Warmest wishes to all on this Winter Solstice day.
May the light's return fill your life with all you desire.
It might also be nice if the longer days inspire more blog entries here.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Thanksgiving at the Davey household
The plan this year was for a Thanksgiving lunch and so I left the house around 9:30 for the drive to the hicks of Allyn Washington about a 90 mile drive from my house. The drive was mostly fine a little traffic but nothing too crazy. Go to their house and in typical Davey style started drinking (Bourbon and 7 is my normal poison at their house). Over drinks and as our Thanksgiving feast was finishing up in the oven my mother related the Stuffing of the Bird story. She was dutifully preparing the bird for cooking but became very frustrated because the opening was smaller then normal and it was taking forever to get all the stuffing in. She called my Dad to the kitchen and had him open up the bird a bit more so the work would progress faster. As soon as turkey surgery had been performed my mother, goddess bless her soul, realized that the problem wasn't with the hole she was using, she was just stuffing the WRONG HOLE! And now my father has experience in widening turkey butts should you ever need this service give him a call.
Even though much of the stuffing had gone in the wrong hole it all tasted wonderful (and that's the story I'm sticking to!). We proceeded to spend the rest of the afternoon lounging around chatting about, strangely enough, ass holes! Those people that use the merge lane to bypass traffic in the main lane. It turns out my dad is one of those people! I'm a little shocked and embarrassed about this but ultimately I guess it's his problem and no reflection on the upstanding person I am. By about 4:30pm I figured it was time for the drive home. I said my heartfelt goodbyes and started driving.
That damn Butters had other plans and somehow I ended up at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma. After many hours of Blackjack and Let it Ride I realized it would be better to not waste anymore Holiday shopping money. I got home at about 1:00am.
All in all a fantastic Holiday.
I am very thankful for all the things in my life, friends, family, casinos and wide turkey butts hand carved by my father's hand.
Even though much of the stuffing had gone in the wrong hole it all tasted wonderful (and that's the story I'm sticking to!). We proceeded to spend the rest of the afternoon lounging around chatting about, strangely enough, ass holes! Those people that use the merge lane to bypass traffic in the main lane. It turns out my dad is one of those people! I'm a little shocked and embarrassed about this but ultimately I guess it's his problem and no reflection on the upstanding person I am. By about 4:30pm I figured it was time for the drive home. I said my heartfelt goodbyes and started driving.
That damn Butters had other plans and somehow I ended up at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma. After many hours of Blackjack and Let it Ride I realized it would be better to not waste anymore Holiday shopping money. I got home at about 1:00am.
All in all a fantastic Holiday.
I am very thankful for all the things in my life, friends, family, casinos and wide turkey butts hand carved by my father's hand.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Good bye 40
Unbelievable. My last day of 40. Time has gone by way too fast to be believed.
40 was a great year. Work is going well, friends and family are healthy and happy. I've set a goal to explore the world of sailing. I've taken my 2 Vegas trips this year. My car still seems new even though it's 2 years old this month. And to top it all off my future's so bright I get to wear reading glasses. It's true, I treated myself to an eye exam, it had been years and not at all to my surprise these old peepers need some assistance focusing on things closer then about 3 feet. I just thought my arms were getting short. I hope the glasses add an air of maturity that isn't reflected in my behavior.
My most heartfelt thanks to each and everyone of you that know me. You have each had a hand in my journey, a journey that just gets sweeter with every step.
XXOO,
LCDSeattle
40 was a great year. Work is going well, friends and family are healthy and happy. I've set a goal to explore the world of sailing. I've taken my 2 Vegas trips this year. My car still seems new even though it's 2 years old this month. And to top it all off my future's so bright I get to wear reading glasses. It's true, I treated myself to an eye exam, it had been years and not at all to my surprise these old peepers need some assistance focusing on things closer then about 3 feet. I just thought my arms were getting short. I hope the glasses add an air of maturity that isn't reflected in my behavior.
My most heartfelt thanks to each and everyone of you that know me. You have each had a hand in my journey, a journey that just gets sweeter with every step.
XXOO,
LCDSeattle
Monday, October 15, 2007
A quick write-up of my last trip
Love, the Cirque du Soleil show to Beatles music was absolutely fantastic and I suspect I will now add Vegas shows to my activity list for future trips. My dad won $2300 on his birthday and that also set a new Davey family win record for a single sitting at a table. My mom who has never really won anything in Vegas hit a grand the following day so everyone was in extra high spirits. It was ultimately a pretty short trip. We left on Monday and got down there around 4:00 because the plane's departure was delayed an hour. I skipped Monday night sleep. A very funny thing happened on the way back to the Mirage (where we were staying).
It was about 4:30am Tuesday morning and I had been popping around town hitting different casinos when I felt it was time to return. I had told the cabbie to take me to the Mirage but fate had other plans. As I frequently do I chatted with the cabbie while we were en-route to the hotel this may partially explain why we ended up at Caesars. I didn't say anything and figured that I am here so I might as well check it out, I hadn't been there this trip and it really is a beautiful place. My favorite time in Vegas is between 3am - 7am. The whole town really is quiet and places built to handle thousands of people only need to deal with maybe a few dozen. As I walk into the place I am almost instantly greeted by a woman. She wasn't poorly dressed but her sunken cheeks gave her that very specific trashed out crack head look. "Can I be with you?" was the verbal component to the visual assault. This simple request seemed particularly well suited to a simply response of "No". I was a bit taken aback when this was insufficient and she needed clarification, "Why?". Again a simple question that required a simple response. So with handle to shoulder in the most elegant manner I informed her "Well, I'm a homosexual". "Don't say that so loud" was her knee jerk reaction married to a rather painful look of horror on her face. While I was having an absolutely wonderful time chatting with a Vegas whore, Hotel Security was clearly not amused with this and approached her asking for ID. I took this break in our conversation to leave since she had now found somebody to "be with". The rest of the morning was uneventful until I retold this story to my mom up in the hotel room. She had just gotten out of the shower and was dressed for the day and when I ended the story with "and they took the skanky whore away" she proceeded to spray coffee all over herself. It was like icing on the cake and made me laugh even more.
Goddess I love that town! You just never know what's going to happen, who you'll meet, what you'll see and what crazy "never in my hometown" experiences you might have. The next trip isn't until May so this story is going to have to tide me over until then.
It was about 4:30am Tuesday morning and I had been popping around town hitting different casinos when I felt it was time to return. I had told the cabbie to take me to the Mirage but fate had other plans. As I frequently do I chatted with the cabbie while we were en-route to the hotel this may partially explain why we ended up at Caesars. I didn't say anything and figured that I am here so I might as well check it out, I hadn't been there this trip and it really is a beautiful place. My favorite time in Vegas is between 3am - 7am. The whole town really is quiet and places built to handle thousands of people only need to deal with maybe a few dozen. As I walk into the place I am almost instantly greeted by a woman. She wasn't poorly dressed but her sunken cheeks gave her that very specific trashed out crack head look. "Can I be with you?" was the verbal component to the visual assault. This simple request seemed particularly well suited to a simply response of "No". I was a bit taken aback when this was insufficient and she needed clarification, "Why?". Again a simple question that required a simple response. So with handle to shoulder in the most elegant manner I informed her "Well, I'm a homosexual". "Don't say that so loud" was her knee jerk reaction married to a rather painful look of horror on her face. While I was having an absolutely wonderful time chatting with a Vegas whore, Hotel Security was clearly not amused with this and approached her asking for ID. I took this break in our conversation to leave since she had now found somebody to "be with". The rest of the morning was uneventful until I retold this story to my mom up in the hotel room. She had just gotten out of the shower and was dressed for the day and when I ended the story with "and they took the skanky whore away" she proceeded to spray coffee all over herself. It was like icing on the cake and made me laugh even more.
Goddess I love that town! You just never know what's going to happen, who you'll meet, what you'll see and what crazy "never in my hometown" experiences you might have. The next trip isn't until May so this story is going to have to tide me over until then.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
A non Vegas post? Could it be?
Just to shake things up a bit and broaden the topics I cover here I want to take a moment and further explore this crazy notion of acquiring a sailboat with the intent to live on it.
Here's a boat I recently found that, while on the high end of what I was thinking about spending gives a pretty good idea of what I'm looking at:
36' Islander
A few things I really like about this boat:
1) The wood interior. It seems, in the pictures, very warm. Many more modern boats seem to have a very white plastic look that doesn't seem very homey.
2)It has a larger waste holding tank that I have seen on many boats this size and smaller.
