Busman’s Holiday
So, I’m off to Las Vegas this evening to visit Carl, and get a tour of the MGM City Center construction site. This is the largest privately funded construction project in the Western hemisphere. I don’t gamble, and the sight of all those people shuffling down the strip, clutching their beer bottles, and searching for the big win, I found to be unbelievably depressing. Sort of a zombie apocalypse lit by neon. We’re going to try and see Ka and that’s exciting. I’ve only seen the Cirque de Soliel on television.
I’m looking forward to a trip that has nothing to do with writing, but I also hate to leave my horse. I spent a long time just standing in the stall, resting my head against him, and stroking and scratching him. He had his eyes half-closed, and his upper lip was quivering because it felt so good to have me getting to the itchy places. Occasionally he’d swing his head around, and press his forehead against my upper arm. He is the best horse in the world. (But then I’m biased.)
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:48 am
I’m making my first trip to LV on Saturday. Jim is attending an IBM conference, and as both one of his employees and boss are having retirement parties there, I’m tagging along. I’ll mostly wander around the Strip, go to the Star Trek Experience and visit Hoover Dam on Monday.
May 7th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Wow, the City Center project was amazing - I almost felt like I was in Dubai!
I spent $1 on gambling. I do like poker, but the casinos were too smoky and no one believes in having a non-smoking casino.
I didn’t really shop; I bought a few chakas. Somewhere, I saw a newspaper article (maybe it was in the New York Times yesterday) that “middle class shoppers” shop in Vegas. Seems bizarre - most of the stores I saw were extraordinarily expensive. I didn’t shop in them, though I browsed a bit.
Mostly, I had some really great meals. Todd English’s Olives at the Bellagio was very good. I really regret not grabbing a seat on the patio to watch the Bellagio fountains (which I particularly liked when I finally saw them later that afternoon) Spent way too much at the Voodoo Steakhouse on the 50th floor of the Rio (where I was staying). It was a fabulous meal with a great view. We also had lunch at Mario Batali’s at the Venetian (not sure of the name, but it was in the phony St. Mark’s Sq.) and a dinner at a traditional Italian place off the Strip (where there was a large party of Hell’s Angels with at least three people who looked suspiciously like transvestites).