Our day began with an 8 a.m. church service at the Lakes Lutheran Church. Helen noted that it was apparently a record-setting appearance by me - the fourth consecutive Sunday that I've appeared in a church. A new indoor record!
After church we came home for a quick lunch - turkey and cheddar in a pita pocket for Helen and leftover pizza for me.
Then it was off to Wal-Mart where Helen wanted to buy some linens in preparation for the visit by her friend Gail, who arrives on Feb. 16. Helen also needed some gift wrapping and other items. We found most of what we needed at Wal-Mart, then made a quick stop at Target to finish out the list.
Unfortunately, we picked up the wrong size sheets and will have to make a return trip to Wal-Mart tomorrow.
When we got home, around noon, I decided to visit the Suncoast to see if they were still giving away money. Apparently they have changed that policy, because they treated me poorly. In about 3 hours, I dropped $35 at the blackjack table and $10 in a video poker machine. I thought about betting an NBA game - the Lakers +5 vs the Cavs - but didn't. Of course, it was a winning bet, AAARGH...
While I was losing money, Helen was on the phone with her sister Nat and her friend Gail, both in TC. They are enjoying a brief warm spell that has some in northern Michigan thinking about spring.
For dinner today, I made lasagna (Thank You, Stouffers) with a side salad of romaine lettuce, red onions, roma tomatoes and shredded cheddar.
Now we're just relaxing, watching TV. Helen is reading a mystery.
Yesterday, I had a disappointing visit to the Imperial Palace where I played poker for about 7 hours and walked out with a profit of $15. Even though I won, it was a letdown because I should have won MUCH more. It all revolved around one hand - the final hand I played.
At the time I had a stack of about $80 and I was dealt A-5 of Hearts and called a $6 raise. The flop showed the 3 and 8 of Hearts and 10 of Diamonds. One guy bet $10 and two of us called. I was looking for either an Ace or a fifth Heart to give me an Ace-high flush. The turn card was what I wanted, the 10 of Hearts. I bet $20 and one guy called. The river card was a jack of Clubs - no apparent help. I bet $20, really expecting the other guy to fold, but he raised me $20 which I quickly called. I showed my Ace-High Flush and he showed me a 3-10. His full house won the pot, which was worth about $200....I never saw the full house - I thought he might have 3 10s, since there were two of them on the board. If I had won that hand, I would have gone home with more than $200, making it a worthwhile day...
When I got home, I went over to a nearby takeout place - Jason's Deli - where I got a HUGE corned beef on rye while Helen got a Chicken Wrap that turned out to be a bit too spicey for her tastes...
So tomorrow it's off to Wal-Mart where, I'm sure, the adventure continues...
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Hey, Those Tourists Took My Chips
Helen encouraged me to hit the Strip and play a little poker with the weekend tourists, so by 9:30 I was pulling into Bally's parking deck.
I did a power walk directly from Bally's to the Imperial Palace poker room where they had two tables of $1-2 No Limit going. The IP room is not really a room at all, just a corner of the casino separated from the rest of the action by a 3-foot railing. It's also a little shabby - a couple of the tables seem to wobble when someone leans on them and the chairs are standard style with little padding. The chip slot where the dealer places the house's drop kept jamming on our table, requiring the floor person to come over every hour or so with a screwdriver to unjam the drop.
Despite all this, I like the place. The dealers and managers are friendly and the players are usually beginners or moderately experienced. Very few sharks swim in the waters of the IP. They hang at bigger houses like Venetian, Caesars Palace, MGM or Wynn.
Also, the IP provides free cookies for the players. They constantly restock a platter full of chocolate chips, oatmeal raisin and macadamia cookies. I had two and a coffee for lunch.
Anyway, I bought in for $100 and took the #1 seat, to the left of the dealer. It's not my favorite because it's sometimes hard to see the players in the 9 and 10 seats at the other end of the table.
This whole session can be defined by three HUGE hands - one I should have played, one I should NOT have played and one I did play.
About 4-5 hands after sitting down, I looked down at 8-8 and raised the pot $10. Four guys called. The flop came J-10-4 and one of the guys bet $60 into the pot of about $75. I thought about calling, but with the two over cards, I didn't want to put in most of my stack and folded. One guy called the raise. Eventually these two kept betting and the pot grew to just over $500. When they showed their hands, one guy had A-K of spades and missed his flush. The other had pocket 7-7...I folded the highest hand!!! If I had stayed, I would not have won $500 because the two finalists each put in $100 on the river, but it would have been around $300-350, if I had gone all-in.
