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The Fantasy Triangle: A TR

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by Jack21, Nov 20, 2006.

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  1. The Fantasy Triangle: Tampa-->Las Vegas--> Home

    It isn’t every day you get to live out a week of fantasy and then cap it off with a freebie Vegas weekend.

    For an early 40th birthday DW had given set me five days in Tampa to participate in New York Yankees fantasy camp. I could think of no better way to usher in my 5th decade of life than spend it swinging a bat and misplaying ground balls with some of my childhood baseball heros. When we found out wifey was pregnant I offered to cancel, but she encouraged me to go anyway since she’s not due until early January. In addition, she gave me the go-ahead to for a side trip to Vegas before I head home. A couple of weeks prior I scrambled together my Vegas plans, putting calls in to my host at Mandalay Bay as well as the shift bosses at Main Street Station.

    So there I was, sore as hell after five days of baseball and buffoonery with the likes of Mickey Rivers, Dave Winfield, and Tommy John, boarding a flight Thursday from Tampa to Vegas. The transition was smooth despite the fact that the only part of me not aching was my eyelids- we’re talking lap dance sore, whole body style. One vodka and 10 milligrams of Ambien, my usual nighty night one-two punch, did the trick for the entire five hour trip. I landed, picked up my bags, and taxi’d to the California where Ralph the shift boss had put me up for the night. Had I known I was set up at the Cal I woulda brought a Hawaiian shirt. After unloading in the room I crossed the bridge to the MSS and anchored myself at one end of a dice pit. Choppy action, but of note were the flurry of text messages I kept receiving from, um, “Vanessa”: “When do you get in?” and “Where are you staying.” Had I been more attentive to my phone and less to my rolls I would have seen the last one- “Turn around.” When I finally did color up I heard my name yelled and WHOA, there she was, in the flesh. Surprise!!:thumbsup: We gave each other big hugs and set off to eat and drink, as we were both quite starving. I finagled a $40 food comp out of the pit boss and we headed over to the 777 Brewpub. My cheese steak was great but it may have been that I was extra hungry, while um, Vanessa had the personal pizza which looked way to big to be personal. After a few drinks and some catching up, we were fired up and Rhino-bound.

    At the Rhino we sucked down a few overpriced drinks and quickly realized that our taste in body types was widely divergent. While V went for the shapely, more natural girls I tended to opt for the leaner bods with oversized implants. It wasn’t long before V settled on LaShay (leChay? Lesce?), while I on Inga from Sveden. A large stack of twenties was burned as we played out our own personal renditions of A Sticky Mess. These clubs seem to exist outside reality; time and money seem to vanish. As night turned into morning we low-tailed it out, sharing a taxi since she was at the LVC. We parted ways, and I headed up to the clean quiet room where I flipped on pay-per-view and passed out to Backdoor Nurses, Part 69.

    Awake at 7:30am, East-coast style, and showered. A word about the rooms at the California- I must say I was pleasantly surprised. In all my trips to Vegas this was my first night ever spent downtown, and so my expectations were not very high. Other than a shower head at the level of my neck (and I’m not very tall at 5’8”) I found it clean, quiet, and with just enough amenities to make the stay comfortable. Not hungry yet, I decided to check out the dice pit action and have my morning coffee. The only active pit was at the Cal and I was disappointed to find that they only offered 2x odds. I found it strange that just over a bridge at a sister Boyd property they were offering 20x odds. But I stayed, and was happy I did, because Don Ho at corner position kept the dice for 1/2 hour to the tune of about $400 which allowed me to walk away a winner overall between the Cal and MSS.

    The Mandalay Bay driver service picked me up later that morning and whisked me to my home away from home. Actually, I scored TheHotel for two nights and so I left my luggage with the bellhop and grabbed a bite at the Bayside Buffet. The offerings there are not extensive but are good quality, and so I filled up with omelets, lox, and crepes. After finalizing some business issues at the cage, I hit the pits and found the action very choppy. By the time others in my party called telling me they had landed in Vegas, I think I was down a shade over $300. I colored up, thinking how inappropriate it is to take four hundys from a Boyd Property and turn around and immediately hand them over to MGM/Mirage, Inc.

