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Las Vegas

Day one Thursday January 8

I checked maps and the shortest route looked to be a diagonal path across the desert on old back roads, skipping most interstates until the final 50 miles into LV from the California border. In fact the back roads were great, mostly smooth and untraveled or patrolled and we made good time dashing across the desert. As we approached LV on I-15, KT was having one good time about my pending coming out. I told her, that it would really set in once we were in the hotel room and Barbie's things were hanging in the closet. The drive across the desert only took 3 hours and 15 minutes. The check in line at the hotel took 45 minutes to travel 50 feet, go figure. Finally got checked in and head up to our room. Really requires the map they supply, across the lobby, up one floor, across a promenade, through a casino, to another set of elevators and up another floor. Third floor level, great in case of fire (the ladders can reach that high); but only a view of a brick wall and roof outside our window. Oh well, we weren't there to take in the view, but to be a view. Not nearly enough hangers in the closet, oh my! I had brought 6 or 7 outfits and shoes and purses; plus KT had her things as well. KT kindly let me have most the hangers, since this was Barbie' big event.

We tried calling the other girls, but only Cheryl from MN had checked in and she was out of the room. Fine, this gave me time to Nair and shave. Afterwards I had time to put on something and unpack. Since we would be going out in drab I didn't bother putting on any makeup, just a dress and heels and wig. So after changing and unpacking and hanging the rest of the dresses in the closet, the phone rang. CherylNot had returned to her room and gotten the message we had left for her. We invited Cheryl and her wife Donna down to visit.

This was and interesting moment, other than the photos on the web, only KT has seen me dressed in person. I should mention that when I explained to my dad that we were going to LV to meet some friends that we had talked to on the internet, he knew we were goners. Some wild ax murder was going to surely do us in and bury the pieces in the desert. I let CherylNot and Donna in, the last thing I expected CherylNot has a goatee a quarter inch long. She also has pierced ears and had rings in them. Well when CherylNot and Donna came down they related that they had told their grown kids about the meeting and the kids thought the same as my dad did. It helped break the ice and me in a dress probably did to. We chatted for a while and tried calling the other girls and finally had some success with Cherly Ann from KY. We made arrangements to meet them in their room.

As luck would have it Cheryl and I had rooms on the third and twelfth floors of one tower; the rest had rooms on the 35th floor of the other tower. So I changed back in drab and headed back across the promenade and casino to the first set of elevators. It would have been nice if we all were on the same floor, but the arrangement did have some interesting features for Friday night. Pepsi seems to have a lock on the hotel soft drinks and Cheryl is a Coca Cola fan, so I offered to drive her to a store so she could buy some Coke. She had lived in LV back in 91 and still knew her way about the town. By the time we had returned Cricket and LadyBug had arrived, but not gotten to their room. Cheryl AnnNot had discovered CricketNot and planned an ambush for her. The group was about 96% certain the couple were CricketNot and LB and got onto the elevator with them, surrounding them. Then the conversation went crazy as the elevator door closed and we headed up. Four couples in the elevator and the fourth couple, maybe part of the group if only we knew for sure. Well some comments in Klingon from Cheryl AnnNot to the suspected CricketNot proved who she was. Cricket and Cheryl Ann apparently talk in Klingon to each other on the net.

We all meet in Cricket's room, after they had a chance to unpack. By the time we were getting hungry we decided to hit one of the restaurants in the hotel and continue getting to know each other better. Dinner and conversations went on until 1 AM. We finally broke up, having made plans to meet the next morning for breakfast and then taking in the Star Trek Experience, a new ride at the Hilton. I suspect the Star Trek thing was a real plus for Cricket and Cheryl Ann. They are really into the Star Trek thing.

Day Two Friday January 9

Breakfast at the same restaurant we had dinner in the night before, then a walk over to the Hilton. The Hilton is about a block off the strip just behind the Riviera, where we planned to see the La Cage show Saturday night. We were staying at the Circus Circus across the street from the Riviera. A noon time show and ride topped off with lunch in the Star Trek style restaurant. The weather was rather chilly, hi 30's low 40's and light rain. I was beginning to have second doubts on the wisdom of walking down the Strip in a mini dress, a girl could really catch a chill breeze up her skirt. And all mine were SHORT! The group broke up after the Star Trek lunch , having agreed to meet in our room later in the day.

