Life Through My Eyes

Life Through My Eyes

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Kay Turns 21 in Vegas


Last weekend my kid sister turned 21 in Vegas, yep 21!  How did that happen?!  Didn’t I just turn 21 in Vegas?!  I told her I would not only chaperone her Vegas Birthday, but I would blog about her big weekend.  A) she probably doesn’t remember half of it and B) she says I’m a good writer :).  Plus, I could use some blogging material.  Unfortunately upon returning from Vegas I came down with a horrible head cold, so I’m just now getting around to it.  I’ve blown my nose so many times it bleeds :( Ug. I feel so old a decrepit.  I’m currently lying in bed with my two cats with a heating pad on my inflamed bursitis hip.  This late-twenty-something gal is currently paying for some early-twenty-something partying.  According to Cosmopolitan Magazines "Stages of Partying by Age," Kay and I are on two different brackets with our 8-year age differential.  Refer to AGE 21 and AGE 29.  Whatever, I HAD SO MUCH FUN!

Just a picture of me this morning.

Day 1 for this late-twenty-something usually consists of checking in to my Classic Las Vegas Hotel Room and relaxing for the rest of the day.  Well, when it’s Halloween night in Vegas and you are with a vertical drivers license holding 21 year old, relaxing is not an option.  Upon check in we each got a complimentary bottle of wine before heading up to our neighboring rooms.  I grabbed a Cab and Kay a Chardonnay.  My plan was to get 45 min of R&R before getting ready for the big night.  Keith proceeded to break the motorized window curtains, which he denies, and our bathroom light was broken.  There was no way I was going to pee in the dark or be woken up by the glaring sun peering into our 22nd floor room each morning.  A room switch was a must.  I suppose I could have toughed it out, but in my older years my barbaric natures have diminished.  I need light in the bathroom and require a facemask and earplugs when I sleep.  Switching rooms meant we were no longer neighbors with the early-twenty-something’s, but 5 rooms down was close enough to those night owls.  I could hear Kay’s country music blaring a few doors down. Neighbors, ya, No. #wegotlucky. 

LVH Hotel
LVH Room Number
Kay headed over to my room to get Halloween ready with me.  I figured she just didn’t want to mess up her room, until I saw it. OMG tornado!  I hadn’t seen anything like it since I lived with Chris Horton #loveuchris!  I suppose she just wanted to spend time with me :) !  As soon as Luigi, Princess Peach and the Grease stars were ready, we headed downstairs to the Burger Bistro for dinner.  I was able to get my Vegetarian Burger, Kay her Turkey, Keith lamb and Trevor the classic Angus.  We shared 2 side orders of fries, took a few pictures and headed over to Circus Circus.  

Grease Stars, Plumber Luigi and Princess Peach
Grease Stars in Burger Bistro
Plumber Luigi was caught by paparazzi with Mario's girl in the LVH Lobby.

Circus Circus was the home of Fright Dome and just a block away, yes a Vegas block, never the less walkable. I enjoyed the haunted houses and the people watching, along with a couple drinks as I waited for Kay and Keith as they rode the carnie rides.  I stayed clear of the rides since the last time Keith forced me on one I puked, and the time before that my brother Paul puked on me. #neveragain.  The scariest part of the night was the crazy chainsaw massacre guy chasing me and Kay all around Circus Circus.  I could feel the heat of the chainsaw on my legs and the scent of fumes filled my nostrils.  It really was freighting because he wouldn’t go away.  My first thought was to run to a restroom where he couldn't get us.  

Scary Chainsaw Guy:(((

At one point Kayleen finds a man dressed up and asks, “Are you Shrek?” He replied, “Yes I am.” Kay, “Thank god, you won't hurt us!”  I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that she immediately assumed Shrek would save her from the chainsaw massacre guy.  It was like looking through the eyes of a 6 year old again.  

Shrek to the Rescue!

The clock struck midnight, Fright Dome was over and so was our night.  We headed back to the LVH by foot.  I had warned Kay about heals and Vegas.  Call me old, but I didn’t even pack a pair.  It didn’t take long before she took them off and held them in her hand.  There is nothing like walking barefoot in dirty Vegas. #sillyearlytwentysomethings.  Luckily Trevor offered a shoulder ride.  Needless to say, the first night was the only night Kay wore heals.  Sometimes you just want to say, “I told you so,” but I won’t because I made that mistake more than once.

Result of wearing heals in Vegas

Day 2 required a walk to Denny’s, the only place serving breakfast by the time we got it together.  Apparently everyone else on the strip had the same idea.  No wonder why there are so many Denny’s restaurants in Las Vegas. 

Vegas Denny's Options

We proceeded to walk the strip after finishing our high calorie Grand Slam breakfast.  Keith bought the birthday girl a yard margarita at Fat Tuesdays to sip as we walked along the strip checking out the hotel shops and testing out our gambling luck.

Fat Tuesdays Yard Margarita
Mid Walk Photo Op

We headed back to our rooms to get ready for the jam-packed evening.   Keith and I had accumulated $150.00 in Bahama Breeze gift cards, so why not use them in Vegas?!  We were on a time crunch so decided to take a cab over to the restaurant.  The cab driver was an idiot to say the least.  He didn’t know his way around the strip and was arguably probably the 2nd worst cab driver ever, the first being the hung over and high guy that picked John, Katie, Ari and I up at the airport during a college Vegas spring break adventure 5 years back.   This trips cabby earned his title after going the wrong way, cutting several cars off and letting us out of the car into on coming traffic.  Trevor, frightened as hell, shook as he tried to find exact change for the $10.10 cab ride.  Kay reached into his wallet, grabbed $15.00 and handed it to the driver and ran.  Trevor, not pleased about giving the driver a 50% tip for his horrible driving, quickly got over it as we laughed about the young twenty-something country kids first cab experience over dinner.

