Last week I landed in Las Vegas. This was my fourth time in the city, but it had been a decade since my last stint. Work was paying; it was my second off-site with the start-up I’m at. I got there a few days early and rented a car, a brand new Jeep Compass with 500 miles on the odometer. It was a hell of a trip.
I arrived Saturday night. I stayed at the Mandalay Bay, before later moving to work-provided accommodations.
On Sunday morning, I walked the strip, picked up the car, and headed to Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon West with a teammate and their partner. The Hoover Dam was impressive; but Guano Point took my breath away.
On Monday, the three of us headed to Red Rock Canyon. We found out from a sign on the way that we needed reservations. With a failing cellphone connection, my teammate got the last open slot for us. We bouldered to one of the peaks, getting an inspired view of our surroundings. See if you can spot the rock climbers in the picture below!
That night, we hit up Hell’s Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant. The venue was fairly tacky, with large monitors showing footage of the eponymous show and it was as loud as a cafeteria despite the low number of tables. The Beef Wellington, however, was just about perfect, making it well worth the visit.
From Tuesday to Thursday it was meetings. In there was a team dinner and a trip to Omega Mart; a grocery store that wasn’t quite right. A freezer door, janitor closet, and display camping tent led to an alternate reality that echoed something that Aperture Science might dream up.
On Thursday after work, I hit up the pool, drinking a margarita. I then went to a Penn and Teller show organized by another teammate. It was funny and fresh. On Friday, I toured a bit more of the strip before heading to the airport.
For all the amazing time this was, I do need to talk about the transphobia. It’s not even May and Republicans have already submitted 500 bills in American legislatures in their aim to eradicate trans people. Meanwhile, having the television on the news a few minutes here and there produced the shots below. The effect of this moment is that I avoided using public washrooms, and dreaded interactions with officials.