A couple hours later, I had a stack of about $80 and was dealt K-Q of spades. I called a $6 bet and saw the flop come K-K-7...SWEET. So I bet $15 and was raised to $40 by a cowboy-hat-wearing-guy to my immediate left. I went ALL-IN shoving my remaining $65 into the pot. He called and since it was just the two of us, we showed our cards. I flipped over my K-Q, giving me 3 Kings and he showed his pocket 7-7 - giving him a FULL HOUSE...Since the turn and river didn't hit my Q, I lost....AAARGH.
I could have walked, but I decided to rebuy for another $100.
My plan was to play until about 4:30, then head home. About 4 p.m., my stack was about $85 and I was hoping to hit one good hand before leaving. Many of the pots in this game were over $100, so I still had hopes of breaking even for the day. It would only take one or two big pots to make me a winner.
I looked down at my Q-10 and decided to call a $6 bet. The flop came J-9-8...I FLOPPED A STRAIGHT. So now my strategy was to build as big a pot as possible. A guy bet $10 and I was the only one to call. River was a 3...no help there for him, I figured. But the guy shoved his whole stack in - About $70. I immediately called.
He flipped over a 10-7...we both flopped a straight, but mine was Q-high to his J-high. The dealer shoved the chips my way and the guy got so mad he launched an F-bomb and stomped out of the poker room...About 30 seconds later, he sheepishly returned to snatch his near-full Heineken and stomped out again. Classy, huh...
That was the last hand I played. I got back most of the chips I lost early, but still walked away a $42 loser.
Something strange happened as I walked from the IP to the car at Bally's. Entering Bally's you take an escalator that delivers you down one story from the casino's elevated moving walkway. As I stepped on the escalator, I looked down at a security guard who had a bushy Wilfred Brimley mustache and a beer paunch. He was glaring at someone on the escalator - me.
"Sir, you need to step over here to the side," he said as I exited the escalator.
"Why?"
"We believe you were just trespassing at the Flamingo."
"I wasn't even at the Flamingo, I just left the Imperial Palace poker room."
At this point, Big-Bellied Barney Fife talks into his walkie talkie on his shoulder, telling someone that I claim to have not been at the Flamingo.
"Are you a guest here," he asked me.
"No, I'm a local and I'm trying to get home to have dinner with my wife."
"OK, you can go."
"Thanks. And I accept your apology," I said as sarcastically as possible.
"Oh, yeah, Sorry."
Later, I thought I should have let him rough me up a bit, then slap Bally's with a lawsuit. Maybe I could have gotten a few thousand in a settlement. Helen didn't think this was a good idea and would have gotten me banned from Bally's - one of my favorite places to play. She's probably right...
So then I drove home where Helen was on the phone with her friend Gail, who's coming to visit on Feb. 16. They're planning 3 days of shopping, lunching and girly fun.
For dinner, I whipped up some hefty salads of romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, corn, black beans, salsa and grated cheddar cheese. Then we chilled out watching "Monk" and munching on some popcorn...ah, life in the Vegas Fast Lane...
But today, the adventure continues...
I did a power walk directly from Bally's to the Imperial Palace poker room where they had two tables of $1-2 No Limit going. The IP room is not really a room at all, just a corner of the casino separated from the rest of the action by a 3-foot railing. It's also a little shabby - a couple of the tables seem to wobble when someone leans on them and the chairs are standard style with little padding. The chip slot where the dealer places the house's drop kept jamming on our table, requiring the floor person to come over every hour or so with a screwdriver to unjam the drop.
Despite all this, I like the place. The dealers and managers are friendly and the players are usually beginners or moderately experienced. Very few sharks swim in the waters of the IP. They hang at bigger houses like Venetian, Caesars Palace, MGM or Wynn.
Also, the IP provides free cookies for the players. They constantly restock a platter full of chocolate chips, oatmeal raisin and macadamia cookies. I had two and a coffee for lunch.
Anyway, I bought in for $100 and took the #1 seat, to the left of the dealer. It's not my favorite because it's sometimes hard to see the players in the 9 and 10 seats at the other end of the table.
This whole session can be defined by three HUGE hands - one I should have played, one I should NOT have played and one I did play.
