Vegas 1, Spencer 0

A lot can happen in the greater Las Vegas Metro area. I had a good time in Vegas this weekend, but not as much fun as my roommate. Just embrace the before / after / after-after sequence of photos.

I didn't end up on roof of caesar's, but he almost did, because I was ready to punt him up there. It was a very long day, started at 1030 am, drinking beers at a rugby tournament. Did that all day, then had a short break where everyone but me & Spencer got rest. Spencer didn't get any rest because he drank TWO 5 Hour Energy drinks in 25 minutes. That's 600 minutes of energy in 25 minutes. So he was running in circles in the hotel room while I was trying to get some shuteye. Doing jumping jacks, etc. Not kidding. (His liver must be made of adamantium. They should get NASA to study it. I think it could beat up Wolverine. Or China.) Then we went out to dinner and the clubs until 6 AM.

Since I was up at 6 am in the car just one day earlier it was a tough go. Spencer was so cockeyed he rode the whole way home in the trunk of the SUV with the luggage, curled up in the fetal position.

He followed that up with a quiet, introspective afternoon on the couch. It was the Daytona 500 so he put his racing hat on.

why is everyone picking on the dumb girl? (and I don't mean the girl pictured)

if you haven't seen the video of Miss Teen South Carolina bumbling through the moderately difficult q&a at the Miss Teen something or other contest, check it out. I feel bad for her because everyone is piling on, like they could do better.

More importantly, how did the hot redhead not win this thing? But she's in high school, which is disturbing and gross. Hmm... Minka Kelley is all grown up, and still looks delicious. Advantage, Minka.

Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit...

The last episode of the Sopranos aired tonight. The series had lost much of it's intensity, especially in the beginning of this last half-season, when HBO decided to extend it by six episodes and didn't have enough plot to stretch. The show finished with a bang, though, and the last episode was one of those shows they'll be reviewing in film classes for years to come. Brilliant, compelling television.

I was especially fond of the music used to close the series: Tony listening to Don't Stop Believing by Journey. (Full disclosure: that makes the third time in three nights I heard the song, since they played it in the bars when I was out on Friday and Saturday, which says a lot about my taste in bars, but there you go).

I'm proud to say that I have a copy of the power-ballad classic on CD, and I defy you to resist it's awesome strenf. The song was Track 1 on a mix-tape a friend made me a couple years ago, before she moved back home. To north jersey. A funny coincidence. Nothing says north Jersey like a power-ballad, I guess.

thanks for reading.

ps. when are skin-tight jeans up to your armpits going to come back? that look is hot! you don't believe me, watch the video in the Journey link above. or go here.

so that's what $800,000 buys you

turns out that the London 2012 olympic logo cost $800,000 to "develop".
really.

have you seen it? yikes. they're going to use the same basic shape and change the color at random, or according to some pattern only they know. sort of like MTV in the early days. told you the 80's were coming back.

the head of the firm isn't talking, so we can't get any feedback on his vision. is it weird if a PR firm doesn't talk to the media? guess not.

vegas and nascar (but not at the same time)

unusual Sunday night post. I'm feeling guilty about not going to church this weekend. And it was ash wednesday this week and everything. I am observing lent, though. so that's something.
busy weekend; vegas on friday, recovery saturday, nascar race in Fontucky on Sunday.

took me a few minutes to find a picture of my all time favorite nascar driver. Probably not anyone you've heard of, but Junior Johnson is the real deal. Says one website: A raid on the Johnson family house back in '48 resulted in the largest inland seizure of illegal whiskey in US history. Respect.

NASCAR was born out of that whiskey running, car-racing culture. It's come a long way, not all for the better.
observations from the events of the weekend, in rough chronological order.

• I can get everything i want to get done in vegas in 24 hours. more than that is too much. I want to come home after one day.
  
• gambling losses for my trip: $20
• club expenses for one night: 12x gambling losses (yikes!)
• Pure (nightclub in caesar's) is overrated. From the lines outside you would think they were handing out $100 bills in there. I got inside and it was like Goat Hill Tavern but with a dress code. If it's super exclusive, why is the dance floor full of ugly people? i understand you have to let us guys in, since we're spending the money. but the girls? If I'm paying a fortune for a bottle, then the bouncer should be selective about who he lets in. I am glad I went once, but I won't do it again.
  
• The pussycat dolls have parlayed some ass and good production into a specially branded casino and merchandise at caesar's, along with their own little revue at Pure. I thought it was odd, but it looked like a hit with the plebes.
  
• I tipped the bathroom attendant $5 and told him i was bringing back prom, circa 1992, do you have any eternity? so he sprayed me down. he got a bit carried away, but it was hilarious when i talked to people.
  
• a girl asked me if I would be her prom date. sure no problem. But when she tried to kiss me I said "there will be no frenching!" and poured myself another vodka/soda. frenching.
  
• some guy had one of the bowling lane suites at the hard rock. as in, there was a full size bowling alley lane in the room. it was definitely nicer than my room at the rio. a lot nicer. it came with a full bar and bartender, which i thought was a bit much. i think he was there to make sure you didn't shaq the bowling stuff.
  
• 14 vodka sodas + 1 water = 2 day hangover. taste it.
  

more later.