Vegas Vegas Vegas...

I am back from fabulous Las Vegas and it was a great weekend.  I am so glad I went even though I missed Ben.  I arrived at our hotel, Bally's, around 11:30 pm Vegas time and everyone was up waiting for me with a drink.  On Saturday we ate at the breakfast buffet and then sat by the pool all day.  It was only 107 degrees outside!  And guess who was at the pool?  Jerry Springer!  The trashy talk show host!  My cousin thought it looked like him but I wasn't really sure.  Then we saw him posing for pictures with people and it was really him!  He was hosting a show at the hotel.  Haha...crazy Vegas...

On Saturday night was went to the musical "The Phantom of the Opera".  The Venetian hotel has a theater just for this production and it has been going on for years.  This theater must have been quite an investment because it was over the top. 

Those boxes on the side had manequins dressed in costumes like they were watching the opera in France in the 1800s.  The effects of the production were quite impressive and it takes alot to impress me when it comes to this sort of thing.  I wasn't familiar with the plot before hand, but if you are you know what happens to that chandelier and it was one of the highlights of the show. 

On Sunday we went shopping at an outlet mall and then walked around the strip.  It was my mom's 55th birthday and to celerbrate we rode the roller coaster at New York New York and then stayed up until almost 2 a.m.  This was probably not the best idea since everyone but me had to leave early (like at the airport at 5 a.m. early) but what else could we do?  It's VEGAS!

Here are the siblings, my Aunt Kris, Uncle Steve, and my mom.  

This is my cousin, my sister and me with our Aunt Cindy.

On Monday morning, as I was hanging out in Vegas all by myself, I ate breakfast, shopped, and then sat down at the slot machines.  I was quite proud of myself for not losing too much money but any loss is dissapointing after you step away from the enticing psychological effects of the machines.  I hadn't had as much time to play since they were there a day and a half longer than me so I still had the urge. I played my favorite ocean themed game and lost $20 and was feeling mediocre but I knew I hadn't had my fix yet so I decided to play a new game that just showed up this year...it has a Breakfast at Tiffany's theme and the orange cat from the movie, which I have never actually seen, plays a central role in the game.  The bonus games revolve around him and he is always walking across the screen.  Of course, you know why I would like a game with an orange cat...becaues it looks like Allan!  Oh, FYI, these machines I speak of are 1 cent machines so even when losing, the losses are not astronomical. 

This is a screen shot I found online...cute kitten!



Well, what do you know...I had good luck!  I got a big bonus and won the progressive jackpot and then I started betting more and ended up winning! 

Oooh, I am still pleased with myself over this.  I might have been drinking complimentary beers as I played and eventually stopped playing mostly because I was truly about to pee my pants.  I know it is good to quit while ahead, but I still wished I could have kept playing and might have returned to the machine if I had time!  But I had to get to the airport so I took my buzzed self to get a taxi with my wad of cash.  It was a good way to leave Las Vegas. 

Of course, Ben was never far from my mind (especially since my pump was never far from my either) and I worried about him.  He was, of course, fine. 

I recieved this picture from Justin over the weekend and looked at it constantly on my phone.  Too cute!

While I was gone, Justin and Ben met my dad at the state high school baseball tournament in Jamestown and then Grandpa Tim came to stay over night.

What a fun weekend for everyone!  I am still feeling some Vegas withdrawal because it is so much fun being there and the way days are spent there is completely opposite from the way anyone spends thier normal days.  Sigh...I know I will return but I wish it was sooner that it will be!  See you next year, Bally's and the Miracle Mile Mall at Planet Hollywood and the Premium Outlets and the Breakfast at Tiffany's slot machine!