Pre-888 Fun - Part 1

Ok, so the weeks leading up to our departure for the trip of our lifetime, things were so incredibly stressful that I cried many, many times. When I say "cry", I mean I had total meltdowns. Like a toddler. I'm not even kidding you.

I think we could have dealt with the remodel and all the planning for the wedding/honeymoon just fine if the added family issues didn't contribute their emotionally taxing elements. But, that's a story for another time. If I start to write about how painful it was, and still is, to experience the things our mothers have put us through, then this post will never get on its way to being what it really is......all about Vegas baby!!! :-)

There was lots of talk about bachelor/bachelorette parties and to be perfectly honest, I could not handle being away from home right then in the middle of July. There was just too much going on. Ed's party had already been planned for him by all his work buddies weeks in advance and friends were flying in to Vegas from as far away as Boston and NYC. So, his weekend was set to go.

Mine, on the other hand, was on and off. There were times I thought we'd be able to pull of a getaway, but in the end I just ran out of steam and didn't plan anything at all. I was stressed beyond anything I'd ever felt and couldn't handle one more thing on my plate.

That's when Baby Sis came to the rescue. She called me one day and declared that she was stealing me for that weekend. She informed me that even though my dream was to have a bachelorette weekend hiking in Portland or snorting coffee in Seattle, that Vegas will just have to do for now. Alrighty then! Oh, and it just so happened it was the same weekend as Ed's party, so that made for some more fun.

I loved how impromptu it all was! I was literally whisked away on a Southwest Airlines golden chariot to the land of lights and excess. Before we took off, I did firmly inform her that in no way was I in the mood to have some shaven Chippendale's stripper greasy ass rubbing all over me in his impersonation of a lap dance. No way. No how. I wanted to R-E-L-A-X. Literally. I guess most people don't go to Vegas to relax, but that is what I needed most in the world right then, and my Baby Sis promised me that even in Vegas she'd find a way for me to relax and have fun.

She kept her promise. Baby Sis is my favorite. She took care of everything and we were off on a late Friday night flight, chock full of strippers and hookers (literally) going to Vegas for their work weekend. That flight of scantily clad, chatty women was probably half the fun! Thanks Baby Sis!!!
We took our obligatory self-portrait before our first night out to dinner and walking about town. She booked an AMAZING suite at the Venetian for us. Wow. Can you say luxurious!?
Lots of lounging time by the pool. Had to get a pic of our fat little piggy feet. Runs in the family you know.

Since we were staying at the Venetian, we were able to get the boys into Tao Beach for their ogling pleasure. An interesting place. Kind of like a Bedouin boudoir in the middle of the Venetian. Lets just say that clothing was "optional". Not for us, but for the young European chicks lounging about. This was the only time we saw the boys and of course, I had to get some pics.

Ed and Baby Sis at Tao.

Boston Joe and Baby Sis.
Other than that, Baby Sis and I pretty much stuck to extreme self-indulgence. Like the expansive buffets. The Bellagio was the BEST. Can you tell we took advantage of their dessert bar!????
Lots of sightseeing. Never ceases to amaze me how much water there is in Vegas for a city that is in the middle of a desert! The Bellagio fountain set to classical music was magical.

We also met "Crazy Claire". Veeeery long story, but I met her when we'd already checked out of our room on Sunday, but had some time to kill. I went back up to the room to get my battery charger when this woman opens the door, hair all awry, crying her eyes out and asked for a hug. What's a girl to do but to oblige!?

Well, turns out she is from Cameroon. Her boyfriend was supposed to fly in from Paris and meet her in Vegas, but he stood her up. She was beyond distraught. So, much to Baby Sis' amazement, I asked Crazy Claire to hang with us for a while. What!? I felt bad for a fellow female! Baby Sis was concerned that Crazy Claire was really a serial killer who plots to kill unsuspecting, trusting brides-to-be before returning to Cameroon. Whatever! That's crazy! :-)

Crazy Claire ended up enjoying some slot machine time with us. She'd never played the quarter machines before, so we schooled her in the art of turning pennies into dollars.
Baby Sis ended up making almost $100 on something like 12 quarters. Lucky wench! Yah, we were total high rollers baby!
We walked around a LOT in Vegas. The sightseeing is beyond compare. If you like to people watch, you MUST get thee to Vegas once in your life. We saw MANY couples on their way (on foot!) to the many, many chapels of love in Vegas. Fun!
On our Southwest chariot home, Baby Sis was crushing on a bald boy. She insisted I get a "pretend" picture of her while really snapping a shot of his royal baldness. Here is my masterpiece....whaddya think?:
Meanwhile, I kept myself busy learning Italian for my trip. Baby Sis made good-natured fun of me, but let me tell you, my Italian came in super handy over there!
Thanks Baby Sis! My little forced weekend getaway/bachelorette party/quality sister time was the absolute BEST. I love you so much!