About 4-5 hands after sitting down, I looked down at 8-8 and raised the pot $10. Four guys called. The flop came J-10-4 and one of the guys bet $60 into the pot of about $75. I thought about calling, but with the two over cards, I didn't want to put in most of my stack and folded. One guy called the raise. Eventually these two kept betting and the pot grew to just over $500. When they showed their hands, one guy had A-K of spades and missed his flush. The other had pocket 7-7...I folded the highest hand!!! If I had stayed, I would not have won $500 because the two finalists each put in $100 on the river, but it would have been around $300-350, if I had gone all-in.
A couple hours later, I had a stack of about $80 and was dealt K-Q of spades. I called a $6 bet and saw the flop come K-K-7...SWEET. So I bet $15 and was raised to $40 by a cowboy-hat-wearing-guy to my immediate left. I went ALL-IN shoving my remaining $65 into the pot. He called and since it was just the two of us, we showed our cards. I flipped over my K-Q, giving me 3 Kings and he showed his pocket 7-7 - giving him a FULL HOUSE...Since the turn and river didn't hit my Q, I lost....AAARGH.
I could have walked, but I decided to rebuy for another $100.
My plan was to play until about 4:30, then head home. About 4 p.m., my stack was about $85 and I was hoping to hit one good hand before leaving. Many of the pots in this game were over $100, so I still had hopes of breaking even for the day. It would only take one or two big pots to make me a winner.
I looked down at my Q-10 and decided to call a $6 bet. The flop came J-9-8...I FLOPPED A STRAIGHT. So now my strategy was to build as big a pot as possible. A guy bet $10 and I was the only one to call. River was a 3...no help there for him, I figured. But the guy shoved his whole stack in - About $70. I immediately called.
He flipped over a 10-7...we both flopped a straight, but mine was Q-high to his J-high. The dealer shoved the chips my way and the guy got so mad he launched an F-bomb and stomped out of the poker room...About 30 seconds later, he sheepishly returned to snatch his near-full Heineken and stomped out again. Classy, huh...
That was the last hand I played. I got back most of the chips I lost early, but still walked away a $42 loser.
Something strange happened as I walked from the IP to the car at Bally's. Entering Bally's you take an escalator that delivers you down one story from the casino's elevated moving walkway. As I stepped on the escalator, I looked down at a security guard who had a bushy Wilfred Brimley mustache and a beer paunch. He was glaring at someone on the escalator - me.
"Sir, you need to step over here to the side," he said as I exited the escalator.
"Why?"
"We believe you were just trespassing at the Flamingo."
"I wasn't even at the Flamingo, I just left the Imperial Palace poker room."
At this point, Big-Bellied Barney Fife talks into his walkie talkie on his shoulder, telling someone that I claim to have not been at the Flamingo.
"Are you a guest here," he asked me.
"No, I'm a local and I'm trying to get home to have dinner with my wife."
"OK, you can go."
"Thanks. And I accept your apology," I said as sarcastically as possible.
"Oh, yeah, Sorry."
Later, I thought I should have let him rough me up a bit, then slap Bally's with a lawsuit. Maybe I could have gotten a few thousand in a settlement. Helen didn't think this was a good idea and would have gotten me banned from Bally's - one of my favorite places to play. She's probably right...
So then I drove home where Helen was on the phone with her friend Gail, who's coming to visit on Feb. 16. They're planning 3 days of shopping, lunching and girly fun.
For dinner, I whipped up some hefty salads of romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, corn, black beans, salsa and grated cheddar cheese. Then we chilled out watching "Monk" and munching on some popcorn...ah, life in the Vegas Fast Lane...
But today, the adventure continues...
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Strip Poker
Thursday is often a good day to play poker on the Las Vegas Strip, or Strip Poker.
Unlike Fridays and Saturdays when many of the good poker casinos are jammed with players, Thursday is just beginning to see the tourists roll into town, especially the young poker guns with their knock-off raybans and their ball caps on backwards.
So today I hit the Strip early, parking at Bill's Gambling Hall. BGH was pretty quiet, but I cashed a couple of hoops tickets (Akron crushed EMU and OSU-Purdue went well over 129) and pocketed $77 from them. Then I walked through the Flamingo, past O'Shea's and into the Imperial Palace. I got there around 9:30 a.m. and immediately got a seat in a $4-8 Limit Hold 'Em game, where only 4 other guys were playing. We played 5-handed for a while, then filled the 10-seat table within about 20 minutes.
