VIVA LAS VEGAS!

This past weekend was a memorable one! I managed to squeeze Friday and Monday off work as Samantha and I headed to Denver to fly out for Las Vegas, Nevada!

Ok, ok... here's where you insert all your "Christ-like" swear words about how bad Vegas is!

In reality, you haven't been there so pipe down!

For us it was a lot of fun! This was my third time to visit "sin" city and Samantha's first. I am finding a great deal of joy in traveling with Samantha to places she's never been! I think I'm happy just knowing that it's a new experience for her! It's so much fun to watch her enjoy a new experience!

Our decision to go to Vegas really began about a year ago, just after our decision to leave Trinity and head to Wyoming. It was there that Slivo and I had initially talked about meeting up in Vegas and hitting up the Brooks and Dunn concert with our wives in tow.

Two years ago Sliv's treated me to a trip to the Southwest United States that started and ended in Vegas but also included places like Sedona and Phoenix, Arizona; La Jolla and San Diego, California (where I witnessed the Lion's get THUMPED by the Chargers). That experience still resonates as one of the most enjoyable trips in my adult life. The highlight of the trip was no doubt listening to a tremendous Brooks and Dunn Concert at the Hilton in Vegas. To understand this concert imagine a theater that seats about 800 or so people with Kix and Ronnie rockin' out to Hillbilly Deluxe about 60 feet away... nothing will erase that memory in my mind!

You can't beat a Brooks and Dunn "My Maria"

I think this is about the time I wet my pants from anticipation!

This time around with B&D calling it quits we decided that we couldn't not take Essy and Samantha on the trip! So plans set and sleepless nights abound we headed down to Denver on Thursday and blasted off at about 6:34 on Friday Morning!

My date for the weekend was pretty alright! I mean who could beat the mother of my children!

Samantha was ecstatic! For a while I was certain her and Essy had picked up tickets to Chippendale's based on how excited she was... but I guess she was just stoked that we were leaving the kids behind and had the opportunity to spend some time with her husband and some very good friends!... (much to my joy!)

That's NOT a statue! This guy had me BLOWN away! I wish that I could control my body that well!

Once in Vegas we met up with Coach and Essy and headed out for GAMBLING AND ALCOHOL!!!!! WHEW!!!!! YEAH!!!!!! Ok... if you've never been to Vegas let me be serious... there's actually a PILE of stuff to do besides slots and beer! You know, things like blackjack and shots! Kidding... we actually became tourists! There are A TON of sights to see in the town! We checked out a lot of the major casino's and their free attractions! On top of that there are many non-casino related activities to enjoy, like shops such as F.A.O. Schwartz and ESPNzone... both are VERY COOL!

These two drink more "sweet tea" than the rest of the south combined!

On Saturday night we hit the concert! Unfortunately right before the concert Slivo said, "Concert's like these are sometimes not quite as good the second time around." DARN IT! He was right! Kix put down to much Tequila before coming on stage and they didn't let their electric guitar player jam like at the previous concert... dude can play about as well as I can eat!... YEAH, THAT GOOD!

Excalibur at night! In order to get this picture we went up to the top of the Eiffel Tower... it was around this time that Heights and Elevators make me sick... VERY sick!

The days were spent doing a great deal of sight seeing and eating! The Buffet at Paris is unlike anything I've experienced on Earth! WOW! Ok... imagine Old Country Buffet... except 10x bigger and 10x better... ok don't imagine OCB... just imagine REALLY GOOD FOOD!

The whole experience was absolutely great! You just can't beat an experience like Vegas! To put it calmly... Vegas is an absolute assault on your senses! It's an incredible place that is great for that 3-4 day gettaway... any more than that and your just being a putz!

Wouldn't it have been cool to stroll in their 40 years ago and hear Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra? We had fun! If you ever want to go to Vegas, call us up! My quiet chicka' from Minnesota is sold on the place!