So later in the day everyone came over except Suzie, who had not checked in yet, having had to work Friday. This is where I learned that we would all meet en'Femme in Cricket's room in the other tower later that evening. This was a pleasant surprise, sort of a dress rehearsal, except its me and Cheryl that have the fun part of traversing the promenade en'Femme. After changing, I started by going on up to Cheryl's room, its only a short trip from my room to the elevators and then to her room. I had planned on wearing my press on nails, but hadn't removed the clear nail polish KT had applied to my nails, first. So my nails just would not stay on. The remainder of the group are already on the 35th floor and only need to go a few rooms over to meet. Well this is what I had been planning to do Saturday, doing it Friday also was just a bonus. For this event I decided KT and I should dress in the same outfits. Black tight short skirts, silver long sleeve turtle neck tops, blonde hair and black heels. I picked my patent 4" heels thinking they would be more comfortable than the 5" heels I generally wear.

The promenade has an imitation slate floor with an uneven rough surface and fake grout grooves. On the walk across the promenade in my 4" heels, I discover how uncomfortable the floor is. My heels are a little loose and want to come off, so I have to bunch up my toes to help hold them on. This problem doesn't seem to appear when walking on the carpets, just the horrible promenade. I was surprised that the walk across wasn't nearly as bad as I had anticipated. I just kept my eyes forward and kept going, despite the laughs from behind. I thought at the time it was KT, but she swears it wasn't her laughing. My first time going into the back yard at home had generated far more butterflies than this trip through a crowed hotel, and going up and down on the elevators. But by the time we had arrived at Cricket's room I knew the 4" heels would not do to go to the show at the Riviera.

Cheryl and I and our wives arrive finally at Cricket's room and find Cricket all dressed, but Suzie still hasn't checked in and Cheryl Ann hasn't arrived. Finally when Cheryl Ann was coming in; Cricket's wife opened the door and exclaimed it was Aunt Bee. That title really fit Cheryl Ann. She makes a great grandmotherly lady. She sat in her chair across from me with her hands folded in her lap, what a change from the Star Trekie at noon. Of all of us, I'm positive, she'd not even have any second glances as to gender. She could have gone down and played the slots, no one would have thought anything about the grandmother pulling the handle of the one arm bandits.

Finally Suzie came in. Or I should say SuzieNot came in, with his wife Tess. After they had arrived they hit the casino and won over $400. We ordered room service for dinner and the waiter thanked us and wished the ladies a nice dinner. We chatted a while after dinner and by 2AM decided the time had come to head back across the promenade to the other tower and our rooms. Ouch that floor is rough. The 4" heels although shorter are just too loose to walk in across it Saturday, I'll have to wear my 5" heels that strap on for a greater sense of security on the uneven surface.

Day Three Saturday, January 10

Now comes the day of truth. I'm getting concerned about the walk over to the Riviera. When we had talked about this on the net, we had thought about renting a limo, but the place is just across the street. A limo seems overkill to cross the road. Besides a limo doesn't come inside the casino, we'd still have to get to it outside through the casino. How should we go, through the casino on the soft carpet and all the people. Its a softer walk, but the way casinos are laid out the path wanders back and forth and is longer than the second option, walking down the outside of the hotel on the sidewalk. I decide part of my mission for the day is find the shortest path from the Circus Circus to the Riviera showroom. The last thing I wanted to do was get over to the Riviera and have to ask where and how to get to the show room. Its a guy thing I know, but I hate asking directions. And even more so in a skirt.

By Saturday the rain that had fallen Friday was easing up; but the temperature was still cold. The day before I had almost convinced myself, that because of the cold, I'd just go in pants and heck with dressing. But that's what I had planned for and finally decided that cold air wasn't going to stop this girl's stroll down the Strip. But the temperature did have an effect on my selection of what to wear. I had bought the short sleeve velvet dresses, but decided a long sleeve knit dress, would at least provide more warmth in the cold night air. With it I choose my 5" gold strap on heels for the added security of not worrying about my feet slipping out of the pumps. A gold purse, and blonde/brown hair.

So now we have breakfast in drab at the Riviera to locate the show room and buy tickets. For only $6 extra you can get VIP seats at the front row. You know we had to have them. Oh my, you've got to go in and all through the casino and around things and stuff just to get there. And then its on the third floor with escalators. Got to be a better way; so I start exploring and discover, after having found the showroom; another set of escalators that start right at the front door on the far corner without all the wandering about and getting lost in the casino. Now I only need to find a quiet path out of the Circus Circus.