3) It's larger then most of the boats I think about. I suspect I'll get something closer to 30 instead of 36, cost being the biggest factor on length of boat
4) It's newer then 1980, again many of the boats I've looked at (looked at online mind you) are a bit older
5) It seems to have a pretty good set of electronics ie. depth sounder, radar, knot meter, gps and vhf. I'm not sure what the quality of all of them are but I've seen plenty of boats with less
6) A quarter berth in the back of the boat. That's the bed behind the stairs into the cabin. Having a cat, yes Salome too will have to live on the sailboat, I have no idea where I would put the worst part of cat ownership, the litter box. The only space I can think of is a quarter berth as far from the rest of the cabin as possible.
So there ya go. A few things I'm looking for in a boat.
VPW = 20 : )
Here's a boat I recently found that, while on the high end of what I was thinking about spending gives a pretty good idea of what I'm looking at:
36' Islander
A few things I really like about this boat:
1) The wood interior. It seems, in the pictures, very warm. Many more modern boats seem to have a very white plastic look that doesn't seem very homey.
2)It has a larger waste holding tank that I have seen on many boats this size and smaller.
3) It's larger then most of the boats I think about. I suspect I'll get something closer to 30 instead of 36, cost being the biggest factor on length of boat
4) It's newer then 1980, again many of the boats I've looked at (looked at online mind you) are a bit older
5) It seems to have a pretty good set of electronics ie. depth sounder, radar, knot meter, gps and vhf. I'm not sure what the quality of all of them are but I've seen plenty of boats with less
6) A quarter berth in the back of the boat. That's the bed behind the stairs into the cabin. Having a cat, yes Salome too will have to live on the sailboat, I have no idea where I would put the worst part of cat ownership, the litter box. The only space I can think of is a quarter berth as far from the rest of the cabin as possible.
So there ya go. A few things I'm looking for in a boat.
VPW = 20 : )
Monday, September 17, 2007
VWP = 21 and smoking update
In just 3 weeks from today I will once again be in the dreamy adult playland that is Vegas! My only anxiety being that I have not quit smoking and being in Vegas and wanting to smoke when I'm deep in the process of quiting scares me. I say bring on the cocktails and maybe I'll be able to forget I was once a smoker.
I started with the patch but after about 20 minutes my heart started to race and my body did not feel right at all. It had to come off. On the positive side I have been able to keep myself at 6 smokes a day since. Much better then my 20 a day before. Although I have not quit this is the longest I've been able to go keeping myself at a relatively low level. I am feeling very positive about this step down and feel on the road to kicking this nasty monkey off my back.
More quiting updates and VWP countdowns to come.
I started with the patch but after about 20 minutes my heart started to race and my body did not feel right at all. It had to come off. On the positive side I have been able to keep myself at 6 smokes a day since. Much better then my 20 a day before. Although I have not quit this is the longest I've been able to go keeping myself at a relatively low level. I am feeling very positive about this step down and feel on the road to kicking this nasty monkey off my back.
More quiting updates and VWP countdowns to come.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
VWP = 25
Yes it is that time again, VEGAS!!!!
Since I gave up smoking this morning I have 24 more days to build up healthy habits that won't break when I get down there. So this will be my first Vegas trip without that filthy habit of sucking in death and stench.
This trip will have another Vegas first for me, a real honest to goodness, full on, over the top, SHOW!!! As a birthday present, yes this is the annual parents and son birthday celebration, my dearest mother has purchased tickets to see Love. It's one of the Cirque du Soleil shows in town. It's built around Beatles music and at the Mirage, which is where we happen to be staying. I'm pretty excited, I have to admit. While it will cut into my drinking and gambling time I am sure it will be more then well worth the sacrifices. Besides the best things in life require some sacrifice.
So there ya all go. Vegas and a real honest attempt and making a healthy change in my life!!!
I'll keep all 4 or 5 of my faithful readers updated on my progress.
XOXO
-LCDSeatle
Since I gave up smoking this morning I have 24 more days to build up healthy habits that won't break when I get down there. So this will be my first Vegas trip without that filthy habit of sucking in death and stench.
This trip will have another Vegas first for me, a real honest to goodness, full on, over the top, SHOW!!! As a birthday present, yes this is the annual parents and son birthday celebration, my dearest mother has purchased tickets to see Love. It's one of the Cirque du Soleil shows in town. It's built around Beatles music and at the Mirage, which is where we happen to be staying. I'm pretty excited, I have to admit. While it will cut into my drinking and gambling time I am sure it will be more then well worth the sacrifices. Besides the best things in life require some sacrifice.
So there ya all go. Vegas and a real honest attempt and making a healthy change in my life!!!
I'll keep all 4 or 5 of my faithful readers updated on my progress.
XOXO
-LCDSeatle
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Ok Ok Ok...
Fine I will put an end to my Blogging "vacation". It's true that I haven't made an entry in much too long. There are plenty of reasons, nothing bad, just not feeling that what I write is worth reading. I fear that my blog became a personal forum without interest to my readers but after getting a number of emails expressing disappointment at lack of new content I shall return to making some entries.
My last entry was about the start of my road trip to South Dakota. The trip was absolutely wonderful. Being in the car for hours and hours with the only questions being:
1) Do I want to listen to the song on the CD, if not press next
2) Do I want to stop and get gas.
3) Oh look every gas station in Montana has an attached mini-casino!!!
No reader will ever believe it but I only gambled 5 or 6 times on my trips through Montana. No really, I found it as much or, goddess forbid, more fun to just be driving.
Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota where absolutely beautiful.
My time in South Dakota was much more fun then I expected. I certainly knew I would have a good time seeing my sister and niece but the variety and quality of things to do in the greater Rapid City area. As crazy as this sounds I really recommend a visit there. Mt. Rushmore was fantastic, the scenery, Reptile Garden, caves and the many things I didn't get to on the short trip will provide things for every taste. One serious disappointment was Deadwood. Deadwood is a town that has become a bit of a gambling mecca in the area. There were lots of places to play but in general I was not impressed. In fact I was more impressed with the mini-casino in Montana gas stations (Lucky Lil's RULE) where better then the places I went in Deadwood.
One of the best parts of the trip was running into my parents on the drive to SD.
Although I started out on the evening of Wednesday 13th, my parents had left that morning. Just before I left the house I got a call from my Dad saying they had arrived in Missoula and were stopping for the night. I said I was just about to hit the road (7:30pm). My plan for the whole trip was just to drive until I couldn't or didn't want to and then stop for some sleep. Well I was able to drive until about 5:00am and that put me just outside of Missoula. Thankfully Dad mentioned they were staying at a Holiday Inn Express and Missoula not being a very large town it was easy to find. When I got there, after a hour or two of sleep in a rest area, there were my parents eating breakfast! It was very funny to run into them and it started everyone's day off really well. For much of the day we would run into each other at rest stops. It almost became a game of "who got there first". In the early afternoon I hit a rest stop and waited for a little while, I was driving faster so knew that I had gotten ahead of them. No parents, strange. I called and it turns out that during one of my gas stops I spent a little too much time at a video poker machine and they had, in fact, not only passed me but left the rest stop I was at a little while ago. They were planning on stopping for lunch somewhere but weren't sure where. Our little game had come to an end. I wished them the best on the rest of their trip and would see them once we all arrived in Rapid City.
I continued down the road for awhile trying to guess where they might have stopped for lunch. Thankfully Montana while large isn't heavily populated so when I got to a small town that had a restaurant I figured it was worth a few minutes to see if my parents had stopped there for lunch. As I pulled up to the restaurant my Dad comes out of the front door wondering how in the world I had found them! They had just ordered and I placed an order and we got to have lunch together.
After lunch we all continued on our journey but they stopped for the night in Billings while I continued on eastward. I told them to tell my sister, should they chat with her, that I was continuing on but wasn't sure how far I would get. At about 8:30p that evening I pull into her driveway. She hadn't expected me before 10 if at all that evening.
I SOOOO LOVE ROAD TRIPS. It had been ages since I had been on one and now I want all vacations to include a few thousand highway miles, rest stops, and mini-casinos in gas stations.
My last entry was about the start of my road trip to South Dakota. The trip was absolutely wonderful. Being in the car for hours and hours with the only questions being:
1) Do I want to listen to the song on the CD, if not press next
2) Do I want to stop and get gas.
3) Oh look every gas station in Montana has an attached mini-casino!!!
No reader will ever believe it but I only gambled 5 or 6 times on my trips through Montana. No really, I found it as much or, goddess forbid, more fun to just be driving.
Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota where absolutely beautiful.
My time in South Dakota was much more fun then I expected. I certainly knew I would have a good time seeing my sister and niece but the variety and quality of things to do in the greater Rapid City area. As crazy as this sounds I really recommend a visit there. Mt. Rushmore was fantastic, the scenery, Reptile Garden, caves and the many things I didn't get to on the short trip will provide things for every taste. One serious disappointment was Deadwood. Deadwood is a town that has become a bit of a gambling mecca in the area. There were lots of places to play but in general I was not impressed. In fact I was more impressed with the mini-casino in Montana gas stations (Lucky Lil's RULE) where better then the places I went in Deadwood.
