December 31

Nothing to brag about yesterday and most folks hate complainers so this note will be another struggle for me. Without a challenge once in awhile what would a person do? 'Use it or lose it', I believe also applies to ones mind. I think I read there was a medical study that showed an active and challenged mind can slow down the symptoms of Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is a lot more scary for me after I read a little about it. such as; The disease usually begins after age 60, and risk goes up with age. While younger people also may get AD, it is much less common. About 3 percent of men and women ages 65 to 74 have AD, and nearly half of those age 85 and older may have the disease. It is important to note, however, that AD is not a normal part of aging. I read one article that said it affected nearly one out of ten over the age of 65.

Hey, I'm sorry about this note! I just get started down a path and the next thing I know I've gone too far.

We're expecting the Krohn's and the Montgomery's to join us here for dinner on the first day of 2005. Black-eyed peas, Pickled Herring and maybe some collard greens are a few of items that's on the menu and either Bill or Carl must come into the house first.

The first visitor at your house on New Year's Day must be a male or you'll have bad luck.
Don't do laundry before 6 p.m. on New Year's Day or you'll wash someone out of your life.
You must eat black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year's Day. Black-eyed peas for luck, collard greens for money.
On New Year's Day, put an egg and a dollar in a bag, throw it out the window of a moving car, but don't look back. This will bring good luck.
I can't remember what the Pickled Herring does or prevents for you but I'd say eating a bite can't hurt.

I'm not sure how Glenda and I will stay awake until midnight so our plans are to ring in the new year watching the New York bash on TV. We can do that at 9:00 our time then go to bed.

I imagine I'll feel a little week come Sunday and will need to stay close to the house. I plan to eat two or three cans of collard greens myself and I'm positive the results of that will flush me out pretty good. We really could use a little money!

December 30

Well we both made a blood donation at the Boulder Station Casino yesterday. For being so caring and giving they rewarded each of us with two free buffet passes. We used two of them yesterday and have till next year to use the other two. I doubt we'll wait all that long.

I won several dollars when we first got there but ended up leaving a small cash donation there too. Sounds like a Kerry doesn't it? "I actually won before I lost." The straw that did me in was playing that stupid game called bingo without winning again! You can't win if you don't play but you can't lose either. That is if you don't figure that you could have won something if you did play which would make that possible sum a loss. Forget it! I don't understand either.

Today is a free video poker tournament at the MonteLago Casino and a free gift at the Sunset Station. I figure we'll work both those stops in sometime today.

"Opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on the doorbell." - Anonymous

A good day to you!

December 29

Not a whole lot happening around here. Glenda didn't win at anything yesterday but she has vowed to correct that today. She has a no lose item on our agenda. Well, it is a give and get kind of thing. Give a little blood at the Boulder Station Casino and receive a free buffet ticket for two. Glenda has stated that if we can only use it today that I'll be the only one giving. You better believe she'll happily partake of any rewards that I might receive from my blood, sweat and tears. Maybe not the latter two but I typed them in there anyway because I think that is how some saying goes?

The stubborn drain didn't give in to all of my efforts yesterday but did finally succumb to the Liquid Plumber that Glenda brought home. All the time I wasted! Glenda says that I kind of look like a plumber from the rear when I bend over. THANKS!

And thank goodness I feel far enough down the page to stop this typing and click send.

This from our TV channel 8 weatherman: I'm not sure what this means, but I just saw animals lined up, two by two, moving down the Strip. The first in a series of drenchings isn't through yet. Some neighborhoods have already exceeded one inch of rain, and the rain will continue through midday Wednesday, at least. Highs will be near 50 with lows in the 40's. Another system is due in for New Year's, we're watching that one very closely.... and another one for Monday-Tuesday. You've heard of the rainforest, welcome to the rain-desert!

December 28

Yesterday was the worst at the games that we've seen this year! Cloudy, rainy and losing all joined together to cause us a huge lack of happiness. We did get a free buffet at Sam's Town and $5.00 but I didn't/couldn't even keep enough of the $5.00 to be able to pay the tip. Glenda had to pop for that. Anyway the meal was good!

Last night the coyotes came calling again serenading us with their off key song. It sounded like a quartet but it could have been a chorus. This time they spiced it up with a real bark. It was rather high pitched but still, it was a bark.

Today we're supposed to see rain most of the day. There will be about a week of the stuff. Sure do hope it doesn't end up making us homesick.

I think Glenda and Aunt Ruby are going to do their day out. Probably going to a casino for a cheap breakfast, then to Wal-Mart, then another casino, then to Big Lots, another casino, Walgreen's and then another casino for a supper meal of some kind. Who knows what they will do all day. I'd wager they'll only know as the day progresses. At least they always seem to enjoy it.

Meanwhile, back here in the jungle, I've got a stubborn drain to repair, a couple of meals to prepare, a book to finish and another one to start on. Lots of lazing around too, as I further bond with Tomi and Mikey. They and I have a lot in common already as Glenda tells me I'm just as spoiled as they are. Funny maybe but I've noticed that about her too. We're living in a house of spoils!