I had some good early luck, hitting several flops and building up a profit of almost $70 at one point. There were no HUGE hands, but a number of small, steady pots kept me solvent. My plan was to play until around 3:30 or 4 p.m. then stop at a post office on the way home. So around 3 p.m., I was trying to build my pile up over $100. That didn't happen. In fact, I lost a couple of nice pots with the second best hands and finally walked with a profit of only $23...not great, but a profit still.
On the way home, I stopped at the Post Office to ship some Valentine's gifts to the grandkids in Rockford.
While I was playing poker, Helen was on the phone trying to straighten out a prescription problem she's having with Walgreen's. Ironically, the meds she was calling about arrived in today's mail. Walgreen's shipped them on Jan. 16 and they arrived in TC on Jan. 26, then they were forwarded here to LV, arriving 10 days later. She also spent a long time talking with Natalie in Traverse City and reading.
When I got home, we decided on a takeout dinner. After some discussion we opted for Italian cuisine, well actually pizza! We tried a place about a mile from our apt - "East Side Pizza" located surprisingly on the west side of LV. It's a New York Pizza style place and it's walls are full of New York Yankees and Mets photos. Pretty interesting and the pizza was tasty!
Now we're just relaxing, getting ready to enjoy the NBC comedy lineup - Earl, Kath & Kim, The Office and 30 Rock - a two-hour chuckle fest!
Tomorrow, the adventure continues...
Unlike Fridays and Saturdays when many of the good poker casinos are jammed with players, Thursday is just beginning to see the tourists roll into town, especially the young poker guns with their knock-off raybans and their ball caps on backwards.
So today I hit the Strip early, parking at Bill's Gambling Hall. BGH was pretty quiet, but I cashed a couple of hoops tickets (Akron crushed EMU and OSU-Purdue went well over 129) and pocketed $77 from them. Then I walked through the Flamingo, past O'Shea's and into the Imperial Palace. I got there around 9:30 a.m. and immediately got a seat in a $4-8 Limit Hold 'Em game, where only 4 other guys were playing. We played 5-handed for a while, then filled the 10-seat table within about 20 minutes.
I had some good early luck, hitting several flops and building up a profit of almost $70 at one point. There were no HUGE hands, but a number of small, steady pots kept me solvent. My plan was to play until around 3:30 or 4 p.m. then stop at a post office on the way home. So around 3 p.m., I was trying to build my pile up over $100. That didn't happen. In fact, I lost a couple of nice pots with the second best hands and finally walked with a profit of only $23...not great, but a profit still.
On the way home, I stopped at the Post Office to ship some Valentine's gifts to the grandkids in Rockford.
While I was playing poker, Helen was on the phone trying to straighten out a prescription problem she's having with Walgreen's. Ironically, the meds she was calling about arrived in today's mail. Walgreen's shipped them on Jan. 16 and they arrived in TC on Jan. 26, then they were forwarded here to LV, arriving 10 days later. She also spent a long time talking with Natalie in Traverse City and reading.
When I got home, we decided on a takeout dinner. After some discussion we opted for Italian cuisine, well actually pizza! We tried a place about a mile from our apt - "East Side Pizza" located surprisingly on the west side of LV. It's a New York Pizza style place and it's walls are full of New York Yankees and Mets photos. Pretty interesting and the pizza was tasty!
Now we're just relaxing, getting ready to enjoy the NBC comedy lineup - Earl, Kath & Kim, The Office and 30 Rock - a two-hour chuckle fest!
Tomorrow, the adventure continues...
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Running Errands and a bit of Blackjack
Wednesday mornings begin with Helen attending a Bible Study Class at 10 a.m. and me running errands during the 90 minutes that she's at the church.
I dropped her off shortly before 10 a.m. and headed off to take care of my errands. The first stop was the LV Post Office where there's usually a line stretching across the lobby. Surprisingly, today there were only 5 people ahead of me, so it didn't take long to ship out a box of Valentine's Day Gifts to the Texas grandkids.
Then it was off to a nearby Border's where I picked up a couple of books that are gifts.
My third stop was at the nearby Middle Eastern Market where we grabbed some fresh pita bread and lebne, along with a jar of roasted red peppers for an italian sausage & rice dinner that I'm planning. By then it was almost 11:30, so I headed back to pick Helen up from the church, then made it back to the apartment where I whipped up a couple of chicken salad sandwiches for lunch.
