Come on, four of a kind!!

Ed and I are in Las Vegas for his conference and we're staying at the Luxor which has a full-sized replica of King Tut's Tomb! Because the building is shaped like a pyramid, they don't have elevators, they have" Inclinators"which go up at a 45 degree angle. One young man asked the philosophical question "Do they also have 'Declinators' to go down?!?!?"

Sitting at a restaurant the other night we had a chance to watch the crowds. Lots of brides and grooms strolling down the casino aisles. One interesting, very young couple had their wedding garb on, and both had their long hair dyed with bright orange streaks. I give that marriage six months!!

Then there was the girl who had on a very short, very tight black dress. In fact, the bottom of the dress looked more like a girdle that barely covered her butt. She was also wearing very high heels that were a bit too big. Her walk was a combination penguin, Minnie Mouse thing. The cigarette dangling from one hand and beer from the other definitely enhanced the look. Hopefully, for her sake, what happens in Vegas really DOES stay in Vegas!!

Las Vegas has definitely changed since the days when my folks first came here. I remember them saying in later years that it was so different - theme park hotels, people wearing shorts and blue jeans. "In my day, people dressed up to go anywhere in Vegas," was something I heard my Mom and Dad say often. Of course, "their day" was the day of the Rat Pack, Elvis playing at the Imperial Palace, actual coins falling into trays, Wet Ones to clean off your dirty hands, and $4.95 Prime Rib Dinners.

I was too young to come here, but I'd hear the stories. My great grandmother loved the slot machines so they'd put her on a stool and leave here there for hours - coming back periodically to check on her. Back then you got free sandwiches along with the free drinks, so she was fine. Even wore gloves sometimes so her hands wouldn't get dirty from the coins. My Uncle Joey would get so dirty, his face streaked from his dirty hands - one time it so bad that a woman (my Mom insisted it was a hooker) asked him if she could take him back with her and wash him up! My guess is that the story got embellished over time, but it has become part of family lore.

Then there was the time my Dad and Uncle Joey came out here by themselves. They went through all their money - no ATM's back then - and had to split a bag of peanuts for dinner. The next morning, my dad decided that they would have a nice breakfast and pay for it with his new Diner's Club card (he was SO proud of that card!!). So they ate like kings, only to find out afterwards that the restaurant didn't accept Diner's Club! Neither of them were allowed to take their check books with them so, luckily, the restaurant manager was trusting and said he would send them a bill - which he did.

Well, I think I hear a video poker maching calling me name...........