Please indulge me. My Las Vegas trip.

It was brother's birthday this past weekend so he, his wife, their sumptuous pug, my bf and I all piled in my brother's car and drove to Las Vegas for a fun filled three day weekend.  It's a mere four hour drive from LA which were full of laughter, fast food, and pug farts (well, I blamed the dog).  When it comes to Vegas, I have a strict policy which is: once every three years for a weekend. That's all I can take.  If I follow that rule then I can look past most of the grosser qualities of that city and have fun.   The last time I was there was a year ago and after that trip I vowed to not go back for at least another five years, however, I love my brother and that's where he wanted to spend his birthday.  So off we went.
Las Vegas and I have never been a perfect fit.  I don't gamble, I'm not into $200 massages, and I'm really bothered by paying $4 for a coffee or $5 for a plain bagel.  The themed casinos confuse me.  I'm also a delicate flower that wilts when the temp is above 90 degrees and I believe the average was 105 while we were there.  Now I'm not a total Debbie Downer when it comes to that town--- I have a love for the flashy, the tacky, and the skanky which Vegas has in unbelievable excess.  All that, and I like to drink.  My grandfather was a raging alcoholic so I felt like me and my brother were somehow connecting with our heritage by overindulging.
Saturday night we saw Cirque Du Soleil's Love at The Mirage, which was fairly lame.  Sorry.  I've enjoyed other Cirque shows like: "O"  and Zumanity, but this one seemed a bit like a Saturday Night Live spoof.  Not helping the experience was the loud, drunk woman seated behind us who kinda knew the words to all the songs and basically screamed out the lyrics through the entire show.
What The Mirage offers though is some of the best Vegas people watching I've ever taken in.  On my way to the restroom before the show I encountered this goddess.....

.... and stood frozen in my tracks. 
Please follow the link to read the rest.               

It was like the Lord gave me a beautiful, sun damaged gift and I was grateful. Hard to tell how old she was...... 45, 55, 65?  I imagine her name was either Bunny or Janice or maybe even Shirley. She had the look of someone who has taken smoking, drinking, cussing, and tanning very seriously from an early age.  Her right boob was adorned with an enormous and faded Playboy bunny tattoo.  I imagine she has a tramp stamp that says Happy Hour or The Fun Starts Here.  This goddess was drunkenly stumbling around, one eye half closed, with a pack of smokes and a lighter in one hand and a cigarette butt filled ashtray in the other.  I've never actually seen someone walking around with an ashtray but it completely made my trip.
I wanted to ask her name, her story, how she got her hair to do what it was doing, how many cigarettes she smokes a day, why the right boob for her tattoo, and mostly I wanted to ask if I could buy her a drink.  Unfortunately our show was about to start and I didn't know how to approach such a vision.  So I took a mental snap shot and will savor that image for a long time.  Her show was far more entertaining than the Love show.  And her performance was free.
Note to Cirque du Soleil, I think your next show should focus less on acrobats in zany costumes and more on the likes of the above vision.  She could smoke while flipping the crowd off, or do a cart wheel and barf, or give a tour of her tattoos.  I'll just say, if she's in a show--- then I'll be there. 
Thanks for indulging me and no disrespect meant to my readers in Las Vegas.

If you'd like to see a drawing from my last trip to Las Vegas, then click here.

Previous Please Indulge Me entries can be seen here.
 

Comments

[Margo Fletcher]

No disrespect taken, believe me we know how horrible our city can be. I also personally know how bad Love is, even seeing it for free is not worth it. Post a note next time you go (in 3 years) and let the natives tell you where we hang out. Vegas has a few redeeming qualities.:) Also, have you seen the Good Queen Fun episode of project Runway yet? OMG, I think it may stay on my Tivo list for years.

[Kate]

You had me at "sumptuous pug".

The illustration is hilarious!

I just love reading your posts! Thankfully, I'm still a Vegas virgin, and damn proud of it. Huzzah!

[Snarf]

Never been to Vegas but I imagine the people watching (my fave sport BTW) is fantastic. Also want to go see Cher and I can't picture a better venue.

[Jenny]

Absolutely HILARIOUS! I hate to confess this but I go to Vegas EVERY year! I love it there! I don't drink or gamble but I love to see the shows, shop, eat, visit the themed casinos (yes! it is true!) and people watch. Last time, I saw "Phantom of the Opera" and it was awesome! I totally look like an east coast tourist when I am there. I always wonder if those lovelies that you have drawn are Vegas lifers are they just passing through from some other "exotic" location.
P.S. I also had a similar restroom experience when I drove from Vegas to Williams, Arizona --never again!:-) I wish you would go to Vegas every month, just for the sketches!!!

[Melanie]

Hey, I know how crappy our city can be! No offense taken. I avoid the strip as much as I can. But when I do drive down it, I just can't believe some of the tourists; their dress, behavior, etc. can be appalling.

[laurie]

I just love talking to people like that. And how courteous of her to carry around her own ashtray instead of just flicking ashes on the floor. Methinks there's an interesting backstory to that fine lady.

[The Accidental Housewife]

I just bookmarked your page just reading this one entry. I love that you and I are the same page where Vegas is concerned. It is a great place to people watch and drink that's it, that's the list.

I think I ran into that same woman last time I was there only it was at the Paris. She was sitting next to me while I watched a bunch of zombies put money into slut, um I mean slot machines. She spoke to me and sounded like Froggy from the old "Our Gang" series.
She said to tell you Hi.

[DoodleWhore.com]

Pug farts! That made my day.

[gbs]

!! my boyfriend was there at the same time as you. He was at the MGM though.

[nicki]

That illustration has got to be one of your best yet! You captured the beautiful spirit of a most mysterious beauty. I've never been to vegas, but now I want to go and check it out!
Thanks for posting!

[midevil]

"Hon, let me tell ya..."

Wow! I've never been to Vegas, but I'm sure there's lots of stories, eh.

[Ginger Ball]

I have never been to Vegas, however this post is giving me the itch to go...people watching is my favorite sport.
I love all your work...you are an artist God!!!