Vegas, Milwaukee, and beyond: Updates
Woah! It’s been a while! Over a month, even. I shall attempt to recall and explain what’s been going on with me in the past few weeks.
I went out to Fire Island for a second time. It was just me and Akilah this trip. We went to the beach, we had drinks, we played Bingo and pool, and of course we sang at Brandon and Ray’s Show. Afterwards, we went to a party at the hotel owner’s penthouse. I wound up hooking up with the owner. Soon after, I found myself being led to a room by an employee of the hotel. Someone whom I can only assume was a gardener or something. I soon retired to my own room.
Russell and I managed to decide on two thesis ideas. One is an adaptation of The Odyssey, the other is an adaptation of 12th Night. Both are set in present day New York City. It’s been going ok. We’ll see where we are in a few months.
On September 1st, I flew to Milwaukee about three weeks ago to watch one of my good friends from Emerson, Nicole, get married. I took Mary Ann as my plus one. This wedding was stunning! First off, it was open bar all weekend! We got in the night before and attended the rehearsal dinner. It was at a country club on a lake. I saw many friends of mine I haven’t seen since graduation. Then, the next day: The ceremony! It was perfect! Nicole had it outside, in front of a pond, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. She had the classiest dress, it was a off-the-shoulder white dress with the fabric draped literally around her body, and a diamond broach at the hip. To top it off she had a little pillbox hat with a white veil just to her jawbone. Beautiful. The reception was something else! Great food, great music, great dancing, great everything! Mary Ann and I got wasted, and on the walk back to the hotel, I fell and ripped a hole in my tuxedo pants. The following day, in our cab to the airport, we were informed by our cabbie that Milwaukee was named the drunkest town in America the night before. Mary Ann and I attributed this to our being there.
School began again. There are some very talented kids in the new class. I M.C.ed the new kid’s cabaret and they have some really interesting voices. It’ll be great to hear where they are in a year.
Vegas. Yes, I said Vegas. I just got back to NYC from Las Vegas. I left on Saturday the 16th and came back at 12:12am on Tuesday the 19th. We went out there for Kevin’s birthday. But oh, baby, was it an amazing experience! Well, that is, at for the first day or so…
The thing about Vegas is that it’s the kingdom of kitch, the target of tack. I lost around five or six hundred dollars gambling there, and much more paying for food and liquor. We stayed at the Luxor.
The first day, we were just trying yo navigate the casino. I lost around $100 playing casino poker and gave up. Then, we had dinner at Fusha. Mary Ann and Aaron flew in from LA, and I picked up the tab. Then Kevin, and Brian (whom I knew as an acquaintance in college, but now I know him much better) and I went to a gay club called KRAVE. It was fun. I met a guy named Patrick. We hit it off, then had sex in the bathroom of the hotel room I was sharing with Akilah, Ilana, and Amy. Apparently I kicked Akilah out of her bed that night. I still feel like an asshole about that.
The next day, everyone went to brunch without me. Which was fine, because I had no intention of getting up before noon, even if it was all-you-can-eat. Instead I went downstairs and started playing in the poker room at the one and two dollar tables (I know that sounds pussy, but I’d never played poker in a Vegas casino before and I wanted to take it easy). In the end, I was up a couple hundred, then lost it all. Go figure.
After a short stint at the pool, we ordered room service, then attempted to get into the Body English, a club in the Hard Rock Casino.
WHAT A BUST! First off, there was NO WAY we were ever going to get in. Why? Well, we had 5 men and 5 women, and they only wanted women, second, 3 of our 5 men were gay, and they were NOT allowing and fags into their club. After a lot of waiting, Akilah, Ilana and Nikki were allowed to go in alone, the rest of us went to a bar across the street.
A bar that had LIVE BAND KAREOKE!!! Yeah, that’s right. I sang Patsy Kline’s “Crazy’ and Alanis Morrisette’s “You Oughtta Know” with a live fucking rock band. BEAT THAT! Later on, we went back to the Hard Rock, I lost $100 in poker (mainly ‘cause I was drunk) and then we went back to the Luxor.
Will stayed up with me…till 7 in the morning! We sat at the bar ‘till about 5am (bars are open 24 hours in Vegas) then we attempted to walk to the New York, NY casino.
By the time we got to Excalibur (which is next to Luxor) I told will I was too drunk to go any further. I passed out in my room.
The next day I had to be on a flight at 4pm. I ate McDonalds with Akilah, then after a walk to Mandalay Bay Casino, I headed out. When I got to my terminal, I could clearly see the Luxor and the whole Strip from the window.
Ew.
Las Vegas is not a city. It is a town, for sure, but it’s not a city. A city has some reverence for architecture. Vegas has none. It’s one road of gimmick after gimmick. Sure, each casino is an interesting building, but the Vegas skyline is a sea of tacky. It’s an entire city of Times Square. Seeking to make a measly buck off of each tourist. I was very happy to take off and head back to Manhattan. I can deal with the tack and swank for one weekend, but ant more and I would have gotten sick.
At least in New York they know how to build a skyline.
