Christmas in LV

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were relaxing, fun days for us in LV.

Christmas Eve was spent watching some classic Christmas movies at TCM and Lifetime networks while nibbling cheese, crackers, veggies, chicken salad and other tasty treats that I picked up at the local Albertson's market.

Christmas Day we made the 30-minute drive to the Strip to visit the Bellagio Conservatory, a holiday tradition for Helen and I when we are in LV. It's always a stunning exhibit and this year was no exception! We got to the Bellagio about 1:30 and spent at least a half hour looking for a parking spot. We did loop after loop through the parking lot until we finally snagged a spot. Apparently LOT of other folks like to visit Bellagio on Christmas!

We took the elevator down from the roof level parking spot and joined the throngs checking out the conservatory. The highlight of the exhibit is a HUGE tree decorated with oversized bulbs and lights. But the other highlight was the elbow-to-elbow crowd that was there. Navigating Helen's wheelchair through the crowd was a challenge, but we had no major disasters.

After about 30 minutes, we decided to head to Venetian for our traditional Christmas Dinner at Grand Lux Café. There was no wait at the GLC and we got seated quickly at a table. Like Bellagio, the place was jammed. We mentioned it to our server, who noted that Breakfast had been even worse!
Helen ordered Fettucini Alfred with chicken and I opted for Sunday Night Pasta, which is spaghetti smothered in a very thick three-meat sauce of beef, lamb and veal. Ohhhh, it's good!!

After dinner we walked through Venetian and its sister casino, Palazzo, looking at the Christmas decorations. During the stroll we visited a shop that featured stones and fossils. Helen found a bracelet she really liked, so I bought it for her. It wasn't too long  before we both decided to head back to the apartment. On the drive home, Helen returned phone calls to Scott and brother in law Larry Shields. Both had really nice Christmas Days.

No gambling adventures to relate. I didn't play at all on Christmas, but will get back in action today with a visit to either Red Rock or Suncoast as our LV adventure continues...

Yep, Tuesday was a GREAT Day

Helen had a 9 a.m. appointment with an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Rosen. It's about 30-40 minutes away at a clinic we had been to once before. So by 8:15 we were out the door to see the ortho doc who was going to examine Helen's most recent X-rays and give us an update.

To complicate matters, I took a wrong turn and we arrived a few minutes after 9, but it was no problem. After waiting a few minutes, we got to see Dr. Rosen who looked at the x-ray and said Helen's leg is healing just fine. He saw NO Displacement of the break and thinks she can get out of the cast in three weeks when we seem him again on Jan. 13. GREAT NEWS and it made our day!!

We got home about 11 and I made us some lunch and checked my emails. I heard from Lisa Jensen, the editor of Michigan BLUE magazine who I wrote an article for back in September. She told me I'd be getting a check at the end of December, so I've been keeping an eye on the mailbox. But yesterday she tells me I need to fill out a tax form and fax it back to them in order to be paid for a story that I delivered more that THREE MONTHS ago!

One of my main complaints about the freelance life is low and late payments. There's no good reason that this paperwork could not have been done long, long ago. Why am I finding out now that I still need to comply to the company's rules? This is SO unprofessional. It's very disappointing and makes me wonder if it's even worth writing for this client again.

OK, rant over...

After lunch, I headed over to Red Rock to test the blackjack waters and make a fb Bowl Game bet. I sat at a bj table and had a really nice run. My 18s and 19s were besting the dealer's 17s and things went really well. In about an hour I was up $475 and decided to take a break and check out the odds at the sports book.

I ended up playing a $20 teaser with Northern Illinois, Navy and Central Michigan. Then I decided to stop at the Suncoast and try my luck there. I sat at a bj table with two other guys and for the first 30 minutes it was up-and-down. Then one of the guys left and the table abruptly changed. For about 30 minutes it was all Up-And-Up. At one point, I hit two blackjacks in three hands. My double downs were connecting and the dealer was busting like a cheap belt on a fat boy... I ended up walking with a profit of $274. Between the two sessions, I scored $749 in blackjack, minus the $20 football bet that died when Northern Illinois got manhandled by Marshall.

On the way home, I stopped at Del Taco and picked up some steak tacos for dinner. I had some homemade guacamole that I made and plated the tacos up with some guac and chips for a tasty Mexican treat. We watched some TV then it was off to sleep...

