2024--Las Vegas
Prologue
This trip is Margo’s 60th birthday present. I told her about it on her birthday. More accurately, she and several family members helped her through an Escape Room exercise, to uncover that this was her present. It was followed up by a couple of hours of axe throwing, at Lizzie’s in Brighton. It was a fun evening attended by Jolene & Randy, Jaeden & Devon, Jessi and Pete, Darrin & Kris, Sally & Chuck, Jayme & Pam, and Jackie. That makes this trip, part three and the final piece of Margo’s present. I hope we both have a good time.
Day One-Thursday, January 18, 2024
After being off work all day Wednesday, which I spent cleaning house, I went to bed a 10 PM, with the intent of getting 4 ½ hours of sleep. It was pretty lousy sleep, with my Fit Bit saying I got 2 hr and 50 minutes, and scoring it 64 out of 100. Still better than nothing at all.
We were on the road by 3:15 AM, still half asleep. I hate these early mornings. I originally booked a later flight, but Southwest canceled the flight, two months prior and put us on this one. I was going to complain and have something done, but then I thought, we could just spend the extra time in Pahrump. It would be lost sleep for a good cause, and require no additional effort. Win/Win.
We had to make a pit stop at work. For the last dozen trips, I think, we have been parking at USAirport Parking, which sits on the border of where I work. This parking lot was literally the only thing in this whole area, with acres of land around it. Then we built our warehouse in 2017. Anyway, with as close as it is, I decided that I would drop off Sarah’s, my most junior cycle counter, birthday card, and present. It took five minutes and would save me a trip. Her birthday is Monday, and I would not be back to work until a week later.
That accomplished we parked, caught our shuttle, and we were at the airport by 4:30 AM, right on schedule to catch our 6:30 flight.
When Margo checked us in, the night before, she got boarding positions A-25 and A-26. These are very good spots, guaranteeing we would have not only a row together, but in the first half of the plane. 15 minutes before boarding I noticed that our gate was still very empty. The gate agent confirmed what I was thinking, when he told us that everyone on today’s flight would be in the A group, and there would be over 100 empty seats. This has never happened to me before. Everyone boarded in ten minutes, and we sat for 15 minutes waiting to close the door and actually leave. I never expect to see that again.
Margo and I were both tired and slept some on the plane. I rarely sleep well, usually because I am uncomfortable. This was no exception. I decided against taking my neck pillow, because the last several times, the airplane seats were designed for a nap. These weren’t. Even though no one was in the middle seat, obviously, I couldn’t get comfortable. But, time passed quickly, so I must have gotten some sleep.
We didn’t check any luggage on this trip, so we got to go right to ground transportation. One train ride, one bus ride, and we were there. We reserved an economy car, and ended up with a 2023 Honda Civic. It sits as low to the ground as a Ferrari. I won’t be buying one for my next car. Still, once in it, it drives nice and is easy on the eyes. An hour later we were pulling into Uncle Donnie and Aunt Prim’s driveway, right at 9:30 AM.
Uncle Donnie and Aunt Prim had made breakfast for us. Uncle Donnie makes very good crepes, and a cream filling that is beyond my powers of description. Apple filling, plus bacon, hash browns, and Aunt Prim’s mimosas. It had two plates and ate more than I should have, considering I was tired and had a drive later. It was really good.
We sat at the dining room table and got caught up. There was not tons of news, but some. Trask, who had been in Iraq, was now in Dubai, or at least near it. He is an electrician, and is traveling the world peddling his skills. Aunt Prim says he wants to buy oceanfront property in Mexico, but Mexico has strict laws governing non-citizens owning property. He has a lawyer to navigate that minefield.
Veah, who is Aunt Prim and Uncle Donnie’s step great-granddaughter, via two different marriages, and goes by Destiny now, is doing a little better. She is not institutionalized, which is better than what I wrote about her last trip. Maybe all the prayers helped. She is only 16, which is a really tough age for kids. Old enough to start doing some things, but too young and stupid to know what to do, without getting hurt or into trouble.
Misty is working as a teacher’s aide. Aunt Prim used a different title, but the duties are similar. On her first day, they kind of threw her to the wolves, having her care for a couple of autistic children. One of them was physical with Misty, and the teacher finally had to get help. Misty was unsure if she wanted to go back. She had never had the training to deal with these troubled kids, and should never been put in that position. The teacher later apologized, and she hasn’t been working with those kids since.
Knox, one of two full great-grandchildren, via, Misty and Tim’s son, Drake, might be autistic. He has been slow to pick up his verbal skills. They had him tested for a hearing deficiency and found that his ear canal it narrow. They installed some tubes to help with drainage or something. Everyone is hoping that this is the real problem.
The six hours we were with Uncle Donnie and Aunt Prim went fast. Aunt Prim wanted to take us to Cathedral Canyon, which is an attraction that a guy created on his property. It has a large statue of Christ, and suspension bridge, and stairs that take you down to the viewing area. That viewing area had various memorials, and even an Indian grave. I don’t know much more than that. But, since this rancher (I think) died, vandals have destroyed everything. Why do people have to be like that? It was really too late in the afternoon, as Uncle Donnie had a doctor’s appointment at 4 PM.
They invited us to come out and spend a few days with them, and take a trip into the desert to see Scotty’s Castle. This is another attraction. This one is in California, and has been kept up. The trouble is they have had a lot of damage from flooding, and are just now coming online after being down about 3-4 years. Margo and I would love to see it.
Aunt Prim said there was no reason for us to run off, as she did not have anywhere to be, but Margo and I were both tired, and thinking of a nap.
We left about 3:30, and drove for about 30 minutes, before I had to stop to go to the bathroom. Between the diuretic that I take for my blood pressure, and missing my morning insulin, my bladder was being active. But, we did not have a deadline, so no foul.
