NOTE: This is transcribed from my original iphone notes - date 2/14/10
Just as I predicted, the spectacle planned for the evening is downright time-consuming and I keep hoping against hope that it won't wrap up too late. Scott & I would gladly miss the flight and take the next one (and then I could take the proverbial stick out of my *Ahem* and enjoy the show) but Kristen is raring to get home to her other half as close to Valentine's Day as possible & won't consider it. I keep thinking how heartbreaking it would be to leave, only to find out we placed and didn't get to stay for the awards ceremony. The scores are cumulative, so our second place in the preliminaries puts us in pretty good stead...
A 12:30 AM redeye flight seemed like a pretty reasonable idea when I booked it, now we're back to nail-biting yet again as we watch the clock. Eric Clark, a new acquaintance who already feels like a friend, offers us his couch to crash on if need be. Eric is a local & we met when he shared a table with us in the prelims. He also happens to be a make-up artist for Cirque Du Soliel's Zoomanity and oddly, the second person I've met working on that show this year. We're appreciative of the offer, though we can't take him up on it and instead pick his brain for the exact amount of time we'll need to make it from casino to airport in a cab.
At long last (and with about 6 minutes left on our stopwatch) they're ready to announce the winners. Though "Brush & Sponge" was called first all the way through, they do "Airbrush" first, instead. My nails are digging into my seat as I watch our last few precious minutes dwindle away. ARRRRGGGGGHHHH! PLEASE! CALL IT, ALREADY!!! The time runs to zeros and it's now or never. They call 5th place, then 4th, each artist/assistant/model taking the stage to accept the beautiful, custom-designed Raku trophy appropriate to their placement. "In 3rd place, SCOTT FRAY", is the next phrase uttered - YES!!! We leap up and possibly even over the next row in our hurry to get to the stage, Kristen is jerked along as if caught in our slipstream, still painted but bedecked in PJ's in anticipation of the flight.
They called 2nd and 1st place respectively and we grouped together for the official photographs. I tried to smile serenely while my rubbery limbs shook from the adrenaline. As soon as the last shutter snapped, we leaped off the stage, cognizant that staying had cost us about 10 minutes and we had to get into a taxicab ASAP! We grabbed our luggage and hightailed it out of the casino, provoking quite a bit of interest along the way. We sped to the airport wondering what the hell security would make of Kristen. Would we need to duck into a bathroom and wash (at least) her face so you could tell she was the same girl as the picture on her ID? How would a fully bodypainted person be interpreted in the las Vegas airport in our post-911 culture?
Unbelievably, we sailed through check-in with flying colors (pun intended)! The ladies there were all smiles and even congratulated us on the trophy. There HAVE to be stranger things at the Las Vegas airport than our little trio, (likely on a daily basis) but at check-in they were practically blase'. We huffed & puffed toward security... still fearing the worst. Instead, the mostly male crew at that hour was positively CHARMED by our girl. She got an opened bottle of water plus a few other random 'no-no's' that would have gotten anyone else a stern lecture, if not a cavity-search. So much for security.
If THAT weren't impressive enough, allow me to tell you about the plane. Ms. K. led our way onto the aircraft, where instead of being shown her seat, she was promptly shown to THE COCKPIT (Do they still call it that?) and every flight attendant, as well as both pilots, proceeded to make the biggest fuss over her you've ever seen! Scott and I were pulled out of line as well and were duly noted for our accomplishment but Kristen removed her tank top and posed for pictures topless at the controls and I SWEAR they would have let her drive the plane if she had asked!!!
Once seated, I watched Kristen settle in and exchange Facebook info with the tickled flight attendants so that photos could be swapped down the line. If it hadn't been a red-eye flight, I'm sure they would have waited on her hand and foot. I supported the form of the trophy through the carry-on bag securely between my ankles as I tilted back my seat and sighed. What a trip, what a weekend, and my goddess, what a DAY! Beside me, a suspicious snoring noise was emanating from our darkened row...
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