I ated too much candy.

Oh god, I did, too. Damned 50% off Easter candy.

Why must you betray me, chocolate? I thought we meant more to each other than that!

Tummy hurts. Barfing sounds like a good plan.

I ated too much candy.

Damned 50% off Easter candy.

What Jesse and Steph said, by the way.

I sit in the too much candy corner, too. I feel a bit nauseated.

Tonight's HIMYM is the hysterical one with Doogie Barney and the tape.

Yay.

Damned 50% off Easter candy.

The Easter Bunny missed Emmett this year since he was on a plane from NYC and I was in Las Vegas. But he was more than happy to tour the aisles of Walgreens today and pick up scads of 50% off choco-bunnies.

Apparently, though, he had scads of junk food on his holiday, so his Mom requested that I pump him full of healthy stuff, so I tipped an Odwalla into him, and his dessert tonight was strawberries (oh, the sufering!).

How was vegas, Hec?

How was vegas, Hec?

It was an excellent escape. A short trip, but really like going to an entirely different part of your life.

The first night sucked. Incredibly bad turbulence over the Sierras made for a real white-knuckle flight. Minor mishaps after checking in, culminating in JZ getting stranded at a far-away suburban Catholic Church for Good Friday, cold and hungry and the cab companies reluctant to go out there to collect her.

But Saturday was much better. We got together with (Gambler) Phil and (actress) Jennifer and they took us out to a Super Expensive Delicious Restaurant where the entrees ran about $45 and the cheapest bottle of wine started at $100. I got to see what VIP treatment is all about. It's a whole different world when flocks of waitrons come swooping down to take all the work out of eating a lobster.

Later I got to see Phil in his natural environment in the poker rooms, where he snuck me into a high stakes game (in a special back room) where the minimum bet was $8K! Yikes. Phil described it as "Super Stratospheric Insane High Stakes." As comparison, the other table in the special room had a $400 mininum bet.

Just about everybody at the table was some famous poker player, but I only had the sense to ask "Who's the guy in the red shirt?" "Daniel Negroni." Gus Hansen was there too. Also, James Woods spotted Phil and came over to chat him up, and I got introduced. James Woods obviously (a) really enjoys Phil and (b) really respects his poker opinion.

Next day I talked them into brunch at Commander's Palace across the street, and - almost unbelievably - it was as good or possibly even better than the New Orleans original. Also, it had a super cool Museum of the American Cocktail display. Everything from vintage Absinthe bottles to Tiki Mugs. Really interesting. Also free. Just a small little exhibit but fascinating.

Anyway, they were all booked for Easter Brunch, but Phil sidled up to the Maitre 'D, slipped him a $20 and said, "I was wondering if our mutual friend Mr. Jackson might help us out." And it worked! Phil was so pleased with his graft that he had to hug himself and giggle with glee. (Probably JZ's favorite moment of the weekend.)

After we were seated, somebody on staff tipped the restaurant manager that they'd almost sent away VIPs and you've never seen such a stampede of service in your life. There was hovering. There was comping. There were inidividual waiters for each diner (4) at our table.

Food was fuckin' fabulous. OMG, the Shrimp Creole I had was one of the tastiest things I've ever eaten. It was a big 3 course jazz brunch dealio. Things consumed included pain perdu with pecans and bourbon sauce, eggs sardou (poached eggs, cupped in an artichoke heart, on a bed of creamed spinach, topped with hollaindaise), crab cakes without breading and 95% crab meat, eggs boudreaux (with pulled pork), and lobster bisque. Dessert included the famous bread pudding souffle and bananas foster. We all rolled away like fat little Violet Beaureaugards.

JZ and I went back to our room in a food stupor, then hooked up with ND and Kristin for a birthday dinner for ND, and then to see Ave. Q. That was very fun hanging out at the Wynn (like Bellagio, super luxurious, with a bizarre attraction and a Willy Wonka forest). We had to scramble to find some food, but managed some amazing Japanese before the show. Show was fun. Kristin's hair rocked. ND seemed glad to be having a break.

That sounds wonderful Hec, except for the first night. I love the commander's palace there-- I've been to the jazz brunch, and eaten dinner there a couple of times.

Hec, the majority of the trip sounds like it was fantastic!

Prison Break: At this point, they should just tell everyone in the prison, or the remaining 12 people who don't know, that there's a hole in Cell 40 leading to the outside. Then everyone can storm the cell and, in the ensuing confusion, at least a few of them should make it to freedom. They can't catch everyone, right?