From noon to 2 p.m. Helen watches "Desperate Housewives," so I headed over to the Suncoast Casino for a couple of hours of blackjack. This didn't go so well. I found a spot at a $5 table and
immediately lost the first 3 hands. Then I'd win-one-lose-one-win-one-lose-one for a while. I never really had a strong run of cards. It didn't help that we had a woman at the table playing 3rd base who REFUSED to hit a 14 or 15 when the dealer had a big card showing. At least twice she caused the whole table to lose because the dealer got a card that she should have taken.
When the green felt dust settled and I headed to the apt around 3 p.m., I was down $30. Not bad considering I never had a big run.
For dinner tonight, I pulled together a couple of hefty salads with romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, onions, kalamata olives, avocado, corn, black beans, salsa, and grated cheddar cheese.
Now we're just relaxing in front of the TV. I'll probably pop some corn later. Pretty exciting stuff, huh?
But tomorrow, the adventure continues...
I dropped her off shortly before 10 a.m. and headed off to take care of my errands. The first stop was the LV Post Office where there's usually a line stretching across the lobby. Surprisingly, today there were only 5 people ahead of me, so it didn't take long to ship out a box of Valentine's Day Gifts to the Texas grandkids.
Then it was off to a nearby Border's where I picked up a couple of books that are gifts.
My third stop was at the nearby Middle Eastern Market where we grabbed some fresh pita bread and lebne, along with a jar of roasted red peppers for an italian sausage & rice dinner that I'm planning. By then it was almost 11:30, so I headed back to pick Helen up from the church, then made it back to the apartment where I whipped up a couple of chicken salad sandwiches for lunch.
From noon to 2 p.m. Helen watches "Desperate Housewives," so I headed over to the Suncoast Casino for a couple of hours of blackjack. This didn't go so well. I found a spot at a $5 table and
immediately lost the first 3 hands. Then I'd win-one-lose-one-win-one-lose-one for a while. I never really had a strong run of cards. It didn't help that we had a woman at the table playing 3rd base who REFUSED to hit a 14 or 15 when the dealer had a big card showing. At least twice she caused the whole table to lose because the dealer got a card that she should have taken.
When the green felt dust settled and I headed to the apt around 3 p.m., I was down $30. Not bad considering I never had a big run.
For dinner tonight, I pulled together a couple of hefty salads with romaine lettuce, roma tomatoes, onions, kalamata olives, avocado, corn, black beans, salsa, and grated cheddar cheese.
Now we're just relaxing in front of the TV. I'll probably pop some corn later. Pretty exciting stuff, huh?
But tomorrow, the adventure continues...
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
There's a Jubilee in Our Future
With Helen's friend Gail arriving in LV on Feb. 16, we decided to take her to a traditional Las Vegas-style show, "Jubilee" which has been at Bally's for years and years.
So this morning I drove to the Strip to cash a couple of winning SuperBowl tickets and pick up our "Jubilee" tickets. I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall, since that's where I had to cash the fb tickets, pocketing $117. After getting paid for the SB bets, I played a little blackjack there, winning $60 in about 30 minutes.
I went back to the sports book and invested $40 in two hoops bets - $20 on the OSU-Purdue game over 129 points and $20 on Akron -8 vs EMU. Both bets have won and I'll be collecting about $78 for those later this week.
Then I walked across Flamingo Avenue to order the tickets at Bally's. There was a short line at the ticket counter, but most of the people were getting tickets for today's version of "The Price Is Right" that is held at Bally's
When I got to the front of the line, I asked the ticket agent, Victoria, if they had any special deals for locals.
"Only for Jubilee," she said.
Great...for locals the "Jubilee" tickets are half off. Since I don't have a Nevada driver's license or ID card, I showed her our recent gas bill that has my name and our LV address on it. That worked. We scored 3 tickets for Feb. 18 right near the front. They usually sell for $75, but with the "locals discount" they were only $37.50 each. With tax, they totalled $113. SWEEEEEET!!!
I decided to head to the southern end of the Strip and drove down to the aging Tropicana. It's not a very fancy place any longer, a gambling dowager near the end of her run. But I've had some good luck there in the past and did again today.
But before I did any gambling, I eased into one of the Trop's bar-restaurants and ordered up some Wings and a beer. The server asked if I wanted blue cheese and celery with my wings and I said "sure." Service was quick and the wings were OK, nothing special.
But I was disappointed when the bill came and I had been charged extra for the blue cheese and celery. What's up with that? The blue cheese was 99 cents and 6 sticks of celery were 79 cents. It's no Bellagio buffet, that's for sure, LOL!
