YAY!

I always leave for Las Vegas from work, so that I don’t waste a night at home when I could be in Vegas that much earlier.  As always, I spent that last day at work all kinds of crabby and just dying to go.

I cannot believe I am actually going to say this but my flight left on time.  Wait, what?  Yes, it left on time.  I have never had an after work flight to Vegas do this, not ever.  So that was a nice kick off.

When it came time to board, they first called for people who need assistance or have small kids.  Zero people went to the gate.  Then first class, zero people went to the gate.  Then business class, about five people went to the gate.  Then it was my turn!  The flight was mostly empty which is something I have not seen in so long.  My flights to Vegas are usually empty due to the time I go, but last year I went during Thanksgiving and missed out on the empty flight the week before Christmas.

Delta’s in flight entertainment is usually limited to movies, no live television.   This trip we didn’t even have movie options because we did not have individual television screens.  Dammit, I totally wanted to spend another six hours watching Pearl Jam Twenty on a Delta flight, since that is pretty much the only free movie they offer that I want to see.  Or did want to see.  I kind of got sick of it after having it on repeat for seventeen hours each way to China and back earlier this year.

The movie was some movie, Dolphin something, a kid’s movie.  I have a real knack for getting kid’s movies played on my Vegas flights.  I am sorry everyone on my flight, I jinxed you all.

For some extremely aggravating reason, all the podcasts I downloaded onto my phone would not play.  I had been saving these specifically to kill time on my flight.  So I spent the entire flight doing nothing other than staring into space.

We arrive a full 45 minutes early.  This is great for me because I am staying at Palace Station.  They have a free airport shuttle.  One leaves at 10:30 and the next is at midnight.  My flight was supposed to arrive at 9:45 so I was sure I would miss the 10:30 one, anticipating being late.

The shuttle for Palace Station leaves from Ground Zero, gates 21-23.  These gates have signs that say they are reserved for buses and the public buses do stop there.  So I was worried the gates had been changed but there at 10:30 was the shuttle.   We pull out of the parking area and it is POURING.  Monsoon like rain.  I get so excited, I always win when it is raining in Las Vegas.

I check in, one night on a MyVegas comp.  Read here for more information about that.

I would have preferred using the night for either Red Rock or Green Valley Ranch, but those two have their last airport shuttles at 9:00 so that would not have worked for me.

I get room 21001, top floor.  My view is of the parking lot.

My room is really nice.  I have only stayed here once before and I was in a courtyard room.  I might have been this time too had I not been so exhausted and remembered to ask for the OJ Simpson room.

I glance at the clock before I went out and it was 11:11, make a wish!

I went next door to 7-11 for some coffee.  The week before I left, I ended up in the brand new 7-11 by my apartment every night for a large coffee and I was craving it by this point.  They do not have decaf made, they make me a fresh pot.  This takes a while and I am treated to an employee’s long thoughts on caffeine as I am waiting.  Very nice girl, but I am exhausted and i need to gamble let’s GO.

By the time I get back to the casino, I am allowed to play $70 before bed.  I spot a progressive quarter Double Double Bonus video poker game, the Royal is $1568.  I played for a very long time as the machine kept dealing me three of a kinds (but not connecting on any of them.)

I went to eat dinner and got sucked into playing video poker with a WHEEL just because I saw video poker with a WHEEL!  Lost.  Ultimate X, lost.  Supertimes Pay, lost.  Hey, wasn’t I going to eat?

I went to the Grand Cafe and had a late night special burger.  The only thing special about it was the price.  But I wasn’t exactly out looking for a great meal.

After eating I play one last $20 and go to bed with my first night’s budget left behind in the casino.  Sigh.

I got back to my room at 2:00.  So I was out for three hours, and only lost $60 (I left with $70, ten went to dinner.)   As much as I love nights like that, where your play lasts, I do wish it had happened on any night I was not falling asleep as I was playing.  There were times I was trying to hold cards on the draw.  Idiot is as idiot does.