Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

No poker today, don't feel quite right, & I think a day off will recharge the batteries.

Current thinking is......

Tuesday

11am, Golden Nugget, $350 PLO8. 11am is such a wonderful time to start playing, I love it.

If that does not go to plan, Plan B will be the $600 Big O @ Venetian @ 5pm.

Wednesday

Noon, WSOP $1,500 PLO8. I feel unusually bullish about this. 

Thursday

(If not still in the WSOP PLO8).

11am, Golden Nugget, $240 Big O

[tikay]

GL today. just enjoy it...what will be, will be.


Will you be able to watch the golf today?

Yes, am in the Media centre now, & it's on the plasma.

The Venetian, which starts at 4pm Vegas (midnight UK) has plasmas all around the room showing it. How good does life get?

How is your lad these days, Alan? Decided what he wants to do for a living yet?

I see you got a few bob at Royal Ascot, thanks to Fred - what a great, (& free) facility that is, "community" at its very best. I'm so proud of it, & how everyone chips in with their knowledge & expertise. Not just tips, but solid advice. "Teach a man to fish" & all that.

The golf had an exciting finish. The pressure on those guys to make what looks like the simplest put must be huge at the back end of tournaments. must be similar to making a call in poker sometimes.  I have never played golf but do enjoy watching it. Like snooker really, I can watch it for hours.

I did have a profitable Ascot this year.....makes a nice change. The poker is not going so well as it had been earlier this year. I think lady variance is getting her own back. Never trust a women to be nice all the time huh?. So the profit from other sports betting I am doing is very welcome at this time. 

My lad turned 14 this year. Bright as a button at school and doing very well academically. The teenager years will be the big test though. I will not put any pressure on him but hopefully, if he keeps at this same level, university is not out of the question yet.


OH,Congrats on your 2nd cash. Now go and win some bloody more to help me fund these university fees and my sports betting FFS.

Please - THIRD cash.

$445 @ Binions, $825 @ Binions, & $1,901 @ Venetian. That's 3 from about 15, I think. Still a big hole, but 2 cashes in the last 3 or 4 days has given us a ray of hope.

[tikay]

GL today. just enjoy it...what will be, will be.


Will you be able to watch the golf today?

Yes, am in the Media centre now, & it's on the plasma.

The Venetian, which starts at 4pm Vegas (midnight UK) has plasmas all around the room showing it. How good does life get?

How is your lad these days, Alan? Decided what he wants to do for a living yet?

I see you got a few bob at Royal Ascot, thanks to Fred - what a great, (& free) facility that is, "community" at its very best. I'm so proud of it, & how everyone chips in with their knowledge & expertise. Not just tips, but solid advice. "Teach a man to fish" & all that.

The golf had an exciting finish. The pressure on those guys to make what looks like the simplest put must be huge at the back end of tournaments. must be similar to making a call in poker sometimes.  I have never played golf but do enjoy watching it. Like snooker really, I can watch it for hours.

I did have a profitable Ascot this year.....makes a nice change. The poker is not going so well as it had been earlier this year. I think lady variance is getting her own back. Never trust a women to be nice all the time huh?. So the profit from other sports betting I am doing is very welcome at this time. 

My lad turned 14 this year. Bright as a button at school and doing very well academically. The teenager years will be the big test though. I will not put any pressure on him but hopefully, if he keeps at this same level, university is not out of the question yet.


OH,Congrats on your 2nd cash. Now go and win some bloody more to help me fund these university fees and my sports betting FFS.

Yes, it's easy to say that golfers "choke", but we can't possible imagine the pressure they are under.

I watched the end of it, it was so exciting. Chompy had tipped us Spieth @ an amazing 20/1, which was a wrong price so at worst we could lay a lump off & guarantee a profit, but for the guy to win was really something. We had £100 @ 20/1 (my Dad would have been very cross with me for betting so much), so that came to £2,000, minus some greening out & savers, think we netted about £700. Very nice. 

Glad to hear your lad is going along nicely, fingers crossed he gets to Uni, as I know what a proud Dad you are.

[tikay]

I had turned the engine off whilst we watched, open mouthed, almost gasping, at these little chipmunks.

But we were not done yet.

Something caught my eye about 100 yards ahead, & there, just standing there, in the middle of he deserted road, as the sun was fading, was a herd of (thank you google) mule deer.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule_deer

These are quite small, not as big as regular deer, and there were 20 or 30 of them. We watched them until it was dark. They were nervous & skittish, & we even saw two of them doing that jousting thing with their antler things. 

