It's 7:00 in the great G-Vegas. The Preakness was superb, the teddy grahams are delicious, and the lovely bride is at a bridal shower in Kentucky. The ponies are an NBC event so the early news is cancelled and G-Rob is living easy.
That said, I've already posted about Vegas today and now I'm fixin' to go it again. The last trip was superb but signifigantly smaller. I can't wait to meet some new bloggers and I've missed the ones I know.
For you first timers...
That is, those of you who missed BLOG-CON 1, be sure to follow the Doctor's orders. Pauly's posted some sage advice on his site and you'd do well to take heed. I hope you're as excited as I am.
First : A recap
When we met in December, I was new to the blogger thing. I was, because I like to think I'm cool, the Dean Moriarty of the Otis post. You would've known about me but not from my own words.
I have to admit, I was more excited about the whole get-drunk-don't-sleep-play-poker-lie-to-tourists-mock-the-locals thing than any blogger camraderie. I knew of Pauly because Otis turned me on to our shared interest for long, hazy road trips. I knew about Al because....everyone does. I knew BadBlood because he's a townie and knew BG because I like good writing. That's it.
So when the jet touched down, and I looked out the left side window (a hint : if you're coming from the East, always sit on the left of a Vegas-bound plane), I was ready to see CJ and Otis and get my poker on.
Otis met me at the Excalibur's front desk and we weaved our way past a future favorite bar, past a future pestilence of an ATM, and into the poker room. He showed me around to the bloggers at play and I admit I was still in the old "yeah hey..what up?" mode. I just wanted to play.
So...2 buy-ins and a wicked tilt later...
I headed to the Sherwood Forest. Newbies, trust me here, you'll come to love this place. It's like a downtown diner on the low-limit floor. It's just a half arc of barstools and a smoke stained woman wearing beer wench rags, and I LOVE it. I was still on tilt but found a few familair faces and ordered a beer. Which I didn't actually pay for.
To my left sat a massive man with a proportionate grin. He was like the John Lee Hooker of the WWF. One burbon. One scotch. One...ok now...who the F drinks SoCo??? I finished my beer and he bought me another. I finished that and, it turns out, SoCo ain't half bad. Big Mike is a genrous man and an old friend of Al Can't Hang. Newbies you won't meet him this time, but someday you should. He's amazing.
I met Daddy (SnailTraxx) at that bar, and Iggy and Pauly and Derek and yada yada..you get the point. It was like I knew them all already. It was 5 AM and it could have been happy hour at cheers. Newbie, I don't know you yet, but there is in this Universe a certain sense of belonging that we all deserve to feel. I think you'll find it this June.
By the time the WPBT thing started
I was under duress. Granted, I think Al was worse, either that or he really is colorblind. (See, that's the kind of inside joke that cracks us Vegas-Vets right the f up) I think I finished 18th or 19th out of 30. Truth is, I was far worse at poker then and I ain't that good now. But out early and still without sleep, I had plenty left to do.
I had drinks with Al and Iggy and Daddy and Al.
I played 5 AM poker with Marty (JMC Automatic). Marty and I also had a bizarre adventure with a Crown Royal addict at the Aladdin who never once looked at his hole cards. That was a treat.
I had a lengthy "sit-in" with Pauly in his spacious suite.
I played poker with half the blogger crew.
I sang the San Diego "SUPER CHARGERS" theme song at the top on my lungs in a crowded Mandaly Bay sportsbook.
Did I mention I had drinks with Al?
Did I mention that Maudie is HOT!!!
Did I mention the 30 minute conversation with 2 really ugly hookers? (Ask me about that one in Vegas)
How 'bout the card room brawl?
So what can you expect?
Cool people.
Prodigious drinking.
Great poker.
Great stories.
Ugly hookers.
What more does a happy soul need?
See you there. 12 damn days!
Now...The quiz!
1. What blogger would you most like to have a drink with?
2. What blogger, besides Al, would you most like to have a drink with?
3. What blogger would you most like to talk poker with?
4. What blogger would you most like to talk to about the written word?
5. What single Vegas-trip event has you the most excited?
6. Will Otis fall down? (This, by the way, is the oldest time honored quiz question)
7. Who would be able to out arm wrestle Bad Blood?
8. Which blogger most resembles Patrick Swazee?
9. Which blogger is the tallest?
10. Which blogger would middle America find the most shocking?
11. How many Taco Bell tacos can you eat?
12. How many can I eat?