Home Sweet Home

Let's begin with the 2 old coots on the stoop before leaving on a jet plane. Yea, that doesn't look like Rick nor is my hair blonde like it looks here - that is white hair folks. (like Rick's chin) 

See those smiles, those were before the airport. 
Oh, how the mood can change once you enter that place.

We came in contact with screaming Asians. We don't know why there were screaming, and some screeching at everyone. Thankfully we then got moved to the preboarding TSA area. Whew. But before we were escorted to the short line this is what transpired. 
We were just standing in line behind a group of people of Asian descent in the security area, waiting to go through security. Everyone was quiet and then boom - 
First it was screeching by one woman, very very loudly.  We looked at one another confused. Then they turned to Rick and began screaming things, all of them.  They were screaming at one another, some looking at Rick screaming. He doesn't speak their language or understand it and was quite confused. Then the oldest one hit him. The security officer was trying to get them to calm the hell down and that is when they took us to the short security line. We still don't know what the hell that was about. Rick kept himself a good distance away so it wasn't like he was near them so when the older woman turned around and just hit Rick's arm we were really befuddled. Oh the fun is just beginning. 

As we were walking to our gate I realized we sure had a lot of time on our hands since we didn't have to wait in that long line to get through security. 
We passed a place called, Vino Volo. Well, you all know I suggested we stop there and have a glass of wine. Since it was dinner time we added chocolate with the glass of wine.

Silly us,  we assumed a 5 hr flight west would get us a movie or some entertainment.
Nope. We had a quick flight to Charlotte NC and then the long leg to Las Vegas from there.
Air travel has just become Gray Hound in the sky. The people are dressed horribly. They behave worse.  The crew was fat and cranky. That didn't make birthday boy happy.  I have not flown USAirways since the very early 80's and that was intentional. Somewhere along the line I had amnesia when booking this package. As soon as we got to the gate I realized this was not good. Boy, these people are miserable. They were just bought by American Airlines, maybe that is why. But they did a good job of taking their misery out on all of us stuck in this horrible tin can.
Seriously a rickety old plane. At this point, I am asking myself why I didn't fly United

We arrived at 11:30pm Vegas Time. Oh, it has been a long day. We had been up since 5a so by the time we got there we were loopy tired. We got outside to catch a cab to our hotel and it was 53 degrees. Okay, that was a bit colder than I was expecting. By the time we got to our hotel, we had the giggles from being tired. The taxi driver was a hoot and so friendly. I just knew he was a mid-western boy so I asked him where he was from.  Illinois. Yep, I love a midwestern boy! So nice, funny and polite. Oh, why can't there be more of those?

We check in and they told us that we can't have the room we were booked for until Saturday. It is Thursday night we are tired, we'll take the small beds. 
We booked a King Room and we were now going to get 2 queen beds.
That meant I would have no room to sleep or we'd sleep in separate beds. Rick is so tall that a queen will not be long enough and he'll be diagonal before long and I'll be squeezed off the bed.
They tell us that at between noon and 2pm tomorrow we MAY get a new room. I say, never mind Rick is in a poker tournament at 11am and I am not going to cart all this back and forth. No big deal. I just want to crawl into bed.

After receiving our keys, we had to walk through the casino to get to our elevator. 
Which is weird, yet it's so normal here.
When we got off our elevator we were greeted with this.

This made us laugh like nut jobs. We are going on being awake for 22 hours and we are loopy. There are several door ways leading down hall ways. The man on the phone is saying, "Which way? Where is the room?" The more this man circled the more we laughed. He was laughing too. We walked the circle and then around again. See the Tiger Woods sign on the door?  That was our hallway. Each day depending on what elevator door you got off on your hallway was a different direction. Now if they had left the damn Tiger Woods sign up that could have helped we 2 old coots. But instead we'd laugh each and every time. Blind folded we would have had the same chance picking the right hallway.

I really assumed Rick would go downstairs and want to gamble, but he too was just too tired.
None of the lights would come on in our room. That made us laugh.
The lamps didn't come on. The hall light didn't come on. Rick asked, "Did you pay the electric bill Margaret?" 
We went into the bathroom and the light worked.  So we left it on while we used our phone light to see in the rest of the room. We could have called to ask them to bring up some light bulbs or see what the issue was, but we just didn't care at this point, we were so damn tired. 
If we needed bulbs it could take awhile for them to get them to us so we put it off until morning.
We threw our bags down and plopped on the bed. 
We were out in mere seconds. We can unpack in the morning!

We woke up starving!!  I mean starving!!  Since lunch the day before we only had chocolate and wine so food was in order first thing. We decided to do room service as we unpacked.  Rick ordered a grand breakfast. I said, "I can't eat pancakes or toast,"  He says, 'I'll eat yours" Fine.
We get our breakfast and Rick gasps at the price. $86 for breakfast!!
Oh. my. God.

Before I left for the day I called and asked about the lights. They apologized and promised someone would be up quickly. The woman on the phone thanked me for laughing, She said she would like to give us a $50 voucher for dinner in one of the hotel restaurants. I said it wasn't necessary and she told me it was because I was nice. Damn I got service. Love it! That paid for most of breakfast...tee hee. 

Rick had a poker tournament at 11am. After this expensive and so-so breakfast, he headed down to the poker room and I was on my own for who knew how long. I thought about going to the pool, but the high was going to only be 64 so that was out of the question.
Thankfully a former co-worker was in town for work so we had a late lunch and did some fun tourist things together.  While walking over to meet my friend I ran into Short Fat Elvis.

