Comments and Review

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Michelle Jenkins
----------

Hi

As in past years I will give a blow by blow account of what I did, saw
and thought about the various activities I attended or not as the case
may be.

Sunday, May 2:
=============

Happy Hour / Freezone, Naples between Paradise and Swenson.

Never been here before. I arrived to lots of hugging from people I
hadn't seen since last year. This was the only place I saw the
registration actually laid out on the table. I was asked to read the
shortened conditions of participation or whatever we called
it... although it seemed superfluous since I wrote most of it!

Pre-DLV Dinner/ Milano's Pizza and Pasta, Paradise at Naples

Nice food, but this place lacked space, seating and the service seemed
to slow progressively as more and more people arrived. [See general
comments on food places]

Decided not to trek across town to Flex. [See general comments on bars]

. . . . .

Monday, May 3:

Side trip to Rhyolite (authentic ghost town)

I went with Annie [lets go up and down this same piece of road three
times], Densie and Tony. Aiko [lets go via Death Valley] seemed to have
got lost and we ended up sending a considerable part of the trip trying
to find them. The radios worked as well as two tin cans with a 300 foot
piece of loose string between them...

We did stop at some old cement works ruins along the way and then, when
we finally got to the ghost town, we saw that everyone had already been
and gone and we stayed for just a few minutes cruising round in the car.

Happy Hour / Hamburger Mary's, Paradise at Harmon.
Dinner / Hamburger Mary's, Paradise at Harmon.

Well I only got there for a happy "ten minutes" but Hamburger Mary's was
welcome relief after the day in the car. Food and drink OK and
reasonably priced.

It didn't seem to me that HM suffered to much from having a large group
in. We were able to get served fairly promptly even though we were
amongst the last to sit down and the food service was also reasonably
prompt. Certainly the company at my table was good and the time past
quickly.
. . . . .

Tuesday, May 4:
==============

Lake Mead Boat Cruise / Meet at San Remo, carpool to site.

This was kewl. Well actually it was HOT (108F when we left the boat) and
fairly windy as well.

The group seemed to split into three basic activities:

- Find the bar, order drinks and sit there through the tour (in hiding?)

- Go on deck, and fry in the midday sun between getting drinks and
taking photos

- Cruise the ship, drinking, eating, photo'ing etc, etc.

Seemed like we were well received although we certainly got a few looks
when we arrived and were waiting amongst the numerous tourist groups.

Night of Soiled Doves side trip.

Let me start by saying that this was the definitely in the category for
best activity at DLV 2004. I had some trepidations about what was going
to happen, especially with the "be prepared for surprises" comment in
the notes.

Well we started off with another rush and wait. Annie, Densie and Tony
needed to gas the hearse (of which I never got a photo :-( ), and then
we (Ginger, Aiko, Yvonne, Debbie, Diane) needed go to Aiko's place to
pick up the forgotten red roses.

The caravan train left about 6:30pm for the Chicken Ranch and we arrived
about 7:30. Groups photos over, we then we were warmly welcomed by the
girls, madam and others there. We were surprised to be offered shrimp
and other finger food, and champagne that seemed unending. We all got a
little bag of souvenir goodies to take away and at a few bought the
obligatory T-Shirt.

The girls were gorgeous and I would personally have swapped my body with
any of them. They were all really out going and I think enjoyed the
whole party atmosphere as we discussed everything from the geographical
location of New Zealand to the type of sexual practices they indulged in
and everything in between.

Aiko says we were there for about an hour but I thought it was longer
than that.

Most of the group went in cars while Ginger had organised a limo for the
six of us. This was definitely a real plus 'cause we had a great time
going there and back, including consumption of that Tennessee whisky
(without the 'e', that Ginger had brought along.

The trip home was fraught with anxiety as at one point I really didn't
think I'd be able to hold out another 30 seconds for a rest room stop.
Our driver found a MacDonalds some where along the road and I must have
really looked a mess as I charged through the convenience store, in a
blue sequinned gown, asking "ladies restroom???" looking for the ladies!

We stopped at Sonic but it didn't seem like many wanted or needed to eat
after the spread at the Ranch.

Night of the Soiled Doves Reception / Las Vegas Lounge,

I was here for maybe 3 minutes. A bit of dive of a place. I can't say I
liked the surrounding area that much either....

We were so late I gather that our reception party had all left before we
arrived.
. . . . .

Wednesday, May 5:

Star Trek Experience / Las Vegas Hilton
Lunch / Quark Bar, LV Hilton

Different and really worth while. I thought I was going to be late to
this after being "soiled" the previous night but the timing worked well.
There were about 10? for the rides and 7 or 8 stayed for the lunch.

The rides weren't quite as dramatic as I remembered them nor as
"invasive" as I expected.

Happy Hour / Hard Rock CAFE , Paradise at Harmon.
Dinner / Hard Rock CAFE , Paradise at Harmon.

Kewl place. Good food. Ribs and Chicken Rule!

Big group here and it seemed to over whelm the place for a while. I
guess there are a lot of secretaries in the world after all! Parking was
an issue as well, with a car park coming available more from good luck
than good management.

