My time in Las Vegas

I’ve just come back from a weekend in Las Vegas.  It’s an amazing place that seems to be a city of extremes capable of bring out the very best (and worst) in humanity.
  

During last night’s sleepless red-eye back east, I had over 4 hours to think about my trip – and actually penned this blog posting at 36,000 feet.

Here’s some highlights of the trip and of course some key learning that will make me a better person

1.       Think big, but be realistic.  Even been to the Venetian or Mirage or the Wynne? Each of these behemoths sport more than 4,500 guest rooms and employ some 15,000 people each … that’s the size of a town and then some.  Think the hotel owners thought small?  No way --- they each had a vision, that although near possible to implement, was realistic enough that each with implemented with a very fine attention to detail

2.       It’s about the experience.  Yeah sure, a burger is a burger.  How many ways can one grill a salmon?  Certainly finite.  However – it’s not just the burger or the salmon that makes Vegas, Vegas.  It’s the look of the menu, the cool music, the sensual energy that seems to pervade the city’s very fabric.  And it’s also the people – talk to them, understand them.  It’s actually humbling

3.       Technology is important.  Knowing how to use it – more so.  I’m not afraid to admit that I’ve done some knuckle-headed travel things in my day.  The floating casino in New Orleans … umm, I’ll save it for another day.  However, my latest shenanigan is up there among the all time greatest knuckle-head maneuvers.  Hilarious now, not so at the time.  Kudo’s to the Mirage Hotel for locating the video of us getting into the cab --- in all of 2 minutes … thanks to technology and an excellent knowledge, it all ended up fine.  Perhaps, I shortened my life by a couple years … but hey – who’s counting

4.       Go to the Laundry Room.  Stat.

5.       Don’t take yourself or things too seriously.  Stuff happens in Vegas.  Good stuff and bad stuff and stuff that you have no idea whether it’s good or bad.  But roll with it.  Work it – an poker parlance, “Play the hand you got, not the one you wish you had”

6.       Go with the right people.  Dunno what was more awesome … they people I was with or the people I was with. And very importantly, I made sure to stop and pause for 5 minutes every day to thank G_d.  The end.