One of the best parts of the trip was running into my parents on the drive to SD.
Although I started out on the evening of Wednesday 13th, my parents had left that morning. Just before I left the house I got a call from my Dad saying they had arrived in Missoula and were stopping for the night. I said I was just about to hit the road (7:30pm). My plan for the whole trip was just to drive until I couldn't or didn't want to and then stop for some sleep. Well I was able to drive until about 5:00am and that put me just outside of Missoula. Thankfully Dad mentioned they were staying at a Holiday Inn Express and Missoula not being a very large town it was easy to find. When I got there, after a hour or two of sleep in a rest area, there were my parents eating breakfast! It was very funny to run into them and it started everyone's day off really well. For much of the day we would run into each other at rest stops. It almost became a game of "who got there first". In the early afternoon I hit a rest stop and waited for a little while, I was driving faster so knew that I had gotten ahead of them. No parents, strange. I called and it turns out that during one of my gas stops I spent a little too much time at a video poker machine and they had, in fact, not only passed me but left the rest stop I was at a little while ago. They were planning on stopping for lunch somewhere but weren't sure where. Our little game had come to an end. I wished them the best on the rest of their trip and would see them once we all arrived in Rapid City.
I continued down the road for awhile trying to guess where they might have stopped for lunch. Thankfully Montana while large isn't heavily populated so when I got to a small town that had a restaurant I figured it was worth a few minutes to see if my parents had stopped there for lunch. As I pulled up to the restaurant my Dad comes out of the front door wondering how in the world I had found them! They had just ordered and I placed an order and we got to have lunch together.
After lunch we all continued on our journey but they stopped for the night in Billings while I continued on eastward. I told them to tell my sister, should they chat with her, that I was continuing on but wasn't sure how far I would get. At about 8:30p that evening I pull into her driveway. She hadn't expected me before 10 if at all that evening.
I SOOOO LOVE ROAD TRIPS. It had been ages since I had been on one and now I want all vacations to include a few thousand highway miles, rest stops, and mini-casinos in gas stations.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Road Trip!!!
I leave for a little road trip this evening. I'm headed to Rapid City after work tonight. I'll be visiting my sister, her family at the same time my parents will be there as will a long time family friend. While not necessarily looking forward to what I perceive to be homophobic middle America I am really looking forward to my first long road trip in my car (not really new anymore at 23k miles). I'm also excited about seeing Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument. It's also been awhile since I've seen my sister and niece Sydney.
I will be returning Monday afternoon so don't be looking for more posts until then. Hopefully the trip will be filled with interesting things to share with my faithful readers.
I will be returning Monday afternoon so don't be looking for more posts until then. Hopefully the trip will be filled with interesting things to share with my faithful readers.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Life takes a 90 degree turn
It is probably more accurate to say that life presented me with an intersection and I took the 90 degree turn.
We (those that live at 2121 148th St. SW) have been notified that the property is being sold to a developer and we will need to move out. Thankfully because rezoning and such takes time we have at least 7 months to determine where we will call home in the future.
After many many years of dreaming about sailing, I have decided it is time to give it a real attempt. I now have a 12 month plan to purchase and move onto a sailboat!
There are many many many questions that will need answers, much research to be done and more learning then this old dog has done in years but you can teach old dogs new tricks.
Stay tuned for more info and feel free to ask questions, they might help me figure things out!
We (those that live at 2121 148th St. SW) have been notified that the property is being sold to a developer and we will need to move out. Thankfully because rezoning and such takes time we have at least 7 months to determine where we will call home in the future.
After many many years of dreaming about sailing, I have decided it is time to give it a real attempt. I now have a 12 month plan to purchase and move onto a sailboat!
There are many many many questions that will need answers, much research to be done and more learning then this old dog has done in years but you can teach old dogs new tricks.
Stay tuned for more info and feel free to ask questions, they might help me figure things out!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Day 2 in Vegas
Upon returning to Harrah's after an evening and early morning of Blackjack we still didn't feel quite ready to head to bed. At least when it's 5:30am there are plenty of seats to be had at a bar offering video poker. We sit down, order Irish coffees, the perfect I'm not ready for bed but am ready for more gambling early morning beverage, and start holding cards and hoping for the elusive Royal Flush. After a few dozen hands and a couple of cocktails we all realize that we still have 2 days ahead of us and some sleep should ensure the good times would keep rolling. Thankfully the three of us seem to always be on the same page and things just flowed so well. We returned to the room and unwound with a smoke or two, chatting about the previous day, planning our next day's attack and headed to bed, it's only 6:30am.
The room starts to awake around noon. Slowly at first, a stretch here, a yawn there as we all come to our sleep deprived and alcohol induced waking state that demands at least a shower and a smoke to make the body respond to our desires of more gambling, booze and camaraderie. Pulling back the curtains reveals another sunny day awaiting our enthusiastic attack and sensory overload. Once we've all prepared ourselves for the day ahead we head out, first stop check out the pool.
Yes we were dragging a little bit and figured that maybe there was more to Vegas then just gambling and 4:00am steak breakfasts. The idea of renting a cabana, having a few drinks while eying the sun tanning hard bodies generally found at Vegas pools held a certain draw that even blackjack might not be able to compete with. Alas Harrah's is not known for it's pool and the sight of dozens of children running around screaming and not so hard bodies that hadn't seen the day of light in years burning up in the desert sun sent us running to the Luxor, where the fun had all started on our first trip a couple of years ago.
I am, and this will come as little surprise, a fervent believer in the various Player's Clubs that all of the casinos offer. They give you a little card that you can stick in machines when you gamble and earn points, this was how I was able to get us a free room for the trip. So when we arrived at the Luxor and one of our party didn't have the right card I insisted they get in line and get a card. I had mine already (duh) so I sat down at a $0.02 slot machine, tossed in a $10 and figured that would last until everyone was ready to visit the Nile Bar, our favorite Luxor watering video poker hangout. By the time the girls had returned I was down to a few bucks. It's amazing how quickly $10 can disappear even in a 2 cent machine. Of course when you are betting max credits and max lines even at a low denomination machine it's still $1.75 a pull of the handle. "Let me just lose this real quick". Something I suspect they were very use to hearing from me. Then the strangest thing happened. The machine started going crazy constantly paying me more and more credits. Mind you each credit was just $0.02 but after what seemed forever it stopped but only after paying out $45! The noise this generated got a lot of attention from people from all over the casino and before it was done there was a group of gamblers basking in my win. Winners get lots of attention and the day had started with a very nice little jackpot! Day 2 was off to a good start but disaster was awaiting the giddy.
We wandered around the Luxor looking for the Nile Bar. We had been there many times and there should have been no reason for it to be so hard to locate, and what's with this section of the casino all walled off? Imagine our surprise when we asked a casino employee for directions and were informed it was closed for remolding! We were forced to settle on a different bar. At least the drinks were great and there was video poker. A hour to two later and we all felt that maybe some food was in order.
A buffet and the rest of Day 2, next time.....
The room starts to awake around noon. Slowly at first, a stretch here, a yawn there as we all come to our sleep deprived and alcohol induced waking state that demands at least a shower and a smoke to make the body respond to our desires of more gambling, booze and camaraderie. Pulling back the curtains reveals another sunny day awaiting our enthusiastic attack and sensory overload. Once we've all prepared ourselves for the day ahead we head out, first stop check out the pool.
Yes we were dragging a little bit and figured that maybe there was more to Vegas then just gambling and 4:00am steak breakfasts. The idea of renting a cabana, having a few drinks while eying the sun tanning hard bodies generally found at Vegas pools held a certain draw that even blackjack might not be able to compete with. Alas Harrah's is not known for it's pool and the sight of dozens of children running around screaming and not so hard bodies that hadn't seen the day of light in years burning up in the desert sun sent us running to the Luxor, where the fun had all started on our first trip a couple of years ago.
I am, and this will come as little surprise, a fervent believer in the various Player's Clubs that all of the casinos offer. They give you a little card that you can stick in machines when you gamble and earn points, this was how I was able to get us a free room for the trip. So when we arrived at the Luxor and one of our party didn't have the right card I insisted they get in line and get a card. I had mine already (duh) so I sat down at a $0.02 slot machine, tossed in a $10 and figured that would last until everyone was ready to visit the Nile Bar, our favorite Luxor watering video poker hangout. By the time the girls had returned I was down to a few bucks. It's amazing how quickly $10 can disappear even in a 2 cent machine. Of course when you are betting max credits and max lines even at a low denomination machine it's still $1.75 a pull of the handle. "Let me just lose this real quick". Something I suspect they were very use to hearing from me. Then the strangest thing happened. The machine started going crazy constantly paying me more and more credits. Mind you each credit was just $0.02 but after what seemed forever it stopped but only after paying out $45! The noise this generated got a lot of attention from people from all over the casino and before it was done there was a group of gamblers basking in my win. Winners get lots of attention and the day had started with a very nice little jackpot! Day 2 was off to a good start but disaster was awaiting the giddy.
