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

Weeks flying by now as it's just 3 more until Xmas Vegas. A flurry of activity lately. The financial hit I thought I was going to take for a tax bill has strangely gone away temporarily, so there's $300 more in the Vegas fund that I wasn't expecting. The total save now will be $4200, plus about another $1700 available on CC's if need be. Should be more than enough with as little as I gamble anymore. I plan to blow it all though, I'll have 2 full months before I need to start saving for the April trip so I can pay myself back if I blast through the cash and some of the card balance. If I'm only going to take 3 trips a year going forward I'm going to make them blowouts and try not to hold much of anything back. If I come home with enough to buy a loaf of bread until the next paycheck (which will only be a week later) then I'm good. Last time it was enough to buy a computer so I'm not really concerned, Plus, even though I'm in less than good ...

The calendar rolls on and we close down to just over a month from Xmas-Vegas-O-Rama. The Xmas week is always generally my favorite trip of the year. Why is that? It dawns on me that one major reason may be one of the things I constantly decry on these trips. Solitude. You're never truly alone on a trip to Vegas, even on the slowest days of the year there are still tens of thousands of tourists and resort staff all over the strip, all busily trying to have their "What Happens..." trip or just putting up with us to be making enough to pay the damn rent. But the density of those throngs (maybe half of what would be there during NYE?) is far less during the holiday week, and for an introvert and shy individual like myself, it's a lot like heaven. I've never liked big crowds or crowded rooms. Even when I go out on weekends here in the City I try to seek out the mellow, uncrowded spots in town and will move on from even my most favorite spots if they start ...

Maybe an all-time great haul this time? Can't be arsed to go back and check previous freebie posts but: -5 nights comped at Caesars Palace - $795 value as of today. -myVegas reward for 1 night comped at Mirage - $64 value. -One comped night through Mlife at Monte Carlo in a Park room - $92 value -myVegas reward at Camelot Steakhouse for $50 off of $100 so $50 value. -myVegas reward for $50 drink credit at NYNY, $50 value. -Piff the Magic Dragon show at Flamingo using Vegas.com promo code, $50 off $60 show so $50 value. -Flight IN to Vegas on Southwest - $75 flight, used points, just paid $5 in taxes so $70 value. -Restaurant.com certificate at Slice for $25 off of $75 tab, bought for $4 so $21 value. -Restaurant.com certificate at Senor Frog's for $25 off of $50 tab, bought for $2 so $23 value. So that's around $1200 in free stuff. Not shabby in the least. myVegas has just recently changed its LP earning policy for the worse, so this may be the last time I ...