Vegas 2010 Day 3

4 hours till kick off. I'm on the 8th floor, middle right

I’m back with an old girlfriend, same ol same ol. Vegas and I go way way back. I'd dreamt of her since a small boy influenced by TV and Elvis. At 24 I managed to scramble a bank roll together and the plan of going with my mate Billy for 3 weeks, to meet my dream girl and make my fortune. I lost half my bankroll before I checked in. There was a long queue for check in; we were all off an air tours direct package from Manchester staying at the Aladdin. All I’d seen of Vegas was on TV the blackjack and free booze, let the love affair begin. The highlight of the trip was on the last night. I’d hid my last $200 bucks of my tank from Billy, things were that bad. His idea of Vegas was the same as mine and we were both to find out the hard way that if you don’t treat her right, Vegas is not just a cruel mistress, she’s far worse. I sprung the $200 on him on our last night and made a deal, he was to get $50 for presents, trinkets for his kids. Our gambling tank was $50 between us for the night and with the rest we were to go and blow on a slap up steak night, Vegas style. In hindsight my budgeting wasn’t the best. We sat in our seats and as I stared at the menu surrounded by I love Las Vegas tee shirts for all sizes I could feel the vibe and knew what was coming. “Paul I don’t really fancy this food stuff, can I have my half of the meal and catch u later?” Off he went and I dined alone in a somewhat shabby booth gulping a cheap red wine and missing my girlfriend (the real one back in Rochdale). As I stared at a desert I never wanted or was about to leave behind Billy sprung up to the booth with a popcorn sized bucket of coins and a big grin on his saintly face. It turned out Billy’s system of playing video keno had finally paid off, a combination of kids numbers birthdays wives etc. $1200 in quarters sat in that bucket and the beginning of a love affair that still exists today.