Two years ago today.....

... we got married in Vegas.

And although I found this board before we left.... BOY was my return trip report CRAP.

So while trying to recall the details of the day and get them down so I'll remember them in 20 years.... I wrote up another report of the trip. Like all mine, it's long, it's rambling.... and there are blank spots!!!

A re-write of a two year old trip..... I wrote crap then (I was MissV... or was it MissVN then), and hey, I'm sentimental since it's our anniversary....



I was excited.

We've always talked about going to Vegas, and getting married in Vegas since I'm not a big wedding-type gal, and about mid-Feb of 2005, the then-shackin-up-with-been-with-for-10-years-Man found out he was being sent to the International Sign Expo in Vegas. We quickly booked a plane ticket for me to go along. SWEET! I figured this would at least be a good scouting trip, which we've also discussed doing.... to see how the getting married in Vegas worked.

Wednesday, March 30st, 2005

Plane ride there (TED) was miserable. Sat next to a dude with the WORST breath who insisted on sleeping with his mouth open. Ugh.

The Man (as he will be referred to for the rest of this writing) had a window seat and he enjoyed the ride.

Landed, got the bags, got a cab, headed to Luxor. Asked if there was ANY possible way we could possibly check in now (it was about 9am). Were sternly told NO!!!! Check your bags and no soup for you.... yadda yadda yadda.... the man had to quickly pull out "work clothes" from a suitcase and change in a bathroom before we checked the bags. I walked him over to the Mandalay convention center

We tried to stop for breakfast at someplace in Mandalay... we waited to be seated and then waited about 15 minutes without seeing a wait person. We got up and left. Quick kiss at the convention center and parting of the ways.

Oh... I should probably call the parent/in-laws and inform them we didn't die in a firely plane crash. I had just enough cell phone battery to do that.

The weather was nice.... 70s... so I decided to hit the Strip via Excalibur.

Upon entering Excalibur, I realized I needed coffee. BAD. So I sat down at a video slot, the Crawfish one that has not been kind to me since, no idea what I was doing, and threw in a dollar. A waitress quickly came by and took my coffee order. Sat there, waitress quickly returned. Pressed some buttons, stuff happened. Got a second cup of coffee. Was feeling human again. Looked at the point total and went "HOLY BLEEEEEP!". Since I'm of the writer variety (shut up.... I refuse to use spell check when I'm not on the clock!) and I cannot do math, I figured I was cashing out $20. Was actually $45.

Giddy and full of coffee, I headed to the Strip. Talk about being just over-stimulated. Walked, stopped in a few places to play but my luck was sucked out earlier. Wondered why the hell people would form a crowd outside of the Dennys. THIS IS VEGAS, PEOPLE!!!! There are MUCH better eats to be had!!!!

Eventually wandered back to Luxor to find the Man and actually check in. It was around 3pm, and check in was a mob. And I was cranky, still had not eaten that day. Once we finally checked in, I headed to some coffee shop type place and got a sandwich (that was bad, took too long to get and was too pricey but was at least food) and we headed back up to the room. Discovered that in Vegas, even with what I consider mild temps, a gal can get sunburn. GREAT.

Room was OK... no view, but we were there booked under a convention rate, checked in late, and didn't know any better. But, loving Egyptology and campy like I do, I got a kick out of the room decor.

Some cleaning up, and we were both ready to hit the Strip. It was the Man's turn to be over-stimulated. I had a fairly major breakdown in front of the Bellagio fountains when they started playing that damned Italian song.... ladies, you know what I'm saying...it'd only been like six months since my dad died, and at that moment, all I could think about was how much I already loved this place, how much HE loved this place, and how my heart broke that I'd never be able to tell him that.

I recovered, we moved on.... saw the Mirage volcano show (which was awesome!) before we turned back. I think we did some gambling, I *know* we had some cocktails, and we headed back to the room.

Thursday, March 31st, 2005
This day is still fuzzy in my mind. I think I've blocked it mentally, lol. Again, walked the Man to the convention center, quick kiss and I was off to explore. I think I took the Monorail again and wondered what the hype was. I know our evening Strip walking got us down to the Fashion Show Mall where we went in, via the staircase outside. I was clutching the railing with white knuckles by the time we reached the top, yet didn't want to wuss out and admit I was scared as hell. I have a fear of heights that is only heightened by fresh air, and this was not good. Walked the mall a little, and all I remember is going to the bookstore and getting a couple Vegas books.

Oh... we had our first dinner at Fatburger. Back at Luxor, I had a cocktail waitress who kept giving me attitude even though I consider myself a generous tipper.


Friday, April 1st, 2005

The next day started with me walking the Man to the convention center again. Again... a kiss... have fun at the convention, honey!!!

I caught the Monorail after navigating thru MGM, and headed down to the Saharah. I had heard there was an In-N-Out near the stop, and figured I'd just walk my way back down the Strip.

Um, no.

Played a little at the Saharah, came out about $20 ahead. Walked outside... um... where is the In-N-Out? Headed over to Bonanza to at least get some shopping in. So where is the Fatburger? A mile, you say? Hell NO... I say!!

Had to get back to meet the Man in the early afternoon so I just decided to hop on the Monorail again. For some reason, the Saharah station was damned hard to find from the street (not within the casino). And damn... that thing is HIGH in the air. YEOW. Not good at all.

Back, navigating thru MGM, looking for a lunch option. Emeril's New Orleans Fish House... not crowded.... we have a winner! Had a wonderful meal of gumbo, a fried oyster salad (fried oysters are one of my most favorite things on the planet) and a nice glass of wine. For a single gal, unfamilar to the city, I was very impressed with how I was treated and the overall service.

