Bag Day and other AC Delights

I'm pretty good at owning up to my mistakes, so here goes: I missed the height of Bag Day. I thought it was an all night thing, but apparently the peak is from mid-afternoon to early evening. By the time I got there, all that was left was a few sad bags on the wall. As Homer would say:


D'oh!

But that's OK. I had an order of very excellent fries and chatted with Steve Chernoksi and his girlfriend, Jen, about everything from the Steve's documentary to why I have no interest in dating another photographer (they were trying to set me up). It's the kind of winding conversations had over beer and fries at the Irish Pub. If you're ever in town, it is an absolute must-stop, bag day or not.

But my day in AC started much earlier than that basket of fries. I got into town late in the afternoon and parked at Caesar's, which is straight in from the Atlantic City Expressway and $5 for however long you're parked there.



Most of the casino is smoke free, but even as I walked through a non-smoking floor, I could still smell it. I don't know how you get decades of smoke out of the walls and carpets.

Then it was through the casino to the Pier at Caesars. My original destination was the brand new LeSportsac store. As I mentioned in my quick post from the Apple Store yesterday, I used a LeSportsac bag while doing research for my book. They're lightweight, water proof and come in a slew of colors. I usually buy mine at Macy's, or order them online. I'd never even been near a LeSportsac store, so I was jazzed to check it out. I wasn't disappointed either:



Cute, eh? (and I so feel like bunnyshop.org today by writing this post). I'm taking it to Arizona with me. It's a perfect match for the dress I'm wearing to my friends' rehearsal dinner. Here's a link to where you can buy it online.

They had the new Stella McCartney line, too. It was pretty, but pricey and not quite "me." The new guys line was there, as well -- the backpack is tempting.

But that wasn't my only shopping coup of the day. I might have gotten a dress for my book launch party:



It's from the Guess? store (here's a direct link). I wasn't going to stop in at first -- their clothes tend to run small and low cut. But another dress caught my eye. The one I bought ended up fitting better and, I think, is more flattering. Even if I don't wear it to the book party, I'm sure I'll be getting use out of it this summer. Cute!

I didn't have much luck at the Atlantic City Outlets, which is where I went after I was done at the Pier -- either I wasn't looking, or I'd already spent more than enough money at the Pier. I did, however, pick up a new pair of running sunglasses at the Totes outlet (which cost more than the dress, but that's another story). The Outlets are going to be open on Easter Sunday if you're in town.

It was a nice day for Boardwalk walking, too, even though it was cold. It was a good way to clear my mind. It was very empty compared to the summer, which is no surprise, especially for a weekday. In a few months, this area will be swarmed with people:



There's always something interesting to look at. I only saw one street performer, though, and he wasn't the best dancer. Still made me smile even if this made me sad:



I can't imagine my dog running away. I have a Jack Russell Terrier, too, which is why this really makes me sad. Here's a close up of the text on the lost post:



A lot of the shops along the Boardwalk were closed, but I managed to grab a slice of pizza before playing $5 of slots at Caesar's. I try to play $5 every time I go, though I still don't get the appeal of slots. I won $27 this time, which isn't bad. I almost cashed out when I was up to $7.25, so I guess it was worth two more plays (I'm such a risk taker, aren't I?). Then I meet up with a friend from college who works for Harrah's (quite a University of Tampa week on the blog). I'd never sat at the 'outside' bar at the Continental. It's not really outside, but separated from the main dining room, and its spot on the third floor of the Pier offers great views of the ocean.

Then it was to the Irish Pub for fries, conversation and bags along the wall. I didn't get home until after midnight, and I'm still tired. That could also be because I feel a cold coming on -- bad timing considering I have to get on a plane tomorrow and look pretty in pink for my friend's wedding. I'm going to do one more quick post this afternoon about a new fun shore website, then I'll be off until after Easter (well, "off" in that I'll be away from the computer, but not "off" in a sitting-by-the-pool sense. Weddings are hard work!)