Home Sweet Neon

I arrived in Vegas the night of Thursday, March 3 and as I walked down the tarmac, my eyes began to water and I cried over the pure happiness of being home.

It had been an incredibly tense week building up to my trip. My mom and I got a phone call on Friday, February 25th letting us know that my Grandma (aka Beppee) was not doing well. My mom asked, "Should we come now?" and the doctor told us, "Yes." So that night I packed my bags, trying to figure out how I was going to fit everything from a dress for a funeral to sweats to jackets to dresses for Vegas in two bags. But I did, and early Saturday morning I took off from Denver to Pittsburgh. We drove straight to the hospital Saturday afternoon, prepared to say our goodbyes. Luckily, she was coherent enough that she knew that we were there and shed a few tears over us being there with her. But come Sunday and Monday, she was drifting. Monday the hospice people came in and asked us if we told her it was OK to go, that sometimes that helps. We wanted her to be at peace so that is exactly what we did, we told her it was OK to go. And she went. 2 am Tuesday morning. After a viewing on Wednesday and a funeral on Thursday - I needed a trip home more than ever.

Hence the tears.

Thursday night I stayed the night at Lauren's since Pep stayed back to wrap things up in Pittsburgh. We had dinner and she made Mimosas with Blood Orange Juice (TO DIE FOR). We spent the evening catching up and since Payton lives with her now, too, it was a perfect instant hit of home that I needed. Friday brought a much needed trip to Globe Salon and time in the chair with my girl Megs followed by lunch with the old SK+G PR team at Sammy's Woodfired Pizza. Then I headed to Blue Martini to meet Diana for some Pomegranate Martinis over Happy Hour. Went home, spent some time with the family (and Miss Sienna Miller who wouldn't speak to me until Saturday) - then headed back out to meet my girls for dinner at Macayo's before we headed downtown for First Friday festivities. Walking into Mama's was like coming home. I had missed that place SO. And don't even get me started on the smile on my face the entire time at The Get Back. I was outside in a tee-shirt, jeans and a pair of Tom's with a drink in my hand, a dance in my feet and friends all around. Maybe that is why I didn't get home until 4 a.m.

Saturday was lunch and a movie with my parents before meeting Lauren, Scott, Kid Sister and Payton for dinner at Firefly. Holy sweet sangria reunion. It was totally worth the hour wait. We then headed back downtown to catch Del tha Funkee Homosapien. We stopped for drinks first at the Griffin to then find out that the show (at Beauty Bar) was sold out. Hearts were broken. Then a friend of a friend said they could get us in with Del. We just had to meet in the back alley behind the Beauty's trailer park and he would walk us in. We figured it was worth a shot but that shot ended up being watching Del sit in the car "prepping" for the show for an hour before Megs and I decided just to head over to the Griffin and finish the night off there.

Sunday and Monday involved more eating, spending time with the family, catching up with friends (glad we got to squeeze in that happy hour, X!), meeting baby bumps with the Bordinhaos and a very special introduction to Mr. Maximus Alexander - son of Renee and Jay Losey. He is absolutely adorable and was such a gentleman the whole visit. Congrats you guys!

I got back to Denver early yesterday morning, and figure that I will be spending the rest of the week trying to catch up on the lack of sleep I had in Vegas.

Thank you, Vegas, for reminding me that although it was time to go, why you will always be my home sweet neon.