Anyway, I found a blackjack table and ground out a profit of $60. It was time to head home.
For the day, I made $120 playing blackjack and $80 on the two hoops bets. A nice day!
When I got home, Helen had been on the phone concerning Susan's hospital stay. Susan went home today, but doctors were unable to diagnose the cause of the numbness that spread along her left side yesterday. Helen talked with Sharon, Anna and Natalie today and plans to call Norman tonight.
I whipped up a dinner of scambled eggs with corned beef hash, sort of a breakfast-dinner thing that we enjoy once in a while.
Tomorrow our adventure continues...
So this morning I drove to the Strip to cash a couple of winning SuperBowl tickets and pick up our "Jubilee" tickets. I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall, since that's where I had to cash the fb tickets, pocketing $117. After getting paid for the SB bets, I played a little blackjack there, winning $60 in about 30 minutes.
I went back to the sports book and invested $40 in two hoops bets - $20 on the OSU-Purdue game over 129 points and $20 on Akron -8 vs EMU. Both bets have won and I'll be collecting about $78 for those later this week.
Then I walked across Flamingo Avenue to order the tickets at Bally's. There was a short line at the ticket counter, but most of the people were getting tickets for today's version of "The Price Is Right" that is held at Bally's
When I got to the front of the line, I asked the ticket agent, Victoria, if they had any special deals for locals.
"Only for Jubilee," she said.
Great...for locals the "Jubilee" tickets are half off. Since I don't have a Nevada driver's license or ID card, I showed her our recent gas bill that has my name and our LV address on it. That worked. We scored 3 tickets for Feb. 18 right near the front. They usually sell for $75, but with the "locals discount" they were only $37.50 each. With tax, they totalled $113. SWEEEEEET!!!
I decided to head to the southern end of the Strip and drove down to the aging Tropicana. It's not a very fancy place any longer, a gambling dowager near the end of her run. But I've had some good luck there in the past and did again today.
But before I did any gambling, I eased into one of the Trop's bar-restaurants and ordered up some Wings and a beer. The server asked if I wanted blue cheese and celery with my wings and I said "sure." Service was quick and the wings were OK, nothing special.
But I was disappointed when the bill came and I had been charged extra for the blue cheese and celery. What's up with that? The blue cheese was 99 cents and 6 sticks of celery were 79 cents. It's no Bellagio buffet, that's for sure, LOL!
Anyway, I found a blackjack table and ground out a profit of $60. It was time to head home.
For the day, I made $120 playing blackjack and $80 on the two hoops bets. A nice day!
When I got home, Helen had been on the phone concerning Susan's hospital stay. Susan went home today, but doctors were unable to diagnose the cause of the numbness that spread along her left side yesterday. Helen talked with Sharon, Anna and Natalie today and plans to call Norman tonight.
I whipped up a dinner of scambled eggs with corned beef hash, sort of a breakfast-dinner thing that we enjoy once in a while.
Tomorrow our adventure continues...
Monday, February 2, 2009
Bookstore, Blackjack and More
This morning Helen and I paid a visit to a nearby Barnes & Noble to check out their books.
I found a baseball book, "Crazy '08" by Cait Murphy, about the 1908 season, the last time the Cubs won the World Series. Probably won't start reading it for a week or so, since now I am enjoying "The Calamity Papers" by Dale Walker, a noted writer of non-fiction western tales.
Helen didn't find any new books for herself, but she's reading "Permed to Death" by Nancy Cohen, the first book in a series of mysteries in which the heroine is a hair stylist who owns her own salon.
By the time we finished browsing through the B&N it about 11 a.m. I decided to go to the Suncoast to cash a pair of winning SuperBowl tickets, while Helen just relaxed for a while before watching her daily dose of "Desperate Housewives." The Lifetime Channel runs a 2-hour block of DH every day from noon-2 p.m., so that's a good time for me to be gone.
I got to the Suncoast just before noon and pocketed $97 from the 2 tickets. I checked out the NBA and college hoops games, but nothing caught my eye for investing. Then I strolled over to the blackjack area and found a $10 game where a woman was playing alone against the dealer. I bought in for $100 and pushed the first two hands, before snagging a blackjack on the third hand. After the first shoe, I was up about $40. The other player, a raspy-voiced woman, was winning too. She was chainsmoking and friendly enough, calling everybody "Honey" ("Honey, I'll have a Manhattan when you get a chance." "Honey, I need a face card." "Honey, can you pass me a book of matches."
