Back from Vegas (Warning, Long Post)
Sep. 19th, 2004 09:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
per_soloSo, Vegas was a very interesting, and in a way, life changing trip.
Thursday, we had our activities for work...one of which was to take a team of 5 or 6 of us, and see how far we could make $20 go...well, my team decided we'd try Blackjack...actually, we figured it was our best chance to make some money quick. Well, he lost the first 10 bucks on the first hand, then after that, he started playing smart (our team player, that is)...he started betting $10, then when he won, would put 5 of that back...he gave me a 5 chip for Roulette, when he was about $100 up...then, gave me two chips to get into the blackjack game he was in, and I won about 30...well, our team walked away, and back to our meeting, with $285...the trick was to see how much you could make in half an hour..the next closest team had, I think, $50. Our team got to split the winnings we had, and use those to gamble.
Later that afternoon, went to a Korean (I think) Tea House...tried a Honeydew tea, that was VERY good, but VERY filling..I only had about 1/4 of it before my body was saying "TOO much" Then got to hang out and talk longer...
Friday is a bit of a blur...it started early, with me deciding to waste some time playing Dollar slots...well, after 8 bucks, I hit a combo...and walked away with a decent amount of cash. Enough that I was in shock for the rest of the day...
WONDERFUL people I work with all were happy for me..the comment I heard was that they will all secretly wish it were them, but they are very hapy that it happened to someone like me, who deserves something like that..if it says anything, I walked away from the Vegas trip with the most winnings of our company. Later, on Friday, we had another team building activity, which later my team won...we had to decorate a Flamingo with the best work-theme...that evening, Pam and I went to see David Copperfield...it was weird...I've ALWAYS wanted to see him...it was almost the Copperfield Comedy show...he's gotten a lot funnier anymore...like ConfusedJew told me, he sent himself and a guy to an Island...well, after that, he sent about 13 "beach balls" around the theatre...and when the music stopped, if you were holding one, you got up onstage so he could make a group of people disappear...he put us in a cage, then covered it, and we appeared in the back of the room, waving flashlights. Got to meet him for a bit, backstage, and he was VERY intense...genuinely nice. He showed us how it looked to the audience, and I still have no idea how he did it...but god, it is a neat trick. I'd love to go see him again.
Friday late was a bit more gambling...I found a slot the the MGM Grand that I was doing amazing at...turned $10 into $150, back down to 90, then down to nothing..then put another $10 in, and got Pam back some of the money she'd lost at slots...then we went back to the Flamingo, and slept...
Saturday was all to ourselves, except for the company party at 7:00...so, we went to the Star Trek experience..went through both rides..the first, with the Klingons, was GREAT...great story. The borg ride had GREAT FX, but the story seemed a little lacking...after talking to the guy there, I found out that the Klingon ride was built around the story, and the Borg one was around the FX...
We ate at Quarks, had a pizza, and I downed quite a few cokes...for those not in the know, 90% of the hotels in Vegas have a contract with Pepsi...however, as the guy at Quarks happily informed us, technically, they aren't part of the Hilton's contract. So, I was happy with my cokes.
LOT of cool Star Trek collectibles...way expensive, but still cool.
The party on Saturday night was VERY cool...and made me realize that, even through the chaotic, and the rough times at work, I really AM appreciated there. Our team won the Flamingo creation thing...Good dinner, a REALLY nice comment from the CFO of our company, on my 5 year anniversary gift...I've been at a company for 5 years...that's...a little different...don't think I could have pictured that 5 years ago. Good food, GREAT time with coworkers.
After that, we went to see Second City, which is an Improvisational theatre group...I felt bad for them, as the audience REALLY sucked. The show was great..there was on standout, and I can't remember his name now...it's easy to see why SNL tends to take the people from Second City to put into their show...
AND, it's inspired me...I'm trying to hook up with the local Comedy Sportz group...maybe this will help me become more professional, and figure out how/where to go with it...it's strange to describe, but for the first time, in a long time, I feel like I have a direction...an inspiration of what I can do with some of this talent I have...or rather, refining it. Either way, I'll have more info on that later.
Gambled a little more that evening, after...which was good, even tho I lost the money I gambled that night. Then, later, slept. Oh, earlier in the day, I breathed at an Oxygen Bar (interesting experience), and then ate at Planet Hollywood...saw the clown from Poltergeist on display...
Sunday (wow, that's today..), woke up early, finished packing, and then got on the plane to come back home....there's more, I know it, but my brain is kinda locked at this point..between Copperfield, Second City, and winning at a slot machine, my brain is a little overworked now..but, I'll try to post more as I remember it..now, there is a bed that is calling my name..and a busy day at work tomorrow.