 

Click to see full-size image.

All of that - the roadrunners, the humming birds, Palmers Chipmunk, & Mule Deer, was within an hour.

If I've ever enjoyed an hour more than that, I don't recall it. What a thrill, what a stroke of luck to be right time, right place, & right company.

Love that story (just catching up with the diary from the weekend) makes me want to go to vegas even more. My ideal holiday is highlands of Scotland, where you always have that chance of turning a corner and seeing deer or red squirrels etc. Thankfully kids still like it so it happens every year at moment.

Thanks Wycher.

I did not expect much feedback, after all it's a poker forum, but I'm glad a few enjoyed it. It really was an extraordinary hour, seeing humming birds, Palmers Chipmunks, Mule Deer, Roadrunner birds, wow, that will never happen to us again, but we made the most of it.

I still have the rest of the Pacific Adventure to report, hopefully later today.

I agree as to Highlands of Scotland. If I had to choose one place on earth to go on holiday, I think it would be a cottage by a loch in the Highlands of Scotland, with SoCal a close second. Gill would probably do it the other way round, she enjoys the sun, whereas I have developed an allergy to bright light & sunshine, so it's not possible for me to stay outside in the sun for more than 30 minutes.

[tikay]

Did you ever go take a look at Springs Preserve Teeks? 'bout time you didn't if you haven't so far

No, not yet, but it's on my list.

It's owned by the Las Vegas Valley Water Company, which seems a little odd.

[tikay]

Just caught up with this diary after taking Friday off and it has only taken me 4 hours to catch up! The Amtrak Express Train pics are incredible. No “leaves on the line “would stop them in their tracks. You seem to be having a ball and I hope it continues.

Thanks Mr Dickie.

The Amtrak trip was a lovely memory, it was everything we hoped it would be, & more besides. I don't come up with many good ideas in that department, but I hit the jackpot that time. Those memories are priceless, & will last forever.

[Doobs]

I loved the wildlife photos too.  It is now added to my list if I ever take the kids back to Vegas.  I have still to do Redrock too. 

More importantly you also solved my mystery animal question.  I got a US duplo set for the youngest whilst I was there.  It had a deer, squirrel, goat and a mystery fox like creature.  I now know it is a chipmunk, an almighty man sized chipmunk, but chipmunk nonetheless.  It is now proudly in her chatterbox at nursery, where she can impress all the adults with her new american wildlife knowledge.   

[tikay]

I loved the wildlife photos too.  It is now added to my list if I ever take the kids back to Vegas.  I have still to do Redrock too. 

More importantly you also solved my mystery animal question.  I got a US duplo set for the youngest whilst I was there.  It had a deer, squirrel, goat and a mystery fox like creature.  I now know it is a chipmunk, an almighty man sized chipmunk, but chipmunk nonetheless.  It is now proudly in her chatterbox at nursery, where she can impress all the adults with her new american wildlife knowledge.   

We saw some other - MUCH bigger - chipmunks in Oceanside, & I got a ton of close up photos that time. I'll Upload the photos as soon as I reach that part of the seemingly never ending Pacific Adventure tale......

We saw - close up - several other "once in a lifetime" wildlife at Oceanside, too (three species)  - photos of all those to follow, with one exception where the camera let me down.

[Doobs]

I loved the wildlife photos too.  It is now added to my list if I ever take the kids back to Vegas.  I have still to do Redrock too. 

More importantly you also solved my mystery animal question.  I got a US duplo set for the youngest whilst I was there.  It had a deer, squirrel, goat and a mystery fox like creature.  I now know it is a chipmunk, an almighty man sized chipmunk, but chipmunk nonetheless.  It is now proudly in her chatterbox at nursery, where she can impress all the adults with her new american wildlife knowledge.   

We saw some other - MUCH bigger - chipmunks in Oceanside, & I got a ton of close up photos that time. I'll Upload the photos as soon as I reach that part of the seemingly never ending Pacific Adventure tale......

We saw - close up - several other "once in a lifetime" wildlife at Oceanside, too (three species)  - photos of all those to follow, with one exception where the camera let me down.