We wandered around the Luxor looking for the Nile Bar. We had been there many times and there should have been no reason for it to be so hard to locate, and what's with this section of the casino all walled off? Imagine our surprise when we asked a casino employee for directions and were informed it was closed for remolding! We were forced to settle on a different bar. At least the drinks were great and there was video poker. A hour to two later and we all felt that maybe some food was in order.
A buffet and the rest of Day 2, next time.....
Monday, May 07, 2007
A day around town and our first sunrise
We got to our room after a very quick check-in. A brief moment to catch our breath, claim a horizontal surface as an altar (including the trouble making candles), pottie breaks and we were ready to hit the casino floor. Thankfully our room was not too far from the action. If you ever go to Vegas and plan on doing some gambling I suggest requesting a room closer to the casino floor. These places can have multiple room towers and some rooms can be a hike to get to where you want to go.
A walk around the casino gave us a decent lay of the land and after a stop at the player's club so those that didn't have current cards could start earning comp points we searched for and found three video poker machines side by side. I was a little surprised at the number of people. I thought by Monday afternoon Vegas would has settled down after the rush of the weekend but it seems more and more people have found the beauty that is Vegas mid-week. Alas we didn't stay very long at these machines as drink service seemed non-existent. A stop at the Let-it-ride table was next on the list and after winning $20 I felt it was a good time to leave a table a winner to set a hopeful tone for the week. Being low rollers the three of us decided it would be more comfortable gaming downtown so we grabbed a cab and headed for the Golden Nugget.
I hadn't been in the Golden Nugget since their remodel and we were all pleasantly surprised at the decor and general state of the GN. We realized that with the gaming and drinking ahead of us some food was probably a smart idea so we found the buffet and had ourselves some dinner. While the buffet wasn't too bad it was $20 for dinner, fairly standard for Vegas now. I informed everyone that the next buffet would be at the Mirage and although $2 more the quality and variety would be well worth the extra cash. After food was procured and consumed, it turns out one can live on prime rib and multiple desserts, it was finally time to get in some serious gambling action.
We found ourselves three seats at a lovely bar in the Golden Nugget, sat down, popped in some $20s, placed our drink orders and let the buttons fly. Video poker at a bar with friends is one of my favorite Vegas activities. With a decent bartender there is seldom a wait for one's next cocktail (bourbon and 7 was my standard drink of the trip). Video poker is more casual then a table game because one can take their own pace without the pressure of holding up others, unlike the action at a table game. It's also fun to take a moment and watch a friend try for the flush or some other nice hand. After a couple of hours we felt the need for a change in venue though probably the same type of activity. A cab right back to the hotel for an evening refresh and it was time for more fun.
One of my long time Vegas standards is a little casino on Las Vegas Bldv. Yes LVB is The Strip but this place is closer to the airport then other strip casinos and nobody would ever call this place a Strip Casino. It is a serious hole in the wall, very smoky, very small just like their table limits. It's called the Klondike and it's right across from the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign. The last trip two of us made it to the Klondike while the third needed some time to herself with the porcelain goddess. $2 Blackjack and $0.10 roulette have brought me back time and again. Since one of us hadn't been there the Klondike was THE place to spend the evening having fun and waiting to see our first Nevada desert sunrise. We caught a cab and headed for there. Imagine my surprise when we arrived to find the place boarded up and fenced in. The Klondike has closed! And we aren't talking the closed for remodel here. This was 100% not coming back kind of closed. I guess the ground the place sits on is worth more then any action at a $2 BJ table would ever bring. With hearts filled with a bit of shock, horror and sadness a new locals oriented casino needed to be found ASAP.
One of the things I had done to prepare for this trip is track down places that still have serious value breakfasts during the wee hours of the morning. One place was called Terrible's. While not the most promising name for a gambling establishment the breakfast deals sounded good and being focused on the Las Vegas residents instead of tourists I knew the video poker odds would be favorable and the table limits a better fit for our bank rolls. Good bye Klondike hello new favorite local's casino! Terrible's was a perfect fit for us.
While nowhere near as large as Strip and Freemont casino it was plenty big enough for us and we quickly located video poker machines together and picked up where the action left off earlier. Drink service at Terrible's wasn't bad though the kick to the drinks were not quite what we were use to at the GN. As has become the pattern after a few hours of VP it was time for a change in play. By now the casino had thinned out a bit and we were able to score three seats at a $5 blackjack table.
Oh the fun that was had! The three of us had somehow managed to avoid playing BJ at the same time until now and we made up for lost time in grand style. We found our group poison and drank deep from the cup. We sat at the table for hours drinking, staying on 13 when appropriate and hit 16 when needed. By 4am it was time for a break and although nobody was really hungry we knew food was required none the less. This clearly called for one of the bargain breakfasts that had first attracted us to the place. While nothing overly special it was good and at $7 for steak, eggs and toast it was just what 3 Vegas junkies needed. While our moods and energy were still quiet high and we could have picked up where we left off at the BJ table we decided it was still our first day in town and maybe a few hours of sleep before day two would allow us to continue to make the most of our trip so it was a cab ride back to Harrah's.
Stepping out of Terrible's we were greeted with that wonderful twilight sky as dawn breaks. Almost as incredible was that it was warmer outside at 5:00am then the high temperature in Seattle would be that day. Hours of gambling, drinking, being up at 5:00am and the sunrise all combined into a wonderfully surreal moment. We had achieved a mental place where reality was very different for us then our normal lives would allow. It was a mix of the power of nature as the color of the sky changed by the minute, an intense calm before the city awoke to the beat of thousands of tourists, an altered state of being from more alcohol then any of us will ever admit to and disbelieve that although we hadn't slept it was the beginning of our second day in Vegas.
Next post.... Day 2
A walk around the casino gave us a decent lay of the land and after a stop at the player's club so those that didn't have current cards could start earning comp points we searched for and found three video poker machines side by side. I was a little surprised at the number of people. I thought by Monday afternoon Vegas would has settled down after the rush of the weekend but it seems more and more people have found the beauty that is Vegas mid-week. Alas we didn't stay very long at these machines as drink service seemed non-existent. A stop at the Let-it-ride table was next on the list and after winning $20 I felt it was a good time to leave a table a winner to set a hopeful tone for the week. Being low rollers the three of us decided it would be more comfortable gaming downtown so we grabbed a cab and headed for the Golden Nugget.
I hadn't been in the Golden Nugget since their remodel and we were all pleasantly surprised at the decor and general state of the GN. We realized that with the gaming and drinking ahead of us some food was probably a smart idea so we found the buffet and had ourselves some dinner. While the buffet wasn't too bad it was $20 for dinner, fairly standard for Vegas now. I informed everyone that the next buffet would be at the Mirage and although $2 more the quality and variety would be well worth the extra cash. After food was procured and consumed, it turns out one can live on prime rib and multiple desserts, it was finally time to get in some serious gambling action.
We found ourselves three seats at a lovely bar in the Golden Nugget, sat down, popped in some $20s, placed our drink orders and let the buttons fly. Video poker at a bar with friends is one of my favorite Vegas activities. With a decent bartender there is seldom a wait for one's next cocktail (bourbon and 7 was my standard drink of the trip). Video poker is more casual then a table game because one can take their own pace without the pressure of holding up others, unlike the action at a table game. It's also fun to take a moment and watch a friend try for the flush or some other nice hand. After a couple of hours we felt the need for a change in venue though probably the same type of activity. A cab right back to the hotel for an evening refresh and it was time for more fun.
One of my long time Vegas standards is a little casino on Las Vegas Bldv. Yes LVB is The Strip but this place is closer to the airport then other strip casinos and nobody would ever call this place a Strip Casino. It is a serious hole in the wall, very smoky, very small just like their table limits. It's called the Klondike and it's right across from the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign. The last trip two of us made it to the Klondike while the third needed some time to herself with the porcelain goddess. $2 Blackjack and $0.10 roulette have brought me back time and again. Since one of us hadn't been there the Klondike was THE place to spend the evening having fun and waiting to see our first Nevada desert sunrise. We caught a cab and headed for there. Imagine my surprise when we arrived to find the place boarded up and fenced in. The Klondike has closed! And we aren't talking the closed for remodel here. This was 100% not coming back kind of closed. I guess the ground the place sits on is worth more then any action at a $2 BJ table would ever bring. With hearts filled with a bit of shock, horror and sadness a new locals oriented casino needed to be found ASAP.
