VIP's hob-knobbed and uttered up sparkling chatter, a dazzling pyrotechnic display electrically-charged the frosty night air as folks ooh-and-aahed on the strip below, and a mob of excited patrons (of which I was one) charged through a make-shift gate at the stroke of midnight to sample the sumptuous spoils of the strip's toniest new upscale Hotel (the Aria).
And, what was the lament heard most last night?
How do I get outta here!
More on that later.
Shortly after I sprinted through the starter's gate (fortunately I left my camera bag and mad-money purse at home or I would have been subject to a search) and trekked on up to the welcome team - I was suddenly met with a lot of hoots & hollers, high-fiving, and thunderous applause from CityCenter staff which took me by surprise.
OMG!
What an adrenalin rush.
Of course, I was one of the first fifty guests to enter the Hotel & Casino, so there would be a lot of fanfare and frenzied hoopla, wouldn't there?
After all, Vegas is a city that reccognizes the importance of such auspicious occasions, and prone to celebrate with wild abandon, when they occur.
I was inclined to get caught up in the moment, too, when a wall of paparazzi turned their cameras on me as I swaggered into the tony lobby near the head of the spirited line.
"We're going to gamble, party, and have fun," I found myself gushing into one lens, as a wild round of cheers and clapping egged me on!
Later, a dude from Canada put it best, when he excitedly chirped,
"We were like celebrities, man."
Indeed!
Within minutes, I was swept up into the heady mainstream and rubbing shoulders with a throng of thrilled guests shifting gears into high-energy party-hearty mode.
When a pretty young waitress sidled up to me to offer a cocktail up, my eyes practically popped out of their sockets.
Her chic black party dress didn't leave much to the imagination.
In fact, as I took a closer look to take note of the details, I suddenly realized I was staring at her near-naked chest only slightly hidden by virtue of an exotic wisp of gauze-like material that was basically see-through.
Dudes, you've got to slip into the Aria just to get an up-close gander at these tempting shapely beauties.
Stunning, poised, approachable.
Notwithstanding the sensual delights that beckoned all around, it was the Aria Casino that truly wowed the first-comers last night.
Within minutes of the doors swinging open wide, I found myself amid a crush of revellers anxious to plug some cold-hard cash into the slots or try their luck at Roulette or Black Jack.
There was no shortage of takers - and they came in all shapes and sizes - believe in.
I spied young couples with babies in tow, single dudes in red-hot flaming skin-tight dress slacks, a posse of stylish males in expensive (dark) tailored suits, a dash of jet-setters who flew in for the night's festivities, and casually-dressed folks in jeans just in for a look-see.
In sum, it appreared, that every strata of society was represented - and likewise - caught up in the hoopla.
At the Gold Lounge (upstairs) a handsome doorman eyed the crowd in search of VIP's, while a smattering of the curious (and a glut of wannabees) tried to crash the gate at the hottest new "in" nightclub on the Vegas scene.
A Lady Gaga chart-topper blared out from inside and triggered an upbeat carefree mood.
Just a hop-and-a-skip away, a shop specializing in Elvis memorabilia, was ringing up sales.
No wonder!
A dozen or so of the T-shirts were beautifully crafted.
I nearly snapped up one etched with sprinkling of mirror images of the King in a gold suit in a cocky stance.
Others, just as eye-catching with fashion appeal, screamed out the nameof Elvis in a blood-red scrawl on an inky-black background.
Management dressed a few mannikens in Elvis signature outfits such as the Black Leather suit he wore in one rebel rouser feature of his heyday, a gold lame ensemble he was famous for having worn, and the white number with a wide belt and huge buckle studded with gems which El wore in his final days around the Vegas scene.
In addition, the nicely-decorated boutique featured a great array of hgh quality books, knick knacks, and the like.
Nothing in this collection was chintzy, but rather, merchandised with a modicum of good taste.
Of course, the Elvis store is running in tandem with the spanking-new Cirque de Soleil show - Viva Elvis - which premieres on the strip in the not-too-distant future, if I am not mistaken..
One fan in the line-up out-front noted that Lisa Marie Presley was at the rehearsals the other night ordering the performers around on stage in a bossy control-freak kind-of-way.
"She's packed on about twenty pounds, too" he chortled, almost as an afterthought.
When I headed back downstairs, the chatter among the guests was now a loud roar!
I found it difficult to communicate over the spirited conversations, on occasion, and found myself a bit hoarse at the end of the night.
At one point, two women tried to put the move on me!
Out-of-the-blue, they strolled right up.
"Hi handsome," the bolder one exclaimed.
We were in the midst of a bit of idle chit-chat about the casino, when the more confident of the two, asked me if I wanted to go for a cocktail.
