Damn, I swore I’d get an earlier start on this tonight so I could finish up. Let’s see how far I get…
Saturday morning
Beatle slept pretty soundly - I could tell because of his loud snoring. I had trouble getting comfortable and was awake most of the night. Morning rolled around, and we got up, got cleaned up, and rounded up the crew for breakfast. After munching down on eggs and bacon and pancakes (and Techy’s obligatory bloody mary), we headed off for a day of checking out the strip. We walked down the sidewalks enjoying the cool, comfortable outdoors. First stop - the Paris. Techchick got comfy with the slots while zyada and RJK and myself took a stroll to view the decor. We eventually all rounded back up at the slots, dropping money in the machines and listening to them yell “It’s a Stampede!” Beatle hit a small win, and went to cash out, but the machine ran out of money. So we had to sit around and wait for the staff to refill the machine.
Next we wandered down to the Aladdin. Another elaborate hotel with intricate decor matching the theme. We wandered through looking at a few shops, then wondered how far that shop corridor went before we got back to the beginning. That’s where we saw a table made of some rare red wood that costs more than my car. We also found the pictured Viking hat so jauntily perched on my head. I saw it and got visions of Bugs Bunny doing the opera cartoon. Alas, I don’t look nearly as dashing as Bugs in yellow pigtails.
Techy wimped out and claimed she didn’t get enough sleep - like I did, but I didn’t bail out, no ma’am. So the rest of us strolled over to New York, New York to lose money. Nifty place. Even had steam coming out of the manholes in the floor. Beatle and I stayed around for the roller coaster, and it was worth it. Great ride - we should have done it again. Then we hiked back to our hotel. Boy that street got long.
Passing by Bally’s, I had this curious notion as to what their theme was - a giant health club? Then I overheard the loudspeakers bantering out their pitch to lure you in. It said something like, “All our staff is here to cater to your every whim. Go ahead, ask your maid to give you that back rub. Doesn’t that feel so good?” I can’t help but wonder if they mean to come off like prostitutes. I think we stayed at the wrong hotel.
There was also an “incident” we watched. A young woman wearing a bikini was walking with a friend just in front of us, and for some reason was making a comment to someone behind her, and turned around to talk but kept walking. She practically plowed into a sign post - being saved from a hard thump by her friend reaching up and grabbing her shoulder in the nick of time. So I positioned us carefully behind her, hoping for another instant when she was less that attentive to where she was going. Alas, my plan failed. (I knew I should have said something to distract her.)
Beatle and I returned to our room, and had a couple hours to kill. We discovered that the volume on our TV didn’t work. You could barely hear if you sat on the edge of the bed and didn’t make any noise. I opted for a short nap, and when I awoke beatle was missing. I assume he went to drop money in the slots. It was a little early, but I called up Techy and wandered up to her room to wait out the party.
We decided it was going to be crowded, and rounded up extra chairs from Silo and my rooms. Then I had to hike back down to my room to get my music CD’s. I ended up making about a dozen trips to my room, for various reasons. I really don’t know why they kept sending me on errands, especially when they went for the tub and bed pictures. I think it was planned. They also managed to lock beatle and myself on the porch at one point. Am I picking up some subtle hints? 
The party was fun. After arguing over pizza orders, I set out with the beverage crew. We drove off the strip to find a grocery store, and load up. The others conveniently ignored my painstaking list and bought what they wanted. I didn’t care - I was there for the soda run.
We made it back to the room and found the pizza had arrived and been devoured. Padeye and Ann took off for the show, while we snarfed up the leftovers. I grumbled that I knew we should have ordered 3 pepperonis, but nobody listened to me. Good thing I bought those pretzels.
Zy shook her wild thing for us. I’m impressed. It takes a lot of guts to get up in front of that crowd and show off like that, you amaze me. I gotta confess you make it look easy. Then we twisted Techy’s arm and got her to give it a shake - and Silo took lots of pictures. Yeah, that was hot.
