i

so i couldn't get back from las vegas last night because my america west ticket was expired (which i knew already, but hoped they wouldn't notice). i therefore had 6 hours to kil in vegas. i whined on the phone to wifey and even sang "please, please, please, let me get what i want" by The Smiths (a sort of prayer)./ the taxi line was 1/4 mile long (seriously) so i walked down to the bus platform where the airport employees and vagrants were waiting for the bus (as the femmes say). i asked two "gentlemen" where the busses went, but couldn't get a definite answer, so i jumped on the fist bus that came and ($2.00) and lo and behold the second dude i approached got on also and (i guess) needed someone to talk to so he told me about his problems and how he moved to vegas to work as an electrician so he could save enough money to buy a home in indiana. but, instead he got broker and broker. he warned me that there are no winners in vegas. he warned me of places where i would likely be mugged. (he doesn't know that my pioneer blood built that desert city, along with the mobsters, of course). he finally got off the bus (not before i noticed the scar where it looks like someone tried to slit his throat) and i later got off the bus at a sort of depot-like place. i boarded a bus called The Deuce, which apparently went to the strip and as i was feeling depressed since my wife was sleeping home without me and i was walking dead without her i decided to spend $200 which i didn'tt have at roulette (inspired by dostoevsky's short story The Gambler {read it!}). i then got off the bus at the extreme end of the strip and walked to mandalay bay casino and prowled until i say a proper table (low limiits for long time play and not many peopel). i layed my money down (after visiting the $4 service fee atm) and despairingly kicked the table's ass. i was up $500 before i even sat down. i thought i should leave, but i had only spent about 5 minutes, so i decided, i needed to win big on number 2 before i left and i needed to burn more time. i won on 24 (wife's age) 30 (my age) 21 and 12 (rush 2112). i lost a bit and was feeling the ship sink when i put 6 chips on 2 and it hit (it always does). i walked away with $1400. so i guess i won $1196 (1400 -200atm-4fee). i laughed inside but showed no emotion on my face so the pretty people at my table would think i was crazy and i left. i ate filet minon and walked for the rest of the night listenning to music and looking at people. i knew i'd have a hard time standing by for a flight in the AM because everything was oversold, but i made the first united flight to SFO (plan b was LAX-SJC on UA, plan b SJC on southwest, plan c OAK on southwest). apparently a lot of people were hung over or still gambling because all standby passengers (including me, at the bottom of the list) got on. baby picked me up at the airport at 8am sharp and IT WAS SO VERY GOOD TO SEE HER. amen




Appendix I:


Good times for a change
See, the luck Ive had
Can make a good man
Turn bad

So please please please
Let me, let me, let me
Let me get what I want
This time

Havent had a dream in a long time
See, the life Ive had
Can make a good man bad

So for once in my life
Let me get what I want
Lord knows, it would be the first time
Lord knows, it would be the first timenull