Vegas and The Thumb Incident

So I'm back. And I have an injury to prove it. It all started when I got carried away on the slot machines. I was up by $700 and the crowds were cheering my name... ok no, not really. I didn't gamble at all. I was just trying to think of a better story than "I rolled over my thumb in my sleep and hyperextended it and now I am in a splint for two weeks." But really, that's how I sprained my thumb.

All in all Vegas was pretty much what I expected it to be. I am not a huge fan. I can't get over how many people intentionally go there. Other than this conference, I never would have set foot in Vegas, and I don't think I ever will again.

It so happens that the conference hotel (Casear's Palace) is what they call a "Pepsi house," meaning that the entire hotel, conference center, vending machines, casino, all restaurants, and the mall offer only Pepsi products. I spent a traumatic afternoon on the second day of the conference running up and down Las Vegas Blvd. in the 104 degree heat in search of a hotel that offered Coke. I passed a Coke truck (which I considered hijacking) before finally finding some pizza place with a panda bear logo that sold me two cans for $3.21. The following day I found 20oz. bottles for $3 each at the Mirage. Really, not helping the case for Las Vegas.

After some weather delays and a long day of flying with my swollen thumb, I was very happy to be home late Thursday night. 

In other news, my computer is back and seems to be better than ever. I spent the weekend in Rome, GA with Dylan and Katherine visiting our friend Kristie and her new baby! I'll post pictures soon. In the meantime, here are some of Vegas. I honestly didn't take as many as I usually do when I travel- I just wasn't that into it (and of course my thumb made things difficult.) But I did snap a few watching the fountains at the Bellagio.

And this was just a view down the strip.