Another side of Vegas...

BloggerCon 2006 was so much fun. Vegas is a wild, crazy and beautiful assault upon the senses. The fountain show at the Bellagio, the gondola rides at the Venetian, the lions at MGM, the statue of David in Caesar's... ;-)

But beyond the glitzy shows, the fancy hotels, the wonderful meals and the positively perfect weather, what motivated us to travel to Vegas was the desire to meet people from other parts of the country. People who have become part of our lives. People who have shared our joys our pains and our intimate secrets. People who we call friends, despite the fact we have never met face-to-face.

Until now...

The time proved inadequate and fleeting as I had little time to share with people I'd flown thousands of miles, crossing mountains and time zones, just to meet. I was barely able to speak with Kira and Alex, the perfect couple whose relationship each of us has spent time envying. I did get to spend time with Paige, someone I don't know very well from the site. She proved to be so gracious and friendly, welcoming us to her city and offering herself up as our knowledgeable tour guide. We were absolutely charmed.

Prior to Vegas, I knew Vicki only through my association with the widely-read site, Old Horsetail Snake. I'd recently mourned with her over the death of her mother. I related to her pain, having lost both my parents during the last six years, each one to cancer. Vicki is a practical, no-nonsense woman with a heart of gold and a generous nature that exceeds all expectation. It is no exaggeration to say that I left Las Vegas feeling truly honored to have met and spent time with her.

Tom (Born Fool) contacted us as soon as he landed at the airport and we began hanging out together the very first day. I wish his wife could have joined him on the trip. From what I've heard about "C", I just know we'd have had such a great time. While Paul doesn't begin to comprehend the desire to share intimate details of one's personal life with total strangers on the worldwide web, he understood why I'd call Tom my friend. Tom proved to be every bit the unpretentious, considerate, genuinely kind person I knew he would be. I hope this wild weekend in Sin City is not the last time we meet face-to-face. But even if we're never in the same state again, he will always be my friend.

And Gene...
Hoss was the only blogger I'd spoken with by phone prior to the trip. He doesn't know this (Mandy 1 / Hoss 0), but I have his voice on my answering machine from the first time he called me. I was so pleased that he'd phoned, I never erased the message. Around here, Hoss is the star of the show, the celebrity blogger, the guy everyone knows. I am but a mere peon! Gene has guest posted for me, more than once. He bought and wore a Vegas BloggerCon T-shirt, which I created (as promised) for those making the trip. When he couldn't figure out the T-shirt website, I offered to order the shirt for him and he could just pay me back when we hit Vegas. Instead, he sent me his credit card information! I told him he shouldn't do such things, someone might take advantage and rob him blind! He said that someone might, but it wouldn't be me. I was words on a computer screen, but he trusted me without hesitation. Knowing the character of the people Gene calls friends, I am honored to be considered part of that group. I hope he'll find his way to New England one of these days. I'll call in every favor I can to wrangle up some tickets to a Red Sox game at Fenway! I love you too, Gene.

I'm not sure how much longer I'll continue to post here. I'm doing a bit more freelance writing, working, parenting and trying to balance everything with a truly wonderful relationship with a positively perfect man. But whatever the future holds, there are people out here I'll stay connected to...beyond even those extra special people I just mentioned here. Don't worry Big Dave. If I decide to blog no more, you'll be duly informed, in advance, as I promised.

Here’s to VEGAS, BABY!!!