maxev Live TR Delayed birthdays gratification in Vegas, 9/19-9/26

While I wait for a washer, thought I’d post some about checking out the new Bally’s casino when I went last Wednesday.

Posted a few more photos here (some duplicates):
https://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/index.php?posts/2627671/



This is the first casino in Chicago, a temporary one in the old Medinah Temple (which was last used as a department store) until the new building is completed by 2026 in the Tribune area.





The temp casino feels just like Vegas — you got your Gordon Ramsay Burger, your Eataly, your Hard Rock Cafe guitar mini-tower. And lots of other Chicago landmarks like Pizzeria Uno (and Dué), the rock ‘n roll McDonald’s, Portillo’s, and the Redhead Piano Bar. Just to name a few. There are a ton of other restaurants around that I'm sure will all get boosted by the casino. Wouldn't even mind if Bally's offers 2:1 points at neighboring restaurants like New Orleans.




Joliet unwisely removed their 3 Invaders Return from the Planet Moolah (plus 1 Return to Crystal Forest), so if I need my unicow fix, I can go to Bally’s.



Video poker is an abominable 6/5 BP and 8/5 JoB, so definitely won't be playing that.

It's really too bad there's no poker room. There could be space for it, whatever they're doing on the ground level besides the mural. And they could grab the rest of the Rivers crowd (I heard Rivers was empty this past weekend... and they offered 20x RCs).

Bally's will match status, but I'm holding off until possibly getting an offer from a purchased customer list or when I can really hunker down and give a good day's play to seed for future offers.

I ran into three people I knew while walking around. That'll take some getting used to. Even at Joliet, I always expect to be anonymous. It feels sort of like getting caught playing hooky from work.

 

@maxev have you gotten another tournament offer yet? from your host perhaps? It's been a month, but I haven't gotten any more tournaments. My "host" is still sending other stuff though, such as the reminder on the mooncake offer. i want to say to him I need to know about slot tournaments... i don't care about mooncakes

 

I assume no news is good news on the ant front.

 

The answer is always "21"

 

Can’t go to Vegas without a Nic Cage flick for the flight.

Downloaded Renfield.

 

You know you’ve spent too much time in hotels when you put your hand in your pocket and think where did I put my key card, when your apartment uses actual keys.

 

Here’s the basement I walk through to go outside, walk down an alley, and enter through another part of the building to do laundry.

It’s not usually so well-lit. I’ve often imagined a shadowy figure at the end of the hall just standing there, unmoving. Maybe holding a machete.

 

Good drainage for all the blood post-machete!

I thought Renfield was a hoot, and I also have a hardcore crush on Nicholas Hoult.

 

Ha, I guess the dentist should be its own separate section. This visit is just a cleaning and maybe a filling (since they knocked out the filling last time they did an extraction). Next visit will move to water boarding, as that's the crown and another implant.

I think it's significant every time we make it around the sun!

I didn't get the tournament or mooncake offer, but I asked my host if I could be invited to the November tourney, and he checked with events and then came back with a yes!

Ant-free since 2002!

I do now have drain flies, though. Every time I return from a trip, I spot a couple roaming around my bathtub.

 

Ha -- I can see the machete blood trickling down the drain, there's a beat, and then it all comes gurgling up! Sort of like Norman Bates watching Marion's car sink, and then it pauses... oh no! he's going to get found out!... but then it continues sinking until fully submerged.

This basement hall would make a great live stage, back when people were doing things like car plays where you have an audience of two. I think I'd do a short play performed in a loop with different actors, like Ruth Wilson recently did over 24 hours.

About a Boy is one of my favorite movies, and I'll always have a fondness for Hoult because of that. Though I first knew who he was in Warm Bodies, and now I always see him as a zombie.

 

Funny, I now can only think of him as Peter III and involuntarily shout HUZZAH! anytime I see his visage.

 

ps: I’d vicariously enjoy you doing that on your Southwest flight tomorrow while watching this film somewhere over the Grand Canyon, as I’m certain your fellow passengers would find it quite comforting as well.

HUZZAH! (as you “smash” your plastic cup into the seat back in front of you)

 

Laundry is now in the squeaky dryer.

Aside: my mother and Amsterdam cousin are in London and went to a Syrian restaurant and had Halloumi. Asked what it was, and she said it’s squeaky cheese. Instantly knew it from that description!​

When you walk down that short basement hall, you turn left and see this.



A walled-off door.

Sometimes when you’re really quiet, you can hear scratches on the door. Is it the wind? Is it insects? Or is it… you lean closer and you can almost hear something very faint. A whisper. Whispering your name.

 

It’s that sock you lost 4 months ago trying to reunite itself with its mate.

 

All the Southwest flights were open:



I have a presentation at 1:15pm (that I'm still working on now...) but I should be able to leave work at 3pm to get to the airport in time for the 5:05pm.

 

Have a great trip.

 

It's George! George Glass, I tell ya!

You're right, I'll probably slink back to Joliet in Nov/Dec to attend the Anniversary Club dates (when you've earned 35k tier without bonuses in a quarter, there's a special offer each month), even though each quarter the benefit gets worse and worse. This quarter only amounted to $200 freeplay (July), 5x RCs (or $50 freeplay) (August), and a $200 Amazon gift card (Sept).

Last quarter at least had a dinner for a possible $1000 or $5000.

 

Drat, I hit a snag with the presentation. It’s more complicated than it appears, and I need to verify some things tomorrow morning, which I should be able to do since I only have one 9am meeting.

Then it’s a lot of moving things around in PowerPoint.

I could push it one day, but people are waiting on it. Besides, that then gets into Vegas time and reliant on the Wynn WiFi.

I’m also a stickler in making sure the presentation is as clear as possible since it’ll be referred to later on. Serves me right for procrastinating to the last minute.

At least laundry is done and packed.

It’s 2:30am and hopefully I can wake up early to take the train in and avoid people. If not, I’ll just have to suffer rush hour with my luggage.

I looked into rideshare but it’s a whopping $36 if I schedule in advance. Will see what it is when I wake up.

 

Yeah!!!
A true @maxev Vegas trip!

 

Come to think of it, we also have a K, P's BFF, she's so down, she flew out to Vegas once to hang w. us for <24 hrs...

whatever you do, don't go around Vegas, asking for special K.

you may end up with the (IIRC) horse tranquilizer Ketamine.