Back to Luxor to meet up with the Man... we had an appointment at the Neon Boneyard.

The cab ride down there.... once this dude found out we'd been together for 10 years and were not married.... spent the entire ride telling us about horrible April Fools jokes he's played on people (it was April Fools day) and trying to convince us (in betweeen The Count - AH! AH! AH! laughs) to get married and call families and tell them "We just got married... and divorced!! AH!!!! AHH!!! AHH!!!!" (I stand, firmly, to this day, is the reason I am an April 2nd bride and not an April Fools Bride)

The cabbie dropped us off at the nearby children's mueseum, and we walked over to the boneyard and met our guide. Yeah, the neighborhood ain't great but the tour. was. AWESOME. Many pictures were taken, stories were told. When our guide found out we cabbed it over, she drove us over to Fremont to ACTUALLY catch a cab (we're city folk... not used to not being able to just flag down a cab).

Wandering around Fremont.... Fried Twinkie! Oh, I must try that.

(begin stomach starting to grumble........ war in the stomache between the meal at Emeril's and the fried twinkie... I think the twinkie was sadly winning......)

Had dinner at the now former Mexican cantina place along with the obligatory huge margarita. We both had seafood burritos... which we loved.

Then decided that WHAT could possibly be better than to see"Sin City" while IN Sin City??? Walked around the now-defunct mall for a bit... loved the Vegas-y shop that has since gotten kicked out of the mall... more open-air escaltors freaking me the hell out... up to the movie theater.

We're both Frank Miller fans and I assume you've read the reviews by now... movie was great.

Some more wandering, more drinks on Fremont, some lame ass light shows (if I never see that Monster Truck one again, it will be too soon) and then another cab and back to home base.

Saturday, April 2, 2005

Woke up, and decided to do the buffet thing at Luxor. Food was food, service ws good.

Back up to the hotel room, wondering how to spend the Saturday. The man was oddly nervous.

The Man turns to me and sez... "Well, we've done eveything else Vegas... wanna get married?"

Me: "Yeah! Ok!!"

Man: Ok... then go buy youself a dress...

Me: Um... yeah.... I already have a white dress packed......

(yeah, I did. A single gal who's been with her man for 10 years should ALWAYS pack a white dress... just in case)

I did, however, forget my shoes, and the man only had work clothes, tee shirts and I think his Dogs Playing Poker shirt.... all of which he determined were unfit to get married in. I went off to find shoes and he went off to buy a shirt.

I ran in to a fantastic sales lady in a shoe place at Mandalay who was also married in Vegas, and all she could do was gush about her own Vegas wedding and all the happy ones she's known since.

We returned to the room... purchases in hand... and got ready. Don't recall the cab ride there.

However... as soon as I, in my white dress, stuck my head outta the cab at the courthouse... we were MOBBED with flyer people. The man gathered them all and declaired he'd return from the courthouse with his decision. In line, we giggled at how uncomplicated it all was.

He finally saw a nice, uncomplicated flyer that mentioned the wedding, some pictures, and a limo ride. He was sold. At some point, the Man asked the dude handing out the flyers "hey... were you that guy on Cops?" (we both have a "Cops" addiction). The dude denies it to no end.... but to this day the Man swears he was in the wedding chapel fued episode of Cops.

A dude walked us down Bridger to the Chapel of Dreams (which I would not remember now, if it was not for Ken's book. Have I mentioned I *totally* lack the wedding gene???). We took a seat. And waited. And were finally ushered in to their Hawaii/Tiki room. And we giggled. And took contraband pictures with the digital cam. Giggled at the stained ceiling and recited Simpsons quotes. And waited some more. How the hell do people do MONTHS of waiting between a proposal and the wedding and not go crazy???

I had to marvel at the fact that people actually BOOKED this chapel. Which is why we had to wait. But the owner was all apologies and all about making it up to us... rather than a single rose she made me a bouquet, and she found a jacket for the man. While taking pictures (were I almost left sunglasses on) the photographer was asking us about our hometown, and he cried out "Ohh! The Las Vegas Revue is there!!!" (the seediest strip club in a 10 mile radius).

On to the ceremony... it was beautiful... it was a tear-jerker..... and one of these anniversaries when we are good and drunk, we'll actually watch the video of it.

Now on to the business... payment! Oh, we can give you a couple of beautiful 8 x 10's off our crappy picture printer for $20.... no thanks! Us: And where do we catch the limo ride back to the Strip?

"Oh. You should have booked in advance for that."

Slightly pissed, we grab the photo CD (which yiedlied some great photos with my marginal Photoshop experience) and headed back to Fremont for a cab. Back home again... some great "sightings" in the lobby and gift shop of "Oh, you guys just got married!! That's so cool!!!!", me outta the dress (no... not that way... it didn't hold the boobage in well enough to wear it for an evening) and we call the folks, have a toast of champagne.... then head back out to Fatburger for a wedding meal.

Walking around, some more gambling.... later festivities in the room. It was a good day for gambling for the Man... did well at the poker tables and we came home with money.

Sunday, April 2, 2005

Sunday was home again.... we did have a nice suprise that my mom arranged a hired car for our ride home. Back in our (then) crappy apartment, all we could wonder was how soon we could be in Vegas again.

Monday, April 3, 2005

The fun of returning to work.... "How was the trip?" "It was great. We got married." "WHAT?!?!?!" Sweet.

 

Happy belated anniversary.

 

Nothing like a Vegas wedding!

 

That was great! Thanks for sharing!

 

Good job......Congrat's.

 

Congrats

Really enjoyed that...Hope your anniversary was a great one!