Beware the barrenness of a busy life. ~Socrates

December 27

It looks and sounds like we may get a little rain around here off and on for most of the week. On the TV this morning they said there had been 200 traffic fatalities in the valley so far this year. At least that's what I think I heard. Glenda thinks it was less than that. Anyway this purported rain over several days will most probably add to the total at whatever it stands now. The roads do get awfully slick when they get wet yet so many people won't slow down any. We will be going slower!

Yesterday we made a stop at the Railroad Pass Casino. I walked in, put a dollar in a quarter slot machine and won a pot of $20. That little dab of luck and the fact that Aunt Ruby and daughter Kim was winning induced me to mess around leaving the whole $20 there when we left. Not good! Not good at all! I only lost $1 of my walk in money but I'm still aggravated!

After that we gave the Fortune Casino a chance at some of our walk in cash. They took advantage of the opportunity as far as my pockets were concerned but not so Glenda's. Honest, no mistake about it, she took two cents more out of there than she walked in with. We were there for a hour or so and she played the same machine all that time.

Today is one of those where we need to make the rounds starting with Sam's Town where they used a free $5 worth of play as the lure. If you ever start fishing for suckers, 'free' is one of the most productive lures there are.

If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles. ~Doug Larson

December 26

And a Merry Christmas was had by all! At least around here it seemed merry and we hope it was everywhere else too. Now we're hunkering down waiting for the new year stuff. After all that's over it will be back to regular whatever regular is. Who knows anymore? Things like, you can't say Merry Christmas because it might offend some foreigner or a person of a different faith, heck, you can't even kill the enemy during a war because of his rights. Give me a break!

A big bang to start our day off. Something huge slammed into the trailer or jumped on the roof and rolled off. That all happened at 4:26 a.m. I jumped up to check things out and found nothing amiss. Got back into bed and noticed Mikey staring hard at the window so I got back up and raised the blinds to look. I saw one lone coyote slinking by very close to the trailer then I saw numerous shapes a little farther out in the desert slipping past. My thoughts are the prey they were after made the big noise during it's escape or escape attempt. Anyway no going back to bed so it got our day started early again.

Yesterday morning I had to get some gasoline for the car so I drove eleven miles to save four cents per gallon. That little excursion put me real close to the Fiesta Casino. We had a free money offer there for the day so I stopped in to pick it up. To shorten the story they had $3 free play for each of us. I used Glenda's card and her $3 to come away with $5. I took my card to another machine and after a pretty long loosing struggle I was able to turn it around and came away with $ 5 for myself too. What a challenge!

My biggest challenge so far this day is in finding something worthy to type.......It's too much like work! I quit!

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength. ~Charles Spurgeon

December 25

Wishing all of youse, a very Merry Christmas!

May your day be shinny and bright and your whole new year be just as pretty.

December 24

Yippee! I walked out of the Fiesta yesterday with five extra bucks in my pocket! I felt like a true winner. To have that feeling I did need to force from my mind the terrible stop at the Monte Largo just an hour or so earlier where I lost ten dollars. I'm not very happy at all about how the Monte Largo has treated us so far this year. It's true we've only been there twice and Glenda did win twenty bucks the last trip but they took my favorite machines out and turned that little area to some kind of eating joint.

The Fortune Casino has been so mean to me so far this year that I've scratched it from my list but guess what, we're going there this morning to meet Uncle Carl and Aunt Ruby for breakfast. One of those free, 'you buy the coffee' and we'll give you two eggs, hash browns, toast and sausage or bacon. The coffee is only $1.25 so it isn't a bad deal at all. I tried to get the meal without buying the coffee last visit but refused me.

We are planning a visit to the Fiesta and the Sunset Station today also. Both places have used an offer of free cash to lure us in. Maybe, just maybe, we can use their money to prime some old machine into pouring us a out bucketful. Yeah, right! One positive way not to win anything would be not to play! Or is it that a real winner doesn't play? Life sometimes can be so confusing.

"The act of taking the first step is what separates the winners from the losers." -- Brian Tracy

December 23

I was awakened this morning around 3:45 by what I first thought was Santa on our roof. After checking around I discovered it was only that damn wind blowing branches against the roof. I was up anyway so I made some coffee and sent Mikey out after the papers. We get two papers on Thursday. Generally Mikey is a really good paper retriever and he was this morning for the first paper. For the second one I had to order him, beg him and then I had to go out on the cold porch to lure him outside. Had to pay him double after he brought the second paper in.

The wind is blowing pretty hard and the air that it's moving around is only 37 degrees. That makes for a pretty cool beginning for the day. The sun will assume it's place of prominence soon and things will begin to look up.

No big stories of yesterday are available here. That is mostly because nothing big happened. We did got to Sam's town to play 1:00 bingo whit the same-o results. Played a little Joker Poker but nothing worth mentioning. Well, I might mention one mistake that worked out okay. I put $5 in a multi-domination machine and played twenty coins without noticing the machine was set on nickels instead of pennies. On the second play it gave me four of a kind for 400 coins. When the meter racked up $20 I was shocked and began to wonder what size bill I had put into the machine. That was when I noticed it was set for nickels. I promptly reset it for pennies and played it a little while longer. Got the total to $29.45 toward my $30 goal when it started the wrong direction. When it got down to $20 I cashed out and moved on.

Today will be another one of those wonderful whatever we want it to be days. Nothing planned yet so we have all of our options still open. I'm sure it will be a good day.