Not sure what today will hold, but our LV adventure continues.

Some Good News, Maybe

Helen was awakened this morning at about 6:30 a.m. by a phone call from her doc's office in TC. The nurse there, Katie, left a message that Priority Health has agreed to cover Helen's care at an ortho doc here in LV.

But the doc they agreed to work with - Dr. Kim - has declined to care for Helen because he's a shoulder specialist. So we need to find a LV ortho doc who specializes in ankles/feet and we assume Priority will step up and cover part of the cost once we find the right specialist. Of course, the holiday season makes that search more difficult, but Helen is relentlessly working the phones and online today to find a doc who will see her.

Yesterday was an interesting day. I had a winning hoops/football ticket to cash, so I went to Red Rock about 9 a.m. to cash it and get some action on the NFL games, which begin a 10 a.m. here. Then I returned home and watched the early games with Helen.

During halftime, I went to the local Albertson's market and loaded up on $70 worth of groceries and snacks. The place has a heated Wings Bar, featuring six different types of chicken wings. I had to try some of them and I was not disappointed. Veggies, cheese, crackers and Arizona Ice Teas also filled the shopping cart. They had our Folger's coffee on sale for $5.99, so I grabbed a pair of them. That ought to keep us caffeinated for a while! Then back home to watch the 2nd half of the early games.

I ended up winning two of three tickets, cashing them for $215, a profit of $170. So about 5 p.m. I rolled back to Red Rock to cash the tickets and play a bit of blackjack. I joined a Pair Square table and was up and down for an hour or so. Then a woman in her 50s joined the table, buying in for $500. She began betting $25 to $75 a hand and playing the Pair Square for $15to $20. She got on a roll and within 5 minutes she hit two SUITED pairs (which pay 25-1) with a $20 bet for a win of $500.  She played it smart and within about 30 minutes she cashed out for $2,000 - a $1,500 win.

After two hours of playing, I left down $32. So between fb and bj, my profit for the day was $138, not too bad.

We're not sure what today will bring. I need to get to the Middle Eastern Market and get some fresh pita bread. And Helen has a prescription at WalMart that I need to pick up. And so, our LV adventure continues...

The News Isn't Good

Time to catch up after a few days of silence.

We've spent the past few days dealing with Helen's broken ankle. There was disappointing news on Wednesday when Helen got a call from a radiologist who viewed her xrays and said there is an apparent misalignment with her broken bones. Now we have to find an orthopedic doc to check it out. Helen got a referral from her primary doc in TC to an ortho doc out here, but the ortho guy REFUSED to see Helen. What a jerk! So now we're trying to find another ortho doc to look at her. She'll be working on that on Monday. With the holidays looming, I hope she can find someone who can care for her immediately.

Meanwhile, she's enduring a lot of pain and discomfort. Everyday practices like getting dressed, going to the bathroom and even watching TV are difficult. She has to keep her leg elevated to reduce swelling, so she sits with the ankle propped on a pile of pillows. Not comfortable, but necessary.

I am able to get away for an hour or two each day and Helen sends me out to try to win some $$$$$ to cover her medical bills, which are mounting. I also visit the Walmart Pharmacy a couple times a week to get her painkillers.

So on Thursday I went to Red Rock to play blackjack. It started out poorly, so I switched plans and drove to Suncoast, thinking a change of scene might also change my luck. I was right! I sat down at a bj game that has an added side bet. If you get a pair on the first two cards, it pays 10-1 and a suited pair pays 25-1. So I would play a $10 bet, along with $5 on the pair square. I was doing OK and then hit a 3-hand streak where I hit QQ suited ($125), 4-4($50) and K-K suited ($125) for $300! That pretty much made the day and I walked with $475.

On Friday, I finished up writing a couple of stories - one on the dry cleaners who keep Traverse City's police uniforms looking spiffy and another on a family that has been in the banking business for 158years - FIVE generations.

Then I headed right back to Suncoast, hoping to repeat that BJ success. It started slow and went downhill. The pairs didn't come as fast and furious as the day before. It was up, down, up, down, up, up... After two hours, though, I did grind out a $50 profit before heading home about 3:30 pm.

Helen and I watched TV and I made us a "breakfast for dinner" meal of Cheese Omelets and corned beef hash. More TV and it was off to bed. But today the LV adventure continues...