It seems our fox/chipmunk is actually a wild boar.

http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Forest-Animals-10582?fromListing=listing

The thing is that she called it a pig originally and I said I wasn't sure what it was, but thought it was a fox.  I have since assured her it is a chipmunk.  She is 3 and much wiser than me it seems.

The chipmunk/fox/pig is on the right.  Whatever it is, I am sure she still loves them all.

[tikay]

I loved the wildlife photos too.  It is now added to my list if I ever take the kids back to Vegas.  I have still to do Redrock too. 

More importantly you also solved my mystery animal question.  I got a US duplo set for the youngest whilst I was there.  It had a deer, squirrel, goat and a mystery fox like creature.  I now know it is a chipmunk, an almighty man sized chipmunk, but chipmunk nonetheless.  It is now proudly in her chatterbox at nursery, where she can impress all the adults with her new american wildlife knowledge.   

We saw some other - MUCH bigger - chipmunks in Oceanside, & I got a ton of close up photos that time. I'll Upload the photos as soon as I reach that part of the seemingly never ending Pacific Adventure tale......

We saw - close up - several other "once in a lifetime" wildlife at Oceanside, too (three species)  - photos of all those to follow, with one exception where the camera let me down.

It seems our fox/chipmunk is actually a wild boar.

http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Forest-Animals-10582?fromListing=listing

The thing is that she called it a pig originally and I said I wasn't sure what it was, but thought it was a fox.  I have since assured her it is a chipmunk.  She is 3 and much wiser than me it seems.

The chipmunk/fox/pig is on the right.  Whatever it is, I am sure she still loves them all.

Don't feel bad David, an easy mistake to make.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

The Pacific Adventure (cont'd).


Vegas had been wonderful, & Mt Charlston had thrilled us, with the sheer beauty of the place, the humming birds, Palmers Chipmunks, Mule Deer & so on, & the Amtrak journey had been spectacular.

So we'd arrived at last, at Oceanside, something we had planned through the long dark winter nights.

The only cloud on the day (literally) had been the dull, drizzly weather in Los Angeles. I had a little plan for our day in Oceanside, but it needed good weather, so that we could go for a swim in the Pacific.

As we sat on the train under leaden skies, I kept saying to Gill "but it'll still be OK to have a swim".

We are almost telepathic, we never argue (not once have we had cross words), & whatever she or I want to do, we always both agree to do it. So when I kept saying "should be OK for our swim" I was a bit taken aback when she showed less than gushing enthusiasm. "Yeah, if the sun comes out, but I don't think it will" she kept saying. Bugger, this was not in the script.

And then, as if by some miracle, as the train hit the Coast, & we approached Oceanside, the clouds cleared, & the sun came out.

BOOMIO. All set then.

We disembarked at Oceanside, & watched as the train disappeared in the distance, woo-wooooooing & ding-ding-dinging.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

 

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

So now, it was fingers crossed that our Condo was what he had hoped. It only cost $140, so we were not expecting The Ritz, but it was important that it was just so, not a Corporate chain, just a nice little, quiet, place, within view of the sea. Gill had booked it, so I had no idea what to expect.

We set off from the Station, & 2 minutes later, there we were, on the seafront. We just had to find the Condo now.

We saw a bronzed Coastguard, & decided to ask him. "Were is the Southern California Beach Club, please?"

Mr Adonis says "sorry, never heard of it".

We set off in what we think may be the right direction - it's a flip - & after we'd gone about 50 yards, the Coastguard shouted to us to come back, & he had Adonis # 2 with him now.

"I've asked my mate, & he has never heard of it either".

Gee, thanks mate. I was a bit miffed, what a tosser, I thought. Gill not so much, she does not think like that, she thought he was trying to be helpful.

Anyway, we carried on walking, & 50 yards later, we had found it.

It was smack bang on the beach.

Perfect.

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

We were exactly where we wanted to be - right on the beach, with a little area out front where we could sit & watch the world go by.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

SoCal - or the parts we saw - are exactly what you see in the movies, it's a lifestyle place, where the sun shines all day.

People walk their dogs, their kids, their wives, they skateboard, they cycle, they jog, they "cruise" in their replica 50 hot rods & pick up trucks.

We could happily have stayed there for weeks, & never returned to Vegas, or England, much as we loved both.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

Meanwhile, back in Vegas........

A contrast in hats.

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

Eric Dalby, bless him. Looking a little gaunt, hope he is OK. Not sure, but I'm pretty sure he is north of 80.

Click to see full-size image.