HRC staff guarded the entrance to the ladies restroom and seemed to let
either GG's or us in, in groups. I was watching this and it seemed like
while there weren't likely to be any incidents, the filtering was an
incident in its self, perhaps negatively portraying us to the GG's there
who had to wait in line.

There was rumour that a young girl (10-12??) had gone in earlier and
seen one or more of our group and gone back to her parents with the
problem. Maybe that was the HRC solution?

. . . . .

Thursday, May 6:

Golf / Desert Rose Golf Club, Sahara at Nellis Blvd.

As far as I'm concerned any day playing golf is a good day. It was hot
and the wind played its part again, blowing hair and making life
difficult, but as Julie Anne commented it provided Air Con when we drove
in certain directions!

The staff here are used to us now and I think this place can be
considered a reasonably safe venue.

Being from NZ I had trouble getting my payment through and having an
e-mail address to send it to rather than a fax would have been VERY
useful.

The golf varied between excellent and poor with a range of scores from
80 to 129 as I recall. Julie lost her tiarra / crown to the new DLV
champion those name immediately escapes me.

About two thirds of the way through Julie Anne commented how she was
still using the same ball she started with. Within three shots she had
lost that one as well asa second one in the same body of water! See the
golfing GODs are listening and they taken their revenge quickly!

Yvonne spent the day as a roving reporter and must have taken a 100 or
so pictures. I didn't realise my bum looked so big from so far away!!!!

Ovation, The Show / Ovation Theatre, Aladdin Hotel and Casino

I'm not entirely sure what show we saw, although by the time we got
there it was called "V". But was this Ovation, renamed as "V" or was it
"V" moved from The Venetian?

It was a fun show, with lots of good artistes. The humour was good and
while I had seen the masks act twice before at Showgirls of Magic, it as
funny this time around. I guess the actual results from this act are
always unpredictable.

Limousine tour / Aladdin Hotel, Main entrance.

Gina, Aiko, Yvonne, Tootsie, Ginger and I were in Limo 1, with
Hollywood. This big black guy had obviously not known what he was
getting him self in for so he was surprised by us but Gina soon educated
him in what and who we were and he provided us with a great time. Lots
of the girls ended up getting their photos taken with him.

We had champagne, Tequila, wine and coke. The limo had some Tequila as
well and it was ALL gone before the tour was over.

The organisers need to be congratulated on a well run activity, although
I thought we were supposed to do the Luxor? Seemed like it was over in a
flash however as with previous years Gina hi-jacked the limo and we went
off to get Burritos at Robertos.

Once again my bladder was past full and in ready to burst mode. I
remember (vaguely) going into the Cheers bar next door to pee. I
certainly attracted a few looks in the blue sequinned gown with long leg
split as I walked past the bar and between the pool tables!

That blue gown seems to be associated with desperate rest room stops?! :-)

And those burritos were great. Just what we need to keep us going!

Hollywood took us into the Aladdin parking structure, to my car and I
changed to something more conservative right there in the parking lot.
No one seemed to notice although I was probably too far gone to to have
noticed anyway!

We then got dropped off at Bellagio and headed for an appointment with
Charles. Seems like Charles is a bit of nomad and he had changed bars
since last year. We found him though, and he even recognised many of us
from last year.

Gina and I had breakfast at Bellagio about 5:00am before heading back to
our respective beds about 6:00am. Another year, another all nighter!

. . . . .

Friday, May 7:

English High Tea / Cobblestone Corner Tea Room, 6115 W. Tropicana

Well I missed this for the third year in a row. I was asleep from last
nights activities.

Dinner / Carluccio's, Tropicana and Spencer. See directions.

Still subdued from too little sleep and too much to drink, this was a
quiet affair for me. The Chicken Marsala was excellent although the
service seemed to be slower than last year. Again maybe the group was
overwhelming the place a bit.

After the food everyone seemed to be confused as to whether that was it
or not. I was sort of expecting dessert or coffee but it never came.

There seemed to be some confusion over which rest room we were to use. I
used the one near the bar, apparently this was a no no.

Annual Mixer / Goodtimes Lounge, Tropicana at Spencer St.

I stayed long enough to take the group photo and I was off.

. . . . .

Saturday, May 8:

Today started off early with a trip back to see Charles at the Bellagio,
with Gina. We started the day with some Bloody Mary's. These were good
and certainly woke me up!

It was then another breakfast at Bellagio, before another visit to say
"goodbye" to Charles. The cafi there, serves a huge stack of pancakes!

Claude Hall Gun Show / Cashman Center (meet at San Remo)

Something new and different for a girl from New Zealand. We don't have
guns and certainly we don't have gun shows like this one. While it might
appear that this is not the ideal place for a trannie to go walking
there really wasn't much in the way of interest from anyone there.

We walked up and down all the aisles as Gina and Yvonne stocked up on
cartridges, magazines and other essential gun stuff. I bought one of
those plastic signs that said "Caution: Attack cat" and a camo T-Shirt.
I look pretty cute in it! :-)

Garden Party / Mindy's residence

We arrived fashionably late, about 1:00pm after getting lost 'cause
neither Gina or I had bothered to really read the directions!

