vegas a gogo
Today will be more like a typical Tuesday, when I've got almost nothing to share after writing extensively about the weekend before -- about which there was so much to tell this time that I had to finish it up in yesterday's Daily Lunch Update.
Suffice it to say that yesterday evening was mostly taken up by taking myself to the AMC Pacific Place downtown's 6:00 showing of Ready or Not, which I really enjoyed -- honestly more than I even expected. It had a pretty perfect run time for a movie of its type (horror comedy), so after several trailers, it let out just before 8 p.m. I walked home and then wrote the review, which was a bit shorter than average for me but that's okay, and it was close to 9 p.m. by the time I was done with that. I had some budgeting things to update and then it was time to get ready for bed.
I did bike home from work beforehand so I could feed the cats while Shobhit worked all evening yesterday -- I was fast asleep by the time he got home -- and then walked back downtown for the movie, having forgotten the Orca Card I left in Shobhit's wallet for using the bus to get himself to work on Sunday since I had the car for the weekend trip to Shelton for the annual family picnic. It's mercifully cooler and rainy today, so I was sure to retrieve the card from his wallet this morning so I could bus downtown before walking the rest of the way to work. I will then walk to another bus stop after work today and then bus to the U District for yet another movie tonight.
Tomorrow evening is free and I will be doing laundry and vacuuming and packing for our trip to Denver this weekend.
Oh! Speaking of travel, this is actually very exciting, and I nearly forgot to mention it! After taking some time even to confirm that we could book two nights in a hotel as promised by the grand package Danielle purchased by phone sometime last year, Las Vegas is finally confirmed and booked! An agent had been telling her that they typically need two months' advance notice to book one of four hotels we could use -- and we didn't even know for sure if it would be on the Strip -- but said she would see what she could do and then get back to her. That was the last I heard, from Danielle by phone last Friday, when she was getting ready to leave for her own weekend trip with her kids to Spokane.
Well, she was finally able to text me yesterday that not only is Las Vegas confirmed, but we've got two nights at the Stratosphere Hotel! Now, I have heard rumors over the years that it's not the greatest hotel (2.5 stars out of 5 on Yelp, with some pretty scary bad reviews), but two things really make up for that, at least for now: 1) it's definitely on the Strip, which is a huge relief, especially for a hotel stay I don't even have to pay for -- beggars can't be choosers, right? and 2) it's the hotel attached to the tallest building in Nevada, and you know I'm going to love that! I mean, the hotel itself is only 24 stories tall, but this still makes a huge difference to me. And what is the likelihood I'd end up above floor 24 in a taller hotel anyway? Even at Bally's where Shobhit and I stayed my last time there, in 2015 -- the longest stretch between Vegas visits since the five years between 2008 and 2013 -- is only 26 floors, we were on floor 17, and we had a great view. (Although granted, that was because Shobhit managed to get us a free upgrade; Danielle and I will have to ask when we get there if they can get us up as high as possible, although it may make a difference that we did not pay for the room directly.)
In any case, I re-sent Danielle the flight itinerary I had already sent her once last week, the price was still the same, she confirmed it worked, and within minutes I had our flights booked. So we should be landing in Las Vegas at 12:13 pm on a Sunday (September 29) and then we leave at 3:20 the following Tuesday (October 1), giving us all afternoon and evening Sunday and the whole day on Monday. Having already been to Las Vegas six times before this, I know from experience that will be plenty of time. Also, I already made reservations for breakfast at 9:30 at Le Village at the Paris - Las Vegas Hotel, where Shobhit and I loved the buffet when we went there in 2008. We had to wait in line for over an hour that time, but thankfully now I was able to make reservations.
Anyway! That two-night, three-day trip will be all of five weeks after this weekend's trip to Denver of the same duration. I'm so glad I'm managing to travel a bit more often again, after a couple of years of a significant downturn after Shobhit moved back to Seattle from Los Angeles. Our next trip will be to see Mom and Bill for our Christmastime visit in December -- we'll plan to drive again, to save travel costs -- and after that, hopefully, Australia in February.
[posted 12:39 pm]