December 2-4

I wasn't going to post a trip report since this was such a short one, but it seems like fewer people post reports nowadays, and I always enjoy reading them in preparation for my next trip so here goes.

I originally planned this trip to go with my sister for her birthday. For many many years my sister and I, her old boss and her sister and I took an annual Fall trip to Vegas. This was in what I call my former life. My gambling budget was $100/day at the time. My ex didn't like Vegas so in turn he didn't like me going. Hence "former life". In my new life, my favorite Vegas travel partner is my husband and my daily budget has added an extra 0 to the old number??.

I booked my flight in September right after hubby and I returned from our trip. I called my sister and said I had $200 in vouchers from our delayed trip in July. I could use miles for my flight and vouchers for part of hers but could only go for the weekend. I can't take off during the week at this time of year since I'm in the midst of processing our H2B visas. Sister works at a country club and manages the snack bar/bar and she has trouble taking weekends off because of tournaments. I figured If I gave her enough notice she might be able to take off. My boss let me use work credit card points for a terrace suite at Cosmo. Sister said let me see what I can do and I'll get back to you. A week later she said her regular Vegas group was going from the 11-14 and it was easier for her to go with them, would I have my feelings hurt? Absolutely not. Plan B, ask the hubby if he wanted to go. He's never taken a weekend trip, I normally do one once a year. He flies with me as a companion on SWA so he's in. Puppy spa reserved for the dog and we're all set.

I chose Cosmo because we've never stayed there, plus we both had already hit diamond aspiration level 1 and there would be no way to get to level 2 in a weekend, so we could concentrate on starting back up with MGM, to try to get back to gold, and work in raising our level a Cosmo. No need to waste a comp at CET.

Funny thing, George Straight played 3x this yr in Vegas and I was there each weekend and didn't go to a concert. My new girl at work was appalled when I told her that. I told her I has a mild headbanger, not a country gal.

We leave on the afternoon nonstop flight, no issues. Our friend Sean from presidential picked us up. Since our host sends a limo for us at CET we haven't had a chance to use presidential in awhile. It was nice to see him and hear about how his kids are doing. Check in was a breeze at 6:30 p.m., there were 2 people in front of us. We were given an East tower room on the 19th floor just a few steps away from the elevator. We overlooked one of the pools and had a pretty good view of the ice skating rink. Hubby wants to hit the top dollar in the HL room even before we take our stuff to the room. $200 later and no win, we go up and unpack. Loved the room but the only thing that I found odd was there were no drawers. There was one under the sink in the kitchenette but it would have been weird to put clothes in it.

We were hungry so we went to Holsteins. We each had a burger and we got fries and rings. Everything was very good. Our waiter said they were known for their boozy shakes, we should split one for dessert, so we ordered the cookies and cream. I wish I had taken a picture! The glass had cookie pieces stuck on the side with what I'm guessing was frosting. Then there was a full chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich stuck in the top. They also brought the leftover shake in the mixing canister. I ate mine from there but we cut the ice cream sandwich in half. It was really good but filling.

After dinner we decided to walk next door to Bellagio and find some $1 top dollar machines. We took a spin through the conservatory, it was beautiful. Bellagio was packed! We found our machines and played awhile but didn't have any luck. Hubby went to find a $5 machine but the bank he usually plays didn't have an open machine, and there are 8 machines. We haven't seen Bellagio that busy in years. We found out Sunday before we left that it was MGMs holiday gift weekend. We stayed at the B for a couple of hours, then returned to Cosmo to hit their HL room. Hubby played the $5 top dollar awhile, I played the $5 4x wild cherry, neither of us hit much so we decide to turn in.

Saturday morning was the Bedlam game so we had to be back in the room by 9:30 to watch. We went down to the sports book to make some bets, then we head to The Henry for breakfast, but the aisle to the restaurant was blocked and you couldn't get in. We walked across the street to PHo and went to Planet Dailies. This restaurant is consistently good for breakfast. We hit the HL room at PHo after we ate and played some $5 top dollar then went back to the room to watch the game. Hubby was born and raised in Austin but is a long time Oklahoma fan, so the OU-OSU game is one we can't miss. I loved watching the game in the room at Cosmo, it was almost like home, I was stretched out on the couch and he sat in the chair. I caught the housekeeper in the hall and told her we'd be out of the room by 2.

