Vegas Baby!!

Now, since I haven't posted in like, a hundred years, I figured I would break the dry spell with a little fun!  I'm going to VEGAS!!!  I've never been before and I'm so excited to go, I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas most days! I've researched the crud out of this trip and want to be totally prepared when I get there.

Last week, Mike called me and said he had something he wanted to ask me but he seemed very hesitant to really say it.  I got a little nervous to begin with and just told him to spit it out.  He said he was going to the TIA convention (something to do with tortillas), which is in Las Vegas this year, and wondered if I wanted to go with him.  Uh - HELLO!!  Of COURSE I want to go!!  But wait.  We're less than loaded so how would we pay for such a venture?  And thus comes the good part!  We have extra Frequent Flier Miles that have been "sitting there" for a while on another airline that Mike rarely flies now and happen to have plenty for me to fly to and from Vegas.  PLUS, this little gem, he got me bumped to first class flying out of Vegas when I come home!  WOOT!  Don't know how he did it.  Didn't ask.  Just grateful.  We'll be flying different airlines, but that's cool.  So, travel there and back is free.  Mike's room will be paid for by work and is based on double occupancy, so it won't cost an additional dime for me to stay there as well.  Room - Paid.  If I travel anywhere while I'm there, I'll either be walking or it will be with Mike, which he'll be paying for with his budget through work. Travel in Vegas - Paid.  I'm thinking that granola bars or fruit of some sort will be my morning snack friend and I plan on taking full advantage of the enormous amounts of buffets all over the place there and will use that for my "brunch" most days.  So, my breakfast/lunch will be on us.  Dinner one or two nights that we're there will likely be with vendors.  Dinner one or two nights - Paid.  Dinner the other night or two will be Mike and me.  Mike's food will be paid for by work.  My food will be on us.  Of course, I'll "need" to do some shopping while I'm there, so there will be that.  But other than my part of some of the food and a little shopping money, this trip is mostly taken care of just because I get to tag along with my husband on a business trip!!!  WOOHOO!!  I'm literally so excited, I can barely contain myself!  And the food!  Oh my sweet Lord, the FOOD!!! I fully intend on gaining at LEAST 5lbs while I'm there because I will eat everything in sight and gorge myself to death at the buffets and not care a bit about it!  There are tons of fun things to do there as well.  We LOVE roller coasters, so that might be something we do.  We're looking at going to a show, but my word, those things can get super pricey, so we may stick to the free Treasure Island show and the Bellagio Fountains... or heck, the best thing to do, in my opinion, is people watch and that is totally free.  And you KNOW there are going to be some interesting people to watch in Las Vegas!  Otherwise, I'll be going to as many of the hotels as I can and will take in as many of the sights as I can!  So many of those resorts are a vacation in themselves with all the stuff they have in there!  The one I'm most excited about is the Venetian.  I have the gondola ride set as my screen saver right now.

AAAHHHHH!!!!  We're still about 6 weeks out from leaving, but I know those 6 weeks will fly like crazy with the kids going back to school, KDO starting back, all the fall programs at church starting back - it will FLY!  But I couldn't be more excited!  I can't wait to spend 5 days away with my hubby! We haven't done anything like this since we were married.  We've gone on overnight stuff, but nothing like this!  It will be like the honeymoon we never had - except that Mike will have to be at a boring convention some of the time.  Poor thing.  But while he's gone, I get to do whatever I want!!  HEHEHEHEHE!!  It's the best of both worlds!

In preparation for our trip, I've started running.  I downloaded the Couch to 5K app and have been following that for a couple weeks.  I've dropped a few pounds so far, but I want to loose a few more before we leave.  Partly because I want to get in good shape to walk a thousand miles while I'm there, partly because I want to look thinner than I am now, and partly because I intend to EAT LIKE CRAZY when I'm there and I want to be able to not feel guilty about that.  Hopefully by the time we leave, I'll be able to do the full 5K.  I'm not planning on running in a race - there's not one in particular that I'm training for.  I just want to be able to say I can do it.

So the countdown has begun.  I cannot wait!!  I love having stuff like this to look forward to!  And if any of you that might still read this blog have any suggestions, recommendations, or tips, feel free to share!