Cast On, Let the Healing Begin!

Yesterday Helen and I went to the orthopedic surgeon to have a cast put on her broken ankle.

It was an interesting, not that pleasant, experience, but the cast is on and that's the important part. The whole process took about two hours, filling out paperwork and waiting, waiting, waiting to finally see the doctor, Steven Sanders. He was an arrogant jerk and didn't really do anything for Helen. An assistant, Edward, actually applied the cast and was the friendliest person we encountered during the process.

While waiting in the lobby, another patient came in and wanted to see Dr. Sanders about scheduling a surgery. Everyone in the lobby could overhear the exchange when the guy, who had an appointment, asked to talk to the doc. One of the female staffers said he would have to pay the $45 co-pay just to see the doc and schedule the surgery. "We're a FOR PROFIT office," she said. That spoke volumes about their priorities and their interest in patient care.

The guy loudly refused to pay just to set up his surgery and he stormed out. A few minutes later he returned and demanded his x-rays, apparently heading off for a new ortho surgeon.

We paid our $45 co-pay and finally got to see Dr. Sanders. He was arrogant and curt. No bedside manner at all.

Helen and I were aware that our insurance will not cover the cost of this. But the staff was not used to dealing with our Priority Health policy and let us go with just the $45 co-pay. Eventually we'll have to cover the cost, but at least we got the cast on. Helen has to go back in a week and they'll probably hit us with a whopping bill at that time. By then, I hope to receive some money coming in...

To celebrate the casting, Helen wanted some Mexican fastfood from Del Taco. She opted for two steak tacos, while I had a chicken quesadilla and one steak taco. And today, I need to go get another painkiller prescription for her and pick up some groceries. So our LV adventure continues...

It's Official: Helen Breaks an Ankle

We got confirmation Sunday that Helen broke her ankle when she fell Saturday night in the bathroom.

After a restless Saturday night, we loaded Helen into the car and drove to Mountain View Hospital's Emergency Room. When we go there, we had trouble getting her out of the car and into the wheelchair and she slipped down to the parking pavement. There was no one else around to help, so I had to hoist her into the chair, straining my right leg in the process. Getting old is, well, getting old!

Finally got her into the ER check-in and they did a great job of processing her and taking her back to get X-rays while I waited in the lobby. After about an hour they came and got me to join her in her private ER room. The doctor soon came in and explained that she broke both her fibula and tibia down near her ankle. Healing time an estimated 6 to 8 weeks. A nurse wrapped it in a soft case and we were out of there in about two hours.

Helen needs to follow up with an orthopedic doc today to see about getting a hard case on her leg. It's not the way we planned to start our LV Adventures, but life sometimes puts these little bumps in our path. As we were leaving the hospital there was a handful of folks standing outside weeping and looking very sad. I couldn't help but think that our situation pales in comparison with the tragedy they were facing.

As I write this, Helen is still asleep. Even with the soft wrap that stabilizes her leg, it's not easy for her to get around. Things like climbing into bed and using the toilet are major, major logistical problems. And getting in and out of the car is like climbing a mountain!

Needless to same, gambling adventures will be on hold until we can get this broken ankle situation under control. I dare not leave her in this condition...

Helen Hits The Strip

Saturday saw Helen's first visit to the bright lights and crowded sidewalks that ARE the Las Vegas Strip.

Early in the day I made a quick trip to the Suncoast to cash a ticket on Northern Illinois that paid me $50. I also ran a couple of errands, mailing some things and got back home around noon. We had some lunch, then made the 30-minute drive to the Strip. I wanted Helen to see some of the new places there and she was eager to check them out.

We parked at the Venetian, one of her favorite hotel/casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard. Our first stop was the Canal Shops and watching one of the singing gondoliers belt out "O Solo Mio." Then we checked out a glass shop, one of Helen's favorites. It features an amazing assortment of blown glass with correspondingly amazing price tags. The place also has a wide assortment of Italian masks that are pretty impressive.

Then we hit the casino for a while, just checking out the action and visiting the sports book. I had a live teaser bet with Missouri, Ohio State and Kansas State. The Missouri-Alabama game was on and we kept checking on it. After keeping it close for a while, Missouri choked in the second half and I lost that investment. The only gambling we did was at a 25-cent video blackjack game. I put in $20 and cashed out at $20.25 after about 20 minutes of play. I took the QUARTER profit and walked.

