I forgot to post about my surprise trip to Vegas. Truly a moron. Here is what I think of Vegas. Only go there if you have access to a car. If you don't, only go if you're really sleazy.
For Valentine's Day Steve surprised me with a trip to Vegas. We stayed at the Paris (that's the way you say things in Vegas, "the" and then whatever hotel you're in), saw Phantom at the Venetian (the new version with all the fluffy crap taken out), ate at some A. MA. ZING. restaurants and saw Cirque du Soliel's "Love". Oh the joy of that show!
The side of the "strip" that the Paris is on is the sleazier side, as we discovered. See, we usually drive to Vegas and are therefore able to park in the hotel parking garages, walk into the super classy casinos (read: NOT) and shop without getting our daily dose of over the top porn. On the strip, if you don't keep your eyes straight ahead, you will see things that... well, let's jut say you wouldn't want to walk the strip with your kids in tow. My take has always been that Vegas is one of the tackiest, filthiest places on the planet but it has some mighty fine eats (NOT including the crappy crepe joint at the Paris that everyone talks about!) and some really great entertainment. Plus, it's close to Utah. We had a blast!
The below picture is a view from our hotel of the famed Bellagio and it's VERY loud fountains. It was pretty cool to be able to see them at night from our room.
We ate at 3 different Mario Batali restaurants. Yes, we have a crush on the fat man in the orange clogs. The most memorable was Carnevino. I am NOT a meat eater but I decided to humor Steve (who is a major carnivore). At Carnevino they are "experimenting" with aging their steaks. Most places will serve a steak that has been aged 2 months maximum. The maitre d' (who we were acquainted with from Otto in New York. Yes, it's a Mariobsession), informed Steve that they had some steaks that had been aging since September (it was February when we were there). That's right. 5 month old meat. He said the flavor was amazing and had a sort of "blue cheese" note to it. GAAAAG. Steve jumped right on it. He said it was the best steak he's ever had. The bone in it looked putrid. Literally like a rotten bone. Go fig. This is Steve after Carnevino (probably not, I have no idea when this was taken), he REALLY wanted me to taste that meat...
Now, Phantom was a mighty fine performance. I think. I spent most of the 90 minutes with my shrug over my face because the "gentleman" sitting next to me had the most putrid breath known to either man or beast. It was like he licked the mold off the steak before they served it to Steve. I WAS DYING. I've never experienced anything like it before. Even when the stinky bugger breathed through his nose the smell was painful. PAINFUL. If it hadn't been against the law, I would have taken him out and shot him. He was obviously dying anyway. This is how I felt after Phantom...
LOVE, now Love was a pure joy from beginning to end. No stinky Pete's. I think I had a smile on my face the entire time. If you like the Beatles even a bit, you must see this show. It was sooo fab. There is one act when they're singing "Lady Madonna" and they're all dancing around in white summery clothes and yellow wellies. OH. MY. GOSH. It was adorable. Plus I love that song. Also, there was the typical Cirque du Soliel acrobatics which were amazing to say the least. Dancing, jaw dropping acrobatics and Beatles music. You can't beat that.
The shopping. I found sales that would make anyone start to twitch. I have a "frugal" streak that runs deep. Got it from my dad. I CANNOT buy anything at full price. Lucky me, on this trip I found a multitude of offerings! Vegas really is the best (no, it isn't)! This is me congratulating myself on some really great buys...
The funniest thing about Vegas is the trashy people in it. The number of grown humans walking around with "half yard" drinks was astonishing. Isn't that something you're supposed to outgrow in high school or college? The desire to show the "cool" by carrying around a massive alcoholic beverage in public? I lost count at 17 million. The women in dresses 2 sizes too small, the men in shirts 3 sizes too small, the girls in heels 3 inches too tall, the swagger of drunks as they walk down the hall (sorry, couldn't resist). It is a people watcher's dream land (read: me). Steve and I found ourselves in fits of laughter time and time again. He heard a woman exclaim in Spanish, while looking at the "Eiffel Tower", "Oh, it's glorious!" What the what?! And this woman looked like she could have been well traveled. So funny. I actually have a friend (please let her never read this blog) who was telling me how excited she was to go to Paris. I got SOOOOO excited for her as she'd not been to Europe and asked her how long she was staying, if she got decent air fare... She looked at me all wonky and said, "no, Paris in Vegas". Oh. She forgot the "the".