Thursday, we had our activities for work...one of which was to take a team of 5 or 6 of us, and see how far we could make $20 go...well, my team decided we'd try Blackjack...actually, we figured it was our best chance to make some money quick. Well, he lost the first 10 bucks on the first hand, then after that, he started playing smart (our team player, that is)...he started betting $10, then when he won, would put 5 of that back...he gave me a 5 chip for Roulette, when he was about $100 up...then, gave me two chips to get into the blackjack game he was in, and I won about 30...well, our team walked away, and back to our meeting, with $285...the trick was to see how much you could make in half an hour..the next closest team had, I think, $50. Our team got to split the winnings we had, and use those to gamble.
Later that afternoon, went to a Korean (I think) Tea House...tried a Honeydew tea, that was VERY good, but VERY filling..I only had about 1/4 of it before my body was saying "TOO much" Then got to hang out and talk longer...
Friday is a bit of a blur...it started early, with me deciding to waste some time playing Dollar slots...well, after 8 bucks, I hit a combo...and walked away with a decent amount of cash. Enough that I was in shock for the rest of the day...
WONDERFUL people I work with all were happy for me..the comment I heard was that they will all secretly wish it were them, but they are very hapy that it happened to someone like me, who deserves something like that..if it says anything, I walked away from the Vegas trip with the most winnings of our company. Later, on Friday, we had another team building activity, which later my team won...we had to decorate a Flamingo with the best work-theme...that evening, Pam and I went to see David Copperfield...it was weird...I've ALWAYS wanted to see him...it was almost the Copperfield Comedy show...he's gotten a lot funnier anymore...like ConfusedJew told me, he sent himself and a guy to an Island...well, after that, he sent about 13 "beach balls" around the theatre...and when the music stopped, if you were holding one, you got up onstage so he could make a group of people disappear...he put us in a cage, then covered it, and we appeared in the back of the room, waving flashlights. Got to meet him for a bit, backstage, and he was VERY intense...genuinely nice. He showed us how it looked to the audience, and I still have no idea how he did it...but god, it is a neat trick. I'd love to go see him again.
Friday late was a bit more gambling...I found a slot the the MGM Grand that I was doing amazing at...turned $10 into $150, back down to 90, then down to nothing..then put another $10 in, and got Pam back some of the money she'd lost at slots...then we went back to the Flamingo, and slept...
Saturday was all to ourselves, except for the company party at 7:00...so, we went to the Star Trek experience..went through both rides..the first, with the Klingons, was GREAT...great story. The borg ride had GREAT FX, but the story seemed a little lacking...after talking to the guy there, I found out that the Klingon ride was built around the story, and the Borg one was around the FX...
We ate at Quarks, had a pizza, and I downed quite a few cokes...for those not in the know, 90% of the hotels in Vegas have a contract with Pepsi...however, as the guy at Quarks happily informed us, technically, they aren't part of the Hilton's contract. So, I was happy with my cokes.
LOT of cool Star Trek collectibles...way expensive, but still cool.
The party on Saturday night was VERY cool...and made me realize that, even through the chaotic, and the rough times at work, I really AM appreciated there. Our team won the Flamingo creation thing...Good dinner, a REALLY nice comment from the CFO of our company, on my 5 year anniversary gift...I've been at a company for 5 years...that's...a little different...don't think I could have pictured that 5 years ago. Good food, GREAT time with coworkers.
After that, we went to see Second City, which is an Improvisational theatre group...I felt bad for them, as the audience REALLY sucked. The show was great..there was on standout, and I can't remember his name now...it's easy to see why SNL tends to take the people from Second City to put into their show...
AND, it's inspired me...I'm trying to hook up with the local Comedy Sportz group...maybe this will help me become more professional, and figure out how/where to go with it...it's strange to describe, but for the first time, in a long time, I feel like I have a direction...an inspiration of what I can do with some of this talent I have...or rather, refining it. Either way, I'll have more info on that later.
Gambled a little more that evening, after...which was good, even tho I lost the money I gambled that night. Then, later, slept. Oh, earlier in the day, I breathed at an Oxygen Bar (interesting experience), and then ate at Planet Hollywood...saw the clown from Poltergeist on display...
Sunday (wow, that's today..), woke up early, finished packing, and then got on the plane to come back home....there's more, I know it, but my brain is kinda locked at this point..between Copperfield, Second City, and winning at a slot machine, my brain is a little overworked now..but, I'll try to post more as I remember it..now, there is a bed that is calling my name..and a busy day at work tomorrow.
