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

  Counting down, in the wasteland of trip tweener time. Cutting back to three trips a year really creates some Vegas time gaps. April to August, August to Xmas, Xmas to April, rinse, repeat. Honestly I could squeeze in another one every year if I didn't keep having wallet-busting trips. I haven't seen a hand pay since last Xmas. And now I'll be skrimping to get to the needed $5K save for this Xmas, after still having to dig out of the August trip. I'm not too worried, I'm more or less resigned to staying in this (shitty) job until the end of the year now, as if I leave it will be walking away from potentially $5K in bonuses, which I will need to finance the Xmas Vegas. As it is, I will probably only be able to squirrel away a couple grand in the November/December paychecks. Trip after trip, I always make it work somehow someway. The resort is locked at MGM Grand, as my Rewards offers have fallen off. Was 4/$50/$100 now 4/$30/$50. If I rebook I would lose $70 in pac...

The inevitable Xmas Vegas is set. Booked the flight and hotel tonight. Was waiting for a good flight deal and found one for a late flight in on Saturday night the 20th, will arrive at about 10:30p. Wasn't digging the early AF morning flights in, too much trouble waiting around to get into the room. This way I'll have the room ready at arrival, can just print a key and head up, and be settled in for a full 5 day trip. Then it's an out time on the fly out day of around 11a, home by a reasonable time and no waiting around in the room to head to the airport, which I hate. $154 all in for the flights, which is damn good for Xmas week. The room will be an Executive King Suite at the Grand. Newly remodeled, they look a lot brighter and airier that the rather dour old Exec suites. Comped for 4 of the 6 nights, all in after taxes and removed resort fees it's around $180. Adding the extra night means about $100 over the suite I had booked at MB, but it's still a hell of a dea...

Well then. That...could have been better. High and low lights: Flights: Fine. Got to SFO way too early for the in flight, had to wait an hour for TSA to even open, but both flights on time and no issues. Strip: After all the gloom and doom reports I expected to see myself, a couple locals, a busker and a ravenous coyote on the strip, in reality it was a normal, busy weekend. The Monday tailed off a bit on traffic but the media can basically go fuck itself. It's still Vegas. Room/Resort: Bellagio. Nuff said, really. Nice room, same as in April, a little lower floor but still had an oblique fountain view. Quiet, comfortable, well located. Resort boring and crowded as always. Gambling/Rewards: Ass. Lost $2400, all at MGM resorts. Out of a budget of $4K that's not horrible, I guess, but aside from a few 4OAKS I hit nothing all trip. Didn't gamble a penny outside of MGM, maybe I should have, but I stuck to the plan at least. Rewards went pretty well, racked up good bump from gam...