It was hot and I was all set to don my bathing costume and relax in the
pool but alas it was closed!

This was a real great little activity, with lots of chances to catch up
one more time with those we'd had fun with this trip. For many it seemed
the place where goodbyes were made.

We headed to Aiko and Yvonnes suite, where Gina reverted to male mode,
and sent us all into shock! :-)

Afterwards, Aiko, Yvonne, Gina and I went cross town to Makino's
Japanese Sushi bar. Wow! What a spread! This was one of the nicest meals
I've had for some time. This is definitely something we should look at
for the next DLV.

We got Gina to the airport with plenty of time to spare before I dropped
her rental off at Hertz. It was only as I drove in that I realised it
wasn't my car, I wasn't in boy mode and what if..... Well nothing
happened.

General comments about Bars

While I realise that Goodtimes, LVL, Flex and Freezone are known safe
bars they are all real low class places! Goodtimes was overwhelmed by
our group and LVL really had a flavour I'd prefer to avoid. To be honest
I avoided these a lot this year by just not going and I got the feeling
that a lot of previous attendees did the same.

We spent a lot of time in some of the higher class places most
noticeably Bellagio. There were no issues and we were well treated as
any ladies should be.

IMHO we need to be more careful about the bars we choose, especially as
the group grows, we seem to overwhelm some of these places. There is a
place for them but I don't think they should dominate the schedule as
they have this and in past years.

General Comment about Food, restaurants, etc.

Milano's food was great but it IS TOO small for even a partial group
appearance.

Apart from HRC, which too seemed a little overwhelmed by us, everything
was a repeat of last years venues.

IMHO we need to look for new places that can accommodate our increasing
size without creating undue risk and anxiety for the new comers.

Las Vegas now has a plethora of great eating places, many of which are
not that expensive. Makinos, for example, averaged at $35 per person
including a bottle of wine and drinks and tip.

Later this year I will make some suggestions for alternative eating
places, and despite my DNV policy I may raise my hand and host some
upmarket eating adventures. (For those that don't know, DNV = Does Not
Volunteer)

Summary and final comments

Well I had a great time. Aiko, Tootsie, Mindy, Debbie, Michelle (NV) and
all their helpers need to be well and truly congratulated on their
efforts with NSD, Limo, Show, HRC and Golf and various parties. Thanks
so much ladies.

Thanks to those I have not mentioned by name as well.

Ginger thanks (I think?!?) for the Tennessee Whisky and I'll see you in
September.

Annie well done again with the overall organisation. It worked pretty
well although I think we need to specifically program in some "SLEEPING"
activities. Maybe we could double track them with those that start after
mid night so people still think its an official activity? :-)

Having the golf before the Limo tour worked well but it made Thursday a
long day for the golfers, show and limo tourists.

So...lets do it all again next year!

Hugs
Michelle

(Currently still in Las Vegas recovering from sleep deprivation and
alcohol abuse!)

----------
(This posting was entered by Michelle Jenkins, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: annie
----------

[deletia]
> Dinner / Carluccio's, Tropicana and Spencer. See directions.
[munch]
> There seemed to be some confusion over which rest room we were to use. I
> used the one near the bar, apparently this was a no no.

Leah, correct me if I am wrong here, but it was my understanding that
(at least for last year) there were no restrictions on the property, and
that the "s-word" was not to be used. Am I correct or incorrect?

Michelle, who told you that was a no-no? I used the one by the bar a few
times actually and never had an issue. I also pointed it out to others
who asked.

> While I realise that Goodtimes, LVL, Flex and Freezone are known safe
> bars they are all real low class places!

I might disagree here. I think of Goodtimes and Flex as typical
neighborhood bars, not unlike Aces here in Omaha. Both quite safe and
pleasant places to be.

LV Lounge is so far beneath these two there's no comparison. As I said,
last year I thought there was no way LVL could get any worse. I was
wrong! It was a total $#!+hole this year! Actually, to call it a total
$#!+hole is to compliment it!

> I may raise my hand and host some upmarket eating adventures.

Ok, we have witnesses here! :)

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(This posting was entered by annie, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Aiko
----------

>>There seemed to be some confusion over which rest room we were to
>>use. I used the one near the bar, apparently this was a no no.

>Leah, correct me if I am wrong here, but it was my understanding that
>(at least for last year) there were no restrictions on the property,
>and that the "s-word" was not to be used. Am I correct or incorrect?

I talked with Leah after Carluccio's dinner, and she mentioned there was
a restroom(s) at the end of the bar in the mirror dining room we were
in. However, I didn't know about that until we were at Goodtimes.

>Michelle, who told you that was a no-no? I used the one by the bar a
>few times actually and never had an issue. I also pointed it out to
>others who asked.

There were a few of our ladies who asked which RR to use, and I also
pointed out the one by the bar that we used last year.

