Yes, I know in my last post I wrote that I was going to blog every day. But yesterday was pretty much nonstop from early in the morning until … well, early into the next morning, so I hope all two of you potential readers will forgive me for not finding time to tap out a blog post yesterday.

Yesterday was my first full day of orientation at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, where I’m taking over as Manager of Web and Digital Content. I’m pretty pumped about this new role. I’ve long been a fan of The Cosmopolitan (please, don’t call it “the Cosmo”), frequenting its bars, restaurants and music venues (and, of course, the dearly departed P3 Studio) since its opening more than half a decade ago (as well as writing about a lot of its venues). It’s an undeniably cool brand with a lot of new and exciting stuff happening all over the property in the coming months, and although it’s sure to be a lot of work, I’m looking forward to both shaping the internet voice of the resort and taking its content strategy to the next level.

The orientation (or “Immersion,” in Cosmopolitan terms) has been actually quite enjoyable (honestly, just being on that property is enjoyable), and getting to make connections with a diverse range of people has been a big part of that. Working in a corporate environment separates you from what they call “line-level” employees–security agents, cooks, valet runners, guest room attendants, etc.–basically, all the people that guests of a hotel interact with on a daily basis. Although I’ll still be based in an office surrounded by peers in the marketing department, I’ll also be able to stroll the casino, mingle in the employee dining room, and reconnect with folks in other departments I’d otherwise not be able to if I were sequestered off-site in a cubicle somewhere.

That’s another thing: A lot of people would probably dread working on the Las Vegas Strip. I know that Sara didn’t love it when she did–I mean, she loves the resort environment. But not the traffic or parking. However, when I drive west on Harmon toward The Cosmopolitan, flanked by its also-rad neighboring CityCenter properties, I get a bit excited. You can feel the energy of the Strip, even at 9 in the morning. It’s the most “city” vibe I’ve experienced on a commute (I use “commute” liberally here–my house is 4 miles from the resort). I’m sure I’ll get over that at some point (especially getting trapped by special events shutting down the Strip or incoming concert traffic), but for now, it’s something new and different.

Speaking of new and different, the second half of my day yesterday was mostly occupied by attending the opening-day concert at the new T-Mobile Arena featuring The Killers, Wayne Newton and Shamir. After meeting a friend for dinner, Sara and I headed over there and had an excellent concert experience, something we don’t have often these days. It wasn’t just the venue–although it is beautiful, easy to access, filled with more food and beverage options than I’ve ever seen at a stadium, and rocks amazing lighting and sound. It’s that the massive crowd–particularly during The Killers’ set–was fully into the show, singing along, dancing, clapping, but never bored or chatty or distracted (too much) by their phones. That’s rare these days. Even at a Billy Joel concert where the cheapest ticket was $150, people seemed to be fine spending their money talking/shouting over the songs the entire time. But not last night. Last night, the audience was all about the shared experience of officially breaking in a brand-new arena.

Tonight, I have to catch up on a few small things, including some prep work to get the next Pop! Goes the Icon comic, Omega Comics Presents: Calypso, off to the printer in time for its late-April release. Tomorrow, MOONBOOTS plays at the Double Down Saloon with a bunch of touring and local bands, starting about 9:30 p.m. If you’re over 21, don’t mind smelling like an ashtray, and have nothing better to do, you should join us. We’re celebrating the 27th birthday of our lead guitarist, Clyde Barnett. It should be a blast.