I have not been to Europe in over 10 years. Take a moment to cry for me, please. I thought if I tried hard enough I could fool myself into believing I was there whilst in Fake Europe ;). Look at this picture. Almost. Nope.
Well anyway, fun fun fun! And thanks Steve for a grand time. This is my parting shot to Vegas...
All the self portraits are of my boredom while Steve was primping. He's a primper. He primps.
17 comments:
I've always liked Vegas - except for the sleazy stuff. My husband and I aren't gamblers but we do like walking around, enjoying the heat, checking out the sites. I like the Mandalay a lot because they have the best pool. I think it's such an easy trip to take for us and it gives us time together. They do have nice restaurants too. :) Although 2 or 3 days is just about all we can handle at a time.
Ha ha.. love the photos!! I do take pictures from boredom myself, but I don't put them on my blog.. ;)
Vegas? You lucky woman!!
to london we MUST go! or you could just come visit me in the big easy!
I, too, cannot handle Vegas for more than a day or two. But, your trip looked very very fun! It was worth the trip if only to see "Love!"
You crack me up Heidi. I feel a very similar way about the Vegas.
OK - awesome post - you had me laughing my butt off.
BUT - I DON'T PRIMP. That's bull roar.
I think you took those pictures while I was getting the shatty crepes.
gross on the man with putrid breath (is that how you spell that)? Super fun though that you got to go to "fake europe" for a little bit and see some great shows, have your husband primp, see people wear tiny things when they shouldn't, carry around nice colorful drinks in public, etc. Sounds a lot like the Europe I remember, but just not quite the same right? looks like you had ablast...and I can't buy anything at full price either....
Liebe Heidelweiss,
We went to Las Vegas once to check it out with friends and ended up rapidly on a long road trip. Vegas was interesting and cirque du soleil was fun; you summed it up well.
And Vegas certainly had its moments. We set ourselves goals of walking to places...definitely not what Vegas is meant for.
I had a hard time getting beyond the sad gambling; in Europe in the (fun) casinos men must wear dinner jackets... none of that in Vegas.
Still, the people watching was great. I didn't see so many tongues though. :)
Primping...
Steve must be a litigator. Am I right?
Fair bit of primping in the litigation department.
This is why wearing robes to court is so great.
No primping required. No primping tolerated.
Wear whatever robe you want as long as it is black and the one permissible cut, cloth, and length for you.
And, if you really shine, after years, you get to wear ("take") silk.
There are some tongue lines I could do, but the Lizzard might be around.
Great post, Heidelweiss.
Tschuess,
Chris
Steve is, in fact, a litigator. It's all about the suit (which he did not wear in Vegas for obvious reasons). He and Joseph Abboud are like *this* ;).
I am a litigator, but i am not a primper. I am currently in a mediation wearing jeans, a t-shirt and a hat.
I am a trash-hole actually.
Of course, opposing counsel is one of my best law-world friends and the mediator is wearing cargo pants and a sweatshirt.
Hey Steve,
Funnily enough, when I act as a mediator is when I, sometimes, dress up the most.
Of course, no robes when I'm the mediator (sadly).
Get a good settlement, Steve.
And primpin' is OK, too.
Embrace your inner primp.
Primp, after all, is so close to such other good words...
Like primy, which is to be in one's prime.
Or like plim, to swell or fill out.
(Pronounce plim the Asian way with "R" like in London or "L" like in Rome...)
Tschuess,
Chris
Steve,
No socks no shoes no service doesn't apply to your mediation, huh?
(And I won't even get into the whole commando thing. I think you spent too long on the Strip, my man...)
Tschuess,
Chris
Well, we didn't. We don't like him.
Wow! You guys did some amazing stuff in Vegas. I guess they're paying law clerks pretty well these days!
was that nicki or cory? even if it was you, nicki, i know that is a cory comment. you guys suck. but we want to come visit.
i am not a vegas fan either. but, if the food is really THAT good, then i would definitely go. sorry to hear about the bad breath guy. oh! too bad! glad you had fun!
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