----------
(This posting was entered by Aiko, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Michelle Jenkins
----------

Annie,

> Michelle, who told you that was a no-no? I used the one by the bar a few
> times actually and never had an issue. I also pointed it out to others
> who asked.

To clarify here the one I used was behind the main bar, not the one
behind the piano in the main eating bar area. I was told afterwards by
someone that we were meant to be using the one behind the piano bar, ie
through the mirror door. I'm sorry but I can not remember who it was.

>> While I realise that Goodtimes, LVL, Flex and Freezone are known safe
>> bars they are all real low class places!
>
> I might disagree here. I think of Goodtimes and Flex as typical
> neighborhood bars,

OK so we agree about LVL. Actually from what VERY little I know about US
neighbourhood bars I can agree they are typical. I just don't like them,
especially compared to say any Casino bar, on the strip.

>> I may raise my hand and host some upmarket eating adventures.
>
> Ok, we have witnesses here! :)

Now lets BE REALLY CLEAR....

>>> I may raise my hand and host some upmarket eating adventures.
^^^
I MAY! not will, definitely or anything approaching a cast iron
statement of commitment!

----------
(This posting was entered by Michelle Jenkins, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Michelle Jenkins
----------

Hi again,

> I talked with Leah after Carluccio's dinner, and she mentioned there was
> a restroom(s) at the end of the bar in the mirror dining room we were
> in. However, I didn't know about that until we were at Goodtimes.

>> Michelle, who told you that was a no-no? I used the one by the bar a
>> few times actually and never had an issue. I also pointed it out to
>> others who asked.

> There were a few of our ladies who asked which RR to use, and I also
> pointed out the one by the bar that we used last year.

I didn't want to say in my earlier E-Mail because I wasn't sure and
casting "dispersions" on others isn't (always) my style, but I thought
it was Aiko who had mentioned it. Sounds like Aiko either said something
or I was with her at Goodtimes when others were talking about it.

Really can't remember. Sorry Annie.

Hugs
Michelle

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(This posting was entered by Michelle Jenkins, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: anya black dupree
----------

>Pre-DLV Dinner/ Milano's Pizza and Pasta, Paradise at Naples

>Nice food, but this place lacked space, seating and the service seemed
>to slow progressively as more and more people arrived. [See general
>comments on food places]

I really like Milano's. We have to figure out a way to handle larger
crowds.

>Decided not to trek across town to Flex. [See general comments on bars]

I didn't either.

>Happy Hour / Hamburger Mary's, Paradise at Harmon.
>Dinner / Hamburger Mary's, Paradise at Harmon.

>Well I only got there for a happy "ten minutes" but Hamburger Mary's was
>welcome relief after the day in the car. Food and drink OK and
>reasonably priced.

I thought the food and service were quite good. I wasn't particularly
worried about the time it took.

>Lake Mead Boat Cruise / Meet at San Remo, carpool to site.

>This was kewl. Well actually it was HOT (108F when we left the boat) and
>fairly windy as well.

I enjoyed the boat tour as well.

>Happy Hour / Hard Rock CAFE , Paradise at Harmon.
>Dinner / Hard Rock CAFE , Paradise at Harmon.

>Kewl place. Good food. Ribs and Chicken Rule!

I enjoyed the Hard Rock dinner and it was well planned. Seems like they
can accomodate large groups, however if it gets much bigger, we may end
up spread throughout the room.

>Ovation, The Show / Ovation Theatre,

>I'm not entirely sure what show we saw, although by the time we got

Thsi is the "V" show that moved out of the Venetian due to the
remodeling of their showroom.

>It was a fun show, with lots of good artistes. The humour was good and
>while I had seen the masks act twice before at Showgirls of Magic, it as
>funny this time around. I guess the actual results from this act are
>always unpredictable.

I enjoyed the show, but i didn't find the theater particularly
comfortable. It's kind of hard for people in the back to see the show
when all the seats are on a flat floor.

>Dinner / Carluccio's, Tropicana and Spencer. See directions.
>
>Still subdued from too little sleep and too much to drink, this was a
>quiet affair for me. The Chicken Marsala was excellent although the
>service seemed to be slower than last year. Again maybe the group was
>overwhelming the place a bit.

I enjoyed the veal.

>After the food everyone seemed to be confused as to whether that was it
>or not. I was sort of expecting dessert or coffee but it never came.

I would have liked for their to have been dessert but being full from
the meal i wasn't too worried about it this time.

>I stayed long enough to take the group photo and I was off.

I went home after dinner.

>Garden Party / Mindy's residence

>It was hot and I was all set to don my bathing costume and relax in the
>pool but alas it was closed!

Would have been nice to have the pool open but I heard it was very cold.

>This was a real great little activity, with lots of chances to catch up
>one more time with those we'd had fun with this trip. For many it seemed
>the place where goodbyes were made.

Very true.

>Afterwards, Aiko, Yvonne, Gina and I went cross town to Makino's
>Japanese Sushi bar. Wow! What a spread! This was one of the nicest meals
>I've had for some time. This is definitely something we should look at
>for the next DLV.

