CrossRoads Blog

So good news and bad news. The bad news, the ‘third annual’ Vegas Bellydance convention was easily the most subdued of all years. The good news, the ‘third annual’ Vegas Bellydance convention trip was easily the most subdued.

Actually it was a great long weekend. While it did not feature some of the comedic value of Belly Dancers rolling on the ground at 4:00 AM in the middle of a casino, nor playing VIP with Bottle Service at an Ultra Lounge as in years past, it was no less enjoyable as we were able to spend a great deal of the trip hangin’ with good friends Misty and Jim (Jimbo, the Jimster, the Jiminator…).

We played nice with the drinking goggles this trip, though not that we didn’t give it a run, nor for the lack of it hanging around (umm.. Misty just suggested she wanted options as she pulled 6 bottles out of her suitcase and put them into the fridge. But for the most part, grading on the Vegas curve we were good little boys and girls (or at least good little boys – you know them belly dancers…).

During the days while the girls were doing that shimmy thing over at their Bellydance classes, me and Jim did the typical Vegas Walkabouts – cruising around the Hotels and Casinos getting some people watching grins and looking at all the crap in the stores that it’s hard to believe anybody buys? Though come to think of it, I did score some really comfortable black leather Drivers at Barney’s and we found a most excellent sushi kinda’ place we really enjoyed called Woo even if the portions were a little high on the artsy and low on the quantity scale.

Being Vegas you know we got in some good eats. Kimberly and I hit up Rao’s again. I needed a redo on the Chicken Cacciatore mmmmm. And you know Payards is across the hall there at Caesars. We did the seafood thing across from our hotel one night, but the best meal of this trip was a Puck’s Trattoria Del Lupo again. We just have never had a bad dish there, they are always on it. That dinner also provided some of the trip’s entertainment as well. The table to the right of us featured one man and about 10 woman. Yep, 10-1 and they all seemed to be playing the smile and giggle notice me game. It took a bot to figure out who the heck it was, but once you saw that trademark clock you knew it was Flavor Flav. Yeah, I guess this is one of his good half decades (seems he does the the 5 year up and 5 year down life). Being husbands of belly dancers, Jim and I could only smile and nod as the woman folk hopped up to partake in the Flav paparazzi moment (like they would miss a chance to get their picture taken… please). I will say though, Flav did a little belly roll thing with the girls that was closer to bellydance than his rap is to rappin’ . Ahhh…. Just 11 months and 28 days until version Quattro!

A few PICS HERE (we didn’t take much this year)