Mike and Music

Mike and I just got back today from a weekend trip to Las Vegas.  We got an offer for free lodging if we went to a timeshare presentation, and, being the wild and crazy people we are, we decided to go.

After spending a night in Primm, NV, a town we usually just speed past on our way to Sin City, we realized that speeding through isn’t a bad idea.  There’s nothing wrong with the town, it’s just not that exciting.  There are three hotel/casinos, all owned by the same company, and all connected by Monorail.  One of the casinos was full of obese people, one full of relatively normal looking people, and the final one looked like a trailer park full of Kid Rock fans exploded and catapulted all the trashy inhabitants to the casino floor.

Next morning, we got up and headed to Vegas.  Checked into our room the timeshare people so livingly provided, a smoke-free Renaissance next to the LV Convention Center.  If you’ve never stayed off the strip, let me tell you– it was great!  It was nice to be able to wander around the hotel without dealing with gawking tourists, to be able to breathe in clean air, and to hop on the Monorail and be transported to the Strip.  No pricey taxis and no stressful driving, just riding in comfort.  The all day passes were on sale for $9, and we totally got our money’s worth out of those puppies.

Mike played some craps and I cheered him on, and we tried to get as many free drinks as possible.  We ate (including a delicious dinner at the Spago cafe inside Caesar’s Palace) and wandered around and did some shopping and slept and sat in the hot tub and hung out.  It was great!  A perfect weekend getaway.

Of course, the one thing I’m leaving out is the time share presentation.  All 2+ hours of it…

A couple of weeks ago, Mike and I made our way down to the outlets at the border (which are amazing, because you’re literally mere feet away from Mexico and can see the giant fence that separates our two nations).  I purchased a ton of clothes, some of which I decided to return once I got them home.  I’d been putting off taking them back, but Mike suggested we take the trolley to the outlets in order to make my returns.

There’s a trolley station a few blocks from our house, so yesterday we hoofed it down the hill and settled in at the stop to wait for the train.  A woman listening to an old school Walkman sat down next to us and immediately we were serenaded with “Everybody” by Madonna.  That wasn’t too bad, actually, as I love Madonna.  What was bad, though, was when she cracked open her can of 7-Up and began burping loudly and making vomiting sounds.  Apparently the soda didn’t agree with her.  We waited and waited and waited for the train, and finally decided to walk 13 or so blocks to the next station, where we needed to transfer to the southbound line.  Of course as soon as we took off, the trolley came by.

We got to the station, hopped on the next train, and stood for what felt like forever but was really only about 35 minutes.  We watched old men and women get on the trolley and younger people ignore them rather than giving up their seats; we shared the train with people with armfuls of groceries, moms with strollers and babies, and church ladies with Bibles.  The scenery passed by and finally we were at the border, where we were faced with another walk, this time from the trolley station to the outlets.

All in all, the trip from our house to the stores took about 90 minutes.  We covered 25 miles max.  I now remember why I hated taking public transportation so much before I got my license and car.  The sense of dependency that comes from waiting on your ride (whether it’s a bus or a train or anything else), the lack of personal space that accompanies shared quarters, the tired feet from standing and walking…  My Corolla may not have power doors or windows, but it’s all mine!

I’ve been pestering Mike for a couple of weeks to go with me to start our wedding registries. I wanted us to register at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Home Depot, and maybe Crate and Barrel; he was definitely up for Home Depot, but was working on a different timeline. This morning, after another meeting with another potential still photographer, he suggested we go to Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Once there, we wandered over to the registry section and got it all set up (it was surprisingly easy, and the girl who helped us was great). We then began what had to be the slowest trip through the store in the history of the world. I had no idea registering for gifts could be so tiring!!! (Hence the title of this post)

We looked at crystal and napkins and bedding and shower curtains and picture frames. Patio furniture and cutlery and trashcans and vacuum cleaners. Lint brushes and pillows and framed “art” and magnifying mirrors. The store isn’t called Bed, Bath & Beyond for nothing! Mike and I tried to be organized about our search, starting in one corner of the store and working our way up and down every aisle. It was a great plan– I feel like we found almost everything we need and want– but it was hard on our feet! I wish I’d worn my pedometer; I swear, we must have walked 5 miles. I’m very tankful if we think of anything else, we can add it from the comfort of our home (God bless the internet).

Next up, Home Depot!