I have eaten at Makino myself and it is very good. I would definitely
agree that Makino should be a meal stop at the next DLV. There is a
second branch of Makino at the Las Vegas Premium Outlets. Lunch buffet
is a very reasonable $14.95 last time i checked.

>We got Gina to the airport with plenty of time to spare before I dropped
>her rental off at Hertz. It was only as I drove in that I realised it
>wasn't my car, I wasn't in boy mode and what if..... Well nothing
>happened.

>General comments about Bars

>While I realise that Goodtimes, LVL, Flex and Freezone are known safe
>bars they are all real low class places! Goodtimes was overwhelmed by
>our group and LVL really had a flavour I'd prefer to avoid. To be honest
>I avoided these a lot this year by just not going and I got the feeling
>that a lot of previous attendees did the same.

I am in complete agreement with you. Because of this I didn't attend any
of the bar events.

>We spent a lot of time in some of the higher class places most
>noticeably Bellagio. There were no issues and we were well treated as
>any ladies should be.

I agree as well. Las Vegas has a lot of wonderful bars and lounges with
great service. I would feel much more comfortable wearing my beloved
pullover dresses at Bellagio or the Venetian or Mandalay Bay than in the
(Flex, Goodtimes LVL, etc.)

>IMHO we need to be more careful about the bars we choose, especially as
>the group grows, we seem to overwhelm some of these places. There is a
>place for them but I don't think they should dominate the schedule as
>they have this and in past years.

Amen.

>Milano's food was great but it IS TOO small for even a partial group
>appearance.

Very true.

>Apart from HRC, which too seemed a little overwhelmed by us, everything
>was a repeat of last years venues.

I agree.

>IMHO we need to look for new places that can accommodate our increasing
>size without creating undue risk and anxiety for the new comers.

I would like to try something different.

>Las Vegas now has a plethora of great eating places, many of which are
>not that expensive. Makinos, for example, averaged at $35 per person
>including a bottle of wine and drinks and tip.

We do have a lot of good places to eat. I went to the Aladdin buffet
before the "V" show. I also had lunch at Bellagio. Last year we had
about 15 people come to the Bellagio lunch, this year, only two. Maybe
it's time for a change.

>Later this year I will make some suggestions for alternative eating
>places, and despite my DNV policy I may raise my hand and host some
>upmarket eating adventures. (For those that don't know, DNV = Does Not
>Volunteer)

I look forward to your ideas. I think some upmarket eating experiences
would go well. You could probably expect small groups, but there's
nothing wrong with that.

>(Currently still in Las Vegas recovering from sleep deprivation and
>alcohol abuse!)

Thank you for the well thought out commentary. I enjoyed DLV myself very
much. Sincerely, ANYA, here in Las Vegas.

----------
(This posting was entered by anya black dupree, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Ginger
----------

It's nice to be where you belong with others of your kind and DLV was
certainly that again this year! Thanks to everyone for everything!

We all have different perspectives on the DLV events and venues. What I
like about DLV is the safe environment it provides for those who need it
like I did three years ago and the freedom to explore and grow as I
have done since. Without DLV Id not be the confident person Im
becoming and for that DLV and the people who have made it possible over
the years (and you know who you are) have my sincere appreciation and
thanks! You are the greatest!

Now for some comments and a few suggestions and possible topics for
future discussion..

First general comments.............

Ride Sharing. Maybe it was me or maybe it was the Mothers Day problem,
but it seemed lots of people were going and coming all week and just as
I established or reestablished contact they were gone or off somewhere
else. I saw little evidence of others staying at the Sahara although
several did. Is there better way to get together to shared rides and the
like considering the need of many, including myself, to stay somewhat
anonymous? I stayed over until Monday morning and would have loved to
have had dinner with someone Sunday evening, but didn't know how to
contact even those I knew were staying over.

The walk-abouts. I've been trying to get my fitness program going again
and tried to continue to walk four or five miles every afternoon after
lunch. The walks were interesting and uneventful even with the high
temperatures which I actually enjoy  for the first time in Las Vegas I
wasn't freezing my you know what off! Previously, I've stayed mostly in
the hotel and ridden about in cabs or private cars. There are all kinds
of convenience stores, interesting little shops, and informal eating
places near the Sahara and the Glamour Boutique is within a 15 minute
walk!

Three times (for some unknown reason) my route took me to the Fashion
Show Mall which has a great selection of stores. However, my only
purchases were at Macy's MAC counter where the staff was helpful and
friendly. The Macy's or Nordstrom's MAC counters at the Fashion Show
Mall would be great places for anyone interested in a MAC makeover! The
only downside to my walks was that they sometimes made it hard to get to
the evening event on time. For next year I'm proposing a walk-about
every afternoon following lunch although we will probably not want to
walk as far, or in one large group, and probably in no more than pairs.
Anyone interested?

The venues. I've heard and read various comments on our venues. Yes,
some are becoming crowded. Some are dumps. The Sahara buffet isn't five
star quality and there is the NASCAR factor, but the food is not all
that bad, parking is free and convenient, and it's quick and accessible.

