Tunica and a Challenge

Ahhhh, home sweet home! My coffee, my coffee cup, my kitchen table with the not-so-comfortable chairs and best of all-my bed!

So, officially not prego-it's cycle day 1. I plan on taking clomid again this month. Steven thinks consecutive months is best so as to not confuse my body. I agree with clomid, but think my body is pretty confused anyway:) Not sure if i'll make a big to-do about it again this month...don't want to wear you guys out...and it seemed like some of you were really disappointed (more than me, actually). I haven't really spoken to anyone, so i don't really know that for sure, but i got those internet vibes.

Tunica:
Arrived around 3 on Monday, stepped inside the hotel and was greeted by the lovely stale stench of years of cigarette smoke. I was in awe as we walked past tables to the counter each with its own ash tray. I really was in disbelief. I don't care how many people it pissed off...i am so happy they outlawed that shit in LA. I know you can still smoke in casinos and i am willing to accept that inconvience if i go there, but it was still strange to me. We are greeted and learn we can't check in til 4. This is starting out wonderful...Steven uses his handy dandy new toy (Blackberry with GPS) to find us a Walmart. We go and buy drugs. Steven is still sick and i ran out of Zyrtec. Boo on OTC Zyrtec, by the way...it's even harder to get now since you can make Meth with it, it doesn't go toward my deductable, comes in INDIVIDUAL packs of 24 instead of one easy to open bottle with 30, and it's only about $2 cheaper. Thanks for the savings and the hassle. But hey, i'm a housewife, i've got nothing else to do but mess up my newly manicured nails opening a Zyrtec package:)

The Grand property has 3 hotels: the Grand, which is connected to the casino, and 2 others which are across the street. We are staying one of the others. This means to get a warm meal we have to go to the casino. Steven sees one of his inpectors in the lobby, so he joins us for dinner. We go to a sports bar type place. The waitress couldn't have cared less about us, but i had a really good ale that was in some vanilla cask or something. Thank goodness for the TVs, too, because Steven and Kelly talked about laying pipe the whole time...and NOT the good kind:) It really wasn't too bad and my hamburger was excellent. Went back to the room and watched 2 episodes of Heroes on netflix. Thank you technology.

Tuesday i was up at 6:30 and so went downstairs to eat with steven. Coffee was too strong for me. Before I headed back up to the room i got a spa price list. I decided on a facial and eyebrows. I got a tour of the spa then worked out. A very good one, too...I especially liked when i was running to "And Then What" on my MP3 player: boom, boom, clap, boom, boom, clap and my feet followed along. The other guy probably thought i was crazy because i kept lipsyncing. Showered and went to the casino buffet for an early lunch; my facial was at 12. There were arrows going to it with pictures of Paula Deen! It said something like, "Paula Deen's Cooking up Something." I was very excited until i learned that her version of the buffet would come later. My 1st pass i was pretty proud of myself-except for a little bit of catfish batter-not a bad carb on the plate. But then, the 2nd pass made up for it. The brochure said something about a sushi chef, but when i asked the "waitress" (really more of a drink and condiment-getter) she looked at me like i was crazy. I really dont' think she knew what sushi was.

The facial was nice, but I'm sure a massage would have been better. I was telling steven over dinner the next night (a fancy dinner, too) that i was thinking "i could do this...i could pop pimples for a living." :) Classy, i know. The guy at the table next to us must have enjoyed that. He was a regular at the casino, so he probably heard much worse. Anywho, after the spa, i did some homework and read. It was almost 4 when i stopped so didnt' think i had time to go enjoy the hot tub. OH! YEAH! I almost forgot...for the facial, the lady told me to take off everything from the waist up and she gave me a robe. I thought i'd look silly in a robe and jeans, so removed those, too. I was taken aback at 1st, but went with it...it was for a neck and shoulder massage. Nice. BUT THEN...everyone kept telling me i had to go in the whirlpool! It was wonderful. I said maybe later...i would go get my swimsuit. But still, they pressed on. I THINK I WAS SUPOSSED TO GO IN THERE NAKED! Eww. It sounds kinda sexy until you think about the women who go to casinos. Yep. Then i kept thinking about bodily fluids and got totally grossed out. I was going to ask if women usually go nude, but chickened out.

