Random Musings: Las Vegas

As I try to blog more frequently after the bar exam and related blog hiatus, I thought I'd blog twice in one day. I was thinking about doing the opposite of "you know what really grinds my gears" but couldn't come up with anything that didn't sound gross, so I'm going to use "random musings" and you'll just have to be ok with it. The following list is a group of things and thoughts from my post bar trip to Las Vegas that make me laugh or make me happy. It's the little things in life, really.

1. So, Bagel, Trey and I went to Vegas. We had a great time, even if none of us won money. You could even say we lost money, but that's not really the point here. Still, a good time was had by all. One of the most random (that's fitting with this blog topic and this blog in general, I suppose) occurred at the MGM Grand around 11 AM. Trey and I were walking around (taking a break from the black jack beat down) and we happened upon the lion enclosure at the casino. Right around feeding time. We watched along with at least five hundred other people. All of a sudden, the lion immediately in front of us starting bucking it's shoulders. I thought it must have a hair ball in its throat, but Trey, predicted the lion would throw up. About a minute later, we had our answer, as the lion not more than 10 feet from us threw up 10 pounds of meat in about 1.2 seconds. It looked like chili. It was disgusting. All 500 or so people watching let out a collective groan. Some people took photos. Some left. We went to eat breakfast. It's gonna take a lot more than lion puke to keep us from breakfast.

2. Also in Vegas, the three of us had drinks in a room made entirely of ice. This place, conveniently called Minus 5, has a room in which there is a bar and drinks are served in cups made of ice. The chairs are ice, the walls are ice, the tables are ice, and so on. I'm sure you get the idea. Anyway, we all put on big coats and gloves and went inside. I asked the bartender for my drink on the rocks and got no response. I thought she was a bit icy, but, hey, it's her tip (no iceberg joke -- 2 bad ice jokes in one sentence is pushing it as is). We sat on deer pelts so that we weren't sitting directly on ice. I have to tell you, this was a lot of fun. If some place like that opened in Houston, they'd make a killing. There would have to be more to the place that just the ice room, but it could be part of a bar. It was fun. I think people would enjoy the ice experience.

3. So, the three of us were playing at the same table at New York, New York. One of the employees of the casino was selling cigars. Now, by way of background information, I'd smoked a cigar earlier. Much to the chagrin and complaint of an uncouth (and un-tipped) dealer at Mandalay Bay. Apparently, it's ok to chain smoke cigarettes, but the moment anyone trying to have fun lights up a stogie, it's like somebody flipped over a table and stabbed a cocktail waitress. Anyway, back to Trey. He, being the polite young man that he is, asked the dealer if he could smoke the cigar he bought from an employee of the casino. She said yes. Trey began smoking the cigar. Now, let me tell you, I've seen some overreactions in my day. I've done some overreacting in my day. But this woman takes the cake. She began coughing and was only able to whisper. Even though people all around her were smoking cigarettes, one guy smoking a cigar and blowing the smoke away from her caused her to lose her voice. Almost immediately. It was absolutely ridiculous. She had to whisper to talk and, coupled with her accent, made her difficult to understand. She said something to me, which I was unable to understand. Afterall, I didn't care what she had to say and my understanding of Mandarin is poor at best. So, I asked her what she said. And this lady says if I can't understand her, to blame the guy with the cigar. I had heard just about enough, so we all decided to leave before an international incident ingnited (points for alliteration and a bad cigar joke).

4. If you haven't been to Mandalay Bay and eaten at the sushi bar, you're missing out something fierce. I love sushi, and I'll gladly pay for good sushi. Discount seafood is not my idea of a good time. I've even had tuna hours out of the water in Hawaii. The sushi bar at Mandalay has the best sushi I've ever had. Hands down. If you like sushi and you're in Vegas, this is the place to go.

5. Kobe beef tacos. I don't think I need to add to this.