For the area where I live even the LVL conditions aren't all that bad. I
enjoy fine places too, but I also try to remember as the Garth Brooks
song lyrics go that, "I've got friends in low places, Where the whiskey
drowns and the beer chases, My blues away, And I'll be okay, Yeah, I'm
not big on social graces, Think I'll slip on down to the Oasis, Oh I've
got friends in low places! Over the years Ive somewhat adopted that
song and another that includes the phrase, I was born to reject
rejection." I guess I'd rather be in a dump that wants me than in an
establishment which in reality is not all that much better, standing in
line waiting for the ladies room to clear so me and my kind can go in.
For what it's worth, I think this was a local problem, having had no
problem at other Hard Rock Cafes!  also see my comments on the HRC
problem below.

Riding the bus. Friday I wasn't able to make contact with anyone going
to the San Remo from the Sahara in a timely manner for me, and having
busted my cab budget the night before, decided to ride the bus. I felt
perfectly safe and comfortable and the other riders either didn't notice
me or treated me with benign neglect. My seat mate, a Russian native
and student at UNLV, even volunteered helped me find the Las Vegas
Boulevard pedestrian overpass leading to the San Remo. While the bus
trip cost only $2.00 it took much longer than I had anticipated, but,
as my seat mate pointed out, the cabs weren't making any better
progress in the rush hour traffic either so I'll be riding more next
year.

Some specific comments.............

Sunday Metropolitan Community Church service  Didn't arrive in time,
but would have enjoyed it! Happy hour, Freezone, well organized and the
dress and behavior agreement seemed to set the tone for the week! Good
job everyone! The pre-DLV dinner at Milano's Pizza and Pasta overwhelmed
the staff and next year if we return, and I hope we will, we have to
give them better warning of what's about to happen. Pre-DLV gathering,
Spotlight Lounge, the staff and other customers were accepting, but
nothing special.

Monday  I made a commitment to hosting lunch each day at the Sahara and
didn't do the Rhyolite trip or other events that conflicted for the
rest of the week. We had 11 for lunch at the Sahara including some who
were first time DLV attendees. I'm volunteering for this duty again
next year! Happy hour and dinner at Hamburger Mary's was excellent and
the welcome celebration at the Flex Lounge was well attended although
Flex is somewhat of a dump as someone observed. But I guess it's my
kind of dump and I thought the bartenders were good to us.

Tuesday was the Lake Mead Boat Cruise and thrift shop tour which were
apparently popular. I dined alone at lunch with Ginger and understand
that Michelle (Las Vegas) also bowled alone and incurred some personal
cost when others who had committed didn't show. The Night of Soiled
Doves excursion was the highlight event for me. Believe it or not, this
was my first experience at such an institution and it was fascinating. I
was surprised to find the girls were all so attractive and appeared to
be so young, physically small, vulnerable, wholesome, innocent and not
at all hard or cheap looking as I had expected. George Dickel Tennessee
Whisky (without an e) consumed Tennessee red-neck style with Diet Coke
(not Pepsi) proved poplar and Aiko, Debbie, Diane, Michelle (Jenkins),
and Yvonne were marvelous traveling companions! Later the LVL and unlike
others I actually enjoyed the this dive, but always find some of the
regulars' behavior troubling because you know in time it's not leading
to any good.

Wednesday included the Star Trek Experience, lunch at the Hilton's Quark
Bar and shopping at the Las Vegas Premium Outlets which I missed for
lunch with Ginger where 14 came with some even arriving early or at
least exactly on time! How do you figure? Happy Hour and Dinner at the
Hard Rock Cafe was a disappointment at best. The original Hard Rock
contact was taken away on an emergency and Id like to think his absence
was part of the problem. As I understand it, the restroom issue
occurred when a child asked her mother why some of us were using the
ladies room and the mother complained to the management. Although we
were inconvenienced by having to use the restroom in shifts, the
regular women customers were also inconvenienced. Debbie or I will
investigate in an attempt to understand better what caused the problem.
Perhaps we can learn from it and better address the restroom issue for
the future. Karaoke at the Goodtimes Lounge actually revealed that some
among us have good voices!

Thursday had Golf, the Art Tour, and SO's luncheon competiting, but we
still had 11 for Lunch with Ginger! Again, go figure? Amy and the other
staff at the Glamour Boutique Open House were great as usual! The V Show
was a nightmare for Aiko with all of the changes! Thanks for hanging in
there for us Aiko! It was fun, but definitely "G" rated and not in the
glitz league with LaCage, Showgirls of Magic or La Femme of past years.

The Limousine tour was well organized and over far too soon! Thanks
Jamie and Tootsye! Following, Gina corrupted our driver Hollywood and I
got to eat my first authentic burrito at a seemingly authentic Latino
dive! That was followed by the evening at Charles Bar in the Bellagio,
talk about contrasts!

