Post Mortem, August 2025.

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Well then.

That...could have been better. High and low lights:

Flights:

Fine. Got to SFO way to 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 gambles/room/CC of  about 15K tier points. Sitting just a little short of 50K now so should be a laugher to get to 75K and Gold again. Still have $60 and over $100 of RC/FP going into next trip, plus whatever I put together between now and then.

Food:

Had a good meal at Jean Georges on the last night, but aside from that I cancelled every reservation and mostly did room service (to be chronicled below).

Drink/Body:

THIS. This was a major fuck up. I legit alcohol poisoned myself on the first day, to the detriment of the rest of the trip. I got in so early on the arrival morning and was so exited to hit the ground running, that all morning before I even checked in I just went from place to place in Bellagio and Cosmo drinking vodka, with no food. Was completely plowed by the time I got into the room and promptly took an 8 hour nap. Got up from that and kept drinking the rest of the night...with no food.

The next day I was so sick I didn't get out of bed until 3p, then just was still so physically crushed that I stayed in and ate copious amounts of room service and Coca Cola. I finally got out around 7p that night, but the rest of the trip I never really got a good full day in. Still felt wrecked most of the time. Major fail and a lesson I should have learned years ago. Oh wait, I did learn it years ago.

Summation:

In all, I did have some fun and it was still worth the time and effort, but I'll not remember much from the trip, as there wasn't much to remember. Pace. Your. Fucking. Self.


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