Sunday, May 12, 2013

Sunday Surfing and I Survived Vegas

I survived Las Vegas
With my trip to Vegas consuming most of my week, I found little time to rummage through the nooks and crannies of the web looking for nuggets of priceless wisdom and guffaw-inducing entertainment.

However, I did find a few that I wanted to highlight for your ever-progressing self-enrichment.

I came across some great "How-To" articles on self-publishing here and here and this one with still more links.

And after last week's fun-poking at felines, here's a link to a canine post for your enjoyment. Writers and their canine doppelgangers.

Also from The Kill Zone is the Hunting Down The Muse post.

Scott Lukas Williams wrote a touching tribute: RIP Ray Harryhausen.

Here is part 1 and part 2 of Carissa Taylor's Write On Con Recap.

Mooderino was busy last week providing some welcome Synopsis Support. And along those lines, you may also want to check out Your Book In One Sentence part 1 and part 2.

You survived April's A-to-Z Challenge. Did you visit all the other participating blogs? No? Well then climb on board for the 2013 Post A-to-Z Road Trip.



And about that Vegas trip I took last week...

They say "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," but sometimes what happens is just too good or funny not to share.

I had my first chuckle within 90 seconds of paying for my hotel room. There I was, laptop bag in one hand, suitcase in the other. Before me stood a lovely, towering fountain.

No, he didn't fall into this
Upon this fancy fountain sat a fellow more than a little inebriated. I doubt I'd have noticed him at all had it not been for the splash.

A southern baptist preacher couldn't have dunked him any better.

Now, the brain requires a few brief moments to process such things before it thinks about rendering aid. In this, my brain was no exception. I stood there gawking just like everyone else. By the time the thought occurred to me, he'd already arisen from his self-administered baptism.

I stayed at the MGM Grand
With eyes as round as any I'd ever seen, he took in his surroundings while climbing back out of the fountain. He never spoke, but I'm fairly certain he realized he was drenched. I'm just not sure he understood how he came to be that way.

I would so love to know which questions were sloshing through his mind. His expression suggested so many possibilities.

The downside to the incident was the fact that the fountain was off and empty for the remainder of my stay. Perhaps it was due maintenance after the mishap or it needed a good cleaning. I somehow doubt it was the first baptism that fountain had seen.

But the trip was both productive and fun. The flights were at full capacity, but were all on time. I managed to get You Are My Sunshine stuck in my head during the return trip thanks to a spontaneous mother and daughter in-flight duet. (I have to admit though, the girl had a nice voice for being three or four years old.)

The weather was great the entire time I was there. I snapped some nice pictures. I posted some here and more on Facebook.

I ate at Gordon Ramsay's BurGR restaurant. (And that burger was way better than I expected!) I also had steak at Chef Emeril Lagasse's Cajun seafood restaurant. (I don't do fish.) Of course, everyone except me knew who these chefs were.

There really is something in Vegas for just about everyone--except for beaches, but they do have some nice pools. This last photo is from a pool area at MGM Grand.

Enjoy the links. And as always, write wisely.

36 comments:

  1. Really funny about the drunk in the fountain. Maybe it did clear his head about some things.

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    1. At first, I thought his expression was one of shock, but upon reflection, I think it was more an expression of confusion. :)

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  2. So jealous that you went to Vegas. Thanks for taking time to share all of this with us.

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    1. I had more fun than I anticipated. Not enough to be jealous over though. :)

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  3. Never heard of Gordon Ramsey and Emeril Lagasse? Where have you been Jeff? Gordon is an ex soccer player turned chef. He is noted for his aggressive behaviour and strong language in his TV programmes. I am surprised he has a BurGR restaurant, very un English, but I guess Americans want burgers so he goes with the flow. I rarely eat burgers, but would like to try his.

    Looks like you had a good time with local amusement laid on - he must have felt an idiot when he realised what he had done.

    JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

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    1. I've obviously not been in front of the T.V. :-) I did recognize one of the show names, but I'd never have been able to pick either chef out of a lineup. :)

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  4. "A southern baptist preacher couldn't have dunked him any better." LOL!
    Great pics and glad you enjoyed your trip (minus the screaming kids on the plane). (:

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    1. I think I'd have enjoyed the singing if it hadn't been for the headache. Brought back a lot of memories.

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  5. Did you hear yelling in a British dialect from the kitchen? If so, Ramsey was actually there, cooking. ;)

    Sounds like a good trip!

    Shannon at The Warrior Muse

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    1. Shannon, I could hear almost nothing. I think I've never been in a restaurant any louder than that one.

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  6. Sounds like an adventure. I want to go to Vegas someday just so I can walk around with my mouth gaping like a mountain hick tourist. Glad you had fun.

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    1. I saw a lot of that, Julie. Believe me, you'd fit right in.

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  7. I love VEGAS! Awesome pictures. A few years ago, I stayed at the Signature Suites, which is part of MGM, and it was fantastic.

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    1. Most folks I've spoken with do love Vegas. I'm more of a mountain or beach boy, I guess.

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  8. I have been to Vegas a couple of times. A friend from Aus just got back and she certainly had the sort of stay that you DON'T talk about in public on social media. ha. But my stays were a lot more tame than hers!

    Glad you had a great trip. Sounds like it was a lot of fun!

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    1. I didn't realize until last week how "tame" I had become in my middle age. LOL

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  9. That "canine doppelgangers" post was too amusing!

    Also, glad to hear you had fun in Vegas! So many great pictures of your trip in this post. :)

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    1. I enjoyed that post too. I've seen something similar before, but can't remember where.

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  10. Wow, sounds like a great trip. I leave for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Saturday...hope my trip is as awesome as yours.

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    1. I hope you have a great time. Sounds like it will be fun.

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  11. After seeing The Hangover, I'm a little wary of Vegas. But I think, if I had the $, I'd visit just for Chefs Ramsey and Lagasse. And all the other amazing restaurants in the area.

    Thanks for the links. Off to read!

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    1. There are lots of great restaurants in the area--providing you can afford them. I'm glad there was a McD's nearby for breakfast.

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  12. Oh nice! I love Vegas ... for approx 2.5 days. lol. Then I have to get the heck outta there cuz I cant take it anymore.
    Too funny about the guy falling in!!

    Glad you had a great vacay!

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    1. Yes, I was ready for home by the time the conference ended. I'm glad I had the experience though.

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  13. LOL! That's definitely a Vegas story that needed to be told. It sounds like such a great vacation! I've always wanted to go to Vegas.

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    1. I'm glad you agree because I knew the moment it happened that the urge to blog about it would be difficult to suppress.

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  14. Hey Jeff,

    Thankfully, a short comment from me today. I'm delighted you had a fun, productive time in Las Vegas. Great stuff. And speaking of stuff, can you please keep Gordon Ramsay over in America. We don't want the f**ker back!

    Gary :)

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    1. Laughing over that one, Gary. I need to set aside some time to watch him on the tele though. I hear he's quite the character.

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  15. I'm glad you survived!!

    The poor drunk. Hope he had a buddy nearby who can tell him how foolish he looked in the morning!

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    1. I noticed that no one got too close to him, but I can't help but think *someone* in there was with him and just didn't want to fess up to it.

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  16. Thanks for the links.

    I'd love to go to Vegas again. I went during cold, rainy weather. It seems fantastic this time of year.

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    1. You're very welcome, Medeia. I saw no hint of cold or rain. Well, I did see some clouds, but they just barked from a distance. :)

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  17. Wow! Thanks for all those links! Glad you enjoyed your trip to Vegas!

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    1. My pleasure, Tyrean. I definitely enjoyed it more than I had expected.

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  18. I have been wondering just how Ramssy's food might taste to a regular person. Did it cost more than $10?

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    1. Yes, it was in the $10-$15 range, but I don't recall the exact price. Of course, the fries cost almost as much as the burger.

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