Las Vegas Baby: Pawn Stars Mandalay Bay and my boyfriend Drew Lachey

Here's Part 2 of my series on what I did on my summer vacation. I will probably take a short break before the third installment. I got some ebay business stuff to attend to (which means I have a lot of good junk to package up and mail).

We drove from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in our rental car and stayed 3 nights at Mandalay Bay Because of Jeff's previous gambling in Vegas, we got 2 nights for free and we paid for the third. We could have gotten 4 free nights at the Venetian but in my online research I decided Mandalay Bay would be better for us. And let's just say I absolutely loved it. Staying there definitely helped to soften the disastrous blow of missing out on Saturday's yardsales (we were there for a Thursday, Friday and Saturday night). Drove back to Los Angeles on Sunday.

Jeff thought 3 days in Vegas would be plenty of time. I could have definitely stayed longer. Jacob loved it too. The last time I was in Vegas (I believe, was 1991) and we stayed in the old Aladdin - which ended up getting imploded years later. All I remember about that trip was just getting free junk at the different casinos. One advertised a "free professional slot players glove" when you signed up for their gambler's card. It was the cheapest cotton glove you've ever seen. I still got my free keychain from Fitzgerald's. I had my picture taken with the million dollars at Binions (but lost the photo long ago). But really not doing much except from walking to casino to casino. Sorta boring actually.

Well what a difference a few years make. I loved Las Vegas this time around. I think the difference was having Jacob around to do stuff with - while Jeff gambled. Or should I say, while Jeff won money. I am not really into gambling. Over the course of 3 days, Jeff was $750 ahead. He ended up giving back $100 on the last night, but he knew when to quit and still come out $650 ahead.

While there, he also put a $100 bet down for the Vikings vs Saints on NFL opening day (last Thursday night). So even tho the Vikings lost, he had a 6 point spread, so he still won! He goes back in October for his guys Vegas trip, so then he'll claim the $200 then. I think I deserve a girl's trip (like a Sunday - Friday) so I could be back in time for Saturday's yardsales.

I had 3 things on my To Do List for Las Vegas. Go the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop - you know the pawn shop from Pawn Stars. Go to the The Price is Right Live Show at Bally's Casino and meet Jenndiggy from West Virginia.

Jenn (or Jenndiggy) is a woman in West Virgina who has been a member of my message board that I've known online for at least a dozen years. I know I knew her way before I had Jacob, and he is now 10 years old. It was good to finally meet her in person. She is a big time sweepstakes person and had won a trip for 2 to Vegas thru the Home Shopping Network. HSN was doing a big convention thing with live tv tapings, celebrities etc etc during that time so she was there for that. So I got to meet her and her cousin and I also dropped by the HSN convention and saw Tori Spelling and Criss Angel. I also got some free make-up and other small goodies.

I had Jeff go to a Tickets for Tonight ticket outlet to get discounted tickets to the Price is Right Live show. It's not 100% like going to a tv taping in Los Angeles, but it was still a lot of fun. And Jacob loved it. At the real show, kid's aren't allowed in the audience. But in Las Vegas, they are (since of course you are buying them a ticket.) But only adults are called to Come On Down. We did not get to come on down. Oh well. Next time. They choose people at random - you put your name on a form prior to the show. If they had picked people based on personality, there would have been no doubt. The big wheel, the games etc are all from one of their anniversary shows, so it looks just like how it looks on TV. And the prizes that people can win are much less expensive. The guest host was Drew Lachey and the announcer was David Ruprecht. Afterward they posed for pictures. I bought Jacob a t-shirt and got that autographed. Of course, I had the settings all wrong on the camera so there was no flash. So the pictures look grainy when enlarged. But while the poor girl was trying to get the camera to work, she didn't realize she had taken two. So that just gave me and Drew more time together. And they took pictures of everyone to make it look like you are in front of the big wheel.

Since we had our rental car, we drove to the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn store (713 Las Vegas Boulevard). The place is a tourist destination now - had to wait in line to get in, they had misting sprays out front. The only person from the show that was there was Chumlee and he was in the back. But then as we were leaving he also walked out and I sorta played paparazzi and taped him leaving. I brought my Batman ring to the store and they were just gonna give me $3 for it to melt it down! I recently sold it for $30. I bought a "I heart Chumlee shirt"

At our hotel, the Miss Universe pageant was going on - Jeff met Miss Canada at the craps table. I thought about applying to be in the pageant as a last minute entry, but since I'm married they said no. Otherwise I'm sure they would have let me.

