Good evening from Las Vegas! This will be rather brief right now since the first day is always spent settling in, adjusting to the different time zone and (once again) recuperating because the flight was bumpy. The weather here is fantastic. It’s hot yet not blistering thanks to the sky being unseasonably cloudy, bringing it down to the mid-to-low 90s (F). When I was here in late September 2005, it was a sweltering mess.
Somara’s health is improving, the trip and previous evening spent preparing didn’t have any serious effect on her cold. I predict she’ll be at 100% by Friday. Me? Once I finally ate something, I unwound with a quick nap and now I’m ready to start checking out the Strip to have my first craps game!
As for our time share, it’s looking pretty sweet. Somara took a series of pictures of the room. Definitely bigger than anything standard at the Strip hotels. I’m certainly pleased with our decision because the pool is open to 10 PM compared to the Strip’s 7 PM (my experience at Luxor and Aladdin), the gym is free ($25/day at Aladdin), Nickelodeon, NickToons AND Cartoon Network on our TV, the hot tub is 24 hours and finally, there’s a stereo-DVD player; we knew this in advance so we brought Krull and Branagh’s Hamlet; the former for its 25th anniversary. The downsides are the lack of adequate wireless access (numerous dead spots for 3G in this town too), our room is on the same floor as the current tour-spiel thing; we have to sit through an owner meeting tomorrow but we’ll receive a discount on upcoming maintenance fees and the real test…location. Tahiti Village is on 7200 South LV Blvd, not a cheap cab ride for two people (five yes, two nuh-uh) and the shuttle buses end by 11 PM. Biologically, my body would act like it’s 1 AM in Austin yet c’mon, this is Vegas! The fun is only getting started. Then again, I’ll find out if I can stay awake past 9-10 PM at my “advanced age.” Personally, I’m taking a wait-and-see stand on the transportation factor. I told Somara we’ll analyze it and then decide if getting a rental car would make more sense next visit.
No catch phrase as of yet.
I did start my vacation book, Adam Ant’s autobiography Stand and Deliver. It’s really interesting, no kidding. I may actually get through half of it by Vegas V’s end. Poor Somara accidently left hers on the plane. Good thing our place is near a mall with a Borders amongst familiar junk food restaurants: Chipotle, Outback, MacDo’s, etc.
We do have a few choice photos of other things we hope to upload, I know Helen will enjoy one from Bergstrom (Austin’s airport).
TSA didn’t rifle through my luggage for a change; no rude notice in my suitcase! We did have to remove our watches during the screening. I guess our enemies lack a permanent tan-line from wearing one like I’ve developed because third-world nations aren’t as obsessed over precise time keeping?
More as it happens. I will continue to hunt for reliable connections outside of Apple Retail Stores. Trust me, I plan to bring this up at the owners meetings.
GAMBLING REPORT (AMENDED):
Somara: -$21.25
Steve: -$24.99*
*I still won the first video poker tournament because my twenty bucks lasted longer, earning me 17 MGM points.