Italy in Vegas

Sonny knew I would be at the strip meeting with some clients today and she asked me to pick up some makeup for her.

There was one place that had what she was looking for and I was going to be nearby (2 miles). Sephora is a super large makeup outlet in the Venetian and it had Sonny's fix. Some special kind of blush and facial cleanser.

Hmmm the place looked like a giant chemistry set and it must have shown on my face because one of the makeup ninjas (they all wear black) jumped to my aid...

"How can I help you sir?"

"I have a list."

"A list? ha ha ha he he he"

":-P yes a list"

"What are you looking for"

"I need x and I am also looking for y" (don't expect me to remember as it is like a foreign language)

"Ok see that woman in black?"

"They are all in black."

"That woman with black hair in black?" (now we have eliminated half of them :-P)

"That one?" I point.

"Yes talk to her and she will help you find y. Then walk down 10 rows take a left then and immediate right and then look on your left... I mean right."

I begin to think that this is some strategy to confound straight men. Any way, after waiting 5 minutes for the expert in product y... who was applying makeup to two very stern looking Chinese woman who's glances warned me off any question asking interruption... I finally got the blush Sonny wanted... then down the isle... left, right, left, right... there it was. I knew I should have gotten more excellents in my "listens to and follows directions" line on my elementary school report cards... instead of those damn U's for unsatisfactory.

$75 for 2 blushes the size of a carmax container and bottle of facial cleaner! Holy smokes... I don't think I spend that much a year on Speedstick and Lever 2000.

Well, after I had braved the women in black it was of through the Venetian to get back to the parking lot. Of course as my friend and fellow blogger suggested I carry my camera everywhere. And so I took some shots.

They had this hall decorated with banners for their Guggenheim exhibit on Russia... Nice hall.

This is a view from the front of the Venetian looking at the Mirage and if you turn around you see...

Notice the Tao banners... hmm Tao, Guggenheim... maybe this should be called NY,NY. Tao just opened recently here in Vegas and from what I understand it has been doing very well... I took a shot of the entranceway to Tao... notice the concrete containers on either side of the entrance hall? They are filled with water and rose petals...

Then it was back out toward the car and I took this shot from the high balcony overlooking the main Venetian square... the gondoleers actually sing while they steer you through the canals.

On the way out I noticed something else interesting. The walkalators going into the casino were working... the ones leaving?? Not working... gamblers glide in... but they walk out. Notice the man on the left with knee bent leaving the casino and obviously walking... the man and woman on the right are gliding comfortably toward the tables and one armed bandits...