We are staying at the South Point Hotel and Resort, which is on Las Vegas Blvd, but south of the airport. I was in no hurry to stay either downtown or on the Strip. I wanted to give Margo her casino trip, have a few diversions, restaurant choices, and a hotel.
We had visited with Pam and Jayme on our last trip out to Vegas. We were only there for an hour. I spent most of that time wandering to see what the place was about. I liked it, and decided that our next trip to Vegas, whenever that was to be, would probably be to South Point.
We pulled in and valet parked. Check-in went smoothly, but it was a hike from the hotel registration desk to the hotel elevators. We each had two bags, and Margo’s was getting heavy, so I took one, and finished our trip to the room.
The room was nice. Two queen beds, table and chairs, desk, coffee machine, and a sink/counter separate from the shower/bath area. The beds were comfortable. The pillows are never as firm as I like, but I am used to dealing with that.
As soon as we got settled we fed the slot machines. They did not give much back. So, we decided to eat. We decided on the Coronado Café, as the buffet seemed expensive. The Coronado Café was not a lot better, and the service was slow. But, the food was good, and Margo got to have liver and onions. She considers that a treat, rather than culinary torture, but as long as I don’t have to eat it. I had their Roast Beef special. It was better than expected
After dinner, it was back to the slot machines. I did nothing but feed 20s into the machine. Margo was winning some, but still losing more. We were tired and went up to the hotel room about 10 PM
I was just climbing into bed when I got a text from Pam at work. She is my supervisor, reports to me, and has a good relationship with Trey. He had gotten a hold of her, and told her that his grandmother had died. Expletive! I knew it!
For some background, since Thanksgiving someone on my team has lost; a mother, a father, a son, and now a grandmother, One had a sister hospitalized three times, and another had her mother fall and break her hip. This is on top of Margo’s brain tumor, surgery, and radiation treatment. I told everyone I had a bad feeling about this trip.
I went to bed. It was 10:30 PM
We were on the road by 3:15 AM, still half asleep. I hate these early mornings. I originally booked a later flight, but Southwest canceled the flight, two months prior and put us on this one. I was going to complain and have something done, but then I thought, we could just spend the extra time in Pahrump. It would be lost sleep for a good cause, and require no additional effort. Win/Win.
We had to make a pit stop at work. For the last dozen trips, I think, we have been parking at USAirport Parking, which sits on the border of where I work. This parking lot was literally the only thing in this whole area, with acres of land around it. Then we built our warehouse in 2017. Anyway, with as close as it is, I decided that I would drop off Sarah’s, my most junior cycle counter, birthday card, and present. It took five minutes and would save me a trip. Her birthday is Monday, and I would not be back to work until a week later.
That accomplished we parked, caught our shuttle, and we were at the airport by 4:30 AM, right on schedule to catch our 6:30 flight.
When Margo checked us in, the night before, she got boarding positions A-25 and A-26. These are very good spots, guaranteeing we would have not only a row together, but in the first half of the plane. 15 minutes before boarding I noticed that our gate was still very empty. The gate agent confirmed what I was thinking, when he told us that everyone on today’s flight would be in the A group, and there would be over 100 empty seats. This has never happened to me before. Everyone boarded in ten minutes, and we sat for 15 minutes waiting to close the door and actually leave. I never expect to see that again.
Margo and I were both tired and slept some on the plane. I rarely sleep well, usually because I am uncomfortable. This was no exception. I decided against taking my neck pillow, because the last several times, the airplane seats were designed for a nap. These weren’t. Even though no one was in the middle seat, obviously, I couldn’t get comfortable. But, time passed quickly, so I must have gotten some sleep.
We didn’t check any luggage on this trip, so we got to go right to ground transportation. One train ride, one bus ride, and we were there. We reserved an economy car, and ended up with a 2023 Honda Civic. It sits as low to the ground as a Ferrari. I won’t be buying one for my next car. Still, once in it, it drives nice and is easy on the eyes. An hour later we were pulling into Uncle Donnie and Aunt Prim’s driveway, right at 9:30 AM.
Uncle Donnie and Aunt Prim had made breakfast for us. Uncle Donnie makes very good crepes, and a cream filling that is beyond my powers of description. Apple filling, plus bacon, hash browns, and Aunt Prim’s mimosas. It had two plates and ate more than I should have, considering I was tired and had a drive later. It was really good.
We sat at the dining room table and got caught up. There was not tons of news, but some. Trask, who had been in Iraq, was now in Dubai, or at least near it. He is an electrician, and is traveling the world peddling his skills. Aunt Prim says he wants to buy oceanfront property in Mexico, but Mexico has strict laws governing non-citizens owning property. He has a lawyer to navigate that minefield.
Veah, who is Aunt Prim and Uncle Donnie’s step great-granddaughter, via two different marriages, and goes by Destiny now, is doing a little better. She is not institutionalized, which is better than what I wrote about her last trip. Maybe all the prayers helped. She is only 16, which is a really tough age for kids. Old enough to start doing some things, but too young and stupid to know what to do, without getting hurt or into trouble.
Misty is working as a teacher’s aide. Aunt Prim used a different title, but the duties are similar. On her first day, they kind of threw her to the wolves, having her care for a couple of autistic children. One of them was physical with Misty, and the teacher finally had to get help. Misty was unsure if she wanted to go back. She had never had the training to deal with these troubled kids, and should never been put in that position. The teacher later apologized, and she hasn’t been working with those kids since.
Knox, one of two full great-grandchildren, via, Misty and Tim’s son, Drake, might be autistic. He has been slow to pick up his verbal skills. They had him tested for a hearing deficiency and found that his ear canal it narrow. They installed some tubes to help with drainage or something. Everyone is hoping that this is the real problem.