"Let no pleasure tempt thee, no profit allure thee, no ambition corrupt thee, no example sway thee, no persuasion move thee to do anything which thou knowest to be evil; so thou shalt live jollily, for a good conscience is a continual Christmas." --Benjamin Franklin

December 22

Oh, the wayward wind is a restless wind, a restless wind that's born to wander. If your wind has been restless and has wandered off, don't worry about it. It's out here with us! I can't say for sure but I'm thinking there must be some kind of reunion in this part of Nevada for winds from everywhere. It seems kind of odd that you can feel it and see the results of it's passing but you can't see the wind. Does it pass or does it stay in one place huffing and puffing? If it passes where does it go? Oh, the wayward mind is a restless mind!

I was able to finish the book, 'Motion to Suppress', by Perri O'Shaughnessy yesterday. Then I started 'Reversible Errors' by Scott Turow. I think it is going to be a really good one! I can read better when Glenda isn't here because I don't have the TV blaring. Glenda needs a TV or radio on in every room that she might visit during the day. Here of course it is only the bed room and the living room/kitchen but it boggles my mind too much and interrupts my reading thoughts. Glenda hears very little of anything that spews from the TV or radio anyway so I don't know why she needs them on all of the time.

Glenda hit four deuces on a nickel machine yesterday for a $50 pot then came home with $11 less than she left with. I'd say she stayed out too long but I enjoy the reading time too much.

The newspaper says there are 10 people per hour arriving here. (It must be the wind blowing them in!) The story goes on:

The state added 92,564 people between July 2003 and July of this year, according to the estimates. That's more than 10 new residents every hour, or 7,700 a month.

Between the third quarter of 2003 and this year, the median value of a home in the Las Vegas Valley jumped more than 50 percent, from $184,300 to $283,200.

To access the Las Vegas Review-Journal click.... http://www.reviewjournal.com

Lord, where we are wrong, make us willing to change; where we are right, make us easy to live with. ~Peter Marshall

The wind continues but I'm about blown out!

December 21

Some soft looking clouds in our sky being battered around by the, back with avenges, wind. That same wind is aggravating the land dwellers somewhat too but not yet as near as it will by Friday according to the weathermen. They've suggested securing down all of anything outside including any Christmas decorations. "Well blow me down", may not be just a stupid phrase anymore after Thursday. We'll see.

Yesterday we picked up a few things and Sam's Club, a few at Big Lots and since we were so close to Sam's Town Casino we decided to pick up a little spare change there. It didn't work out that way but we didn't leave any either. That wasn't because none of our change is spare rather because we left with exactly what we went in with. Initially we both won some but greed overcame us and we played it back trying to double it. When we got back down to our carry in money we left. Shoot, that right there made us a winner!

Today is Glenda and Aunt Ruby's day out. A day where I stay home, cook my own meals and after a few need to dos, I read one of the books we've acquired.

Our five pomegranate trees out back has shed their leaves so I may out there with a rake. All I'll need to do is pull them out into the open and let the windy mother nature move them out. From our free and handy 'Gurunet' program I copied the following for you.

pomegranate (pŏm'grănĭt, pŏm'ə–) , handsome deciduous and somewhat thorny large shrub or small tree (Punica granatum) belonging to the family Punicaceae, native to semitropical Asia and naturalized in the Mediterranean region in very early times. It has long been cultivated as an ornamental and for its edible fruit. The fruit, about the size of an apple, bears many seeds, each within a fleshy crimson seed coating, enclosed in a tough yellowish to deep red rind. Pomegranates are either eaten fresh or used for grenadine syrup, in which the juice of the acid fruit pulp is the chief ingredient. Grenadine syrup, sometimes made from red currants, is a flavoring for wines, cocktails, carbonated beverages, preserves, and confectionery. The astringent properties of the rind and bark have been valued medicinally for several thousand years, especially as a vermifuge. The pomegranate is now cultivated in most warm climates, to a greater extent in the Old World than in America; in North America it is grown commercially chiefly from California and Arizona south into the tropics. The fruit has long been a religious and artistic symbol. It is described in the most ancient of Asian literature. In the Old Testament, Solomon sang of an “orchard of pomegranates.” Because of its role in the Greek legend of Persephone, the pomegranate came to symbolize fertility, death, and eternity and was an emblem of the Eleusinian Mysteries. In Christian art, it is a symbol of hope.

In my memory somewhere comes the word 'filler' to describe the last paragraph. Looks like it works fine for that as well as being educational.

"A good listener or reader is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he gets to know something." -- Wilson Mizner, Author (with a word or two added?

December 20

On a day like today, we passed the time away, making footprints in the sand. Walking in the desert that is. Doing whatever we want. Well, almost anything we want. That is somewhat limited by the finances and unbalanced budget that we're going to be forced to revise once again. How does that saying go? Money can't buy love, but it sure gets you a great bargaining position. Being rich wouldn't necessarily make one happy but the ability to afford living wouldn't be too sad of a plight either.

I must be stopped up! I know my head is just full of stuff but I can't seem to get anything to run. No, I guess I'm probably just constipated since most tell me I usually talk out my rear anyway.

Good can come in so many ways and can come unexpectedly. We should all be thankful when good comes!

Good bye.

