December 7, 2007 - Las Vegas

Ariana and I hit the buffet at Treasure Island, packed up our stuff, and left it at the desk. We decided to hit the shops (I love Vegas) until the others started to arrive. We went to the Fashion Show and I got a little christimas shopping there, at French Connection, we looked at a *lot* of shoes, and I ended up buying a new purse. Ariana was looking for some silver flats to wear during the reception and we found a great pair but they didn't have her size. On our way out of the Fashion Show we passed a Sketchers store and in the window they had a pair very similar. And in her size. 

As we were finishing the Fashion Show shopping, Amy and Amelia called to say that their planes landed so we picked up our things from TI and went to check in at the Venetian. 

The view from our room

The Venetian Mall

Once they arrived we walked through the Venetian's shops and then (drinks in hand) over to the Wynn to check out their shops. Fabulous shoes and purses.... very much out of my price range!

Ceiling at the Wynn

Parasol Down

Huddling under a heater with tasty drinks

The statues at the patio of the Wynn

Afterwards we went back to the hotel room to get ready for dinner, and Ashley to get in, and while Ariana was in the shower we set up a little surprise pre-party party, complete with cupcakes from a NYC bakery, cocktails, and a hangover prevention kit.

While we were waiting on the last to arrive we went down to the casino and played the slot machines for a bit. It was a little disappointing- all electronic and not like in the movies, but free drinks are free drinks and most of us ended up breaking even anyway. 

On our way to the casino

When Ashley arrived we went out for dinner at Tao. It was very crowded, waiting for our table, but there were two men in town on business who bought us 2 rounds of drinks. Nice. Our waitress was fabulous and after dinner helped us bypass the line to the club, and kept the creepy guys from another table from following us there. 

Dinner at Tao

The club was a lot of fun, crowded as hell, and some guys invited us to their VIP area, overlooking the dance floor. The bride-to-be got hammered and a while later the maid of honor was propositioned. 

We left immediately after that. 

Still can't look at a bottle of Stoli without shuddering. 

December 6, 2007 - Las Vegas

Ariana's bachelorette party was a weekend in Vegas and the two of us managed to head out there a day before the others.

 I flew from Austin to Denver, where we actually met for some (really bad) airport restaurant nachos, then to Phoenix, and then to Las Vegas, where she waited for me at the airport and we cabbed it over to Treasure Island. 

View from room

We dropped off our stuff and did some window shopping at the Forum shops at Caesar's: Kate Spade, Juicy Couture, Fresh, Agent Provocateur (was tempted by the green satins), Nanette Lepore (fell in love quite a few dresses), and oh so many more shops!

Ate dinner at Social House back at TI and hoped to catch a burlesque show at Tangerine. 

At Tangerine we waited around for the show for quite a while (and leaning against pillars is not allowed (wtf)) we find out that there *is* no performance that night. Their advertisements (even currently running ones) lied! But judging by their staff, I think I would have been extremely disappointed by the talent. 

So we went off to another bar and had a really bad drink (tasted like cherry flavored medicine) and then headed down the strip.

 

I love my pink and orange

A sign for $1 margaritas got our attention so we headed there. Met some scottish guys who were drunk and rude, left them quickly, drank, and headed to a dance club for a bit. 

Being silly- I always joke that I'm going to pick my cat's nose

Once back at the hotel, we ordered room service (french fries) and soaked our aching feet in the bathtub. 

July 26, 2002 - Boston

Last day in Boston and we spent it casually. Toured the nearby neighborhoods...

Did lots of window shopping and went to the Nike store for Andrew. Also toured the Nichols House Museum.

Rose Standish Nichols, 1912

July 25, 2002 - Boston

Planned an artsy day; poor Andrew. (He got his reward in the end though.)

Went to the Museum of Fine Arts.

Isabella & the Pot of Basil - John White Alexander

Mrs. Charles E. Inches (Louise Pomeroy) - John Singer Sargent

The New Necklace - William McGregor Paxton

From there we went to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Fabulous! The exterior wasn't much, but the interior and courtyard, lovely. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Her collection was so interesting! Not only had she collected pieces of art, but she had letters to authors and presidents and old books on display. 

    

And then we got a quick bite to eat on the way to Fenway Park.

July 24, 2002 - Cambridge & Boston

Walked past MIT to Harvard, stopping for shops along the way, of course. 

At Harvard, toured the Fogg Art Museum. 

The Hangover - Toulouse Lautrec

La Donna Delle - Rosetti

Il Ramoscello - Rosetti

Then got lunch at Boston Chowda and did some shopping.

Doing what I do best

Spent the afternoon at the John F Kennedy Library & Museum

The museum started with a video of life-before-politics and during it Andrew leaned over and said "Say chowda..." (like on The Simpsons) and I started laughing because his timing was perfect and Mom kept shushing me. Good times. Then the tour started.

All of this will not be finished in the first hundred days. 

Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days, 

nor in the life of this administration, 

nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. 

But let us begin.

JFK Inaugural Address

Each time a man stands up for an ideal, 

or acts to improve the lot of others, 

or strikes out against injustice, 

he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, 

and those ripples build a current which can sweep 

down the mightiest walls of oppression and injustice.

RFK 1966

When we left the museum we tried to find a good chinese restaurant, but sort of got lost. We found one, but the whole 'getting lost' part wasn't much fun in a dingy (and oh so quiet) part of town.