Fridays Lunch with or without Ginger had only four in attendance and I
don't know about lunch at the Bellagio. I was late to dinner at
Carluccio's and as is typical there really wasn't anything on the
limited menu suitable for my diet, but that's a personal problem and
I've got no complaints. Besides Veronica gave me her side dish of
spaghetti with marinara sauce and the price was right! After the
pictures at the Goodtimes Lounge some of us went downtown to Fremont
Street and checked out the Casinos and street entertainment. Very
interesting for a country girl and Ive got to get to Fitzgerald's and
Binion's in Tunica just to compare! Anyone else want to go?

Saturday, was mostly a day of rest after the night before and I missed
the Garden Party because I slept late and didn't have a ride. (Mindy,
I'll be sending my suggested contribution by the United States Postal
Service! Sorry!) I was also late for happy hour and dinner at the San
Remo because of my walk-about and long bus ride. I was disappointed so
few came to the Farewell Get-Together at Flex and missed saying good bye
to many I had wanted to see one more time!

I hung around town on Sunday, but since I didn't know who was still in
town and had no way to contact even the ones I knew were staying over, I
had a misspent Sunday evening alone in a well known Las Vegas dive.
However, I was still functional and able to catch my early Monday
morning flight, arriving home safely late in the evening in a
thunderstorm. What a week and what changes a day makes! Now I'll
probably be depressed for a month!

Thanks again for a wonderful week! I hope to see you all next year if
not sooner!

Ginger

PS I'm really old enough to have lived in the era where the Harvey
Wallbanger was a popular drink, but I'm going to be suspicious of
Densie's interpretations about my innermost thoughts on Galliano, but it
still has it's place other than as an industrial strength solvent!

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(This posting was entered by Ginger, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Michelle Jenkins
----------

Hi

In reply to Gingers comments:

> but it seemed lots of people were going and coming all week and just as
> I established or reestablished contact they were gone or off somewhere
> else. I saw little evidence of others staying at the Sahara although
> several did. Is there better way to get together to shared rides and the
> like considering the need of many, including myself, to stay somewhat
> anonymous? I stayed over until Monday morning and would have loved to
> have had dinner with someone Sunday evening, but didn't know how to
> contact even those I knew were staying over.

Well this is good and bad isn't it. The teeming, clueless millions
wouldn't have noticed us if you couldn't either! Good point about
contactability.

> The venues. I've heard and read various comments on our venues. Yes,
> some are becoming crowded. Some are dumps. The Sahara buffet isn't five
> star quality and there is the NASCAR factor, but the food is not all
> that bad, parking is free and convenient, and it's quick and accessible.

I heard several comments about the buffet access, in particular the walk
through the casino and proximity to the NASCAR stuff.

> cost when others who had committed didn't show. The Night of Soiled
> Doves excursion was the highlight event for me. Believe it or not, this
> was my first experience at such an institution and it was fascinating. I
> was surprised to find the girls were all so attractive and appeared to
> be so young, physically small, vulnerable, wholesome, innocent and not
> at all hard or cheap looking as I had expected. George Dickel Tennessee
> Whisky (without an e) consumed Tennessee red-neck style with Diet Coke
> (not Pepsi) proved poplar and Aiko, Debbie, Diane, Michelle (Jenkins),
> and Yvonne were marvelous traveling companions! Later the LVL and unlike

I'm glad you only bought a small amount of that whisky. Anything more
would have been lethal. It is legal, isn't it?

> I hung around town on Sunday, but since I didn't know who was still in
> town and had no way to contact even the ones I knew were staying over, I
> had a misspent Sunday evening alone in a well known Las Vegas dive.

I wish I had known, 'cause you would have been VERY welcome to accompany
me to Paris, where I dined at the The Provencale. This was a great
choice (but not my first of the evening as it so happens, Mothers Day
crowding as it was), with a special Mother Days menu that was SUPERB. My
impression was that everyone was leaving on the Sunday so I didn't even
think of trying to make contact with anyone I knew.

Hugs
Michelle

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(This posting was entered by Michelle Jenkins, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Mary Beth
----------

>I heard several comments about the buffet access, in particular the
>walk through the casino and proximity to the NASCAR stuff.

My only problem with the Sahara was that two days in a row when I was
walking from the side exit across to the parking garage, someone (I'm
assuming it was one of the valets) shouted "Hey, dude. Dude." at me.
(I'm assuming it was the valet, because I didn't give him the
satisfaction of looking back at him to see who it was.)

Mary Beth

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(This posting was entered by Mary Beth, an external user of MyDLV.)

[External Poster]

This posting is from: Gina Richards
----------

Well Annie you asked for it!

First of all thanks to our glorious leader, Annie for making this happen
every year.

"V"

Okay I arrived on Thursday in time for the Ovation "V" show, I thought
it was a great show, I enjoyed it, it was funny, and very well done.
The venue was good for a bunch of TG's to hang around with out too much
trouble.

LIMO

The limo ride, ah yes, the limo ride.. (in the background a chorus is
repeating of "we want Hollywood!, we want Hollywood" ) Again the drivers
were wonderful the trip was fun the alcohol, plentiful, and of
acceptable quality and the company amazing, Aiko, Tootsie, Ginger,
Michelle, Yvonne were all stuck with me. We had a ball. I want these
ladies with me again, without them it would have been the usual dull
trip, with them it Rocked.