"We're celebrating her divorce," she quipped.
I joked:
"You're not married to Tiger Woods, are you?"
I chuckled, then begged off with my standard response, when this kind of awkward moment rears its ugly head.
"I'm hooking up with friends in a few moments."
By the way, I couldn't help but notice that the highly-polished slot machine - "Sex and the City" - was drawing quite a few players.
Personally, I was on the look-out for the "Wizard of Oz" video game which I am a bit addicted to.
You get such a warm tingly feeling when the good witch - Glynda - suddenly appears on screen and grants a wish!
All smiles, she often waves her little wand - clicks her heels - then rustles up 300 credits for ecstatic slot-players to play on with.
There were quite a few of the old standards machines to play ((such as Monopoly, Cleopatra, etc), but also a sprinking of new ones to try a hand at.
One one occasion I hit the spin button and won $5.00 - at which point - I decided to pack it in for the night.
Too much free Budweiser makes me sleepy and cranky for my comfy King-size bed.
As I started to head towards the door at 3:30 am the house was still gyrating and strong!
Boy, oh boy, I sure shuddered at the thought of stepping outside into that icy night air; after all, rather than risk a DUI, I sauntered over to the CityCenter shindig on foot.
But, I ended up on a short adventure, exploring the CityCenter grounds just outside the Casino doors.
To my left, it was a Henry Moore sculpture that lured me that way for a moment, then a couple of stunning life-size sculptures inside of Crystals that led me in another.
One unique art work consisted of a half-a-dozen or so tubes in varying lengths - which stood end to end in such a way - that they triggered a topsy-turvy sensation in the observer when viewed from various angles.
The tubes, filled with spritely-colored liquid, featured whirlpools inside that rose and fell without warning (and reminded me of twisters).
Another intriguing piece consisted of tall pencil-like free-standing poles that were not unlike a line of frosty giant-sized icycles existing in their own realm or dimension.
The rich panelled-wood floors were a feast for the eyes, too.
Exotic arrangements of plants and foliage here-and there-broke up the monotony of the mall-like interior of one shopping alley.
But, the night did not start or end without a hitch or two.
As guests were gathering at the front entrance - security guards hustled to and fro - and facilitated a handful of tools at their disposal in a bold-faced effort to effect crowd control.
From one eye-opening moment to the next, the game plan would change without much warning, much to the chagrin of a few out-of-towerns who were freezing and anxious to trapise through the front doors and snatch up a thirst-quenching drink.
For example, one moment guests were instructed to exit one area, go over an overpass, and head up the driveway to form a queue in the paved area normally reserved for vehicles.
A short while later, that scenario was scrapped, and the secuirty team consequently shifted gears.
At one point, everyone perked up a tad when two grunts hauledover a couple of tables draped in black drop cloth.
"Are you serving us food", one joker cried out with glee.
No, they were being angled to create a sort-of chute so that the guests could be properly coralled - not unlike a herd of cows - and pointed in the right direction at the magic moment to ensure there wasn't a stampede.
Then, someone got the bright idea to secure the area a smidgen more, by erecting two more barriers on either side, as well.
At this juncture, the guards started to look like a bunch of idiot keystone cops reminiscent of the old screwball talkies from the 1920's.
However, all through the controlled chaos, the security team remained thoughtful, friendly and patient.
Kudos!
When I finally departed Aria around 3:30 am (feeing the pain today, believe me) I continually ran into lost guests.
'How do I get out of this place," one man cried out to me in exasperation.
Once the long-and-winding road homeward (or Hotel bound) is started, weary stragglers had a series of paths, stairwells, and open-air squares to deal with.
Most had to back-track, ask for directions from night workers who were on duty sweeping up, or suffer through the confusing maze of futuria until they finally saw the light - of the moon - in this instance case.
Personally, I found myself teetering a bit in my designer leather shoes at the end of the night; after all, I usually wear practical sneakers.
Near the front of the CityCenter, I was finally forced to waddle through a small garden, hop a retaining wall, and stride about fifty-feet along an unprotected curb to finally make some headway in the right direction..
On the way, as I was crossing at a light, two ladies in an expensive cadillac parked at a red light spied me crossing.
The driver backed up, rolled down the window, and rasped:
"Honey, where are 'ya off to?"
It was a cliche right out of the movie "Precious".
Yup.
Gave 'em my standard response in awkward moments such as this.
"On may way to hook up with friends"
And if I do, what a delightful conversation we'll have over coffee, in respect to Aria.
Afer all, CityCenter is currently the talk-of-the-town!
Fuel the local economy.
Check it out, eh?
