An old visit to Las Vegas

I took this sweet picture of Ren and Stimpy at peace when Michela and I visited the Stratosphere in Vegas, sometime in the early to mid-1990's. I've visited Vegas about once a year since I was 24. I haven't been there yet this year. There's a new ride at the top of the Stratosphere where you hang over the edge and spin around. Sounds like a great reason to go back soon. :) Woohoo!

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Big 2001 Vacation: Part 5: 11/14/01 Evening

Waikiki
Well, I attempted to snorkel at Waikiki beach. [A]fter a little while, I started to get the hang of it. I saw lots of little fish and hopefully my underwater pictures turn out. It’s a new experience I want to explore again. The waters of Hawaii are warm. Something which I’ve also never experienced before cuz Cali waters are very co[ld].
{Man, my narrative writing skills were in serious decline at that time. Maybe I was writing in hurriedly?}
I spent some time late at the bars tonight. The Irish pub down the way was ok, had a couple of beers there and listened to a good cover band doing a lot of older stuff and the Counting Crows. {I meant to say that the band was also covering the Counting Crows songs. Maybe my writing sucked because I was drunk? lol}.
I spent more time at the bar in my hotel. {Ok, yeah, I was hella drunk. LOL} This older gay guy (a local) had a wonderful conversation with me. {Not THAT drunk. ha ha} It was fun hanging out with the locals for a little while. But now, I have to get up very early tomorrow, for my flight over to Kauai.

Amateurs built the Ark

“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember: Amateurs built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic”
Anyone that says this doesn’t think for themself. For starters, the Ark is part of a myth that couldn’t have possibly happened. The myth describes a god committing the ultimate act of genocide. The Titanic also involved many people dying. What kind of person turns such monstrous events into a trite quip about not being afraid to take chances? This is on par with making jokes about 9/11, D-Day, the attack on Pearl Harbor, or the Indonesian Tsunami.
This isn’t me being sensitive. Often such ridiculous statements are made with conclusionary smugness. This is me seeing that bullshit and attacking it head-on.
Apology to offended readers: If you used that phrase yourself in the past, don’t take my words here personally. This is just a call to people to think about where this stuff comes from before blindly repeating it.

Big 2001 Vacation: Part 4: 11/14/01

Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor's Arizona Memorial and Bowfin Museum were interesting. I've see[n] just about everything there on the Discovery Channel, though seeing the Arizona first hand does make you remember the sacrifices made [by] all [who fought] in WWII. I was most impacted by seeing the Arizona bleed its oil, one drip at a time. They form the occational rainbow colored film on the surface of the water. That, to me, is the greatest reminder of all those who died there.
{I felt that the experience leading up to the visit to the Arizona Memorial was cheezy. First, you are given a number. You wait around for a couple of hours. They finally call your number. You get in line. You are then filed into a theater. You watch a short documentatory on the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the sinking of the Arizona. Then, everyone is herded onto a ferry that takes you to the Memorial that stands over the Arizona. Interviews with vets and battle sounds are piped through the ferry's speakers. I felt this was complete unnecessary. My journal entry referred to how I felt once I reached the Arizona Memorial itself. Everything leading up to that felt like someone was telling me how I should feel once I reach the memorial. As I said, cheezy.}

Big 2001 Vacation: Part 3: 11/13/01

Hawaii [Oahu] Honolulu
Right off the plane, the air was a surprise, but not bad, just humid. {Apparently, my writing skills have improved in the years since I wrote that statement.} The flight itself was pleasant and smooth. I sat next to Julie from the San Francisco area. She told me how she used to love to fly but now had a phobia cuz of one flight to Chicago last year, which was really bad. She’s an ER nurse and related several tales from her job. Some of them included strange thangs guys got there dick stuck in, oh and this one guy with a bullet in his head. {On our Oahu approach , I was amazed at the sight of the Hawaii Island chain from our altitude. I could see island after island to the horizon. Each island appeared to be nothing more than a rock sticking out of the water.}
Tuesday, I spent settling in and doing a bit of exploring around Waikiki. I feel asleep around 8:00pm, woke up at 6:45am Wed. I’m now on Hawaii time for sleep, but still adjusting to different eating times. I’m not hungry and hungry at odd times…my stomach is still on Cali time. I spent some time on Waikiki beach and had dinner at this restaurant at the end of Lewere St. near the beach. It was ok, a coconut chicken plate, but it as a bit dry.
{Wow, I talked about sleep and food. I really had an exciting first day in Hawaii. lol}

Sat. 2005 Birthday Bash!

My belated birthday party (a.k.a., cleaver excuse to get a bunch of my friends together) turned out great. I pretty sure everyone had a good time. Sixteen of us trickled in between 6 and 7 at the Tied House in San Padro Square, Downtown San Jose. A couple of people brought gifts. Totally unnecessary, but very thoughtful. Dinner turned out to be very enjoyable. The food was good that night. I was actually surprised how well everyone was getting along.
I wasn’t the only one celebrating my birthday either. There was three of us that have our birthdays around the same time, so I got to share the embarrassment of being sung too. ::evil grin::
After dinner, I had planned to show up at this place 251 in Downtown Mountain View. Well, the place had a bit of a face lift and name change since the last time I was there, about a month ago. It was a surprise to have to pay a $10 cover, but it was too late to turn back, so we filtered into the Buddha Lounge (the new name). Everyone migrated to the areas that best suited them. Some people took over the sofas, others covered part of one bar, and part of another bar. Some of us took over the small upstairs area. And a few of us got thangs started on the dance floor. I even got hit on by a couple of random girls at one point, which I promptly blow off, of course. :)
Thanks to everyone for making the event so great!