WooHoo! What a ride this trip was!

But to start off, I'm sorry JMT and Ralph! I was very self indelgent this trip. I never made plans to meet either of you guys and now that the trip is over, I missed a good time. I am sorry, and I promise to do better next trip!

Now this is going to be a good/Bad/ Ugly report.
This was a trip of very mixed emotions.

My mom got sick just before we left for Vegas, and couldn't watch our cats, and thats all I thought it was. But by saturday in Vegas, we quickly learned it was much worse then we knew. My sister, Sharon & I agreed something had to be done, so we called on my sisters daughter Michelle to check on my mom. She couldn't breath, and refused to go to the hospital. Michelle was a life savor in the true meaning of the word! Saturday to Wednesday, my mom was in the hospital while we stayed in Vegas and worried. Michelle told my mother she had 2 choices, either go to the hospital with her, or she was calling an amblance. My mother being hard headed refused to go, so the paramedics where called! She went with them. She is still not 100% and she may never be, but she is doing better.

Now the good,
Gambling.....
After arriving at Ceasars and playing for only an hour I hit on a double pay machine. Thats one where you get payed on the come out deal and then again on the draw. I was playing five play double double bonus, it was my second hand at this quarter machine @ $12.50 a pop. I was delt the royal on the bottom hand. the cards where automaticly held for me, and it happened so fast i wasn't sure what I won exactly. Total win $20,003.00 for that hand. 15k for the come out royal, and $3 in wins from the other 4 hands on the come out deal. Then 1K for each royal on the draw.
I was asked how I wanted to be paid. I let the casino hold it for me untill check out, and at that time I took a check. I cashed it yesterday at my hometown bank.
Now......How many royals is that???? 1, or 5, or 6????

Had 2 more royals during my trip. Another at Ceasars and one at M resort. Both on quarters.

I also played a lot of super times pay 10 play. I was delt the Ace's and had to draw for the kicker got it on 3 of the hands (2900), and I drew four 8's with a 10 times pay on 3 hands. That's 250 quarters times 10 times 3, plus the 15 times 10 times 7, (2200). These where on side by side machines at Main Street station.

All in all I have tax papers for a little over 26K What a trip! Never have I had such a good run of luck!

Sharon didn't do bad either, she just didn't hit any big ones this trip.
Sandy I don't think faired to well, but I do know she got Dueces a few times.
we won pumkin pies @ M resort and gave them to valet at MSS.

Flights...
Delta out and Continental back, both full and on time. Very nice flights!

Food....
Payard at Ceasars the best lunch of the whole trip
Rao's at Caesars the best waiter and service and the wine was pretty darn good too!
The Range @ Harrahs, I had forgotten how good the food is here!
Egg & I, fast, hot breakfast, plenty of choices here!
Redwood Grill @ California, I will put this place up with some of the best places I've eaten after this meal! Our Server Jennell was perfect! In fact our bartender friend at the Cali called ahead and requested her for us! so we might have had a little extra attention.

Shopping,...
Sharon found a pair of cute shoes at Shooze in the mall area between paris and ballys.
I bought a flag for our boat at Margaritaville.


The Bad.....

Traffic, do they have to ripe up EVERY STREET in las vegas???
Sandy got sick on our last day.
eating 2 cheese dogs at the california snack bar (one is my new limit)
Tropicana, Yes it is cleaner, yes the white paint was needed, but no excitment at all in the place. The casino need a complete overhaul. IMHO
MSS giving us a room with 2 double beds instead of one king!
The Rio Bevatainers, please make them stop! I feel sorry for them The bevatainers. Either they think they got talent and they don't or they know they don't have talent and just go through the motions. Please don't put them up there HARRAH's , I beg of you!
Hot Girls dancing in center of blackjack pits, that arnt that hot! Again, Harrahs, either get better talent ($$$$) or just say NO! Same with the downtowm places, Vegas club, PLEASE stop, the fetish pit???
To be fair, I kinda like the cowgirl dealers at Binions Oink Oink
Zip Line people getting stuck, and needing rescue.
Hash house a Go go, SERVICE S*CKED
Sheplers tent sale, it's time to drop the big top, nothing worth a look in there anymore!

UGLY......

Margariteville breakfast, everything was served cold....everything
Second street Grill, thanksgiving meal, everything served cold (except the yams)
My employee texting me while i'm on vacation asking for days off work
spilling cocktails. sharon and I each spilled one this trip. Hers was just on the carpet at MSS no big deal. mine went in my shoe! LOL
panhandelers on Fremont. No, wearing a gorilla suit and sitting in a hoveround is not a reason for a tip. Nor is standing waiting for someone to take your picture in spiderman unitard.
COUPONS, or rather people that use coupons for free drinks and then don't tip! RUDE!

Notes,,,,
Next trip one less night at MSS, and one more night on the strip.
Meet Vegas friends and see some shows! all we did was eat and gamble.
Had a chevy Malibu, wasn't impressed, and didn't feel it was the Full size I paid for. It was dirty inside as well.
I have no next trip planned. I'm going to wait and see if Harrahs wants to fly us anywhere first! LOL

Thanks for reading.....

I forgot to mention, our meet at the Palm resturant was great! Food, Company, conversation all 5star! Daisy, Laine, Toby, Sandy, Sharon and myself, a small meet but those are the best for me, because I get to have time with everyone.
Thanks everyone for coming out and sharing lunchtime with us!

do you have to claim the pies as winnings?

You know my story Lee. It's your vacation, not mine. If I fit into your plans, fine. Don't ever modify your vacation for me. I had a chance to see you at the Palm.

Sorry to hear about your mom. It's bad enough at face value. It must be really hard when you're supposed to be having fun on vacation.

