Late Checkout

Wake up. No feeling at this point. Not sad or happy that I am leaving. Things are so routine at this point that it's basically another day.

Then it hits me, I have to checkout at 11AM.

I get ready, shower and then pack.

It's always a scramble trying to pack. I pack what I essentially needed and then stuffed my bags with all the free stuff I received from the conference. I scan the room one last time, leave what I can't take.

I call downstairs, ask for a late checkout. My flight is at 3:30 PM, it's around 10:30 PM, she ask me what time. I said 1PM, is that cool. She checks and says it is ok.

I am hungry and all the leftovers I had in the fridge was gone. I have an desire to go gamble one last time. It could be ill advised considering last night. But I keep telling myself, who knows when I will be back. So TVM, make the most of it.

I grab my bags and cancel the late checkout and checked my bags. Received my claim ticket and off to the Strip for the very last time.

I make my way to the food court again near MGM Grand and the M&M store. Had a delicious 5 for $5 mix and match Chili and Corn dog. Then a block north and across the street, Aria was calling me.

Scanned the tables but after playing 3.5 solid hours of blackjack, needed a change of pace. Looked at the poker room, computer was down. I asked the host to put me down for 1-3 No-Limit hold-em poker. There was 2 ahead of me. It's 12:30 PM. 3 hours till I leave, not good. I walked around the casino some more and make my way back to the poker room. Still 2 people ahead of me for a seat.

I asked the host if I can sit down at a empty table. He said "for sure, we will probably start a new game at the same table." We have 4 players. They usually like to have the table with a minimum of 6 players, so they can rake the table. Again, 10% max $4.

2 more players arrive and we have 6. Then 2 more and it's almost the full 10. I am playing "Guerrilla" Poker again. I buy in for the table min and I am immediately short stack. I play the through the first orbit, folding all my hands.

2 more orbits and the same, folded, not getting any of the 10 starting hand. On the 4th orbit, I finally received KQs, I was going to raise to thin the field but the person ahead of me did. I called since he did my job for me. The flop was harmless. I did not hit anything. When it came to me, I folded. Not really worth it to bluff.

Waitress comes by again, as always smoking hot. I debated if I really wanted to drink, since I should be detoxifying. Fuck it, New Castle. Every else orders their premium drink or Fiji water, thank you Aria for having such a nice poker room.

2 more orbits later, again just folded and the blinds are eating on my stack. Finally received AKos. Raised $15, guy 4 seats from me raised $50.

Whatever.

"All In"

He pauses.

"Call"

Ace showed up on the flop, some small card on the turn and a queen on the river. So I made Ace pair, a lot of ways to beat me. Dealers says show cards. I just said I got the lonely Aces. He said good enough to beat me. I pulled down the $160 dollar pot and toke the dealer. Guy leaves after a couple of hand.

1:30PM

Ok, I can probably play through one more orbit. Pretty harmless, just folded. I go cash out, make friendly with the poker host. I get handed a business card and am told that I can get the poker rate for Aria, just call ahead and I have to play a minimum of 5 hours a day. But I also earn $2 an hour comp playing poker, sweet!



The rate for poker players are $99 (weekday) and $139 (weekend). Sweet!! Compare to $159 to $799, depending on events going on.

I thank the staff and leave Aria without looking back. I have to catch that flight.

I get back to the Carriage House. Retrieved my bag and waited for the cab stand. Cab finally arrives 10 minutes later, it's 2:15 PM.

I am in the cab, on my way to McCarran Airport, flights leaves in about an hour. I say to myself, I should of left early.

Flying Home

The next series of post will be about my recent trip in April 2010. I will be blogging backwards in time (Memento style) because I remember the more recent stuff better and hopefully it will jog my memory on the earlier part of the trip.
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I am in the cab, on my way to McCarran Airport, flights leaves in about an hour. I say to myself, I should of left early.

Traffic is light and I make it to the American Airlines check-in. Tip the cab driver a job well done. He was happy. Print my boarding pass and I ran with my two bags to the D gate.

First, the security checkpoint. The line is long but moving. There are two TSA agents checking tickets and ID. Hurry up.

In front of me are a group of girls, fake tan, big sunglasses, wearing Juicy Couture warmup outfits, wannabe Cali girls I say to myself. One of them had a T-Square (gold thong sticking out, sweat pants low). She was good looking and had a nice body but no time.

I move past security and off to the terminal tram. 45 min to go.

Finally made it to the gate, D37. Get a text from AA, it's on time. Look for a seat, found one with a white girl who has tattoos of written chinese on both of her arms. Lame.

If your not Chinese, what's the point of getting your name and the word "Enduring and Strong" in written Chinese. Anyways, she was standby and the flight was full. Too bad, so sad.

I was Group 5 and almost the last to board. No big deal, my seat was 10A, so I should be out quick when it lands. I get ready to board. As you all have experienced, when flying solo, it's always a crapshoot who you sit next to.

