In the early 90s, we took the kids to Cancun.  While there we saw local artisans making incredible art with spray paint, various geometrically-shaped objects, and a few brushes.  The craft has moved west.  A single painting takes 10 minutes, tops, to produce.

We made reservations at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant in the Forum Shops of Caesars Palace.  As we were finishing up our sumptuous meal, we noted some big, beefy characters dressed in dark suits arrive and station themselves in front of the restaurant.  A cadre of buxom, provocative-looking young women of every possible ethnicity, all wearing four-inch heels also showed up, dressed to the nines.  Several of the men, I counted fourteen of them, had earphones and those curly wires coming from them looking very much like the secret service.  It was obvious someone BIG was coming to Puck's.

People started cueing up in two lines near the restaurant.  Pam talked to a bathroom attendant upstairs and learned that the top floor is separate from the restaurant and houses Poetry, a place where entertainers perform.  The guest artist du jour, we learned, was Biz Markie.  At first, I thought Pam was pulling my leg when she told me this, we being Bismark-y residents, after all.  Turns out, he's for real.  Biz Markie is a rapper and DJ who gives performances where he uses his abdomen to move a record on a turntable and thus scratch.  Evidently, that "talent" can make you rich.

We got tired of waiting for the star to arrive and drifted over to FAO Schwarz's toy store where there was a wide assortment of stuffed animals.  What's another $2,000 if it will keep your young 'un amused for a few minutes.

Then, I was mercilessly ATTACKED!

But I survived.  We got monorail tickets to travel from the Riviera, where we stayed, to Mandalay Bay hotel on the opposite end of the strip.  Even with that transportation, it took 40 minutes to get to the site of Mama Mia!  This musical got rave reviews from all of our friends who had seen it.  They were right.  Even if you are not a big ABBA fan, the script, acting, and dancing were wonderful.  We had front row seats and could see into the orchestra pit.  It was a show inside the show.  We saw three organists, a drummer, bass guitarist, and a special effects guy performing their wizardry.  A director sat at the front center of the stage, half his body above stage level.  A camera which was focused on his face broadcast his lip synching and hand directions to people back stage who provided background vocals on several songs, and to the musicians in the pit below.  The sold-out crowd who saw it with us that night loved it, too.

After only two full days in "Sin City," we prepared for the flight back home.  We left the home of quickie weddings [don't forget your t-shirt souvenir] bound for the tundra.

I think Julius was pointing to Paris and telling us to go there next year.  Hmmm.

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