Hell says hello! Days 1 and 2 (of?)

A close friend who lives in Vegas is getting a hip replacement done. She's 83 years old, still an active realtor, artist, gardener, tennis player...so she's been resisting getting this work done, but now it's pretty much in the "no choice" zone. So she might be in the hospital for as long as a week, given that they want to do the rehab right there and won't want to release her until they're sure she can get around.

The only trouble is, she has two kitty cats, a house full of plants, and a bunch of pending business stuff she can't ignore. So I told her, hang in there, I'm comin' down. I booked ten nights at the Apache/Four Queens for next to nothing ($216 total with my pending offers, etc.) packed up, and drove south on Monday. The drive between Portland and Reno is gorgeous and it went so fast, I decided to just crash at a rest stop and finish the drive in the morning. I actually got here too early to check in, so I went down to good old Emerald Island and had a terrific breakfast; then I played enough VP to cash in on their Tuesday cashback offer. And whaddya know--a nickel royal. Plus $280, whee!

It's 111 degrees, all right, but for some reason, I don't find it that unpleasant. It overwhelms my poor little car's AC, and you don't dare try to walk any distance outside, but otherwise...no big deal. The Apache room is surprisingly nice, and parking in the old Horseshoe garage is free and easy. Got in there and zonked out.

I dropped in on my friend this morning, and she showed me where everything is. The cats regarded me suspiciously, until I explained to them that I would be feeding them, cleaning their litterbox, etc. I even offered lap time, as they don't really like it when they're left alone. OK, they actively hate it. But Mom needs to get fixed up. I'll be picking her up and taking her to Sunrise Hospital tomorrow.

Today, I spent riding the VP roller coaster. $9600 coin-in at the 4Q will get you $140 in cashback and $50 in comps. That's +2%, too good to pass up. I ambled over to the .25 10/7 DB machines. ALARM! Stinky Gonzales was right there. Stinky is a frequent denizen of the 4Q and smokes the most awful cigars in the world. So I said fine, I'll hit the 9/6 JOBs by the cashier instead.

You know how they say JOB is low volatility and you won't win or lose too much on it? Well. for me, JOB has always been the Game of Doom. And today was no exception. Ran $200 through the machine, got ONE four of a kind, missed four one-card royal draws, and busted out. Muttering dark imprecations, I went over to see if Stinky was gone, and I could tell by the smell, or lack thereof, that he was. So I fed a hundy to the nearest 10/7 DB creature. It burped, said "Thank you!," and then proceeded to give me one pair of Kings and eighty losing hands in a row. Well. maybe not quite that bad. Nonetheless, I was now down $300, wiping out the previous night's win, and I did what any normal, rational human would do, and quit. Yeah, right. I actually fed it another hundred. And lo! The quads started trickling in. Soon, I had the meter up to $400, putting me even for the day.

Then the door slammed shut.

I got NO quads as I slowly burned my way through that $400. I was down to 10 credits, when I held AA and drew the other two. This put me in position to claw my way back to even (again). I finally got 3333, putting me slightly ahead--$30--for the day. It was time to pull the plug. I rewarded myself with a very nice salad and a bowl of gumbo at Magnolia's.

I earned 1,000 points today, so I had $8000 coin-in at QUARTERS. Gaah! I'm wondering what that's going to look like for my daily average, since I intend to only play enough to score the promo (another $1600 coin-in), and then I'll move my play to Emerald Island, where I can play multi-line for the same amounts per hand and not feel like I've been chained to a roller coaster. Plus, they feed me copiously.

Tomorrow: limo ride; it's hip to need a new hip; you guys are such pussies; more gumbo.

Nice of you to help out in a time of need, especially cats!

good trip report, hope to hear more!

Hope your friends surgery goes well.  Enjoyed the report. 

There should be many stars in your crown, Kevin, for helping your friend get her hip fixed. 

The cats are a blessing to her, but do complicate the picture when one has to be away.  Most friends and neighbors will come in and walk and water and feed your dog or goldfish, or even take a dog into their own home for a few days; but when it comes to babysitting a cat...eeeekkk, sorry, no. 

Our cat, Albert, whom we 'rescued', has been a blessing to what is basically a house-bound husband situation  (back problems), enabling me to be away for a few days.  Albert is good company for him and hubby can manage the feeding and even the litter box.  THEN came the diagnosis of diabetes...Albert, not the husband.  Yikes!  So now giving Albert insulin shots complicates things further.  Try getting a friend or neighbor to take that one on. 

So, anyway, shots or no shots, I appreciate your being willing to look after her and her cats.

Love your trip report, all interesting and exciting (up, down, up, down), but forgive me for adding a few pointers. 

I know how hospitals and doctors are.  While doing the best for their patient, their primary goal will be to get her up and out of the hospital...they need the bed for their next money-maker.

So, your job, and I know you can do it, is be firm if you feel she hasn't quite come to the point of independence at home after 'a week or so'.  At her age, three days in bed is enough to lose six months of strength.  Though she has been physically active, so that is a plus.

