(I hate the word “lifestyle”!) 

Many people have asked Brad and me whether we play video poker every day and are surprised at our answers. 

No, we don’t play every day. Actually if you count driving time in traffic-choked Las Vegas, we spend more time going to and being in casinos doing non-gambling (albeit gambling related) activities than actual hours on a video poker machine. Picking up free play (playing it through once when we aren’t going to play any more than that) takes up the biggest chunk of time. We have around 50-70 different pickup times a month, for one or the other of us or both, depending on how many casinos in which we are active players – and how many casinos keep trying to lure us back with free play when we decide to be inactive! Fortunately Brad likes to “run around” more than I do so he does the lion’s share of free play pickup when there is no extra play to be done at that time. That means he is out in casino most every day. 

On the days I am in a casino with Brad, we usually eat our main meal wherever we will be stopping anyway and have comps to a restaurant we both like. We eat more at buffets because we can get more vegetables and generally eat more heart healthy. We do most of our major high-level play when Brad and I are together (so we have someone to sympathize with when we have big losses!), although Brad sometimes does some lower-level play when I am tied up in my office with writing projects. I spend a good bit of time organizing and trouble-shooting when I am in a casino. Brad hates details (“just let me play”) so it’s up to me to see that points are credited correctly, to find all the fine-print details of promotions and slot club benefits, to record all the necessary details of our play that the IRS will need, and to talk to the host to see what off-account comps for which we are eligible. 

What do I do on the many “nightgown” days when I never leave the house? Well, in the last 12 or so years I have written 4 books and hundreds of articles. I answer every e-mail I get – and I get tons of them. I read almost everything about gambling I can get my hands on or can find on the Internet. I am on many gambling forums and read most of the messages although I don’t have the time to post as often as I would like.   And planning our gambling schedule so we will have the maximum chance for profit takes many many hours a month. 

And then we have all the real-life (non-gambling) matters any family has. Although Brad and I work together on our broad financial picture, I take care of the never-ending details. We keep in close touch with both of our scattered families by e-mail and phone – and as many visits back and forth as I can organize. We have a cleaning lady every two weeks, but we still have the usual household duties. Brad helps out with the laundry and fixes our yogurt-Grape-Nuts-fruit-almonds and green tea breakfast every morning and our simple dinner when we don’t go out to eat – soup/sandwiches, Lean Cuisine, or leftovers from our last too-big casino restaurant meal. 

Today is a nightgown day and that means I had time to write this blog. But I must go now – it is almost 100 degrees this week and I desperately need to go clean out my walk-in closet that is so jammed with winter clothes that I can’t find a sundress to wear! I must be brutal and ruthless and throw away beloved but outdated outfits and anything size 10 or smaller – I am never going to naturally be skinny again – and if I get cancer and waste away, I can go out and buy mini-sizes!

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