(Side note: I notice that many of my pics from past installments of this series is no longer showing up. I recently had an issue with the photo hosting site I uploaded my pics to (they blocked my account for no good reason and I still haven’t heard back from them), so I moved all my pics to a new site and y’all should see them now!) 

I didn’t expect my Vegas trip to get political. I had already voted prior to my trip, and while I knew I couldn’t escape it  given that my trip occurred the week before Election Day, I thought my trip would involve politics, aside from flipping off all those unsightly Trump ads. I even had my Halloween plans set: go people-watching around the Strip and Fremont Street while dressed as Regina George from Mean Girls. 

Then I found out that thee VP herself Kamala Harris was going to appear at a rally in North Las Vegas. On Halloween. My janky Regina George can wait another year, for I wasn’t going to pass up on a historic opportunity! 

The rally was at some outdoor venue at a North Vegas park, and, prior to this event, the last time I had to stand in a long line for a long time was when I wanted to check out all three of the SF Giants trophies during their trophy tour nine years ago. This rally broke the record for longest AF line I’ve seen in person. The pic above doesn’t do justice; the line looked like it could’ve gone all the way out to the Strip.  

The nerve of this bitch showing up! 😆 He asked the crowd around me if they like his rocket. I told him that it’s too small for me.

I got to the park at 4PM, stood in line for over 2 hours, had a late lunch while standing in line, and finally got in the venue before 6:30PM. Good thing I made a beeline to the port-a-potties first, because the seating area got filled up quickly. I was lucky to get an aisle seat with a good view of the stage (see above). 

The singer of the band Mana. First time hearing of them, and they were very good!

Jennifer Lopez, standing up for what’s right while still looking fab. (And I’m aware that the pic quality is not.) It was my first time seeing her in person. Another first for me was seeing a motorcade, which happened 30 minutes before J-Lo came on. Talk about major! 

And then….

I don’t care if this sounds like hyperbole; I felt like I was a part of history that very moment Kamala arrived on stage. To witness and rally behind the possible first-ever woman president (and a childless woman of color, to boot) is an experience I will savor till I hit the grave. There were no tricks, just treats she served in the form of hopes and promises of a better future for this country. 

By the way, I’m glad I didn’t go in a Halloween costume that night. I wasn’t aware of how cold it gets in the desert, and to wear a miniskirt and thin pink sweater for hours would’ve frozen me (although maybe my shake-and-go blonde wig would’ve kept me a little warm). 

*******

My Vegas trip was supposed to end the first Monday of November. And then I saw this:

I was lucky that my Airbnb hosts allowed me to stay an extra day (and if you knew how much I paid for an extra night, you’d be surprised). And it was off to one more rally on my last full day in Vegas, this time held at the MGM Grand. (By the way, I stayed at that hotel in my very first Vegas trip, back in the Fall of 1994.) 

The view from my seat. The crowd was smaller than the North Vegas one, which kind of surprised me considering who the special guests were that night. I know the VP wouldn’t be there, but we were practically getting a free Xtina concert from it. There were other guests, of course: 

This drummer band from a local high school was fierce! 

I saw this guy at the North Vegas rally, and, since I’m clueless over Nevada politicians, I forgot his name!🤦‍♀️I texted live updates to my blue voter friend back in the Bay Area, and I kept referring to him as Handsome Guy. I mean, I’m not lying here. 

SOFI TUKKER–another new band I was introduced to in these rallies. 

Representative Dina Titus, who proudly declared herself as a “childless cat lady” when she bashed JD Vance months ago, and for that I adore her! 

I also forgot the name of this group, but I’m including them here because their Wicked-inspired performance was amazing! 

The Latin band Los Tigres Del Norte. People were jamming when they came on!

Democratic Senator (?) Jacky Rosen, who I also saw at the North Vegas rally last week. 

And, finally…

OK, the quality of this pic is mid, but I think she’s better shown when rocking the mic. (I can’t embed tweets here for some odd reason.) Those tweets caught fire when I originally posted them–probably the only tweets of mine that went “viral” lol. She wasn’t on stage for long (she only performed “Fighter” and “Beautiful”, then left, sadly), but as a long-time Xtina fan, any show is better than none at all. 

The rally kind of ended after her performance, though some stuck around to watch the live feeds of other rallies around the nation. I ended up leaving and went to M&M World, then rode The Big Apple coaster at New York New York. Gotta have some fun on my last full day in Vegas. Before scaring myself on that coaster, I met a Harris-supporting couple that liked my Hotties For Harris shirt I wore. 

I cannot be the only one who still believes life in America on November 4th was a stark contrast to how life would be on November 5th and after. Coincidentally, I would leave Vegas on Election Day. I was unaware that I would return home and wake up to a different America. I thought about staying in Vegas for one more day (again), in case this country did decide to actually “not go back.” Glad I drove back home, because to wake up to fascist, broligarchy ‘Murica would have ruined my entire trip. It still ruined this year and what was left of our democracy, however. But it cannot ruin the fun times I had in Sin City!