Wednesday, September 2, 2009

A Trip Down Vegas Memory Lane...

I left the shed next to my framer's house with my masterpiece in my right hand. A framed up 1,000 piece puzzle of the Las Vegas Strip at night. And surrounding the puzzle was a $1 chip from every hotel on the strip. Anal and meticulous that I am, I had to ensure that the chips were in the correct order in which they sit on the strip. As I hung the piece over my TV in the living room, I got nostalgic. My last trip to Vegas was in March, 2008. I need to make another trip and soon. And this piece hanging in my living room will be a constant reminder.

My first trip to Vegas was for my 21st birthday. Maybe it was because it was preceded by a 3-day trip to the worst city on earth (Los Angeles), but the anticipation of landing at McCarren Airport can not be overstated. Since, my 21st birthday, I have made the requisite Vegas trips (although, sadly, I have never attended a Las Vegas bachelor party....yet. There is hope finally building for my little brother, and I am certain that's where we're headed). I have done the boys trip. I have done the family trip (yes, with my then-2 year old son). I have done the couples trip. I have run the gamut. And Vegas never disappoints. Even the trip on my 21st birthday when I was sick for a day and a half and lost a few hundred bucks (still, to this day, the only time I went to Vegas and came out a loser), we had a ton of fun.

Each of my Vegas excursions has left me with an unforgettable moment or 10. My first trip was well, my first trip. It was also the first time I ever realized that cocktail waitresses don't actually think you are as cute as they tell you that you are. This lesson has come in handy later in life in other establishments where women rely heavily on tips. That trip was also the trip where my underage brother won $1,000 at Keno. But since he was underage, I had to cash in his ticket. It was the only time that weekend I was actually ahead.

Each trip since, I have actually left Vegas having won money. But the memories and the famous one-liners that come from a Vegas trip are what stick with you. I will keep the authors of the following quotes anonymous, but they are all a reminder of the fun we had each time we went to Vegas...

"Pull your bets back, we're headed to Amen Corner." My 2003 trip. I won a lot of money that week. But one night, in a matter of about 2 hours, me and my buddies managed to lose about $300 each playing craps....and all because the 5 of us kept crapping out and losing everybody at the table money. We never quit, mind you. We just kept rolling 7s, killing everyone's winnings at the table, and made jokes about it. Why didn't we just leave the table???

"I thought you were up $1,800?"
"I was."
"So, how do you only have $800 left?"
"Strip club."
"Oh, you paid for a ----------"
"No."
"Then what did you get for $1,000?"
"We cuddled."

"We're gonna go have a 3some now." Ok, so obviously this didn't happen. But during my 2008 trip this line was uttered in an elevator by a girl who was with a woman and her husband, to a crowded elevator. The elevator's patrons stood silent in sheer shock at the comment. The husband was excited briefly, until he figured out that this wasn't actually going to happen.

Obviously, there are tons of other quotes and memories that stick in my head that I can't mention here. But, it just reminds me how much fun Las Vegas really is and how badly I miss it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to check Orbitz for flight costs from Ft. Lauderdale to Las Vegas!

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