The Kids First Cab Ride

 I enjoyed a house salad appetizer, Lobster and Shrimp Linguini EntrĂ©e and a Skinny Paloma drink. Kay went with a house salad, in addition to her Grilled Jamaican Jerked Chicken and classic margarita.  Keith of course has to prove to me that he eats vegetables and ordered a house salad as well, a Seafood Paella Entree, Lemon Ginger Mojito AND Margarita. Trevor decided to skip the veggies and go straight for the Lobster and Shrimp Linguini with a strong Zombie California chased with a Margarita. We racked up a $135.00 bill.  Success!  We finally used those gift cards.

Trevor and his Margarita
Bahama Breeze Birthday Dinner and Margarita

We quickly rinsed our mouths with the bathroom mouthwash and jumped into another cab.  We made it to New York New York Hotel and Casino with maybe 30 seconds to spare before the Zumanity Cirque du Soleil show started.  We were sitting 3rd row back from the stage, which made us vulnerable to audience participation.  The birthday girl became part of an act when she caught a flying pom-pom.  So funny!!  She was totally speechless and froze up, as she didn’t know how to respond to the thong wearing man hovering over her.  For the second time in the same night I saw fear cross these country born and raised kids faces.





After a very enjoyable show we headed up the strip with a purpose of hitting up the PURE nightclub at Cesar’s Palace.  Well, we never made it.  I stopped off at the CVS pharmacy to get some much-needed chapstick for my ever so dry lips.   While we were there we decided to pick up some beer to drink as we walked the strip.  How lucky were we to run into the one and only ultimate car guy  Barry MeguiarWe ended up taking pictures in the Vegas night and watching the water show at Bellagio before stumbling in to Bellagio’s Hyde Nightclub where Kay decided to dance with a bear and I lost my cell phone, ID, credit card and room key.  The only thing left in my purse was the chapstick I had purchased hours before.  I quickly lubricated my lips and headed to the bouncer to report my missing belongings.  He had my stuff!  All of it!  Before heading back to the dance floor I showed him all the pictures of my cats in my phone.  It became early morning and we had spent enough on nightclub drinks, so we headed back to our hotel by foot.  There is nothing like a long walk in the cool hours of the morning to sober you up.

Kay and Trevor Enjoying the Evening

Me and Keith

 All of us in front of Aria

Bellagio Water Show

Hyde Photo Op

Dancing

Bathrooms are too nice not to take pictures in

$30 bucks for these two drinks

Boys and there $9.50 a piece Coronas

The Crew at Hyde

I lost everything but my chapstick!!!

My New Car

Keith helped me walk home.... I guess.

By Day 3 I was done.  We all headed down to the champagne brunch buffet at the LVH.  Keith and I ate normal breakfast food and drank orange juice and coffee while the kids ate crab and drank champagne.  Dear god, crab?!  The smell made me want to puke.  We were hung-over and a million miles away from water, in a desert, and these kids eat stinky crab.  Trevor immediately felt sick and decided to head back to his room.  That was until exploded a massive fart bomb and was immediately relieved.  He in turn grabbed more crab and stayed for breakfast.  

Normal Breakfast


We decided to go our separate ways for the day.  Keith and I enjoyed a 1-hour massage and relaxed in our room while the kids went on another strip walk.  Kay filled her Fat Tuesday souvenir cup up with the complimentary bottle of wine and sipped it as she walked down the strip, before stopping at Fat Tuesdays for a margarita refill to drink while she walked back up the strip.   

Post Massage Hair

More Strip Walking

Needless to say Kay was already sick before making it to dinner at Vince Neils Restaurant where we enjoyed huge servings of Mexican food and margaritas..... oh ya, and birthday cake.  

Birthday Cake

Everyone felt like a fat Oompa loompa and opted to walk to the Treasure Island Hotel to watch the Mystere Cirque du Soleil show.  

Kay and Trevor in Line for Mystere

Keith and I in Line for Mystere


We were up in the nosebleeds for this one, but it worked out since so much of the show was performed in the air.   Completely exhausted Keith and I decided to turn in after the show.  Kay and Trevor headed over to the Tao Nightclub at the Venetian before heading back to the LVH to try their hand in gambling again.  Turned out Kay won $107.00, which at one point was $168.00 after putting only $1.00 in the machine.  She said she would have cashed out sooner, but she thought she only had $1.07 and $1.68 respectively.  The only reason she cashed out was because, “the game was taking forever.”  Well ya, I assume it takes a while to lose 50 bucks when you play 1 penny at a time on a machine! #earlytwentysomethings. 

Kay's Winnings

And More

Day 4 was home time.  The plan was to leave around 9am.  I made sure to call the kids room at 8am via the hotel phone (aka loud and obnoxious).  I went to get everyone coffee and fruit to eat and drink while they packed up.  To my surprise the kids were actually ready on time!  I was fooled, the dollar Kay had in her hand was her, “I want to play 1 more time before we leave” money.  How do you say no to the birthday girl?  You don’t.  We waited as she WON more money!  We did eventually hit the road and headed home.


Kay's Last Shot at Luck
And she wins...... again
A sleepy early-twenty-something
Another Sleepy early-twenty-something
Rest Stop Snack Break
I wish I would have gotten a picture of Trevor's Costco Pizza!  This country kid had no idea what 3 pieces of Costco Pizza looked like....he at one!  Well, I had so much fun with Keith, the little sis and Trevor.  I hope you had a wonderful little birthday Kay.  Love you tons!!

#awesometrip #happybirthdayKay

Thanks for reading

JenniferMarie


When will I return to Vegas? Maybe for Tim McGraw and Faith Hills Soul2Soul Concert?!  Who is coming with me?!