Calm Amongst the Chaos

Vegas came upon us fast and hard. It was one of those are we going or aren’t we going. Where are we staying, who is going? My beautiful niece, Ariel, turned 21 on November 10th and since her 18th birthday she has been saying “we are going to Vegas for my 21st right?!” Well it was sweet at 18, and 19 and even 20 but we all thought there is no way she is really going to want to spend her 21st Vegas birthday with her Mom, her aunt, her grandma and her uncle. There was just no way. Yet as the time got closer she got pushier and it came to the fact that she really wants us to go. Isn’t that so sweet? I mean I have to be honest here, those weren’t the top VIP invitees when I turned 21 a couple *cough* few *cough* err several years ago, ok over a freaking decade ago. But when push came to shove we were going to Vegas. My stomach was in knots, I didn’t really want to leave the kids. We don’t have money oozing out of us and we had a mini disaster of sorts happening at home. Hot water heater died, toilet was totally clogged and the disposal took a poop (thankfully not in the clogged toilet). We were coming off a not so great October. Ok a poopy October. We had a lot of sadness. Lost dear friends who after an emotionally draining situation decided to move back home to Oregon, Lily’s tonsillectomy I swear took years off of me. I tried to wean Lily of Banzel and she had the worst seizure days we had seen in a long time. It was just not a good month and I guess my heart wasn’t into viva Las Vegas. But since Grandma Cheryl bought plane tickets came down to watch the kids, which was so sweet of her, and Ariel wouldn’t take no for an answer we packed up and drove to Vegas. In one car we had Andrew, my sister and I coming from the Valley and in another car we had my mom, Ariel and her boyfriend who met up in Flagstaff. We all met up in the Bellagio lobby after a long drive and looked around at what had to be known as brideageddon. It was after all 11/11/11. I was tired, standing around watching the nuttiness of Vegas and thinking, I am not in the mood for this. It didn’t help that it was nearing 8pm and we had no dinner reservations and getting in anywhere wasn’t working too well. Eventually we ended up at an hour long line for a buffet to where you pay lots of money and still get treated poorly. It semi felt like you were guilty til proven innocent on paying and being sat, but its ok. We finally sat. We finally ate. Then we went looking for a place to sit and have our first drink. And then shall I say the night took on a whole new tone. We met up with a friend/ family member (married to the sister of our sister in law) who lives there and he got the drinks flowing. He was quite the tour guide and I’m not really sure all we did but I do know we didn’t get to bed until after 2am. 3am for us AZ folks. And Andrew did some planking on the streets of Vegas. He even planked next to Stitch. Yes Stitch from Lilo and Stitch. We woke up at a ripe 7am just giggling about the whole previous night, of course very quietly since we were sharing a room. Andrew and I decided to get breakfast and that is when the interesting things seem to start to happen. People are still up. From the night before! How do you have the stamina? I thought we were rock stars for making it til 2am. I saw girls falling all over each other. One couple walking with the guy pulling the girl by her hair (let’s just say not in an abusive way) I saw the walk of shame out of hotel rooms. We saw gamblers dressed in their best not even yawning. Not too many were in pj’s looking for breakfast, put it that way.
After we paid $50 ($50!) for buffet breakfast, by the way, I think if it is really “all you can eat” they should give you a hand stamp so you can come back. Otherwise you just have people like me throwing bagels, bananas and apples in their purses. Which came in handy to the homeless people, although the look on the woman’s face was like yeah I guess I’ll take your banana, I thought it looked tasty.
We go back to our room after 9am and figure Ariel and her boyfriend slept long enough. We woke them up. I wonder if that is the joy Oli and Andi get when they wake us up at 7am on a Saturday morning. Ariel and I head down for breakfast with the girls. (no I didn’t eat twice, just went for the company, but you can keep on judging me if you’d like 😉 but what was to be a day with the girls went from breakfast at 9am to all of a sudden it was 7pm. Seriously how does that happen? I mean. We didn’t shop, really. We didn’t gamble, really. It was the oddest thing. We had so much fun. I guess when you’re up $17 on your mom’s $5 in penny slots; life is going your way. Don’t even ask how my husband was doing on the other side of town loosing on black jack with Tanner (Ariel’s boyfriend). It was a girl’s good day and a boy’s bad day. When we finally met back up, us girls giggly and tipsy we were met with a bit of the grumpies. Then changed and back out for dinner. But then mojo was gone. Done. We all yawned through dinner and made it all back to our rooms and were all fast asleep by 10pm. And by morning we were packed up and heading home.
I’d have to say the highlight was that day with my sister, mom and niece. We were all so relaxed and just enjoyed the day. My mom and sister are a bit more planned than my niece and I yet they just went with the flow. And we flowed all day all over town. We went to this bar called Minus 5 and it was all made of ice. It was freezing and so fun! I ate my cup made of ice. I mean how often can you eat the glass that held your martini? Who else could resist that?
When we finally made it home, that is a long drive, we were greeted by a Thanksgiving meal that was Andi and Grandma’s surprise for us, and lots of hugs and kisses. It was a great way to come back home and we were so glad to be there.
I do have to say though if I could do a little soap box business. Ladies, you do not need to show the world that you have a short skirt. Strangers should not be praying to God you are wearing underwear. Also we can tell your boobs are big, you don’t have to show them like that. A little to the imagination is sexy. The goal is sexy not slutty. I get it, its fun to dress up, it’s Vegas after all. But when your skirt is an inch from your hiney and you are tugging on it all night long, you know that isn’t sexy. Any girl can find a guy, but it is quality that matters and fishing for a man in that outfit will get you noting but crabs. I meant that figuratively, but it could go literally as well. And getting that drunk is not safe. Not when you two girls are all you got, if you are both falling over each other on a bridge and a strange homeless kid is trying to “help” you, that is not safe. You have to work together, protect each other. Mom types like us can’t stop you and make sure you are not making a mistake walking with this strange guy taking you back to his hotel room. So yes its Vegas, dress sexy not trashy, get tipsy, not wasted (unless you have a safe friend) and enjoy your time. Don’t take home anything besides some corny souvenirs and a designer handbag.
Ok done, had fun, glad we went, but more so glad to be home!

Planking by Stitch