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

Some good savings on this trip. Here goes. -6 nights at Aria - $516, would be $2646 (!) if booking with no MGM status. Savings of $2131. -$155 Freeplay, $89 Resort Credit, $244 of freebies either from booking package or accumulated points. -Free appetizer at Yardhouse, around $15 value. That's pretty much it, but that ain't nothing. That's $2390 of savings over what a horrific, unwashed beast with no MGM status would have to pay. The room discount is obviously the headline here. The room price includes a removal of the resort fees that a non-MGM Gold rewards member would have to pay. It's a pretty insane discount and it makes me glad that I've stuck with MGM. Don't think I'd have these discounts with anyone else. I'm not a high enough roller to get on the radar of V/P, Cosmo or Wynn but MGM seems to like me just fine.  So despite spending a shit ton pre-trip on flight upgrades, shows and a new iPad, the trip room overhead itself isn't so bad at all. ...

How's about a good old fashioned plan post? Haven't done one of these in a while because, well, I haven't planned very fucking much on the last several Vegas trips. It'll be good this time to have a happening on a few days. So let's block it out day by day: Saturday: Assuming all goes well with the flight I should be wheels down at Harry Reid at around 10a. I'll be doing mobile check in with Aria so possible I can taxi over and get right into the room, but more likely will have to drop the bag at the bell desk and go have a bevvie and maybe a snack somewhere before getting upstairs. Hopefully can be installed by around 1p though, then can start the trip in earnest. No plans on day one, so I'll likely just wander most of the day. I'll have a full day's save to blow so surely some gambles will happen at the many VP machines in Aria. Maybe hit Vesper at Cosmo since I'll be next door. Probably will go up to V/P in the afternoon to say hi to Evan an...

It's MGM, Jim. No drama or stress about where I need to spend all my hard earned wages on this upcoming trip. It's 3 courses of MGM with a bottle of MGM and MGM for dessert. Gotta plug away hard at the MGM rewards points on this trip. With likely just two trips left in the year, I need to max out on gambling at MGM resorts pretty much exclusively. I'm currently at 44K rewards points for the year, needing to get to 75K to maintain Gold status. I'll get some help from the trickle of points that come in through the MGM Rewards CC monthly; with 6 months left in the year that might get me another 9K points. That helps, but still leaves me 30K+ points short so I will have to get after it on the last two trips. Staying at two MGM resorts for the last two trips and trying to eat and drink there and flash my card for sweet, sweet 3X points will help too. But I'll still have to gamble. I've had decent luck at Aria in the past so that'll be the logical drop point for ...

Haven't been able to lock down a room for September...until now. Rates are high everywhere, mainly due to the Friday night that I added. So, I bailed on the Friday and am going a day earlier instead, now will be in town Sat-Fri. Only a $20 bump on the flight so no penalty really, I'm in same time on the Saturday morning and I'm out at a better time on fly-out day, 1p. Coming back on Friday gives me a whole weekend to recover from the week too before going back to work. Still Alaska, everything good there. For the room, my "best room to location to price" algorithm settled on Aria. Could have gone with a Delano suite again, but while I love the MB/Delano complex I didn't want the slightly isolating feel of being so far downstrip on this time. With all the activities going on on this trip I want to be more central. I also could have gotten a suite at Vdara for the same-ish price but Vdara rooms are so clapped out at this point, and I don't need what would be...

Oh hey. Would you look at what time it is. It's 2 months to Vegas time. There is news on the event calendar for the week. I added yet another show, I'll be seeing Interpol on the 13th at Virgin. Absolutely have fallen in love with the band's stuff over the last few years and hoping the new album coming out Friday will be a return to form. Sure to dig the show if for nothing but the oldies. Only $80 for a good seat in the orchestra so a no-brainer really. So I'll be taking in shows 3 out of the 6 nights. MJ ONE on Monday, Interpol Tuesday then the big one, NIN on Thursday. Still have Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday with no real major obligations so a good mix of freedom and things to do. Packing in a lot of awesome on this trip, and I'm here for it. So still a month until the real real countdown begins, but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting a little brighter. Way brighter than it was in April.  

I've had a couple of...struggle-y trips this year. Going to try to remedy that. Physically I just haven't been able to keep up. I'm getting older, facts. I'm 11 years older than when I first started going to Vegas, and I was already pretty old back then. I've got to stop thinking I can just "push through" on these week long trips. A weekender, with a day off to sleep after? Sure, push through. 6 nights, 5 full days? Ya gotta pace yourself, bitch. So, here's the "make it through a week of Vegas in September" plan.  1) Hydrate/replenish. I drink a lot in Vegas. no, I mean I drink a LOT in Vegas. I'm drinking from basically get up to drop out. I HAVE to put some of that body fluid back. I bought a pack of Emergen-C electrolyte powder that I'm going to mix into a big glass of water every morning on waking up. That along with a maybe a big Gatorade purchased after making it downstairs should get me off to a good start, then during the day ...