Vegas II: Return of Extreme Vengence

The second day of Vegas started out promising. We got up early and went on down to a small café in the casino for some quick refreshment and gawking. While people watching we witnessed a lady doing various stretches prior to playing the slots. Everyone knows you can easily pull a hammy while gambling. We also witnessed a hot sauce bottle theft (corruption, folks) and lots and lots of boob, and not the good kind (glamor).

We decided to blow off the Vegas Strip for a few hours and head up Sahara Avenue to shop at Trader Joe’s. I tried to look cool before we shopped. Jeremy preferred the excited anticipation look before entering the market.

We had a several lists to fill with items for us as well as friends and family with everything from wine to mac-n-cheese. I’ve often wondered why they refer to the cheapo wine at Trader Joe’s as “Two Buck Chuck” and now I know why.


Sadly, with inflation, it is now “Three Buck Chuck.”

The cashier made a passing comment as to why we would need 14 boxes of macaroni and cheese. She asked if we were preparing for the flood. I told her we were from Utah. She gave me a knowing nod. She was confused, however, that we were purchasing two bottles of wine when we were from the land of Zion. I explained that she hasn’t heard accurate portrayals of what folks from Utah (A Pretty Great State!) are actually like. Sure enough, just as I finished making a case for normalcy here in the land of “Life Elevated!”, the guy in line behind us piped up with some random Polygamist story about people he knows in St. George. Polygamy stories. Everyone’s got one, don’t they?

Next up, we ate at In-n-Out Burger again. I’m not judging us one bit for this. You might, but I don't. It was even more delicious the second day. I even took photos of those infamous bible passages that they print on their wrappers and cups.

We headed back to Las Vegas Boulevard and witnessed a large circle of about seven males all being arrested. (as promised, more corruption)

Next, we visited the beautiful Venetian Hotel and took in the Guggenheim Hermitage Modern Masters Art Show. We saw works by Kandisky, Manet, Monet and Van Gogh. It was beautiful, amazing and so relaxing.

Here's the interior of the Venetian Shops.

After our tasteful art show, we stopped for pictures with Tobias Buth (not real).

We also saw this guy (real).

We walked over to Caesar's Palace because I was dying to show Jeremy the anamatronic statues that perform a show at the fountains in the Forum Shops. However, it was not to be. Totally un-awesome.

After Jeremy calmed me down about the statues and assured me that Vegas would still be awesome, we decided to take a break and just gawk at people again. We then began to notice that Vegas seemed to be filled with people sporting either a hat or a shirt of some sort with a large logo or company branding. We thought this was an odd concept. People paying for clothing or other items with a company logo, then wearing the clothing as free advertising for that company. Why?

Here I am with my refreshing soda beverage wondering why anyone would get sucked into advertising for someone else at your own expense.

Here's Jeremy also enjoying his, cool, crisp carbonated soft drink thinking how advertising has taken over the world and people are just so naive to be a part of all the commercialism.


Here's the Fame part of our Vegas trip:
We walked a little further in the shops and came upon a small crowd near a sports memorabilia shop. A man outside poorly imitating Howard Cosell was trying to entice the crowd to visit a "living legend." I look inside the store, and there was PETE ROSE (!!!) sitting at a table talking on his cell phone. Wow! I used to love Pete Rose. We went in and I snapped a few photos of Pete talking to the guy sitting next to him.

I imagine Pete is explaining his NCAA Men's Basketball Bracket selections. I hope he did well.


I wasn't satisfied with my first picture. I got closer. I was so curious to see what a person who bets on baseball, but not their own baseball team looks like. (I kid. I kind of like Pete in a "I care enough to be mad at you" sort of way)

I mentioned to Jeremy how it wasn't awesome that Pete couldn't be bothered to get off his cell phone or to really look in our general direction. Jeremy thinks it's because Mr. Rose was on the phone with his bookie. Jeremy also thought it would be kind of cool to get Pete to sign a baseball with "I'm Sorry -- Pete Rose." Pete wasn't going for that. Or how about, "I'm a sure bet -- Pete Rose" or "Hall of Fame 2012? -- Pete Rose". We never got the nerve to approach the fallen baseball hero, but he looked pretty busy holding his teeny cell phone up to his scowling face. Jeremy admired Pete's white, shiny, zip-up cowboy boots. (more glamor)

I guess the Pete Rose encounter could also fall into corruption too.

Next, we passed by a tribute monument that solidifies my belief in soul mates. If two gay lion tamers can find each other in this big world, can't we all find our exact match too? (file this under glamor and fame)

We capped the night off with a hoity-toity meal at La Fiamma, a delightful Italian restaurant in our hotel. It was the most fancy dinner I've ever had. Here's Jeremy thinking about being fancy.

Our meals were so pretty that I had to document them. I ordered the Gnocci with lobster and mushrooms in a delicate cream sauce.

Jeremy ordered the Linguine with Crab, freshly made noodles and crunchy leeks. Yum!