Sign 'O' the Times

This past week in Vegas has confirmed that I'm *definitely* in a different phase of life. There was a time in my life when business trips were something I looked forward to: staying in swanky hotels, eating fabulous meals at fancy restaurants and of course, the non-stop partying. And what better city to do those things than Vegas, right? But it was a struggle this time.

The hotel is definitely swanky and I'm glad I had the opportunity to stay at the Wynn, but I missed my bed and for some reason found it difficult to get a good night sleep. And no, it's not because I was out partying till all hours of the night. I mean it's not like the room or bed was uncomfortable, because it was fine. They even had turn down service every night where they literally fold the bed sheets down, lay down a towel/rug next to the bed, close the curtains, turn down the lights so the room has a soft glow, turn the TV to pretty floral images and classical music, and leave Belgian chocolates on the night stand. Maybe I missed snuggling with Greg as I fall asleep or tucking Tachi into bed before getting into bed.

What about the fabulous meals at fancy restaurants? There are tons of high-end restaurants in Vegas from Nobu to Mesa Grill to Lawry's. But we didn't go to any of them. My company provided breakfast and dinner for all attendees from my company. And we were *highly encouraged* to partake in those dinners. Um, yeah. Since my co-workers and I chose to eat elsewhere, we opted for less extravagant restaurants at the hotel. The food was good, but we refrained from splurging. That's fine with me since I'm still trying to lose the 15 lbs I gained on our honeymoon.

And the partying? We went to a party at Rain one night. It seemed like a cool club, but it was just strange being there with everyone dressed in business casual attire, checking email on their mobile devices and talking shop. It felt a bit like "Man Jose" because the male to female ratio was 4 to 1. But then what do you expect when you're at a party that's sponsored by a bunch of telecommunications companies on a Tuesday night? The party ended by 10 pm, and my co-workers suggested checking out the Ghostbar or Playboy Club, but changed their minds when they saw most of the folks from the Rain party were making their way same places.

I really had to dig deep to rally and grab a drink with my co-workers. They wasted no time getting the bar tab started and giving me grief when I'd order a diet coke. "There's Jack in that coke, right?" "Oh, come on...you're falling behind." "You're going to have to catch up." I think I ordered a diet coke as my first drink because I honestly couldn't think of a drink to order. It's been a long time since I've ordered a mixed drink. I would've ordered a glass of wine, but if I drink too much wine I get sleepy and a headache. I did learn about (and try) two vodkas that I had not heard of before: Hanger One and Effen. Pretty good stuff. I think I consumed more alcohol this past week than I have all year. And I managed to be in bed before midnight every night! Ah, how times have changed.