Yes, Michael Phelps spent his weekend in the pool -- in Vegas

Baltimore’s golden boy Michael Phelps was back in the pool over the weekend, but he wasn’t training for the 2012 Olympics, where he’ll try to return home from London with another boatload of gold medals. Instead, he was in a pool full of bikini-clad women for the 2011 season opening of the Encore Beach Club in Las Vegas.

According to The Daily Mail, Phelps was “surrounded by a plethora of women” at the event -- including one with a very fake, um, tan in the first photo -- “while partying up a storm.” He also stopped in the DJ booth and sported a pasty-white look that makes this cubicle-bound blogger look like David Hasselhoff.

Am I writing this post to criticize Phelps? Heck no.

To quote Mr. Braddock from The Graduate, “I think it's a very good thing that a young man -- after he's done some very good work -- should have a chance to relax and enjoy himself, and lie around, and drink beer and so on.” The most decorated athlete in modern Olympic history has earned the right to attend Las Vegas pool parties. I wish my weekends were half as exciting.

The 2012 Summer Games are 15 months away. Until then, party on, Mike.

Just don’t party too hard, OK?