Last Minute Jaunt to Las Vegas

I'm getting pretty good at this last minute trip thing. It still makes me a little crazy, but I know that I can do it, and sometimes knowing is half the battle. MJ decided on Monday night that he would for sure go to his flag football tournament that coming weekend. The one in Henderson. Which is not too far from Las Vegas. The gears in my head started turning a bit because my parents live in Vegas, but I didn't want to run any interference on his guys football weekend. He had nothing planned, and I already knew I couldn't deal with how casual he is about everything. I'd be freaking out because that's what I do, and he'd be cool as a cucumber. I just didn't want the stress. Which is all self induced, mind you but that's neither here nor there.

On Thursday night he told me that he would be staying Friday night with my parents and I felt sad that he would be going right there...without me. So Friday I worked as usual. My Friday evening plans with a friend had fallen through, but I was really, really tired anyway. I laid in bed watching him pack, and suddenly it made zero sense for me to pass up a weekend to see my parents. MJ said, "Well, you know you could go..." That was all I needed to hear. I jumped up and started packing up my stuff too. The plan was that he could dump me at my parents house for the weekend, and that would be fine even if he was off doing his own thing. I was packed in 15 minutes, and ready to go when he was. 

We left at about 5:10 pm and with all the traffic, we didn't make it to my parents house until about 11:45 pm. My parents weren't home because it was my Dad's birthday and they were out partying. I dropped MJ off at his party bus, and then came back to wait for my parents. I tried to surprise them, but was outed by technology. They were going to go to breakfast after club night, but decided to come home because they saw me coming and going on the ring. They got in at about 1:15 am. Yes, my retired parents party more than I do!!

Throughout the weekend I didn't really know what I was doing because MJ never actually knew what he may or may not be doing with his friends, but it worked out just fine. We spent Friday night at my parents. He spent Saturday night at The Venetian on the strip, and then we both slept there on Sunday night. The Venetian Hotel is awesome! We couldn't really take advantage of the six pools but we had a nice view of them from our room and everything there was lovely. I forgot my house shoes and didn't worry a bit because I knew I could count on the Venetian being clean and feeling comfortable there right away. It did not disappoint.

MJ picked me up after his games on Sunday, and we spent a fun night on the strip. Years ago, it was those cut off denim shorts with the ragged edge that were so short you could see pockets in the front and booty cheeks in the back. This year, an awful lot of people were wearing unitards. The smell of marijuana floated around us, and I paid $17.00 for a drink at an outdoor bar kiosk. It was just like old times! 

Lot's of people were wearing masks on the strip even though it wasn't mandatory outside. When we sat down for video black jack at The Cosmopolitan every other machine was not in use. Oh what a deal it was to buy one $13.00 wine and get the other free for gambling. There was plexiglass at the tables, missing chairs at the slot machines (to encourage distance), body temperature scans outside the Venetian, and reservations required at most places, but other than that not much has changed since covid. The strip was full of folks out for a good time. The weather was AMAZING. This is a good time to be in Vegas because the summer heat has yet to hit. They are planning to be at full capacity in June, although we aren't sure exactly what that means. I have two more trips planned there to meet up with family/friends, so I guess I'll find out.

I am so, so glad to be vaccinated. I just don't know how I would have felt about all of this if I weren't and it most definitely would have been a source a stress and worry. I know we still need to be careful and take precautions, but it felt good knowing that I have that little extra blanket of protection. 

Among other things, Covid-19 has taught me to seize the moment when the moment presents itself. Don't get so caught up on the unknowns. Rather than thinking of all the reasons why you shouldn't do things like: time or money, think of the reasons why you should because you don't know what tomorrow will bring. It doesn't have to be the ideal perfect set up for it to still work out okay. Lake Tahoe in 2018 was kind of a last minute thing (planned by me the week before we moved houses no less!) and that turned out to be an amazing trip. MJ got it in his head that we needed to go to Disneyland in 2019, so we went in November and January 2020. I balked at the insane prices, but did it anyway and I'm so glad because the place got shut down for an entire year, and who knows when we would have went. There was also that Hawaii trip I almost didn't tag along on in February 2020 because it was so last minute. Little did I know it would be my last plane trip for over a year (and counting). Luckily my little sister made it here to California in March for their last trip before everything shut down, so I got to see her in Hawaii and then one more time at home, but haven't seen her since. No one could have predicted what 2020 would bring, and in the midst of it all I felt so comforted and grateful for all of the amazing trips we already took. Most of them very planned out ahead, but some of them not. Travel is slowly happening again, but things aren't going to be the way they used to be for a long time. All of the wonderful travel experiences I've had has really sustained me during this time of not being able to travel. I feel so fortunate to have fed my wanderlust when we still had the chance.

It was a short weekend trip, but my mom and I got to do all the things we like to do together. We went out to dinner on Saturday before MJ headed to the strip, went on not one, but two walks, and watched a movie and drank wine. We even met up with my parents for breakfast that morning before we drove home. The ride home was much better; about 4.5 hours. We saw 15 broke down cars on the way there and 10 on the way back. We like to count, because we find it so crazy that there are so many cars trying to make it in and out of Vegas that have problems! It wasn't even that hot. It wasn't sure how everything would go, but it was a pretty perfect little getaway. I would have missed out on so much if I hadn't tagged along. I'm so glad I went, and my parents were so glad to see me. 

MJ is the strong silent type all the way. He hasn't said it, but I think he was glad to have me there too.