Just before Christmas, an honest politician, a generous lawyer and Santa Claus were riding in the elevator of a very posh hotel. Just before the doors opened they all noticed a $20 bill lying on the floor. Which one picked it up? Santa of course, because the other two don't exist!

December 19

Yesterday a great short time with our friends. Sorry that we seemed to drag them down a bit. It was only after we parted company that John hit a Royal Flush for $250.00 on one machine then on another he hit four deuces for $200.00. This was reported to us via the phone. They didn't want to spoil their luck.

We did have time to get our calendars and chess sets. If it wasn't for the fun of the game neither would have been worth a walk across a single lane road. Luckily the trip was far enough that we were forced to drive.

The parks Christmas dinner wasn't worth a walk across the road either! By luck we happened to drive there too. As they say. "two trips in one, the first and the last." Glenda did win a door prize tho. It was a gift certificate for $10.00 at the grocery store. We're hoping to sell it for around eight bucks for gambling money.............Just kidding! We need it for tip money! A free meals does not include any tip. No big expense for me unless Aunt Ruby is around. We can't let she or Uncle Carl leave all the tip so we divvy up a share. I've saved enough when they haven't been with us to pay the whole tip but they won't let us.

I don't think there is much on our agenda for today. We'll just wait and see.

December 18

Coyotes yipping and howling just outside our window in the wee hours of this morning makes the sleep a little less enjoyable. Some folks think that is a neat sound, I guess I'm tone deaf or something because it wasn't very pretty to me. They weren't mournful sounds at all. It was more like they were all out there making fun of, or mocking anything that could hear them and really enjoying it.

Yesterday we picked up a couple of free (ha) calendars at the Sunset Station. Later at home watching TV, we saw an advertisement for the same calendars, $14.95 plus $6.35 shipping and handling. We have an opportunity to pick up another two of them today at the Fiesta for free (ha). We would give them away but we're not sure whether to bother with it or not. It could end up cheaper to order them and have them sent direct to a chosen recipient. Of course we'll go right past the Fiesta on our way to Sunset again where our gift today is a swell some looking chess set. We'll just wait and see how it works out.

A couple of Missouri friends are supposed to be here around 11:00 so we may not have time to make the round anyway. Our plans for the day include a free dinner at the club house in the park. The social part begins at 5:30 and then we eat at 6:00. Glenda intends to bake a cake to take too. That will take a little time. Ah, we don't need the chess set nor the calendars!

The U.S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. ~Benjamin Franklin

December 17

We're blessed again this morning with a little north-north-east wind about,...................about 10/20 mph. We've discovered a little know fact! This area is the place where that dumb hairdo that stands up all over your head began. I once thought how ignorant it was to work at combing and teasing your hair into an such an uncombed ugly look, but now we know out here they don't comb it that way, instead they go outside for a short walk them come in and put hairspray on the results. Weird hairdo or regular we should all buy stock in hairspray related companies. The smog looking stuff hanging over the city must only be over-spray from the hairspray cans.

We slipped up yesterday. Broke down and went to downtown Henderson where there are three small neighborhood casino's. They don't need to be large to take your money and they care not if it's a neighbor's money. We did play a little but most of the time we took turns watching one another play. Won a little but lost a tad more than the win. At least we can still go out for another day or two before we go back to the easy chairs and good books.

Today there are a couple of stops to be made to pick up some of the free (ha) stuff. At the same time we're looking for a call from a couple of Missouri friends that flew in last night. We won't be reading much today.

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try. ~Beverly Sills

December 16

Yesterday was one of those days that come along every once in a while. The kind that leaves a dumb-ass like me, nothing to bray about! It wasn't any good anywhere we went. Yesterday is past. We've thankfully been given another day, hopefully one we might enjoy. To insure that joy is most probable, we'll just stay out of any of the gambling joints. We'll lick our wounds and plan out an attack for another day. We did pick up a couple of real nice photo albums but I'm not going to even mention the word free!

I'm thinking the Library and the grocery stores might both get a visit from us sometime today. We'll just see what the wind blows in and I'm telling you the damn wind sure is really B L O W I N G! Mikey and I were out in it earlier and let me tell you, it brought tears to my eyes. I'm not really sure if it was the wind tho, or the memory of yesterday slipping in on me again.

Worry is but a terrible misuse of the imagination. ~Dan Zadra

December 15

Yesterday was as great as you would expect. Mikey and I did a little walking and I did a lot of reading. Mikey hasn't learned how to read yet and I think that might be why he talks so funny.

Glenda did let me down a little. I gave her my money and she came home with less than she took. She left it strung all around Henderson and maybe left a small amount in Las Vegas too.

We are on the list to receive a free (ha) photo album and some free (ha) cash at the Silverton Casino today so I expect we'll visit there for sure. Not a lot of anything else on the list. I was thinking we might play the rest of the day by ear but just as the thought struck me one of the hearing aid batteries gave out. Maybe we'll make the first stop to be at Walgreen's or someplace like that for new batteries. You can't play it by ear if you only half hear! Or could that lead you down some very new untried paths? Humm.

It certainly hasn't helped me much with my typing or content of this.........

Believe it or not but the other hearing aid battery just gave it up too.

