Turning Stone

I guess in some ways this trip was a bust.  I did not sleep overnight in my van as I had planned, and I lost money.  Down $323 and that includes the $100 I got when my A-J of spades caught a Royal Flush queen on the river.  Two tens were also on that board, but my opponent, who bet in to me, did not have the bad beat loser for the big bucks.
However, I did have fun.  I like having the van set up for sleeping and sure liked that option along the road as well whenever I might need a nap from being too tired driving.
As it turned out, I did not get tired until I hit this side of the river.  I rolled in just as the sun was coming up at 5am, but the poker stimulates me in ways that keep me awake.  I did have coffee, but all much earlier in the day.  And I did nap before I left.

Driving down it was all sun and green and very pleasant.  I enjoyed the ride.  I have so much electronic stuff now, with the radio, and a tape player, and the CD's.  Too bad I can't fit a turntable in the car.   I used to have a portable turntable and set it up to play while Margie and I made out in the back seat of the 54 Dodge.  That worked.  But somehow I don't think I could drive and play a record.  Once I explore these batch of old records I bought, however, I could make an old fashioned tape mix.
Driving home I went through some of the most torrential thundershowers I remember, but the roads were empty and it was easy to see the well marked pathway.  I was happy to drive out of it, and it did keep me awake, but I was not uncomfortable.  I caught an radio station playing 60's music and not just the classics.  That was cool.  I also listened to some talk on AM Coast to Coast that was not full of ranting, but the old fashioned talk show covering all sorts of topics, even ghosts, and fun.  A Carol King Taperstry tape and some Judy Garland Live filled in the gaps.
On the way out I heard Paul McCarney interviewed on NPR.

Well, the old 54 Dodge would have fit in this trip.  In a Rome church parking lot were about fifty old cars on display.  Folks could just walk through and check out the show.  No fees.  I can't remember all the vehicles, but there was an Oldsmobile from the early 50's I liked as well as a Chevy not much different from the one my dad had when I was very young.  A lot of work and money goes into these large toys.  The only thing that I did not much like was that so many had open hoods to show the engine.  I don't care much about that;  I'd have rather seen the look of the whole car.  It did remind me of changing the spark plugs on my old Dodge.

The show was right across from the Savoy where I went for supper.  What fun!  Real linens, including one to tuck into my suspenders for a bib.  Live piano with a woman vocalist in a long flowing dress with an animal skin design.  I had a chicken marsala w/risolto that was very good, and a Caesar salad.  Where do you go where the waiter asks, "Would you like anchovies on that, sir?" 

Next to me was a large table with an old Italian and his children and grandchildren.  He had an accent, but the rest did not look Italian.  Even a little baby.  All that banter was entertaining.

Also, they sang two happy birthday songs, one to a six year old and one to an 85 year old.  I love the Savoy.

I skipped the wine.  I had a headache I was treating with sinus meds.  As it turned out I don't think it was at all the sort of head ache I have been having, but the weather primed migraine.  Still, red wine would not have been useful.

My dessert came later, a small chunk of fudge free with points at Turning Stone.

I was very stubborn about this head ache.  For one thing it was much milder than the sinus head aches I have been having, so easier to tolerate.  But it took the edge off the fun.  It may have affected my no limit play where I lost most of my money.
After supper I played limit until 2 am and had lots of opportunities to win good money, but no cards and just got slowly drained.  The exception was when my A-J of spades caught the Royal Flush queen on the river for a hundred dollar bonus.  I did love the play after midnight, the funny young folks at the table, the banter, the pretty girls.  One young fellow was very entertaining.  He had strange comic ways and I enjoyed him. There was a pleasant freckle faced woman from Toronto, and a scattering of other folks with stories.  Before that I was at a table of deadbeat conservative players who did not like it that I raised as much as I did. 
They were locals, knew one another, and wanted a friendly kitchen table game.  I made money at that table, catching cards, but no friends.

I was smart and refused to play with just five, breaking up that table.  The room manager gave me a run around, but in the end let me draw cards with the rest. 
I lost and was on the list about five minutes.
I am not playing those low attended tables anywhere again.  At the Venetian I just took a long, long walk until the table filled up.  No one collected my chips as there were empty seats.  I think I will do that when the table gets to six.

At my no limit table I sat next to a fellow who was 99 years old and going to celebrate his 100th there at the casino where they would put on a spread and give him $100 freeplay.  He was a good poker player.  I took him out when his three jacks did not beat my straight.  The no limit players were good, but perhaps I played too early in the day and should have saved my bankroll for the evening.

I did not see much drinking.  At $5 a cup for beer people just laughed.  One dealer did tell me that while it was technically now against the rules to bring a flask and fill the free cokes, few people would be called out on it even if they saw me. 
So I'll do that next time as I always used to do.  This time it did not matter because I could not drink.

I did have coffee earlier in the day, but after the headache.  So that was not a trigger.
I stopped on the Thruway and used my cup and for Starbucks they gave me a coffee for $1.35.  At the counter I added a bit of chocolate flavoring.

Well, I played about ten or eleven house of poker.
I am home now.  It is beautiful here.  Rain is predicted, but sun is here now.  Quiet.