I notice Techy posted the notes - a sorry lot indeed. What do you mean, I was in charge of the notes? Shame on me. I’ll see if I can rectify with more details.
Narile’s dad worked at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, NOT Area 51 at Groom Lake, as I was so tactfully corrected. Hey, it’s all stupid UFO crap to me. Narile claims to have been in “hangar 18” - actually there’s a hangar 18 E and W (or was that north and south?) Whatever. He had a couple interesting tales of people playing games with the UFO rumors. One guy dressed up in an alien costume and ran around the hangar during a TV interview, but wasn’t caught on film.
Beatle decided to match his outfit to the picture he sent in to the People Pages, and came in a suit sans pants. That beatle, what a party animal.
A number of stand alone comments.
After the dancing, several of the more drunk partiers wandered out on the balcony to see who else was around, and began a conversation with a group a couple rows over. The Strainger took the opportunity to conduct physics experiments in acceleration of gravity vs fall time. He also attempted to show that light bulbs get hot, and glass is fragile when subjected to rapid cooling from a hot state. But he missed.
We determined there was a ghost in the room from one of the photos. We decided DavidB would just tell us it was smoke from a cigarette. Come on, it’s not like anybody was smoking in the room. cough cough
At some point we were getting ready to toast WallyM7 with the Sauza tequila, but we didn’t have any glasses. After some discussion, it was determined there were plastic cups in our room, and beatle should walk the halls sans trousers and see if anybody noticed. I went along to take the pictures and let folks know if he got arrested. We made it back to the room without incident, but on walking back to the elevators, two women and a man noticed us and started laughing pretty quickly. I think it was the combined effect of the jacket and tie, socks, and no pants. If he’s been in a T-shirt nobody would have noticed. The guy mumbled something about “May you have an erection.” I was thinking, “I’ve got to share a room with this guy, I sure hope not.” I took the elevator picture as proof, and we returned to the room.
Next came the toasts to Wally with the tequila. I tried to get pics of everyone, but I guess some didn’t take right. But I got the ones of Techy, so that’s all that matters.
Doctordec was in and out so fast I barely had a chance to register there was someone else there, and didn’t catch who until this thread.
And Whammo is a putz. You’d think the guy that lives in Vegas could make it. You’re lucky we didn’t know where you lived. We’d have made a house call.
The party finally broke up and everyone parted ways for bed. At least I assume ways were parted. Of course I ended up with beatle in my room. Despite the fact that I spent all evening with my roommate sans pants, nothing happened. Really. I know, because I was the sober one.
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday
Morning rolled around. Beatle and I got awakened by a call, and plans were made to hook up for lunch at noon. We had a couple hours to kill, so we took a quick dip in the pool. It was rather brisk, but refreshing. And the hot tub was nice. Then we cleaned up and packed up, because both of us had late night flights, and were checking out. We dropped our bags at Techy’s, hit the front desk to settle up, and then rounded out with the group for lunch.
That afternoon, us guys had our bus adventure. Turns out the closest bus stop was actually the other way, just outside our hotel, but we didn’t see it, so we hiked to the next one. Paid 2 bucks apiece, to have the bus break down at the next stop. Got on the second bus - thankfully didn’t have to pay again - and finished the ride to the tower. Narile didn’t feel like getting launched, so he hung around downstairs while beatle, Strainger, Silo, and I rode to the top of the Stratosphere. The observation deck was neat, looking off at the desert, the city, and the mountains. Then we went up for the ride. It was rather daunting to be waiting in line and watch the group in front of us get launched. One second it’s sitting there, then suddenly it’s racing skyward. They were really careful about loose items - one girl with slip-on sandals had to leave them on the ground. Then came our round. Curiously, the photo doesn’t quite catch the pure terror of that launch. The kick at the bottom isn’t bad - stiff but okay, but the coast to a stop at the top puts you in free fall for a second or two - just enough to make your stomach flip over. Then you fall back, and bounce three or so times as you settle back to a stop. Wow!