I was just hoping for no kids, families, old people and big-tall guys. When I actually got on the plane, I scanned ahead. There was a very attractive girl with sunglasses who I think is near my section. She gets up and moves her bag to the other overhead bin. I put my bag next to hers.

I look at my ticket 10A, that is correct. She sits in 10B. Score!!!

She was about to sit down.

"I think I got the seat next to you, the windowless seat"

With a big smile on my face, I went to sit down. And there is no window in section 10 in a Boeing 737.

So at this point, everything is pretty normal, I go put my other bag under my seat, take off my flip flops and put my seatbelt on. I noticed she was wearing a designer t-shirt that showed off her shoulder, leggings, ballet shoes, Chanel sunglasses. So this girl has style.

Everything was pretty much silent. I was trying to think of a opening line but nothing really popped up. Her seatbelt got caught under my seat, so I helped her untangle it. She gave me a accented "thank you" and a beautiful smile.

There was another women (older) in 10C and she started to talk to the girl I was sitting next to. I overheard their conversation and I jumped in.

"Where are you flying to?"

"London, connecting flight in Chicago"

"How long is your layover?"

"40 min"

"But I don't have to go through customs."

"That's nice"

So it's a start.

Take off, she pulls a folder out, looks like notes and a syllabus. I'll let her do a thing.

I pulled out (that's what she said) my folder full of receipts and get ready to do my reimbursement. I organized the business cards I collected, sorted and entered the relevant ones on my phone.

So pretty much taking care of business, flipped through a networking (cisco) book. She pulls out her iPod and it sounds like she is listening to some euro mix. I guess conversation will have to continue another time.

I had loaded up some "The Office" on the BB trying to catch up on Season 5. They were showing "When in Rome" on the flight back, I will pass.

She falls asleep and leans towards me, not exactly resting on my shoulder but close enough. 3 episodes later and the sun sets. She gets up and goes to the back, when she came back, I really looked over her.

Wow. Overall body nice. She had her sunglasses off by now. She is definitely European. Still trying to figure out the country.

She smiled. What a beautiful face.

So the movie is over, they are just showing random stuff like previews for SceneIt the game.

They had a 80's section preview and on-screen was clues for Gremlins. I asked her do you know what movie that is from?

"Gremlins"

"Yep"

I was pretty much nailing all the 80's trivial there were throwing up there. A couple of Ferris Bueller scenes which I definitely nailed (I am from Chicago). It was nice to be playing along with her.

I turned my head over to talk to her and just inches away face to face and saw her most striking features which were her beautiful grey eyes and flawless skin.


"So what are you doing in the States"

"I am visiting my boyfriend in the Vegas?"

That was probably the most devastating word I have ever heard recently. I turn facing the seats.



"Wow, long distance."

"So, where are you from?"

"I go to school in London."

"I have one left year left in my degree."

At this point I knew she was from France after talking to her and looking at her syllabus which was in French obviously.

I continue to talk to her some more because she is a real nice girl and she's from France. Just mostly about traveling, schools and the states.

Then I get back to pressing the issue.

"So how long were you in Vegas?"

"Two days"

"So you are telling me you are traveling half a day each way. GMT is -8. Staying only 2 days"

"I know."

What a sweet voice.

"He's a lucky guy, he should be traveling to you"

"I know"

She saw that I was disappointed but what can she do.

We continue to shoot the breeze, she was telling me that she was trying to get to the other concourse in O'Hare. I looked over her map, she will probably make it but will have to hurry since she had 40 min between flights.

The plane lands. We go get our bags from the overhead bin. Sitting in row 10 helps since as soon as the door opens, exiting the plane is much quicker.

I tell her to go and to have a safe flights back.

She turns back and says "thanks, bye bye" smiles and her body language acknowledge my attempt "thanks for trying, I don't mind being hit on and I know I am hot."

She disappears in the crowd and that's the last I seen of her. I take a slow walk to baggage claims.

Thinking, Vegas, London, France, WTF.

It's all good. I tried and now I know.

Vegas has a funny feeling over me, every time I go there it gives me a super confidence boost, a girl like that I would never try to talk to and I am glad I did.

Overall, the trip was great, one of my best. I stayed 11 days and 10 nights, which is possible. 5 of those nights at Aria @CityCenter, the best new resort, hotel and casino. Vegas is what you make of it. So fuck those retards who says they can't stay in Vegas for more than 3-4 days, clearly you have been watching too many movies. It is sensory overload but I got used to it after trip 4 of 14. Just go with the flow and make it your own.

I gambled a lot on my free time. Lost only $350, which is very small, trust me. I had a lot of volatility. I had big swings up and down, but mostly down. Narrowed my lost towards the end. Swings like that does play with your emotion and that is why they call it gambling. But when you are winning or from any success in life, you just get that natural high from the flood of dopamine. I feel like I aged another year even though it's been 10 nights. Just probably because I experience a lot crammed into such a short amount of time.

I go home satisfied and happy because I know I will be back.

Till next time Vegas.