    I met up with the VERY wide-eyed Chris and Emily (two Vegas virgins) in the lobby of TheHotel and they were starving so I took them to the Burger Bar over at Mandalay Place where they ate while I sipped on my vodka tonic. I encouraged them to order the Angus burgers and they were not disappointed. After lunch we checked into adjoining rooms and they were impeccable as usual. More kudos for Johnny- at my request, we got 37th floor, strip view…score. After their oohs and aahhs subsided I introduced them to a casino floor. More drooling, more sound effects….Vegas virgins are fun! They basically watched me roll dice for a while, but action was slower than a Darryl Strawberry fastball. I was down maybe another $200 before I called it quits and we parted ways- them to wander aimlessly, me to nap.

    I awoke after about an hour, showered, dressed, and headed back to the casino. One unfriendly blackjack dealer later I moved on back to dice, drew my marker, and I was off to the races. Better action this time, and by the time the gang was to meet over at the Island Lounge I was up enough to pay off my marker with enough left for a dinner which was paid for anyway.

    I sat in the Island Lounge and listened to the stylings of a Smokey Robinson look-alike band; downed two cappuccino martinis; smoked one Davidoff. By the time they showed, Emily and Chris had some catching up to do. Next the lovely Vegas Tonya arrived on scene and we headed off to Red Square to meet up with um, Vanessa. The next two hours or so were spend gorging ourselves, laughing, drunk dialing (you know who you are) and running up an obscene bill. Between numerous drinks, vodka samplers, appetizers, and main courses, you could imagine. In fact, later on at check-out time, Johnny would give me a bit of grief, but covered it anyway.

    A quick note about Johnny K, my MB host. A physically imposing man who shaves his head clean (think of an Asian Mikey), Johnny and I first met a few years back when my original host failed to come thru on a room comp she promised me. I immediately demanded a new host and was provided Johnny, who delivered the goods and then some. I sent the MB and Johnny a nice complimentary letter after the trip, and it’s been smooth sailing ever since. This time around not only was he picking up my room and my food, but Chris and Emily’s room as well. Thanks, J!

    He also gave me unsolicited access to the Foundation Room so after dinner we passed the rope and went on up. This was my first foray there, and with its lush velvety surroundings, good bar, fireplace, and terrace with killer view, it didn’t disappoint. Unfortunately, um, Vanessa had a late flight so we said our good byes and she headed back downstairs. Great time, um, Vanessa. I arranged for the remaining four of us to take a limo ride up the Strip to the Wynn. At the Wynn we sat in some bar overlooking a well-lit lake and waterfall, but all I remember is some 30-foot frog singing Low Rider. OK Steve, nice job with your one-upsmanship. For the nightcap we headed back to the Foundation Room for drink/dance/drink/stumble. After a bit I pooped out, walked Tonya to the valet, and hit the hay.

    The next morning I had a 10:00 massage. I have this thing about good luck at tables before a massage and this trip superstition held up. Why is it always you get the best dice rolls when you need to either be somewhere or hit the men’s’ room? Anyway, after many good point hits, including two hot hubby & wife rolls I paid off the marker and still had a yellow chip in my hand. At TheBathhouse I got Ashley who provided Swedish massage services in a professional manner and who managed to work out the soreness provided to me by the likes of Ken Griffey, Roy White, Jimmy Leyritz, and the others earlier that week.

    Actually, it wasn’t just circling the bases on my own hits that got me beat down. Of the other players, who ranged in age from 35 to 70, I seemed to be the only one with any decent speed, which turned out to be more of a curse than a blessing. Camp rules were such that one could sub for another base runner at any time (including right from home plate) without having to leave the game. SO…like a fool I offered up my base running services as pinch runner for every overweight, arthritic 55 year old CEO, which meant I was on base pretty much every inning for a doubleheader every day for four consecutive days…BIG mistake.

