LV, NV.

"Las Vegas is sort of like how God would do it if he had money."

~Steve Wynn (owner of my favorite Las Vegas casino/resort).

"Las Vegas looks the way you'd imagine heaven must look at night."

~Chuck Palahniuk

(I find it funny that all of the above quotes reference godliness
when Las Vegas is known as "Sin City.")

Vegas, Vegas, Vegas...you either love it, or you hate it. Me? I loooooove it. Why? Let me tell you...

A and I arrived a little after 8AM, and though we had to wait 2 hours for the Forum Shops to open, we did NOT have to wait for the bars. Morning martinis anyone? These sweet little gin, grapefruit juice, and orange juice cocktails supplied us just enough oomph to sustain our all-day shopping spree. All-day? Well, yes, see, I was looking for a dress to wear to my friends' wedding (shout-out, Mary and Joe!), as I love buying clothes on vacation because of the memories attached to them, but alas, no luck. Though I did buy a non-wedding-appropriate dress, a skirt, and some earrings. (Take note--don't shop whilst imbibing. And also, carry a backpack for your goodies, for blood blisters on the fingers WILL appear otherwise. True story).

Come lunch time, A and I walked straight into The Palm Restaurant  for a piece of their multi-layered, fudgey chocolate cake. I believe I've spoken about this cake before. Sinful. When in Vegas, right? It took us all 3 days in Vegas to finish it. No joke.

Most of the time we nibbled on it while watching the Bellagio fountain from our hotel room window. Best View. Ever! We watched approximately 4 shows a day...

Speaking of which, can someone relay to the Bellagio that they've been playing Faith Hill's "This Kiss" for much too long now? Thank you kindly.

Here's A and I in the Bellagio's Spring-themed garden. Look at that monster ant behind us...

Do we look like tourists or what? Big time.
We also toured the new casino Aria. Starting with its attached mall that looks like the Denver Art Museum's new addition (you know, all metalic and angular)...there were lots of artsy touches inside, like wooden, tubular staircases and plastic tubes with water tornadoes funneling around. Very cool. Granted, there was absolutely no seating to be found. Damn you, Aria mall. So we went into the casino, figuring if we wanted to sit down, we'd have to gamble. The casino had lots of earthy touches--wood and metal work with leafy patterns--and yet modern, space-age touches, too--brushed aluminum and flourescent lighting. It was a high-contrast, though beautiful, combination. Very cool.

Staying on the topic of cool, A and I went to see Blue Man Group at the Venetian. Here's me pre-show with Humpty Dumpty...

Sweet little egg.

Asa got jealous (not really), so we took a "couple" picture of us, too...

Aaaanywho, we knew we were in for it when we got to the 4th row of the theater and found plastic ponchos slung over our seats...

After we got over the ridiculousness of our plastic capes, we really enjoyed the show! There was lots of drumming and paint-splashing, black lights and neon/glow-in-the-dark colors, PVC pipe instruments, and crepe paper. It was musical, funny, and interactive (a little something for everyone), so if you're looking for downright silly entertainment, this show's your new best friend.

You know what's not my best friend? The Wheel of Fortune game. We lost some serious money at that table. Number 2, you really let us down this time. Boo for 2.

So, many blisters and a bad hip later, we're home. My stomach is still hasn't come back around to cereal and fruit (How dare you spoil me with your dessert and booze breakfasts, Las Vegas!), but it's good to be home. Finally, we get to sleep in our own bed and watch something other than PG movies. Granted, "Cheaper by the Dozen" was pretty precious. Go Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt.

On another note, it's official--I know the intro to Lady GaGa's "Bad Romance" song. "Rah rah, ah, ah, ah. Roma, roma, ma. Gaga, oo la la..." High-five me now or later?

For good measure, here's some pics of the Palazzo's umbrella decor...