The six hours we were with Uncle Donnie and Aunt Prim went fast. Aunt Prim wanted to take us to Cathedral Canyon, which is an attraction that a guy created on his property. It has a large statue of Christ, and suspension bridge, and stairs that take you down to the viewing area. That viewing area had various memorials, and even an Indian grave. I don’t know much more than that. But, since this rancher (I think) died, vandals have destroyed everything. Why do people have to be like that? It was really too late in the afternoon, as Uncle Donnie had a doctor’s appointment at 4 PM.
They invited us to come out and spend a few days with them, and take a trip into the desert to see Scotty’s Castle. This is another attraction. This one is in California, and has been kept up. The trouble is they have had a lot of damage from flooding, and are just now coming online after being down about 3-4 years. Margo and I would love to see it.
Aunt Prim said there was no reason for us to run off, as she did not have anywhere to be, but Margo and I were both tired, and thinking of a nap.
We left about 3:30, and drove for about 30 minutes, before I had to stop to go to the bathroom. Between the diuretic that I take for my blood pressure, and missing my morning insulin, my bladder was being active. But, we did not have a deadline, so no foul.
We are staying at the South Point Hotel and Resort, which is on Las Vegas Blvd, but south of the airport. I was in no hurry to stay either downtown or on the Strip. I wanted to give Margo her casino trip, have a few diversions, restaurant choices, and a hotel.
We had visited with Pam and Jayme on our last trip out to Vegas. We were only there for an hour. I spent most of that time wandering to see what the place was about. I liked it, and decided that our next trip to Vegas, whenever that was to be, would probably be to South Point.
We pulled in and valet parked. Check-in went smoothly, but it was a hike from the hotel registration desk to the hotel elevators. We each had two bags, and Margo’s was getting heavy, so I took one, and finished our trip to the room.
The room was nice. Two queen beds, table and chairs, desk, coffee machine, and a sink/counter separate from the shower/bath area. The beds were comfortable. The pillows are never as firm as I like, but I am used to dealing with that.
As soon as we got settled we fed the slot machines. They did not give much back. So, we decided to eat. We decided on the Coronado Café, as the buffet seemed expensive. The Coronado Café was not a lot better, and the service was slow. But, the food was good, and Margo got to have liver and onions. She considers that a treat, rather than culinary torture, but as long as I don’t have to eat it. I had their Roast Beef special. It was better than expected
After dinner, it was back to the slot machines. I did nothing but feed 20s into the machine. Margo was winning some, but still losing more. We were tired and went up to the hotel room about 10 PM
I was just climbing into bed when I got a text from Pam at work. She is my supervisor, reports to me, and has a good relationship with Trey. He had gotten a hold of her, and told her that his grandmother had died. Expletive! I knew it!
For some background, since Thanksgiving someone on my team has lost; a mother, a father, a son, and now a grandmother, One had a sister hospitalized three times, and another had her mother fall and break her hip. This is on top of Margo’s brain tumor, surgery, and radiation treatment. I told everyone I had a bad feeling about this trip.
I went to bed. It was 10:30 PM
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Day Two--Friday, January 19, 2024
We had nothing planned, so were going to sleep in. But, Mary’s text about Trey woke us up at 6:24. I rolled over and slept, fitful, for another 1 ½ hrs. I got up at 8 AM. Margo had been up since 7:30 AM.
The breakfast price of the buffet, the Garden Buffet, looked reasonable, so we decided on that. I am not sure if it was being at a resort, the recent two years of inflation, or both, but food costs seemed really high. I always plan a decent amount of money for food, but we would likely be going over budget here. Whatever. We were here to have a good time.
We liked the buffet. They had a lot of nice selections, including lots of fruit and desserts. I made a couple of trips and expected to push lunch off until well into the afternoon.
We only gambled for about an hour after eating breakfast. Margo wanted to see what the bingo options were, so we went upstairs. It was nearly noon, and they would be selling cards at 12:15 for the 1 PM session. That sounded good to her, so we were at the window, at 12:05.
I had decided I wanted to try the electronic machines I had seen at other bingo halls. I wanted to see if they were worth the extra cost. South Point offered desktop machines, that had a big screen, for only $3 extra. I have no idea what I actually bought, card-wise. The lady kept asking if I wanted this, and that, and I just kept saying Yes, not wanting to miss out. Margo got the same thing. By the time we were done, I spent about $130, cash. A little steep, but it looked like fun.
Neither Margo nor I knew very much about the electronic version. The lady said everything was loaded, and we did not have to do anything. It would automatically mark our cards for us. What they failed to tell us, was that it would also rotate our cards, putting those closest to the bingo up top, and that it would beep at us, when we were within one number. Margo got to one number, it beeped and someone yelled Bingo. We both thought she had also won, so I nudged her, and she called out, weakly. Another lady, straightened us out. I had noticed the machine was playing 90-plus cards for me, and I asked if that was right. It was. The rest of the next hour was smooth.
At the end of the session, neither of us had won anything, but we had gotten close a bunch of times. I am pretty sure I will not be going back to paper and dobbers. I thought I would hate just watching the machine do the work, but it was so much more fun, looking to see what I needed, and watching the machine shuffle my cards as one card got closer than another. Margo might be a convert, too. She had gotten some paper cards, but seemed to be as enamored with the screen as I was.
After bingo, as we were upstairs, I wanted to poke my head in and watch some of the bowlers. Margo was not going to be able to bowl, and I had my doubts about me as well. My lower back has been a constant source of aggravation for me, for the last six months. With that itch scratched, we started to walk to the escalator, and saw that their arcade was upstairs. Margo likes to go to Boondocks, so we went in and got $80 worth between the two of us.
