It's Not A Bender, It's A Lifestyle.

The room sitch for BirthdayVegas is locked. MGM King Strip View Room. These are the newly renovated rooms. Have stayed there recently at the Exec Suite but that's out of the price range this time, as are any other MGM prop suites over that weekend. It's fine, these are probably the best standard rooms in the MGM portfolio right now in terms of newness/niceness. And I'm certainly fine with the Grand as a home base. Shit it's the only resort that has paid me this year. A little over $140 all in for 6 nights over a weekend, with a $120/$100 package. That's insane. It just not fair to the rest of humanity. It was easily the best resort/price/room choice over that weekend. I go in on a Thursday and leave on a Wednesday. My birthday falls on a Sunday so no rush to recover like on past Bday trips. Great to have it locked in at a crazy discount. It being the birthday trip I'll keep my eyes open for anything more posh, but it'll be tough to beat that package, again, ...

Upgrading some of my take-along for XmasVegas. Having come home not broke from last Vegas, I've been investing a bit in next Vegas. I have gotten a couple warm semi-dressy tops to take along, a Brooks Brothers sweater and a more sporty hoodie by Lacoste. May end up taking 3 Lacoste tops this trip. Becoming a bit of a Lacoste whore. I like them and they make cool clothes, what can I do. Also got a new pair of Florsheim chukka boots. I have a pair of warm hikers but that's a little too casual for Vegas so these should fit the bill. The Cole Haan mesh dress shoes were great for the heat on the last trip but probably too drafty for Xmas. Classic chukka style, with a rubber sole so I won't go slipping around on the strip if it rains, which I've done in the past. Also have upgraded the travel headphones. Gone are the trusty old JBL 460NC on-ears I had for years, new Sennheiser Momentum 4's will be in the bag. The JBL's were OK for sound but were pretty terrible at ANC...

XmasVegas will be my trip number 60, all time. It's been a ride, man. 60 trips in 15 years. Average of 4 trips a year. I've been up and down the strip and have stayed at almost every major resort that isn't an abject dump, including a few that aren't even there anymore. Riviera, Mirage, Tropicana, via con Dios. I've lost around $30K just at MGM resorts in that time, and probably another $30K total at all the other resorts. I've stayed in 300 sq. ft. closets and 1800 sq. ft. palaces. I've eaten $150 steaks and McDonald's Quarter Pounders. I've had elegant, $30 crafted cocktails and Coors Lights. It was all (mostly) a blast. 60 trips is a milestone, but I have no intention of slowing down. I still get pretty much all my rocks off on Vegas trips, no other destination ticks all the boxes of proximity and ease of travel, great accommodations, action, drinks, food, gambles, and (very) occasional flirtation with female women persons. I still have no desire ...

  And the great Xmas'ing begins. Only 2 days back from SeptemberVegas, but XmasVegas for this year is tentatively booked. Cosmopolitan again, in a Terrace Studio King again. Love these rooms and they are in my favorite resort, so I can't think of a better way to end the Vegas year. I'm guaranteed some kind of view and sitting on that terrace to end the night really is pretty magical. All in is $280. $120/$50 booking package so in reality I'm paying $110 for 6 nights in a terrace suite at a top-tier Vegas resort. When added to what I have in RC it will be enough for at least one meal plus maybe another $200 in Slot Dollars earned on top of the Freeplay by the time I get there.  As always I could have done a few other MGM props for less but this is starting and ending the day at a great resort with plenty of food/bev options. Location is good, want to stay away from the in-front-of Bellagio shit show that happens for Xmas, but still central enough not to have to cab ever...

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...

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...