    Back to the Spa: A hot tub and shower after, and I was once again ready to hit the casino. After swinging by the sports book and betting big on Ohio State (money line), I bounced between craps and BJ, giving Emily and Chris lessons along the way. One “task” I was given was to use $100 some one back home gave me to gamble for them. That’s a great thing, no? Having gaming fun at others’ request with their money? The way I generally do this is pair my cash with the other 50/50 and then stop at a pre-designated time, say 30 minutes. Luckily for us after the 30th minute the $200 was $480. Winner winner chicken dinner. Some dude 3000 miles away will be handed an extra $140 for my “troubles.”

    At some point I hit the shopping at Mandalay Place. Now, I hate shopping but love giving. Wifey got a nice sterling silver/turquoise earring and necklace set; my girl got princess and unicorn figurines and the little guy got yet another addition to the Thomas the Train series from Five Little Monkeys. Mission accomplished. Time for a nap.

    I was scheduled on a red-eye that night so I wanted to make the most of my last few hours. I held my own at the tables, settled up with the cage, and met Chris and Emily at Mix for overpriced RB/GGs and a sofa and a view. I still think going to Mix pre-dinner is well worth it. Dinner at Aureole after that was nothing short of fantastic. After the seafood ravioli I had a New York Strip so lean and tender I thought it was a large filet. The wine dudes (I forgot what French name you call them) picked out a perfect bottle for the meal. As usual the meal was filling enough that there was no need for dessert.

    I headed back up to the room, full, exhausted, still sore, and up close to two yellow chips. Since Em and Chris were in town for two days beyond me they headed right back to out to party while I changed into my “traveling pajamas”: sweatpants, cotton pullover, and slippers. The final leg of my “fantasy triangle” would be to head home to reconnect with the family. The airport that night (Sat) was unusually light, and I was thru security at the gate in no time. Nine hours later I was in my own king-size bed with munchkins curled up on each side of me….ahhhh.

    And now, a few trip highlights:

    *Baseball highlight: lining a Neil Allen “fastball” into the gap in left-center for a stand-up double with runners on second and third.

    *Vegas highlight: Red Square dinner for five and everything it came with: humor, alcohol, and great food

    *Biggest pleasant surprise: The room at the Cal

    *Hardest laugh: The look on Emily when she stepped into a Vegas casino for the first time

    *Best View (a tie): The Strip View from the Foundation Room AND Vanessa with LaChay from my end of the sofa

    *Most interesting proposition: also a tie.

    *Biggest bonehead move: leaving my cell phone recharger at the Cal after I had moved to the MB and subsequently watching my phone slowly die

    *Biggest surprise score: A full weekend comp to the Foundation Room

    *Biggest also-wanted-to-do: Tryst, which we ended up skipping due to our (free) Foundation room access

    *Biggest realization: 48 hours in Vegas does me JUST FINE.

    Cheers, J21
     
  2. Jimbucc

    Jimbucc VIP Whale

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    Fantasy week of baseball and Vegas. Sounds like a little bit of heaven there. I'm jealous. :wink2:
     
  3. Vegas Tonya

    Vegas Tonya Margarita Connoisseur

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    Nice report. It was great to finally meet you. Next time you need to take a nap and hang a little longer so we can tear up the Foundation Room. Thanks for dinner and drinks. I owe you "something" in March. :wink2:
     
  4. doctor_al

    doctor_al VIP Whale

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    Nice job j/e. At first I thought this was going to be a Lacy report. ;)
     
  5. Coaster Kikky

    Coaster Kikky Tourist

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    Nice! Just real, real nice! I had a feeling the showerheads would be low at the Cal. I have a free night there in an upcoming trip and will have to remember to not have to wash my hair that morning - just wait until I get checked in at Aladdin and get it done there. I'm 5'11" and don't care to contort myself just to wash my hair!

    And... thanks for the not-drunk dial!
     
