this little life of mine

1. First things first, because I'm sure you're ALL wondering: No, I did NOT get a tattoo in Vegas. I don't know why, really, I just didn't know exactly what I wanted, and didn't want to get new ink just for the sake of getting new ink.
2. I saw the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay and was only mildly impressed. It might've been the dim lighting which made photography nearly impossible, or the throngs of screaming children. Or both.
3. I also toured the Bodies display and was VERY impressed by that! Unfortunately they didn't allow photography in the display, so I can't share any pictures of human organs or eyeballs or blood vessels or anything, but it was amazing and I highly recommend it! 
4. I walked a thousand miles in Vegas, I swear! I wish I'd taken a pedometer to prove it, but I walked all over the dang place and I'm sure it added up to some impressive number! 
5. I didn't go on any rides (unless you count the Mandalay Bay to Excalibur tram or the Vegas strip monorail, which I don't). The NYNY roller coaster never look like it was working - I never heard it running or any people screaming - until sometime Saturday afternoon, and frankly, I think it might've been too hot to ride a coaster anyway - and the gondola ride at the Venetian was just too open (as you can see from the photo below, people are able to just stand around and stare at you in the boat and/or take pictures or video).
6. I also didn't make it to Minus5 - the ice bar - which is about the only thing I'm disappointed about. I walked by it several times, but I was either on my way to meet people/go see something or just too tired and needed a nap. 
7. I played the penny slots a couple times and lost a total of $8.00. This might not seem like much to most people, but it was more than enough for me!
8. Krave was AWESOME!! We stayed till 4:15 a.m. or 4:30 a.m. (I forget), had a VERY memorable and hilarious ride back to our respective hotels. By the time I was settled in my own room around 5:30 a.m., I was wondering if I should even bother trying to go to sleep, or just shower, change clothes and head back out into Vegasland. In the end I opted for sleep and got about four hours worth before venturing out into the world.
9. A couple other things I didn't manage to get to or see were the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel and Casino, the Fashion Show Mall, the Stratosphere, Viva Las Vegastamps, the Fountains at Bellagio and the fancy-pants shops at the Cesar's Palace casino.
10. I also didn't see any shows - no Tom Jones, Cirque de Soliel, Lion King, Barry Manilow or Thunder from Down Under. Didn't really have time and I didn't really care.
11. I didn't take as many pictures as  I'd planned. Mostly it was just too dang hot to be outside doing much of anything, and inside was always dimly lit and therefore hard to get a good shot. I got a few, however, like this one:

but most of them just didn't come out as well as I'd hoped.

12.  I ate a lot of fantastic food! My lunch at the Border Grill was really yummy and our group dinner at the Bouchon Bistro was THE BEST! I actually didn't go to any buffets because they all looked super expensive (especially for one person!*), but there were several little food shops around where you could get something pretty good to go.

13.  Next time I go to Vegas I am definitely staying at Mandalay Bay. Their pool area alone is amazing and their shops and restaurants are, in my opinion, better than Excalibur.

* One could argue that I spent WAY more for my 2 meals at Bouchon and Border Grill than I would have at a buffet, but I would argue that the food was WAY better at Bouchon and Border Grill than it probably is at a buffet. So there.

 

   

The Gondola Ride at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.

   

Here are some contestants from the Miss Universe Pageant which is being held at the Mandalay Bay hotel later this month. I'm not sure what countries these girls represent, but I did hear a group of Chinese tourists cheering as one girl went by in front of this group, so apparently Miss China was in the house!

   

During our dinner at the Haufbrauhaus in Vegas, we were entertained by a great band, hilarious (but annoying drunk frat boys), and waitresses who enjoyed giving spankings! This gentleman, the "German Fabio" (as we called him), was all decked out in authentic lederhosen and played the cowbells, the accordion and the pan flute!

   

   

 
I played a few penny slots today. And lost. Good thing I wasn't playing dollar slots! I also browsed the shops at the Venetian and the Paris/Bally Promenade. Didn't buy anything, just looked. Thankfully I wore comfy shoes today!

   

As you may have heard, I'm heading to Las Vegas in a couple weeks to hang out with some of my super amazing internet friends. I haven't been to Vegas in about a decade and there are a few things I'd like to do that I either didn't get a chance to do then, or would like to do again:

1. One thing I'm definitely seeing this time is the Shark Reef Exhibit at the Mandalay Bay resort, and I might take in the Secret Garden/Dolphin reserve at the Mirage as well.
2. I'd love to do a couple of the rides, like the Roller Coaster at New York New York or the any of the totally scary-looking rides at the Stratosphere!
3. I would still like to get a tattoo, although I'm starting to drag my feet a bit on that. I haven't yet chosen a tattoo design or body location, nor have I done any research on Vegas tattoo parlors to find the cleanest place with the best artists. 
4. I saw the awesome view of Vegas from the Eiffel Tower at the Paris hotel years ago when I was there with my friend DeeDee, but I might check it out again now that I have a better camera!
5. Dinner with my friends at the awesome-looking Bouchon Bistro is already set for Saturday, but I'd like to try some another really cool, but not-as-expensive restaurant (that's NOT a buffet; I'm sure I'll be doing plenty of those!). Suggestions welcome!
6. OMG, I totally have to stop by for a drink at Minus 5 Ice Lounge! How cool is that?!? (Pun intended)
7. I'm not really planning to see any shows while I'm in Vegas, but if I had a sudden itch to do so, I'd probably go see a Cirque du Soleil show, like The Beatles Love, or something like that.
8. Another carved-in-stone activity is Friday night at the Krave nightclub. I wish I had something super cool to wear, but so far I'm coming up really short and will probably end up just looking like a 40-something dweeb.
9. I will definitely spend some time poolside! The Excalibur, where I'm staying, has a few different pools including an adult-only pool so we don't have to deal with any screaming, splashing kids! Oh, jeez, I hope I have a swim suit that fits!
10. My chiropractor suggested the art gallery at the Bellagio. I didn't realize they had such a nice selection of art, so I might have to put that on the list, too!
11. A little shopping might be "in the cards", so to speak, too. I seem to recall a fancy-pants mall in Caesar's Palace I believe, that might be fun to browse.
12. Would going on the gondola ride at the Venetian be too corney? I mentioned the thrill rides above, but apparently the gondolas are considered "rides" as well. Certainly not thrilling, but perhaps relaxing. Then again, I"m not sure I'd be comfortable with all the people standing around watching me slowly be swooshed through the water by a guy ina striped shirt.
13. Gambling. Honestly, I'm not really into it (well, I COULD be REALLY into it if I gave myself half a chance, which I won't! My addictive personality + gambling = not a really good idea!), but I might have to give myself $20.00 to play some nickel slots or something. Or maybe I'll just take all those bags of change to Vegas with me and periodically plop a coin into a slot. I don't know.