Subject:  OddCatOut's (AKA Marselle) Vegasfest Adventure

On Friday night, at the behest of worrywart aka Sister Carol, I ordered a cab for 7:00 A.M Saturday morning.
Never mind my flight was scheduled for 9:10 & never mind it's 15 minutes at the outside to the airport and
never mind the freaking only cab in FV arrives at 6:45 resulting in my rushing about forgetting essential shit l
ike my toothbrush, watch & camera!

Arriving at John Wayne airport (naming SNA after Wayne, who was singularly responsible for the gut wrenching
climb out then throttle back to idle for noise abatement is about as goofy as renaming Washington National Airport
after Ronald 'fire the air traffic controllers' Reagan).

Getting through security was more or less a breeze except for the knuckleheads in front of me 'forgetting'
that they EACH had 'dangerous' bottles of liquid in their carry on! How the flip could they forget?
Same flipping thing happened leaving Vegas.  Aughhhh!

Since I had lots of time I headed for the nearest bar for a Bloody Mary.  D. called to announce his flight out
of San Jose was delayed an hour.  I emptily threaten not to wait in Vegas for him only to discover my flight too
has been delayed an hour or more!  Didn't hear any wind stories just that it was an Air Traffic issue in Vegas.
Once boarded around 10:30 we sat on the runway for another 20 minutes.  D. & I arrive at the nearest Vegas
airport bar almost simultaneously about noon.  We breezed to a cab with our carry on bags sans any liquids.

We finally arrive at the Gold Coast round 1:00, freshen up and head for the Palms arriving at the suite around
3:30 to find Bart muttering about no ice, not enough chairs & blank T.V. screens.  He puts us to work
immediately making nametags, gearing up the screens etc.  D. 'tagged' the portal and started taking photos.

Folks start pouring in right away ready to play.  We were a motley crew with lots to talk about.  It was excellent
meeting like minds some of whose names I remember Carole, Pete, Perkel, Roo, Bob, Tom, Don & the Bart as
well as those whose names I don't 'scuz I was too foggy. Sigh! Also lost my 'collection' of email contacts damnit!
That's the way it goes!

Then came the moment we were waiting for!  Tequila Tasting!  WooHoo!  I could have paced myself a bit more
however pacing in Vegas is somehow inappropriate.  I was OK until we started on the really good stuff.  It was
all good especially my favorite Chinaco Anejo although the Don Julio Real had an interesting smoky bottom note.
Slurp! Once my legs became wet noodles D & I headed for the Gold Coast.  I wobbled back to our room
supported by D.  Thank you D.!

My Sunday flight was scheduled for 6:00 in the evening but since D was leaving at 1:30 & I had a frightful
hangover I decided to catch an earlier flight without checking IF there was an earlier flight, which there was not!
Plus the cab service at the Gold Coast sucks so we barely arrived in time for D to be the last passenger boarding his flight!

OK so my first instinct was to be pissed, however 5 hours is a long time to be pissed and too long to hang out
in the bar drinking 'til pissed so I took a little stroll stumbling upon an Oxygen Bar.  I'd always been a little skeptical
about the healing powers of flavored Oxygen but thought it I couldn't feel worse so . I sucked melon & mint
scented oxygen for 20 minutes.  I'm not convinced it was necessarily beneficial however the shoulder, neck,
back & scalp massage was!  That scalp massage rules!  They use this slightly scary looking wire fingered
contraption that does the job & how! Wow!  Twenty-Five bucks well spent.

Finally home again home again dancing a jig!!

After NINE hours at airports I'm thinking I'll opt for the five-hour drive next time.
Air travel is such a hassle and I'm tired of taking off my 'clearly dangerous' thin-soled strappy Pradas.

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