Trip Diary 8-15-06 (12 of 20)
Well, this dang cold has finally gotten the better of me,
and for once I don't feel like doing much of anything. However,
there is a lot I need to take care of before I can go back to the
hotel and get back into bed.
The Nyquil did the trick and I slept well without waking
up. The curtains at Sam's Town are better than most at keeping the
sunlight out. I woke up at 7:30 to a completely dark room thinking
I'd woken up at two in the morning. I enjoyed my coffee and read a
bit, and then headed out.
I drove over to NYNY at around 9:30 AM. Whenever I do
anything on the corner of Tropicana and LV Blvd, I park at NYNY
because, for me, it's the easiest of all the hotels on that corner
to get in and out of and is covered. I made my way through the
casino. There was a time when this hotel was a main stop for me;
however, their mailings stopped when MGM took them over and they
gutted most of their good VP play. I kind of miss the place, but
need to move on.
I walked across the bridge to the MGM and then down the
broken escalator (the fourth one broken I've come across on this
trip). I was heading for the 2 for 1 ticket joint to buy some
tickets to Rick Thomas, who has an afternoon magic show at the
Stardust. I had seen him a couple of times before and think his
show is a great bargain for an afternoon magic show. There's no one
there. It turns out the place doesn't open until 11:00 AM. Fine!
So I have an hour to kill. I'll just hang out at the MGM for awhile.
I'm going to digress a bit here and flame about something.
Between the MGM and the M & M store, there are these street hustlers
working from the souvenir shops along that walkway. I can put up
with the porn-slappers because they just stick out their porn cards
and you can just ignore them and keep walking. However, these
hucksters literally stop in front of couples walking, "Hi! Where ya
from?" and "Hey! I've got something free for you right here, follow
me!" or "Want to see a great show tonight for free?" These guys are
pests and the rarely take no for an answer. Me? I just hold up my
hand and shake my head. But I feel for the younger couples, who are
nice and polite and then get trapped into some sort of sales pitch.
I wish there was something that can be done about these snakes. Oh
well
enough about that.
Okay, so I go into the MGM Grand and buy an over-priced
Starbucks Vanilla Latte, my favorite. I walk around the MGM for a
while strolling by the High Limit room where a lady was being paid
off for a $5.00 DDB VP machine after getting quad 4s with a kicker
($2000.00). Why am I so fascinated when OTHER people hit big
jackpots?
I was making a real effort to not let this cold get the better of
me and to just walk it off, but that just didn't work. I headed
back to the sports book and watched ESPN enjoying my coffee. At a
quarter before eleven, I walked back over to the ticket joint. NOW,
there's a line waiting for it open and as I count, there are no less
than 30 people in line. Forget it!
I walked back over the bridge, back to the car and drove
downtown to the Four Queens where there's another place. That one
is rarely crowded and it wasn't this morning. I walked right up and
bought the tickets (actually, vouchers for the tickets). I notice
the Freemont Experience area is pretty deserted this early. At
night, you have to work your way through crowds of people, but in
the morning, you could jog through the place.
I walked back to the car, which I had parked at Main Street
Station. There was another errand needed to be run. I drove over
to the Stratosphere to see if I could make reservations for them at
the Top of the World restaurant. I needed to check to see if they,
both being only 18, would be a problem. She said no, but that they
were booked most the night. The only opening was at 6:30 PM. Well,
this won't be quite as nice because the sun will still be out, but
it's still a great view regardless. I made the reservations. They
wanted a "special" evening by themselves, and I think once you've
eaten the fine food at the top of the Stratosphere Tower as it makes
a complete 360 degree circle, well
you just don't forget about that
anytime soon.
I then drove over to the Stardust to meet them there to give
them the tickets to the show. They were running late as they had
been driving from NYNY after riding the roller coaster. I handed
them the tickets and gave them directions to the Strat and
instructions on the proper tip to leave and how to handle the
valet. Then I left them to go back to Sam's Town to lay down for
awhile.
