When I was young, going to Vegas was an event. It was usually with the boys and every time was “epic.” Every time was wilder than the last. Every time the financial and physical damage was greater than the last. That was the Vegas of yesteryears.
Going to Vegas last weekend was still an event. But it was the geriatric version of our old Vegas trip. Don’t get me wrong, we were very excited about having a trip alone without the kids. Jacky Cheung was in concert for the New Year and dinner at Fleur was absolutely amazing. But gone were the all-nighter and heavy drinking. Gone were the hours of gambling at the smoked filled table and venturing the dark corners of the city. Wife and I had a wonderful, relaxed stay and even managed to go to bed at a pretty decent time by Vegas standards (1AM!).
I went for a run the following morning at 6:00. It was a little hard to get out of bed but the result was completely worth the effort. Finished an 8 mile out and back from Mandalay Bay to Stratosphere. Its really amazing to sense the quiet in Vegas early in the morning. With the exception of some people stumbling from their lingering drunkenness, a few runners, and lots of cleaning crews, the streets were near empty. It gave me a chance to see the city without the fog of its glamour. It gave me a chance to see how much this city is maintained by the working class. … the very working class that the city (and its corporations) often takes from to continue its growth… I felt good from the run, and I felt good about this new Vegas experience.
One race, one mile, and one step at a time,
Jeff
8M : 1:08:30
1009/1006/836/817/835/857/950/835
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/67290827
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