About 4 or so we decided to get something to eat at the Grand Lux Café, one of our favorite eateries in all of Vegas. I've eaten here probably 20 times over the years and never had a bad meal. We got immediate seating and both decided to eat light. Helen chose the Asian Chicken Salad, while I went for the Chicken Avocado Salad. Both were fresh and tasty with light, flavorful dressings.

Then we left the Venetian for the long walk south toward the Cromwell, formerly the Barbary Coast and Bill's Gambling Hall. With Helen in her wheelchair, we checked out Harrah's then rolled through the LINQ, formerly Imperial Palace, then through the new Margaritaville Casino which links the Jimmy-Buffett-themed Café to the Flamingo. I showed her the new shopping area where the Ghiradelli Chocolate Shop entices us. Earlier in the week I had stopped in there to pick up a 85-count assortment of chocolate treats.

Eventually we made it to Cromwell where Helen was impressed with the place's red chandelier's and overall vibe. The only problem is that the place lacks a highly visible handicapped entrance. There's a lone door on the side of the place that accommodates wheelchairs. The two entrances from The Strip both feature steps that make wheelchair entrance virtually impossible. Would it really have been so difficult to add at least one ramp to one of those two entrances? C'mon Cromwell, get with it!

After a while we retraced our steps, heading back north toward the Venetian. The only highlight was when a "character" of Bert (of Bert & Ernie fame) tried to approach Helen. She has an aversion to all those type of big-headed, goofy mascots and characters and didn't react favorably.

Eventually we made our way to the car and headed home. Traffic leaving the Venetian was bumper-to-bumper and it took 20 minutes just to get out on Las Vegas Blvd. I drove us north, then west on Sahara. We got home about 7 or so. It seemed like a quiet end to our day, but Helen fell in the bathroom and sprained her ankle. She was in real pain and we iced it down, but it still swelled up and turned bluish. She had a rough night trying to sleep and we're laying low at home today. If she's not feeling better tomorrow, we may have to take her to a clinic or hospital.

So our Adventure continues...

Helen's Birthday Dinner

At long last we celebrated Helen's Birthday with a dinner at one of her very favorite restaurants - Cheesecake Factory.

Monday was her birthday, but between getting the apartment in shape and just not feeling that great, we've delayed the Special Dinner until Thursday. We made the 10 minute drive to the CF arriving about 6 or so. The parking lot was jammed, but we were able to get seated immediately. We were both hungry, but had to practice restraint because we knew we wanted to savor dessert at the end of this meal.

Helen opted for one of her favorites, a Southwest Chicken Salad, while I enjoyed a Cajun Chicken Pasta dish. Both were excellent and we did save room for dessert. We shared a healthy slab of Turtle Cheesecake with some decaf coffee. A great way to top off a great meal.

Earlier in the day, I went down to the Strip to check out some of the new places and some of the changes to landmark casinos. While I was out and about, Helen oversaw the installation of a handicap bar in one of our bathrooms. That went smoothly and the apartment maintenance guys were friendly and helpful.

I parked at Bally's about 10a.m. and walked over to The Cromwell, a 188-room boutique hotel on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo. This building once housed The Barbary Coast and later Bill's Gambling Hall. Those were casual, low-roller joints, but the Cromwell is exactly the opposite. It's a swanky, modern casino with an upscale vibe. Hard to believe that this place once hosted daily performances by Big Elvis, the 500-pound impersonator of The King.

Anyway, I played a bit of blackjack and was up a bit before changing tables. I ended up playing with a dealer from Livonia. Katina ("Like the hurricane, without the R", she explained) moved out here a few years ago to be near her retired parents. We shared Michigan stories and I explained our Snowbird plans. Katina told me she actually works two full-time dealer jobs to make ends meet. She deals at The Cromwell from 4 a.m. til noon, then heads home to sleep before going to her second job at the Ramparts Casino in northwest Las Vegas where she deals from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. Katrina said she has kept up this schedule for two years now. Her husband works on and off in security and she's basically the breadwinner. They have a daughter at UNLV and another in high school.

Oh yeah and I won $220 before heading out to stroll the Strip.