You'll be able to see how she is doing.  The doc's assistant will walk in, cheerfully say "Well, Mrs. Hip Replacement it looks like you are doing great and you can go home."  If you think not, Kevin, you speak up (and you are her nearest relative...right??? wink wink).  You say "She lives alone.  How about some additional rehab?"  Meaning send her to a REAL rehab facility, not necessarily keep her at the hospital (who are known for their definition of rehab being able to walk a few feet in the hallway).  If she is really perky maybe "Home Health" would do.  How is she at managing...ahem...bathroom functions?  With a walker. Will she need a raised toilet seat (available at Walmart and well worth it)?  Does she have steps to negotiate entering or inside her home?  Might she need hand rails installed along those steps?  Home Health is good to observe and help her get those things, and they should interview her before she is discharged home...try to get things arranged before.

Sorry for changing the subject, and I hear that hip is much easier recovery than knee, but better to catch those needs on the front end.  Maybe Las Vegas is way ahead on post-op rehab planning.

Good luck to her and to you!

Candy

I really like the Apache/4 Queens. Comfortable rooms and friendly staff.  Magnolia's has great food too.

Unfortunately, I lost my cellphone in the casino during my last trip in April. It didn't turn up in security.  Very upsetting and my own fault, too.  I should be more careful.

Love your reporting!.

I think the dome ameliorates the 111 degree thing. I just got back from downtown, and the dome saved my aging stamina from frying out.

Glad you are taking care of the cats. We have five inside here, and three were former ferals who are entertaining sweethearts. Plus we have a feral crew outside who hang out and don't seem very feral.

O2, I also had a cat with diabetes. Shots twice a day. Occasional seizures. He was my fave, but I probably kept him going too long. He was actually very good about giving him the shots.

And finally, Kevin, I salute you. 8K in quarters? Yowza. I notice that 10 years ago, I could play 3 1/2, maybe 4 hours before I'd start getting fatigued. Now it's more like two hours. I'm kind of stunned by my lack of VP stamina. So you did great, is my point. I could not do that without half a dozen of those $6.51 (I will bitch about the price forever) Golden Nugget Starbucks coffees.

Please tell the cats I said hey.

I'm glad that she has someone that she trusts with her kitties.  My neighbors always ask me to take care of their kitty when they are out of town.  Of course, I never spoil her when they're gone.  Looking at the weather forecast, it will be cooler Monday thru Wednesday.  I'll be looking forward to reading your reports.

The kitties are siblings that are eight years old and have never been anywhere else; they were born in my friend's house when she took in a stray that happened to be pregnant. She gave one of the kittens to a friend, kept the other two, and the mom is now living large in another friend's condo.

It seems ridiculous to not give the actual names of the cats, but I'm cautious about my friend's privacy, as there are and have been a few wackadoodles here who talk violence and/or may be thieves. So we have Mandrake, who's jet-black and HUGE--he has the ability to get into ANY drawer, cupboard, closet, etc....the only reason he hasn't opened a safe with a combination lock is that there's no such item in the house. Then there's Daisy--a shall we say, foodie. And shall we also say, she's WIDE. Sleeping is her favorite activity.

They will jump up on my friend's bed at 5:30 in the morning--that time almost exactly, no matter the season, light or dark outside--no idea how they tell. If she doesn't wake up and get them their breakfast, they will take turns walking up to her and tapping her gently on the cheek until she wakes up. No meowing (these cats do NOT meow) or anything--just, "Hey, good morning, can we have breakfast now?" So that's the routine that they'll miss most over the next few days (and cats love routine). So I intend to get over there pretty early each morning--which will also be before it gets TOO hot. And that's the best time to water the plants as well. I can also check the AC to make sure it stays tolerable in there.

OK, it's off to the hospital! My friend can barely walk, so helping her (with my own mobility issues) will be a bit of a challenge, and of course, when we get there, I'll yell for an aide with a wheelchair. We'll manage.

Oh, and Candy, yes, the situation will be very fluid, and we have no real sense of how much help she'll need to recover or for how long. I intend to stay in town as long as it takes. One thing I'm going to do tomorrow is a Trader Joe's run, so the place will be stocked with food when she gets home--and as you might know, TJ's has lots of GREAT easy-to-prepare complete meals and other stuff that I like to call "bachelor chow." We really have no sense of how long she'll need help--she knows one friend who got her hip replaced and bounded out of the hospital in three days and is now bustling around, better than ever, and another who took six months to recover. So, crapshoot. Her doctors really like her chances, though, since she's normally so active and is in really good shape for her age.

I'll continue with my Day 3 report a bit later.

Hey Kevin and Robert Dietz, while watching "My Cat From Hell" on Animal Planet, I learned of the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater show at Planet Hollywood.  A cirque type show started years ago by Gregory and Anastasia Popovich, who rescue cats and dogs (among other small creatures) and teach them acrobatic tricks.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing, the tricks they had the little critters doing.  And I never heard of this show.  It ain't Seigfried & Roy and the big cats, of course.  As many times as QoD's have asked about any family-friendly shows in Vegas, I never read of this one, which I plan to go see next time I'm in town, unless you guys have seen it and think it isn't worth the trouble.  Let me know if you have seen it and what you thought of it.  Sounds like a nice one for a relaxing afternoon show, maybe not so expensive?

Candy

Hi Candy.  I just looked it up and it's a 2:30 pm show for $29.99 June through October.