and we left. Besides, at the time, British law didn’t allow you to drink at the table and I could only put up with her when I had a drink in my hand.

Companion “N”

Bob Dylan wrote, “Bow down to her on Sunday; salute her when her birthday comes.” Since it was both Sunday and my girlfriend’s birthday, and she had never been to Vegas, I decided to show off the city. First, that means being met at the gate, inside security. No need for long lines and walks — through an unmarked door, down a flight of stairs, and out a back door of the airport to the waiting Bellagio limo. Met by your host at the hotel door, you then walk past the reception area, past the elevators and through a nondescript door to the private check-in. Through another back door to a private elevator that has key slots only for the upper floors. The room has his and her bathrooms (in addition to the powder room), the mandatory Jacuzzi, a separate steam shower, and is nowhere near as ugly as the Mirage suites. So far, so good.

But “so far, so good” was what a man was heard to say as he passed each floor after jumping off the top of a building. We hit the casino. The count goes sky high. I’m drawing doubles like crazy. And losing every one. Of course with all those doubles, the count keeps getting higher. I keep shoveling out money. Barely winning a hand here and there. Finally, I had to leave. I would have stayed if she had not been there. But it was her birthday and I was afraid I was ruining her mood. The first time I have willingly left a monster count. This is a serious mistake.

Companion “N” II

Same companion — maybe I recover some of my respect. We were at a small casino in St. Maarten. (Not the same companion that thought 40 kph is the same as 40 mph in a previous St. Maarten trip. I had enough of that.) Your first gamble is getting there. The only way to get to this casino is to drive down a road that runs along the fence at the end of the airport runway. Landing jumbo jets pass literally a few feet over your head. Search for “747 Landing St. Maarten” on YouTube

 © 2009 Norman Wattenberger