I got a package in the mail today with some materials for a new piece of magic I’m very interested in learning. I’ll be taking a look at that later. And speaking of magic, the planning for Marc’s Fabulous Las Vegas Weekend of Magic Ridiculousness in August is making progress. I’ve already got the hotel and plane tickets booked (thank you, Mom and Dad for birthday presents...), and thanks to calling nearly 5 months in advance, I’ve gotten pretty reasonably priced front row center seats for Penn and Teller.

     The next phase is Lance Burton and Mac King. I called the Lance Burton box office at the Monte Carlo hotel where I’m staying about a week ago, and despite my best attempts to work the ol’ Van Bulck charm on the box office girl over the phone, she insisted that the tickets were not on sale yet and to call back in a few weeks. 

     I am going to get good tickets.

     See, I am really proud of the seats I got for Penn and Teller, and I would love to get great seats for Lance Burton. Whether it’s big illusions or close-up stuff, magic is really an art form that I like to see as close as possible. I’m willing to shell out a few extra paycheck dollars once a month if it means slowly accumulating these good magic seats over time until the trip starts in August.  I’d also love to see some close-up at the Monte Carlo while I’m there, and I’m told one of the guys who works for Lance in the parlor / shop / whatever does close-up.   I might have made that up, but I would love to see it if that’s true. 

     Mac King will be the third phase and probably the easiest to get tickets for (and the cheapest – just $24!).  I might be able to even get tickets for his show and Lance Burton's at the same time if my budget permits.  If not, I'll just wait until the following paycheck and grab'em online.  Also, I think he and Penn and Teller will be the easiest to meet-and-greet with after the show, although the inner 13-year-old magic nerd in me would love a photo with Lance Burton.  Even if they’re not all household names, these men are celebrities in my world, and I will stalk them in classic Van Bulck style.

     Look, judge me and mock me as much as you please. I don’t care. I am dead serious here, people. I am going on this Vegas trip to see magic and as much of it as I can. Period. End of story. 

     This is a tailor-made-for-Marc-van-Bulck-and-nobody-else Las Vegas trip, which is part of why I’m going by myself (the other reason being that it’s just too damn expensive). I could just picture somebody else going with me and saying, "Oh, but don't you want to go see this show?" or "Don't you want to do this?"  

     No.  I really don't.  I don’t care about your favorite Cirque du Soleil show. I’m not interested in gambling or strippers (well…). I want to see grown men dressed in silly clothes acting campy and goofy and funny as hell, pulling doves out of their socks, showing off sleight-of-hand, and just generally being kickass at magic.

     Now, that being said, after the Lance Burton and Mac King tickets are secured, I will have some very important planning to do. 

     THE SCHEDULE SO FAR:
     (Updated!)

     THURSDAY
     Evening:  Plane leaves for Las Vegas that evening after work.  Arrive at hotel and crash or roam around and do stuff.

     FRIDAY
     Morning: (Free time)  <--
     Afternoon:  (Free time)  <--
     Evening: (Lance Burton, also possibly close-up parlor magic)

     SATURDAY
     Morning: (Free time)  <--
     3:00 P.M. Mac King comedy magic matinee show
     8:30 P.M.  Penn and Teller

     SUNDAY
     Fly home

     MONDAY
     Extra day off to recover at home before returning to work

     These small windows of free time with arrows pointing to them will be tests of planning, time management, and decisiveness on my part. Las Vegas has a lot of really cool shit to offer, and I will have to decide what I think is the coolest and do that. I have a few ideas, but those plans will probably become more clear as time grows closer. 

     Any suggestions?