picked the show. I had heard that they did not do any song start to finish. I also heard they did not do Thriller (my favorite MJ song) in the show. I did not notice any song not being finished, or at least close enough, except Thriller, which they did do. It is a long song, and they tried to play off the music video, directed by John Landis and choreographed by MJ, back when the song came out. They did a good job with it, but too much of the song was cut down. But, I was happy to just have it in the show. The crowd was not nearly as into the show, as yesterday’s was. Well, except for the guys beside us. The guy impersonating MJ appreciated their efforts and he gave one of them his sequined glove, and one of the guys ended up with a selfie with him. Very cool and it made their night. |
The Atlanta family. One of the sons got Michael's glove!
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Show was over at about 8:15. That was a bit short, but I didn’t feel cheated. We headed to the Stratosphere’s buffet again. With the time of the year and day of the week we were at the hotel, it was not crowded and we didn’t have to wait. High season at 8 PM, on a weekend, the place would have been packed. Today it was pleasant. We finished and…
He put on a great show!
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I'm no photographer. It took me many many shots to get something serviceable.
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Then it was off to the slots. My luck turned and I lost everything I had won, and was a bit less than $20 down. But, I was also sick of slots. I had played some video poker and some automated blackjack each or the last couple of days. Mixed results there. In truth I was just sick of losing, so it did not take me long to want to be done.
I went to the automated blackjack table and placed one hand for $20. Win or Lose I quit. I won, was up for the day by a dollar and change and I went to find Margo. This was at 9:15 or so. I watched Margo turn this one machine into an ATM and she was up over $200 when I told her I was going up to the room. I decided I would write and maybe check emails and such. Not exactly prime use of valuable vacation time, but neither was more casino action. Surprisingly, Margo joined me at 11 PM. She luck had turned, but she was still up. She decided that she needed to work on packing. That was it for the day. It was another fun day.
I went to the automated blackjack table and placed one hand for $20. Win or Lose I quit. I won, was up for the day by a dollar and change and I went to find Margo. This was at 9:15 or so. I watched Margo turn this one machine into an ATM and she was up over $200 when I told her I was going up to the room. I decided I would write and maybe check emails and such. Not exactly prime use of valuable vacation time, but neither was more casino action. Surprisingly, Margo joined me at 11 PM. She luck had turned, but she was still up. She decided that she needed to work on packing. That was it for the day. It was another fun day.
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Margo and I at the Michael Jackson show
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Day Four---Thursday, November 30, 2017
I was up at 8:30 AM. Margo had been up at least an hour earlier. Our flight did not leave until 4:15 PM, so we could really say we had half a day of vacation left. The trouble is we needed to spend most of it getting some things to take back to everyone. Jessi and Pete had to have something for keeping an eye on Jackie. Jackie needed something because we didn’t take her. Jolene and Randy, just because they are always helping out when we need something done. Plus, its tradition.
About the time I got up, Margo headed to a hotel provided kiosk to print our boarding passes. I was shaved, showered, dressed, and about to text her when she came through the door. Apparently the hotel’ browser did not like Southwest’s system and it would not print. Margo got help elsewhere and got them printed.
The buffet had treated us well, so we went for a third time. By the time we were done it was after 10 AM, and we headed upstairs to pick up our Pictures on Wood. I was fully expecting them to not be done, and then having to ship them home. But, not only were they done, but they looked great. All four pieces turned out so well, I thought Margo was going to cry. When we later showed them to Jackie, she even picked up on that and thought the girls would cry.
About the time I got up, Margo headed to a hotel provided kiosk to print our boarding passes. I was shaved, showered, dressed, and about to text her when she came through the door. Apparently the hotel’ browser did not like Southwest’s system and it would not print. Margo got help elsewhere and got them printed.
The buffet had treated us well, so we went for a third time. By the time we were done it was after 10 AM, and we headed upstairs to pick up our Pictures on Wood. I was fully expecting them to not be done, and then having to ship them home. But, not only were they done, but they looked great. All four pieces turned out so well, I thought Margo was going to cry. When we later showed them to Jackie, she even picked up on that and thought the girls would cry.
Jolene and Randy's Picture on Wood. It turned out really good!
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It looks way better in real life!
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Our shopping had only begun. When we were packing last night it was obvious we were going to need another bag. Margo was hesitant. She takes it personally when she cannot get everything in one bag. But, we had bought these four pieces of wood that we were not expecting. I pointed out that if Jackie was going to travel with us, she was going to need her own carry on, so why not get it now and use it. That last bit sold her. I had remembered seeing some luggage at the World’s Largest Gift Shop, but I had not looked at prices.
That was going to be our fourth stop. First, we needed to check out. Then we needed to get our car from the valet. Third we needed to re-park in Self-Parking with all of our luggage. We did all of that in about 15 minutes. Check out was as simple as giving a lady at the back of a long line our room number. Margo went to retrieve the car, and it pulled up as I found her. It took the longest bit of time to park and walk back downstairs.
It took us about an hour to find all of the gifts we wanted, and the piece of luggage ($30 and it looked fairly sturdy). Margo had all three bags repacked in ten minutes. We would now check two bags and carry two on. It was about noon and we weren’t hungry. You know what that means.
That was going to be our fourth stop. First, we needed to check out. Then we needed to get our car from the valet. Third we needed to re-park in Self-Parking with all of our luggage. We did all of that in about 15 minutes. Check out was as simple as giving a lady at the back of a long line our room number. Margo went to retrieve the car, and it pulled up as I found her. It took the longest bit of time to park and walk back downstairs.
It took us about an hour to find all of the gifts we wanted, and the piece of luggage ($30 and it looked fairly sturdy). Margo had all three bags repacked in ten minutes. We would now check two bags and carry two on. It was about noon and we weren’t hungry. You know what that means.
Yes, it was back to the slots. I held out as even. Margo went on another tear going up $160 or so one machine. She cashed out and I made the case for that to be the last machine, so she could go out a winner. She played this big Cash Wheel for about three spins and won a dollar. She cashed that out and we went to find the car. Everything went as planned for the trip back and in about four hours we were home.
We were glad to be home that night. Having your own bed and pillow is always nice. Tomorrow was Friday, and while I was still technically on vacation, we would be doing other things. Our fun was over and now it was a countdown until our next trip, which would not happen until next summer. I am already dreaming about the warm weather.
We were glad to be home that night. Having your own bed and pillow is always nice. Tomorrow was Friday, and while I was still technically on vacation, we would be doing other things. Our fun was over and now it was a countdown until our next trip, which would not happen until next summer. I am already dreaming about the warm weather.