Las Vegas trip #1

Las Vegas 2006. Vegas Trip # 1

For a nice long week! ...that's right - week...not weekend. 7 days and we still did NOT get to do everything I had planned to do. 1 aborted journey was a Lake Las Vegas trip. However, we did get to finally see Elton John and the Red Piano. We also saw "Hairspray", I played a round of golf at Bear's Best, Vegas. But this trip was a business trip so it involved a few meetings and a little politicking. I'm guessing this is what cost us the additional plans I made.

The Bellagio was very nice. Beautiful & expensive are adequate adjectives. We had a lunch, at the pool cafe, A very light, small lunch. With no alcohol. "After tip" = $57.00. Amazing! "No bun with the burger", also "can I have fruit instead of fries?", and "could I have some salsa too?". 57 bucks just like that; for a burger, diet coke, and 3 mini tacos. Wow, it's an expensive place to stay. And thank God we had a lunch allowance of $12 !! I also saw a Tie in one of the shop windows that I liked....$225.00.... whew! Lunch & 1 tie, or, 3 nights at any other hotel. The room was great. The lobby is something to see. The casino is a bit confusing in it's layout, but the dealers are super. The buffet is quite a bit slow....for really no reason - there is plenty of seating but they move really slow...I'm guessing on purpose, but can't understand why. The pools were "ok" - I prefer the MGM pools; not much action at the Bellagio watering holes, just kind of "lay back & relax".

Golf at Bear's Best was great. It's a very nice course, with some spectacular views & very cool homes being built. For 1/2 acre of desert land on this course....just for the land.... $1m. A piece of desert for 1 million - that's how nice it is up there. Some of the pictures below look more like a photography scene than a real golf setting. It's worth the price to play here. I shot a 92 :)

We were able to get tickets to see Elton !! But, what a waste of money. That poor man is just messed up, or mixed up - pick your poison. Elton appeared to me, and everyone with me & around me, to be very unhappy. He bitched a little - about everything; from Celine to himself. He came off angry, sad, confused about life, hateful, and very gay. He sat behind his piano almost the entire show, with the exception of walking from his piano to the left side of the stage, then stroll over to the right side looking for some applause. The videos being played behind him were very depressing - 1 of himself putting his head into an oven, then an angel coming up and giving him a "gay sex" thrust from behind - Why even do that ? And a dead soldier and all the grave markers – why ? Or in all the videos, when ever a woman appeared in a video, to have them always abused by things like ripping off her blouse, and/or throwing her around, pulling hair, slapping, etc... And the male dancers, the very gay male dancers, who all, always, just ran around jumping, rolling, moving...each without any regard to the rhythm or the music. He also used many invalid props. Twice he brought out large LOVE blowups, yet everything gave the feeling of "hate". And what’s up the large inflatable breasts? I could go on.

All in all, the fun factor for Elton was a “0”. The dancers could not dance, the choreographer had no vision, the stage props had no purpose, and Elton himself was in a bad mood. He is an angry gay man. And that’s very sad because everyone likes his music. Surprisingly - no body wanted an encore, nor did anyone stay for one. In my section, we all just flocked to the exit….and everyone either expressed their disappointment or said nothing at all. After seeing a show, having no one talk about it may be worse than complaining. Elton seemed put-out to be there.

hairspray. Very good. It's a fun play/musical. "Fun" meaning Comedy, singing, goofy-ness, dancing, "short chubby girl gets tall good looking man" kind of silliness, with a large fat guy dressed in drag that the audience seemed to know. She/he had a deep voice that I've heard before so I guess he/she was the real celebrity ...person. It's a good show in a casino that we don't get to very often - Luxor. It's worth seeing.

Gambling for 7 days....imagine how expensive that could turn out. We pretty much lost for 1st 5 days. But then, we hit a couple hot craps tables on the 6th day. My sweetie was feeling lucky (alcohol induced luck is always the best). That got me back to above even, then I hit the BJ tables at Bellagio. We're winners once again. This was a good business trip: fun & a little profitable.