Gamblin' Ramblin$

Calibration

Sometimes, it simply takes a special day to let you know exactly where you stand.

What a difference...

How interesting. Working retail for over 30 years...I have had the wonderful task of closing the doors on Christmas Eve. Of course people are disappointed, but they fail to realize that, maybe...just maybe, my employees just might want to go celebrate with their own families...imagine that?

Anyway, at my previous store, when this occurred, the customers would turn away and leave...some even offered holiday wishes.

At my current store, they plead and beg, and when turned away, I am labeled as a defiler of someone's mother...nice.

Gotta love it...but I don't.

Vegas...how I love thee!

So...got back from Vegas around 3pm on Wednesday. I have to say...this was one of my better trips.

Didn't do too badly at the games, considering the situation I found myself in after the first night. Hey...I came home with money, so that's a win right there!

Of course, hanging out with George and Barb was always great.

Saw Mystere...and that was awesome!

And spent a lot of time with Zali (Wendy), a former Rotting Corpses guildy. We talked, drank, gambled (this was her first time to Vegas and gambling), walked, ate, talked some more, talked a lot more! I'm sure she had a great time too, especially after winning enough to buy a Golden Nugget hoodie she had been checking out. She had a chance to check things out before I (and George and Barb) arrived, so she ended up showing me places within the GN that I didn't know existed...that was pretty cool.

The only bad thing about the trip (not bad, but eerie) was the Hitchcock-like scene at Starbucks, where we were surrounded by pidgeons with attitudes while we were "trying" to enjoy a morning snack.

And for anyone who is giving me a raised eyebrow...nothing was done in Vegas, that needed to stay in Vegas...so simmer down now!

With that being said...it's now time to begin planning for the next westward excursion!

A nice surprise

What's better than finding a $100 Cal Neva Lodge chip?

Getting it in the mail and discovering that it is a pristine chip!

Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn...

My collecting habits have changed drastically over the past few years...yeah, the occasional chip finds its way here and the casinos have all but quit making Derby chips.

I have picked up a few ashtrays, dice, and other trinkets. I have also discovered matchbooks as they are considerably cheaper to obtain and I can get those from casinos I could never afford to get chips from.

But...every great now and then, something presents itself to me and I am compelled to act.

A Holy Grail chip, from one of the two casinos I still collect, The Cal-Neva Lodge in Lake Tahoe.

A rather plain, ordinary chip from the early 50's. But what makes this one special is the denomination...it's a $100 chip.

Think about it...who would (or even could?) play with $100 chips in the 50's? Apparently, only a couple hundred of these were even made in the first place...and that's understood...once again, not too many folks had the resources to gamble with 100's back then. And now, to find one available after nearly 60 years?

Awesome.

A day to remember, or fear

Once again, August 3rd rolls around on the calendar and once again the emotions associated with this day toss me about like a scrap of paper on a windy day.

Ten years...has it been that long already? With all the crap that I dealt with in 2001, the most significant event was the passing of my Mother on this day. Damn, I miss you Mom...there are so many times I wish I could just hear once more from you that "Things will be allright."

Hopefully, I'll get a chance to visit my personal sanctuary in November and I'll give the Little Green Men a reminder of your own battles with them...and also hopefully, they'll give up a few coins in the process.

Three years...every single day I ponder how things could have gone differently. Maybe...one day I'll just quit beating my head against the wall and realize that it wasn't all my fault. But then...I really should read what I wrote above and think what happened in the past was not my fault. After all this time...you will reap what you sow...I will hold my head up.

I miss my kids...I really, really miss my kids...and yeah, the cats too. The kids lives are passing me by and I get only a glimpse of them on occasion. I just hope they are happy...they seem to be. I just hate being a person to visit every now and then, only being a Dad when the situation calls for it, or when they are instructed to "talk to me about it"...like a tool one pulls out of the toolchest, but only when needed or when someone else doesn't feel like dealing with the issue.

Forecast is calling for isolated storms today...I guess I better find something to hold on to.

A self-induced Zombie invasion

This past week saw an unusual occurence in my home town. I knew they were coming, and the air was electric with anticipation mixed with a little bit of fear.

Late Sunday evening it happened...

The Rotting Corpses descended upon Louisville!

Zali,Foul, Hurtz, Drclal, Bigcee, Omegaosmin gathered at my place for 2 days of food, drink (not you Big!!), games, and good times. Yes, we even got online occasionally to check into the game...just to make sure Azeroth was ok while we were not there to keep an eye on things...damn gnomes were running rampant all over, I'm sure.

So yes, we brought it all on ourselves, and are the better for it.

Folks who do not play WOW, simply do not understand the concept of the social engagement of the game. While the majority of the time is spent questing, working professions, jumping into battle, and downing bosses...the rest of the time is spent in varying forms of chat, be it party, guild, raid, battleground, and personal whispers. Adding voice chat simply adds to the engagement and you can really get to know people as you play.

With social networks, we can see pics and get an even better idea of the people we spend so much time with online.

BUT...

Getting the chance to actually meet with each other...trade hugs, eat and just lounge around...puts everything together. These are powerful emotions we are talking about.

Folks who do not play WOW, simply roll their eyes, oblivious to what I'm talking about. My friends here say I need to get out and meet "real" people. While that may be a good thing, I want to meet people on my terms, hell I'm sniffing 50 and I've earned the right to do things the way I want. The people I've met throught the game have gone through a long process by me and I associate with those who I feel comfortable and confident with. A safe environment is available to all of us, and there are some I spend a "lot" of time with doing a variety of things.

Besides, after dealing with I have to on a daily basis at work...I'm pretty tired of "RL" interaction at the end of the day.

Folks who don't play WOW, simply don't know what they are missing...it's much more than just a game.

It just makes you wonder...or rage

When I'm busting my ass all year...putting up with all kinds of "society", getting stressed to the point of bursting a vessel, and having to ravage my retirement savings to pay for shite that I really don't believe I was responsible for.

Every time I thought I was just starting to get my head above water...more financial drama...repairs on the old car...getting an new car. I'm in constant mouth pain and ringing in the ears because I can't afford the medical bills.

Then comes...tax day.

Here's where the rage comes in...I discover that certain acquaintances (not friends or family) are getting back more in tax refunds than they EARNED for the entire year of 2010! WTF??? Oh...they had expenses...bullshit...those were paid for by US! They are on Federal assistance...free lunches, reduced housing, food stamps (what a fucking joke), free medical...all their shit is free, and yet they pull in over $15K in refunds??!!

Oh yeah...and they laugh about it...I guess I would too if I were getting away with a perfect crime.

How in the hell is that right? How can these "people" get away with this?

Well...I just can't wait for the "sharing of the wealth" that's being promised by the Administration...

I'll handle my end...just call a fair game, ok Ref? (that means you, Washington DC)