I walked north checking out the remodeled Flamingo and the Linq, formerly the Imperial Palace. At the Flamingo I got a look at the Margaritaville Casino, a handful of tables and machines that filled up the hallway that runs between the Flamingo and the Margaritaville Restaurant. Around noon it was dead there. At the Linq I bought a $25 sports bet ticket for my friend Gary. If the Wings win the Stanley Cup, he'll pocket $625.

I trekked up to The Venetian, then used the overhead bridge to cross over the road and head south, stopping at The Mirage. I was getting tired and decided to play a little blackjack and enjoy a refreshing glass of orange juice. In about 30 minutes I won $70 and headed back toward Bally's. Lunch was a half of a chicken salad sandwich and water at The Nosh at Ballys.

Then I got in the car and drove to MGM where I wanted to see how they remodeled the place. I had read about how MGM removed the popular Lions Exhibit and replaced it with TAP, a sports pub with a big assortment of beers. In the remodeling, they also relocated the Poker Room and I had to wander around before I found it. After about a 20-minute wait, I was able to get a seat at a $1-2 game. Nothing too exciting here, but I played for almost two hours and lost $15 in the process.

One highlight was a promotion that MGM runs. Every time you get a hand of a flush or better, you fill out a slip that goes in a bin. Every 4 hours they pick winners from the bin and players get from $100 to $500. I hit one flush during the session and had 1 ticket in the 4 pm drawing. The guy to my left had 5 tickets in the bin, but neither of us won anything. They did pull out a name from our table, but they guy had already left the poker room, so they just picked another winner. Right after the drawing, I headed home. For the day I had a nice profit of $275.

If Helen is up to it, we're taking her down to the Strip today. It'll be her first visit and we're thinking of having dinner at the Grand Lux Café in the Venetian. And so, The Adventure continues...



















 

Rockin' at Red Rock

The plan for Wednesday was to visit Red Rock Casino and play some poker and maybe a bit of blackjack. After Helen and I had breakfast, I rolled over there about 9:30 or so. It's a 10 minute drive from our new apt. here at Shadow Hills at the foot of Lone Mountain.

When I arrived, there was a 8-name list for $1-2 no limit, so I added my name to the list and went off to find a blackjack table. Sat down at a game and in about 15 minutes I was up $60, so I took a break and went back to check on the poker room. They had opened up a new table and I got a seat right away. I was seated in the 4th seat from the dealer, right next to a guy from England.

No big hands for awhile, then I looked down at 4-6 of diamonds. I was the big blind, so my $2 was already in the pot and when everyone else just called, I was able to see a cheap flop. To my surprise, the flop came 3-5-7 of different suits. I had flopped a straight!  One guy bet $10 and only one other guy called before it came to me. I just called, not wanting to chase them out with a raise. The turn card was an Ace. Good for me, because anyone with an Ace would like that. The original raiser bet $30 and the other guy folded. I sat and pretended to think about it, before just calling. I put him on a hand like A-K or A-Q. The river card was a harmless 2. The guy bet his last $40 and I called him. He showed his A-Q and I flipped my 4-6 for the winning straight. It was a hefty pot of almost $200.

I had another nice hand when I hit a full house, but the pot was not nearly as large. I also had a winning flush hand.

Overall it was a very good poker experience. We did have a loudmouth guy at the table who was the self-appointed play=by=play announcer. He would analyze very hand, spouting off odds of hitting a hand, explaining how he would have done it, etc. His expertise was fueled by a never-ending supply of Coors Lights and I think a good chunk of his stack went to waitress tips.

Between BJ and poker I won $232 and also bought a $20 money line basketball parlay ticket. That one lost when Wisconsin lost to Duke. The other two legs won - Virginia over Maryland and the Washington Wizards over the Lakers. That 20 would have paid me $35 if it had hit.

Got home about 4:30 and Helen had set up our Luther Tree. It's our Christmas tradition and really brightens up our apartment. I whipped up a dinner of Middle Eastern food - hummus, lebni, pita bread, Kalamata Olives and Greek feta cheese. We watched some hoops and other TV before retiring for the night. Today our LV Adventure continues...

First Strip Trip

Tuesday marked my first trip to the Strip in search of a poker game. From our new apartment, it's about an easy 30 minute drive, part freeway part surface streets. I took Flamingo and parked at Bally's, arriving about 10 a.m. It's the first time I've seen the newly relocated poker room at Bally's and I was able to get into a game immediately.