The second shoe went even better than the first. I hit a couple of nice double downs and as the dealer shuffled, I saw that I was up $110 after only 15 minutes of playing. That's enough profit for me, I decided, and colored up my chips and strolled to the cashier. On the way out, I had a 75-cent all-beef hotdog that they serve near the sports book. Ah, life is good!
Then I drove over to Albertson's where we needed a few groceries. Picked up coffee, chicken salad from the deli, salad fixings, guacamole mix, sour cream, tomatoes, apples, strawberries, strapping tape, and a few other things. Total for 5 bags - $68. Food is pricey here.
Later today, Helen got a phone call from her sister Natalie back in Traverse City. Seems that their sister Susan suffered from some numbness that started at her face then spread down along her left side this morning and went to Munson Medical Center's Emergency Room. They couldn't diagnose it as a stroke, but kept her overnight for observation. Helen called Sharon and Norman to let them know about Susan's situation. Natalie is pretty upset and we're all hoping for the best. Susan's health is an ongoing concern.
Tonight we're just relaxing and watching some TV, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
I found a baseball book, "Crazy '08" by Cait Murphy, about the 1908 season, the last time the Cubs won the World Series. Probably won't start reading it for a week or so, since now I am enjoying "The Calamity Papers" by Dale Walker, a noted writer of non-fiction western tales.
Helen didn't find any new books for herself, but she's reading "Permed to Death" by Nancy Cohen, the first book in a series of mysteries in which the heroine is a hair stylist who owns her own salon.
By the time we finished browsing through the B&N it about 11 a.m. I decided to go to the Suncoast to cash a pair of winning SuperBowl tickets, while Helen just relaxed for a while before watching her daily dose of "Desperate Housewives." The Lifetime Channel runs a 2-hour block of DH every day from noon-2 p.m., so that's a good time for me to be gone.
I got to the Suncoast just before noon and pocketed $97 from the 2 tickets. I checked out the NBA and college hoops games, but nothing caught my eye for investing. Then I strolled over to the blackjack area and found a $10 game where a woman was playing alone against the dealer. I bought in for $100 and pushed the first two hands, before snagging a blackjack on the third hand. After the first shoe, I was up about $40. The other player, a raspy-voiced woman, was winning too. She was chainsmoking and friendly enough, calling everybody "Honey" ("Honey, I'll have a Manhattan when you get a chance." "Honey, I need a face card." "Honey, can you pass me a book of matches."
The second shoe went even better than the first. I hit a couple of nice double downs and as the dealer shuffled, I saw that I was up $110 after only 15 minutes of playing. That's enough profit for me, I decided, and colored up my chips and strolled to the cashier. On the way out, I had a 75-cent all-beef hotdog that they serve near the sports book. Ah, life is good!
Then I drove over to Albertson's where we needed a few groceries. Picked up coffee, chicken salad from the deli, salad fixings, guacamole mix, sour cream, tomatoes, apples, strawberries, strapping tape, and a few other things. Total for 5 bags - $68. Food is pricey here.
Later today, Helen got a phone call from her sister Natalie back in Traverse City. Seems that their sister Susan suffered from some numbness that started at her face then spread down along her left side this morning and went to Munson Medical Center's Emergency Room. They couldn't diagnose it as a stroke, but kept her overnight for observation. Helen called Sharon and Norman to let them know about Susan's situation. Natalie is pretty upset and we're all hoping for the best. Susan's health is an ongoing concern.
Tonight we're just relaxing and watching some TV, but tomorrow the adventure continues...
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Super Bowl Weekend Update
Helen and I are sitting here in the aftermath of SuperBowl 43, a competitive, exciting - and profitable - game.
We have four winning tickets to cash from the game - Fitzgerald over 6.5 recepts ($45) Boldin over 4.5 recepts ($28.65) 1st score other than a td ($52) and Cardinals +7 ($90).
Our great day began with an 8 a.m. trip to the Lakes Lutheran Church with Helen. It's a friendly congregation that has been very accepting of us "snowbirds."
Today for the offering, the church had a big "Soup Pot" near the altar where we were encouraged to place donations for "Souper Sunday." The idea is that the donations would go to feed the needy. Anyway, while I was in line waiting to make our donation, two guys ahead of me were discussing their Super Bowl bets - one guy bet $20 that At Least 3 Players Would Attempt a Pass (that bet lost). Super Bowl is on everyone's mind in Vegas, Baby - even in church, LOL!
