It’s been 25 weeks since I started the weekly gratitude posts at Adversity University. I continue to be astounded over the fact that regardless of how my week went, I always manage to find something to be grateful for.
This week I went to Las Vegas to give a closing keynote presentation for the Michigan-based Risk Management Institute. They sponsored a national conference for hospital CEO’s, nurses, doctors and other health care professionals.
My topic, “Transforming Adversity into Success,” was very well received and for that I am exceedingly grateful.
Since it was my first time there, I booked myself an extra night at my own expense so that I could enjoy a bit of sightseeing.
Let me tell you, it was amazing to see a bunch of people gambling at all hours! I watched with utter fascination dealers who expertly dealt the cards, laid out the chips in neat rows and then took them away in one fell swoop whenever the players lost. People from all walks of life gambled with a mixture of fun and seriousness. For them, there were no shortages of cocktails delivered by shapely, attractive women who seemed to enjoy working there. The entire gambling scene was mesmerizing for this first-time visitor!
Did I gamble, you ask me? Nah. I was content to just watch. Maybe next time.
After the presentation, I went for a swim in one of several pools behind the MGM Grand Hotel. The air was very dry and moderately hot (around the high 80′s), causing my lips to burn and crack at the corners. After I had enough of that, I took a long stroll on the strip, very much looking like a tourist, taking plenty of pictures.
Despite the so-called recession, I was surprised to see a $7 billion construction project taking place on the strip. It was fascinating to watch workers, the size of tiny ants, working several hundred feet above the ground and the cranes do their thing.
Amazing!!
I’m also very thankful that I was reunited with an old friend that I used to fly with when I was living in Michigan. Nick is now a very successful businessman who volunteered to tape my presentation on Tuesday morning. I was so grateful that I treated him to a delicious lunch at famed Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant inside the MGM Grand Hotel. The food was so good that I ended up treating myself to a fabulous Wolfgang Puck steak dinner later that night!
Note: I have several more photos for you but I am having trouble inserting them here so I’ll save them for a new post tomorrow. I’m still learning how to use the photo feature at WordPress so please bear with me. We’ve got some really good ones coming up so stay tuned!
Food for Thought: Have you been to Vegas before? If so, let us know about your experiences!
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6:50 am on April 25th, 2008 1
I love Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant! I went to Vegas with my husband, parents and sisters a few years ago. I didn’t care too much for Vegas– it is not a place I would like to go back to. Give me a place of nature any day!
6:58 am on April 25th, 2008 2
I’ve been to Vegas a couple of times for conferences. I think I like the lights at night the best.
I found Vegas to be quite a bit more seedy than I expected, which gave me the creeps.
It always amazes me to see people playing slot machines like zombie robots. We’ve never even gambled a penny there.
Sheila’s last blog post..Advice for Viewing the Big Island Lava Flow
7:07 am on April 25th, 2008 3
Karen:
My, my, you’re an early bird this morning, aren’t you? Oh that restaurant was divine, let me tell you. I don’t remember enjoying food from a restaurant like that. It wasn’t exactly cheap but who cares when it’s so good like that? I was in food heaven!
Since I have a good friend living there, I might go back for a visit again but not too soon. It was crazy enough as it was – I was shocked to see people gambling AND drinking as early as 7 am! Whoa. But it was fun, really.
Do they have a Wolfgang Puck restaurant in Chicago? If so, I’d love to treat myself to another meal while at SOBCon08.
7:11 am on April 25th, 2008 4
Sheila:
My, my, my you’re an early bird too! I guess you, Karen Putz and I belong to the early bird club at Adversity University.
I loved the lights – you’ll see a couple of photos in a new post today showing you night lights from my 17th floor room and down on the strip.
Yes, I was very surprised to see plenty of people who looked like zombies at the slot machines. They sat there with vacant eyes, cigarettes in their mouths and a cocktail at the ready. They seemed to push or pull with reckless abandon, lost in their own world. That was the impression I got. Lost lives from another world.
9:10 am on April 25th, 2008 5
Stephen,
The last time I was in Vegas was in 1995. Way before any of the more elaborate themed hotels went in. I’d like to go back for the shows. I’d love to see Cirque du Soleil.
There is one place I would love to eat, it’s a newer place at Ceasar’s called Raos – it has a rich history stemming from a restaurant in East Harlem.
Yep, shows and food is what I’d do there.
Lisa Callsen’s last blog post..Family Signing Class – Whitelaw
10:13 am on April 25th, 2008 6
Stephen, glad you enjoyed your trip. I am not much of a gambler. I have not been to Vegas but would love to go for the shows.
