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

The site where I work will be shutting down at the end of March. J&J research site. Less than a year and a half old. Crazy. But big money companies do big money wasting things. Apparently this is somewhat par for the course for J&J.  What it means for me is unclear. Right now it's not even official, apparently it gets media dumped tomorrow at 5p Eastern to minimize the stock drop it'll likely cause. More details about whether it's just...over on March 31st or if there will be months of decommissioning equipment (which we would likely be involved in) is also unclear. I've been assured that since I'm not J&J, that I'm a contractor, my job is safe. Apparently this comes from the higher reaches of my company group so that's good, but what that means for what and where I'll have that job is unknown. If it's a remote job, great, if it means commuting to someplace like fucking Fremont or something...not great. I spent some time dusting off the r...

T-minus 2 months from Next Vegas. Nothing has changed in the plan. Still locked into Resorts World and JSX, otherwise known as baller and baller. I requested early arrival and at the Conrad, so hopefully that will come though so I can get into the room a couple hours early. Flight time would make that ideal. Still have just the two food reservations, no shows or anything this time. Little early for a Birthbies post, but booking the King Suite on RW or Hilton's website would cost me $2380 right now, as opposed to the $1500 it cost me on Priceline. Tight. And I have the whole $2K from JSX and the room paid off now, so it's all gravy save at this point for the next 4 paychecks. Already have the full cash save needed in the bank and will try to bump it up some between now and then to have a cushion. I keep checking MGM pretty much daily for rate drops, but anything even in the same tri-state area of niceness as the Conrad suite (like a Resort Tower King at Bellagio) are just as muc...

The bill has come due for my abject failure in December. Tier level updates have happened and I am no longer MGM Gold. I'm back to a lowly Pearl, where the poors hang out. My shame is beyond measure. I knew it was coming. I didn't monitor my spend well enough at the end of the Xmas trip and left myself 5K points short, which would have been easily gettable had I not been in a fog of Belvedere and cocaine the last few days of the trip. I have no one to blame but myself, Belvedere and cocaine. In a practical sense it means 2 things. The biggie is no more waived resort fees at MGM resorts. That will cost me $200-300 per trip depending on length of stay and resort. Not inconsiderable, but also not the end of the living universe. The other main drag will be no available room upgrades on check in, which is less of a big deal. I think the whole time I was Gold it might have only meant a few view upgrades, I don't think I ever got a better room class out of it. There are also thing...