"A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he gets to know something."-- Wilson Mizner, Author

December 14

Day before yesterday, on the way home, I became a little aggravated at a full sized van driving beside us. I was in the passing lane and it seemed like he sped up enough to hang in there beside us. Because of the aggravation I drove over 65 MPH in a 55 MPH zone. Wouldn't have been a big deal had the city police not been sitting along side the road. As I went by I looked in the rearview mirror and watched them pull out with their lights flashing. I thought some of our gambling money might be in jeopardy. Pleased was I when I watched them pull over another white car that had been behind us. Just before we turned off the road Glenda said they were coming again with flashing lights. We think they stopped the wrong car then realized their mistake. I'm not sure if I speeded up but I'm sure I didn't slow down any. We made it home without them getting us anyway. Speeding through the park isn't kosher but we did just a little of that too.

Today I may have figured out why the van paced beside us. In line for Sam's Buffet this afternoon, a guy directly behind us in the line, tapped me on the shoulder and told me that I was a very lucky man. After I had played several machines with out winning a penny I was ready to disagree with him when he said "your wife is very beautiful". Of course we both thanked him and promptly forgave him his three cigarettes that he smoked during our wait to get in to eat. Just a little statement like that from a stranger can help a person realize how really lucky we are. I'm thinking now that the people in that van were probably admiring Glenda too. For some reason the comment didn't inspire Glenda to win any at the games but I'm positive she was sitting there happy.

Tomorrow is the girls day out so my money making opportunities will increase. Glenda could very well win, while sitting at home I can't very well spend. "A penny saved"......

"When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another." -- Helen Keller

December 13

Yesterday was a very good day..............for Glenda. She had her name called again at the Fortune for a spin at the wheel. She won $20 at that. At the other games she won too. We decided to wait for the 2:00 draw and while doing that I talked her into playing a nickel Joker Poker Machine. She promptly won $28.00 less the $5.00 she put in. Shouldn't half of that be mine?

Glenda just loves it at that place! I'm thinking she and Aunt Ruby should do the stop next weekend leaving me at home. Someone has got to stay so that others can play!

It was our 20th wedding anniversary yesterday. At least Glenda and I both remembered! I think while she was cooking our pork for supper she was a tiny bit peeved that we didn't go out to eat. I can only hope, long after my worldly departure, she will be able to see the benefits of the savings.

The only thing on our calendar for today is free cash at Sam's Town. I expect we'll make the trip to get it. No telling how much we'll turn that $5.00 into.

One day in retrospect the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful. ~Sigmund Freud

December 12

We got free playing money at the Gold Rush and Sunset Station yesterday. I turned mine into a little bit more before we headed home. I think I picked up an extra $24.00. Glenda started the day with only $6.25 in her purse but managed to bring home $11.00.

Picked up a couple of nice metal picture frames as the free (ha) gift of the day at the Fiesta and they paid us a little to get them. It was a nice day!

Helped Uncle Carl put up some Christmas lights while Glenda and Ruby went on the home tour. After we got the lights up I walked home. It was a 53 minute three mile walk. Quite a joy...........................to get sat down in the old easy chair after I got home.

Aunt Ruby paid Glenda's fare for the home tour which they did going from home to home in our car. I believe she said they looked at five homes. What I can't believe is the cost was $10 each. What a big rip that was! I'm thinking of setting this place up for tours next year. I'll go with around $2.50 which ought to make it a very desirable tour for retirees and the cost conscious.

There was some talk of staying home today but our larder as well as our refrigerator is empty. Everything, including meals is higher on weekends except at the grocery stores so I suspect we'll visit one of those today.

"I find that it is not the circumstances in which we are placed, but the spirit in which we face them, that constitutes our comfort." --Elizabeth King

December 11

You're never going to believe..........................we won a $50 pot playing bingo at the Fiesta yesterday. Of course we gave a big chunk of it back to the casino via the video poker machines but it was nice anyway. Took the free (ha) $4.00 they gave us out of one machine and put it into another. Took some of the winnings meager amount that was left to distribute at the Sunset Station after we picked up our free (ha) gift. We ended up leaving it all there. We finally left carrying a $25 wine bottle stopper and a $25 hat that together was probably worth around $10.

Today we've got to make the round again for more free (ha) money and another free (ha) gift. Afterwards we're going to the Krohn's where I'm going to help Carl put up some Christmas lights while Glenda and Ruby go on a touring trip of some kind. I think they will be taken to about five different homes to see all of the Christmas decorations or what.

Since I'm so near the bottom of the above I'll use this space for the end. Bye.

A good day to you please!

December 10

Here, a nice looking day is in progress. Sunny, with not a lot of wind yet and a forecast for a high in the upper 60's. Heck, I may not even wear a coat today. I do think I'll stick to my long sleeved shirt and long pants tho. I know that damn wind will pick up in a bit and that makes a little cool even more uncomfortable. One of the main reasons the casino's are so successful is because the constant wind finally addles your brain. You end up going into a casino to get out of the wind with your mind still on the blowing and so you do. Ah, it isn't really that bad.

