Post Mortem 3/2017.

Back again from the happy place. Meh trip, fairly normal, not the greatest ending.

Got into town on time via Virgin around 9:30, was over to the Paris by 10p via Bell Limo. Nice big Escalade. Attempted to check into my reserved Fountain View room but was told none were available. This ragged me off as I had called ahead to reserve this specific room. Was finally given a room with twin beds facing the backside of PH that smelled vaguely of poo. No bueno, but what was I going to do.

Shook it off and headed out for night one. Walked straight over to the Venetian trying to go to the Dorsey, but some big convention was at the resort and it was full to overflowing with suits, so decided to get some food instead. Went in to the new Sugarcane, just had a couple appetizers but they were quite good. The salmon poke was great. Then headed into Rockhouse for a couple but nothing was really going on there and they were about to close. Walked over to the Parlor lounge in Mirage and had a couple there, then mosyed down to Tag at the Linq and Vesper at Cosmo to have a couple more. Was getting tired by this point so I just got something to eat at the Henry and called it a night. Prob was in bed by 1a.

Day 2, got some decent sleep, showered and got my stuff together, then headed down to the front desk to switch rooms to my rightful Fountain View. Still had only 2 queens instead of the king I reserved, but I just wanted to move and get it over with at that point. The new room lost the poo smell but gained a kind of "wind tunnel" noise that was pervasive and annoying. Didn't really bother me sleep wise but it was slightly creepy and just strange for what is supposed to be a luxury resort. The room itself is quite nice, the pics on the website don't really do it justice. The materials and ambiance are quality. The view (as in the pic above) did not suck either. Not quite up to PH/Cosmo level but not bad at all.

So after getting all settled in I headed out for the day at about noon. Went down to Carlos and Charlie's to use up a Restaurant.com coupon. Had a decent meal, better than last time and jumped out to go over to the Cosmo to see my bartender buddy in there at the 3rd level Chandelier bar. Had a few in there and went downstairs and threw a hundie away on the slots, as I had decided to do most if not all of my play at Cosmo to try to rack up Identity points there. Then it was over to Twin Peaks to ogle the waitresses and drink more.

Was getting fairly toasted by this point, so I decided to take a break and get a massage at one of those mall massage joints in Miracle Mile. Great massage and it revitalized me. Headed down to Blondie's in the mile and had a couple micheladas, then jumped in a cab at PH and went over to the Dorsey at Venetian that I had really enjoyed last time. The nervous energy of the brand new place from last time has worn off, and the staff has slipped into standard foo-foo cocktail bar disinterest. Not quite Clique level yet, but my early enthusiasm for the place has waned a bit. Drinks were good as always though.

My energy was flagging a bit so I went into B & B Burger at the Venetian to get my level up. Had a meh burger and a beer, energy level really didn't pick up so I decided to head back to Paris preparatory for calling it a night. Had a couple more drinks at Le Central bar in there, got some snacks from the 24 hour sundry joint and hit the rack around 11p.

Day 3, shower and out the door around 10a, hit level 1 Chandelier at Cosmo to play a hundy on VP and have a beer and a shot, then threw another couple hundred away on slots afterward. Having no luck at all, as per usual. Then back up to see Abel at 3rd level Chandy for a while until he went to lunch. As it was a very nice day (mid 70's, nicest day of the trip) I decided to walk down from Cosmo to the Ex to catch the tram to Mandalay Bay. First stop was Slice pizza in the Shoppes to use up another R.com coupon. Very good 'za and a couple drinks later I'm over at Ri Ra having a Guinness and a shot, hung out their little back room area that is all British 70's retro. CRT TV's running old British sitcoms, retro memorabilia all over the place. Cool.

It was mid-afternoon and I was just biding my time at this point to make my every-trip pilgrimage up to Skyfall, so I had a couple at the Franklin, House of Blues and Eye Candy lounge until 5p rolled around and I could get up there. Got a few pics of the always great view on a gorgeous day but didn't stay long as the place has a corporate douche kind of vibe that night. Decided to head over to Foundation Room for their also amazing view and had a couple up there. As per usual, not having so much as a nibble from the opposite sex.

Went into the 1923 bar in MB Shoppes, it's kind of a nothing bar now but they were showing Scarface so I stuck around and had a couple there while watching half of that. Then I jumped in a cab and headed over to Mirage to stop again in Parlor and (briefly) The Still, then meandered over to the Linq and stumbled upon a Nirvana cover band playing at Brooklyn Bowl. They were quite good but I came in tale and only saw the last 3 songs. Was getting druk and tired by this point so just had a couple at the Cosmo, lost some more in the slots and headed up to the room.

Day 4, still hanging in there stamina-wise, though I woke up pretty late on this one, didn't make it out of the room til after noon. Took a cab over to Treasure Island to use up the last R.com coupon at Senor Frogs'. Had a surprisingly good meal there, then walked over to Palazzo and threw a hundy in the slots there for some reason. I decided to go over and get the drinking started in Venetian, but somehow took a wrong turn and got lost in the seemingly endless maze of Sands convention space between V and P. I mean fuck, literally a mile seemingly of nothing but convention rooms. Finally made my way out and hit up Yard House for a beer and a shot, then had a couple at the Dorsey again. Not much going on in there so I jumped over to Rockhouse for a couple more, watching women's college basketball since nothing else was on. Exciting.

