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Next. Xmas '26.

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  And the great Xmas'ing begins. Only 2 days back from SeptemberVegas, but XmasVegas for this year is tentatively booked. Aria, in a *takes deep breath* Restore Deluxe King Strip View Room. All in for 6 nights is only $200. $95/$50 FP/RC, so in reality value-wise I'm getting nights at a 5-Star resort for $10 each. I've been in these rooms before, they're fine. Aria still desperately needs a reno but they maintain these well enough that they don't become too ratty.  Restore is the old "Staywell", basically it's a loud air filter. Which is nice, actually, for sleeping. Location is good, want to stay well away from the Bellagio shit show that happens for Xmas, but still central enough not to have to cab everywhere. Could have done a few other MGM props for less but this is starting and ending that day at a great resort with plenty of food/bev options. I am able to play the field on offers from other resorts should one come my way, RW is a possibility or p...
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Tomorrow.

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It's here again.  For the 59th time, it's pre-Vegas day. What should be a quick but hopefully restful 4 1/2 days in the desert is upon us. The prep is done. The bag is 80% packed, the money is out of the bank, the room is checked into, the flight will be today. I just need to spend about an hour on final bag prep tonight then can get hopefully a good night's sleep and trundle off tomorrow. This will be slightly different in that I have to work tomorrow morning, for a couple hours, before taking off for the airport, so everything will be loaded into the car in the morning. I can leave my work laptop at my site so I'll just need the carry-on and the personal backpack. Can dip out around 10:30a and head straight to the airport, park the car, grab a tram to the terminal and get things rolling with a pre-plane drink. Same loadout as usual. 7 changes worth of underwear, my dopp kit, 5 or 6 polos (no need for anything warmer than that), the iPad Mini, the UE Boom 2, my JBL wir...
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Grand Upgrade Again.

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MGM doesn't seem to want me to stay in a standard room. Without asking, and 3 days before arrival, I got auto-updated to an Executive King Suite at the Grand. I stayed in one once years ago before it was remodeled. It was a bit dark and dour, but the new design looks more bright and better laid out. It's almost 700 sq ft with a nice big bathroom, living area, 2 flat screens and possibly a strip view. It's always nice to have a little extra room to roam around in so definitely a worthy and appreciated upgrade from the standard remodeled King room. This has never happened to me before, at least as I can remember at MGM props. Being upgraded for free, and not having asked ahead of time, like I did for the Emerald in April. Not sure if this is a new thing MGM is just doing  now for certain guests or statuses, or if I have a shadow host in the background helping me out. Either way I'll take it. Happy for pennies from heaven however they fall, and if this is a new thing at MG...
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MGMBies. Freebies and The Plan, Together At Last.

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About a week and a half to bonus 2026 Vegas. With not-shitty gambling the first two trips this year, we are able to squeeze in a 4th Vegas for the first time in a few years. Is good. With the bump from June assisting, I'll have $4K and a little walking around money in the bag going into town, with the ability if needed on the 2nd day there to hit a BMO and pull another $500 or so. Hopefully it won't be needed, it would be nice to hit something the first couple days and take the pressure off.  The only concession I made to the save was taking a couple Saturdays off from going out in the City, both of which will not be big losses due to weirdness at the bars I usually hang out at. So, the full 'Bies for #SeptemberVegas: -5 nights at MGM Grand in an Executive King Suite: $101 all in with my MGM Rewards rate, would be $2170, savings of $2069 over rack rate. -$120 Freeplay, $100 Resort Credit from booking package, value of $220 -$550 of anniversary and tier Resort Credit from R...
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Earnings (Not Mine).

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My company is doing rather well. All 18K of the other employees have actually done their jobs, and are in the process of carrying my ass to a healthy bonus this year. As it stands after Q3 earnings, I have a potential 8% company bonus in line, 2% higher than last year, and another nearly 4% in personal bonus possible. Personal will likely be a combination of bonus and raise, so if I top out on around 10% bonus, that will be very tidy indeed. Since everything on earth ties back to Vegas, what that means is my XmasVegas will be funded in total from bonus, no save necessary. I can continue to spend frivolously on Skittles the rest of the year, without having to think about putting away any Vegas save. Nice. There's still a quarter to get through. Cheeto Man could invade Greenland or start a war with Luxembourg or something, but failing a pretty complete collapse of the markets in the next few months things are looking good for a relaxed runup to the final Vegas of the year. Now I just...
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30 Days. And Counting.

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T-minus 30 days to SeptemberVegas. Not much to report. The itinerary is locked in. I will be at MGM in a standard Deluxe room, no baller suite like April. Fine. I have a pretty good offer from Resorts World for 5 nights in a standard Hilton room for about $350, but that's a $400+ loss compared to MGM's package, with rate, RC and FP factored in. It's just silly right now to stay anywhere else other than MGM resorts. I love RW but I can taxi there, don't have to stay and lose money in the process. So unless some crazy suite deal opens up somewhere in the next couple weeks, it's locked. I will start opening up the VP training app daily starting this week. Not too many hands, maybe 50 a day, I don't want to get burned out with it. By the end of last trip I was fucking dreaming about VP. Not good. I have the hands in my head for the most part, but it helps to see them on the screen before hitting town. Other than that, yeah, it's just count down the days. Nothing...
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Locked.

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The trip is set. Got long term parking bought today at a discount, which was the last piece that was outstanding. LTP garage at SFO. $90. It'll be more of a pain in the ass as opposed to the international garages in that I will need to take the tram over to that garage on the in and out, but it's over $100 less than the closer garages are. This being more of a "budget" trip, it seemed prudent. Standard room, standard parking...a standard trip. Nothing wrong with that. Not every trip is an "event" trip like a birthday or milestone. I don't always need terrace rooms with morning views like the above. Hell, this is the first year since '22 that I've even been able to do a 4-trip year, so I'm just thankful for that. A newly renovated room for 5 nights in an upper-mid resort for around $100 is better than 90% of the shlubs who will be in town that week. So the room is set, the flight is booked, the food reservations are made, the car is parked. No...
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