I spent most of that blowing up dinosaurs, which does not earn any points, which can be used for their prizes. Margo played only games that gave points. Towards the end, we both played skeetball and did reasonably well. I gave Margo my card, and we went downstairs with the intent of coming back later to redeem them.
For the next couple of hours, Margo hit the slots, while I played the electronic versions of BlackJack, Roulette, and Poker. I had some success, but I kept giving it back. I think in the end, I dropped $80 after being up by $20. Just one more hand. Then I would lose. One more to win it back. Then another. I have never had to set a win goal. Maybe I will now. If I win this much at these card games, I walk away.
We decided that our dinner would be at Steak and Shake. I think I ate there about 30 years ago on a business trip to the St Louis area. I recall that it was OK, and no reason not to go back. I knew I would be having a burger and a shake. South Point is a Pepsi house, something neither of are fans of. But, Steak and Shake has their contract with Coke, so we both ordered one.
Margo ordered a classic single with cheese, and ordered one of their Prime Cheeseburgers. While I was waiting for the food to come out, I made a reservation for tomorrow night at their steakhouse, The Silverado Steakhouse. I was hoping it would be good enough to at least come close to justify the cost of that meal.
The burgers came out and they were really good. But, what really stood out was the damn whip cream on my shake. I’m no fan of whip cream, but this was so good I was craving more. Very creamy and firm. Margo agreed. Two thumbs up.
I didn’t gamble much after dinner, as I just kept giving money back. Once I was down $80, I texted Margo I was going upstairs to write and stop the green bleeding.
Margo met me at 7 PM, which was about 30 minutes later. She was out of money. South Point is doing fine by us. Margo had gotten distracted by something that was probably going to stay in Las Vegas, and ended up pushing the big money bet button, a couple, three times. It does not take many of those to chew through your money, and it did. I have done the same thing, and you never seem to hit on those accidents.
The Tony Orlando concert was at 7:30 PM, the The Showroom. Tony Orlando is retiring and he made it sound like this series of three shows at South Point was it for him. I was not a huge fan growing up, but everyone my age remembers Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree and Knock Three Times. So, I had gotten tickets in advance.
I bought the best that were available, and while they were not bad, we sat at a table that faced each other, instead of the stage, so I ended up with a crick in my neck. But, that was the worst of my complaints. He put on a good show. In addition to the two songs I mentioned, he had three other hits; Has Anyone Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose, Candida, and He Don’t Love You. I really did not recognize the last two by their title, but the songs came back to me once he started singing them
A least half of his show was getting his band, his second family involved. He started with his drummer, Tim Pope, who was very good with the sticks and had a great voice. I think he said Tim and he had been together for 42 years.
Then he moved on to “Captain” Sibley, who plays bass guitar. Tony made a point of telling everyone he was 79 years old. Then he told us the “Captain” was 19 years old, and had been with him for two weeks. He also asked everyone if they thought he looked like Harry Potter, with his black hair and glasses. They had fun with age difference and musical tastes, and settled on The Captain singing Paul Simon’s Call Me Al. That kid nailed it.
He made his way through most of the band, missing the guy I was most intrigued about; his harpist. Yes, Tony Orlando has a harp in his band. Why? Because he wanted one. Anyway, I looked into it when I got back, and the guy's name is Mariano Gonzales, of Paraguay. Tony had him play a solo, two days later, and the YouTube I saw, he was amazing.
Tony and the band played some Earth, Wind, and Fire, and a Beatles medley. It was all very good.
The crowd was older, his original fans from the 70s, and they acted like it. I think half the guys had been dragged there by their wives and did not clap, but made up for it by frowning the whole time. Margo and I had a great time, singing to songs, and clapping to keep rhythm. It was fun and I am glad we did it. The show was a bit short, at maybe an hour and fifteen minutes.
We decided to go upstairs and cash in Margo’s arcade points. I had no interest in watching her decide how to divide up her 1,000 or so points, so I wandered across the way, to watch the bowlers. There I got my introduction to the two-handed throw.
I have not bowled in about thirty years, and while this style, which involves holding the ball to your right side and then heaving it out, using the right hand to give the ball a huge spin, has been around since the 1980s, it really became noticeable in the mid-2000s, when a pro-bowler named Jason Belmonte won rookie of the year using this style. The young bowlers thought this looked cool, and it has become popular with them.
When I saw it, I thought that they were just fooling around and no one had taught them to bowl, but then I started noticing they were getting strikes. You don’t get strikes, even reasonably often, without practice. So this was not their first time. At least three guys were using this style after I looked closer, so I knew that things had changed. I showed Margo when she was done getting her loot, and she had never seen anything like it. Learn something new, every day.
With the upstairs no longer holding our attention we decided we wanted ice cream. South Point has its very own ice cream shop, Kate’s Korner, which stocks Dreyer’s ice cream. I have loved Dreyer’s chocolate since I was a youngster. I don’t recall what Margo got, but I got two scoops in a waffle cone and was a happy camper.
After ice cream, we went back to the room. Margo and I played a round of Michigan Rummy with the cards she had just gotten with her arcade loot. They were smaller than standard size, but I did not expect a pit boss to bust in and confiscate them, as no money was involved. After that some writing, some doom-scrolling, and in bed around midnight. All things considered, it was still a fun day.
The breakfast price of the buffet, the Garden Buffet, looked reasonable, so we decided on that. I am not sure if it was being at a resort, the recent two years of inflation, or both, but food costs seemed really high. I always plan a decent amount of money for food, but we would likely be going over budget here. Whatever. We were here to have a good time.
We liked the buffet. They had a lot of nice selections, including lots of fruit and desserts. I made a couple of trips and expected to push lunch off until well into the afternoon.
We only gambled for about an hour after eating breakfast. Margo wanted to see what the bingo options were, so we went upstairs. It was nearly noon, and they would be selling cards at 12:15 for the 1 PM session. That sounded good to her, so we were at the window, at 12:05.
