Here are a few of the vanity plates I seen around LV in recent days.
Aguilara's in town!
Sorry to have been out of communication for a couple of weeks, but we've had a tough time recently.
I had to take Helen into Mountain View hospital last Saturday when a problem developed with her catheter. Because of COVID rules, I was not allowed to go into the hospital with her, so I waited out in the car for 5-and-a-half hours until she was finished. All is well, though.
While waiting, I got a sad call from my buddy, Nick to let me know that our friend Charlie's wife had passed away on Christmas Day. A retired nurse, Diane was a sweet, compassionate person, a caring soul who will be greatly missed. Nick and Lois, Charlie and Diane, Helen and I shared many fun times, many fun dinners together.
Then yesterday I got a text from Lois that Nick had been hospitalized and was in the ICU at Munson Medical Center. He's battling pneumonia and a problem with a heart valve that he had replaced years ago.
I guess these things happen as we age, but it's still stressful to have friends suffering and being so far from them. We're keeping in touch via text and phone calls and hoping for the best. Plenty of prayers and positive thoughts heading Nick's way.
On the gaming front, things have been going pretty well. For example, since Dec 20 I've only had one losing blackjack session and 7 winning sessions. Haven't played poker since Dec. 17 and no big news there.
I did meet a couple of interesting characters recently. One is "Mickey," a blackjack dealer at the Rampart. Mickey is one of the rare Las Vegas residents who actually grew up here. Most people here are from somewhere else and it's unusual to find one who never left.
Mickey has lots of stories about growing up in Sin City, but one of my favorites was about his first job, as a busboy at the Desert Inn. Before Bellagio, before Aria, before Venetian, the DI was the most elegant, classy joint on the Strip. I played there several times back in the '80s, but never stayed there due to "budget constraints."
Anyway, Mickey says on his first day there he was due for a lunch break and asked his boss where to eat.
"Kid, ya got $2?"
"Sure," said Mickey, pulling two crumpled singles from his pants pocket.
"Gimme those and go back and see Lenny in the kitchen. Tell him I sent ya for lunch."
Mickey went back to the kitchen and found Lenny who told him to stick out his hands.
"He put a huge 8-pound lobster tail on a plate and handed it to me," recalled Mickey with a laugh. "It must have been a $100 meal. At 16, I felt I was in Heaven.."
That was the beginning of Mickey's casino career. He's been dealing BJ at four or five places, now at the Rampart.
Also at the Rampart, I met Ozzie, a Vegas cab driver. We played BJ at a table together and he's an outgoing guy who loves to hear himself talk. He also likes to narrate the BJ game, calling out the cards that everyone needs to beat the dealer. "Need an Ace here," or "Let's have a King Please." Always chatting it up, that's Ozzie.
So when he revealed that he'd been driving a cab for 15 years in Vegas, I couldn't resist.
"Oh really," I answered. "So we have a lot in common. You drive cab and I've ridden in cabs!! Small world, huh?"
That got a big chuckle out of Ozzie, a fun quirky guy who didn't really share any cabby tales, even though I asked more than once.
Las Vegas is one of the Vanity License Plate leaders in the U.S. and I've photographed a few during my limited travels around town. Unlike recent years, I haven't been to the Strip in about a month and limit my outside ventures. Anyway, I have a few plate pics I'll be posting in the next day or two.
And so our adventure continues...
At the Rampart, I picked up a fresh sheet listing the current odds for the Super Bowl and NFL playoffs. Here are some highlights:
SB Odds - Chiefs 3 to 1, Steelers 5 to 1, Saints 6 to 1, Seahawks & Buccs 8 to 1, Packers 10-1.
AFC Title - Chiefs 1.5 to 1, Steelers 1.75 to 1, Ravens 7 to 1, Bills 10 to 1.
NFC Title - Saints 2.25 to 1, Buccaneers 3 to 1, Seahawks 7 to 2, Packers 9 to 2, Rams 8 to 1.
