The Day After the Teddy Bear Wedding

The morning after the Teddy Bear wedding the sun came up after we ate breakfast. It was a cold day in November. We had stopped in a local dinner for a hearty breakfast and were heading North to the Toledo Airport. Back in 1999 you could still book a non stop flight on a charter to Las Vegas for very little money. We had a package including a room at the Imperial Palace. Through the generosity of our many friends we had enough cash to pay for the extras, I even had a wee bit of mad money to play a little Black Jack.

The Queen Goddess had only flown to Germany to see her son in the military so was wide eyed at the flight. The four hour flight was uneventful with the exception of a wee bit of turbulence. We arrived at Las Vegas ten minuets before we left Toledo. The limo service took us to the Imperial Palace with only a few stops before we departed. The lights and sounds of the casino at the Imperial Palace were hypnotic.

We first needed a plan to get the most out of our adventure. The Queen Goddess had Liberace's Museum first on her list. This is not your typical museum. Of course with the King of Bling nothing ever was. There was a variety musical show that intrigued me. The name was in French and it had been on the Las Vegas strip for many years. We managed to get good seats near the front at the late show. I can't remember the name of the show but I do remember laughter, good music and topless ladies with feather headdress. The cab ride back to the Imperial Palace was $35 plus tip. In 1999 that was a day's wages for the Queen Goddess.

Breakfast was always at the Imperial Palace Teahouse. It's a 24 hour a day restaurant with great food, large portions and reasonable prices. Steak and eggs were the feature most days till 9am. Most days we also skipped lunch. Supper was always at the Imperial Palace Emperor's Buffet. This delightful long buffet had it all beef, seafood, chicken, tons of enhancements to meet any tastes or diet. The Dessert buffet was decadent from one end to the other. We both gained 10 pounds in three days.

Our mad money amounted to twenty singles and a roll of quarters. You have heard the old saying lucky at love unlucky at cards. That described our trip to the Imperial Palace Casino. The Queen Goddess wanted to play high roller just once. She stepped up to the roulette wheel, pulled a five dollar bill from her bra and put on red...guess what... black came up.

The one memory that I will never forget and the Queen Goddess wishes she could was our first afternoon in our room at the Imperial Palace. She had bought a sheer red teddy for this night. It was an extra special time till there was a knock at the door. A voice called out "Is everything all right!" I replied "Just wonderful" at the top of my voice. We left the room to get some food and the Maid service was still working. The Queen Goddess whispered to me "Just be quiet and they won't know it was us." as we passed the gals cart I couldn't hold it in anymore I giggled loudly.

Our married life began with a ton of memories. Today I am reminded of something my AA sponsor drove into my head. "When I feel this is worse thing that could happen to a nice guy like me, I am wrong. It is the best thing that could happen, God just hasn't told me His plan yet." If I hadn't gone through that nasty divorce I wouldn't have this happy memory to share... Mizpah ;-}}>