The day Saturday was spent going over to the Forum Mall at Ceasar's Palace. Very interesting mall with statues that come to life every hour and encourage you to shop. The painted sky inside changes lighting as the day progresses, almost as if you were outside shopping. Most all the stores are too rich for my blood, but I have decided I'll get some nail polish instead of using the press ons; if I can find some. There's a Victoria's Secret Store that caught my eye and KT's as well, but we pressed on. At the other end of the mall is another Victoria's Secret. Rather unusual I thought to have two, but it is LV. The second one turns out to be for cosmetics. Wonderful and they have beautiful nail polish. But I also will need remover and they don't carry any of that cheap stuff. So on we go. I discover a body and bath shop and start by asking about remover. They have some, and nail polish too. Ten bucks later I'm equipped and we continue through the mall.

Well there is an FAO Schwarz toy store and I spot a Barbie doll section on the second floor, so I take the up escalator. How clever, it only goes to the third floor and you have to wander all around to find the one down to the second floor. Finally I get to the Barbie section. My problem with Barbie dolls is I rather spend the money for clothes on me than a foot tall doll. But the store's Barbie section also has an entire section devoted to outfit little girls in Barbie like outfits. Sequined clowns, slippers, tutus, wands, all sorts of things. Including feather boas. White and gold feather boas for little girls. Got to have a white and gold feather boa to go with my black and gold outfit. So a little plastic and I got one.

Meet everyone and head back to the street and the trolleys that go from casino to casino to bring us back to the Circus Circus. By the way Circus Circus is noted for its family atmosphere. They have rides upstairs for the kids and circus acts and such, while the parents do the gambling in the casino area. This family atmosphere has us wondering about the wisdom of choosing it. Too many little young kids wandering all about. But the kids should be safely tucked into bed by the time we leave to go over to the Riviera for the 9PM show. So KT and I head back to the room. I've got time to kill and decide to find a way out of the hotel that doesn't require going through the front lobby and casino. Aha, a path does exist: down the elevators near my room to the first floor through the nearby parking garage and then across the street to the sidewalk outside the hotel.

We haven't seen Suzie much, since she is a perfectionist in transformation. Finally the time comes to change, paint my nails, apply makeup, buckle on my shoes and pack my little 35mm auto camera into my purse. Since the previous night, Cheryl and I had to walk the gauntlet to the other tower, this night they elected to come over to our room. Only thing is that Cricket and Cheryl Ann decided to go drab and only Suzie was en'Femme She was gorgeous. Gold top long sleeve and black short skirt, blonde hair, but without her lightening rod gold heels, just some black heels and purse.

I had talked to Cheryl about the different options on exiting the hotel and we decided to leave it up to Suzie. If she wanted to go through the casino or out the back and parking lot exit. The decision was for the low key parking lot exit. So we only had to go one block down, across the street, another block across the front of the outside of the Riviera to the entrance at the far corner. I sure was glad I was wearing my 5" heels, it would have been murder in the 4" pumps. The traffic lights are VERY slow in LV. it seemed like we had to wait 5 minutes for the light to change to cross the Strip and then the walk sign changes to run. Running in 5" heels, only Paige Turner would love it more.

We go up the escalators, get the VIP treatment and are seated front row left of the runway. The show was great. After the show the escalators are different and we are unable to exit the way we came in, but must go through the casino. Clever design, got to expose the customers to the slot machines at every opportunity. Well, unlike the first night where I just kept my eyes straight ahead, this time I looked the customers eye to eye. What the heck, we were giving away the show people pay for upstairs. So I just enjoyed the walk through the casino. On the outside we stopped and shot some pics and then waited for that slow traffic light and finally ran back across the Strip and up the main entry to Circus Circus.

What the heck we had just survived going through the casino floor in Riviera. Its 11:30 at night, Circus can't be any worse. Wrong! The kiddies are not in their little beds; they are all over the casino floor. Don't these parents think their kids need sleep! Well you can imagine how much fun a bunch of dingy kids in a casino can be. I should mention the Consumer Electronics Show was going on; that weekend all over LV as well. There I was walking back down the main hallway, when some electronics show must have dumped out a 1000 electronics types into the path meant for 500. I thought I'd be trampled. And afterwards, the wives tell us the security guards were following us all the way as well.

Well no one was hurt and no trouble other than obnoxious kids, and we had a great time. But if we do it again, no Circus Circus for this gal, and later in the year where cold air and rain isn't a problem. We head up to the rooms of the 35th floor and chat for a while, finally saying our goodbyes and hugs. But Cheryl and I still have to go back down to the promenade and throught the small casino to the second set of elevators and back up to our room. No problem this time; the place is practiaclly empty except for the casino, and most are using the slots and could care less.

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