No big wins yesterday at the Sunset which was our only stop of the day. Joined Ruby at bingo again but even she didn't win this time. I'm going to quit that game! I say we didn't win but the free buffet seemed like a winner at the time unfortunately the scales this morning indicated that even that was a loss. One of those 'more is a loser' kind of loss. I did a fairly long walk yesterday but still gained a pound! At least now all of the free buffet's there are over for awhile. Now as long as we can stay away from Sam's town where we have several free ones on the book, we'll be okay.

A dawning is beginning here. Our minds are beginning to realize how much all of this free stuff is costing us but the knowledge hasn't set in too hard yet which means today is another trip to Sunset for a free gift with a stop at the Fiesta for some free cash. Live and learn I guess. We're not very fast studies!

If you happened to have read this far I bid you no further ado.

"The Pentagon revealed that China launched a nuclear submarine capable of firing intercontinental ballistic missiles into the United States. In case of attack, take cover inside a Wal-Mart. China would never bomb their best customer." --Argus Hamilton

December 9

Everyday we get is a good day, no doubt about that. There are many days that need a little power of positive thinking to push away or overcome a negative influencer or two but that can be done by anyone. Want or desire must be great enough but that might take a few moments of real thought. Lots of folks won't slow down long enough to do any real thinking so they are doomed in a seemingly bad day to falsely see as such. Taking time to smell the flowers is such a meaningful gathering of words. Whoa! Where did I get all that?

Our yesterday was one that was good all the way. Mostly because we were able to overcome the bad influencer of the loosing at bingo. Aunt Ruby won so that helped but after our big free buffet we took the time to smell the flowers and slowly play a few Joker Poker machines. The four queens with the joker that I got with only one dollar in the nickel machine, playing a quarter at a time, was a real lifter. Cashed in $50.00 on that machine and came home. I also won $10.00 on a quarter machine playing one quarter at a time. I'm not unhappy at all about what I didn't win by not playing more per pull.

Today it's back to Sunset for another two for one buffet. We use our points there so the cost is only in the tip. The tip and an extra probable several calories. We've eaten there enough times now that we know most all of the foods and one trip through is usually enough. Well, they do have a fat free, sugar free yogurt ice cream that might make for a second trip.

If I've bored you again I would haft to say that it's up to you. Ending this boredom is only a click away. Heck, if you've read this far you might as well finish.

Give me a break! I do all of this with three fingers and with a 63 year old mind controlling them. After 63 years I think ones mind might tend to wander some. I doubt that I need to own up to that if you read any of these.

My mind seems to have wondered now into a different direction.

Please hold your applause!

Patience is also a form of action. ~Auguste Rodin

December 8

Well howdy! I've had my shower, stuck my hearing aids in, popped my partial plate into the big hole, got my glasses, took a Celebrex and have drank four cups of coffee. This old man is ready to go!

No sun yet this morning nor was there much yesterday but we did get a little rain. They're saying no rain along with very little sun today. Seems like home to me. All except that damn wind. I'm not used to that much competition.

Our aim for this day is for the Sunset Station Casino. We're going to meet Aunt Ruby and Uncle Carl there around 2:00 for the buffet. We all have two for one coupons. We might get there a little early and play 1:00 bingo with Aunt Ruby. I'm not sure it isn't just the coffee but I'm feeling pretty lucky today!

I don't know what to say about Glenda. I stayed home so she could have enough money to play a few machines while with Ruby on their day out. She didn't loose much but she didn't win anything either. I make these sacrifices so she can enjoy herself but she cuts me short. I had a teeny glass of free champagne at Terrible's Casino the other day. While she had two, she wouldn't let me have a second one because I was the driver. I'm saying very teeny glasses of the stuff!

She also won't let me obligate us to payments on a new laptop computer, telling me we don't need it. Hey, she doesn't need more than three or four tops either but she bought two more the other day at the Goodwill store on Warm Springs Road. Then, on top of that she got another ten given to her by Aunt Ruby. The list just goes on and on.

One would think I'd be used to it all by now but like Mikey, I get up to a new day every morning. If you have any control at all, a fresh start every day would be swell. Unfortunately I have so little control my day gets a little rank once in awhile. It doesn't make any difference tho, just like an idiot at McDonalds, I'm lovin it.

Still, it makes me think a little like Mike Armstrong sometimes. He says, "I've been married so long I don't even look both ways when I cross the street anymore."

December 7

WRONG! Yesterday I said Terrible's was treating four to a Royal Flush as a Royal Flush. Nada! What it said was, four to one on a Royal Flush which turned out to mean if you get a Royal Flush and meet certain criteria, they will pay you the pot times four. We learned this when Glenda hit four to a royal and sat for 40 minutes waiting for someone to explain the facts to her. Just sitting there without playing did make her a winner of sorts, "a penny saved is a penny won".

I on the other hand, believe it or not, hit a Royal Flush and not knowing the rules, didn't attempt to get the times four. That could have been a terrible mistake but later I learned one of the criteria is you must have played max coins. I hadn't so I wouldn't have qualified anyway. I was playing Joker Poker at a penny machine and only had 15 pennies in the machine when it hit. I don't mind telling you that to earn $120.00 off of a 15 cent investment is a real good happy maker. Actually I had put a one dollar bill into the machine. I played it up to a high of $126.00 but began losing so I cashed out when it got down to the $120.00 making it a $119.00 dollar on an investment of a buck. I'm not complaining!

