How did you ring in 2002?


Equal opportunity ass-kicker
This year in Vegas there was more money spent on fireworks than ever. At least that's what the papers said. The buses were free from 6 pm till 6 am. I got to the Strip around 7 pm and man, it was crowded. A lot of people were already drunk. Cops and security people idled in small clumps every 30 feet or so. Around 10 o'clock they blocked all the roads so that cars can't get through.

First I went to check on my boss' location right across from the Monte Carlo. It's a tourist agency. I'm the computer expert there. :) Anyways. There's a truck outside and a bunch of guys selling beer. People sitting in the middle of the parking lot, drinking and singing. I walked to the Las Vegas Hilton. It was one of the few places you could get in for free. I'd love to have watched the fireworks from the top of the Stratosphere tower but it was $125 just to get in, so I figured to heck with that.

At the Hilton I went straight to the StarQuest bar that's furnished like the Star Trek set. Surprisingly, nobody ever asked me to show my ID. I pretended to play the machine and got free drinks. :p I started feeling bad and actually did play Black Jack and won ten bucks. I cashed in the tokens and got out just in time for the fireworks.

The Strip was so crowded, there was little place to stand. Everyone was waiting for the fireworks to begin. It was awesome! There was a fake volcano eruption across the street, fountain show at the Caesar's Palace, and fireworks in the sky. It was one of the best fireworks I've ever seen.

I stuck around for awhile and then found a bus stop. The buses were supposed to be free, right? Yeah, that's because they never come! Well, maybe once an hour. It was too cold to sit on the bench and wait, so I ended up walking home. On the way I met this black dude who is a costume designer at the Hilton. He used to work on a couple of TV shows. Including Star Trek. He told me a lot of interesting things. Costume people are the first on the set and the last to leave.

I got a little drunk but on the way home, that took me almost two hours, I completely sobered up. The next day I learned that a big fight broke out outside the tourist agency. :eek: The beer truck got turned over. Chicks were flashing the guys and those who wouldn't flash got their shirts ripped off. Then two gangs went at each other. It got completely nuts. A police helicopter flew over. They told all the nearby store owners to go to the back and then dropped tear gas. I sure as hell am glad I wasn't there. ;)

Btw, in case you tools didn't know, this year is a palindrome. Which means it reads the same both ways. The one before was 1991. And 1881. The next palindrome won't come around for another 110 years, till 2112. So it was a celebration that fit the occasion. I'll save up some money so that next year I can go on top of the Stratosphere tower, or to some other cool place.

Anyways. That was my new year's. How about you? ;)
Dead drunk by 12:00. Missed the ball dropping, and woke up at 3:00 to find I missed the whole thing.
I can't compete.. ;) My life is pathetic.

[ 01-05-2002: Message edited by: SpotcheckBilly ]