One of the things I had done to prepare for this trip is track down places that still have serious value breakfasts during the wee hours of the morning. One place was called Terrible's. While not the most promising name for a gambling establishment the breakfast deals sounded good and being focused on the Las Vegas residents instead of tourists I knew the video poker odds would be favorable and the table limits a better fit for our bank rolls. Good bye Klondike hello new favorite local's casino! Terrible's was a perfect fit for us.
While nowhere near as large as Strip and Freemont casino it was plenty big enough for us and we quickly located video poker machines together and picked up where the action left off earlier. Drink service at Terrible's wasn't bad though the kick to the drinks were not quite what we were use to at the GN. As has become the pattern after a few hours of VP it was time for a change in play. By now the casino had thinned out a bit and we were able to score three seats at a $5 blackjack table.
Oh the fun that was had! The three of us had somehow managed to avoid playing BJ at the same time until now and we made up for lost time in grand style. We found our group poison and drank deep from the cup. We sat at the table for hours drinking, staying on 13 when appropriate and hit 16 when needed. By 4am it was time for a break and although nobody was really hungry we knew food was required none the less. This clearly called for one of the bargain breakfasts that had first attracted us to the place. While nothing overly special it was good and at $7 for steak, eggs and toast it was just what 3 Vegas junkies needed. While our moods and energy were still quiet high and we could have picked up where we left off at the BJ table we decided it was still our first day in town and maybe a few hours of sleep before day two would allow us to continue to make the most of our trip so it was a cab ride back to Harrah's.
Stepping out of Terrible's we were greeted with that wonderful twilight sky as dawn breaks. Almost as incredible was that it was warmer outside at 5:00am then the high temperature in Seattle would be that day. Hours of gambling, drinking, being up at 5:00am and the sunrise all combined into a wonderfully surreal moment. We had achieved a mental place where reality was very different for us then our normal lives would allow. It was a mix of the power of nature as the color of the sky changed by the minute, an intense calm before the city awoke to the beat of thousands of tourists, an altered state of being from more alcohol then any of us will ever admit to and disbelieve that although we hadn't slept it was the beginning of our second day in Vegas.
Next post.... Day 2
The Vegas Report - The Arrival
Yes I've been back for a few days and I'm sure everyone wants to know how it went. I'm sorry for the delay. Though I can still play like I'm a 20-something. I need to recuperate like the 40-something I really am. Please enjoy this post and know that more will follow soon.
One of my standards for measuring the success of a Vegas trip is hours of sleep for the stay. This trip that came to a grand total of 10. Plenty when you consider we were there Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and left Thursday morning. As far as the gambling action is concerned that too was a fine success. No big win but even for a couple of days with only Wednesday being a real down day and not really over my daily limit.
We all met at SeaTac at 8:00am and after a couple of smokes before entering the non-smoking building that is the airport we headed inside to see what kind of trouble we could find before we left the dreary Spring weather of Seattle. Security was mostly a breeze. One of our members did have a few candles in their carry-on luggage that induced the need for TSA to search the bag. Thankfully candles are not on the no-fly list and our altar decorations were given the all clear. This is an improvement from last trip where the same person attempted to smuggle a lighter skillfully hidden in the liner of her coat. It took TSA a few minutes to find the offending object and once it was in their possession we were allowed to proceed.
During the initial booking of the flight I was unable to secure three seats together and we were all a little worried about the limits this would put on airplane antics so after passing security the next step was the Alaska Airlines Customer Service desk to see if somebody could work their magic and arrange our seating to better enable fun time at 30,000 feet. What I thought might be tough turned out to be no big thing. A very nice employee of the airline typed away at her computer and in moments the three of us were sitting next to one another for the flight. The best way to celebrate this turn of events and prepare for the flight is a few rounds of cocktails.
Few things in this world say "We're headed to Vegas" like double screw drivers at 9:00am. By the time the first round was done we took a moment to remember the coworkers we left behind and reached out and touched them via the trusty cell phone. I think everyone enjoys the merriment of getting drunk phone calls at the office from the very people that have abandoned you for the week. I almost always have a round of drinks at the airport pre-Vegas, it's fun to think that the drinks will be the last I pay for until I return to reality.
The fight down was uneventful. The preflight cocktails negated any need to fork over more cocktail cash so our time was spent trying to contain our enthusiasm for gambling and await the turbulence our pilot had warned us about but turned out to be nothing more then a few bumps here and there. As regular readers know I get a little excited about my Vegas trips and the only point more exciting then my first sitting at a video poker machine is seeing The Strip from the plane. It rises out of brown nothingness. Even in daylight the buildings seem to shine. Their shapes scream Come Visit Me First. To speed our travel through the airport we brought only carry-on baggage so it was out of the plane, tram to main terminal and into a waiting shuttle to take us to our hotel, Harrah's.
It's hard to complain about a comp'd hotel room and even if I had paid normal price I can't really say anything bad about our home away from home on the Strip. Harrah's location is fantastic smack in the middle of the strip, plenty of gaming tables and slot machines. My one issue with the property is the lack of bars with video poker machines. I counted two and during the day seldom was a seat to be had let alone three in a row.
Next posting...
A day on the Strip and our first sun rise
One of my standards for measuring the success of a Vegas trip is hours of sleep for the stay. This trip that came to a grand total of 10. Plenty when you consider we were there Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and left Thursday morning. As far as the gambling action is concerned that too was a fine success. No big win but even for a couple of days with only Wednesday being a real down day and not really over my daily limit.
We all met at SeaTac at 8:00am and after a couple of smokes before entering the non-smoking building that is the airport we headed inside to see what kind of trouble we could find before we left the dreary Spring weather of Seattle. Security was mostly a breeze. One of our members did have a few candles in their carry-on luggage that induced the need for TSA to search the bag. Thankfully candles are not on the no-fly list and our altar decorations were given the all clear. This is an improvement from last trip where the same person attempted to smuggle a lighter skillfully hidden in the liner of her coat. It took TSA a few minutes to find the offending object and once it was in their possession we were allowed to proceed.
During the initial booking of the flight I was unable to secure three seats together and we were all a little worried about the limits this would put on airplane antics so after passing security the next step was the Alaska Airlines Customer Service desk to see if somebody could work their magic and arrange our seating to better enable fun time at 30,000 feet. What I thought might be tough turned out to be no big thing. A very nice employee of the airline typed away at her computer and in moments the three of us were sitting next to one another for the flight. The best way to celebrate this turn of events and prepare for the flight is a few rounds of cocktails.
Few things in this world say "We're headed to Vegas" like double screw drivers at 9:00am. By the time the first round was done we took a moment to remember the coworkers we left behind and reached out and touched them via the trusty cell phone. I think everyone enjoys the merriment of getting drunk phone calls at the office from the very people that have abandoned you for the week. I almost always have a round of drinks at the airport pre-Vegas, it's fun to think that the drinks will be the last I pay for until I return to reality.
The fight down was uneventful. The preflight cocktails negated any need to fork over more cocktail cash so our time was spent trying to contain our enthusiasm for gambling and await the turbulence our pilot had warned us about but turned out to be nothing more then a few bumps here and there. As regular readers know I get a little excited about my Vegas trips and the only point more exciting then my first sitting at a video poker machine is seeing The Strip from the plane. It rises out of brown nothingness. Even in daylight the buildings seem to shine. Their shapes scream Come Visit Me First. To speed our travel through the airport we brought only carry-on baggage so it was out of the plane, tram to main terminal and into a waiting shuttle to take us to our hotel, Harrah's.
It's hard to complain about a comp'd hotel room and even if I had paid normal price I can't really say anything bad about our home away from home on the Strip. Harrah's location is fantastic smack in the middle of the strip, plenty of gaming tables and slot machines. My one issue with the property is the lack of bars with video poker machines. I counted two and during the day seldom was a seat to be had let alone three in a row.
Next posting...
A day on the Strip and our first sun rise
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Another sign of change
Hold on to your keyboards, this isn't a Vegas post! (only 4 days, 22 hours to go).
It seems that trade between China and Japan is ever growing and now China has surpassed the U.S. as Japan's top trading partner. Read more here.
The times they are a changing. I find it very interesting that with all of the political issues between the two countries that their trade has grown so much over the last few years. I wonder what this says about our Empire. From the growth of the E.U., China and India it would seem the days of our heavy handed influence over the world are numbered. I hope that as other countries rise in the ranks of the rich that they step up to the plate and fund the U.N. (not that we do the best job) and increase their aid to developing nations. Oh the power struggles that are coming, for consumers, oil, water and other raw materials we have to share.