After the game we went to Caesars to the GGWU. I had about 41,000 points and he had around 48,000. We really didn't see much that interested us for our points. We debated a new TV for the bedroom, then I looked at purse but we ended up getting a bunch of Landry's and Starbucks gift cards. We did see a cute little car that I would have loved to get for my great nephew. It was a Mercedes GLK just like the one I have. I took a pic and sent it to my niece and said "Aunt T is going to have to gamble a bit more next year." After we checked out I had to stop at Payard and grab a bag of coconut macaroons. Theirs are to die for.

I wanted to play a little 3 card, so I found a table while hubby went to the HL slots. I don't know why I give my money to Caesars, I never win there. Hubby ended up moving to $1 machines so after I lost my $$ I went to find him and we went back to Bellagio. He went back to top dollar and I went to a roulette table. I play my great nephews birthday and some other numbers. Happy to say I will be adding $70 more to his college fund. We were getting hungry by this time so we decided to go to Cafe Bellagio for a bite. I'm not eve sure what we had, but it was good, I can't say we've had a bad meal there ever. After dinner we went back to Cosmo to gamble for the rest of the night. We started at $1 machines, then I wandered over to quarters and hubby found a 10x pay machine that he could play quarters or dollars so he played dollars. He had a nice hit and won $500 on it. We then moved back to the dollar area and he found another 10x pay machine and he soon hit $900, nice hit but we haven't really hit anything the whole trip so those small wins helped. We decided to turn in around midnight. I did have a couple of really good lemon drop martinis ?? in this Cosmo HL room ?? Saturday night.

Sunday our flight was at 2:20 so we got up and went to the business center to print our boarding passes. We stopped at the coffee place at the bottom of the escalator and got coffee and croissants and took them back to the room. We packed up and checked out at 11. We didn't need to leave for the airport til about 12:30 so we lugged our bag down to the casino and decided to sit and play quarters for hubby and pennies for me. At noon I made my way back to quarters and hubby said "I'm going to the HL and will run another $100 in the $5 top dollar, I'll be back, but if I don't come back come find me when it's time to go get a cab". 10 minutes later he comes back and says "here, put this in your purse" and he hands me a wad of cash, $1200! He then tells me I should go put a hundy in his machine that it was hot, giving him bonuses like crazy but not big ones. Who am I to turn down a hot machine? So I put my $100 in and 3 spins later I get the bonus and on my 3rd choice I win $1100 so yay, no w2g! I cash out at an even $1000 and we head to the airport. Funny thing is Saturday night when we were playing at Cosmo I told hubby we should definitely play in the a.m. at Cosmo because we usually win there on Sunday's. Those wins put us at what I call an "acceptable loss" for a trip.

Flight home was on time but we weren't home early enough to spring the Springer from the puppy spa so hubby had to go get her Monday. We did run into someone we know at McCarran. I actually have run into him in Austin two other times this year and we've been on the same Vegas flight. Friday I said it would be funny if we ran into him again. When we saw him Sunday he said they flew out on the Friday night flight and we were on afternoon one.

So another fun one in the books, next trip is in February to celebrate our 10th anniversary. I'd like to go back to the Little Chapel of the Flowers for a renewal it I don't see that happening! I don't think hubby will take another short weekend trip with me, he said it's too short of a time for him, which is ok, i always enjoy a solo trip every once in awhile.

Thanks for reading and thanks to all that post reports!

Glad you posted this TR, TE...LOL. I've also been lax at doing TRs, seems like I don't have that much of interest to anyone, yet I enjoy every word of everyone else's!

Hey, an "acceptable loss" is just so very close to a win...I call it a win. Good job on those Top Dollar machines. My little group of old biddies I go to Tunica with love the Top Dollars (quarters only). I've played them, dollars, but only a few minutes...I get discouraged very easily!

