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The Wolfpac is here... LIVE! from Las Vegas. 6.10-6.14

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by ffejry, Jun 9, 2019.

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  1. ffejry

    ffejry #1 Bears Fan

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    My Trip Report

    Deaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr VMB! Welcome back!!!

    Soooooooo, 3 of my last 4 trips were solo trips. They were great! I met some wonderful people from the boards here. On one of those trips (New Year's Eve), my friend was up for 48 hours and basically slept the next two days away, catching up on his sleep. It became a solo trip, for the most part. But shit happens, right?

    This time... I am going with two of my best friends. For this trip, we have dubbed ourselves the Wolfpac (no k - this name is based on professional wrestling back in the late 90's).

    I will be going with a guy I have never gone to Vegas with. He's now a single dad with two kids going through a divorce. His life was turned upside down back in December and he's been in a rut ever since then. Vegas seems like the perfect place for him as he can let loose and do whatever he wants. He's been talking about this trip nonstop ever since we booked it back in March - just hours before my trip! It was the first time I went to Vegas knowing I had another trip coming up! He doesn't play much. He just plays a $20, gets a hit for $5, and walks away - up $5. I wish I could be easily satisfied like him, but hey, it works, right? He does not do table games. His goal is to have drinks, chill at the pool, and meet some people along the way. He has been to Vegas once or twice with his soon to be ex-wife. He has never done Vegas with just the guys... or me. So for that, I will call him Newbie.

    And then I'll be going with... that sleeping guy. Sleepy. He just finished getting his Bachelor's degree in graphic design for the video game industry back in December as well. He is struggling to find a job or someone to give him a chance with an entry-level job. Does not have to be video games - can be graphic design or advertising or whatever. So in the meantime, he has been doing Uber and has been Ubering like crazy the past few days for this trip. I have been texting him to make sure he is responsible this time around! He plays a lot of blackjack, no slots, and is a moderate drinker. He paces himself pretty well with the drinks - doesn't get a buzz until night time. However, he has trouble pacing himself with his limited budget and blackjack... so chances are he could go bankrupt by Day 2! He is such a good player that he can walk in with $20 (and he did) and get up to $800 (and he did) before blowing it all away in less than 30 minutes. So self-restraint is an issue for him - but not my problem.

    And then there's me... The ffejry. By now, you should have a pretty good idea of me... The Stylin', profilin', limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin' n' dealin' son of a gun! Just kidding! I take it easy on the gambling the first couple of days (for the most part). I always have a drink in my hand. I have become pretty good at making sure I have enough water to stay hydrated. I am pretty easy going and will go with the flow. I do things on the cheap to maximize my bang for the buck while trying to come home with at least half of my bankroll back home.

    So here's the plan... As they say in fight-related sports, the card subject to change.

    Monday:
    Pick up the guys around noon, Chicago time. Sleepy has a flight at 3pm. Airport is about an hour away. We are parking at a hotel near the airport, which only cost us $50 bucks for the week. Not a bad deal at all. Sleepy wanted to get on the same flight as us, but that went up to $190 (we got it for $45 each), so he got Spirit for $90ish, which isn't bad because to kill time, he can take WAX to downtown to get the Spirit match play thing at the D. He will kill time while waiting for us. Newbie and I have a flight at 6pm, Chicago time. We will be staying at the Mandalay Bay for two nights. Sleepy is supposed to meet us when we arrive along with a case of beer. Knowing Sleepy, he is going to be very tardy and/or forget the case of beer.

    After we settle in, we are going to redeem our free plays at the following hotels, courtesy of MyKonami Slots. They are: Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, and NY-NY. I have four rewards, so I will have $100 total in free play. Sleepy has $75. Newbie has nothing yet... we will actually figure this out when we have a few hours to kill before we go to the airport after dropping Sleepy off. He does, supposedly, have $150 to play at the Tropicana, so we will check that out as well. So this night will be basically redeeming the free play, drinking our BYOBs (if you read my previous TRs, you know I have a system in place), and just enjoying the first night in Vegas. Going to hunt for that magical machine and turn that free play into cash!!!

    Tuesday:
    We will sleep in. There's no rush to wake up and get the day started because we have all week. With the way things have been for Newbie lately, I feel like I am going to need all the sleep I can get!

    Note: I should also point out that we also made a pact that we will not wake each other up - EVER. If it's 11am and one guy is still sleeping, then let him be. We agreed if we leave, we will at least send a text stating our location or plans and he can meet us. Same thing for food - we are all on our own for meals. Newbie and Sleepy plan on McDonald's most of the time - I think. I am going to go to my usual places. I don't like to get food that is already available at home, so we will see what happens here.

