This trip was early anniversary and annual Kentucky Derby trip. We enjoy the Derby, so celebrate the 13th anniversary a little early to enjoy our happy place. Coach would say he has been happily married for 2 years. Hopefully he is kidding. 
WARNING – FIRST DAY OR SO IS LONG, AFTER THAT, NOTES GET SKETCHY
Day One – Friday May 2
Our direct Southwest flight out of Cleveland leaves approximately 25 minutes late as our plane was late coming in. I like the new Southwest line up personally. No jockeying for spots and camping out. Seems to run smoothly and efficiently. Coach and I had A26 and A27 boarding passes and grabbed our usual window and middle seat. A very nice nurse heading to Vegas to visit a friend for a girls weekend sat next to us and was a great seat mate. Made conversation here and there, but she mostly relaxed and enjoyed the ride. Coach and I packed a lunch to have on the plane so we don’t starve on the 4 hour and 40 minute flight gate to gate. We watched the Tom Cruise and Glenn Close flick Lions for Lambs, which frankly, in my opinion, sucked. Coach didn’t seem impressed either. I thought it was way too predictable and completely forgettable. We also watched Oceans 13, which was MUCH better in comparison, but the battery died half way through the picture, and although we had the laptop, we elected to just kick back and enjoy the scenery.
Flight was uneventful, EXCEPT for the upstanding citizens sitting behind us. T was a couple and a boy, approximately 13 year old boy. First the 13 year old boy was REPEATEDLY putting his armrest up and down with force, which kept making a clanging sound and despite the fact it was not connected to my seat, kept making my seat move. This could have also been his knees hitting my seat, who knows. Now as a mother who flies with her children a couple times a year (they are 6 and 10) they know to not kick the seat in front of them, put up and down the tray for no apparent reason etc. Now I do NOT have perfect children and this sometimes requires a reminder, however, nothing that I heard was said to this boy, but I did give the death stare a couple times, of which he was oblivious. Now that being said, I do not totally blame his parents/guardians, whatever, as they started drinking wine as soon as beverage service started and did not stop until the flight attendant informed them that no more drinks were being served since we were descending into Vegas.
They were beyond trashed, getting louder and louder and words slurring more and more often which resulted in several looks between my husband, myself and our seat mate. I was actually surprised that they continued to serve them. Anyway, our seat mate tells us that the flight attendant had asked the female if she had smoked in the restroom at one point, I missed this part, probably was watching the movie. So as we are descending into Vegas and attendants are safely in their seats, she lights up a cigarette. Yep! Her husband or whoever loudly says put that out! And I have no idea where she put it out, but it went out. Unreal. And flight attendants didn’t catch her as they were safely in their seats. I felt bad for the kid because both his parents were tanked and its early afternoon and they are done for the day and what is that kid going to do? Yikes. Anyway, we landed on time at 1pm vegas time despite late start.
We waited for luggage, had a very short wait at cab line and off to Bally’s. Coach and I had a little bet he came up with the night before we left. He set gas at $3.95 line and asked if I wanted the over or under. Gas had been around $3.60 at home and I immediately took the over thinking this was the first big score of the trip. WRONG! Coach won! I hate when he’s right. He was just a little too proud of himself. It was only $20 bucks though. Come to think of it, I never paid him. In currency anyway.
No one in check in line at Bally’s and I wanted to see if we could get into our room early. Had a very nice gentleman help us and asked for complimentary upgrade using my $20 sandwich. I mentioned the room with the Jacuzzi tub, but it was not to be at that point. He said he could get us in a “Diamond†room now in North tower or if we wanted to wait til 6pm he could get us a fabulous room we would love. After leaving home at 9am that morning (it was around 5 back in Ohio), I just wanted to freshen up and hit the casino so we took diamond room. He handed me the $20 back, but since it was technically an upgrade (we had discounted classic room reserved) and he did help and give us some options, I gave him the $20. Good karma, I hoped.
