OVERVIEW
Stayed and played at Turning Stone and slept one night at the hotel.
Saw long time friend Bob Lusiak on the way up.
Ate a meal at my favorite restaurant, the Savoy in Rome.
Played 4 hours no limit one day and limit the next.
Lost on that and on the video poker.
Score was minus $319 for the trip.
Drove home through a blinding rain storm, the worst I've encountered in many years.
MEETUP WITH BOB LUSIAK
On my trip I did not miss an eagle passing across the road right in front of me and low enough so I could see the size and great white feathers. This was just before the Iroquois reststop. It was grand.
However, I missed the turnoff for the rest stop where I was to call Bob Lusiak, so we could coordinate the meetup. I miss more and more things these days of drifting old age mind. By the time I realized it, I was even beyond Utica.
But Bob found a fine diner in Utica and we met there for a good breakfast. I had Utica greens and eggs. Very good.
Castlewood Cafe: Utica, NY: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Restaurant (castlewoodcafeny.com)
We had a fine talk, catching up on old times. He told me his old house on Rapin Street in Buffalo was the site of a drug raid. I told him mine on Goembel is an empty lot, and I'd not been back in years.
Bob said the neighborhood reminded him of an old man with missing teeth because so many houses were gone.
It was good I got to see him, because, once he does not have to care for his aging mother-in-law, he may move to Wilmington, Delaware to be close to his daughters and grandchildren.
Bob and I go back 71 years, meeting in Miss Hickey's kindergarten and continuing to be in the same class through 8th grade, and at least one class together each year of high school and through two years of college.
Sometimes, when I go to Turning Stone, I sleep in my van at a campground called The Landing. It is just $30 and I really have everything I need and generally sleep in comfort. However, the temperature and the humidity were supposed to be very high, so I thought I might be uncomfortable there and booked a room at the poker rate.
I learned after booking that they would not spread the 2-4 except on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, so I would have to do my four required hours playing no limit.
This made me very anxious.
I arrived at Turning Stone about one PM and was given a nice room. The poker rate of $93 with tax required four hours of poker play. At checkout I further reduced the rate by using $20 of points. $73 for this room is a good bargain.
The room was pleasant, large, clean with two queens, a coffee pot, two desks, and a fine shower. In general, it was quiet, but there was a very soft bit of music playing into the evening. Room 438 was at the end of the corridor right next to a large open space where one could see down to the casino floor, so some of that music leaked up.
It was also right next to the ice machine and some fine elevators that went directly to the area in which I like to play VP, one of the few banks of 8-5 JOB in the casino. Most are 7-5. Terrible.
Curtains kept all light out.
I slept comfortably. I usually sleep easily after the poker. It must clear my brain of all worries. Perhaps I play the hands over in my head. At any rate, it always relaxes me. I also was relieved to have enough bankroll to play again on the second day.
They have a "serve it yourself" section right near the Keno. I did not have the very good free coffee, but filled up with ice and had my own Spendthrift Seltzer Lemon, a new brand that is very, very good.
In my room a close ice machine made the seltzer a better drink.
When I play I have to visit the bathroom often enough as it is without the coffee adding to the diuretics.
They have free valet parking, but I just chose to park in a section I know, where I always park. It is out beyond the new high roller comp area called The Parlour.
I did not have much luggage.
When checking in, I could park right outside so the only slepping of bags was when I left.
Even on that hot and humid day I did not find it very taxing to roll my suitcase to the nearby van.
I like to be in areas I know and where I have been before. I don't get twisted up so easily then.
The main pool is closed, but the two lap wide long pool up on the third floor above the check in was open. I spent about an hour there by myself on Friday morning before checking out. It was delightful. Classical music played. There also was a hot tub and a whole room full of exercise equipment. Good cold water was everywhere and an apple on the way out, along with my from home Crazy Richard's peanut butter made a fine breakfast.
I was very anxious about playing no limit. I know how to play. I'm confident enough. But I don't have the kind of bankroll to support a losing streak or to play the aggressive game I'd like to play. As it turned out, I lost just $76, less than I was to lose at the 2-4 or at the video poker.
I kept track of my time and when it was well over 4 hours, I went to check. It seems every time I used the bathroom I was punched in as "in lobby" by the dealer, and I still required ten minutes to play to get to four hours. And they made me play it.
So, I played, and in those ten minutes caught two pots for a total of $80. Nice.
Years back for the poker rate I could get a slip almost as soon as I sat down. Those days are gone. Everything is electronic and on the card. I had to trust that when the poker room guy said he had sent over my qualification for poker rate, it had actually arrived at the hotel desk. I did not trust it. I went and checked and it was fine and I was relieved of that worry.
SAVOY RESTAURANT IN ROME
The Savoy restaurant is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere. It is old school, with a bar that looks like the 50's and a room of linen tablecloths, and a menu of wonderful food.
Then there is the waitress Rachel who remembered me and what I ordered from my last visit a couple of weeks ago.
She has the cutest eyes over mask look.
Chicken Sinatra is a slice of chicken, a slice of fried eggplant, assorted spices, melted mozzarella in a tasty marsala sauce and all of it over Utica greens. Oh, excuse me, here they are called East Rome greens. It is served with a delightful salad (Rachel said to try the Italian with blue cheese crumbles) and some of the best garlic toast I have ever eaten, rich in buttery garlic and parsley.
