cool virgins
A week ago twelve friends wandered south to Las Vegas for the weekend. My previous, and first, visit to Vegas happened in 2006. That trip was a reunion of sorts for a bachelor party I didn’t attend in 2001 since I was busy getting “mauied”. It was my first visit to Vegas therefore I wasn’t sure what to expect. I enjoyed myself, but had to keep things in check since we went to Sin City about six weeks before I tackled Ironman Canada.
Last weekend’s visit to Nevada was special because there were no restrictions such as a big triathlon. My battle was intense fatigue considering we departed Seattle on a 6:00am flight Friday morning. All in all we had a fun time in the desert celebrating a surprise bachelor party. Our buddy thought the guys were meeting him in Bend, Oregon for a weekend of skiing on Mt. Bachelor. Keeping twelve guys quiet for more than three months, not such an easy task. Guys have a tendency to gossip and stuff.
Intentionally not offering specifics of this trip, but here’s a high-level activity list:
zero celebrity sightings, thrill rides on the Stratosphere, cabs, limos, casinos, food, expensive shots, bathroom attendants, Red Rocks, damn expensive bottles of Grey Goose, Goldbond, “Copenhagen Egan”, NASCAR, decent karaoke, packing light, completely remember both nights, shopping, Four Loko, and herding sheep.
The reason for the Vegas trip is simple, a wedding. My friend Scott gets married in two weeks and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve known Scott since we met during the first week of college way back in September of 1991. We’ve all been through a lot since we began our collegiate journeys. I’ve never met a person who brings more people together than Scott. Simply put, he’s not divider… he’s a uniter. He does a marvelous job bridging the gap between all different kinds of people. I’m fond of this skill since I think it’s a lost art. I know for me, I tend to write people off without giving them an honest and fair opportunity, a sizable character flaw.
Scott truly cares. He’s ready for this and I know he’ll make a fantastic husband and eventually a dad. I can’t wait for his wedding weekend when tons of friends will unite to witness two great people “making it official”, leaving bachelorhood behind.
The Continued Life of Monkey Boy 
I don’t know why, but I am always surprised to hear that men gossip. 🙂
Sounds like a fun weekend. Congrats to your friend!
We do gossip Lesley. And believe it or not, it’s not always about sports and women. Sometimes we talk about clothes, family, Brandon Walsh, or our careers. The weekend was just perfect and even better, The Hangover is on HBO right now.
Aww well that’s awesome. Glad you guys had fun and congratulations to your friend! 🙂
P.S. But wasn’t it nice to arrive in Seattle and be able to breathe non-smokey air again? I appreciated Vegas’ lack of open-container laws when I went shortly after I turned 21 but I just couldn’t get over the nonexistent indoor smoking laws!
Thanks, my friend is happy and maybe a bit stressed out. He’s also trying to sell his house at the same time. He’s a bit overbooked, but he can manage.
You’re so right about the smokey air inside the casinos. I was incredibly congested Friday night as the guys gambled a bit. I was rather miserable much of that night, thus the “Copenhagen Egan” label. When I’m terribly tired, more than 24 hours without sleep, I’m not pleasant to be around. Seattle’s air is super fresh yo!
I distinctly read a measure of awesomeness in th subtext of this post. Congratulations to your friend.
You’re correct Chris. So yeah, that’s locked inside me noggin.
David and I had our (as said in Spanish) “departure” parties in Vegas two weeks before the wedding. I can’t wait to go back again when I eventually visit!!!!
Congrats to your amigo. It’s a big life step!
Visiting Vegas with a spouse would be fun, I think. I wouldn’t mind seeing some of the shows Vegas has to offer.
Did you do all of the thrill rides on the Stratosphere? I’ve only ever done the roller coaster and the needle drop thing. Those were enough for me but when I was there in January I saw the other rides and was tempted … but opted for the blackjack tables instead. Glad you had fun!
Yep, we did all three of the thrill rides at the top. Well not the controlled bungee jump one, but we did the others. I actually think next time I may have to try the bungee jump since I’ve never tried one before. That could be a great opportunity for a first jump. The roller coaster was dismantled and wasn’t working the last time I was there in 2006.
How did you do in blackjack? I’m not a gambler at all so I usually just watch my buddies over their shoulder. Lame, I know… but it does save me some major coinage for other activities such as $12 shots.
I actually did really well at blackjack. I kind of lurk around a table to see who’s playing and how they’re doing. My experience has always been that the dealer and table want you to do well so they will always help you out. $12 shots?! Crazy. I’d be sipping those to make sure I got my monies worth!