I also would love to see George Strait. He was here in my town recently, and I was too cheap to pay. I've had offers to see him in Vegas, but the dates never gel with mine. Maybe some day, though he ain't getting any younger.

I'm with you on trying to arrange trips around others. I retired May of 2014, and a big part of my pre-retirement dreaming was hubby and I being able to take gambling trips whenever the spirit (and comps) hit me. WRONG. About that time hubby got sick and had to be off work a good deal for appointments, treatments, etc. Now he is much improved, but doesn't want to take off work so often, even though his boss is generous, no grief about taking off (so far). Fortunately, we have a single best female gamblin' friend, Connie, who is ready to go any time, anywhere. So sometimes it is the three of us, sometimes just Connie and myself. One trip (Biloxi) he was not going and she got sick at last minute. I went ahead solo, but I felt disconnected. I need a buddy of some sort to check in with now and then.

So nice that you were comped at Cosmo. Another friend gave me a tour of her very high up balcony room overlooking the Bellagio fountains, very nice room. She plays there a lot. My offers have dwindled since I've not stayed nor played since they opened. Heck, I support 3 casino companies as it is, so Cosmo will have to wait in line for one of them to p*** me off enough to drop them. LOL.

I've never done the GGWU at CET or MLife. I'd seen the points it took to get something, and usually couldn't travel the right weeks to rack up points. The gift card option is a much better idea, so I may pay more attention to those this year. Usually I'd rather take the offers that include Free Play and other perks.

A final congratulations on those great Sunday morning hits. How nice to win the big money close to leaving!

Thanks for posting the report and very nice about the nice hits in the end which made the trip loss end up being at an acceptable level! I'd say that any amount of time being there can be better than none.

Thanks for the Trip Report, look forward to each one of your reports, I have been lax in not doing my last 2 trips, we have had a great time but gambling has gone from bad to WORSE. No excuse I should have written them. Gambled at The Cosmopolitan but never stayed there, on my bucket list. George Strait is fantastic, real Country music we saw him at Super Drum about 10 years ago. Wife & I are going to Vegas Feb 9-15 to celebrate my 77th staying in a suite at Golden Gate for the first time. Again thanks for the terrific report and pardon me for rambling on. Bobby in South Austin

Candy, I'd never been to GGWU either before 2015 and that one was by chance. I wanted to take a solo trip and hubby wanted me to make some college football bets so in 2015 I planned tomgomthenfirst weekends of November. I didn't have all that many points but got a nice Dooney and Burke purse. This year, again it was by chance since the plan was my sisters bday. The gift cards we got from
Landrys are great, we used one of them NYE at McCormick and Schmick.

RecVPPlayer, one of my bosses teases me when I tell him I've lost an acceptable amount. I call it the cost of my vacation since my airfare is free, rooms are free (Cosmo wasn't comped, I was able to use points off our company credit card) and sometimes the food we charge to our room gets comped. He always says "Vegas loves people like you."

Bobby, I think we always miss each other by a week on our trips out of Austin. We normally go in February the weekend after Valentines Day but this year we're not going til the 24th. I'm going to see Cher on the 25th....hubby said he'll pass and gamble at Monte Carlo and wait for me!

I'm happy with the idea of what could be a nasty loss ending up being not too bad. But he is kind of correct because an "acceptable loss" could make it easier for someone to return as opposed to someone who had a bad loss!

And very good going on getting all of those gift cards to places that you might go to instead of letting the points be wasted!

And it's true that people who can save $ can have more $ to come back to LV with!

Congrats on a fun trip. Glad you made a successful recovery on your way out of town.
Thank you for sharing!

The only thing about the wins Sunday morning is that whoever has the most left in their stash has to pay to get candynat Ethel M, get the car out and spring the pooch. When we went to bed that was me. Then he comes over Sunday and hands me that wad of cash and I say "woo hoo, yiunhave to buy!" Then I hit and it's back to me having to pay. We've used this strategy for 10 years and I would wager that the hub has maybe paid 10 times...and he goes with me at least 3x a year, this year he went 4x. This year he's been luckier so he's paid twice. Let's see what 2017 brings!