Played for about 2 hours and frittered away my $100 buy-in. Just wasn't able to get anything going. Won a few hands with J-J and Q-Q. My best hand was a flush, but the pot was less than $15, so it was sort of a wasted opportunity. My final hand epitomizes the day.

I was dealt K-Q, both spades, and bet$10. Every one folded, except one guy at the other end of the table. The flop came K-Q-J, giving me top two pair. The other guy bet $10 and I went all-in, shoving in my last $30. I was leery of the straight possibilities and was hoping he would fold, but he called in a flash. I knew I was in trouble and that he may have had A-10 or 10-9 for the straight. My suspicions were justified when he flipped over 10-9 for the straight. But I still had a chance to win if either the turn or river cards were one of the four Ks or Qs, I would have the full house and take the pot.

No such luck. I was out and took a walk next door to the Paris where I checked out the sports book and eventually played a bit of blackjack, winning about $20 in an hour or so. Got bored and took a walk over to Planet Hollywood where I again visited the sports book and played a little more blackjack, winning another $20.

While I was inside the PH, it started raining outside turning the Strip into a slippery mess. I carefully made my way back to Paris, then scooted inside to walk back to Bally's where I had parked. I was getting a good amount of walking in on this strip trip, even though I only went to 3 casinos. When I got back to the car, I decided to drive north on the Strip, then head west on Sahara where I was going to stop at a Middle East market to pick up dinner.

It was raining steadily and driving was slow. You have to be cautious in Vegas traffic because there are so many distractions that drivers can find confusing. Anyway, I made it to the market where I bought fresh pita bread, lebni, stuffed grape leaves, tabouli, hummus, kalamata olives and a hunk of Geek feta cheese. I was the only guy in the market with about 8-10 women babbling in some language I couldn't place. The market carries not only Middle Eastern foods, but also Eastern European items, such as Armenian, Bulgarian, Polish, Czech and others. Anyway, I never felt so ENGLISH as I waited in the checkout line while all this chattering was going on around me.

I got home about 5;30 and Helen and I enjoyed our dinner. She spent the day unpacking items and putting things in order around the apartment. After dinner we watched some TV until sleep beckoned about 10 or so. A full day on Tuesday and Wednesday the adventure continues...

Future Sports Odds

Went down to The Strip and checked out the future sports bets at Paris, which is a Caesar's Entertainment property. Here are some of the highlights:
Super Bowl Odds
Patriots 3-1
Broncos 7-2
Packers 7-2
Seattle 8-1
Everyone else is double digits, including the Lions at 18-1.

2015 World Series Odds
Dodgers 6-1
Tigers, Angels & Nationals 8-1
Everyone else is double digits, including longshot Houston at 200-1.

2015 Stanley Cup Odds
Blackhawks 4-1
Penguins 7-1
Bruins, Kings & Ducks 8-1
All others are double digits, including the Red Wings at 25-1.

NBA Best Record for the Season
Cavs 3-2
Spurs 3-1
Warriors 6-1
Bulls 7-1
All others are double digits, including the Pistons at a whopping 400-1.

The Eagle Has Landed (in Vegas, Baby)

Well, we're finally here in Las Vegas.

We loaded up the trusty Terrain on Saturday morning at Anna's in Katy, Texas and hit the road about 6:45a.m.. I know it's early, but we had to log 12 hours of driving on this first day. About 6:50 we got a call from Anna, telling us we left a bag. Oops! Luckily we weren't too far away and not on a highway yet, so we did a quick U-turn to pick up the bag, then hit the road again just before 7 a.m.

Early driving was foggy, so I wasn't able to make great time. But after about two hours the fog burnt off and we rolled past San Antonio at about 75 mph, nodding a silent tribute to the Alamo as we scooted west on US-10. Love visiting that old mission...

The driving was uneventful. West Texas is little more than tumbleweed and tumbled down shacks in places. We eventually hit El Paso, a sprawling cowtown where we encountered some road work. We spent the night at a Fairfield Inn in Las Cruces, NM and dined on a huge salad with grilled chicken that I procured at a nearby Uno restaurant.

