>Ahoy mateys from Treasure Island!
One mixed side effect of hanging out in Las Vegas is the time difference. The awful part is me waking up two hours earlier than the general population and then having it compound with my anxiety-induced sleep disorders…means I am awake when it’s quite dark. In return, I am able to get in some exercise which is great because I fell off the Wii Wagon a couple weeks ago. I plan to get back in the groove when I’m back in Austin. All the walking around will count on my Fit log too. Seeing all the other overweight, out-of-shape, middle-aged Americans creates a huge incentive for working out with more dedication. I have a spare tire, it’s just a donut, not a full-fledged replacement.
My morning exercise experience on the treadmill in the fitness room confirmed my theory on how Fox News is the network for the dumb, over-50 crowd since some old fart knocker had to change the channel, calling this information. Glad I had my iPod Touch to drown out the BS while hitting the cardio zone.
Enthused over actually having an opportunity to work out, we had a quick soak in the hot tub to massage the sore muscles from the evening before. Then it was time to clean up and prep for a mandatory expedition at Treasure Island on International Talk Like a Pirate Day!
Our leftover Deuce passes got us up there before the TV shuttle buses started running (I don’t know about you, sometimes I want to get a jump on the Strip before 9 AM, namely when it comes to eating at Paris or Bellagio). The time share is near the end of the bus’s circuit so we got the primo seats in its top, front section. Be on the look out for my time-lapse movie of the drive in the near future.
Sadly, I discovered that TI doesn’t really do anything to increase awareness or bother to celebrate TLaPD. Such a shame too, they could really get in on promoting something I think will help them out. Think about it. Thanks to Johnny Depp, pirates are popular again and this faux, goofy holiday will be a longer lasting trend than asking people to pay to participate in the birthday party of a loser, reality-show star. (One of those spoiled brats from The Hills is doing this at a TI club, blech!). I suppose the MGM-Mirage corporation could counter my argument by saying every day is TLaPD at their establishment…without the staff actually emphasizing their Rs.
Round three of our video poker series returned to TI and I was victorious without losing money; I chickened out while I was up five bucks forcing Somara to either exceed it or hit bottom; she got the latter to put me ahead by one victory. Haughty, I I finally hit my first craps game. Despite my Players Club International T-shirt being a hit at the table, the spirt of Telly Savalas didn’t come to my aid. When I was the shooter, I’d hit the 7 or make point on my first set and then became poison on the next. Overall, this opening session was cold. Now did I have a good time? Yes thanks to the friendly banter of the participants. I hope to get in a couple more games when the weekend is over because the tables jump to a minimum of $10; too rich for my cowardly-overcautious blood.
My MGM-Chase vouchers provided another nice cheap meal and energized us for the obligatory stay in the Fashion Mall. The best place to get free, reliable Wi-Fi and (relatively) reasonable ATM fees. I managed to score the table with the solid, line-of-sight signal to the Apple Store. Hence the previous postings. The only cost is enduring the mall’s fashion shows which have increased in frequency, practically every hour. Somara recorded one session of the skinny ladies wearing overpriced retro crap accompanied by loud, vapid music. I’m up for suggestions on which song to set this possible movie to.
While I was camped out, Somara took the opportunity to look around. She scored this awesome iPhone skin which sticks to a flat surface to make a hands-free effect. Her main objective was to replace the paperback book accidently left on the plane on our arrival.
The crowd is gathering for the show to start
Having my Wi-Fi itch scratched (otherwise, I’m weaseling on open routers near TV, like now), we returned to Treasure Island to watch the first nightly performance of the Sirens. When this casino opened, there used to be a semi-daily show of a pirate battle. It was amusing and definitely a crowd magnet. Years later, it was replaced with a cheesier T&A-fest of female pirates versus male pirates. I didn’t see it in 2006 because the show was closed for maintenance and the cold temperatures were prohibitive. This outing, the weather has been perfect, unlike the show. Seriously, I knew Sirens would be bad but I’ve seen Justin Timberlake videos that were deeper than this. It was a weird hybrid of Showgirls with the most recent Star Wars prequels stripped of their few redeeming qualities. On the other hand, it was consistent by LV’s standards of providing a PG-13, bordering on R-rated atmosphere. No wait, make it RRR!
We then retired early to enjoy our leftovers and watch Adult Swim thanks to TV’s cable system using the Eastern-time feeds.
GAMBLING REPORT:
Somara: -$116
Steve: -$135.99
Woohoo, go Somara! Take some of those winnings and get Steve some lucky socks, he needs them! Have fun guys. And Steve, drink more likker for chrissakes.
Glad y’all are liking Treasure Island. While I’m no Las Vegas expert, I used to go each year for several, several years B.C. (Before Children). I found Treasure Island to be the ideal mix of what you are looking for on the Strip. Killer location, fun atmosphere (not kiddie but not pretentious), reasonable room rates and decent accommodations. There are places that are better in certain areas (Paris breakfast, Bellagio lunch, Mirage lobby), but for me TI just had the right blend. I only wish the Pirate vs. British Frigate battle was still there. Man, I can’t tell you how many times I watched that thing. Fun stuff. Good memories. Glad y’all are having a blast!!!