Everyone you see is young. Sure there are some older folks sprinkled in but for the most part everyone I saw was young 20's. A few 30's but mostly 20 somethings. Granted a 2-day concert was in town with HUGE headliners that kids would attend. Hell, I would have attended but it was $270 a ticket. Nah, not for me. And the Billboard Music awards were also at our hotel so that too may have played into it but honestly, everywhere I went everyone was young! A few old timers with fanny packs that cracked me up but we old ones were few and far between.

After leaving my friend, I went back to my hotel just as Rick text me that he was done and heading to the room. He came in 4th place so he was very very happy.  At this point, he is ahead so I am happy. This whole weekend is for him and poker tournaments for his birthday. 
So I am thrilled he came in 4th. They paid the top 4. Whew, just made it.

That evening we ate at Emerils. We thought about Tom Colicchio's. You may have seen this famous chef on Food Network.  We read the menu out front, a t-bone steak was only $98.
Just steak- nothing else.   Oh, my.  Rick didn't win enough for that!
Rick really wanted to go back to Emerils so we did. Honest to God it was truly the best meal ever. Having celiac is difficult enough, but traveling makes it pure hell. I can't just eat anything. I hate having to ask them things or make a fuss. But I did ask. As soon as I whispered to our adorable waiter Christian that I had celiac, he pointed out things I could eat. Why another would be bad for me etc. Even told me about a flourless chocolate cake dessert. 

We got free appetizers because it was Rick's birthday.  
We had great wine, a fabulous meal and (GF) dessert to die for. 
Also had a big bill but it was so nice.

The next morning Rick had another tournament at 8:30a. So I was truly on my own until he was out of the game. I knew this would be a long day alone. Thankfully it was nicer outside so I headed to the pool.  Book in hand and off you go. There are signs everywhere asking you to dress appropriately while walking in the hotel to the pool. No one obeyed.  It said, to please wear a cover up and or clothes over your suit. Boy would that have been appreciated. There was a lot of Ewww going on.

I got a spot at the pool. I was happy. It was warm, I was chillin', I was not working and I had a long island lemonade and a good book. YEEHAAA.

A man sitting across from me asked if I would mind if he lit his cigar. While no one likes the smell of a cigar I feel if we are outside he has the right to smoke. So of course I say, "Thank you for asking me, sure go ahead. Enjoy"  

One of the 3 young boys who just arrived and sat down beside me say, "Hey I mind, you didn't ask me - that shit stinks."  The man with the cigar quickly apologizes and the young boy who said this says, "Man I'm just missing with you - go for it."  Then they all shake hands and laugh.

From that moment  on we all had a great afternoon of laughing, talking and making fun of all the silicone.  Oh my there was a lot of silicone and fake eyelashes and heels at the pool. 
One 65 - 70 yr old with these big fake boobs stopped in front of us talking to another woman. She wore a teeny tiny bikini. She reminded me of that extra tan lizard skin woman in the movie What About Mary? She was so gross. Her skin like leather and she had these enormous mounds on her very anorexic body. God love her. She was one of the few old folks I saw and I wish I hadn't.

These 3 young men were funny as hell. They kept me laughing. They even bought me a drink.
"Ma'am can we buy you a drink?"  Ma'am.  Nothing makes you feel older than that. They were just so damn cute and fun. We were all making quips. 
A man with a belly larger than Santa had on a thong banana hammock. Eeeww. 
He had a hairy butt and wore a thong. It wasn't pretty.
I said to the boys, "Well it takes a lot of confidence to wear that and I have to give him props for not giving a shit don't you think?."  They paused and then all together said, "No! He needs a pair of board shorts"

The Cigar boy was quick too. At one point I said something, I don't even recall. And one of these 3 above said, "You're funny for.... and then he realized he better not finish that sentence." 
I laughed and said "Yep, I'm old, but I am still quick." and I winked at him. 
His face turned 10 shades of red. He felt terrible so I had the thong wearing waitress send him a beer. He enjoyed it when she came around.  
I told him it was all fine, relax. He had a hard time making eye contact with me after that. It was cute. I found out that the cigar boy and his nice wife were from Canada, that explains the politeness to ask if I minded if he smoked.  
The 3 boys were from Lousiana. Nice kids. Had a ball hanging with them. 

Rick played for 8 hours. How one can do that is beyond me. He text me when he was done. He was only done because he felt he should spend time with me. I didn't care. I knew what I was in for. This was his birthday gift. I knew I'd be alone a good deal and I don't gamble. I was not working so I was just fine. Besides I like my own company and I am just fine on my own.

In the end he came home a few bucks richer. He had a great time. Me, well it wasn't my birthday. If I never see Vegas again I wouldn't mind. I've been there 3 times and it's not someplace I even like. 

I so enjoy going places, it's the to and fro I hate. The plane, the people, the airport. (the to and fro) but the rest is always good even if you're in a place you don't care for like Vegas.

Here are a few random photos.

Where we ate. Emeril's Fish house.

 This was an afternoon cocktail at the bar at Emeril's. We love Sammy Hagars Tequila so we thought we'd try his rum. Oh yes. These made for great rum naps. My favorite. Sorry can't get this right side up.

I can't get this one right side up to save my life. It's is right side up on my computer. But when I put it on blogger it ends up sideways and there is no way that I am aware of to flip it.  But this is birthday boy after his first tournament in 4th place.

This is a blurry picture because I was holding my phone over my head and couldn't even see if I was getting the shot. Being 5'1" in a crowd is difficult. But that is Tiger Woods and Mark Cuban at the table with some very well known poker players. This was in our hotel.