I had decided I wanted to try the electronic machines I had seen at other bingo halls. I wanted to see if they were worth the extra cost. South Point offered desktop machines, that had a big screen, for only $3 extra. I have no idea what I actually bought, card-wise. The lady kept asking if I wanted this, and that, and I just kept saying Yes, not wanting to miss out. Margo got the same thing. By the time we were done, I spent about $130, cash. A little steep, but it looked like fun.
Neither Margo nor I knew very much about the electronic version. The lady said everything was loaded, and we did not have to do anything. It would automatically mark our cards for us. What they failed to tell us, was that it would also rotate our cards, putting those closest to the bingo up top, and that it would beep at us, when we were within one number. Margo got to one number, it beeped and someone yelled Bingo. We both thought she had also won, so I nudged her, and she called out, weakly. Another lady, straightened us out. I had noticed the machine was playing 90-plus cards for me, and I asked if that was right. It was. The rest of the next hour was smooth.
At the end of the session, neither of us had won anything, but we had gotten close a bunch of times. I am pretty sure I will not be going back to paper and dobbers. I thought I would hate just watching the machine do the work, but it was so much more fun, looking to see what I needed, and watching the machine shuffle my cards as one card got closer than another. Margo might be a convert, too. She had gotten some paper cards, but seemed to be as enamored with the screen as I was.
After bingo, as we were upstairs, I wanted to poke my head in and watch some of the bowlers. Margo was not going to be able to bowl, and I had my doubts about me as well. My lower back has been a constant source of aggravation for me, for the last six months. With that itch scratched, we started to walk to the escalator, and saw that their arcade was upstairs. Margo likes to go to Boondocks, so we went in and got $80 worth between the two of us.
I spent most of that blowing up dinosaurs, which does not earn any points, which can be used for their prizes. Margo played only games that gave points. Towards the end, we both played skeetball and did reasonably well. I gave Margo my card, and we went downstairs with the intent of coming back later to redeem them.
For the next couple of hours, Margo hit the slots, while I played the electronic versions of BlackJack, Roulette, and Poker. I had some success, but I kept giving it back. I think in the end, I dropped $80 after being up by $20. Just one more hand. Then I would lose. One more to win it back. Then another. I have never had to set a win goal. Maybe I will now. If I win this much at these card games, I walk away.
We decided that our dinner would be at Steak and Shake. I think I ate there about 30 years ago on a business trip to the St Louis area. I recall that it was OK, and no reason not to go back. I knew I would be having a burger and a shake. South Point is a Pepsi house, something neither of are fans of. But, Steak and Shake has their contract with Coke, so we both ordered one.
Margo ordered a classic single with cheese, and ordered one of their Prime Cheeseburgers. While I was waiting for the food to come out, I made a reservation for tomorrow night at their steakhouse, The Silverado Steakhouse. I was hoping it would be good enough to at least come close to justify the cost of that meal.
The burgers came out and they were really good. But, what really stood out was the damn whip cream on my shake. I’m no fan of whip cream, but this was so good I was craving more. Very creamy and firm. Margo agreed. Two thumbs up.
I didn’t gamble much after dinner, as I just kept giving money back. Once I was down $80, I texted Margo I was going upstairs to write and stop the green bleeding.
Margo met me at 7 PM, which was about 30 minutes later. She was out of money. South Point is doing fine by us. Margo had gotten distracted by something that was probably going to stay in Las Vegas, and ended up pushing the big money bet button, a couple, three times. It does not take many of those to chew through your money, and it did. I have done the same thing, and you never seem to hit on those accidents.
The Tony Orlando concert was at 7:30 PM, the The Showroom. Tony Orlando is retiring and he made it sound like this series of three shows at South Point was it for him. I was not a huge fan growing up, but everyone my age remembers Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree and Knock Three Times. So, I had gotten tickets in advance.
I bought the best that were available, and while they were not bad, we sat at a table that faced each other, instead of the stage, so I ended up with a crick in my neck. But, that was the worst of my complaints. He put on a good show. In addition to the two songs I mentioned, he had three other hits; Has Anyone Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose, Candida, and He Don’t Love You. I really did not recognize the last two by their title, but the songs came back to me once he started singing them
A least half of his show was getting his band, his second family involved. He started with his drummer, Tim Pope, who was very good with the sticks and had a great voice. I think he said Tim and he had been together for 42 years.
Then he moved on to “Captain” Sibley, who plays bass guitar. Tony made a point of telling everyone he was 79 years old. Then he told us the “Captain” was 19 years old, and had been with him for two weeks. He also asked everyone if they thought he looked like Harry Potter, with his black hair and glasses. They had fun with age difference and musical tastes, and settled on The Captain singing Paul Simon’s Call Me Al. That kid nailed it.
He made his way through most of the band, missing the guy I was most intrigued about; his harpist. Yes, Tony Orlando has a harp in his band. Why? Because he wanted one. Anyway, I looked into it when I got back, and the guy's name is Mariano Gonzales, of Paraguay. Tony had him play a solo, two days later, and the YouTube I saw, he was amazing.
Tony and the band played some Earth, Wind, and Fire, and a Beatles medley. It was all very good.
The crowd was older, his original fans from the 70s, and they acted like it. I think half the guys had been dragged there by their wives and did not clap, but made up for it by frowning the whole time. Margo and I had a great time, singing to songs, and clapping to keep rhythm. It was fun and I am glad we did it. The show was a bit short, at maybe an hour and fifteen minutes.
We decided to go upstairs and cash in Margo’s arcade points. I had no interest in watching her decide how to divide up her 1,000 or so points, so I wandered across the way, to watch the bowlers. There I got my introduction to the two-handed throw.
