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

Oof. Can't lie, that pretty much sucked. Not much to say about this one but that. Some quick impressions I guess. Flights: No issues, both on time and was actually able to get an a hour earlier flight on the out so that was all good. Rooms:   Mostly OK, got into the Aria room right away on the Saturday, got upgraded to a Strip View, fine but boring as always there. The check in line for Cosmo was hellacious on the Sunday, stood there sweating for nearly an hour before finally getting up to the room. Room was fine, PH view, little smaller than I remembered from the first stay but still a very nice room. Housekeeping was a constant issue at Cosmo, one time didn't show up until 9p. Other than that a good base for 5 nights. Food: Almost non-existent. I think I only had 2 sit-down meals the whole time I was there. Flaked on the one reservation I had. Ended up living on Chex Mix and Snickers a couple days. Really bad. Drinking: A lot. Body: Barely hung on. Several nights I came home ...

  2 days ya bishes. Not much left to do. The laundry's done, bag is nearly packed, devices charging, the balls are shaved...pretty much all that's left is to pull a little money out of the bank Friday and GO. That money will be fine. Paid down the MGM CC so it'll be under $1K on go day, meaning I'll have over $7K of available credit for the trip. Not that I'll remotely need it. Just need to hit the bank Friday and pull out $1600 so I can have the usual $1000 per full day plus $700 for the short Saturday night. Leaves me with over a grand in the bank. Hopefully can add some back when I return. If nothing else the save was painless, thanks to April. I'm checked into the room for Saturday. Aria. Will check when I get there to see if I have a Gold upgrade but on a sold out (to plebes) Saturday it's not likely. Have to do actual physical check-in on Sunday at Cosmo but hoping it's painless, again will take advantage of late check out at Aria and try to get th...

Quite a good haul this time on savings. Shall we? -5 nights at Cosmopolitan in a Terrace One Bedroom Suite, special rate w/no resort fees: $1055, would be $2600 with no Identity rate, savings of $1545. -1 night at Aria in a Deluxe King, comped, no resort fees, night's not avail to book so not sure how much savings, another Saturday in June is $409 so we'll charitably call it $360 for the 10th, I added late check out so we'll say a $300 savings. -$50/$50 Freeplay/Resort Credit in the Aria booking package, $100 savings. -$117 in Freeplay built up from MGM Rewards, $117 value. -$57 in MGM Rewards Points (Resort Credit) available to use, $57 value but will increase with play by the time I use them Wednesday, call it $75. So that's a grand total of $2119 saved. And people ask me why I always go to Vegas on vacations. I also saved some $ by using some miles on the United flight but I can't be arsed to look it up, and also still have that $55 in Buffalo Wild Wing's GC ...

8 days from...NOW, I will be on a plane to The Vegas. All is well. Have done a little shopping pre-trip as I do; got a couple more polos to wear as a couple of my old standards are a bit naff, and got a new pair of Adidas so that will be the trip shoe. Will check them out tomorrow to make sure they're comfy but I have an almost identical pair in another color and they're nails. So, as per usual, jeans, sneaks, 4-5 polos and a couple tees, and one dress shirt for my date night (with myself). James Bond I am not, but James Bond wallet I have not. The weather looks to be really good. Summer has happened there and we all know what that means, but mercifully it looks like it will never get much above 95 highs so not too stifling. Enough to melt that mountain snow that was still there in April but not enough to melt me. Lucked out a bit on the Knights schedule in the SC Finals - the only game that could impact me is game 5 which would be the Tuesday I'm there, so if I just avoid ...