Rampart has also posted NBA WIN TOTALS for the upcoming season.
Bucks 50
Lakers 47.5
Clippers 47
Celtics 46.5
Nets 46
Nuggets, Heat and Sixers 44.5
Jazz 42.5
Raptors 42
Trailblazers 41.5
At the opposite end of the listings are Cavs & Grizzlies at 22, the Knicks & Thunder at 22.5 and the PISTONS at 23.
I'm not an NBA fan, so I won't playing any of these, but they are interesting to see who LV feels is strong this year.
We arrived in LV on Friday the 13th (No worry there, huh?) and checked in to Ballys for two nights. We had an offer for two comped nights in November and two more in December, so that was pretty nice.
In previous trips we were able to use the Diamond Check-in service, but since we haven't been here for two years, I've lost my Diamond Status and am now a lower level gambling peon. Have to work my way back up, but that probably won't happen since I rarely visit the strip and Bally's doesn't open its poker room open until 6 pm on Thursday thru Sundays. That's where, in the past, I was able to rack up the comp points needed for Diamond status.
Our room was in the refurbished Jubilee Tower and quite nice. To stay COVID-safe, we had takeout meals in our room. Here's the view from our room, overlooking Caesars Palace and the High Roller wheel.
On the night we arrived, I wandered down to play blackjack and finished with a $350 profit. The next day I took the same tables for another $120. And on Sunday, our departure day, I posted a third winning session of $425. So Ballys gave us two free nights lodging and $895. How DO these guys stay in business? Ha!
On Sunday we relocated to the Red Rock Hotel and Casino in Sumerlin, near our apartment complex. We were picking up the apt. keys on Monday, but not moving in until Tuesday because the movers were not available til then. So we spent two nights at Red Rock in a VERY nice room. We had a special offer of $179 for the two nights and it included a $50 dining voucher that we used for our in-room dinner on Monday. Helen had Southwest Chicken Salad, while I opted for a Cobb Salad. And we each had a hefty slab of cheesecake for dessert.
During our two-night Red Rock stay, I won $215 in blackjack and $352 at the poker tables. This is an amazing start to our trip!
Everything went smoothly in getting the apartment keys on Monday. The leasing agent, Ivy, had a little gift bag for us that including some cleaning items, notebooks, key rings and there were two bottles of chilled water waiting in our refrigerator. A nice touch!
On Tuesday I met the movers at our storage unit. All of our household items had been in storage since April of 2018, two and a half years. And they were COVERED in dusty, grime, despite being well packed. That dust just gets into everything. The movers got all of our stuff hauled to our apartment. Usually setting up our household takes a day or two. This time, because I had to wipe down and vacuum so many items, it took almost a week. Slow and steady got it done.
And we settled into a daily routine that usually involves me getting up between 4 and 5 a.m. Why so early? Don't know, just can't seem to sleep any later. I have a few hours of quiet time til I wake Helen up at 7:30. Sometimes her leg pains will get her up earlier, but most days it's a 7:30 wakeup for her.
We'll have coffee and breakfast, watch some morning TV, then I may run some errands or play some morning blackjack at another nearby casino, Rampart which is connected to a swanky Marriott hotel. While I'm gone, Helen is often on the phone with her brother Norman's wife Lorraine who is in southern California. They talk almost every day. About 11:30 I make lunch, usually soup or a turkey & cheese wrap. Then we'll do some stand-up exercises, helping her stand even for 20-30 seconds with me loosely supporting her is a positive move.
In the afternoon, I often head over to the Red Rock casino for some poker or to check out the evening's basketball or football games. By 4 I head home, but often stop at our favorite Middle Eastern Market for some delicious dinner items. For example, here's what we had tonight - Grape Leaves stuffed with rice, Hummus, Lebne, Kalamata Olives and fresh bread.
What a feast that we both really enjoy. And so our adventure continues!