So off to room 2177. Ok. I was a bit disappointed. What is a diamond room anyway? I have been spoiled last few trips with Jacuzzi suite with 2 vanities, big room etc and the room was nice and it was clean, but I was initially disappointed. Then I realize, what the hell am I complaining about? Nice room, clean, no view, but when are we in it, and we are in Vegas!! So I get happy, unpack quickly, freshen up and off we go.
Coach heads to Sports Book to get a few bets in and I am ready for a beer, so I head to bar VP and throw a $20 in and get a beer. So, I had my $20 corona, and off we go for Ellis Island steak special. Good as always. Head back to Bally’s and I play some VP while coach hits the poker room. I had dropped $80 in 25 cent VP (which is what I play whole trip unless I indicate otherwise) with only a $35 ticket. So I decide one more $20 then I will go to poker room. So finally, at 5p Vegas time I hit 4ok aces! Go me! No kicker, but I will take it. I cash out and head over to poker room to see if I can get in at coach’s table. So I am fortunate enough that a seat was open at his table for 1-2 NL and I buy in for $250. The cocktail waitress was good to me and I drank quite as few coronas. Had to laugh at one point as I saw a bar back wheeling a cart through the casino to bar near poker room with several cases of corona. I know they weren’t all for me, but it makes me laugh anyway. Had a couple fun people at table, so that was nice. Did get into a hand with coach at one point, raised before flop, I think he re-raised me, maybe one other caller at that point (corona had well past kicked in at this point, memory gets a little dicey
). Flop comes and nothing exciting there. We keep betting and other player folds, coach ends up all in and I call. Coach was slightly disappointed to see my aces after he flipped his pocket kings. Poor guy. I busted him out. He took it well. Pot was about $350. I felt bad because I usually play a little looser than I should after a few, ok, a lot of beers, and he probably thought I had nothing. At this point he had done damage to at least a 12 of miller lite, so he called it a night. The guys at table were teasing me about busting out Coach, but all in good fun. They kept asking me if I was going to be in trouble. Funny. I played a bit longer, but after a trip to the ladies room when I was strolling back to the poker room at an angle I decided it was time to call it a day, gave a final tip to the dealer, and cashed out. Told the guys I had to go make Coach feel better. 
At end of day, Coach was down $350, and I was up about $350.
More to come.....
WARNING – FIRST DAY OR SO IS LONG, AFTER THAT, NOTES GET SKETCHY
Day One – Friday May 2
Our direct Southwest flight out of Cleveland leaves approximately 25 minutes late as our plane was late coming in. I like the new Southwest line up personally. No jockeying for spots and camping out. Seems to run smoothly and efficiently. Coach and I had A26 and A27 boarding passes and grabbed our usual window and middle seat. A very nice nurse heading to Vegas to visit a friend for a girls weekend sat next to us and was a great seat mate. Made conversation here and there, but she mostly relaxed and enjoyed the ride. Coach and I packed a lunch to have on the plane so we don’t starve on the 4 hour and 40 minute flight gate to gate. We watched the Tom Cruise and Glenn Close flick Lions for Lambs, which frankly, in my opinion, sucked. Coach didn’t seem impressed either. I thought it was way too predictable and completely forgettable. We also watched Oceans 13, which was MUCH better in comparison, but the battery died half way through the picture, and although we had the laptop, we elected to just kick back and enjoy the scenery.
Flight was uneventful, EXCEPT for the upstanding citizens sitting behind us. T was a couple and a boy, approximately 13 year old boy. First the 13 year old boy was REPEATEDLY putting his armrest up and down with force, which kept making a clanging sound and despite the fact it was not connected to my seat, kept making my seat move. This could have also been his knees hitting my seat, who knows. Now as a mother who flies with her children a couple times a year (they are 6 and 10) they know to not kick the seat in front of them, put up and down the tray for no apparent reason etc. Now I do NOT have perfect children and this sometimes requires a reminder, however, nothing that I heard was said to this boy, but I did give the death stare a couple times, of which he was oblivious. Now that being said, I do not totally blame his parents/guardians, whatever, as they started drinking wine as soon as beverage service started and did not stop until the flight attendant informed them that no more drinks were being served since we were descending into Vegas.
