As many of you know, my wife and I recently went to Las Vegas to surprise her father who was visiting the city of sin for a week with his sister and her husband.  Getting to the airport, hopping on the plane, and arriving in Las Vegas went off without a hitch.  Upon arriving to McCarran International Airport at around midnight (we arrived about 30 minutes late) we picked up the rent-a-car (a very nice blue Dodge Stratus) and proceeded to take our first wrong turn of the trip.  I say this because we were very turned around and it seemed that every time I turned a corner, it was in the wrong direction.  Ironically though, the wrong turn we took at first put us at the North end of the strip, so we weren't really lost and we rather liked the drive.  The only problem is that we had to drive down the entire strip because Circus Circus was at the opposite end.  I wouldn't even classify it as problematic but by going this route, we hit a bit of traffic.  Have you ever driven the strip at midnight?  Then you know what I'm talking about.  

Before I continue, I should mention that before leaving Portland Nikki found out that her father, aunt, and uncle were going to a show at around 9pm and leaving at 11:30pm.  Why is this important?  Our plane was scheduled to land at 11:30pm, what timing we thought.  We half expected to see them in the lobby gambling when we arrived.  

So, we're about 30 minutes late and on the complete other side of the strip than we needed to be.  At this point, Nikki decided to call her father to see where he was.  Since we were a bit late, we were worried that we'd miss them.  Her father was still up, but he and Aunt Margie were just about to go to sleep.  We had to do something because we were only minutes away... and damnit if I couldn't find the hotel.  It's a frickin' circus, how hard could it be to find?  I was sure that it would be the gaudiest thing on the strip.  I was getting frustrated because I can't find it, and Nikki was on the phone unable to help me locate it.  She hangs up with her fatehr and says that she'll call him right back.  We discussed it and decided that we had to tell them right away.  She does just that.  She tells her father not to go to bed but rather to go down to the lobby because we were a few minutes away... that we were in VEGAS!  He immediately got up, went next door to tell his sister that we were there.  I couldn't be more serious when I say that I actually heard her screaming thru the cell phone that was 3 feet away from me in my wife’s hand pressed hard against her ear... she was apparently excited.

We finally found Circus Circus (just as gaudy as I imagined) pull up to the front and valet the car... why not right?  Well, the fucking valet proceeds to tell me that check in was located in the back and that I'd have to drive around there.  Apparently valet parking lot one isn't connected with valet parking lot 2 and since they're union, it isn't going to change.  Yeah, that makes total sense!  So, I don't argue and tell my wife to go find the family while I go pull around back and check in.  I get our room and get a map to find the front of the casino, yes, you read that right.  Casino are never built for easy navigation, while you're looking for your way out to see the sun and breathe relatively clean air, you get lost and have to stop and put coins in a slot while you look around for a door so you don't look like an idiot walking around in circles afraid to ask for directions.  Hint, that's how the casinos make 70% of their money -lost patrons.  So, I proceed to walk in the direction the map says and there they are.  Being smarter than I and knowing the layout of the casino already, they came to meet me... whew that was a relief.  

Nikkis aunt, Margie, was not at all like I imagined.  She was very vivacious, loud (in a good way), and laughed.. a lot.  Her uncle was no where to be found though.  According to Margie, Neal was playing poker over at the Riveria.  So hey, we all decide to go and surprise him.  Now, on the way over, Margie states that they have "Neals on Wheels" here in Vegas.  What?  Apparently, Neal, being a big man and a bit older than Margie, had a little cart that he drove around in hence, Neals on Wheels.  We met and thoroughly surprised him as you'd expect.  Neal, like Margie, is loud but his voice carries farther.  

After finally meeting the clan and surprising them all, my wife and were HIGH.  We'd been stressing over how it would play out, if we'd find them, and how they'd react.  Now that it was over, we were up and we began to realize that we were hungry.  Where do you go in Vegas if you're hungry?  That’s' right, a buffet.  We tried to go the one in the Riveria but we had to pay for everybody even though Nikki and I would be the only ones eating.  Not wanting to give the casinos anymore than we had to if there wasn't some chance of winning at least a dollar, we opted to go back to Circus Circus and eat there.  Not a buffet but a greasy, cheap, big breakfast.

After that we decided to go to bed, it was after all 3am.

I'll stop there and finish up our adventure tomorrow... I need to get back to work and I'm sure you're about 3 seconds from falling asleep.