Anyway. That’s where I’ve been for the past month. I’ll update more as time allows.
I went out to Fire Island for a second time. It was just me and Akilah this trip. We went to the beach, we had drinks, we played Bingo and pool, and of course we sang at Brandon and Ray’s Show. Afterwards, we went to a party at the hotel owner’s penthouse. I wound up hooking up with the owner. Soon after, I found myself being led to a room by an employee of the hotel. Someone whom I can only assume was a gardener or something. I soon retired to my own room.
Russell and I managed to decide on two thesis ideas. One is an adaptation of The Odyssey, the other is an adaptation of 12th Night. Both are set in present day New York City. It’s been going ok. We’ll see where we are in a few months.
On September 1st, I flew to Milwaukee about three weeks ago to watch one of my good friends from Emerson, Nicole, get married. I took Mary Ann as my plus one. This wedding was stunning! First off, it was open bar all weekend! We got in the night before and attended the rehearsal dinner. It was at a country club on a lake. I saw many friends of mine I haven’t seen since graduation. Then, the next day: The ceremony! It was perfect! Nicole had it outside, in front of a pond, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. She had the classiest dress, it was a off-the-shoulder white dress with the fabric draped literally around her body, and a diamond broach at the hip. To top it off she had a little pillbox hat with a white veil just to her jawbone. Beautiful. The reception was something else! Great food, great music, great dancing, great everything! Mary Ann and I got wasted, and on the walk back to the hotel, I fell and ripped a hole in my tuxedo pants. The following day, in our cab to the airport, we were informed by our cabbie that Milwaukee was named the drunkest town in America the night before. Mary Ann and I attributed this to our being there.
School began again. There are some very talented kids in the new class. I M.C.ed the new kid’s cabaret and they have some really interesting voices. It’ll be great to hear where they are in a year.
Vegas. Yes, I said Vegas. I just got back to NYC from Las Vegas. I left on Saturday the 16th and came back at 12:12am on Tuesday the 19th. We went out there for Kevin’s birthday. But oh, baby, was it an amazing experience! Well, that is, at for the first day or so…
The thing about Vegas is that it’s the kingdom of kitch, the target of tack. I lost around five or six hundred dollars gambling there, and much more paying for food and liquor. We stayed at the Luxor.
The first day, we were just trying yo navigate the casino. I lost around $100 playing casino poker and gave up. Then, we had dinner at Fusha. Mary Ann and Aaron flew in from LA, and I picked up the tab. Then Kevin, and Brian (whom I knew as an acquaintance in college, but now I know him much better) and I went to a gay club called KRAVE. It was fun. I met a guy named Patrick. We hit it off, then had sex in the bathroom of the hotel room I was sharing with Akilah, Ilana, and Amy. Apparently I kicked Akilah out of her bed that night. I still feel like an asshole about that.
The next day, everyone went to brunch without me. Which was fine, because I had no intention of getting up before noon, even if it was all-you-can-eat. Instead I went downstairs and started playing in the poker room at the one and two dollar tables (I know that sounds pussy, but I’d never played poker in a Vegas casino before and I wanted to take it easy). In the end, I was up a couple hundred, then lost it all. Go figure.
After a short stint at the pool, we ordered room service, then attempted to get into the Body English, a club in the Hard Rock Casino.
WHAT A BUST! First off, there was NO WAY we were ever going to get in. Why? Well, we had 5 men and 5 women, and they only wanted women, second, 3 of our 5 men were gay, and they were NOT allowing and fags into their club. After a lot of waiting, Akilah, Ilana and Nikki were allowed to go in alone, the rest of us went to a bar across the street.
A bar that had LIVE BAND KAREOKE!!! Yeah, that’s right. I sang Patsy Kline’s “Crazy’ and Alanis Morrisette’s “You Oughtta Know” with a live fucking rock band. BEAT THAT! Later on, we went back to the Hard Rock, I lost $100 in poker (mainly ‘cause I was drunk) and then we went back to the Luxor.
Will stayed up with me…till 7 in the morning! We sat at the bar ‘till about 5am (bars are open 24 hours in Vegas) then we attempted to walk to the New York, NY casino.
By the time we got to Excalibur (which is next to Luxor) I told will I was too drunk to go any further. I passed out in my room.
The next day I had to be on a flight at 4pm. I ate McDonalds with Akilah, then after a walk to Mandalay Bay Casino, I headed out. When I got to my terminal, I could clearly see the Luxor and the whole Strip from the window.
Ew.
Las Vegas is not a city. It is a town, for sure, but it’s not a city. A city has some reverence for architecture. Vegas has none. It’s one road of gimmick after gimmick. Sure, each casino is an interesting building, but the Vegas skyline is a sea of tacky. It’s an entire city of Times Square. Seeking to make a measly buck off of each tourist. I was very happy to take off and head back to Manhattan. I can deal with the tack and swank for one weekend, but ant more and I would have gotten sick.
At least in New York they know how to build a skyline.
Anyway. That’s where I’ve been for the past month. I’ll update more as time allows.