I have not bowled in about thirty years, and while this style, which involves holding the ball to your right side and then heaving it out, using the right hand to give the ball a huge spin, has been around since the 1980s, it really became noticeable in the mid-2000s, when a pro-bowler named Jason Belmonte won rookie of the year using this style. The young bowlers thought this looked cool, and it has become popular with them.
When I saw it, I thought that they were just fooling around and no one had taught them to bowl, but then I started noticing they were getting strikes. You don’t get strikes, even reasonably often, without practice. So this was not their first time. At least three guys were using this style after I looked closer, so I knew that things had changed. I showed Margo when she was done getting her loot, and she had never seen anything like it. Learn something new, every day.
With the upstairs no longer holding our attention we decided we wanted ice cream. South Point has its very own ice cream shop, Kate’s Korner, which stocks Dreyer’s ice cream. I have loved Dreyer’s chocolate since I was a youngster. I don’t recall what Margo got, but I got two scoops in a waffle cone and was a happy camper.
After ice cream, we went back to the room. Margo and I played a round of Michigan Rummy with the cards she had just gotten with her arcade loot. They were smaller than standard size, but I did not expect a pit boss to bust in and confiscate them, as no money was involved. After that some writing, some doom-scrolling, and in bed around midnight. All things considered, it was still a fun day.
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Day Three-Saturday, January 20, 2024
I was up at about 8 AM. I didn’t sleep well. I don’t know why. For some reason, I just could not get comfortable. I kept having dreams about blackjack numbers that made no sense. I can only describe it as my mind trying to play blackjack with bingo numbers, and it not working, so I would repeat the problem. All night. I hope I leave that crap in Vegas.
We threw some clothes on and went downstairs for breakfast. We are staying on the 15th floor. I think there are 24. They have two elevator banks, one that goes to the 13th floor, and then one that goes from the 14th, up. That meant most of the time, Margo and I had an express elevator. That was nice.
After consulting the online menu, we decided to try the Del Mar Deli for breakfast. They had bagels, breakfast sandwiches, and all sorts of large dessert creations, that you would not find in a donut shop. Margo had a bagel, which she saved for later, and a cinnamon UFO, kind of like a crisp, for her meal. I had a bagel sandwich. It was all pretty good, but pricey. I think I am going to keep whining about the food prices this entire trip.
I wanted a shower before we took on the day, so we back upstairs. Our rushed prep time this morning was intended to beat the crowds, and it worked. We were not first in line, but there were only a couple of people ahead of us. The NFL playoffs were going on this weekend, so people were more interested in placing bets at the Sports Book. That place had a line more than twenty deep.
More slot machines. Margo was still pretty much losing, but I finally had some luck in hitting a couple of 4-of-a-kinds on video poker and a $250 jackpot on a slot machine. I wasn’t tracking real close, but I think I was actually a few dollars up.
Lunchtime saw us at Baja Miguel’s, which was upstairs. The food was decent, and they were running a special, so even with tip this meal was under $35, and came with a margarita. Both Margo and I complained that the tequila was hard on our stomachs. Neither of us finished our drink.
Between our lunch and our luck, we decided to head up to the room around 3 PM, and take a nap. I can remember when I thought taking a nap on vacation was sacrilege, and a waste of time. Color me older and wiser and asleep by 3:05. An hour and a half later, I was awake and feeling better. Margo had thrown up, but she had been off and on for well over a week. She had been diagnosed with COVID, but was off restrictions, five days ago. Still, her sinuses and throat were making her miserable.
We were not in a hurry to give the casino another crack at our money. Margo watched a movie on her tablet and I wrote or watched Reels on Facebook. It was nice to waste time without feeling guilty. All I need to do is retire with lots of money and I can do that all the time.
We figured 6:30 was close enough to our 7 PM reservation time, so we made our way to the Silverado Steakhouse. We were seated instantly. The place was dark, like you expect an upscale restaurant to be. I don’t know why that is, but it works. Kelly was our main waitress, with another guy, whose name I forgot to note, helping. He filled our water glasses, brought our bread (3 kinds), and prepared our salads, at the table. Nothing special, just a bowl of their greens, with some creamy balsamic that he tossed around, and spooned to bowls for us. We enjoyed the small bit of theater.
Margo is consistent as the sunrise at a steak place. She orders the smallest filet mignon, medium rare. I have a hard time saying the word “rare” when it comes to a steak, but this piece of beef may have been the clincher. This was the most tender piece of meat I have ever tasted, when she forked me over a bite. My New York Strip was good, cooked medium, but it was a full step, maybe two, down from her steak.
With mine came a baked potato the size of a gravy boat, with butter and sour cream. It was also prepared for me at the table, with an apology that he had brought the smallest potato that was available. I did not finish it, but I got close. Margo had a six-cheese mashed potato, which was just OK. I thought it needed to be warmer.
We declined dessert, but when I made the reservation, they had asked if we were celebrating an occasion. It might not be her birthday, but we were celebrating it, so I said Yes. When we first sat down, over an hour ago, they had brought out a card, and presented it to Margo. I wished her a happy birthday. Nice, but not spectacular. Kind of like Dom Deluise’s, as Ceasar, in History of the World Part 1, when he was presented with an alabaster bathtub. “Nice. Nice. Not thrilling, but nice” But, they brought out a crème brule for Margo, with a “quality control” spoon for me.
Margo doesn’t care for custard-type desserts, but it was covered in whipped cream, berries, and a white chocolate swirl, about six inches long, that said Happy Birthday. She asked for a box to pack away for later, and between the two of us, we finished her dessert.
I had forgotten my glasses, so I took Margo’s white chocolate upstairs, to retrieve them. I can’t read without them anymore. Truly pathetic. The eye doctor says it's normal for my age. I say it sucks. Margo remained downstairs to do battle with the one-armed bandits. She came armed with $20s. They are armed with math.
