elvis and vegas, baby! day 4, part 2

Here I was, sitting in my seat for the 3 PM show!
Mister Willie would be so pleased with me.
(smile)
I found it a bit bitter-sweet for this to have been
my last show with these talented men.
Did I dance?
Of course I did!
Did I cry?
Yes, but that came later.

This midafternoon program was the grand finale, the going-out-with-a-bang, thank-you-very-much show to end all shows!
To put an Elvis-sized bow on this incredible weekend of entertainment, the Farewell Concert - Faces of ELVIS - gave us the man and his music throughout his twenty-one year career.
That meant not one ETA, but four of them for that finishing touch!
Dwight Icenhower, Dean Z, Ted Torres, and
Taylor Rodriguez - all took their places on the stage one last time, giving us their heart and soul and memories to last a lifetime - magnificent!
My many thanks to all of them - and the other ETAs - and the Change of Habit tribute band for giving me a 60th birthday gift like none other.
(smile!)
i thank You, God, for this glorious gift of life!

Now, I'm back on The Strip, nestled into my 2-bedroom villa at Polo Towers.
What to do? Go to the Hawaiian Marketplace for a cocktail and free entertainment?
Walk up to Planet Hollywood and explore the shops and shows?
Catch The Deuce up to Fremont Street and find out about that Dome up there?
Oh, so many choices...
but I kept it local, eating at Popeye's at the Showcase Mall, bouncing into M&M's World as a prelude for tomorrow, grocery shopping at ABC Stores and the Walgreen's.
(smile!)

And all was well until I started looking at this photo
I'd taken of me and Victor.
It was right after today's finale.
He and all of the other ETA's had been onstage together,
singing and dancing and kidding around as they performed "Viva Las Vegas" - wow!
Then, justlikethat, the show was over and they would
all be going their separate ways, as would all of us.


Dear Victor had looked a bit forlorn as he'd valiantly
kept his chin up...
but I could see it in his eyes.
I could see it in my eyes.
Just now, as I was looking at this photo, I began to weep,
and cannot seem to stop so I am going to bed now.
I have felt so young and vibrant and desirable
these past four days and three nights -
oh, such lovely nights of dancing! -
and I feel utterly bereft.
Tomorrow will be a new day... but tonight, I miss that me.