This collection of entries is from January 09, 2005.
It turns out that the Luxor has high speed Internet connections in the rooms. Cost: $10.99 for 24 hours of access. Looks like I'll be connected after all! Unfortunately, I'm having some FTP problems to one of my boxes, so I won't be able to "embellish" my entries. (Update: Crap. I lost the server itself and I can't get at it remotely - no more live webcam shots. Oh no! We can't watch Indy & Chip while we're gone! We can't see them get fed when my sister Diane comes over! Maybe I can get her to go upstairs and reboot a machine...)
Well, after some napping, we went next door to Mandalay Bay and had a quick dinner at Red White and Blue. Didn't feel like anything extravagant.
Haven't gambled yet. Well, throwing money into a Wheel of Fortune machine on the way back doesn't really count - I never sat down.
Looks like it's raining like hell outside - I can tell by the amount of water flowing down the pyramid windows.
Well, nothing much to report other than we're here in Las Vegas.
We flew out on Ted and I would highly recommend flying them. Yes, they're cheap, yes, you don't get a lot of amenities (hell, on our flight today we had no food even tough we were supposed to be able to purchase snacks). We left pretty much on time around 7am and immediately climbed into a cloud deck. The clouds were with us almost all the way across the country. We had some pretty good headwinds and even a bit of turbulence over the mountains. We landed about 10-15 minutes late.
But we're back in Las Vegas. We grabbed the Hertz shuttle and got a car from the #1 Gold members pavilion. When we landed, the sun was out. By the time we walked to the car, it was drizzling. We drove to Bellagio and carol treated me to the Champagne brunch buffet, which is one of our favorites in town (though I didn't enjoy the champagne this time around).
After brunch we walked through the casino and the shops and went outside to walk to Caesars across the street. The drizzle was getting a bit heavier. We went to Caesars for two things 1) see the expansion to the Forum Shops (and WOW! very impressive as well as all of the new restaurants! and who would believe circular escalators!) and 2) pickup our tickets for a show Thursday night.
Yes we're going to see a show, one that is actually pretty critically acclaimed.
We got 9th row Center tickets for Celine Dion. Say what you will about her (we're not fans of hers), but the production of the show itself is supposed to be OUT OF THIS WORLD.
By the time we were ready to get back to the car (still parked at Bellagio), the rain was really starting to come down. The travel down Las Vegas Boulevard in the car was tricky - the right-hand lane was flooded most of the way.
Carol went through registration at Luxor and got us a room on the 18th floor. As we were walking to our assigned "inclinator", we were greeted by the fire alarm going off (for no reason). We get upstairs to find out that our room was LEAKING from all of the rain outside, so we had to change rooms - down one floor.
We're both exhausted - Carol has been napping on the bed making all kinds or snoring noises. I'm watching the air traffic at McCarran Airport - right across the street. We need to rest and find some place simple for dinner.
Fortunately, both Carol and I have our own alarm clocks.
When we REALLY have to be up and going somewhere, we both set our alarms, just to make sure we get up on time.
Thank God for that because, while I set my alarm to go off at 3:30, I never turned the alarm on.
And then - fortunately - Carol actually set hers correctly. Hers went off at 3:30. And it kept going and going and going - Carol slept through it!
Anyway, we're up and getting ready.
Viva Las Vegas! *yawn*