    Anyway, back to Tuesday... We are going to head up to the pool at Mandalay Bay. We plan on being there for a few hours. We are going to try to get to the Bird Bar at Flamingo by 4 for their dollar beers before it becomes 50 cents at 5. We'll see what happens - if we miss it, then the Cromwell supposedly has happy hour all day for $2 now for the summer which is still a good deal. The plan is to go downtown after Bird Bar for Hogs n Heifers as well as some music and whatnot. That is the general idea for Tuesday, really. Again, card subject to change...

    Wednesday:
    We actually have to wake up by... 10? I am not sure what the check-out time is for the Mandalay Bay is, but at least an hour before check-out. After that, we'll do our usual morning routine - whatever that may be (coffee, food?). We will head over to the Luxor for the Titanic exhibition. I have very fond memories of my parents taking me to this exhibition here in Chicago when I was a kid - but unfortunately don't remember many artifacts, so I am looking forward to this. Thanks mom, for taking me! And yes... my mom will be following my uncensored TR. After that, we will be going to the Wynn to check in. Very excited to be at the Wynn. One of the challenging things about this trip is that I am very much used to being at a property surrounded by casinos, no matter which way you leave. This time, I have the Mandalay Bay and the Wynn, which is about as the end of each side as you can get. Should be interesting, though! We may go to the Wynn's pool after check-in. Maybe nap? No real plans for Wednesday night, though. Maybe Bird Bar if we were unable to make it on Tuesday.

    Thursday:
    Pretty much a repeat of Tuesday. Go to the pool and relax. I may check out Encore's pool to play their poolside blackjack - unless the Wynn has one too. Some people on here were a little unclear about this but I'll figure it out when I get there. My friend from the previous TR may come join us Thursday night - which may be another night downtown and Hogs n Heifers again for a little bit. We are just going to play it by ear at this point.

    Friday:
    We have to get up around 11am or so. Recover if we have a hangover? We have three VIP chairs at the Sapphire Day Club pool. The limo will pick us up. We haven't really discussed the time or anything yet. I do know that the earlier, the better. Why? Because we have to be at the airport by 11:30pm.... FRIDAY NIGHT. Our flights are between 12:45-1:00am on Saturday. Yes, another overnight flight. I would very much like for us to return to the Wynn around 5 or 6pm to relax, hydrate, eat, pack, and just chill the hell out before our flights. Someone here was accused of being drunk before her flight (and she wasn't) and had issues. I don't sense that happening for the three of us, but all it takes is one guy at the airport having a bad day and deciding to give someone some trouble. But I'm pretty sure we will be fine.


    Other things...
    I will be getting my gambling time in. I don't know when or or where how, but there will definitely be some gaming time. I am excited to have $100 free play. I also have $15 free play at the Cosmopolitan. I was going to give the Cosmopolitan some play, but Vital Vegas said on Twitter that a guest told them that the Cosmopolitan had been sold and an announcement will be made shortly. Who knows what is going on with that these days!

    Our rooms at the Mandalay Bay is supposed to be two queen beds with a Strip view. Long story, but the guy back in March screwed up my room and didn't book the strip view specifically, so that might not happen. And the Wynn is upgrading us to two beds with the panoramic view, so that should be nice as well.

    For the past 10 days, I have been dealing with a sinus infection (gone), allergies and cold, which went away, but then made its return over the past 24 hours. I am still taking medicine like crazy, have the humidifier running, and I am planning on resting after I pack (which is after I post this). I am hydrating like crazy. I just have some mild congestion in my chest and one nostril, but overall, I am feeling a hell lot better than I did on Monday and Tuesday. I am ready to be 90% or better by noon tomorrow, be prepared to kick Vegas's ass on Monday Night with my free play!!!

    I am sure I forgot some things, but will edit this post if I have to. Any edits will be in RED.

    EDIT: This will be likely my last trip for 2019. I would have liked to do a quick, 2 nighter in August or even December, but I decided to step away from Vegas for a while, so the soonest I'd go back would be Spring Break or next summer. I definitely plan on two trips in 2020, but I can not do three trips in one year again. This is getting too much, LOL! So I am going to make the most of this trip!

    EDIT 2: Two mess ups today.

    My new portable battery charger was the wrong kind - I thought it had Quick Charge, but it did not. Luckily, Best Buy had it. My friend has an iPhone, so I was able to sell it to him (rather than paying the shipping costs for a refund through Amazon). I took an $7 dollar loss, but no biggie. I am just happy to have a battery that can do six charges or so. My last one (which I misplaced) was good for 2.5, and since I FaceTime mom and other friends, I sometimes needed 3 full charges.