It seems that trade between China and Japan is ever growing and now China has surpassed the U.S. as Japan's top trading partner. Read more here.
The times they are a changing. I find it very interesting that with all of the political issues between the two countries that their trade has grown so much over the last few years. I wonder what this says about our Empire. From the growth of the E.U., China and India it would seem the days of our heavy handed influence over the world are numbered. I hope that as other countries rise in the ranks of the rich that they step up to the plate and fund the U.N. (not that we do the best job) and increase their aid to developing nations. Oh the power struggles that are coming, for consumers, oil, water and other raw materials we have to share.
Monday, April 23, 2007
So what does Vegas have to do with Beltain?
Beltain is one of the 8 major Holidays. A basic primer to the Celtic Holiday calendar can be found here.
Beltain for me has a number of important aspects.
1) The beginning of warmer weather. While we just celebrated Spring Equinox a short while ago the weather here in the Pacific Northwest hasn't really changed until early May. That change is here by Beltain, there shouldn't be anymore frost, days finally above 50, the gaining strength of the sun and goodbye to the gloomy weather day after day. We also get to look forward to even longer days of sunshine and continued lengthening of the light.
2) Fertility and transformation, or the mystery that is the spark of life, a moment of change from something static to something animated, the transformation from a seed to a sprout, the magic that happens when an egg is fertilized.
3) Like all of the Holidays it is a time of celebration, marking my place on the wheel of the year. Time to count my blessings and celebrate with friends.
Vegas, or more accurately my impressions and experiences of Vegas, embrace these things and provides a venue for intense celebration. Let there be no doubt that the sun of the Nevada desert is warmer then anything that makes it's way through the cloud cover of Western Washington. When I travel there in Spring it reminds me of the summer that is on it's way. There is a transformative energy about Vegas, partly rooted in the fact that the city shouldn't even be there. Without the transformation provided by the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead the area is desolate to say the least. The feeling of that transformation is in the air everywhere you go, at least on The Strip. With giant lakes and fountains, trees and flowers and grass it's amazing the amount of life that surrounds one, not to mention the thousands and thousands of tourists too. As those that have traveled with me there can attest I am transformed upon arrival. My normally high energy level rises to all new heights and pulling all night visits to blackjack tables and video poker machines becomes easy even at my age. There is an intense energy about the city, it's always in the middle of a transformation. Old casinos get torn down and new, larger, glitzier places pop up. This creates a feeling of youth and constant change. Gambling provides it's own power of transformation, poor one minute and flying high with wads of cash in my pocket the next with my mood following the rise and fall of my fortunes.
Beltain for me has a number of important aspects.
1) The beginning of warmer weather. While we just celebrated Spring Equinox a short while ago the weather here in the Pacific Northwest hasn't really changed until early May. That change is here by Beltain, there shouldn't be anymore frost, days finally above 50, the gaining strength of the sun and goodbye to the gloomy weather day after day. We also get to look forward to even longer days of sunshine and continued lengthening of the light.
2) Fertility and transformation, or the mystery that is the spark of life, a moment of change from something static to something animated, the transformation from a seed to a sprout, the magic that happens when an egg is fertilized.
3) Like all of the Holidays it is a time of celebration, marking my place on the wheel of the year. Time to count my blessings and celebrate with friends.
Vegas, or more accurately my impressions and experiences of Vegas, embrace these things and provides a venue for intense celebration. Let there be no doubt that the sun of the Nevada desert is warmer then anything that makes it's way through the cloud cover of Western Washington. When I travel there in Spring it reminds me of the summer that is on it's way. There is a transformative energy about Vegas, partly rooted in the fact that the city shouldn't even be there. Without the transformation provided by the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead the area is desolate to say the least. The feeling of that transformation is in the air everywhere you go, at least on The Strip. With giant lakes and fountains, trees and flowers and grass it's amazing the amount of life that surrounds one, not to mention the thousands and thousands of tourists too. As those that have traveled with me there can attest I am transformed upon arrival. My normally high energy level rises to all new heights and pulling all night visits to blackjack tables and video poker machines becomes easy even at my age. There is an intense energy about the city, it's always in the middle of a transformation. Old casinos get torn down and new, larger, glitzier places pop up. This creates a feeling of youth and constant change. Gambling provides it's own power of transformation, poor one minute and flying high with wads of cash in my pocket the next with my mood following the rise and fall of my fortunes.
A spiritual side to Vegas?
Yes there can be a spiritual side to Vegas, at least for me once a year. I generally take two trips to Vegas each year. There is a family multi-birthday celebration trip in October. It's incredibly special to me because my birthday is one of the ones celebrated but more importantly it's simply incredible to go to Vegas with family and have everyone super enjoy the experience. There is never pressure to do things you don't want, we all seem to enjoy doing similar stuff but can also go off on our own for a little while without people's feelings getting hurt. Although there isn't really a spiritual aspect to the trip, the closeness and mutual enjoyment of the trip makes it very special. The other annual trip is the coven's Beltain observance.
Our coven has, over the years, developed a number of traditions and ritual elements. Many of these are worked into our Vegas trip to build an experience that resembles our more traditional Holiday observances.
We start all rituals off with creating sacred space or Casting the Circle. Normally it's a procession around a room or the entire house carrying symbols of the elements, stating why we have gathered and separating ourselves from the mundane world. This doesn't work quite the same way on a Vegas trip. Not only can we not get a pilot to circle Vegas but burning incense, tossing salt and splashing fellow plane passengers with water would probably get us kicked off the plane. So instead we will cast a circle represented by the three of us. We'll be in sacred space more mentally then a delineation of the physical space. We will also most likely make remarks throughout the trip about it being Beltain, what it means to us, how the current activity is a celebration of the time of year.
One of my favorite things about our rituals is invoking the God and Goddess. We have developed a wonderful ritual around this were we recognize Divinity in each of us. This consists of stating to one of the participants "You are the [God or Goddess] because...." and ending with a personal trait that reminds us of the divine in the person. We will all take turns until each person has been recognized as both the God and Goddess. Much like the Casting the Circle in Vegas, we will most likely make these remarks throughout the entire trip.
Upon arriving at the hotel a horizontal surface will be transformed into an altar. We'll each bring candles, photos, figurines and other various sacred objects which will go into building the altar. We've always wondered what housekeeping must think but we've never lost anything and it just adds creating a special place.
It would not be inaccurate to categorize our group as a party coven. Each Holiday we certainly celebrate and Vegas is one of our biggest. We will worship the Sun God, pretty easy in the desert. Lady Luck will certainly get a few words of praise tossed her way too. Everyone in the coven has gone through some life changing events in the last few months and a part of our focus will certainly be marking these changes and looking forward to new lives and embracing the nature of change.
The day of checkout from the hotel we will take down the altar and close the circle and return our focus to the mundane. This won't be too hard after days of intense partying, drinking, gambling and sun bathing not to mention the mundane nature of returning to the airport for the flight home to reality.
Now you too have the magic formula for a Spiritual Vegas Trip! Feel free to make changes that incorporate your own believes and remember that all acts of love and pleasure are Her rituals.
Our coven has, over the years, developed a number of traditions and ritual elements. Many of these are worked into our Vegas trip to build an experience that resembles our more traditional Holiday observances.
We start all rituals off with creating sacred space or Casting the Circle. Normally it's a procession around a room or the entire house carrying symbols of the elements, stating why we have gathered and separating ourselves from the mundane world. This doesn't work quite the same way on a Vegas trip. Not only can we not get a pilot to circle Vegas but burning incense, tossing salt and splashing fellow plane passengers with water would probably get us kicked off the plane. So instead we will cast a circle represented by the three of us. We'll be in sacred space more mentally then a delineation of the physical space. We will also most likely make remarks throughout the trip about it being Beltain, what it means to us, how the current activity is a celebration of the time of year.
One of my favorite things about our rituals is invoking the God and Goddess. We have developed a wonderful ritual around this were we recognize Divinity in each of us. This consists of stating to one of the participants "You are the [God or Goddess] because...." and ending with a personal trait that reminds us of the divine in the person. We will all take turns until each person has been recognized as both the God and Goddess. Much like the Casting the Circle in Vegas, we will most likely make these remarks throughout the entire trip.
Upon arriving at the hotel a horizontal surface will be transformed into an altar. We'll each bring candles, photos, figurines and other various sacred objects which will go into building the altar. We've always wondered what housekeeping must think but we've never lost anything and it just adds creating a special place.