Sunday morning we got on the road about 6:45 after our complimentary breakfast at the Fairfield. Helen had scrambled eggs & ham with a side of yogurt, while I opted for scrambled eggs with a side of biscuits and gravy. My last carbs for a while...We headed north for Albuequeque and made good time along I-25. It was easy driving with light traffic on a Sunday morning. We easily found our next turn on I-40 and rolled west toward Arizona, passing Grants, NM, Winslow, AZ (insert silent tribute here to "standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona' by the Eagles), Flagstaff and finally, Kingman, where we jump on US-93 and head north. For trivia fans, Kingman is the birthplace of Andy Devine, a character actor from the '50s and '60s. Kingman's city officials were so proud they named a street after him.

It's only about 95 miles from Kingman to LV and we made good time, rolling into LV about 5:30 p.m.  It was dark when we hit town and coming in there's a spot where the whole Vegas valley is spread out before you and the lights are amazing. You can easily pick out the shimmering Strip hotels, noticeably the Stratosphere, the Luxor and MGM. Of course, I was behind the wheel and had to pay SOME attention to the rush hour traffic, but Helen was able to soak in the sights.

We were both curious about the apartment complex we were going to stay at, so we decided to drive by and check out Shadow Hills. WOW - it's very nice. And nestled at the foot of the mountains gives it a VERY scenic view. Then we headed to the Suncoast where I had a reservation for a handicapped room waiting for us at the very reasonable price of $72.

Checking in was smooth, but the woman at the counter explained that the hotel was full, so would we be OK with a COMPLIMENTARY handicapped Penthouse Suite on the 10th floor? I didn't hesitate too long before taking that deal!

We made our way up to the suite and both of us were stunned when we opened the sturdy door. It was a two-bedroom, two-bath beauty that features a kitchen-bar area, a living room and SIX Televisions. There were TVs in each bedroom, the living room, the bar and in EACH BATHROOM!
And the view from the 10th floor was spectacular. We could clearly see the Strip, some 10 miles away.

After a bit, we headed down to get some dinner at the Suncoast's casual eatery. Helen had a Chinese grilled chicken salad, while I enjoyed a Cobb salad. Service was really slow, so much so that a couple at a table next to us complained to the mgr and was still complaining when we paid and left. Helen wanted to rest a bit, but she encouraged me to play some blackjack. It was about 8 p.m. and I agreed to play until 9:30 or so. I took her back to our suite, then headed down to the tables for my first Vegas session.

I quickly found a blackjack table that featured two-deck pitch, a game in which the dealer tosses cards at the player who is allowed to use one hand to hold them. Unlike other BJ games where the dealer places cards face up, in Pitch the cards are held in the players hand and other players cannot see them until the hand is over. Anyway, I enjoy Pitch and bought in for $100. It was a $10 minimum bet table and I won 4 of the first 6 hands, so got up a bit. Slowly I increased my profit until I was up $75 or so. A nice $15 blackjack and another win put me at $102 profit and I decided to take the profit at the end of the shoe.

But before that could happen, I got dealt a pair of 7s and the dealer had a 6 showing. So I split the 7s with a $10 bet on each, then I got a 3 on the first 7 and doubled down catching a King for a nice 20. The second 7 caught a 4 and I doubled down there. But on that one I caught an Ace for a total of 12.
Meanwhile, the dealer showed a 9 hole card for a 16 and slapped a fat 8 on there, giving me a $40 win. It was time for her to shuffle up and time for me to walk with a nice $142profit in my first session!

Monday morning we had breakfast at the Suncoast. Knowing we would be busy getting into the apartment and setting it up, we ate more than we usually would. I had a ham & cheese omelet with hash browns and rye toast. Helen enjoyed a breakfast burrito with hash browns. Hot coffee topped off a nice meal, then it was over to Shadow Hills to get checked it. We met with Karis, our leasing rep and got the keys. We founded the apartment and I emptied the car of all our traveling gear. Soon I got a call from the movers saying they could help move our items from the storage unit a couple hours earlier than planned, if we were available. That was great and I met them at the unit at 10:30 a,m.

Two hours later they had all our furniture, etc. moved. While I was dealing with that, Helen oversaw visits by the gas company and cable guys. By nightfall we were pretty much settled in. It was a long day of unpacking boxes and getting things in place. Dinner was a pizza from a local joint.

In addition to Move-In Day, it was also Helen's birthday, but she opted to delay the celebratory Cheesecake Factory dinner until another time.

Today, I plan to make my first trip to The Strip and play some poker. Helen insists I go make some money while she straightens up our Vegas home. For both of us, The Adventure continues...