We got to all the right places, blowing off Ceasar's for time. We
hijacked Hollywood and his ride for a burrito run before finishing at
Bellagio for Charles' Bar. IT WAS A BLAST.

The only complaint, why does it take twenty + minutes for 36 CD's to get
in six limo's it seems like it shouldn't be that big of a problem.

Maybe we want to assign limo numbers in the last weeks mailing before DLV.

Special thanks to Jamie and Tootsie for the work they did, especially
Jamie.

Charles's Bar

Okay it isn't called Charles's Bar (its actually the Allegro Bar), and
he's not even in the same place as last year, but we found him, it took
all of about 10 minutes and we waited until he started. The good news,
I got his phone number and e-mail for next year! (I bet nobody else got
his phone number Na, Na, Na,) (I also got a hug this year!)

Charles is in a word wonderful. His style, wit and attentiveness make
him an absolutely outstanding barkeep. He loves us and welcomes us as
does the Bellagio at their place anytime. The truly outstanding thing
about the Bellagio and this bar is the quality, they serve great brands,
and it is served with total class. Not once did I want for alcohol or
water. Please if you attend Charles's Bar, remember his service with a
tip. Michelle and I went back Saturday Morning for Bloody Mary's (new
to a New Zealander) and Charles informed us that his co-workers
affectionately named us, yes, you guessed it, Charlie's Angels (I get
to be Sabrina).

After Charles' Bar everybody but Micelle and I wimped out and we went
to breakfast at the Bellagio Cafi just off of the Conservatory, what a
beautiful place. Issac served us and again we were well treated and had
some great conversation.

IT"S NOW FRIDAY!!! (and has been for six hours) Michelle and I took our
leave of each other and she went to bed, I changed and headed out to go
flying with Tony.

What can I say about Tony, but what a guy! After I fell asleep four
times in the cars (while driving) I let him finish the drive to the
airport. We loaded the plane and he graciously flew me around for an
hour or so, all the time I was trying to sleep, finally I gave up and
asked him to take me back. It was great, I haven't flown since September
and it felt wonderful.

Bellagio Buffet

There was a traditional after flying buffet at the Bellagio in the past,
but only one other and I showed up. We had a wonderful lunch and I went
back to my room to SLEEP!!

After 3.5 hours of sleep::



DINNER AT CARLUCCIS

Annie made the comment that Carluccis is a classy place and it truly is.
The Chicken Marsala was great and the bread, and sodas helped calm the
grumbling stomach from 30 hours of abuse. Great place, fair price,
good food.

GoodTimes,

What can I say Goodtimes is a dive. It stinks, its dank, did I say it
stinks, too smoky, anyway it is GoodTimes another DLV Tradition. I would
suggest another tradition. We stayed for the photo, and then I went to my
room about 10:30 and slept. I just didn't feel like breathing bad air and
dancing that night. Maybe next time.

Claude Hill Gun Show

At 7:30 I picked up Michelle and we went to the Bellagio for breakfast and
to say good bye to Charles. We had another great meal at the Bellagio
Cafi
and a great chat with Charles.

Then it was off to the GUN SHOW we picked up Yvonne (in boy mode) and
then went to Cashmen Center for a trip into Americana for Michelle. It
was a great time, no problems, a few looks, but nothing bad. Gun show
people are really recognize that your money is as green as anybodies.

Then off to the Garden Party at Mindy's

As always, Mindy did a great job, it was a bit hot, but the food was
good, if not a little sparse by the time I got there (my problem not
hers).

Thanks Mindy!

After Mindy's, Aiko, Michelle, Yvonne and I went to SUSHI at a great
place, on the West side of I-15, it was awesome. We also had a bottle
of wine next door at the pizza place before the Sushi place opened. No
problems anywhere! Ever. Except that Aiko, Yvonne and Michelle picked
up some really ugly looking dude and let him have dinner with them and
dropped him at the airport! (Rick thanks you all)

This was a strange year for me, I didn't party nearly as hard as
previous years and that was really okay with me. I preferred the
quality over quantity approach. Gina just loved being Gina for the few
days that I got to, and best of all my wife knew about it in advance. I
think that made for a much more relaxed Gina. The great depression that
always seems to accompany the "return to reality" was greatly softened
by going to dinner with my friends even in boy-mode.

Opportunities for next year:

We will have a 4x4 trip in the Hummer and any other vehicles that the
girls can muster up, and in either a DLV sanctioned or not, a shooting
expedition to a local range. I'll be in charge of those two items,
along with Charles Bar and anything else that we need help on.

I sure loved seeing all of you, I was right there is no way I would have
made it another year without seeing you. I truly missed seeing several,
Monique, Leeanna, Tina, and a few others, I hope you can make it next
year. It's like part of my heart is missing without my yearly fix of all
of my DLV friends!

Love always,
Gina

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(This posting was entered by Gina Richards, an external user of MyDLV.)