I didn't understand all those payouts, but they sound nice. Did you play a lot of multi game VP? I've dabbled into penny and nickel video poker with 25-100 games at a time. It seems like a quick small loss or a significant win. Your games with multipliers confuse me. You didn't mention slots. The gaming convention was just here and video game type slots are still pretty strong.

I've got some certificates at The Range I need to use or lose. Thanks for the reminder. It looks like you ate well. I've had the Redwood Grill special a couple of times this year. It has always been good but never special.

I thought the streets were getting better. <g> Flamingo is almost 100% between the freeway and Paradise. Trop is all good. My downtown route is all good again. I-15 north is finished. I-15 south of the airport just started construction and will stay screwed up for a while. Paradise is still messed up. The DI arterial is getting something done at late night.

The Trop still has a long way to go. They do have some good talent lined up for the bar and new Club Nikki will bring in some action. They also have an excellent slot club promo where they will pay you back for $200 worth of first day losses. There's a few rules though. The toughest rule is that you can't be in their database as having a card previously. Funny, there was a guy from Texas with my same name and birthday and I would not have been eligible if that was me.

I've been noticing "hot girls" not being very hot in the last few years. I thought maybe I was getting older.

Hash House A Go Go has mixed emotions in my book. Bottom line is that food is just kinda average. The volume of food makes it an event. Mix in some fancy drinks and it becomes a very fun event. That's pretty much describes my feelings of the Ballys Sunday brunch.

Whenever I see the panhandlers on Fremont St in costumes, I wonder if they get territorial. Especially if they have the same type costumes.

I guess that you didn't do the zip line? I've only seen 2 people that didn't make it all the way. It's not hard to figure out how to go fast or slow. If you're bouncing around, you're not smooth. If the rollers are smooth on the line, you'll go faster.


Did you buy anything at Binions outlet?
Did you think about renewing your wedding vows? Or did you just celebrate?
You forgot to take your weather back with you.

Thanks for the trip report. I will probably have more questions later.

Lee - Congrats! Sounds like a great time! I'm not familiar with Double Pay VP. I've seen the machines but never ventured over. I'll have to take a look the next time I'm in town. It's been over a year for me and I'm definitely missing it. I'm sorry to hear about HHAGG. It was always one of my favorite places.

Hope your Mom is doing better!

JMT,
Mom is on the mend, but it's gonna be a long time till she's 100% if ever. She has more then a few health problems and she doesn't like doctors or hospitals. She is a piece of work sometimes. But she does have her sense of humor back, she said "it took 86 years, but she finally stopped traffic" about her ambulance ride.
It was hard at times to have fun, and then when you did enjoy a moment or dinner or anything, you feel guilty.

FYI we did not order the Redwood special. We ordered off the regular priced menu. While the special is a nice price it is hardly special. IMHO

I still enjoy "looking" at pretty girls! But there has to be a reason to look! Your not that old buddy!

No zip line, the rescue of a stuck person, turned me off. It was also freaken cold to be hanging from a cable waiting to be rescued! If they have it warmer times, I'll do it then!

Bought nothing at the binions outlet, but we looked. Sharon hates to miss a bargin! FYI, the golf shirts wash and wear well!
I did ask sharon if she wanted to get married again, she replied, why should I make the same mistake twice?
It was freak'n cold in Vegas, and while we knew the weather was going to be like that, it still seemed somehow unnatural!

Oh, my take on the multi games is, I am spreading the loss. If I play $1 vp, that's $5 a game. If I play 25 multi play, it's only $1.25 more @ $6.25. and I played 5 hands. I find the dollar game more volitel on DDB. And while that $2 scratch card might not seem like much, on a 5 or 10 play game they really add up. Saturday morning after playing for 4 hrs, I had $76 worth.

DAG, I'll have to check with my tax adviser!

Thanks for reading Mike!
I must warn you, those double pay machines are addictive! On a ten play machine, quarters it's $25 a button push! I must be crazy!
The strip was busy as most casinos we were in. But some of the lessor casinos are still feeling the pinch. Trop, Riv, Sahara, all slow. Downtown, Las vegas club (which now has bingo) was really dead!
Egg & I seems to be the best bet for a good hot breakfast. I might try HHAGG for a late lunch next time. A less busy time, and a time when maybe I can eat more food! LOL

Hope your Mom is getting as well as her sense of humor! I hope Sandy has recovered too.
It was nice to see you, Sharon and Sandy. Lunch was great, thanks, and that business lunch at the Palm has got to be one of the best deals in town.
I'm still shaking my head at your phonomenal run of luck! It's so nice to hear that someone we actually know won all that, and not just "Mr So and So from California who was waiting for his wife to come out of the restroom and put three dollars in the machine and hit the jackpot".
I have tried several more of your super times pay machines and multi hand machines, but alas, you took the luck with you. Guess we'll have to just keep trying, but if we ever win, you'll hear us yelling all the way to Pennsylvania!

Thank you for your concern Laine. Mom, is doing as well as can be expected. She still doesn't like doctors and I see her being as difficult the next time as well.
Sandy was just ill the last night. I do beleive it was something she ate. Not that it was bad, but we don't eat right when on vacation, and sandy sometimes skips dinner and eats junk. (ice cream, cookies, sort of stuff) Sandy and I arn't on the same eating schedule either, I'm a late guy, she's a morning person, so we are always at odds when it comes to eating.
Palms servers up a great lunch, I have been hitting that for a long time. So glad it fit into your schedule. Always nice seeing you both!
The sad part about my run of luck is, they don't come along very often, and when I think it took 22 years of vegas trips for that one, I may never see another one like it again.
To be honest, your probably better off not hitting anything on those machines, because winning like that has created a monster (me) I can't leave them alone now!
Thanks for reading!