NFL Football in Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada: Please do not feel sad we went all the way to Las Vegas to watch a guy play football and the guy did not play due to injury. But, please feel sad that the Injured Guy's team lost - in one of the biggest blow-outs in NFL history. At least it will always be a game to remember?

As I previously reported, our friends arrived Tuesday evening and we all dined at Javier's Cantina. (I learned through Lisa this is now a six-store chain.) Wednesday we retraced our steps as everyone (else) wanted to see the Bellagio holiday display. So many steps on my pedometer! Wednesday night Mary hosted us to Steve's birthday dinner at Julian Serrano Tapas Bar at the Aria Hotel (which I heard as a topless bar and thought it quite odd Steve would choose to have dinner at a topless bar... let alone choose to drag us with him). Note to self: get hearing checked. Before heading to the 5:15p football game on Thursday, we all dined at Din Tai Fung, the famed Taiwanese soup dumpling restaurant taking over the world. At one point or another in our lives, we had all lived on Taiwan, so had a little trip down memory lane before heading over to the game... and OMG - are their pretty dumplings are divine.

Allegiant Stadium (which will host the Super Bowl in February) is just over I-15 from the end of the Las Vegas Strip (Mandalay Bay Hotel) but about a 2 mile walk. There is bridge from The Strip to the stadium that is cut-off to car traffic on game days, making it easy and safe for walkers. We Übered to the game from the Aria Hotel (figuring we would need to walk back to our hotel), and the stadium has everything efficiently organized for easy drop-off and pick-up for ride-share.

In our green & yellow, Mary and I had so many GO DUCKS shout-outs from strangers at the game. So much fun. I guess they all knew why we were there. And we did see Justin Herbert. He was in shorts and a fleece hoodie on the sidelines during the entire game. After receiving surgery on his right (throwing hand) index finger Monday, his right arm was in a sling and his empty sleeve was hanging to his side.

Before finding our seats, we walked the entire concourse to see what we could see. The field seemed so large, but the concourse seemed quite tight (Just my opinion, but since both team starting QBs were injured, and the game was televised - Thursday Night Football - the stands were not completely full.)

I skipped the donut and went straight for a $29 cocktail. Ridiculous pricing.

The game went from bad to worse. The Raiders scored three times almost immediately - often from Chargers fumbles. Imagine how frustrated Herbert must have been on the sidelines in a sling. Not a fan of the sport, I was still surprised when told we were leaving at half-time. The boys had enough. At least we didn't have to walk back to The Strip in the cold wind - it was easy to snag another Über at half-time. No lines. Cars were waiting.

The final score was 63-21... and it was on TV in the pizza place at our hotel.

Our friends caught their flight back to Portland Friday, and we drove home through the Mohave National Preserve. It is a pretty desert drive, and the route served to avoid a stretch of I-10 past one of the largest outlet malls in America a week before Christmas.

We will all be together again in a few more weeks for Woody's 70th.

Until my next update, I remain, your low-roller correspondent.

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