We only lasted for about an hour or so, giving up at 9:30. I had had another good machine, my last one, that hit for $110. Margo was at least putting up a good fight, but still giving ground. That math stuff is hard to beat. After we got upstairs, neither of us lasted long. With the restless nights we were both having and the fun downstairs, we were building up a lot of fatigue that needed releasing. We were in bed before 11 PM. Old age sucks.
We threw some clothes on and went downstairs for breakfast. We are staying on the 15th floor. I think there are 24. They have two elevator banks, one that goes to the 13th floor, and then one that goes from the 14th, up. That meant most of the time, Margo and I had an express elevator. That was nice.
After consulting the online menu, we decided to try the Del Mar Deli for breakfast. They had bagels, breakfast sandwiches, and all sorts of large dessert creations, that you would not find in a donut shop. Margo had a bagel, which she saved for later, and a cinnamon UFO, kind of like a crisp, for her meal. I had a bagel sandwich. It was all pretty good, but pricey. I think I am going to keep whining about the food prices this entire trip.
I wanted a shower before we took on the day, so we back upstairs. Our rushed prep time this morning was intended to beat the crowds, and it worked. We were not first in line, but there were only a couple of people ahead of us. The NFL playoffs were going on this weekend, so people were more interested in placing bets at the Sports Book. That place had a line more than twenty deep.
More slot machines. Margo was still pretty much losing, but I finally had some luck in hitting a couple of 4-of-a-kinds on video poker and a $250 jackpot on a slot machine. I wasn’t tracking real close, but I think I was actually a few dollars up.
Lunchtime saw us at Baja Miguel’s, which was upstairs. The food was decent, and they were running a special, so even with tip this meal was under $35, and came with a margarita. Both Margo and I complained that the tequila was hard on our stomachs. Neither of us finished our drink.
Between our lunch and our luck, we decided to head up to the room around 3 PM, and take a nap. I can remember when I thought taking a nap on vacation was sacrilege, and a waste of time. Color me older and wiser and asleep by 3:05. An hour and a half later, I was awake and feeling better. Margo had thrown up, but she had been off and on for well over a week. She had been diagnosed with COVID, but was off restrictions, five days ago. Still, her sinuses and throat were making her miserable.
We were not in a hurry to give the casino another crack at our money. Margo watched a movie on her tablet and I wrote or watched Reels on Facebook. It was nice to waste time without feeling guilty. All I need to do is retire with lots of money and I can do that all the time.
We figured 6:30 was close enough to our 7 PM reservation time, so we made our way to the Silverado Steakhouse. We were seated instantly. The place was dark, like you expect an upscale restaurant to be. I don’t know why that is, but it works. Kelly was our main waitress, with another guy, whose name I forgot to note, helping. He filled our water glasses, brought our bread (3 kinds), and prepared our salads, at the table. Nothing special, just a bowl of their greens, with some creamy balsamic that he tossed around, and spooned to bowls for us. We enjoyed the small bit of theater.
Margo is consistent as the sunrise at a steak place. She orders the smallest filet mignon, medium rare. I have a hard time saying the word “rare” when it comes to a steak, but this piece of beef may have been the clincher. This was the most tender piece of meat I have ever tasted, when she forked me over a bite. My New York Strip was good, cooked medium, but it was a full step, maybe two, down from her steak.
With mine came a baked potato the size of a gravy boat, with butter and sour cream. It was also prepared for me at the table, with an apology that he had brought the smallest potato that was available. I did not finish it, but I got close. Margo had a six-cheese mashed potato, which was just OK. I thought it needed to be warmer.
We declined dessert, but when I made the reservation, they had asked if we were celebrating an occasion. It might not be her birthday, but we were celebrating it, so I said Yes. When we first sat down, over an hour ago, they had brought out a card, and presented it to Margo. I wished her a happy birthday. Nice, but not spectacular. Kind of like Dom Deluise’s, as Ceasar, in History of the World Part 1, when he was presented with an alabaster bathtub. “Nice. Nice. Not thrilling, but nice” But, they brought out a crème brule for Margo, with a “quality control” spoon for me.
Margo doesn’t care for custard-type desserts, but it was covered in whipped cream, berries, and a white chocolate swirl, about six inches long, that said Happy Birthday. She asked for a box to pack away for later, and between the two of us, we finished her dessert.
I had forgotten my glasses, so I took Margo’s white chocolate upstairs, to retrieve them. I can’t read without them anymore. Truly pathetic. The eye doctor says it's normal for my age. I say it sucks. Margo remained downstairs to do battle with the one-armed bandits. She came armed with $20s. They are armed with math.
We only lasted for about an hour or so, giving up at 9:30. I had had another good machine, my last one, that hit for $110. Margo was at least putting up a good fight, but still giving ground. That math stuff is hard to beat. After we got upstairs, neither of us lasted long. With the restless nights we were both having and the fun downstairs, we were building up a lot of fatigue that needed releasing. We were in bed before 11 PM. Old age sucks.
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Day Four-Sunday, January 21, 2024
I slept better than the previous nights, but I was still tired when I got up at 9 AM. We decided the Champagne Brunch Buffet was too expensive. We went with the Coronado Café. It was not a heck of a lot cheaper, but the service was much better this time.
After breakfast, we went back upstairs to finish packing and check out. Check-out time is at noon, and South Point gives you the option to check out via text. You reply to a message they send you, with the word “out”, and you are done. Hell ya.
Our flight was not until 6 PM, and even factoring in 3 hours to drop off the car and get through security, we had time to kill. The plan was to take our suitcases down to the valet, get our car, load them up, and park across from the valet in their free lot. The plan worked, with the only hiccup being the lot was kind of full, so we did not get a primo spot. It was sprinkling rain, which we considered a positive. You don’t get rain in sub-zero weather. This was the first time we had been outside since Thursday.