Went up to the room to see if I could get a nap, wasn't really happening so just freshened up and headed over to Cosmo intending to eat at the amazing STK, but even minutes after opening the place had a line and the bar was already full, so I grudgingly went into the new Beauty and Essex for dinner instead. This is the place that is a faux pawn shop that you go through a "secret" door to get to the resto. Had a small filet there, good but not STK good but oh well.  Threw another hundy in the slots with no luck, and went into Clique. Was doing fine in there but they had the UFC fight on and past a certain time they kicked you out unless you ponied up a hundred to watch it. No thanks. Gambled a little more, had a late snack at Henry then went into Bond for a couple.

Was getting pretty faded by this point, just wandered across the foot bridge to end up, like I do so often for some bizarre reason, at Cabo Wabo. I don't know why I keep going in here, these Mexi "party" places are so not my cup of tea but was there for over an hour having whatever margaritas. I was done at this point so I packed it in and hit the room, probably no later than midnight.

After a night of not-great sleep it was up and at 'em for day 5, the last full day. It was crazy windy this day. Went straight over to the Cosmo for more bad gambling, the whole trip I was winning nothing at all. Then went across to Aria to go into Javier's for their outstanding Chile Colorado, but they changed the recipe and it's now a huge tomahawk pork chop with just a little of the Colorado sauce, and even that had changed. It was OK but not as great as it used to be. Anyway used up the last of my mLife Express Comps so that's that for MGM at this point. Not really feeling so hot, kinda just wandered around on the east side of the strip. Thought about going down to MGM but changed my mind and just stopped for one ant the just opened Rock n Rielly. Nothing done yet, still reeked of paint, not even any TV's up so I just downed a Guinness and bolted.

Still wasn't into it so tried to go up for a nap, again no joy. Decided to go down and just try to drink my way out of my funk so hit Bar du Sport in Paris for a beer and a shot, then across the street in a light rain to the Cosmo again. Hit 3rd deck Chandelier again, it was populated by nothing but Chads and Stacies and they were annoying the fuck out of me so just stayed for one. Headed into Clique again to, yes, watch more women's college basketball. It was an exciting sports trip. Decided to donate yet another hundy to the slot gods and, by George, I hit over $300 on a Lord of the Rings machine. I think this is the most I've won anywhere in my last 3 or 4 trips, and that's not saying much. Starting to think I'll never see a hand pay again.

But that did improve my mood a bit and I was beginning to rally from my early day funk so off it was again to Venetian to hit the Dorsey for the 3rd time on the trip. This was going fine until a crotchety old guy waltzes in and sits next to me, and hands me a cigar. Guy's kind of a jerk but I play along and smoke basically the whole thing in about a half hour. Bad move. I don't smoke, and I certainly don't smoke cigars, and this thing made me pretty ill. Just a huge nicotine hit. Feeling lousy I leave there and wander back to the Linq to go into Tag again but I'm just not feeling it. I wrapped it up and hit the room by about midnight again, then had a TERRIBLE night's sleep. Slept until about 3:30a then could not get back to sleep the rest of the night. All that nicotine was just making my heart thump.

Fly out day, finally gave up on sleep around 9a and just farted around the room waiting to check out. Watched a little TV, reminded myself why I don't have one. After check out went over to the Cos to throw away one last hundy on video poker, hung in the Sports Book for a half hour. I hate fly out days, I just wanted to get home - so badly. Went back to Paris and plopped myself down in their sports book for another hour. It's a Monday morning so literally nothing is on. Picked up by Bell at 1p, Got to the airport 2 hours early and got some very meh chicken strips at a "pub" in the airport, then walk out to see that my departure time, almost an hour and a half away, is now delayed by another hour and a half. FUCK. I was supposed to be in the air by 4p, didn't end up leaving LAS until nearly 6p. So awful. I'm tired and sick and just want to be home. Finally did get home around 7:45p and was never so happy to be here. Trip OVER.

So, yeah. Pretty standard trip, not much to write home about. It was a slow week in town and most bars were pretty dead. I designed it that way so whatev. Aside from the last about 18 hours it was fine. Certainly good as a getaway and it reset my Vegas clock. Did OK on money, had $4500 to spend and spent $3400. Was able to at least pay rent with Vegas money and paid down my CC by $500 when I got back, which is the whole plan between trips this year. Now the LONG wait until August kicks in. This will be one of the longest gaps I've had since 2012. 4 and a half months.

SO, you won't see much from this blog for a while probably. All the room/flight stuff is already done for that trip so there's not much to talk about until it's nearly go time. Going to try in a real way to lose some weight before that summer trip. Both for "look good in Vegas" and health reasons. Since I got my car and not walking I've been putting on pounds, so I've got to take steps. Not a diet, a lifestyle change. Wish me luck.

August 3rd and Bally's, I'll see ya when I see ya.