But Where's the Coffee?

No need to fear, I made it to Vegas! Our conference is at The Cosmopolitan and it is way fancier than I would do on my own but I'll take it!

One great thing about driving here was being able to pick my time to arrive. I showed up a day early, unpacked my room so I'm ready for the work week and then scheduled a facial at the hotel spa! I learned that if you are a hotel guest and get a spa service you can use the entire spa ALL DAY. I spent 4 hours hopping into the sauna, then scented steam room, and a whirlpool with a rainforest shower. It was amazing...then I got my facial. Tell me I look pretty!

No good pics of the spa b/c I couldn't take pics due to the nudy booties running around.

I didn't want to get too excited when I said there may be a cameo by someone b/c I know how flights can be lately but DEF one of the highlights of the trip so far. Another favorite human of mine, my brother Jake, just so happened to have a work trip overnight in Vegas!!!! We met up for breakfast...

Then walked around the casinos and had a nice tour of this art gallery!

And went to the Mob Museum downtown

We did a forensics excursion and solved some crimes and of course Ducky saw someone he knew...I didn't ask too many questions! Ducky was def good at the bullet analysis but it just made me angry. I would not like to go into this line of work!

It was ALL his idea!

After we got bailed out, we took a cruise down the original Vegas strip b/c we were right there, ate lunch and even got some casino time in!

Jake was terribly unlucky and I DOUBLED my money and then lost it all! All 20 dollars and I'm done gambling for the trip. It was fun for the 5 minutes it lasted and I even got a free water out...of a 20 dollar water depending on how you view things!

Y'all know I'm pretty on point with my food these days...so here's an example of what I do twice a day for breakfast and dinner...all plant-based and pretty much cup o' noodles style but with healthy food.

Well, this hotel does not have complimentary coffee. I was excited about hanging out with Jake so I woke up at 3 AM and couldn't go back to sleep b/c time zone changes I guess.

At 3 AM, I GPS coffee near me and find nothing. I go downstairs and ask a bartender if he can show me where coffee is (it's now 4:30 AM) and he laughs in my face and says they don't open anything until 6AM. WHAT KIND OF HELL IS THIS? I didn't say that but I thought it really hard.

I was told I could order room service coffee which was the only way to get it and it would be 12 dollars! So...that is how I ended up at a Walmart off of the strip in Vegas, at 5:50 AM chatting with the locals while waiting for the doors to open before the sun came up! Whew, it's been a long day of adventures.

Oh yes I did buy a coffee pot (20 bucks), coffee, LOTS of water, and fresh food. It was like super market sweep b/c I was trying to get back to meet Jake and I was laughing my ass off at myself! Ultimately bought starbucks on the way back b/c I was tired hahaha Still a win in the end to save money!

Which brings me to the comparison of 20-something road trips...I never thought about food, water or money. I could have a whipahol for an appetizer, Das Boot as a main course, a caramel martini for dessert and a few mich. ultras to cleanse my palate afterwards!

I'm not sure who has the picture, Katie or Nicole, but when I crashed on their couch after a Darius Rucker (my favorite!) concert in Chattanooga I def woke up with an Oreo on my chest and a glass of wine next to the couch. I'm so happy my liver survived the 20-something road trips! Jake and I talked about how one drink these days isn't even worth the headache afterwards. We're so grown! ha

Cheers to another couple days on the road! I'm missing my human Bears today but we've had some good phone chats. A week and a couple of days left. Whoohoo