After church, Helen sent me to the Strip to spend part of Super Bowl Sunday there. I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall, then walked over to Bally's to check out the poker action. There was a buzz of excitement at Bally's and it looked more like a busy Saturday night than a Sunday morning.
I was looking to play some 3-6 Limit Hold 'Em. They had no game going, but were taking names. I was the 6th name on the list, which eventually grew to 11 players. While I waited for the poker action to begin, I sat at a $10 blackjack table and broke even over 45 minutes.
Then they called my name for poker and I got a middle seat at a $3-6 game. I bought in for $100 and for the first dozen hands, I didn't really catch any cards. Then I hit a hot streak and I won 3 of 5 hands, including flopping an A-10 Straight, and putting me up about $70.
I played patiently, waiting for good hands before entering a pot. But that strategy backfired and I lost a couple of nice pots - one when I had 3 As and lost to a full house, the other when I hit a straight and lost to a flush.
Eventually I drove home with a profit of $16. Not great after my rousing start, LOL!
My plan was to play poker and watch the first half of the game at Bally's, then during halftime drive home and watch the 2nd half with Helen. It worked perfectly. I left at halftime and got home just as the 2nd half was beginning. Missed the Springsteen show, but that's OK. His recent political blatherings have turned me off a bit to The Boss.
Now Helen and I are getting ready to enjoy a couple of new episodes of "The Office," always worth a chuckle or two (That's what she said.:)
Yesterday, I was at the Strip too. I bounced around to Bally's, Bill's, Caesars Palace and the Imperial Palace, playing blackjack at each location. I won some, lost some. A lot of walking, but just a little winning. I came home $27 more than when I left. Not great, but hey, it'll buy a tank of gas out here (where gas is now $2.05 a gallon).
Tomorrow, the adventure continues...
We have four winning tickets to cash from the game - Fitzgerald over 6.5 recepts ($45) Boldin over 4.5 recepts ($28.65) 1st score other than a td ($52) and Cardinals +7 ($90).
Our great day began with an 8 a.m. trip to the Lakes Lutheran Church with Helen. It's a friendly congregation that has been very accepting of us "snowbirds."
Today for the offering, the church had a big "Soup Pot" near the altar where we were encouraged to place donations for "Souper Sunday." The idea is that the donations would go to feed the needy. Anyway, while I was in line waiting to make our donation, two guys ahead of me were discussing their Super Bowl bets - one guy bet $20 that At Least 3 Players Would Attempt a Pass (that bet lost). Super Bowl is on everyone's mind in Vegas, Baby - even in church, LOL!
After church, Helen sent me to the Strip to spend part of Super Bowl Sunday there. I parked at Bill's Gambling Hall, then walked over to Bally's to check out the poker action. There was a buzz of excitement at Bally's and it looked more like a busy Saturday night than a Sunday morning.
I was looking to play some 3-6 Limit Hold 'Em. They had no game going, but were taking names. I was the 6th name on the list, which eventually grew to 11 players. While I waited for the poker action to begin, I sat at a $10 blackjack table and broke even over 45 minutes.
Then they called my name for poker and I got a middle seat at a $3-6 game. I bought in for $100 and for the first dozen hands, I didn't really catch any cards. Then I hit a hot streak and I won 3 of 5 hands, including flopping an A-10 Straight, and putting me up about $70.
I played patiently, waiting for good hands before entering a pot. But that strategy backfired and I lost a couple of nice pots - one when I had 3 As and lost to a full house, the other when I hit a straight and lost to a flush.
Eventually I drove home with a profit of $16. Not great after my rousing start, LOL!
My plan was to play poker and watch the first half of the game at Bally's, then during halftime drive home and watch the 2nd half with Helen. It worked perfectly. I left at halftime and got home just as the 2nd half was beginning. Missed the Springsteen show, but that's OK. His recent political blatherings have turned me off a bit to The Boss.
Now Helen and I are getting ready to enjoy a couple of new episodes of "The Office," always worth a chuckle or two (That's what she said.:)
Yesterday, I was at the Strip too. I bounced around to Bally's, Bill's, Caesars Palace and the Imperial Palace, playing blackjack at each location. I won some, lost some. A lot of walking, but just a little winning. I came home $27 more than when I left. Not great, but hey, it'll buy a tank of gas out here (where gas is now $2.05 a gallon).
Tomorrow, the adventure continues...
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