    The other mess up... I was washing my shoes and flip flops. Had them in the dryer. Except I forgot to change the temperature. Believe it or not, but the insole in one of my shoes SHRANK to half its size! So I ran to Costco (where I got these shoes last year) to see if they still had them. Nope. Ran to Kohl's. Got something comfortable (but not broken in!). Hoping for no blisters! I actually consider myself lucky in this one case because I was not going to get them in the morning (as to let them dry even further). Imagine the panic tomorrow morning....
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2019
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  2. Wallew

    Wallew VIP Whale

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    Looking forward to another great trip report! Let the shenanigans begin.
     
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  3. ffejry

    ffejry #1 Bears Fan

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    Oh, believe me, especially with Newbie, there will be.
     
  4. JoJoR

    JoJoR VIP Whale

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    Be sure to do the audio tour for the titanic exhibit... I can't remember if it costs a few bucks more or not, but it's worth it. If I happen to see you in the next couple of days, I'll say hi!
     
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  5. ffejry

    ffejry #1 Bears Fan

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    Plan on looking for us at Bird Bar Tuesday... Maybe Wednesday *and* Thursday. We are gonna wing it on those days. This is going to sound dumb, but once upon a time here in the south suburbs of Chicago, we had this bar called the Colosseum and they had 25 cent beers on Thursdays. It was such the coolest thing to order $5 worth of beers and sharing it with people and seeing all these cups take up the table. 10 years later, I can do this again (but for $10)!
     
  6. Richard Alpert

    Richard Alpert LOST

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    Wishing the best to the Wolfpac!



    Nwologo.jpg

    RICHARD
     
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  7. ffejry

    ffejry #1 Bears Fan

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    This is everything I was talking about, Richard! This is our mindset! Beat those slots and tables, have fun doing it, and making sure Vegas doesn't want us back for more!
     
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  8. Syringe Monkey

    Syringe Monkey Hero of the Baggage Carousel...

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    This sounds like the beginning of an epic TR, but I have concerns.
    Your two buddies sound like potential anchors to drag you down into the silt.
    I hope I'm wrong.

    Also, stop melting shoes lol.
    Good luck, I'm following along..!
     
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  9. ffejry

    ffejry #1 Bears Fan

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    Don't think it'll be a problem at all! Should be fun times!
     
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  10. Vegasworm

    Vegasworm Finger Clicker Extraordinaire

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    Sounds like a super trip planned @ffejry! I can't believe you're already going back! I followed your last trip report and thoroughly enjoyed it...while counting down to my own trip. Still counting but at least it's a heck of a lot closer this time! LOL!

    Have a rocking, winning trip. :headbang: I LOVE the sound of the cast of characters you'll be with!

    Vegasworm
     
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  11. ffejry

    ffejry #1 Bears Fan

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    Here's a picture of the shrunken insole...

    20190609_201510.jpg

    And I am all packed!!!

    received_437863350328199.jpeg
     
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  12. Robin W

    Robin W Low-Roller

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    Have a great trip! Hope the guys can relax and have fun!
     
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  13. rooster42000

    rooster42000 Goat of all Goats , My Hero

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    Good luck
     
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  14. mescalita

    mescalita old and in the way...

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    The shrunken insole pic is a refreshing change from all the pre-trip kitty photos here....
     
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  15. Geogran

    Geogran VIP Whale

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    Really enjoy your TR’s @ffejry, the prelude is so good, can’t wait for the rest!

    This inquiring mind wants to know, how DO you pronounce ffejry ? :rolleyes:
     
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  16. ffejry

    ffejry #1 Bears Fan

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    No idea! It's just my name spelled backwards - without the second e!
     
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  17. ffejry

    ffejry #1 Bears Fan

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    Getting tired over here. Time to sleep. Should've been napping all day since this stupid cold or allergy congestion. But what can I do about that Vegas excitement?

    I think I didn't forget anything this time... even have my phone charger - which I forgot the last two or three trips. I have my alarm set for 10 am.

    Two alarms, actually. And I don't use my phone as an alarm.

    I think Newbie and I will hit up the outlet mall by the airport after we drop Sleepy off just to kill a couple hours. I really don't want to stand around in an airport and wait 5 hours (or so) until take-off. What if I get thirsty or hungry? Airports are very pricey!

    Sleepy is supposed to take the WAX bus to Downtown to do his $50 match play at the D for flying Spirit. Sleepy unsupervised in Vegas for 3 hours has me concerned. But I think he will be okay.... right?

    And now it is time for bed!

    And I just remembered I forgot to pack an USB plug for one of my chargers, LOL!
     
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  18. Jejas

    Jejas VIP Whale

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    You are absolutely right.
    You are lucky because only one of your shoes was ruined, and you can wear the other one, right? lol
    Most importantly, good luck in Vegas!
     
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  19. Hollywood31

    Hollywood31 Low-Roller

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  20. Syringe Monkey

    Syringe Monkey Hero of the Baggage Carousel...

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    Don’t forget extra batteries for the cochlear implant!
     
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