It's been more than 2 years, but we're back in Las Vegas for the winter.
We actually arrived about 3 weeks ago, but I haven't taken the time to share our adventures. but I plan to update this blog at least 2 or 3 times a week. So I hope you'll check it out.
The trip out was smooth and safe. First night we spent in Springfield Illinois, then drove to Oklahoma City, and spent our final road night in Grants New Mexico. 2,200 miles in 3.5 days, roughly 8 hrs a day. Only real highlight on the road was the wide variation in gas prices. They ranged from $2.65 a gallon down to $1.45 in Texas. Here in Vegas, gas is costly, about $2.50 a gallon and up.
Our move-in went smoothly, the guys got us settled in and the cable guy arrived on time to hook us up.
With the COVID situation, things have certainly changed in LV. No shows, no buffets, many eateries and businesses closed with others operating on tight restrictions. The casinos are open and are VERY strict on checking the temps of everyone who enters, masks are mandatory and social distancing stressed by security.
At the tables, only 3 players in blackjack and 7 or 8 in poker. At the poker tables there are plexiglass dividers between all players and the dealers. It's like being in a little backless cubicle. When a player leaves the game, staff is there to spray and wipe down the playing area, including table, chair and plexiglass. So far there has been no recorded transmission of the virus at a poker game.
Despite the restrictions, one of the top reasons we're here is the great sunny weather and it hasn't disappointed. Pretty much 60-ish and SUNNY every day. I'm running around in shorts and t-shirts, while locals are bundled up in winter coats and wool hats. They must think I'm wacky!
Helen has been to a couple of routine doctor visits here. She has a family doctor here and also a urologist that she sees monthly. I'd give the health care here a C grade at best. For example, at the urology clinic, we go into a big medical center that has many private suites. At the entrance to the center, there was no security checking temps, no one enforcing masks, nothing. Casinos do a MUCH better job on COVID defense than this medical center, located at a major hospital. They did scan and check at the urology suite, but the common area was wide open and that's where staff had me wait while Helen was treated.
In fact, while she was in there, a lanky, rumpled homeless guy in a dingy brown coat shuffled into the common area. No mask and a plastic bag full of stuff. I was reading a book {Thanks, Charlie} when he approached.
"Any spare change, I need a bus pass."
"Nope, sorry"
"Want to buy this?" pulling a well-used set of electric clippers out of his plastic bag.
"No thanks," not looking up from the book about Detroit.
"How about this? showing a short extension cord. This guy is a walking electrical supply shop?
"No"
He took the hint and walked down a hallway, stopping to hawk his wares to other non-responsive folks. Finally he put down the bag and wandered outside the building. I watched as he approached patients and staff outside, wondering all the time where security was. Finally a guard saw is discarded bag inside the common area and I explained why it was there and how I turned down a sweet deal on a pair of clippers. The guard took the bag and headed out to find its owner.
Helen's been doing well. She doesn't get out much, but enjoys keeping in touch with family and friends via phone and texts. We're doing exercises to help her stand up from the chair. It's important to keep her leg muscles working and we try our best. MS is a day by day situation, some better than others.
I visit two local casinos, The Rampart an upscaled local joint which is connected with a Marriot hotel and Red Rock, a really nice place that has the only poker room near us. Sometimes I hit both in the same day, typically Rampart in morning, then home for lunch with Helen, and poker at RR in the afternoon. I'm usually home between 4 and 5 to get dinner ready.
I track my wins and losses and so far am up, mostly due to great runs in blackjack. Poker has been up and down and sports betting has been a loser so far.
For the sports fan, here's some interesting info just released yesterday. Rampart has set win totals for the upcoming NBA season. Here are some highlights:
Bucks 50
Lakers 47.5
Clippers 47
Celtics 46.5
Nets 46
At the opposite end are the Thunder and Knicks at 22.5 and the Pistons at 23.
I'll do some grocery shopping today and maybe a little BJ action. As always, our adventure continues!