I never did get to go. STeven was supossed to get out of training at 4:30, but it was more like 5:30 :( He was exhausted...didn't even want to go sit somewhere to eat, but he managed to. He knew i was looking forward to it. Before we ate i wanted to play some Craps. Clyde told me to play $40 for him. At night there is a $10 minimum bet, and their table doesn't have any Craps (if you dont' get it, don't worry), so you can bet on 2, 3 & 12. It was pretty cool. But with only $40 to play with i was sure it would go pretty quick. I actually played for a while and was up over $100, but i wanted to roll again so i left about $60 up.
Here's how it went:
Dealer to me: Are you from New Orleans?
Me: (Surprised) Yes. How did you know that?
Dealer: You're wearing a Fleur D'Lis. Whereabouts?
Me: Metairie
Dealer: What's you name?
Me: C... (edited for internet)
Dealer: Married or maiden?
Me: (what the hell, man! but i still give up the info) Maiden name is B.
Dealer: (shaking head) Nope. Dont' know it. WHere'd you go to school?
Me: Told him.
Dealer: A guy who works here went there, (said his name, not familiar) but he probably graduated way before you.
We play for a while...
Dealer: What do you do?
Me: Nothing :)
The whole table gets excited and starts asking if they can marry Steven. It was awesome. The guy next to us 1st tries to give steven his wife, but then changes his mind, folds his hand down and in his sweetest voice says, "heeeeeey."
Finally to end it I say, "I didn't say we could afford it." Later on someone said i was good and steven said that's why i dont' work. A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

Here's why i love craps:
I traditionally bet the 6 and the 9-they hit the most often. So at one point i put my money up there for them and the dealer says, "Lovestory's on the table." I didnt' understand him, so i asked steven. Steven says, "He gave you a nickname." I love this! Even though i thought it was lovestory because i bet 69:) but no, it's because i don't work. Hilarious!
Craps-hell, most, if not all table games, are men games. So, for a while i get to be that girl. That young, pretty girl at the table. Lady Luck! Especially hot if i'm rolling good:) It's a great feeling. And yes, i said pretty, but no i'm not some crazy conceited thing-i've made a reference to the casino women above. I have a vision of my grandma freshly permed sitting between 2 one-armed bandits with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth, ashes falling everywhere. God, i miss her! Me and grandma would have rocked out Vegas!

Dinner that night was great! Two excellent glasses of wine. Pokerroom or pokerville and a malbec. No i don't know what these are, but wanted to tell you in case you did. I like trying varietals instead of regulars-cabs, pinots, etc...I had lobster bisque and lambchops! AhhhhhH! My soup cam out as only lobster in a bowl...then she poured the bisque over it. It was funny-our first reactions. Steven had french onion soup and lobster quesadillas. He didnt' have much appetite-still doesnt' actually. The guy next to us told us how the crab legs were really good there. He didn't say why, but he's a regular. That reminds me, i also told steven at one point, "I could be a professional gambler!" HA.

Back to the room, another episode of Heroes! Then Wednesday. What a great day! Mani and pedi in the morning (found my LSU OPI Purple w/a Purpose) while reading O magazine; movie and craps in the afternoon(lost that time). Here's where the Challenge comes in: I want to challenge you to not be negative for a week! One week! I mean, i know i can't stop negative thoughts, but i don't have to say them...and i can try to change them in my head. I was pretty disappointed with the service at Tunica (except for the fancy rest. and the spa), so i wanted to get all of that out 1st. Like the binge before the diet:)

I'm declaring the next 7 days a complaint-free week! I was reading about how complaining is just a release valve that allows us to stay in situations we know are not good for us. Yes, i totally just quoted Oprah Magazine to you. I just think that being around someone who complains all the time is a drag and a drain. So, this way, i'll be more fun to be around! Clyde even alluded to something like this one time. It was after my last sumac outbreak. I went to their house and said, "Ah, i feel so good. My skin is normal again." He said something like, "That's great. No one ever talks about how good they are...they usually talk about what hurts, what's wrong, etc..." So true.

So, you might ask, what will i blog about? Facts and happy things:) This will be a challenge. Please try this and let me know how it works for you!