View from The Strip (Adventures in Vegas Part 3)
Some say you can't go back an recapture a perfect moment.
I disagree.
Three years ago my life was at a crossroads. I had discovered things about myself and my nearly 20-year marriage that would set the most stable person reeling. I had worked hard to lose 40 pounds, get control over the various threads of "projects," distilling and parlaying them into a successful life as brewery owner and budding writer.
Sure there were elements I couldn't control---any of you who have teenagers in your house know what I'm talking about.
But about that time, my spouse, perhaps out of sheer desperation, suggested we go to Las Vegas in November. He had a conference to attend. I could tag along, sit by the pool, "Relax" which is still a slightly foreign word to me. I said yes and weeks of pre-planning soccer carpools, la crosse and football practice schedules and menus for the kids (and valium for me mum as she would be "in charge "for a week) later I arrived. Wide-eyed with sheer possibility and rarin' to to soak up every ounce of crazed, forbidden energy only a place like Las Vegas can provide.
I love street performers!
I did. We hit an exclusive strip club, 2 Cirque shows, made new friends at various bars, danced at one of the craziest, movie-set looking night clubs I'd ever experienced, got massages, and various other pamperings best left to your heated imagination (I said I wanted the full bore Vegas thing and my spouse was bound and determined that I would, bless him.)
It was, in a word, perfect. That moment. Hard to repeat.
We returned in January, just a few short weeks later, picked up where we left off, and dove head first into electronics and porn. The Consumer Electronics Show is usually dovetailed with the Adult Video Network (AVN) convention, and the town is rife with geeks and porn stars. Truly epic. We met some, partied with others and had yet another Perfect Vegas Vacation. Note: Ron Jeremy IS as ugly as he appears. But a fun guy.
We're on our 3rd year here now and things have calmed somewhat. I don't have the burning need to prove how bloody wild I am that I did then, and actually look forward to the hours spent in quiet, in the spa gym, on the massage table, and, of course, at the laptop pecking out whatever blog posts and editing jobs need tending to.
It's still a week long effort of planning kids' schedules, meals, shopping, prepping every body mentally for mom and dad being off the reservation for a solid week.
But I would not miss it for the world, and love to see how it evolves every year. Yeah, we'll hit the strip club. I fucking love the human condition in those places and am pretty popular, usually scoring my own lovely girlfriend right away (once they get a load of the spouse's credit card of course). But it's more than that. Vegas is the most over the top experience going. And I feel fairly confident I can say that, having lived in three different countries, vacationing in five others, getting passports stolen in Spain, the Gendarme "arresting" me in Turkey and the entire fire department of Hiroshima showing up at my flat in Japan--among other, even more stressful events. (see "marital turning point" above).
It's hard to believe people actually LIVE here, but they do and I like getting to know the bartenders and black jack dealers hearing their stories and perhaps even translating them to the page.
I always find a hot brewer and some stainless steel to stand around!
After three years at this, we now have friends we call this crazy place home and who drag us around to "off the beaten track" places that will, truly, blow your mind. Vegas Ver. 3.0 is gonna be a blast!
Wish me luck!
Love
Liz
I disagree.
Three years ago my life was at a crossroads. I had discovered things about myself and my nearly 20-year marriage that would set the most stable person reeling. I had worked hard to lose 40 pounds, get control over the various threads of "projects," distilling and parlaying them into a successful life as brewery owner and budding writer.
Sure there were elements I couldn't control---any of you who have teenagers in your house know what I'm talking about.
But about that time, my spouse, perhaps out of sheer desperation, suggested we go to Las Vegas in November. He had a conference to attend. I could tag along, sit by the pool, "Relax" which is still a slightly foreign word to me. I said yes and weeks of pre-planning soccer carpools, la crosse and football practice schedules and menus for the kids (and valium for me mum as she would be "in charge "for a week) later I arrived. Wide-eyed with sheer possibility and rarin' to to soak up every ounce of crazed, forbidden energy only a place like Las Vegas can provide.
I love street performers!I did. We hit an exclusive strip club, 2 Cirque shows, made new friends at various bars, danced at one of the craziest, movie-set looking night clubs I'd ever experienced, got massages, and various other pamperings best left to your heated imagination (I said I wanted the full bore Vegas thing and my spouse was bound and determined that I would, bless him.)
It was, in a word, perfect. That moment. Hard to repeat.
We returned in January, just a few short weeks later, picked up where we left off, and dove head first into electronics and porn. The Consumer Electronics Show is usually dovetailed with the Adult Video Network (AVN) convention, and the town is rife with geeks and porn stars. Truly epic. We met some, partied with others and had yet another Perfect Vegas Vacation. Note: Ron Jeremy IS as ugly as he appears. But a fun guy.
We're on our 3rd year here now and things have calmed somewhat. I don't have the burning need to prove how bloody wild I am that I did then, and actually look forward to the hours spent in quiet, in the spa gym, on the massage table, and, of course, at the laptop pecking out whatever blog posts and editing jobs need tending to.
It's still a week long effort of planning kids' schedules, meals, shopping, prepping every body mentally for mom and dad being off the reservation for a solid week.
But I would not miss it for the world, and love to see how it evolves every year. Yeah, we'll hit the strip club. I fucking love the human condition in those places and am pretty popular, usually scoring my own lovely girlfriend right away (once they get a load of the spouse's credit card of course). But it's more than that. Vegas is the most over the top experience going. And I feel fairly confident I can say that, having lived in three different countries, vacationing in five others, getting passports stolen in Spain, the Gendarme "arresting" me in Turkey and the entire fire department of Hiroshima showing up at my flat in Japan--among other, even more stressful events. (see "marital turning point" above).
It's hard to believe people actually LIVE here, but they do and I like getting to know the bartenders and black jack dealers hearing their stories and perhaps even translating them to the page.
I always find a hot brewer and some stainless steel to stand around!After three years at this, we now have friends we call this crazy place home and who drag us around to "off the beaten track" places that will, truly, blow your mind. Vegas Ver. 3.0 is gonna be a blast!
Wish me luck!
Love
Liz
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