Vegas Baby!

Thursday, November 6th.

Elise and I went hiking on this really rad trail that let to some hot springs. It was a really nice hike although, it was dangerous at times. The trail is clearly marked but there a spots that you have to climb down a wall of rock with a rope that has been left there by other hikers. Kind of scary at times.

At the end of the trail are hot springs. It definitely makes the hike well worth the hour of walking in the sand to get there. I undressed and climbed right in. Elise, on the other hand, is a little more modest and wore her swim suit. There was another hiker already there but it didn't bother me much.

The hike back was a little more difficult. My muscles were all relaxed and like Jello on the walk back.

We were supposed to go to Skymania that night but by the time we got back we were exhausted. I made dinner and went to bed early.



Friday, November 7th.

Most of the day was boring. I had a doctor's appointment to go to and that was it. When I got back to the apartment, I spent the afternoon doing laundry, doing yoga (really I was just stretching in interesting ways), and going origami. I got some nice paper so I though I would try it.

Mamo (that is what I call my grandmother), arrived in Vegas that evening. I had agreed to meet her and John on The Strip to have dinner and spend some time with them. She is turning 70 on the 13th. I got as dressed up as I could to meet them. We had dinner in one of the casinos and I, of course, had a hard time finding vegan food. I eventually found a vegi burger that didn't have cheese and ate that.

Mamo ordered us drinks and I decided to have a nice bourbon on the rocks. After dinner I took her down to the Ballagio fountain. She loved it. It is pretty at night and much more entertaining than during the day.

I really hate Vegas. Or I hate the Las Vegas Strip. It is just awful! In every way! Ninety percent of the people there are overweight slobs. I am sure I sound like a jerk saying this and I am definitely being size-ist, but those people are fat, lazy and disgusting.

Las Vegas is like a playground for spoiled kids that just want, want, want. It is gluttonous and made me feel gross for being a part of it. Every inch is a plastic, corporate commodity there to temporarily fill the void in peoples souls. I enjoyed my time with my grandmother. And I did enjoy a few of our activities but after last night, I do not ever want to come back here again.

That said, Mamo and I went for drinks at Cesar's Palace. I drank more expensive bourbon and we listened to like jazz at one of the many bars. We were having "a gay old time," as she would say, but for whatever reason made our way back to her hotel.

We got all the way upstairs and I wanted to go out and make a phone call. She thought I was going out to continue the party and came with. Back in the casino.

I do not gamble. I don't like anything about it. It makes me nervous and stressed out. Its not that I don't like taking chances at all, I just don't like to risk my money. If I don't gamble, its mine, I can keep it and know that its not going anywhere. My grandmother on the other hand, likes to gamble and doesn't like to do it alone.

She was giving me money all night to play with. You would think I would relax and gayfully lose her money for her but no. I stressed.

We played Black Jack at a $25 minimum table. I had never played before and had some beginners luck. And then I lost it all. I would have walked away, but no, everyone else wanted to keep going. I was playing with other peoples money and drinking free bourbon and still couldn't relax. There is something very wrong with me.

Our night over all was spend drinking, gambling and hitting on rich older men (older than me but younger than her...). I think it was a good time!

(If you are interested, you can ask me more about my night gambling but I just don't want to put all of it up here on public display.)



Saturday, November 8th.

Oh, lordy. I can drink juice and have a hangover. I woke up sore and thirsty. Mamo and John had snored all night but I didn't notice once. Thankfully I woke up to a cup of coffee. It was cheap, Krispy Kreme drip coffee but it had caffeine none the less.

We make out way up The Strip to a Denny's. I dont know why. Aparently, in Vegas, places you would never usually go are acceptabe because they are covered in glitter and flashing lights. I had a hell of a time finding vegan options on the menu. I ended up with oatmeal and applesauce, oh yeah, and nasty drip coffee. It was food and I was happy to eat, I am just spoiled and miss having breakfast at The Paradox.

We walked up and down the strip. I took them to see the Forum shops in Cesar's and the Pussycat Doll's casino. We stumbled upon it but it seemed to make John's day so I am going to take credit for it.

After too many hours of walking, we went back to the hotel and found a bar in the casino. We sat and I drank Shirly Temples while they got trashed. It was nice to see my grandmother again. She is an amazing woman with too many wild stories to count. I have nothing on her when it comes to wild times. I think I am being wild when I get too drunk and bite someone. She isn't even too wild when she is on coke, dancing on the bar on a cruise to the Bahamas and getting it on with some waiter who doesn't speak English. The women in my family know how to party. Except me (for some strange reason). Let's not even start on my mother.

Liz came down to pick me up and go out to dinner. We went to VegiDelight, a vegan Vietnamese place in Chinatown. Chinatown, by the way, is a strip mall with pagoda style roof tops. The food was really good and I was happy to eat food that didn't come with a million questions.




Tomorrow, we will drive out to the Grand Canyon. From there I will make my way to Flagstaff and Phoenix. Then it is on to good old Chicago where I will be freezing my butt off!