Vegas! California!

Vegas was awesome! Blondie and I flew out on a Tuesday night, and actually had an okay flight (OMG!) We got in and dropped our stuff at our casino, and then we debated. Typically, the first night we are in Vegas we are up all night. But Blondie's bro MG was flying in the next day early and we didn't want to waste his first day there. So we curled up in bed instead with some room service as we were both starving.

The next day we hit the casino early while waiting for MG to get in. We started with Pai Gow and moved onto craps when MG arrived. We decided to eat at PF Changs for lunch (okay, okay, I decided - TX has left a love of chain food in me), and then we explored up and down the strip. We checked out the lions at MGM Grand, we got a 100 oz frozen drink to split between the 3 of us, we saw all the new casinos that have gone up on the strip in the last few years (Aria, Oriental Mandarin), and then headed back to the Venetian to check it out also.

We decided to go to Freemont St on Wed night, and um, well, a very blotto Yours Truly convinced the brothers that riding the zip line down the canopy was a brilliant idea. We toured around Freemont St for a bit before heading back to our hotel and crashing.

The next day I sent the brothers on their way early and slept in to get rid of my hangover. When we did meet back up, we did a bit more exploring before heading for a big greasy mexican lunch. Then I went back and crashed some more while they explored more, and finally we all met up at our casino for a few more table games.

We then caught an evening show of a Cirque Du Soleil - Ka - at MGM. It was incredible - I developed an inappropriate crush on one of the actors in it, and their sheer athleticism just blew all 3 of us out of the water. The set was this giant rotating enormous thing, and they had built these maze like canopy things out into the audience (think Avatar - the trees they lived in - they had a set built like that through the seating area).

That night for dinner, we went and bought a buffett pass - $40 all you can eat for 24 hours. Ugh - never again. But we did it - ate buffett for 3 meals in a row.

Friday we kept it more low key - we did head down and check out NY NY, Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay, but for the most part, we were less energetic. Saturday we said goodbye to MG and caught our flight back.

Sunday I started working out again - and it sucked. I went for a run, and that was okay, but just trying to get my head into it again, hurt. Monday I did my 30 day shred DVD, and then it was off for my first full week of work in about 5 weeks.

On Monday evening, I decided to chop off my hair and dye it blonde (a total change) - I needed something new and it seemed an appropriate time to do this. I like it okay now, but it was really hard to get used to - and it still throws me off sometimes. Afterwards, I met Blondie on at our bar, to say hi to our group since it had been awhile. Then on Tuesday, friends of ours from SF were in town for a few days - they had a flight to Paris and London, but took a couple of days in NY first. We met them for dinner and drinks, and then Blondie headed on home because he's been sick. I stayed out with them for pretty late - and it was so awesome when I started home, because it had started to snow in earnest - loved walking home in it!

Wednesday we took it easy, but then Thursday we met Sweetie J at our bar! She's in town with Dirty Sanchez to celebrate her birthday week. Yesterday was another low key day, but then today it was a long workout at the gym, followed by *finally* getting a pedicure - my toes look so much better now. Blondie was feeling slightly better so he met me for a late lunch after, and now I'm killing time until I head out to meet Sweetie J and Dirty Sanchez for dinner. How old am I if a 9:30 pm dinnertime is blowing my mind?

Tomorrow I have to pack, because yes that's right, it's time for my 2nd cross country trip this year (and it's only mid January). I'm off to San Francisco for a week of work again on Monday morning bright and early. I will also say goodbye to 2 of my best friends from work, both of whom turned in their notices in the last 2 weeks. So it will be good to see them, but sad to see them go.

Hope everyone is doing well!

--K