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

The plan? No plan. I had a good trip last time at Xmas, but I stage managed it a bit too much in retrospect. I looked back at my "The Plan" post before that trip and compared it to the Post Mortem, and damn if it isn't almost a perfect match. I made 3 dinner reservations in 4 nights, added a movie and a myVegas redemption for a specific spot. It all added up to a good trip but there wasn't much in the way of spontaneity built in. It felt like I was following a script, and while the script was good, that's not always the best way to do Vegas. So I did the script last time; this time there's not even a crib note. It's a quick 3-day trip, I'm (probably) not going to make any dinner reservations (TBH I usually just sit at the bar of any resto I go to anyway, so there's not much point) and I'm not going to plan anything outside of whatever myVegas redemption I cash in, which likely will be in NYNY anyway, so no big whoop. My May trip ...

WARNING: Not really a Vegas post. Nothing to read here. New year, time for a status update. Status: pretty damn good. My job is good, I'm pretty inexpendable and more or less like the actual work. In 2013 I was actively looking for work, I thought my position was so dead-end; now that I'm in the inventory position it's truly bearable. I just passed 4 years in one job, which I think aside from my first Barnes & Noble stint is a record. I don't make a ton of money but it's enough to get me out on weekends and finance 3-4 Vegas trips a year. My health, 6 years on from a heart attack, is also fine. Just got put through a bank of heart tests that I wasn't getting with Healthy SF, and came through fine. I'm more or less healthy, aside from a couple hips that are bugging me and may need work. I'm not getting any slimmer, but I may remedy that in the coming month or so (Soylent?). Not much going on on the female front, but for the first time in a whi...

Another good Mlife offer, another booked Vegas trip at an MGM resort. I will be spending 4 nights at the lovely Aria in May. With the possible exception of my stay at THEhotel, this will be the top MGM property I've stayed at. The offer was for any MGM resort with differing nights/comps, but I've always had my eye on Aria. Yet another email Mlife offer. It's a good one, only 1 night comped but the other 3 are only $69 each (+ the resort fee, of course), so around $300 for the stay. However, that amount is offset by a very nice $150 in resort credit, and another $50 in Freeplay, so the true cost will only be around $100. The pleb per-night cost is almost $200, so the Mlife rate is a great one, it would be almost $800 to stay the 4 nights w/o Mlife. The Deluxe King room isn't huge, at 520 sq ft, but looks comfortable and modern, lots of earth tones. The location for that trip will be perfect too, as I'll be a literal stones throw from the Cosmo where I...

Back to Vegas, and, surprisingly enough, back to an MGM property. Was dicking around this morning looking at possible times I could go back based on my work schedule. About the only slot I have until May (which I already HAVE a trip in) was a few days at the end of February. Went on JetBlue to see what the rates look like. $90. Round trip. Are you shitting me? Booked. Then not a half hour later I get an email from my formerly maligned, but earning it's way back into my heart Mlife, with a 3 nights comped offer for NYNY. Also booked. So my total overhead for this trip, i.e. flight/room, even with the $30 per night Resort Fee, is under $200. There's also a $50 Freeplay bonus thrown in on the deal. Nice. I was a little surprised to see the Mlife offer for so many nights. Since I was demoted in tier level I've been seeing slap in the face 1 night offers here and there, but I haven't seen a decent offer like this in 6 months at least. Yeah, it's still NY...

Good, drama free trip. Lot of drinking, lot of steak. Got to town on time Wed, jumped over to the Cosmo, asked at checkin if there were any upgrades available. Was told a $45 upgrade to a Fountains-facing 1 bedroom terrace suite was available. Sold! Holy shit, easily the nicest hotel room I've ever been in, hands down. The above photo was my exact view. I took about 50 pictures. Big, roomy, lots of living space. Huge tub/shower area with a Strip view. Room amenities were awesome. Easy in/out on the elevators. I always say it doesn't matter what kind of room I have in Vegas because I'm hardly in them, but my opinion on that has changed. It is SO worth getting a nice room. For a first Cosmopolitan stay experience it was mind-blowing. So, anyway, the trip. Honestly most of it went as planned. I hung at Vesper for an hour or so before heading off that first night to Mirage to do the Tom Colicchio Steak thing. Steak was OK, little undercooked. Chef's can...

Last check in before the trip. Expected work bonus came through, so money more than good for the 4 days. Will have a full 1K per day as hoped, and a little "walking around" money for the airport before the flight and the taxi ride to the Cosmo when on the ground. This along with the $1400 I have on my CC to cover hotel fees and incidental holds means it'll be a no-stress trip money wise. Also got the Boombotix speaker I was expecting, fucking thing is LOUD. Good addition for the trip to rock out in the room while getting ready. Can leave the iPad at home as a result. No need to bring iPhone, iPad and speaker. Vegas playlist is done and it's a masterpiece, best one I've put together thus far. All done but the shouting now. The money is pulled out of the bank, the clothes are clean, all I need to do is get on the plane and get this party started. 1 more day. See ya after, assuming I survive.

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is my Vegas spirit animal. The "Cosmo" opened on 15 December 2010 (happy Bday yesterday!). My first Vegas trip was less than 2 months later, in February of 2011. When I arrived in town, I cabbed over to my resort off-Strip, freshened up a bit, and headed out into the night to take in my first Vegas Strip experience. I'll always remember that mile-long walk from Rumor on Harmon east to the Strip. My excitement level was high, but I also didn't know what to expect. I had done a little research and had been to Reno casinos like the Silver Legacy before, but this was capital V Vegas, the big Kahuna, what would the Strip be like? Harmon spilled me out onto LVB right in front of the Shiny, new Cosmopolitan. It somehow just looked "right", so across LVB I went and into the Strip-facing front door. It blew me away. It was simultaneously modern and classic, with the programmed LED curtains of Bond leading to the endless cha...