Post Mortem, 8/31-9/4 2016.

So yeah, that happened.

Another Vegas trip in the books. Almost exactly as I had foreseen. Drinking, bad gambling, decent food, rinse, repeat.

Got in on schedule via United at around 9:30a. Jumped in the Bell town car, easy peasy, straight to NYNY to drop off the bag then headed straight over to Cosmo. Went in to the Henry, had breakfast, Eggs Bene, good as always in there. Headed over to Vesper, losing the first of many, many $100 bills in the slots on the way. The bartender in the afternoon is kind of a jerk (strange for the Vesper), just one of those guys who's been a bartender too long and is cynical and stressed out and needs to find another line of work.

So I just had 2 quick ones in there then it was up to the 3rd level of Chandelier Bar, talked to Abel, a good guy who runs that bar in the day time. much better experience. Just me and him most of the time. Had a couple more and by this point it's after 1p and time to head back down the strip to check in at NYNY. Walking there it's well into the 100+ degrees, pretty awful heat but eh, it's Vegas. Checked in, no upgrade but was in yet another clean, quiet room on the 22nd floor with a decent strip view. Was facing MGM and the Trop.

Grabbed a quick nap, probably a couple hours then headed out. Had 1 quick one at the upstairs bar at Nine Fine then made my way over to pay last respects to the Pub at Monte Carlo. Kinda sad, they are known for having 100's of kegs but half of the handles were off as they are obviously not replacing spent kegs. Had a quick flight, wished the guys in there luck, then headed off to the tram to go upstrip. Got off at the Bellagio stop but figured out a way to bypass the hell that is that place and went out through the lobby past the fountains to Mirage. Went into the Still, had a couple, still not too impressed with the place. Not much personality to it yet, despite some gorgeous servers.

Next was on to the Parlor in Mirage, low key piano bar. Had a couple with a slightly annoying bartender and paid to hear a couple songs from the piano man. Mello. Next it was off to RockHouse in Venetian, not much going on there. They had the same bad cover band that was there the last time I was in town so I moseyed after 1. Was doing the molly/coke I took with me so it gets fuzzy after this. I'm sure the Vesper was in there somewhere on the way back to the room. Think I was racked out fairly early, around 2a-ish.

Day 2, Mandalay Bay day. Got a decent night's sleep and headed over to the Ex to catch the monorail to MB around 10:30a. Dropped a hundie in the slots, nothing. Stopped at Della's Kitchen in the Delano to have breakfast, blue crab Benedict. Tasted good, but started World War 3 in my gut. Was in and out of the bathroom for the rest of the afternoon. Yuck. Moseyed over to redeem my myVegas Shark Reef reward. There were...fish. It's very short. I was in and out in about 10 minutes. There were a couple maybe 6-foot sharks in the last big tank. Was fine I guess. Worth free.

Headed over to Ri Ra for a couple shots and Guinness. Not much going on. Replays of the last Stanley Cup finals. Kinda boring. Then headed over to the Delano again and drank at the Franklin til about 4:30p. No one really in there, just hanging out with the bartender. Mellow daytime place, MB. Wanted to get up to Foundation Room but they appeared to be closed, the access elevator to it was blocked off, so went up to Skyfall instead to see the best view in Vegas. Had a few, until just before sunset.

Off we go to Luxor and Tender for dinner. GREAT steak in there, another myVegas reward. Another couple glasses of wine so I'm starting to feel pretty toasty now. Go into 1923 outside MB and have a few more while watching Casino on the big screen. Actually kinda cool. Flirted with a chubby black girl, for some reason. As I say, I'm getting toasty. Donated a couple more hundie in the MB slots, then I'm sure I headed up strip, don't really remember much after about midnight. Made it back to my room somehow and crashed out.

Day 3, Friday, decided to get over to the east side of the strip so went into Twin Peaks to get lunch, and a beer, Bad service at the bar, and a big bachelor party going on so wasn't feeling it and headed off. Hit Hexx to cash in my last myVegas reward, 2 for one cocktails. Completely annoying "look at me I'm rich" asshole at the bar making an idiot of himself, couldn't drink my Mules fast enough to get out of there. Moseyed up strip to Bound at Cromwell, AmeriCan at the Linq, Off the Strip then back into Venetian and had a flight at the Public House and a couple at RockHouse again. Fine bartender in there, hung for a while. Then worked my way back south, stopping at Twin Peaks again and at PBR Rock Bar for some reason.

More bad gambling, just winning nothing, lucky to break even and if I was I was walking away. Fuzzy again at the end of the night. In bed at no idea o'clock.

Day 4, it's mercifully almost over. Up, out to get lunch, MGM and Pub 1842. Actually really good brisket plate there, a Guinness and a shot. More bad gambling. Then decided I was going to go over to Tropicana for the first time. Weird place. Very old school, low ceilings, rooms that need not be separated from the rest of the casino, dead as hell in there. Got a club card for some reason. Don't imagine I'll ever go back.

Back across to NY to get a quick nap, probably a couple hours, not feeling real great but take another shower and head out. My plan is to stay south strip and avoid the LDW crowds, so Nine Fine again for a couple, and then realized I hadn't used either my Freeplay or Resort Credit yet at NYNY so lost the $75 real quick then ate at Il Fornaio, really good pasta and wine.

Then headed out to the Park for drinks at Beerhaus and Sake Rok. Big crowds at Rok but looked like mostly pre-club kids in club clothes so wasn't really my scene. Over to Hit at Monte Carlo for one, and up to Crystals, wanted to get into Todd English PUB but they were closed. At midnight. On Labor Day Weekend. OK. So it was over to Vesper one last time, say hi to the boys behind the bar and say "see ya next trip". Always fun in there.

It's getting moderately late at this point so I head back to NYNY and make my way up to Pour 24, really thinking have a couple more and call it a trip. Tired and molly-ed out by this point but a reasonably cute hooker starts chatting me up and I'm up for a couple more hours. Was never going to hit it but it was nice to be noticed for once on the trip, even if it was by Amy the hooker. Gave her a couple 20's for her time, got a BLT and hit the pillow at around 5a.

Fly out day, had late check out so watched some tennis, left the room at 3p, sat in the sports book watching the Giants lose again, off to the airport in a limo this time (swank!), on the flight and home to the hobbit hole by 9:30. Trip 3 of 2016 done and dusted.

Not much to say about this one. Drank/drugged myself silly. 5 days later I'm just finally getting the molly out of my nasal passages, and feeling rested up. Spent almost exactly $3000. Zero gambling luck. On the positive, I didn't touch the check I could have used and had enough left when back to pay 1/2 rent, so eh.

Really just a standard trip at this point. This is what Vegas is for me now. Not remotely excited for the Xmas trip yet, but I know in a week or so I'll start looking at the Vegas blogs again and put the positive mental spin on everything. I'm like a battered Vegas wife. Keep abusing me and taking my money and I'll keep coming back for more punishment.

See you in 3 months, you bitch.