Viva Las Vegas

The first time I stepped foot in Las Vegas, I despised everything about it. My friends and I had gone to see Celine Dion during her first go round at Caesar’s Palace and the escape from the San Francisco weather was more than welcome. I did not expect to be so taken aback by the sheer audacity of Sin City. The sweat pants worn by overweight women, the breasts overflowing over the breakfast buffet and most of all, how the customer service improved when you slipped some greenbacks into the host’s palm. 

This is everything that is wrong with this country, I thought. It's just disgusting. And, besides a fabulous concert by the Diva herself, I was ready to come home. Flash forward to when I turned 40 – the first time my hair was a platinum shade that all my Bay Area friends politely endured. My once and forever, almost boyfriend and I were celebrating a milestone year and when he suggested Vegas, I was extremely hesitant to join. But that weekend, I looked at the desert oasis in a whole different light. I embraced what Las Vegas represented and all that she represented. She makes no excuses for what she is – and lays her cards on the table so that you either play the game or fold. And that is an attribute that I admire – no matter if it’s in a person, place or thing. 

That weekend was magical and it’s one I will remember for the rest of my life. My wonderful, dear friend Doug was with us and it’s a memory I will treasure for the rest of my life. We drank, we ate and we drank again. My once and forever climbed into bed with the fat girl who had eaten the midget (a whole different blog) and sobering up, I escorted him, past the crack whore in the Luxor elevator, back through the blinding light to our hotel. Yes, it was dawn and there was activity all over the strip and I loved every single second.

This weekend, I leave for Las Vegas for a whole different experience – the annual meeting of the NBC affiliates. It will be one entire week of breakout sessions and being on stage to smile, sparkle and charm each and every promotion director I have spoken to over the course of these four years with the network. My hair is once again a lighter shade and although I won’t be able to indulge in the debauchery from seven years ago (surprise, you’ve figured out my age), I know that Las Vegas, in all her bright light splendor, has reinforced what I already know - You can do nothing but respect and love anyone who shows you what they are and makes no excuses for it.