  6. Beach Crazy

    Beach Crazy Hostess With the Mostess

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    Wow!!! Happy Birthday to you! :wink

    Sounds to me like you did it up right...not that I had any doubts. Nice to hear your experience at the Cal turned out so well for you. Great report, Eric.

    Until March, :beer:
     
  7. IllMarty

    IllMarty Orangutan

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    What an awesome week you had Eric. Excellent TR. Too bad Mickey is passed, because you could have busted him inside like Kramer. :rolleyes:
     
  8. Jack21

    Jack21 Guest

    Al, I only take the stairs. ;)

    Becky, your dial was sober, sorry...

    Marty, thanks...all week we took turns driving Mickey home from the bars in Tampa...funny, when he's drunk, you can almost understand him. :confused2:

    See ya soon, Angy....
     
  9. RossW

    RossW North of the 49th

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    Great read E.

    As I’ve mentioned in PM_Land.....you know how to live right, Eric. Glad it was fun. What a thrill for you to play w/ the guys you watched in your younger days....

    I'm off for a few days this Dec, a real shocker, really, but it all fell into place real quick, like, and the deal was there...so I got the OK....LOL

    March>.....the jury is still out on that one....:rolleyes2:

    Thanks for the write up. Good to hear some positive news about the Cal.

    The Aloha crowd must know something a lot of us mainlanders don't....:)
     
  10. StickyFingers007

    StickyFingers007 Namer of T2V Gatherings

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    Fantastic!.. Love the " Sticky mess" part :thumbsup:

    Sticky
     
  11. DonD

    DonD VIP Whale

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    Great report Eric, thanks for the read.:thumbsup:
     
  12. sin

    sin VIP Whale

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    Excellent report on a well deserved trip Eric! Glad to hear that 2 days in Vegas was enough for you....that's my minimum! Now, here's hoping that your holidays go smoothly and that your new bundle arrives without a hitch and sleeps through the night at a month old so you can make the madness! I look forward to seeing you there ya know:poke:
     
  13. pattiinontario

    pattiinontario "PATTI-O-LANTERNS"

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    sounds like a great time
    I think that shower height would be just right for me.
     
  14. Jack21

    Jack21 Guest

    I think we all need to have our heads in the right places. ;)
     
  15. chef

    chef Resident Buffetologist

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    At first I thought it was a ken2v TR. You guys get to have too much play time.
    Of course, after you got into the risque stuff, I knew this couldn't be ken.
     
  16. LVLady

    LVLady Tourist

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    Great trip report. We had dinner at the Foundation Room in June, it was the best meal and the best view I have experienced. We spent about 4 hours up there eating and drinking and soaking in the view. They make a fantastic Chocolate Martini, the bartender was awesome. I was very jealous when I read that portion of your trip report. Eventually we will make it back up there.
     
  17. Jer

    Jer “The Walrus has spoken”

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    So I guess I walked right by Aureole while you were having dinner. I didnt wanna barge in on you fine people, so I just hung out for awhile to see if you would come out. I wnet to the bathroom, and then thought I should go in and just bite the bullet.

    No J/E...:cry:

    Anyways, nice report... I always know you can do VEgas RIGH!:thumbsup:
     
  18. Jack21

    Jack21 Guest

    Dude! I thought you were in on Friday! Next time text me- I hit the tables for a little while after dinner Sat.
     
  19. sanonofresurfer

    sanonofresurfer Dude

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    Great report Eric. Makes me wish I didn't have pee duty and coulda come out there to meet up with you.:nworthy:
     
  20. MikeE

    MikeE The Shah's Slightly Hairy Cousin

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    Excellent report, Eric!

    Isn't Foundation Room great? I don't have the funds to roll out like you so I generally have to beg/tip my way in, but it's definitely one of my favorite spots in town.

    I love that a couple minutes into the report and you're already in a strip club. Very nice.

    So true about hitting a hot streak when you have to pee. From now on, I'm only ordering coffee, beer, and watermelon at the tables.
     
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