If you’re just joining us, catch up on Chapter 1 before diving into Thursday of this 50th birthday Vegas reunion.
A Late Start
Thursday morning is a later morning since we were up so late with the surprise arrivals. We lounge around our suite and get ready for the day. Once we are ready, we head out with Valerie, Dave, Cody, and Michael to get some breakfast. We are all hungry, as it is almost lunch time.
At our suggestion, we hail 2 cabs and head down to Harrah’s. Our plan is to grab some breakfast at Hash House A Go Go and then do some gambling at Harrah’s. Dave is itching to hit a poker table. We have walked almost all the way through Harrah’s when we remember that Hash House is next door at the Linq.
Bloody Marys and the Front of the Line
We take the escalator up and discover quite the wait, but the food is good, the bloody marys are great, and we are hungry. I then realize I am a platinum member of Total Rewards and believe that gets us to the front of the line. SO I venture up to the special shorter line and show my card.
The hostess informs me that they now only give priority to Diamond members, well darn. Must have been my dimpled smile and exuberate personality because she smiles and says, “but I am still going to do it. I have a diamond party of 6 right here, and then I will seat you.” Woo hoo, front of the line.
It doesn’t take long, perhaps 10 minutes, and we are seated at a huge booth. We chat so much the waitress comes back like 3 times before we order. The bloody marys are a wonderful start to the day and our stomachs are full as we head back to Harrah’s.
A Poker Room with Dave
Doesn’t take but half a tour of the casino floor and Dave has found a poker room, so he and I take off. I guess the girls along with Cody and Michael will find their own fun for a while. Dave asked the guy if there were any cash games. We were told not yet. If we wanted to check in and have a seat, he assured us it wouldn’t be long before one started.
Dave and I checked in, got our numbers, and took a seat at a table. We immediately bought in with the dealer and our chips were brought out. It seemed like once our chips were delivered, the table was full! Now the fun can begin.
It was small bets, so I really didn’t win or lose. I had pocket Aces and an Ace was turned over one hand. Another hand, I had pocket deuces and a deuce was turned over. Between the two hands I think I won like twelve dollars! We were having fun, playing poker, shooting the breeze, and talking football.
A few hours into it, I shoot a text to Donna telling her I can be done at any time. There are two things I realize: I need to take a “little boys room” break, and I have no idea if my wife is having fun or bored stiff waiting for me. She always has fun, I should know better! No text comes back, so I continue on with the game.
The Commander Arrives
A few more hands and the gentlemen next to me says, ” Don’t look now, but I think the Commander is here.” I glance his way with a puzzled look, and he then says, “Over your left shoulder there is a woman staring at you through the glass.” “Oh, probably my wife, huh?” I respond. He laughed and said, “That would be my guess.”
I turned to see Donna smiling at me. She points to her watch and mouths the words, “How about now?” I finish up the hand and tip the dealer, and excuse myself from the game. Dave stayed. I come out of the room and give my honey a kiss.
She explains she left everyone back by a poker machine they were playing. I tell her I really need to go to the restroom. She exhales deeply and loudly (you husbands know that sound) and says “Well run then!” I go off in the opposite direction at a speed walk pace, cuz that is what the “commander” said.
Seeing Shawn After 30 Years
I return to find Donna right where I left her and still not the rest of our group. She asks about the poker game as we begin to walk in the direction of where she said she left every one. I am still talking about poker when some guy sticks his head out from behind a pillar and says, “I heard you won some money.”
As I turned toward the voice, I did a double, maybe triple take. There was no way my brain was accepting what my eyes were seeing. There standing before me was Shawn Mandel, holy mackerel!
I haven’t seen this man in near 30 years! We were Navy Corpsman serving with the Marines together during the Panama War, Operation Just Cause. Shawn stepped closer and we embraced, then stepped back and looked at each other. Then we embraced again and the tears rolled. Not sure how my wife pulled this off, but WOW.
It probably only took a few minutes but it seemed an eternity for us to compose ourselves. He introduced me to his lovely wife Cynthia. Donna obviously had already met them as did Valerie, Cody, and Michael. We stood a few more minutes in jaw dropping awe chatting and hugging and chatting and laughing.