Some of you have replied on the board thanking me for taking
care of my students. And I want to acknowledge that and thank for
the wonderful things you've said. You should know that these are
not just two run-of-the-mill students among the hundred or so I
teach each year. Erin was my drama club president this past year,
and she really worked hard for the club. Not only that, but for the
past three years, she sewed costumes, worked as the AD for a
production, worked just about every grunt job you can imagine in
theater, and ran hundreds of errands. She's a total sweetheart, and
I wanted to do something to let her know how much I appreciate all
her hard work. Jeran is the boyfriend and gets a free rideNO! I'm
just kidding. He was my lead actor for the past two years and also
originated and painted some important sets. They're both great
kids, and I wish them well.
So, I'm heading back to Sam's Town to lie down for a bit
taking the back road, Frank Sinatra Dr., when I come to the
underpass of Flamingo Rd. Wait a minute, the Palms is JUST a bit a
way, and Thursday is triple points day, and I did want to take
another crack at the 9/6 JOB 50-play. I can take a nap later. I
drive over there and walk in the building. I recognize the floppy
hat at the end machine. It's Martin. He's trying to catch
lightning too. I sit down and begin to play.
I play for quite awhile amassing over 3000 points, about 250
dealt hands, but alas, again no major hits and no dealt four-to-the-
royal. I ask Martin: How can someone play these many sessions for
such a long time and NOT get dealt four-to-the-royal. He shrugs, I
lose and head out. Martin didn't win much eitherhe's not the
easiest person to talk to when he loses.
I stop at the store to get some cold medicine and another 2-
liter lemonade for the room. Then I get back to Sam's Town. I go up
to my room, but I'm feeling a little better and decide to play just
a little bit. I go to the full pay deuces wild. I play a hand, I
play a second hand and I'm dealt FOUR-TO-THE-ROYAL! Damn it!
Unfortunately, the fifth card is a deuce and proper mathematical
strategy dictates that I hold it and not shoot for the royal. (I'll
tell you what's going to happena bit of fortune telling here: One
day, probably this trip, I'm going to the Palms, and I will finally
get dealt my four-to-the-royal on the 50-play machine. I will
smile, but internally screaming, and slowly hit the re-deal button.
All the 50 hands will unfold, and I will get NOTHING, NADA, ZILCH
not as much as a high pair! You see, I've come to the conclusion
that I am fodder for the VP gods. Someone they can have sport with
the dip-squat who doesn't give upand they'll laugh and they'll
laugh).
Okay, that's out of my system. Anyway, after hitting the
wild royal, I cash out. I walk to the escalator to go upstairs to
play the progressive joker wild machines. The escalator to these
machines is brokengee, what a surprise. I play a twenty to try to
hit the progressive when I get a call from Terry, the guy I was
supposed to meet Sunday at the Silverton, but I couldn't find. He's
back home now and reads my trip reports about Martin and I looking
for him asking people, "Are you Terry?" Well, it turns out we were
supposed to meet on Saturday, not Sunday. He tells me to check the
IMs on the board. I dohe's rightI'm a moronagain.
I apologize to him explaining that I had yet another senior
moment, and we agree that we'll meet up on some future trip. I lose
my twenty in the Joker's Wild. I have a ten spot in my wallet set
aside for the nickel Triple Flaming 7s that are located against the
wall upstairs by the Bingo hall. For the past, I don't know how
many, years, I've always donated ten bucks to these machines in the
hopes of one day hitting the progressive, which is a paltry $75 at
reset. I know it's not much, but it's the principle of the thing.
I've never hit them while time after time; people next to me hit
it. To make matters even worse, you might remember that while
waiting for Martin at the Orleans one morning, I actually hit one
for $56.00. Hitting TWO of these progressives in one week with
small, random play is a bit much.
The VP gods couldn't touch me because THIS is a slot
machine, and, by golly, I hit the Flaming Triple 7s again! The
attendant paid me $77.00. I gave her a five and beamed as if I had
just won Megabucks.
I donated one more twenty to the 10-coin nickel deuces
progressives downstairs, and I finally called it a nightif you call
6:30 PM night. Tomorrow is another moving day, and I need to allow
this cold to go away with medicine and sleep. Jeran calls and tells
me that Erin's mom is going to allow her to miss a day at work; they
can stay another day. I call Main Street Station, where I'm staying
tomorrow, and ask if I can book another room for one night. They
give me a decent deal, and I book it.
It's time for my video poker luck to change. I will appeal
to the VP gods to give me a break and hope tomorrow brings me
deuces, Aces with the kicker, or the regal royal. We'll see.
More tomorrow.