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

Added a night to June Vegas. Figured why not, the money will be in a good place and it'll set me up for a more relaxed Sunday. I'll get into town now at around 6:30p on the Saturday, same fly out day on Friday. Aria comped me the night so it was an easy decision, it'll be $0 for the room and I added late check out so I can relax and not have to try to rush over to Cosmo early Sunday morning. Maybe stay in the room until 12:30-1p and then head over next door to check in there. The flight was an easy switch, no change fee on United and actually got a refund on the date change, then upgraded to a mid-cabin seat so it was basically a wash. It'll also be a more relaxed airport day, won't have to wake up at the ass crack to get to the airport on a Sunday morning. I'll drop the car in the work garage again and just Uber to the airport from there, easy peasy. A later in the day flight brings up the possibility of a flight delay but just have to roll the dice and hope.  ...

Here we are, hovering a few scant weeks away from another Vegas. Doing this one right, room-wise. We are suite-ing at the fabtastic Cosmopolitan (with a side of Aria). The Terrace room not the biggest room I've stayed at in Vegas. Not the newest room I've stayed at in Vegas. Maybe not even the "best" room I've stayed at in Vegas, but surely my favorite. So, here's the plan... Saturday Rolling in around 6:30p if all goes well with United, over to Aria to dump the bags and with any luck out to the strip by 7:30p. No plans, can get up to anything and can go deep if need be as I don't have to be up early the next day. Will have $50/$50 to spend on VP/food in the Aria package that I have to use that night so may stick there to soak that up, then it's off to the races on a Vegas Saturday night. Sunday Sleep in, recover, nice relaxed morning then head over to Cosmo around 12:30-1p to get checked in there. If I have to wait at all, maybe hit Vesper if a friend...

Doin' thangs in June. I didn't want to go fully no plan like I did last trip, so I have made the Wednesday night my "date with myself" night. I'm going to do dinner at the lovely Lago at Bellagio, to soak up whatever resort credit I've accrued before and during the trip. I've got $68 worth now, plus with whatever drops in from the CC this month and whatever I earn between Sun-Wed in town I should have a solid hundy and maybe $120 ready to unload. Lago has a great view of the fountains and I've never eaten there, so we'll give it a go around 5:30p. Then it'll be back over to the home base Cosmo to see OPM (formerly Opium). I saw it several years ago and thought it was the best Vegas show I had ever seen to that point, and apparently now they have re-tooled the show so it'll be like seeing it from scratch. Dropped $120 on the ticket but fuck it, it's a known quantity and I do need to patronize shows once in a while there so I'm not j...

The Dorsey is closing in June. This bar has defined a lot of my trips since it opened in December of 2016. I was there opening night, it was slow and the vibe was not quite right but they already had amazing service and amazing drinks. I can't even count how many Coconut White Russians I've had there over the years. Met some true friends there as well and started countless long, great Vegas nights at 4p at the Dorsey. Nothing lasts long in Vegas though, particularly in nightlife. Longtime bartenders have left, the service has dropped, and once Sam Ross the creative director was kicked out the writing was probably on the wall. Sadly the plan seems to be to overhaul all three of the Collective bars, with Rosina and Electra soon to get the axe too. Apparently the plan is to do a fucking dueling piano concept in the Dorsey space. What a fall from grace. The bar closes a couple weeks after I leave town from the June trip, so at least I'll be able to go in and pour one out to one...

Well with a good, lucrative trip under my belt to start the Vegas year, it's time for a short turnaround and to start getting into the next one. June 11-16 is on the calendar. It's a bit of forced time off as the company is shutting down that week for a cost-saving measure in this tough year for tech. Fine by me as I don't have to ask for the time off, can feel fine about going, and the PTO's already approved.  It'll be back to the fabulous Cosmopolitan this time. It was the best room-to-cost value by far. Got a really good offer on the unreal Terrace One Bedroom Suite, just over $200/night and no resort fees. Bit of a splurge on this one but I'll be able to pay the CC down on it with a little discipline before I go, and fuck it, after coming back up from the last trip it's a reward. I may only get three trips this year, if so let's go big on the last two. Stayed in the Terrace One Bedroom Suite back in 2015 and it's the best room I've ever staye...

A good trip, that one. Very solid Return of the King (uh, me) after 4 months of deprivation. Nothing momentous, just some good drinking, decent fooding, and in a shocker, good gambling. No blow by blow here, just some general impressions. Had a good flight in, slight delay but nothing horrid, Flight out bad - 3+ hour delay. Took it in some stride by getting late checkout but on fly out day just get me the fuck home, and Alaska didn't. But file it under shit happens. Plenty of drinking, never felt too out of control, also did some light shrooming most days of the trip which was mostly good but it got me on Monday, I took too much apparently and freaked out a bit after about an hour out and several resorts away. Made it back to the room and let it wear off and the night was OK, but by about 1a that last night I was fried. For the most part though the body hung in there and kept me in fun all day every day with no naps. I slept OK for the most part. Hung out a bit with Evan again, at ...

Escapade #48 all time in Las Vegas, Nevada begins in around 48 hours. The prep is basically done. The money is out of the bank, the laundry is done, the bag is partially packed, I'm checked into the room, there's not much left to do. I check into the flight tomorrow night, do a little more packing Thursday morning then head off to park the car in the work garage, work Thursday til 4p then I'm gone. All is well. Waffled a bit on staying at NYNY as with the funds inflow I could afford an upgrade to a suite somewhere, but I'm good with getting re-acquainted with one of my former fave resorts now that the rooms are fresh. Certainly can't sneeze at how little it's going to cost me, and nothing else in the MGM palette really tickles my nuts right now. If Aria's standard rooms finish the makeover they're under maybe I'll stay there later this year. Money's good. Still have $2K in the bank after all needs and wants are pulled out. $1K per four full days ...