Right At A Week Til Mecca

One week from today, me and the missus head off to Mecca for our third trip in the last four years. We're in a petite king suite (PKS) at TI. We were originally booked at the Sahara, but all the bad comments about the quality of the food, its location, and the fact I would have had to shell out an extra $10 a night just to be able to control my own heat and air, convinced me to look for something else. The TI rate for my stay (1/9-1/14) was not too bad for their PKS when I made my reservation back in October. I'm glad I made the reservations when I did since the prices only went up, and then the PKS disappeared from their on line reservation system. I'm not even going to try the $20 trick as TI appears to be near full at my arrival. I will try to get a good view however.

I got my laundry done today, so we're good to go there. I'll raid the bank later in the week. I have to do two weeks worth of work before I leave since I don't like going off and leaving my stuff to be done by my co-workers. This is a slow time of year for us (radio business, I schedule commercials, bill our advertisers, run sales reports, yada, yada, yada) so it shouldn't be too hairy.

We've not made any plans to do much of anything while we're there. I would like to see the new Star Trek Borg in 4-D thing. I'd prefer to see it for half price so I'll be hitting those discount ticket places. I thought about taking the wife out to Delmonicos for dinner one night for the high-end dining experience, but she doesn't seem too excited about that. She works for the company that puts HGTV, Food Network, DIY and Fine Living on the air (Scripps Networks) so going to an Emeril restaurant isn't that big a deal for her. I think what's really happening is she is angling for a spa day. That's cool too. She could use it. She's just getting over strep throat, plus her best friends' mom just died and the anniversary of her mother's passing was in December. Needless to say she's been a little stressed. I think something else my wife would like to do is buy out Fashion Show Mall. That's the only thing on her agenda. Part of me wants to just turn her loose while I do something I want to do. But part of me is frightened to the core at that prospect. We may go broke on this trip, but it won't be from my gambling.

Speaking of gambling, I think I'll try one of those Hold 'Em classes and find me a low stakes game. I've been playing on my Hoyle Casino PC game and I've been getting my ass handed to me. It took a while for me to figure out that if one of the computer players keeps raising, he's not bluffing. But since it's not real money, I just keep playing. I enjoy Caribbean Stud, but I go through too much money too fast in that game. Of course there's always blackjack, but I've been scarred by an incident on my last Las Vegas trip. I was staying at LV Hilton and play at a $10 table. I was doing ok, up about $100 when a foreign couple sits down to play. I think they were German. My luck starts to go south on me, and I made a mistake of hitting on a 14 with the dealer showing a four, and my mistake gave the dealer a winning hand. Adolph sitting next to me gets all huffy and mumbles something about me hitting when I did. He hadn't exactly been tearing up the table playing his $25 and $50 a hand when I was playing correctly. It was late, I was tired and I didn't feel like messing with the Kaiser anymore, so I colored up and left. I've been a little gun shy about blackjack ever since. It's silly, and I've played a lot more since then (on the computer, not for real) so I don't think I'd mess that up again. Still, I get the sweats when I walk up to a table.

I've been checking the weather channel website for Las Vegas temps for the time of our trip. Of course, I don't know why I bother since they never get the Knoxville weather forcast right, so why should they get Vegas right. Looks like mid to upper 50's for the highs and mid to upper 30's for the lows, at least for the first few days of our visit. The last few days have been warmer than that here in Knoxville, TN.

Need to make sure to get batteries for my digital camera. I've become a paying member of webshots, so I'll be posting those badboys for all to see when I get back. I don't know if I want to take the video camera this time. Last time I took it and it stayed in the room the whole time. I'll have to ponder that some more.

The shows I'd like to see include KA, Blue Man Group, Penn & Teller and, I'm only mildly embarrassed to say, Wayne Newton. I think I would consider myself a more well-rounded Vegas tourist if I saw the man, the myth, the legend. I've heard his voice is shot, but that he still puts on a good show. We'll see.

Enough of the preperatory talk. Let's get on the jet and go to that gleaming jewel of the desert. I'm starting to get excited!

 

Go play some 21, enterpriser, more practice or no. I've been fortunate and haven't run into that variety of asshat yet, but then if you're going to avoid asshats, you have to give up driving. Bottom line, it's your money.

 

Enterpriser...ive been checkin the weather forecasts....i think i'll have (well, you also), a better idea of upcoming weather come Friday. It's hard to predict more than a few days ahead w/ accuracy.

I was meaning to do the Trek Experience on my last trip, but never got around to it. I assume you've been to it (at least the old one)--any comments? Only version of Trek i liked was Next Gen. So, i'm wondering if the simulator ride thingy has capt janeway, or a mixed up cast or what. I dunno, just curious.

mK

 

The original ride that used to be called "Star Trek: The Experience" is now called the Klingon Encounter or something like that and it is strictly Next Generation. The Borg 4-D ride is all Voyager. I've been though the Klingon ride three times (twice in one visit and yes, I am that big a geek). It's pretty good. The motion simulator ride is kind of rough depending on where you sit. I found being in the front of the "shuttlecraft" is a little less violent but harder on your stomach. Last time I was there (April 2003) you could have your picture made sitting in the captain's chair, which both my wife and I did (and yes, we are both big geeks). You can also have your head inserted in a crew photo with your favorite shows' cast. I'm standing next to Captain Janeway. My wife is in the Next Generation photo (geek, Geek, GEEK!). None of these photos are cheap, but I don't recall the prices at the moment. As you make your way along a winding queue, you can check out all kinds of costumes and props from the TV shows and movies. For a Trek fan, it rocks. The price is steep at $35 per person (and it may be more than that now), that's why I'll be hitting the discount ticket place and see if I can save a few bucks.