Now how’s that for a cryptic topic header? Well you see, the thing is, to quote the late Jimmy Hendrix, “My soul has been psychodelicized.” No, I’m not on drugs. But I have spent the last two days in Vegas. Last night, we saw Phantom, and tonight we saw the Beatles Love.

So what the heck am I doing here? My husband likes the place, and I get some minimal enjoyment in a sick but kitsch sort of way. It’s also a great place to get some perspective. I grew up in New York City and spent nine years in Boston. I’ve been living in Summit County for a bit more than four years. This, combined with over 25 years in the fitness industry means that I spend most of my time around people who are in shape.

Let me tell you something. The next time you feel fat, go to Vegas. The sight of women who weigh about 100 pounds more than I do wearing dresses I would not wear if I was 25 pounds thinner kind of gets me thinking.

Then there’s the smokers. Everybody smokes in Vegas. But my husband got one of these offers you can’t refuse from Hilton Grand Vacations. $95 for a three night stay, if you agree to listen to a sales talk. Of course, we didn’t buy. At $14,095 at 15% rate, as well as $700 to $2,000 monthly maintenance fees, it’s not a great deal, no matter how good they try to make it sound.

But there’s more. It’s a question of ethics. Let’s say that you’re coming to Breckenridge. There are plenty of Breckenridge condo rentals available. In this kind of economy, if you have $1,495 available for a down payment  on a timeshare, wouldn’t it be better to spend that money renting an existing condo. You won’t be making a financial commitment that you’ll regret if your financial situation changes, and you’ll be helping an existing owner maintain their property. Think about it.