Kick Ass Vegas

Well, it's that time of year again: the weekend my friend Andrey gathers a few of his closest buddies for a birthday celebration in LasVegas. About fifteen of us were there this past weekend enjoying the sunshine, desert heat, cocktails, delicious restaurants and just a touch of gambling. We stayed at the Mirage (above, as seen from a deck chair by the pool) and had a delightfully wonderful time. However, I clearly must be getting older, because after two and a half days, I was more than ready to go home. Usually, I'm pouting and stamping my feet at the end of a vacation, but Vegas pretty much kicked my ass this year. I didn't even do anything particularly outrageous, but even behavior that's very mild by Vegas standards is outrageous for me.

Some highlights of the trip:
Sipping vodka and fresh fruit cocktails by the Mirage pool on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
Eating and enjoying sushi! I hate sushi, but this was at the Japanese-Peruvian-Brazilian fusion restaurant. So it was way better than regular sushi. Way better.
Enjoying champagne and noodles at the Bellagio.
Winning 40 dollars on a 30-cent bet at a Dukes of Hazard penny slot machine at the Wynn. I don't even know how I won, but it was the Dukes of Hazard, so who cares?
Getting a chance to see my friend Simone for the first time in almost a decade. She wasn't part of Andrey's birthday celebration; she and her fiance recently moved to Las Vegas, and they met me at Rhumbar in the Mirage for a drink.
A lengthy champagne brunch at the Mirage buffet.
Discovering that the Mirage gym has a Cybex Arc Trainer, my absolute favorite cardio machine. Yes, I worked out in Vegas. Every day.

Even though Vegas kicked my ass, I'm already looking forward to visiting again for Andrey's birthday next year.

Me and the birthday boy on Friday night as the party was beginning.

Many of us were at brunch drinking all those mimosas, I promise.

*Mirage photo taken by me; others courtesy of my friends Irina and Sabrina.