It would not be inaccurate to categorize our group as a party coven. Each Holiday we certainly celebrate and Vegas is one of our biggest. We will worship the Sun God, pretty easy in the desert. Lady Luck will certainly get a few words of praise tossed her way too. Everyone in the coven has gone through some life changing events in the last few months and a part of our focus will certainly be marking these changes and looking forward to new lives and embracing the nature of change.
The day of checkout from the hotel we will take down the altar and close the circle and return our focus to the mundane. This won't be too hard after days of intense partying, drinking, gambling and sun bathing not to mention the mundane nature of returning to the airport for the flight home to reality.
Now you too have the magic formula for a Spiritual Vegas Trip! Feel free to make changes that incorporate your own believes and remember that all acts of love and pleasure are Her rituals.
Friday, April 20, 2007
It's 1am and all is well
Sometimes High Tech employment isn't all glamor. It's sometimes about missing one's desperately needed beauty sleep. Yes, it's 1:00am and I am at the office. There was a presentation today that was video taped and the video files need to be posted to the web server for somebody to review first thing in the morning, the only problem being that the person that needs to review them is on the East Coast. It's much easier for me to stay up until 3:00am then get up at 5:00 so I am at the office patiently awaiting the video editor to bring me a disk with the video files.
If I were more awake I would probably have something really witty to say but alas I don't. I guess this is going to be one of those self indulgent entries that is all about me. This is an entry that real journalists rant about when people talk about blogs. There really isn't much to this post other then I'm thinking about all of my readers (at least the 3 or 4 I'm aware of). I'm hoping you are all having wonderful dreams, dreams of me winning BIG in Vegas, which is just 10 days 9 hours away!!!!
--Update--
Well it's now past 3:00! I am thinking this is good practice for.... you guessed it... VEGAS!
And the overtime will provide an extra bet or two.
I love my life.
If I were more awake I would probably have something really witty to say but alas I don't. I guess this is going to be one of those self indulgent entries that is all about me. This is an entry that real journalists rant about when people talk about blogs. There really isn't much to this post other then I'm thinking about all of my readers (at least the 3 or 4 I'm aware of). I'm hoping you are all having wonderful dreams, dreams of me winning BIG in Vegas, which is just 10 days 9 hours away!!!!
--Update--
Well it's now past 3:00! I am thinking this is good practice for.... you guessed it... VEGAS!
And the overtime will provide an extra bet or two.
I love my life.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Of Breeders and Gay Bars
A friend and I went out a couple of nights ago and decided to visit Sonya's, a downtown Seattle Gay bar. Sonya's use to be located near the Convention Center but when the Center expended it's facilities a few years ago Sonya's had to move and found space on First Ave near the Pike Place Market. It's previous location was a very small nondescript building. I suspect only the gays really knew what it was. There was a small diner type restaurant in one half of the building while the other half was the bar. It was a pretty unique place for Seattle. It had no windows and was always very dimly lit. They made the stiffest drinks. I loved the place. It's new location necessitated a few changes.
The new location was much larger and being on First Ave near a major tourist attraction the front part of the joint is a bit more upscale. I was concerned that a gay bar wasn't going to do well in it's new locale. I can't imagine what their neighbor's thought. Thankfully it's been a few years and Sonya's seems to be doing fine, or is it?
My friend and I decided to sit in the front part of the place, the back room doesn't have the most comfortable seating and we were planning on getting some food. On all previous visits I had always made my way to the back room, it's more bar like and there are views of Elliot Bay. I had noticed, on these previous visits, that the patrons in the front part seemed a less stereotypically gay but didn't really think anything of it, Sonya's had always been a gay bar and there was little doubt that the people in the back section were as gay as myself but as this most recent visit progressed I began to realize that something was amiss! The people sitting around me and my friend were displaying very heterosexual behavior, one of them even had a skateboard! Sonya's was a gay bar that had a breeder clientele. At least they seemed to confine themselves to the front section.
To be truthful this is not really a serious issue for me. In fact I would say it may even be a sign that things are continuing to change for the better. What a wonderful world we will have when gender preference is a non-issue and we can all intermix and mingle without fear. The only problem is that we are not there yet. Short of the internet, gay bars are one of the few places we can go to meet somebody and be pretty sure that any advances made toward somebody will not start some nasty altercation. I feel somewhat comfortable approaching a man in a gay bar and starting a conversation without the fear of a reaction somewhere between "I'm not gay" to "Die faggot" and a punch being launched at my face.
So while I am happy to see us all getting along and bars like Sonya's acting as a bridge between cultures I expect all you cute straight men visiting our bars to be flattered when hit on and not hit back.
The new location was much larger and being on First Ave near a major tourist attraction the front part of the joint is a bit more upscale. I was concerned that a gay bar wasn't going to do well in it's new locale. I can't imagine what their neighbor's thought. Thankfully it's been a few years and Sonya's seems to be doing fine, or is it?
My friend and I decided to sit in the front part of the place, the back room doesn't have the most comfortable seating and we were planning on getting some food. On all previous visits I had always made my way to the back room, it's more bar like and there are views of Elliot Bay. I had noticed, on these previous visits, that the patrons in the front part seemed a less stereotypically gay but didn't really think anything of it, Sonya's had always been a gay bar and there was little doubt that the people in the back section were as gay as myself but as this most recent visit progressed I began to realize that something was amiss! The people sitting around me and my friend were displaying very heterosexual behavior, one of them even had a skateboard! Sonya's was a gay bar that had a breeder clientele. At least they seemed to confine themselves to the front section.
To be truthful this is not really a serious issue for me. In fact I would say it may even be a sign that things are continuing to change for the better. What a wonderful world we will have when gender preference is a non-issue and we can all intermix and mingle without fear. The only problem is that we are not there yet. Short of the internet, gay bars are one of the few places we can go to meet somebody and be pretty sure that any advances made toward somebody will not start some nasty altercation. I feel somewhat comfortable approaching a man in a gay bar and starting a conversation without the fear of a reaction somewhere between "I'm not gay" to "Die faggot" and a punch being launched at my face.
So while I am happy to see us all getting along and bars like Sonya's acting as a bridge between cultures I expect all you cute straight men visiting our bars to be flattered when hit on and not hit back.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The VWP is at 19 days
Yes it that time again. Another Vegas Waiting Period and it's at 19 days!
The coven is headed to Vegas again to celebrate Beltain. Everybody needs a little hedonism for the Holiday and what better place then Vegas.
We leave on Monday April 30 and will be staying at Harrah's and we return May 3.
A few things on the to do list:
The Klondike (my favorite dive casino)
The Venetian
Mandalay Bay
The Stratosphere
Fremont (we were there last year but want to spend a bit more time there this trip)
Weather permitting a bit of time by the pool.
I haven't spent much time around a pool in Vegas, it seems a bit strange to bake in the desert sun instead of gambling but it is a group trip and the eye candy can be worth the risk of skin cancer. : )
There will be much sitting a bars playing video poker, drinking, at least 1 trip to a buffet, a couple of 2am steak breakfasts. I thought these had pretty much vanished but I just found that link and it seems if you know where to go a few deals are still to be had. I'm sure there will be some trinket shopping, more then a few cigarettes to be smoked and many hours not spent sleeping.
Oh I'm so excited!
The coven is headed to Vegas again to celebrate Beltain. Everybody needs a little hedonism for the Holiday and what better place then Vegas.
We leave on Monday April 30 and will be staying at Harrah's and we return May 3.
A few things on the to do list:
The Klondike (my favorite dive casino)
The Venetian
Mandalay Bay
The Stratosphere
Fremont (we were there last year but want to spend a bit more time there this trip)
Weather permitting a bit of time by the pool.
I haven't spent much time around a pool in Vegas, it seems a bit strange to bake in the desert sun instead of gambling but it is a group trip and the eye candy can be worth the risk of skin cancer. : )
There will be much sitting a bars playing video poker, drinking, at least 1 trip to a buffet, a couple of 2am steak breakfasts. I thought these had pretty much vanished but I just found that link and it seems if you know where to go a few deals are still to be had. I'm sure there will be some trinket shopping, more then a few cigarettes to be smoked and many hours not spent sleeping.
Oh I'm so excited!
Monday, April 09, 2007
It's about the BIO
NEC has announce a bio based plastic and we've all heard about the growing desire to use corn for fuel. Clearly we are moving in a direction where fossil fuels will be less important which has many great things going for it. Do not for one moment think that these bio alternatives will come without issues. As climate change becomes more prevalent and affects our nation's ability to grow stuff how will we justify going hungry because all our food went to fuel and plastic cases for our latest iPods and computers? Not to mention how moral is it of us to be fueling up an SUV with food based fuel while others starve? Contrary to contemporary though it is not some deity given right for citizens in this country to maintain our lifestyle at the expense of the rest of the planet no matter how many troops we may have in foreign lands.
