Vegas December 2015

The drive...

Last Updated: 2015-12-05 12:38:04

When I had planned this trip I had a few buddies who thought they would be able to join me. Unfortunately most of them didn't pan out, but Nick was telling me all along he was "90%". I was going either way, it was just a matter of whether someone was going to split the hotel with me...

About a week before the trip Nick tells me he's out. Had been spending too much time away from home and his trip just two weeks before this one hadn't been as profitable as he'd hoped. Honestly once he filled me in that in the month-and-a-half or so from the time I booked to the time I was going he already had two poker trips planned I figured three in that time period would be a stretch. But I accepted his 90% assertion.

Then the day before the trip he drops me a line letting me know that he had thought about it some more and he really couldn't go...much as he wanted to...

I had worked extra hours earlier in the week and only had to work until 11am on Friday. Went and had lunch with Joann, hit the bank, gassed up and hit the road.

So I pass through Georgetown, just under an hour out, when I get this text:

"You in vail already?"

Guess who the text is from.

I reply I'm just a couple minutes from the tunnels and ask jokingly, I thought, if he needed me to come back for him.

Nick indicates that he wouldn't expect me to come back to colorado springs for him. (NOTE: I didn't say this, but I have news for Nick, i never was coming down to the springs, he was always coming to me :-) )

I point out that he and I would get to my house at the same time if I turned around. I'm wondering if he's serious...

My phone rings. I'm headed back to my house.

I told an amused Joann that Nick was covering the $10 in gas I burned. I haven't told Nick that yet, he'll probably find out by reading this...hehe..

I thought that this would ruin my plan to get to St George for dinner at In-N-Out Burger. Joann checks, and all In-N-Outs in Vegas and the one in St George are open until 1am. I can make that...

Tho perhaps I tried a little too hard...

I'm never the fastest guy on the road, but I'm definitely among the faster group. I generally hug the top of the line that the men and women in blue are willing to tolerate. I have been known on occasion to err in judgement, however.

I was not erring on Friday. I know what the line is from my house to the New York, New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

So imagine my surprise as I'm heading through Parachute, CO when headlights on the median jump on in my face...

The officer and I go through the usual conversation. In these circumstances (er...not that I have a lot of experience...well...maybe...) I always appreciate officers who are courteous and professional.

I don't know if he was already in a forgiving mood or if he accepted my genuine shock at the number he gave me. I really wasn't paying attention to how fast I was going, because the number he gave me was over the imaginary line that I don't cross, at least not intentionally.

Got off with a warning. Whew.

I very much enjoy the drive out. The scenery is awesome. Unfortunately I knew going in that the majority of this drive was going to be at night, and with the later start it was pretty much all at night. I thought it was going to seem longer than usual because there wouldn't be much to look at but actually it seemed to go pretty quick.

Rolled into In-N-Out at 12:30 am. You'd think the place would be dead that late. If you think that, tho, you don't know In-N-Out. If they're open, they're busy! And the Del Taco next door had an even longer drive-thru line.

Said it many times before, I'll say it again. It's like crack. Once you've had In-N-Out a couple of times you're hooked for life.

Got to Vegas at 1:15 local, checked in, checked "stuff" on the tablet and hit the sack.

Plan for Saturday is the Aria 1:00pm tournament. Unless we come up with a better idea, but I can't imagine what that would be...I just don't discount the possibility.