Embarassing Personal Confession to the Internet, Episode 782

I like Las Vegas. I really do. I know that I'm supposed to be all granola and into nature and hippie stuff, and as a result, I'm supposed to hate places like Las Vegas. But I also have an appreciation for the absurd and surreal, and the Las Vegas strip is most certainly both of those.

Last night, taking advantage of the open bar night in one of the hotels, I looked out the window onto a scene of lit up palm trees and pools. Posh bar, posh view. All I could think was, "This is so fucking weird!" Giant fireballs, several story fountains, pirate ships... who comes up with this stuff?

I confess, the first time that I visited to Las Vegas, a bit over a year ago, I expected to end up a nervous, twitchy wreck. Casinos aren't my scene, and as a general principle, I think that desert residents would be well-served by erring on the side of conservative water usage. But my anticipated nervous breakdown never occurred.

This time around, I do find myself truly appreciating the WTF factor of Vegas. It's not where I'd want to live, but it is a decidedly entertaining and surreal place to visit.