I must be male PMSing today.
I must be male PMSing today.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Cheney and the facts
It is beyond amazing how some of our leaders will say anything to justify their actions. Cheney was speaking with Rush Limbaugh and still insists that a pre Iraq war connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda existed. This on the say day the full report from the Pentagon is released that states there was no connection.
I don't understand how King George W Bush and his cronies can consistently lie and think the public will believe them. The only thing more difficult to understand is how their followers do believe them.
What maddens me is that I feel powerless to do anything about this. I SO FREAKIN HATE OUR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT. I don't feel good about this hatred. I was always taught to show respect for the President but King George has not done anything to earn respect in fact he has done the exact opposite! He is an embarrassment to our nation and we will pay the price for his actions for many many years.
I can only hope that those that voted for him are happy and proud of their president.
I don't understand how King George W Bush and his cronies can consistently lie and think the public will believe them. The only thing more difficult to understand is how their followers do believe them.
What maddens me is that I feel powerless to do anything about this. I SO FREAKIN HATE OUR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT. I don't feel good about this hatred. I was always taught to show respect for the President but King George has not done anything to earn respect in fact he has done the exact opposite! He is an embarrassment to our nation and we will pay the price for his actions for many many years.
I can only hope that those that voted for him are happy and proud of their president.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
It seems so much easier
For some reason, as yet to be determined by me, it seems much easier to comment on other peoples' blogs that post on my own. So in an effort to broaden my readerships internet experience (I think I have readers) and to plug the blogs of friends I would recommend taking a moment to surf on over to:
Rodin's Muse
Pop Culture Institute
Na Smuaintean
I hope you enjoy what you find there as much as I and feel free to send me addresses to the blogs you find most interesting.
Rodin's Muse
Pop Culture Institute
Na Smuaintean
I hope you enjoy what you find there as much as I and feel free to send me addresses to the blogs you find most interesting.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Let's hear it for French innovation
The French TGV (high speed train) has broken it's own record. I love train travel but living in this country I don't really get the chance to do it. Just add that to one of the many reasons to move away.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Dont ask
Please don't ask how I came across this but I know, deep in my heart, that what readers I have will find this of incredible use.
Compare and contrast with these steps. If I see you on the street be prepared for a test!
Enjoy,
LCDSeattle
Compare and contrast with these steps. If I see you on the street be prepared for a test!
Enjoy,
LCDSeattle
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
The explosive entry!
It seem Stromboli is at it again.
I love volcanoes. The power the earth has underneath the little bits we live on is simply amazing and mind blowing. Although I would hate the destruction and loss of life I would love to see Mt. Rainier blow. It's been so many years since Mt. St. Helens and I was asleep when it went off so I really missed most of that show.
What I wouldn't recommend is what Indonesia is doing to deal with one of their fire mountains. It just seems darn crazy and no volcano is going to care about some 500lb cement balls. It's going to toss those things out and they are going to rain down on the very people authorities are trying to protect.
For those of you faithful readers not into volcanoes you can read about Paris Hilton's little run in with the police. Paris is just too young and few stars can pull of a police incident like Zsa Zsa, oh for the days of true Hollywood royalty.
I love volcanoes. The power the earth has underneath the little bits we live on is simply amazing and mind blowing. Although I would hate the destruction and loss of life I would love to see Mt. Rainier blow. It's been so many years since Mt. St. Helens and I was asleep when it went off so I really missed most of that show.
What I wouldn't recommend is what Indonesia is doing to deal with one of their fire mountains. It just seems darn crazy and no volcano is going to care about some 500lb cement balls. It's going to toss those things out and they are going to rain down on the very people authorities are trying to protect.
For those of you faithful readers not into volcanoes you can read about Paris Hilton's little run in with the police. Paris is just too young and few stars can pull of a police incident like Zsa Zsa, oh for the days of true Hollywood royalty.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
It's all about the love
Should extreme conservatives need a guiding light on laws against homosexuals they need to take a look at what Nigeria is doing.
This is absolute insanity and I hope that our government and the UN address this.
It makes me very happy that I was born in this country and gives me a certain perspective on the fights we gays are fighting here.
How can people that preach love have so much hate in their hearts at those that, through no choice of their own, love somebody of the same gender? It's LOVE! Why does what other people do so deeply affect others? I think it is through education that we (the gays) will win this but it is clearly going to take a very long time.
May you get to spend some time with somebody you love this evening and not live in fear that you may die for the sake of that love.
This is absolute insanity and I hope that our government and the UN address this.
It makes me very happy that I was born in this country and gives me a certain perspective on the fights we gays are fighting here.
How can people that preach love have so much hate in their hearts at those that, through no choice of their own, love somebody of the same gender? It's LOVE! Why does what other people do so deeply affect others? I think it is through education that we (the gays) will win this but it is clearly going to take a very long time.
May you get to spend some time with somebody you love this evening and not live in fear that you may die for the sake of that love.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Filthy, filthy, filthy
My my, stock in adult diaper companies is going to soar. There aren't just for the geriatric crowd anymore.
Use #1
Use #2
I haven't used a bathroom on a Chinese train and given the number of passengers during their vacation season I can see there being issues with not having enough restrooms so Use #1 makes some sense but sitting on a train for hours in one's own filth is really CREEPY and would ruin my holiday.
Use #2 is just plain wrong. Even if I was in a desperate state and just had to take somebody out after a cross country drive I would still pull into a rest area for 5 minutes and take care of my body's needs. This is clearly a sign of a deep psychosis or NASA training includes some really strange social programming around body fluids.
Please if you have bladder control use a bathroom and save diapers for those that have real issues.
Use #1
Use #2
I haven't used a bathroom on a Chinese train and given the number of passengers during their vacation season I can see there being issues with not having enough restrooms so Use #1 makes some sense but sitting on a train for hours in one's own filth is really CREEPY and would ruin my holiday.
Use #2 is just plain wrong. Even if I was in a desperate state and just had to take somebody out after a cross country drive I would still pull into a rest area for 5 minutes and take care of my body's needs. This is clearly a sign of a deep psychosis or NASA training includes some really strange social programming around body fluids.
Please if you have bladder control use a bathroom and save diapers for those that have real issues.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Imbolc
The coven is getting together this weekend for Imbolc (the day between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox). Not normally a "big" holiday for me but this year I'm making use of it for some personal issues. In my journey through life I seem to have lost my way. Not by some horrible amount but I don't feel that who and where I am is where I want to be.
Probably more to the point I'm not sure who I am anymore. There are a number of reasons for feeling lost, in no particular order:
I'm 40 and am probably having some type of midlife crisis, what is life and my place in it all about?
Over the past few years I have developed a nasty habit of resentfully accommodating those around me.
I'm not the most disciplined person and have allowed myself to build undesired habits, one of which is my smoking.
I take way too much of what happens around me personally.
I have a lot of built up anger and am not good at handling situations that generate anger in me, part of why I resentfully accommodate.
So I have a few things I want to address before I get too far into my second set of 40 years and am kicking it off this Imbolc.
My plan has two main parts. The first is a cleansing and purification of the past. I need to separate myself from those things in my past that I don't want anymore. I need to break from the habit of smoking. I need to break the pattern of resentful accommodation. I need to release my anger from the past and not let it blow current issues out of perspective.
The second part of my plan is to start making small changes in my life to find myself and my path through life. The first step on this part will be making a concerted effort to block out 30 minutes each day to do those things that bring me joy and peace. Two things that come to mind as activities for this daily "self" time is blogging and meditation.
Stay tuned for updates and Happy Imbolc.
Probably more to the point I'm not sure who I am anymore. There are a number of reasons for feeling lost, in no particular order:
I'm 40 and am probably having some type of midlife crisis, what is life and my place in it all about?
Over the past few years I have developed a nasty habit of resentfully accommodating those around me.
I'm not the most disciplined person and have allowed myself to build undesired habits, one of which is my smoking.
I take way too much of what happens around me personally.
I have a lot of built up anger and am not good at handling situations that generate anger in me, part of why I resentfully accommodate.
So I have a few things I want to address before I get too far into my second set of 40 years and am kicking it off this Imbolc.
My plan has two main parts. The first is a cleansing and purification of the past. I need to separate myself from those things in my past that I don't want anymore. I need to break from the habit of smoking. I need to break the pattern of resentful accommodation. I need to release my anger from the past and not let it blow current issues out of perspective.
The second part of my plan is to start making small changes in my life to find myself and my path through life. The first step on this part will be making a concerted effort to block out 30 minutes each day to do those things that bring me joy and peace. Two things that come to mind as activities for this daily "self" time is blogging and meditation.
Stay tuned for updates and Happy Imbolc.
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