I have been to Atlantic City because a friend lived nearby on Brigantine Island. My husband wanted to go to the casinos so our friend took us. My husband insisted that I gamble. He gave me a bunch of nickels which I played until I had none left. We dragged my husband away. He kept winning just enough to not want to stop. That was scary to me.
A few years ago, a small church group went on a bus trip to Tunica, Mississippi to the casinos. I didn’t go to gamble. I went for the visiting with friends on the bus and at the hotels that we stayed at. It was a lot of fun. My best friend and I shared a room, spent time in the pool and hot tub and had a fabulous dinner at two different hotels all in the cost of our trip. I did gamble some that trip and spent most of the $30 I allowed for gambling and actually won $80 on the nickel machines. I had no idea how the machines worked. I asked an employee what the numbers met on the machine. She said that was how much money I was winning. The numbers had already started going down when she came by. I cashed in then and won $80. I quit playing then. I probably would have won about $120 if she had come by sooner. I paid for my entire trip to the casino and made a little profit on that trip. I haven’t been back.
Gambling really does scare me. I don’t like seeing all of those serious zombie gamblers sitting there either.
Have a glorious day.
Patricia – Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker’s last blog post..I Feel Like A Woman
7:24 pm on April 27th, 2008 7
Lisa:
I’m repeating myself here because I’m in the midst of a transition to a new server and my previous comments got lost so I’m repeating myself again.
I’d love to go to the shows the next time I go. I plan to go back sometime and maybe take in the David Copperfield show or perhaps that French circus. That’d be fun!
7:26 pm on April 27th, 2008 8
Patricia:
It’s scary to watch gamblers who are really serious about it. I saw one man over the entire course of the time I was there. He looked very serious, smoked a lot and had plenty of drinks being handed to him. It was fascinating to observe.
The dealers were experts in shuffling the cards, placing the chips and taking them all away when the players lost.
I was surprised they were there gambling at all hours. It was a fascinating trip to say at the least.
11:14 pm on April 27th, 2008 9
Welcome back! Loved the photos and glad you had a great time and reconnecting with a friend on top of having a great speaking engagement. I believe this will yield some more phenomenal results; you’re on a roll now!!!
I was in LV in January for one of David Neagle’s seminars (which was fascinating and life changing). We had a special assignment that required us to go out at night together as a group (each table had to stay together). We really did have fun and connected as a group.
I’m not a gambler at all (I’m my own lottery ticket is my view), but my son did encourage me to just play $20 before I left. With such a flurry of activity and my ambivalence, I never did. However when I was at the airport waiting to leave (where casinos abound) I got the thought that giving the money away would be better than gambling it away. I got the “inner nudge” to do it so I asked for guidance to give it to the right person.
My eye caught three guys talking with an open seat beside them. Two of them were happy and one was very quiet and almost looked withdrawn. I knew he was the one. I struck up a conversation to see if they were on vacation or business and they said it was business travel. I asked how they did and the two “talkers” had broken even. The quiet one just shook his head. He looked as if he did not want to face going home without any money. This was just an assumption on my part, but I told them I didn’t like gambling but my son had encouraged me to at least play $20, but I would rather give the money away.
I asked if he would accept it and he was hesitant. One of the talkers said he would take it, but I said no I think this is the person I’m supposed to give it to.
He seemed amazed that someone would sit down and offer him a $20 bill, but inside it felt like the right thing to do. I gave him the bill and said “may this be the beginning of your newfound prosperity; maybe you’ll get a raise when you get home.” One of his friends said “you don’t know our boss.” I said I don’t but anything is possible, just like getting $20 in the airport on the way home from a stranger. We all laughed and I felt warm inside knowing this was a better use of my $20. (And that’s my Vegas story.)
Sharmaine
9:49 am on April 28th, 2008 10
Sharmaine:
Wow, what a fabulous, riveting Las Vegas story! Amazing. I now wonder what happened to that quiet, withdrawn person? How amazing is that? A stranger coming up and giving money, just like that, without any warning or anything.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
1:47 pm on April 28th, 2008 11
Stephen! I ‘m headed to SOBCon08… YEA!Just booked a flight and registered! See you there.
Michelle Vandepas’s last blog post..Living Your Life’s Purpose with Abundance!
3:51 pm on April 28th, 2008 12
Michelle:
WHAT!?!? That’s fantastic! How awesome is that? Where are you staying? I’m staying at Club Quarters. And I plan to get together with Corrine Edwards at some point while I am there.
I arrive to the Windy City on Thursday and return to Ohio on Tuesday, giving plenty of time to make whatever connections that need to be made.
Congrats on deciding to come! That’s great.