iHeart Vacation

Spent the weekend in Las Vegas. Just M and I. Even though are many reasons I typically stay away from Las Vegas, I decided I won't mention them in this post. (If you want to read about some of them, check out one of my previous posts). This weekend, it was easy for me to leave those reasons behind, because it wasn't really about Las Vegas. It was about good food, good music and spending time with my husband. Just us. No kids. No responsibilities. That, to me, is the definition of vacation.

Ok. Before I get to all the fun stuff, I do have to talk about the one thing I was most nervous about, that I was not looking forward to...

We began our weekend very early Friday morning. Heading to the airport at 4:45am. I wasn't bothered by the early departure. I was bothered by the fact that we were flying. In an airplane. I have always been fearful of flying. I used to think my fear was of the height or of the possibility of a crash. But, I always enjoy sitting by the window, just so I can look out. And, I know that the chances of being in a car accident are much greater than being involved in a plane crash. So, what is it about flying?

I recently finished the book, Little Bee. It was an outstanding book. Very intense, but outstanding. In it, Little Bee describes her need to establish an escape route. In every setting she finds herself, the first thing she does is look for a way to get out, just in case. Now, her story is very different from mine. But, as I read, it came to me. This is why I fear flying. There is no escape route. If something happens on the plane, you're stuck. There is no way out.

As most of you would expect, the plane ride was uneventful. What I realized after we arrived in Las Vegas, was that instead of worrying about the plane ride, I should have been worried about the cab ride. Wow! You really take your life into your own hands when you get into a taxi in Las Vegas. I'm pretty sure M lost the blood supply to his hands during those rides and, I kept my eyes closed the whole time!

By miracle, we arrived safely at our hotel before 8am on Friday morning. We stayed at the Aria. It was a beautiful place. (It was decorated a little too modern for my taste, but still beautiful).

I must admit, I started the trip with a bad attitude. Maybe it was still nerves from flying, the early morning wake-up, or the lunatic cab driver. Regardless, I was complaining, a lot. It was too cold inside. Too hot outside. There was too much smoke. It was too expensive.

When we were at breakfast, M said to me, after my umpteenth complaint, something like, "Didn't you just write a blog post about complaining?" He was right. And, I was glad he brought it up. One of the benefits of this blog is accountability. I think about it every time I write...someone will read this and keep me accountable. While I can't say that I didn't complain at all for the rest of the weekend, I did try a lot harder not to.

We spent the rest of Friday morning eating and shopping. I was looking for a "better" pair of shoes to wear with my "Saturday night" dress. I had brought a pair of shoes, but didn't think they were quite right for the dress. We did find these shoes, but not until Saturday. Aren't they fabulous?

Of course, when I went to put them on before Saturday's concert, I noticed that the buckle on one of the shoes was broken. I'm hoping to get them fixed, so that I can wear them with the dress, eventually. (See, not really complaining...looking for a solution.)

The reason we were in Las Vegas was to attend the iHeart Radio Music Festival. This was a "business" trip for M and I got to tag along. The best part, most of the trip was free. While I do love music, I have never really been a huge fan of concerts - they are loud, there are a lot of people, the seats are uncomfortable. It also annoys me when I am forced to stand, not because I want to, but because the people in front of me are standing.

I was pleasantly surprised with the concerts we attended and the artists we saw perform. As I listened to the  live music and to the pre-show music provided by the one only DJ Skee (had never heard of him before this weekend, and not sure if he is worthy of this name-drop, but there was a pre-recorded message that played frequently throughout the pre-shows, informing us who was mixing the music, so I had to share), I realized something. The music I was familiar with, knew the words to, and generally enjoyed, I was either introduced to in the late 80's as a teenager (Bon Jovi was awesome!) or through Kidz Bop (my girls would be so proud). Pathetic. Also, during the pre-party event on Saturday night, we heard Gavin Degraw perform. His performance was fantastic. Sadly, one reason I felt connected to his performance was because I had watched him fumble his way through Dancing with the Stars last season. I felt like I knew him. Very pathetic, right?

Aside from my initial fears associated with flying and the cab drivers who thought they were driving for Nascar, the trip was awesome, and provided us with a much-needed getaway. Hope you enjoyed your weekend. Here are some of our photos.

THE STAGE

THE VIEW FROM THE HOTEL

GAVIN DEGRAW

THE LOUNGE - SATURDAY'S PRE-PARTY