Let the Good Times Roll

I had a great time yesterday with my friends. Today is the birthday of one of my closest friends, Bill. We decided to go to the Meskwaki Casino in Tama, Iowa, yesterday for his birthday. My girlfriend and a friend of Bill's, Jason, came along. I had not been to Meskwaki since my girlfriend and I went the night of New Year's Eve and I had not been gambling at all since March when my girlfriend and I went to Las Vegas on vacation.

Going to the casino, I am hopeful for a big win, but I also am mindful that as long as I don't lose too much money, I did well. After all, they don't build casinos on winners. So, I set a budget for myself as to how much I was willing to lose, in this case it was fifty dollars. Things didn't start out too well, with my quickly losing ten dollars in a nickel slot machine. I then walked around a while, breaking my twenties into smaller bills -- so I wouldn't be tempted to spend them so fast -- then I found some two-cent slot machines. I realize of course that I am not going to win a boatload of money playing those, but the money does last longer, and it keeps me from losing it so fast. Well, after about an hour and a half at the casino, I was down thirty dollars.

I then tried to find Bill, but I didn't see him anywhere. It was then I decided to try roulette. There was a table where no one was playing. I figured that would be good, since I have never played any of the table games before. I got ten dollars in chips, and after some suggestions from the dealer (Is she called a dealer though since she doesn't deal cards? Well, the suggestions came from the person spinning the wheel.) I was betting on one-third of the numbers, which pays off two to one, just one dollar at a time. I was also putting a dollar chip on 20 since that is my birthday. Well, the one time I didn't bet on 20, it was the winning number. I played that number from then on, and it won twice. I ended up leaving the table with forty dollars, breaking even. I would have been even for the day, if I had not joined Bill at another roulette table a little later, where I lost five dollars. Overall it was a good time gambling as I only lost five dollars. Jason, Bill's friend, ended up $110 ahead!

When we got back to Cedar Rapids, we met our good friend Homercles for dinner at the Cedar River Brewing Company. It was a good dinner, but they were out of the entree that both Bill and I wanted, and they were out of the pasta that came with my girlfriend's dish. They were also out of tartar sauce, which Jason wanted for his fish, but overall dinner was quite good. I know I've said this before, but spending time with my friends in Cedar Rapids really, really, makes me want to move back there, or possibly the Iowa City area, where I could spend more time with my friends without making a whole day out of it. Hopefully when the school year is out I will be able to get a job with one of the two firms in Iowa City that I am looking into. And hopefully, my girlfriend can find a job in the area too.