Well, I'm back and I already want to go back, so I guess that's the sign of a great trip, right? Hell yes! We had a FABULOUS time - I can't even begin to tell you how much fun we had. My liver does hurt a little bit (I guess that's natural when it's regenerating) and my head is a little foggy still - but memories and bits and pieces of the weekend are coming back to me. It was truly the perfect way to refresh our motherly bodies and we're already planning our next girlfriend weekend.

In order to keep my thoughts straight and my memories accurate, I've decided to break my original long and rambling post into days, so here is my version of a our Friday in Vegas, strictly for your viewing pleasure and enjoyment:

My BFF Sandruh and I drove down early to meet Aunt D at the Santa Rosa airport. It's a great airport to fly out of if you're heading to Vegas because the rates are decent and the airport is tiny. For us hick girls, it was much more comfortable than SFO or LAX.

When we got to the airport, Sandruh and I were a teeny bit nervous about the flight so Aunt D convinced us we needed these to ease our nerves:

Sandruh was a little apprehensive about drinking before noon but Aunt D assured her that due to the veggies and fruit in the drink, that she was actually having the equivalent of a salad. So she drank it and ate the celery for extra nourishment.

We also tried to eat a little lunch while we waited for our plane. I ordered a Caesar salad and got this:

Yes, a head of lettuce, cheese, dressing, and croutons complete with a little Nemo thrown on top. It still makes me want to barf just looking at the picture.

When our plane was ready to depart, Aunt D was quick to point out that we hadn't finished our drinks because she wanted us to stay hydrated - with liquor.

When we finally got on the plane, all was well and the flight was smooth to Vegas. We were able to quickly find our luggage and in the process, we think we saw the singer, Mary J. Blige. She looked a little skinny, had super big glasses on, and dressed a little skanky, so we're pretty sure it was her. We were starstruck and forgot to take a picture but she looked a little pissed off so she may have punched us. We played it safe and just ogled.

After we left the airport, we took a taxi to our hotel, the Luxor. That's the hotel shaped like a huge pyramid.

Here's a pic of the cool interior:

And here's where our room was up on the 15th floor:

The hotel used "inclinators" rather than "elevators" to get you to your room. You rode it just like you would an elevator but this thing moved you like the glass elevator on Charlie and The Chocolate Factory - sideways and at weird angles. Every time I rode it, I seriously felt like Gene Wilder looked in that movie. It was a bizarre feeling that made you feel hungover even if you hadn't been drinking. At least that's what the sober Aunt D told us.

Our room was awesome. Everyone tells you to skimp on the room because you never spend any time in it, but I just don't agree. We spent the extra moolah and got a room with a spa. It was shaped like a four-leaf clover and was the perfect size to hang out with your friends in, even if you happened to forget your swimsuit and had to wear things not meant to necessarily swim or bathe in. Sorry, no pics on that one.

After we got cleaned up, it was time for some fun. Aunt D had the great idea that we eat at a place called "Dick's Last Resort." This funky little restaurant is in the Excalibur. The food was good and the service was well, interesting. The waiters and waitresses acted like a bunch of smart asses and gave us a ton of crap for just about anything they could think of. The good thing was that they expected it in return so we gave our waitress a proper dose back. They'll also make you special little hats if get a little tipsy enough to make an ass out of yourself. We didn't get a hat (not that I would have wore one) but a couple next to us did:

They also like to collect bras for the bar. And Spanx. Yes, I thought that was a little weird also:

We offered to make a donation but they didn't except Playtex Cross Your Heart bras. Haters.

Dinner was tasty but the drinks were the hit. I guess they're all about cutting back on doing dishes because the waitress made us drink our beer with a straw, straight out of the pitcher. What an eco-friendly gal she was.

And another pretty one that belonged to Sandruh:

After dinner, we did a bit of sight seeing. We saw Elvis:

Sandruh and I became severely dehydrated and had to hit the Daiquiri Bar at the MGM Grand. What a lifesaver those things were for Sandruh. She was so thankful that she held both drinks to her heart:

Sandruh found a show she wanted to go to and it wasn't involving a comedian or tournament:

Sandruh also learned that if your seat is covered in water at the "Thunder From Down Under" show, it's probably not for a good reason. Sandruh also learned that the Aussie fireman does not care who he gets wet during his performance or if he's ruining a hairdo and make-up that took hours to perfect. Nor does he care if the women sitting underneath him are thoroughly disgusted with the combination of baby oil and warm water being poured on them, staining their pretty clothes. Sandruh will not be returning to such a nonsense show in the future - at least not without her umbrella. Methinks she'll leave these types of shows to the solo 60+ year old gals with long fake fingernails, beehive hairdo and a raspy cigarette smoker's voice. Not sayin' that she was exposed to any of the above. Nor was I.

Sometime during the night, we may have seen the guitarist "Flea" from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But that was after a few drinks so we're not quite sure. It was right about the time we were pricing tattoos at the "Starlite Tattoo Parlor." Thank God we realized $550 for a NKOTB tattoo on the butt wasn't such a good deal.

Here's a couple more gratuitous shots of our sightseeing adventure:

We finally made it back to our room around 2:30 AM. I think. Check back in for installment number II, where I'll talk about my new husband, Donnie Wahlberg. Aunt D took a scrumptious shot of my new man you definitely don't want to miss.