Your last day of vacation, killing time before catching the plane is the most dangerous time to gamble. It’s like the slot machines know it is the last chance to take your money. I dropped about $50. Margo was about even or a little ahead for the day. She won $60 on her last machine and walked away. I was very proud of her.
I expected the airport to be busy, with all of the football crowd going home. It was, but not Pre-chek, there was almost no wait, and we were at our gate in just a few minutes. Las Vegas is unique in all of the airports we have ever been through, in that they have slot machines. Not today, Satan. Neither Margo nor I even felt tempted to try out luck. We just settled in at our gate and people watched.
We had dropped our rental car off at about 2:45, so it was a long wait until 5:35 for boarding. We got to the gate at about 3 PM. I was too tired to do much of anything. I wrote a little, but my heart was not in it. Margo wandered a little getting some drinks at one of the shops.
5:35 boarding, meant a 6:05 departure. Nope. For an uncommunicated reason, we were delayed until 6:19. Once loading did start we were told it was a full flight. I think they were adding stand-bys to fill us up. But, Margo and I had an empty seat between us. Then the last people to board were this Indian family, with an 18-month-old, and a six-year-old. I got asked to move. Probably someone else did too, so the mother and the toddler could be together, in addition to the father and six-year-old, who were coveting the seats beside Margo.
He had an aisle seat, too, so I what did it matter? Margo and I don’t keep up a running commentary. After all the time we spent together, we had long since exhausted subject matter. I probably would have said Yes, anyway, had he not had an aisle seat. I was annoyed that they had not planned better, and no one except the flight attendant said thank you. Who flies standby with kids? But, this was small potatoes, and not worth even thinking about, really.
The whole boarding, including the several stand-bys, took much longer than usual. Then we had to taxi halfway to Henderson. All of this meant we did not leave until nearly 7 PM. With a time change and a 1 ½ hr flight, had us into Denver at about 9:30 PM. We did not get home until well after 10 PM.
We had to stop at Jess and Pets, to pick up Cooper because Jess and Pete were still working on their basement. They were putting down some sort of flooring compound to level the downstairs floor. It was slow going. We had told them they could drop off Cooper with Jackie, so they did not have to stay up, waiting on us, but they were so busy, they never stopped. After the floor was plumb, then they could start putting down the flooring, which was the last step.
That was it. A year’s worth of planning for all of Margo’s birthday, and now it was done. Our next trip is to Detroit, MI, in September. Michigan is the last of the 50 states we have not visited. I have been looking forward to checking this off my bucket list for almost 25 years.
After breakfast, we went back upstairs to finish packing and check out. Check-out time is at noon, and South Point gives you the option to check out via text. You reply to a message they send you, with the word “out”, and you are done. Hell ya.
Our flight was not until 6 PM, and even factoring in 3 hours to drop off the car and get through security, we had time to kill. The plan was to take our suitcases down to the valet, get our car, load them up, and park across from the valet in their free lot. The plan worked, with the only hiccup being the lot was kind of full, so we did not get a primo spot. It was sprinkling rain, which we considered a positive. You don’t get rain in sub-zero weather. This was the first time we had been outside since Thursday.
Your last day of vacation, killing time before catching the plane is the most dangerous time to gamble. It’s like the slot machines know it is the last chance to take your money. I dropped about $50. Margo was about even or a little ahead for the day. She won $60 on her last machine and walked away. I was very proud of her.
I expected the airport to be busy, with all of the football crowd going home. It was, but not Pre-chek, there was almost no wait, and we were at our gate in just a few minutes. Las Vegas is unique in all of the airports we have ever been through, in that they have slot machines. Not today, Satan. Neither Margo nor I even felt tempted to try out luck. We just settled in at our gate and people watched.
We had dropped our rental car off at about 2:45, so it was a long wait until 5:35 for boarding. We got to the gate at about 3 PM. I was too tired to do much of anything. I wrote a little, but my heart was not in it. Margo wandered a little getting some drinks at one of the shops.
5:35 boarding, meant a 6:05 departure. Nope. For an uncommunicated reason, we were delayed until 6:19. Once loading did start we were told it was a full flight. I think they were adding stand-bys to fill us up. But, Margo and I had an empty seat between us. Then the last people to board were this Indian family, with an 18-month-old, and a six-year-old. I got asked to move. Probably someone else did too, so the mother and the toddler could be together, in addition to the father and six-year-old, who were coveting the seats beside Margo.
He had an aisle seat, too, so I what did it matter? Margo and I don’t keep up a running commentary. After all the time we spent together, we had long since exhausted subject matter. I probably would have said Yes, anyway, had he not had an aisle seat. I was annoyed that they had not planned better, and no one except the flight attendant said thank you. Who flies standby with kids? But, this was small potatoes, and not worth even thinking about, really.
The whole boarding, including the several stand-bys, took much longer than usual. Then we had to taxi halfway to Henderson. All of this meant we did not leave until nearly 7 PM. With a time change and a 1 ½ hr flight, had us into Denver at about 9:30 PM. We did not get home until well after 10 PM.
We had to stop at Jess and Pets, to pick up Cooper because Jess and Pete were still working on their basement. They were putting down some sort of flooring compound to level the downstairs floor. It was slow going. We had told them they could drop off Cooper with Jackie, so they did not have to stay up, waiting on us, but they were so busy, they never stopped. After the floor was plumb, then they could start putting down the flooring, which was the last step.
That was it. A year’s worth of planning for all of Margo’s birthday, and now it was done. Our next trip is to Detroit, MI, in September. Michigan is the last of the 50 states we have not visited. I have been looking forward to checking this off my bucket list for almost 25 years.