Sunday, November 17, 2019

The Enabler Has a Secret Motive

Hick and I went to the casino on Wednesday. His original plan was to go on Monday, but the forecast was for ice and snow in the afternoon. I went to the doctor on Tuesday. So Hick waffled until he decreed that we'd go to the casino on Wednesday.

Let the record show that Val did not ask for a casino trip. Hick brought up the idea, because a guy at his Storage Unit Store told him of a great deal on guns at a pawn shop in casino town. He would have gone by himself, but I didn't see a reason to waste a free ride to the casino. Hick dropped me off, and went in search of his bargain. Which he found. Items still in the box, perhaps new. He was happy. And he only lost $40 at the casino later. I lost 1/4 of my casino bankroll, but I was okay with that.

No pictures of the slots this time. Not because I was afraid of being tossed out on my ear, but because I didn't really have any good bonuses. In fact, I got way behind. Then little by little, I began to build my bankroll again. I pocketed my FREE $25 cash comp, and spent it on scratchers on the way home, winning $70! So I came out okay on this trip.

Lunch was a puzzler. Hick ordered the exact same thing for the third time. Let's refresh your memory. It was a special listed on the blackboard out front. The pulled pork with fries.

The first time, it looked like this:


The second time, it looked like this:


 The third time, it looked like this:


They seem to have a quality control problem at this grill. Let the record show that Hick ordered the exact same thing each time, with three different results. He said it tasted good, but there was way too much this time, with too much cheese.

Anyhoo...here's my casino drama from this trip.

I was playing a Wonder Four Boost slot. Lucky me, I got to lose my money on it, because there were no people sitting by this empty one proclaiming that SOMEBODY was playing it. I was on the right end of four machines. Nobody was on my left. After about five minutes, a dude sat down there.

The minute Dude sat down, he took out a cigarette. Of course I was mentally screaming, "NO, YOU CLOSE-SITTER, DON'T SMOKE NEXT TO ME!" I guess he didn't hear my thoughts. Of course the ventilation system blew that smoke right across my face. Not over my head, not behind my head, not down by my hands, but across my face! It was even visible, the stream, like PePe LePew's odor in a cartoon.

Oh, that's not the worst of it. As I turned my head to the right, trying to inhale an unpolluted breath, Dude said,

"Can you pass me that ashtray?"

It was sitting down on the cabinet the slot machines were perched on. How in the world he saw it there, I'll never know. If he knew it was there, why didn't he pick it up before he sat down at his ashtrayless slot?

I reached down and handed it to him. Not saying anything. I suppose I could have pretended to be deaf. Or flat-out said, "No." But I was raised to be polite, so I passed him the equipment with which to continue torturing me.

Is it wrong that I took sly pleasure in the fact that I might be hastening his demise from a future lung disease?

6 comments:

  1. Did he at least say thanks?

    That second hand smoke does not bother me, as an ex-smoker it is kind of nostalgic, but if it did bother me I would move...unless the machine was hot. I've heard those machines can actually payoff though I've not experienced it except for maybe a five minute run.

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    1. I'm pretty sure he muttered "Thanks" when I handed it to him. Pretty sure my response was just a grunt.

      I know it's a casino. Not an intensive care ward, or a lab where sniffers test underarms for deodorant effectiveness. There will be smoke in casinos. But it doesn't have to waft RIGHT ACROSS MY FACE, when I was there first.

      I only had a few spins to lose the money I'd put in that machine. Then I left. How would HE like it if I sat down by him, hoisted my ample rumpus into his face, and proceeded to emit digestive gasses every 30 seconds indefinitely?

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  2. I wonder if there is a different cook each time you go?
    I would have had to move to a different machine if smoke was blowing across my face, just like on the buses here if someone reeking of stale smoke gets on and sits near me, I'll move as far away as possible or take out my hanky and filter my air. I don't care who I offend. I have enough trouble with coughing fits already.

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    1. There's a different order-taker, so it wouldn't surprise me if there was also a different cook. That last one is giving away too much food!

      I'd planned to put in more money at that slot, so maybe Old Smokey saved me from going bankrupt. I left as soon as I was out of bets, to seek a slot with fresher air.

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  3. I have a thing about pulled pork anything. It became the go to dish for any reception or dinner where there was a crowd. It is cheap. I think putting sugar on meat is disgusting, think sloppy joes. But it seems to be very popular. So Hick has a cheap pallet, who knew?:)

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    1. Since that casino closed their buffet, we eat at the only venue that's open during the hours we're there. A burger would probably be the safest choice. Or a prepackaged salad. But who goes to a casino to have a salad? Not this ol' Val. And certainly not Hick.

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