They were beyond trashed, getting louder and louder and words slurring more and more often which resulted in several looks between my husband, myself and our seat mate. I was actually surprised that they continued to serve them. Anyway, our seat mate tells us that the flight attendant had asked the female if she had smoked in the restroom at one point, I missed this part, probably was watching the movie. So as we are descending into Vegas and attendants are safely in their seats, she lights up a cigarette. Yep! Her husband or whoever loudly says put that out! And I have no idea where she put it out, but it went out. Unreal. And flight attendants didn’t catch her as they were safely in their seats. I felt bad for the kid because both his parents were tanked and its early afternoon and they are done for the day and what is that kid going to do? Yikes. Anyway, we landed on time at 1pm vegas time despite late start.
We waited for luggage, had a very short wait at cab line and off to Bally’s. Coach and I had a little bet he came up with the night before we left. He set gas at $3.95 line and asked if I wanted the over or under. Gas had been around $3.60 at home and I immediately took the over thinking this was the first big score of the trip. WRONG! Coach won! I hate when he’s right. He was just a little too proud of himself. It was only $20 bucks though. Come to think of it, I never paid him. In currency anyway.
No one in check in line at Bally’s and I wanted to see if we could get into our room early. Had a very nice gentleman help us and asked for complimentary upgrade using my $20 sandwich. I mentioned the room with the Jacuzzi tub, but it was not to be at that point. He said he could get us in a “Diamond†room now in North tower or if we wanted to wait til 6pm he could get us a fabulous room we would love. After leaving home at 9am that morning (it was around 5 back in Ohio), I just wanted to freshen up and hit the casino so we took diamond room. He handed me the $20 back, but since it was technically an upgrade (we had discounted classic room reserved) and he did help and give us some options, I gave him the $20. Good karma, I hoped.
So off to room 2177. Ok. I was a bit disappointed. What is a diamond room anyway? I have been spoiled last few trips with Jacuzzi suite with 2 vanities, big room etc and the room was nice and it was clean, but I was initially disappointed. Then I realize, what the hell am I complaining about? Nice room, clean, no view, but when are we in it, and we are in Vegas!! So I get happy, unpack quickly, freshen up and off we go.
Coach heads to Sports Book to get a few bets in and I am ready for a beer, so I head to bar VP and throw a $20 in and get a beer. So, I had my $20 corona, and off we go for Ellis Island steak special. Good as always. Head back to Bally’s and I play some VP while coach hits the poker room. I had dropped $80 in 25 cent VP (which is what I play whole trip unless I indicate otherwise) with only a $35 ticket. So I decide one more $20 then I will go to poker room. So finally, at 5p Vegas time I hit 4ok aces! Go me! No kicker, but I will take it. I cash out and head over to poker room to see if I can get in at coach’s table. So I am fortunate enough that a seat was open at his table for 1-2 NL and I buy in for $250. The cocktail waitress was good to me and I drank quite as few coronas. Had to laugh at one point as I saw a bar back wheeling a cart through the casino to bar near poker room with several cases of corona. I know they weren’t all for me, but it makes me laugh anyway. Had a couple fun people at table, so that was nice. Did get into a hand with coach at one point, raised before flop, I think he re-raised me, maybe one other caller at that point (corona had well past kicked in at this point, memory gets a little dicey
). Flop comes and nothing exciting there. We keep betting and other player folds, coach ends up all in and I call. Coach was slightly disappointed to see my aces after he flipped his pocket kings. Poor guy. I busted him out. He took it well. Pot was about $350. I felt bad because I usually play a little looser than I should after a few, ok, a lot of beers, and he probably thought I had nothing. At this point he had done damage to at least a 12 of miller lite, so he called it a night. The guys at table were teasing me about busting out Coach, but all in good fun. They kept asking me if I was going to be in trouble. Funny. I played a bit longer, but after a trip to the ladies room when I was strolling back to the poker room at an angle I decided it was time to call it a day, gave a final tip to the dealer, and cashed out. Told the guys I had to go make Coach feel better. At end of day, Coach was down $350, and I was up about $350.
More to come.....