After heading back to the bottom and looking through a magic shop and getting the hats, we decided it was time to get back to the hotel. Tired of walking and sick of the bus, we shared a cab. Same cost and a lot faster and cruising in style.
Then it was park for a short while before loading up for the dinner run. Techy wanted to “eat at the Pink Taco”, and what guy could resist seeing that. So we loaded up in a couple cabs and rode over to the Hard Rock Hotel. Curiously, the Pink Taco was not all that pink. Dinner was rather strange - not at all what is typical of Mexican food around Houston. There may eventually be a few pics show up.
Then it was back to the hotel where a couple of us had to get ready to depart, and the rest had to finish off the drinks in Techy’s room. Sunday night was more laid back.
We got a couple more group photos, then I had to head to the airport. I did con Techy and Zyada into giving me hugs, so it wasn’t a total loss. I had a 1:20 am departure, so I bailed early.
My bus ride back to the airport was odd. I had two guys sitting in front of me bragging how drunk they were, and one guy was explaining how he really got his best friend hammered. Uh, thanks?
Once I got to the airport, I watched two guys help a lady who was falling down drunk staggering through the hall. The airline did something rather curious - they loaded the plane back rows first. What a concept! Turned out there was plenty of room - beatle had debated coming along to try to fly standby, but was afraid he’d get trapped in Dallas or something. But he shouldn’t have worried.
The trip back was almost as fun as the trip out. Vegas at night from the sky was pretty awesome. I tried to get pics - we’ll find out sometime if they turned out. I wanted to nap, but even though my row was empty except for me, I couldn’t get comfy. Then about halfway back a lady in the seat in front of me got sick. The crew rushed over to check her out, and put her on oxygen. There was some discussion of what to do, and they made the call over the speaker for medical personnel to check her pulse and blood pressure, but those checked out. We ended up going all the way to Dallas.
Then I had a 2 hr layover waiting for my next ride. That sucked. I cornered some breakfast that included “hashbrowns” that were chunks of potato, fried with peppers. ??? Those didn’t sit too well on my stomach. After walking the halls a bit, I sat down and remembered I had brought my bean bags along. So I whipped them out and demonstrated my juggling skill. Okay, I dropped bean bags on the floor a lot. I checked out sunrise, and looked at the neat collapsible curtain tunnels used for the turboprop commuter planes. Then I loaded on for the hop back to Houston.
That flight went well, got back on schedule, hopped a bus out to my car, drove home, and crawled directly in bed for about 6 hours.
You want to do this again next year???
My impressions of the dopers:
beatle: Good buddy. Always a hoot. Fine roommate. Spent too much time with him in his underwear, though.
techchick68: Lots of fun. Interesting, entertaining, and beautiful. Thanks so much for planning this. Who cares if nobody else made it, we had fun! You rule.
Zyada: The other white meat - I mean single gal. Good to see you again. I hope it was as good for you as I think it was.
Strainger: Mighty strainge. He was wild at the party, but down to earth.
rjk: Kinda quiet, but interesting. The token Canuck. He shtooked us good.
Silo: Turns out to be a great guy, and a fine doper addition. Despite his shady history. We quizzed him and he confirmed my guesses on his past motivations. He’s an excellent object lesson for DNFTT.
Narile: Or is that Narwhale? It’s Nar- I’ll. Lots of odd stories.
padeye and Ann: Didn’t see too much of you, as y’all had your own plans. But what we did share was fun.
Doctorded: Who were you? When were you there? What’s this about wine?
Irishman: The life of the party. Without him, I wouldn’t have had any fun. Thanks for going!
It’s getting late. I thought I had a good wrap up, but don’t remember it. I guess I’ll wrap up with
Holy Shit, I went to Vegas!
Eventually the party broke up for the night.