In the "gate area," waiting for my flight back to Dulles which gets in at midnight. Slept in this morning and then went shopping at Caesar's. Got a cup of drinking chocolate at Vosges and another kalamata truffle. Couple shots of the new statuary at the outdoor arena. Played the slots some more and lost all the $$ I was ahead. And got a shot of The Venetian for Mom. We're gonna stay there together some day. ;)

After the relaxation of the morning, I spent most of the afternoon around the casino. Checked out the Flamingo's wildlife habitat, full of koi and baby duckses but not so many penguins. And the flamingos were non-photogenic, Amy. When I headed to the Denny's at the Casino Royale for the second breakfast, saw that Vince Neil has a tattoo shop in O'Shea's (*cough*Mike). Dropped $60 into the slot machines and took back $200, so not amazing, but definitely ahead, which is what counts.

Then (the best part) I got to meet a friend (Robert) in person whom I've known now for 15 years virtually. For the older, Internet-savvy readers, we met on Bitnet. He treated me to the Rio buffet for dinner; I think we both liked the desserts the best. Then I got to have an audience with His Winstonness, who only hissed until he found out I came bearing treats. And then he wanted some kitty-lovin. Pretty eyes. Pretty markings. I think Robert and I (well, mostly me) talked non-stop, pretty good for two avowed introverts. Yet another person who needs to come visit me in D.C. so I can repay the shuttling and feeding favors. ;)

The smudge of white in the first picture is the Bellagio fountains as seen from my room last night. Started off today early with breakfast at the Original Pancake House with Alexandra, whom I became friends with via Folawns in San Antonio and who now has her own business inside HairArts Spa in Vegas. She's a magnificent aesthetician, and if you're even vaguely interested in energy or ayurveda, I highly recommend her. Even for folks just visiting Vegas, it's worth the trip. She treated me to breakfast, a facial, and did the round-trip pickup from my hotel. Gotta figure out a way to pay her back, which I'm hoping will happen when she and the hubby visit D.C. (hint hint hint).

First, a gratuitous shot of The Flamingo marquee. Second, Steve Wynn's so freaking clever. The creator of the free show on The Strip has figured out a few secrets as he's progressed. 1) If people have to come into your casino to partake of the free show, they're far more likely to leave their money. 2) Having live human performers involved means you have to cancel in bad weather (and pay them). 3) Loud, flashy and splashy is the secret triumverate. Not to mention the casino is voluptuous (see shot 3 overlooking the bar where I watched the show). Ate "dinner" at Vosges in The Forum Shops at Caesars (4 and 5), which I finally got to visit in person (albeit not the original store). The kalamata olive and white chocolate truffle gets two thumbs up. Can't recall if the Faberge store was in the Forum Shops or The Bellagio, but it was gorgeous from the window.

Found out the hard way that the tram from The Bellagio to the Monte Carlo is not there any more. Still made it to KA (front row seat - birthday gift to self) in time, though. The plot was complicated enough that they explained it at the beginning and also point-by-point in the program. I was pleasantly surprised to find a traditional wheel of death act, but, as always, the self-made group acts were the epitome of the show, particularly the arrow swinging (as "arrows were shot" into the set, they became balancing spots for acrobatics - the chick who "died" and then fell past all the arrows like a pachinko ball was amazing) and the end battle, which was very Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. The thing that excited me the most was the safety rigging for the final battle -- it appeared to be mostly self-belaying and controlled by an apparatus each acrobat held in his or her own hand. Tres cool. And now I'm back in my room, watching the fountains at The Bellagio before I drift off.

Ended up in The Flamingo, but got a terrific room, directly across from the port cochere of Caesars. (I just wanted to use that phrase.) The shot shows the view of The Bellagio and its lake from the room. Picture's kinda spotty because there's a huge, terrifying picture of Toni Braxton pasted over the windows. I took a wrong turn off the elevator and found out I'm on one of the Toni Braxton-themed floors, which involves hot pink paint and music piped in. Fortunately, my room isn't part of the insanity.

Happy belated 21st, rockstarr. To the last of the Aquarius from the first of the Pisces. ;)

Had the birthday celebration early with Mom and Dad yesterday and picked up Sugar's ashes. Today we're going to have a kitty memorial ceremony, complete with homemade pecan pie, Sug's favorite. ;)

Sug was curled up so cute Thursday that I had to grab the Sidekick and capture the moment. Glad I did. She passed yesterday morning, while I was flying back from San Antonio. I wish I'd been here to hold her and comfort her and tell her how much I loved her.

Bambino Huey 3D.

I'm still looking for the perfect job, and occasionally I run across amusing possibilities.