Posted at LVGrandma's request: Notes only, please do not grade sentence structure ! Stratosphere 24 & 25, Sunday & Monday free buffet - lines long. Temporary Location. Should have gone during show instead of before or after. New tower room, very nice very new. Burgundy drapes and mats on wall prints. Burgundy in pattern on commercial carpeting. All new towels linens bedspreads, etc. No wastebasket in bathroom, had to ask for hotel book & room service menu. I think nobody had ever stayed in our room before. Railroad tracks outside - I hear that lonesome whistle blow !!! Don't bother me. Valet parking now a different entrance. Bellhops still at main entrance near registration, as well. Taxis and strip trolley etc. still using old entrance also. Went to new Lucky cafe, waited nearly an hour for someone to take order, then left. One waitress for the whole restaurant. Next day it was closed for lunch, even with sign outside offering lunch specials. Not much luck on video poker, slot machines are tight too. Had to cash a Check !!!! to go to: Rio - play 1/2 hr on us deal lunch at deli - good sandwiches. I had not been there for 18 months so we qualified to play 1/2 hr with guarantee. We went to $ 5.00 video poker to start, we did not lose $ 100., we each won a little so we quit while we are a head. Too early for Masq show - had to go check into ORLEANS 26, 27. Tu Wed Their idea of near the elevator was 10 doors down, so we moved, but our phone never got turned on, so we did not get our messages til later that night. I went to Fat Als Pool Party and had some hors ovaries and got a tattoo of a fishie on my ankle. A lot of it came off on the sheets ! Good music, some dancing, some giveaways, weather was pretty nice - did not care for a drinkie, could not find Pepsi anyhow. I saw our room from the other side, I thought we had a balcony, but NO - not from inside the room. But we were able to hear the music REALLY GOOD until after 10:30. I had been invited as a "Horseplayer" so I thought we should play the horses handicap contest. I came in 19th out of 300 something, that's the same as getting two out of 3 Elvis or Diamonds. = 0.00 Our room was very nice, had a sofa and easy chair and coffee table as well as the two beds. The beds were very nice even though the mattresses were not very thick. I liked em but forgot to get the name off the tags. Had a message on the tel. that offered us two for one to see Frankie Avalon & Bobby Rydell, coming Thursday night, but we had told the fam we would come home Thurs. Oh well we already saw them at the D I a few years ago. They were so good I would have seen them again tho if things would have been exactly right. As it is we saw no shows at all, We planned to go to Comedy Stop Wednesday night, but I could not wake up from my nap in time !!! Orleans Buffet - I had lots of free buffet coupons. They gave us 2 with letter (dinners) then 6 from horseplayers specials, + 2 lunches We saved the two from letter to use for lunch, just as we were leaving. We got the biggest hassle because we had already checked out of the room by TV. I could not believe they held up the buffet line for about 15 minutes until a supervisor had to roomregister us again before they would accept the coupons. I tried to eat more to get even but just could not. I wanted to leave 3 buffet coupons there for friend who was arriving the next week - they would not hold them because he was not "registered to stay at the Orleans". Word of warning - the first position at registration has a clerk who answers the phone as her first priority. She only takes care of paying customers standing right in front of her, between telephone calls. Guess who doesn't feel very important, after waiting in line ? Pool Party Tuesday 7 - 10:30 Drawings for cash & prizes - get 1000 points - $ 2.00 for ladies - free hors d'oeuvres & hurricanes and beers. watermelon, hot tacoettes, shrimp poppers, meatballs - crudite' with dip, drawing 10:40 Entertainment - Tommy Rocker's Conched Out Big Al is an ALligator. But he is fake and fony just like we like stuff in Vegas. Wed Race Book Special - Handicap CONTEST $ 20. gets free lunch and stay on mailing list. win $1. get 1 pt, 4000 pts =10 cash, 12 comp have 2000 now. Whoopie ! Got lots and lots of beads at slut clob booth and with coupon at gift shop. Elevators are long walk from casino, there is a guard there ALL THE TIME. Not just at nights like most other hotels. One day he had little knick-knacks spread out on his desk just like MIMI. Stop at Caesar's Palace cashed checks for $ 70. lost, but got 2 E songs. Terrible's for Gas won $ 20.15 on dollar in @ machine. no Terr points - out of order again. Only got one hand pay this entire trip, but had good time, still not broke. Had lots of free foods and good room rates. I have come to the conclusion that the casinos that cater to vp players have to make it up on tightening the slots. I get tired of working at vp, I like to play slots also, but it is not as easy to get a few credits or a bonus round as it is at Harrah's or Caesar's, on the new slots. ENERGY SURCHARGE. I do not think they even mentioned it at The STRAT , but could have told Claudia - I don't stand at the counter the whole time they are doing their rat-killing. On our bill is 1.83 + .16 each day, even the FREE night. At the ORLEANS they give us a little card and did mention it was 2.85 a day. ------------