I love sitting there and listening to the talk around me and just feel at peace and pampered.
I had two O'Doul's and the bill was $29. Rachael perhaps remembers me because I tip ten dollars on this meal. She is worth it.
I tried to go back on Friday, but it was packed. I had not made a reservation, and I am just one person. They could not accommodate me. Huge lines out the door of folks who had reserved tables. Amazing.
I don't expect I'll ever go up on the Thursday again, but if I am up on Friday, I'll make late reservations, I'm certain I can get a table.
It turned out that not eating there was fine as I got on the road a bit early and missed driving longer in the darkness through the raging rain.
THE POKER
I
played no limit the first day for just 4 hours, and then filled the
second day with 2-4. Unlike my last trip, I enjoyed the other
players, and they had good conversation, laughed and joked with me,
and told interesting stories.
At the no limit table were three Black men and I very much enjoyed their banter and stories and joking ways. All those years teaching inner city put me into the Black community and retirement just pulled me out, as it pulled me out of my teaching community as well. I miss it.
Another fellow had just returned from an Alaskan cruise, so he talked about bears.
And another fellow told about picking these pests off the blueberry bushes and of how many gallons he and his daughter had picked and then burned. I had just read about Carl Sandburg getting in trouble because he was supposed to do that task as a boy and he skipped it. His father was very mad.
I was not the only masked player at the tables this time. There were still very few, but I did not stand out. I do think the mask inhibits conversation.
My best no limit hand was Aces full of tens. I bet it well, and was called easily until we got to the river where I went all-in with my last $63.
Here I was very happy to have my mask.
My opponent asked, as if talking to himself, "Do you have Aces full of tens?" and my mask hid any give away tells.
After a long while, he called.
"You called it," I said. He was graciously laughing at the losing.
That hand went on the $100 high hand board for a long while, but eventually was beaten by quad 2's.
Still, I had been at one point down almost $300 and this hand with other smaller hands brought me back.
Thursday is not a great day for high hand awards. Just $100 every hour. Friday is $300 every 20 minutes. However, on Friday I just got no decent cards. And all the junk I folded hit. Especially frustrating was to see my folded 9-2 flop two pair and then turn to make nines full. Two folks had hands and so they would have stayed in, as they did. But what can I do? I can't start playing 9-2.
I even changed tables and although I picked up more interesting people, I did not pick up poorer players or better hands. Half my second table were women. Very unusual. I liked the mix. I still think it is good to get off the first table that opens early as that collects the old regulars who are there early.
I just did not get the cards.
The best player at my second 2-4 table was a woman dealer from Rivers. She was very good. She got good cards as well.
She and the dealer said that Rivers is opening September 1st. That will mean a much easier drive to play poker and perhaps some cheap room as well. Senior rated rooms on certain days at Rivers were less than $60 with no poker rate required. I am hoping they still are.
Of course, Rivers will be close enough to drive in 40 minutes, so I can drive home, and after going through that rain in semi darkness, I have more confidence in driving than I did. However, I hate driving in the dark. We'll see.
I do think the mask inhibits conversation. There is something about not presenting a face that seems to isolate me. Perhaps I just need to speak louder.
VIDEO POKER
One advantage to staying in the hotel is that when I woke up at 3 AM I could go down and play video poker for a while. There was no one in the room at that hour.
I played again just before leaving the casino on Friday. I did hit a couple quads, but they came when I was down, so they did not give me a profit, just more time to play. In the end, the score was not great, minus $90 for the two days.
ODD PHONE GLITZ
My cell will not work as a GPS from the Turning Stone parking area. Strange. It happened twice on different visits. It acted like I was home on Burden Lake.
Each time I turned on St. James Street on my way to Rome, and pulled over. Then I could set the Savoy as my destination. Then it correctly read my location.
I could have found the Savoy without the GPS, but I like knowing I won't miss some turn or other.
I should have set up the old plug in GPS, the Garmin. I will next time.
THE DRIVE HOME
At first it was easy enough. There were a few sprinkles, but mostly sun. In one spot I had a section of a rainbow right in front of me for a long while.
Things changed quickly, however, and soon I was in a blinding rainstorm. There were interruptions on the radio to give emergency weather alerts and it was clear the rain would last until I was home.
And it did.
Along the side of the road I could see lightning bolts as clear as they appear in classic photos, and I was a bit frightened that one might decide to hit my car. They were very close.
Of course, there were idiots, but this time not so many speeding idiots. The worst was a car in the middle lane going fairly slow but without any lights.
As I followed, and I had to follow for a while, I was constantly putting on my emergency blinkers and afraid some racing guy or big truck would not come slow enough to avoid rear ending me. Finally, the unlighted idiot went into the right lane. I was amazed how invisible that car was in the rain. How can someone not use lights in a violent rainstorm at night?
I was very happy to get off the Thruway and then off route 43 and on the back roads.
And I was happier still to be in my driveway and done with that driving. I did not even unpack until the next morning.
Elizabeth warmed up some chicken and made a potato and I ate a bit and then went to bed to read for just a few minutes and then just sleep, right through until the morning.
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