Then as a group we decide to head up to Toby Keith’s Bar and Grill to grab a beer and have a chance to catch up. WOW, I still can’t believe Shawn is here, right here, with me, in Vegas!
More Familiar Faces at the Bar
We order some beers and Shawn and I continue to catch up. We are deep in conversation, so intense it has us both in tears again, Okay, me mostly, but his eyes looked a little full too. I catch movement out of the corner of my tear-filled eye and turn slightly. Standing beside our table are my brother Scott and his wife Kerri, and my good friend Robert and his wife Michelle.
I have no idea what they thought as I dried my tears, smile and hug them all. I give a quick OMG glance to my wife. They join us at our table and we order some appetizers to share and of course more beers. What a great time.
We were having so much fun the bartender kept coming out to our table and chatting with us, offering to take pictures for us and some of himself! Dave did eventually break away from the poker room and join us upstairs for beers.
We were ready to leave and Dave still had a full beer or was it Valerie’s beer that was full? Either way Dave couldn’t walk away and leave it there, so he began to drink. It didn’t take long for our entire group to begin chanting “CHUG, CHUG, CHUG.” And that is just what Dave did, the entire beer down the hatch. This would become the joke when Dave and leftover food and drink were around.
Blackjack and a Surprise from Texas
Not sure what time we finally left Toby Keith’s, but we all headed back over to the Palms. Both Shawn and Robert had driven over to Harrah’s, so no need for taxis going back. Between the two cars there is room for all of us. Looks like the other car was having more fun than us!
We claim the large horseshoe shaped booth in the lobby bar just inside the doors at the Palms and order drinks. Shawn, Dave, and I head over to check out the blackjack tables and leave everyone else hanging out in the bar.
We settled on a blackjack table about 30 feet from where our group is sitting in the bar so they can see us. Dave is watching as Shawn and I play when I hear a voice to my left that almost sounds familiar “Anyone sitting here? Mind if I buy in?” The guy is on the other side of Shawn so I wasn’t paying much attention but something told me to look up.
A Familiar Voice at the Table
You know my wife has been crazy with the surprises, so who knows, I might just know the guy!
Sure enough, it is our oldest son Chris. I can hardly believe my eyes and as I turn to my left I now catch a glimpse of his wife Rachel standing behind me. So happy, and yes, surprised, to see these kids. With their recent move to Texas, I didn’t think it possible. Yet here they were, on the list of those popping up at every turn to surprise me.
Hugs are exchanged, Chris joins our table, and Rachel goes to join the others in the bar. For the next couple hours we switch tables. Some of us take a break from playing to say hi to our group at the bar or find the nearest restroom. Eventually we leave the tables, I don’t think anyone was really up or down, but we had fun.
Hooters and Wings Too Hot to Handle
We join what is left of our group in the lobby bar, to discover some headed off to get something to eat. Ending up at Hooters right there inside the Palms, we have a table big enough for all of us and we are attempting to order beers. We seem to have confused the server.
After a couple of questions about wings, mostly to do with how hot some of them were, we finally place our orders. We laughed so much I think the entire place was staring at us. Good friends, this is what life is all about.
The night or is it early morning is winding down when Dave asks why Valerie wasn’t eating the rest of her wings. She explained they were much hotter than expected. I do agree they were pretty hot. As I said before, Dave doesn’t like leaving food or beer, so he begins to eat the wings.
He is attempting to finish them all, but he has discovered they are pretty freaking hot. He is slowing consuming the wings between gulps of beer and water, but manages to clear the plate! At some point while we all watch Dave eat, I believe there was a faint, ever so quiet, chant of CHUG CHUG CHUG being sung.
What an amazing day, and we are all off to bed. Hugs all around. I am so happy from today’s events but oh so very tired at the same time. Doesn’t take me long to be sound asleep dreaming of what tomorrow can possibly hold.
Up next: the StripBurger surprise reveal, in Chapter 3.