The pool area was gorgeous. A person could really spend a lot of money there if they wanted to, you know, rent a cabana for the day, rent a special padded lounge chair, buy food/drinks, buy inner-tubes for the lazy river etc. We didn't spend a dime at the pool. You don't have to have a inner-tube to float around in the lazy river and we only spent like an hour or so at the pool each day. Perhaps if we were there all day long it would be another story. They provided free beach towels and we just sat on the plain, non padded, lounge chairs. There was a wave pool, a few other pools and they also have an adult only private pool (which I did not go to).

We accidentally got a deal at the Paris Eiffel Tower. We were at the casino and told Jeff I wanted to take Jacob up in the Eiffel Tower. He starts complaining about what a waste of money, you can go up in the Stratosphere for free and it's taller, yadda yadda. He thinks he knows all of Las Vegas since he's been going every year for the past 20 years or so. So I said, whatever, I'm taking him. Stay with him while I go buy tickets. I had picked up a Las Vegas coupon booklet that had a Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon. So I go and pay for two tickets $10 (for both) for me and Jacob. I find Jeff and Jacob and what does Jeff say? "Where's MY ticket?" Sheesh. So we are standing there *discussing* the ticket situation - I was telling him to go buy another ticket if he wanted to go so bad) meanwhile the Eiffel Tower lady sees me holding the tickets and rips them and half and tells us all to enjoy the view and pointed where to get on the elevator. I don't know if she noticed I only had 2 tickets in my hand or what. So Jeff got to go for free. I don't feel that bad, I don't think the casino is hurting for money.

I am disappointed that I didn't take more pictures of the inside of our hotel room. Our bathroom had a tv. We were only on the 7th floor but could still see the strip all lit up at night. I took some videos with my cellphone - but they are some weird format that I have to reformat or something. I can't see them as is. So.....even after my vacation series is over, you may still have to hear more about it later.

Now pics and videos:

driving up to Mandalay Bay


Jacob as Miss Universe. He is modeling his Las Vegas t-shirt that I bought him - NEW. It was $2 at a seedy discount place in downtown Las Vegas.




Pool/Beach area






The stuff I covered with a towel within 5 minutes of getting into the hotel room. I didn't need Jacob eating $5 Pringles. The Doritos were ours. We had stopped at a grocery store for some Basic Needs.


Trying out the tub.






Our floor was the floor with the big X's on the windows.


As I've said before, the primary reason for going on vacation is so Jacob can play computer in other locations. haha. You can see Luxor in the background.



In the Eiffel Tower. Mandalay Bay is the gold looking hotel way down the strip.






One evening we went to the Fremont Street Experience. And they had a Partridge Family short bus. (They were doing a 70's music theme). That reminds me, it was a year yesterday that I got to go to David Cassidy's moving sale and see his stuff and try out his bed and see his toilet. Oh what memories!



Here was a casino four me!





Jenn's cousin, me and Jenn (photo taken at a restaurant. Jenn's cousin bought it, and me being cheap, just took a picture of it).


Fremont Street laser show


The Price is Right Live (no pics allowed during the show)


Family Christmas Picture 2010. Me and Drew Lachey getting to know each other. Yes, my name says Jacob. Jacob tore his tag off the minute the show ended and I wanted to save it as a memento so I stuck it on my shirt. I regret not telling Drew that we had *dancing* in common. Many of you do not know this but I took dance lessons as a child and toured. Ok ok, it was only Polish dance lessons and we mainly appeared at the local nursing homes, but hey, I know all about the stress and physical endurance of taking dance lessons. My mom's friend was the dance teacher.


Drew Lachey and me with Jacob and some other people:


The World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn




Had to take a picture of the Jim Morrison picture. ($20,000)






The back of Chumlee's head


At the HSN Convention. Tori Spelling at a Meet N Greet. I was too late to get in line.






HSN live show with Criss Angel