I'm Ba-ack!

Actually, I've been back since Monday, but am only now caught up and recovered enough from my mini-vacay to actually talk-rather, blog-about it. It was a fun, yet surprisingly exhausting trip. Aren't vacations supposed to be relaxing and regenerating? I guess not if you go to the city that never sleeps.

We flew in late Thursday night and after taking forever (and risking our lives in one of the city's shuttles)to get from the airport to our hotel, party animals that we are just ended up checking in and going to bed. That was after spending an hour changing rooms because they put us on a smoking floor and my sister's room was excessively stinky. The next morning we wanted to start off Vegas style so we went to a buffet and then spent the rest of the day wandering aimlessly around the strip, in and out of casinos-seeing the sights.

Friday night we saw Tony and Tina's wedding which was funny but stressful because the cast is all up in your face the whole time trying to interact and get you to dance, etc. I guess I am the kind of spectator that just likes to watch and be entertained because it got on my nerves that I couldn't just sit there and enjoy-I had to be worried about who was coming my way and what they were going to say or try to get me to do. One of the cast members was very disappointed because he had pegged me as the "crazy lady" and had expected me to be wild when he saw me laughing and being loud outside in the line for the show. He was especially let down when he wanted to loosen me up with a drink and I had to inform him that I do not partake.

Saturday was shopping at the outlets which was fun but pretty unremarkable. I didn't find anything I couldn't live without, although I did end up with two new pairs of shoes. Go figure. We had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. A little pricey but I guess you pay a little for the fun ambiance and moving jungle animals. (The picture is of Hillary and I trying to escape a vicious man-eating snake. Can't you just sense the fear?) That night was my favorite when we went to see Cirque Du Soleil's KA. It was breathtaking and as I had expected, worth every penny. If you have never seen a Cirque show, you have to put it on your list. I spent the whole time amazed, wondering over and over again, "How did they do THAT?" AMAZING!

Sunday we got up early and went to Hoover Dam, which Hillary hadn't seen before. Although I've seen it before, it was worth seeing again. It is pretty cool and definitely a piece of modern history. That afternoon we split up and Hillary and Justin went to see the Bodies show which had been in Salt Lake the month before so we had already seen it. Kent and I went to see the sharks at Mandalay Bay. On the way through the casino, I stuck my traditional $5 in one of the slot machines. Three spins into my play, I won $200! JACKPOT! I cashed out, considered myself lucky and ended my gambling streak right then. That was pretty cool.

Sunday night we did the "famous" Rio buffet, then headed to Madame Tussuad's Wax Museum at the Venetian. It took some doing (and about an hour of wandering around aimlessly) to find it, but we managed and it was pretty fun. You have to look twice at some of those wax people they are so real looking! We figured we better call it a night at that point since we flew out the next morning. So that was my trip to Vegas. Lots of fun, but it flew by really fast. I guess time always does when you're having fun!