When we got home the gas furnace wouldn't work. It seems out here that the cold here is colder than in Missouri as also the hot is cooler. It might be the lack of humidity or simple the damn wind. Anyway I stumbled around with the furnace and because of my failure to find a flicker of fire guessed that the pilot light must be out. What do I know about a gas furnace? Nothing! I called Uncle Carl and as with most every thing, he was experienced. He came over and got here almost before I could hang up the phone. My guess had been correct and in a matter of minutes we were heating again.

Uncle Carl is not only knowledgeable about watering systems, furnace's, plants and all around the house things. His experience and knowledge goes far beyond that. If I have a question on anything in the world I can find the answer there. Add to that the kind, calm and cool personality and you'll find a gentleman that can't be beat. About the second or third time playing a new learned game he can't be beat either.

We've made him our Guru! Tho he isn't on a mountain, we've got him very high on a pedestal. He is a lot easier to visit that way too.

Man's main task in life is to give birth to himself, to become what he potentially is. The most important product of his effort is his own personality. ~ Erich Fromm

December 6

From here to there more of nothing is in the making. Nothing is a lot less than what we do and to us it is a fun time but it looses something when I try to put it on the computer. I think the problem is, trying to tell it in a humorous way is beyond my capabilities. Also I feel that I need to spice up even the happiest of our happenings because most folks would rather be entertained than read a history lesson. So I stumble on with the history anyway.

Yesterday I took a 3.5 mile hike and come up on a small bicycle laying in the desert. It was nice looking bike but the chain and sprocket were rusty and the tires were very low on air. That led me to believe that it had been wasting there for sometime. No need to let a good thing go to waste so I called Uncle Bill when I got home. We went back to the area and picked it up for Tyson. A bad turned into a good with possible bad still hovering about. If the thing was stolen and just throw out there.............Well, we hope whoever lost the bike, lost it long enough ago as to not want it anymore. Or that someone outgrew it and replaced it with a larger bike and just discarded this one. It was a sad sight laying forlornly there in the desert. Anyway, we changed that sight and made a little boy happy at the same time.

Today, Terrible's Casino is having an anniversary party with free cake and champagne, two for one buffet and they're paying four to the royal. If you get four out of the five needed for a royal flush they'll pay you as if you had won. Getting four cards of a royal is a constant to any poker machine player. We may give that place a visit today. My new positive attitude kept me from typing, "we may pay them a visit".

The ability to get up and go makes us a winner no matter if we do loose a few bucks! I like that reality softening rationale! "If you're able to lose it, you're a winner".

We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it. ~George Bernard Shaw

December 5

Anda waay wee gooo! Right out of one day into the next. That has been happening for a long time to people all over the land and we're hoping that it continues for a lot of them. I'm not going to try making a list for you because it would be so long as to be impossible and the chance of miss listing someone is too great.

I think I might be able to make a good list of the few that my hope doesn't cover but it might not be the same tomorrow as it is today. That list is a constant changing tally. I can forgive in a day but there are times when it takes an extra day or so. That means that usually there is at least one or two on there. I'm sorry!

Thinking about the population as a whole, the largest list would probably be of those that I have no opinion. On second thought a no opinion would be for instead of against so we're back to the original two lists and right near the end of this B.S.

Yesterday's breakfast was just fine. I was not too surprised when they insisted that I had to buy the $1.50 cup of coffee in order to get the free breakfast. The only thing I could think of to lessen that impact was to drink three of their free refills. Figuring it that way I came away feeling like instead of getting a free breakfast, they paid me $4.50 to eat it. Four cups of coffee @ $1.50 each equals $6.00. $6.00 less the $1.50 that I paid leaves me $4.50 ahead.

Even beyond that was the extra energy I left the cafe with. It's was still pretty cool when we left but I strode to the car so fast that there wasn't any chance at all for me to get even a tiny little chill. Matter of fact until the caffeine wore off not much of anything bothered me. Well, hearing the off notes in my singing as we drove to the next stop did bother me a little and Glenda a lot. I'm just not a singer...........nor typist as far as that goes. If we had come home I might have been a hyper typer for a little while.

Is it too late to end this? Yes, I know. Four words into it that the spell checker highlights when I try to send it would probably have been a tad too late.

A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down. ~Arnold Glasgow

December 4

Yesterday was a bummer! Yes, we went to the Fiesta and picked up our free $5.00 cash. Yes, we played bingo where the main game was for $59,255 in 55 numbers or less. Yes, we didn't win a thing. Yes, no one else won that game either. Yes, we lost our free $5.00 plus a little. Yes, we went to the Sunset Station Casino. Yes, we picked up our free $3.00 cash. Yes, we et at the buffet there for free. Yes, we lost our $3.00 plus. Yes, yes yes, damit yes, neither of us were money winners yesterday but we enjoyed ourselves and we're very thankful that we can still go and do it. Viagra just helps a man to be all he can be. I'm not sure but I suspect they may have found a way to give it to some of the machines. A couple of them have really screwed me bad!

Today it is listed to be a stop at the Fortune Casino for their free "you buy the coffee and we'll buy the breakfast" deal. Going to meet Aunt Ruby and Uncle Carl there. Coffee will probably cost us two dollars a cup. I wonder if I just order water, will I get a free breakfast? I'll let you know.

