Say Cheese... Now Smile!

:) Vegas 2003... I WAS THERE!

After spending the last 2 new years doing GO WEST out on the COLD COLD streets of Pasadena... it was a really exciting to be doing something else for the holiday.

Oh my goodness... Vegas was so much FUN! :)

Where to begin.. where to begin?

First of all, what day is it today?? Friday.. ok. So on Tuesday, my mom and sister left for Vegas around noon so that they can beat the traffic. Instead of going with them, I opted to stay, go to GO WEST for a bit, and then drive over on over with Carrie afterwards. Rose Float decorating was as always fun in that "harsh manual labor in cold conditions" kind of way... But at least I got to see some people whom I've gone through vacation withdrawals with from seeing on an weekly basis.

After getting dinner and packing, Carrie and I finally left the LA area around 1am. We kept ourseleves awake chatting about the usual (boys!) and singing OUT LOUD to oldies and A*Teens. 3 hours into our drive, Carrie starts to go ballistic because she needs to go to the bathroom and the rest area is closed. She continued to go crazy for another 20 miles until we finally get to Stateline. I was very much scared for my life... :) But eventually we made it to Vegas and arrived at Pic's at 4:45am with aching voices but at least in once piece. Sweet semi-glorious sleep. (Pic's clock ticks HELLA loud.)

January 31- New Years Eve

Woke up, got ready, and went over to my Tita Rita's place, which was about 4 exits away from Pic's, to pick up Carlene and we were off to the strip. First stop... FAO Schwartz so that we can see Pic in action at work AND get some tips on where to eat lunch. So while we're there, Pic shows us the super uber cool VIP room where they have the *rich kids* toys that includes a $30,000 mini Mercedes (thats stick-shift) for 6 year old on the go. They also had some really nice hand crafted toys and scrabble games where the pieces are made out of GOLD. *Oh my!* OH! And I saw Sisqo. :) oOoOooOo.

After the trip to the toy store, we had lunch over at this "Chinese" restaurant in the forum shops were the food was ok, the service was HORRBILE, but the sake was GREAT. :) We walked around the shops a bit, did some shopping, and while walking to the car to drop off our purchases and to pick up our jackets, we realize we are REALLY tired (due to the sake) and we sleep in the car.

Yes... we slept in the parking garage of Caesars Palace... again. Oh flashbacks of Vegas 2002.

Woke up around 6:45pm to the sound of a gang of preppy white guys rapping to Eminem and partying it up next to an SUV near us. They are drunk and might I add that one of the "homies" there had this resembalance to "Neville Longbottom" from the Harry Potter movies... if he were 20 years older and incredibly drunk. Anyways, Pic had told us that Ja Rule was going to be performing in front of the Venitian at 8pm, so we re-met up with him at the shops and walked to the Venitian were there was a GIANT crowd of people already forming behind the gates of the Venitian. Well, Pic and Carlene continue to push forward and forward into the crowd, while Carrie and I struggle to follow them, and there we were, right near the stage area. Sure we didn't have orange wristbands, so we just didn't raise our hands. Well, apparently this just wasn't just a Ja Rule show... this was a whole freaking "NEW YEARS EVE" tv telecast for FOX with Ryan Secreast... and it just wasn't Ja Rule... it was with Ashanti, New Found Glory, Dru Hill (hence the Sisqo sighting), and SUGAR RAY! *sigh* And there was Bon Jovi, The Rolling Stones, and Sheryl Crow via sattlelite from their prospective concerts around the country. Oh my FREAKING gosh.. it was sooo COOL! :) It was crowded and getting shoved about was pretty crappy, but overall it was sooo cool! :) EVERYONE was going crazy whenever the tv camera came to us... They even had the Joe Boxer guy dancing around in his undies up on stage.. *brrr* Around 9:45, they started passing out New Years goodies like hats, crowns, lei, horns, noisemakers, etc... and at 10pm, we counted down the New Years with the New York and the east coast! :) Then they had CHIPANDALE dancers... YES!!! Ooops... I mean.. *Oh my*. ;)

After the countdown, we left the show because it was just getting WAY to crowded in front of the stage and when we walked out of the Venitian gates, we discover that they had closed down Las Vegas Blvd and theres a MASSIVE crowd in front of there as well. Since we weren't allowed into any of the hotels since they were only open to hotel guests, we took some shelter from the wealth at this really ghetto casino where Carlene won $5 at the slot machine... got excited... cashed in.. and then lost it all.

Throughout the entire night, pretty much played phone tag with Joe/Jasper who were parting it up over at New York New York... so we figured that we might as well walk over there, ring in the new years with him, and then get some $12 Steak and Lobster. But by the time we had reached Caesars again, it was 11pm, our phones were dying and weren't getting any receptions and we were cold and tired. While walking, lo and behold, who do we find? Its Nes and his homies! So we camp out next to the curb where they are chilling and singing "the next episode" and we wait for midnight to come.

And then... it came.

Oh my goodness... it was seriously one of the most awesome sights I've seen. We counted down and then *BAM* the sky was lit up with fireworks. Not just at one spot, but all around us.... a good majority of casinos has fireworks on top of their hotels and so the show was all along the strip. People were cheering and drinking and hugging and drinking... it was pretty insane. :) *GREAT TIME*

While I'm slighty tipsy, everyone is definitely hungry and we make our way back to the car (where we witness numerous men "relieving" themselves behind the bushes and against the wall of Caesars palace... OH and we also saw one of Nes's friends do it as well right in front of it too. Eww...) and go to The Orleans for $1.99 Steak and Eggs with 99 cent biscuits and gravy. Yummy. Afterwards, an impromptu trip to the "Adult Superstore".. why?? Um.. I dunno... but it was interesting.

Carlene: Natural?? Yeah, for a horse!!

No comment.

January 1- New Years Day
Woke up, got ready, and Carlene and I "kidnapped" Carrie and took her along with us to Tita Ritas place for lunch with the family. :) My baby cousin Thea is SOOOOOOOOOOOO cute!! She looks like a little Peanuts character... like Lucy with all her curly hair. Everyone wants to take a bite out of her she's so cute!! :) In typical family fashion, ate, played with the baby and my other little cousin Esther (who has a Ron Weasley wand), ate, and watched parts of the Iron Chef marathon on TV. :)

Afterwards, met up with Pic again, had a "TO DIE FOR DINNER" at the Venitian, and pretty much spent the majority of the night going in and out of the casinos and taking pictures. :) OH! I played blackjack... and broke even. ;) Yeah... once I won my $2 back... I took the money and ran.

January 2
Slept in and had a late lunch. Then it was off to the outlets at Stateline. :) MmMmmMm... good sales. :) Parted ways with Pic and it was 3 1/2 hours of top-of-our-lungs sings to even gayer music (Disney songs, Color Me Badd's "I Wanna Sex You Up" and Hanson's "Mmmbop"). Home sweet home!! An hour later... Kathy arrives!! YAAAAAY!! Kathy rocks my world...

Watching Legally Blond
Kathy: Do we get to see the Hoku video? Hoku... Haiku... Boohoo... whatever.

And so the fun continues... :)