I almost forgot the, 'need to stop' at the Fiesta for a free (come on) gift and another, 'need to stop' at Sunset Station for another free (come on) gift of some kind. Looking for bargain meals and picking up our freebies sure takes a lot of our time and some of the times can get a little costly too.

The weather here and weekend forecast is: 37 was our low for Friday night taken at 4:55 A.M. Saturday will be calm with scattered clouds with a high of 59 during the day and a low around 37 overnight. Sunday brings a slight chance of rain showers through Sunday night with the same temperature range as Saturday. Scattered clouds for Monday morning with highs around 53.

We saw Santa Claus walking down Flamingo the other day. His big white beard and huge belly exposed him tho he was disguised as a street person pushing a grocery cart. He didn't act very jolly either. It looked to me like some lucky person is going to be very surprised Christmas morning when they wake up to find a large collection of used aluminum cans under their tree. Right now I could use a bunch of them myself. I guess it could be that Santa is really ho-ho-homeless. I believe anything is possible out here!

A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song. ~Maya Angelou

December 3

We got some Christmas lights strung out and the SP2 update downloaded, we're still here. No worse than some of the women I've know over the years...what a bitch! I saved here and I saved there then I just hoped for the best and did the update. Seems like all of the useless savings and worry was for naught.

I hvne't ben able to se any problms yt but it mae tke awhle. Wer hopn fr th bst! The spell cheker may ned a help but Idon'ty remmeber svaing it so fogve my inapt spelin. Iv livd wit it soooo log aso yrur probly useto it binw anewa.

Aunt Ruby came by around 7:30 with Aunt Donna in the car. They collected Glenda and headed for the Railroad Pass to make their fortune. Glenda returned around 11:P.M. dragging her purse. No it wasn't of any heaviness created by lots of money. The problem was the really lowdown feelings she attained by the beating she took at the poker machines were so strong she was unable to stand up straight. She just come dragging in frowning.

Today is a free gift day at the Fiesta and also Sunset Station so there goes another thirty miles on the car. At least the gasoline has come down from $2.099 to $2.059. That means instead of a fuel cost of .091 cents per mile it's down to .0895 cents per mile now. Only around $2.685 cents to drive there and back. That is if I don't need to punch it any. I had to do that a couple of days ago. It sure sucked the gas mileage down but it did bring a big smile to my face. That old car still can flat get it on!

December 2

Another day of wind, sunshine and mid-fifties weather. One doesn't notice the wind or cool weather while engaged in a luck match with any of the crooked money stealing poker machines. Before Tuesday that was Glenda's feeling because she couldn't seem to win which I didn't share because I was. Now Glenda is wining and I'm loosing so we've reversed or exchanged our positions.

I've developed a big liking for the penny Joker Poker machines. Glenda is more hung up on the Deuces Wild game. She has hit the four deuces two times in the last three days. Winning some is the good, the bad is, she hasn't had enough coins in to win great big yet.

We visited MonteLago and Sam's Town yesterday. Glenda won a little at both places. I won a little at MonteLago but the only way I could say I won at Sam's Town is by counting the free buffet as an eleven dollar value. We played bingo there which has only proven to be a nerve wracking waste of time and money.

For spending, as near as I know, I've got a lot more time than money so my thoughts are to stay home today and spend some time putting up a few strands of Christmas lights and working on the computer. I've still not got the Norton Ghost working yet. I'm starting to worry about not having the SP2 update for Windows XP installed.

Usually by the time I read all of the emails, subscribed to articles, read three newspapers and type some sort of gibberish, I'm too tired sitting here to work on it.

I'm a mite tried right now.................

"Courage is the first of all the virtues because if you haven't courage, you may not have the opportunity to use any of the others." --Samuel Johnson

Have a good day!

December 1

Another day, another dollar. Hopefully this will be one of those days when the dollar comes in instead of going out. Glenda came home last night with more dollars than she took so things are looking up. She did it using pennies. A penny for your thoughts is usually what happens. You play with thoughts of a win as the machine takes your pennies. We usually play nine cents at a time so it doesn't take long to go through a buck if you don't win a little. After the dollar is gone I go to a different machine with another dollar. I usually find a good one within three dollars. I've been a good picker. No little boogers hanging around me.

It's a good thing Glenda finally won something. She had begun talking of quite a few things that we could be doing on this mobile home and lot instead of visiting casinos. Shucks, it has a couple of nails to hang your hat, a kitchen to fix your food, a bed to lay your body and an indoor toilet, what more does one need? Oh, I forgot the TV's that we have to watch. One in front of our, her and his recliners, that we can go to sleep by and another in the bedroom to sleep by after it gets dark.

What a deal! We drove thru hell and slick roads to get here but the memories of the warm days and all of the sunshine pushed us on. Now that we're here we still need to rely on our memories because it's been cold ever since we arrived. Freezing or below every night with the highs only into the lower or mid fifties. And do I need to mention the wind? I think it must be a little like the waves at the lake. They are mostly caused by those asshole boaters running back and forth trying to show off their signs of wealth. While out here most of the wind must be caused by the very fast pace and the hurry scurry of gamblers trying to distribute their wealth.

So much for today's insight or outlook or as most call it, 'waste of time'.

May happy hug you tight and be your closest companion all day.