Intro
My gambling buddy Robin backed out of this trip at the last minute. His nickname is now effing Robin. That caused some major adjustments to the plan.…like cancel our Vegas Movie Production “Vegas Dickhead” and cancel the world premier of my Standup Comedy Bit at Sapphire Gentlemen’s Club Open Mic night. I was still accompanied by my long time friend ‘The Newbie’ and there was plenty for us to do…even though performing stand-up in a giant inflatable penis costume wasn’t one of them.
Objectives
Deploy the Droid
I bought a Samsung Galaxy S5 Smartphone last May and I’ve been really impressed with it. I thought I’d share some of the many ways it enhanced my Vegas experience…so this report will be instructional. I’ll point out how I used the phone that was never an option before…and I’ll explain how the various capabilities actually work.
One of the best features on the S5 is its 16 megapixel camera. I decided to forego my Sony RX100 Camera and instead experiment with and evaluate the photographic potential of the Galaxy S5.
Las Vegas Lomography
Lomography is photography using retro specialty cameras. It started with Russian analog cameras from the early 80’s….Cameras like the LOMO LC-A Compact Automat from optics manufacturer LOMO PLC of Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Lomography was turned into an art movement in the 1990’s when (according to Wiki) ‘a group of Viennese students discovered the LOMO LC-A and were inspired by its "unique, colorful, and sometimes blurry" images’. Hey! I’ve always been good at unique, colorful and often blurry images.
It turns out that a number of these analog retro camera images can be emulated using digital effects available for the S5. In the spirit of exploring the potential of my Smartphone camera I am posting many of these artsy filtered images…I hope you enjoy them. I gave each of the special photos a name so you can order them from my catalog. ..Ok I have no catalog..but it sounded good.
I purchased a lens kit for the Galaxy S5. It cost $50. That included a new hard case, 4 interchangeable lenses (Telephoto, Wide Angle, Fish Eye and Macro) and a tripod. I was surprised to learn that there are alternate lenses available for a Smartphone Camera.
Galaxy S5 with tripod and telephoto.
The kit arrived the day before my trip so I didn’t have an opportunity to test it. Nothing like a trial under fire.
I am posting my photos larger than I normally would in a trip report so you can better see the quality this phone camera produces. Hopefully your reaction is “Wow…you really did that with your phone?”. Even though they are big, they won’t be anywhere near full size. The originals are 5312 X 2988 Pixels and run between 2 and 3 MB. So, if anyone wants an original to create a unique, colorful, blurry, poster-sized family heirloom, just shoot me a PM
I will note any effect or special lens or camera setting I used and also explain how to download, install and use effects, camera modes, features and the add on lenses. Some of this will be in detail, but I’ll put it in italics or a notes section so you skip it if you have no interest in learning about the Galaxy S5.
Cantor Banter
Some of our trip plan centered on a deposit bonus deal from Cantor Gaming that appeared exploitable. Cantor provides the Sport Book at many Las Vegas casinos. They have a sports betting Smartphone app available for Android or iPhone. I noticed some references to a $25 Deposit Bonus if you signed up for the Betting App, but the details were sketchy. Supposedly you could use the bonus at any or all of the Cantor Vegas sports betting facilities (M, Silverton, Hard Rock, Palms, Cosmo, Venetian and Tropicana)
A quick trip in November with Mrs. AlanLeroy suggested the bonus might require a $100 deposit and it was unclear how much of that had to be risked to get the bonus. So Newbie and I planned our 5 day trip under the assumption that we would visit each of these Sportsbooks Twice…..Once to sign up and bet and once to collect. The deposits needed to be in line with our meager bank rolls. Based on the $100 deposit, we limited ourselves to 2 bets in play at one time. We bet on events that would resolve that day/night so we could collect our winners and deposits before placing the next bets.
This was an outstanding deal…. if you like free money, but it wasn’t exactly as we expected. It was better. I’ll explain how it all works as part of the report.
Coupon Runs Galore
We contribute equally to our communal Gambling Wallet and make all of our matchplays and special gambling plays using communal funds. We’re gambling commies. The last night we split our winnings and go to PG (Personal Gaming). This trip would be no exception. Expecting effing Robin to be with us, we had a shed load of matchplays and free slot plays to use and abuse. We also had many Groupons and other coupon savings. We planned 42 casino visits.. made it to 36.
The Great Lucky Hat Give Away
Mrs AlanLeroy keeps insisting that I reduce the size of my Lucky Hat Collection. I got a dozen cheap imitation Santa Stuck in Chimney Hats for 15 bucks a couple of years back. I’m always looking to sell one of these puppies at a great profit or to give it away to someone worthy. I had three of these Santa Hats and two Lucky Lighted Christmas Turkey Hats to sell or give away this trip. That’s in addition to any original true lucky hat I carried. I always think I can convince the Newbie or effing Robin to wear one, but that never happens.
12/17/14
It was a dark and stormy day.
“Casa De Newbie en Blanco y Negro ”
Gotham Noir Effect
Mrs AlanLeroy delivered the Newbie and I to FAT (Fresno Air Terminal) at 1:00 PM…
“FAT Sequoiadendron giganteum”
We quickly made it through the TSA checkpoint. It was quick because I didn’t have to lug around those bulky boarding passes. Before leaving for the airport I installed the Allegiant Air App on my Galaxy and simply waved it at the friendly TSA agent.
At the gate I decided to try out my new telephoto lens and discovered that the lens is unusable unless on the tripod. You just can’t keep it steady enough otherwise. No problem. I sat on the floor next to a west facing window, set up my tripod and began to lomograph. I still couldn’t get non fuzzy pictures with the long lens because the very act of pressing the screen or a shutter button caused the camera to move slightly. Then I found the ultimate solution. I activated the Camera Voice Command. Then, I just sat there on the floor setting up my shots and yelling ‘SHOOT’ or ‘CHEESE’ or ‘SMILE’ to my phone whenever I wanted to snap a picture. The Newbie pretended he didn’t know me.
“FAT T”
“FAT TT”
FAT Tower with Telephoto Lens
“FAT T SNIPER”
Night Vision Effect with Telephoto Lens
“FAT 4”
Reflection Effect with Telephoto Lens
The flight was uneventful.
“High Flyn’”
Cartoon Effect
Landed right on time, collected our bags and hopped on the shuttle to the McCarran Rental Car Facility. Used the Galaxy to check my business E-Mail…which I did throughout the trip. I can also turn the Galaxy into a Wi-Fi hot spot and share the network with the notebook computer I carry. That was never necessary this trip.
I used the Alamo ‘bypass the counter’ feature so we headed right out to the cars. I asked the lot attendant if there was any way we could get a complementary upgrade from our compact while fumbling through my wallet for a $5.00 bill. “What do you want? “ he queried. “Oh…BMW or Lincoln or something like that”. Upgraded to a Black Mustang Convertible. Score!
Silverton
Ten minutes later we pulled into the Silverton Parking Lot.
“Another Fish on the wall”
“Fish Eye Fish”
Fish Eye Effect
“Comic Fish 1”
Cartoon Effect
“Comic Fish 2”
Cartoon Effect
Under a tight schedule. The goal was to enjoy the Silverton Twin Creeks Happy Hour, The Hard Rock Pink Taco Happy Hour and hit Cantor Gaming at both casinos for our first two deposit bonus bets. We also wanted to check in at Planet Hollywood by 7:30 PM because we had a show there at 9:00 PM. It was 5:00 PM
Happy Hour
The Twin Creeks Happy Hour is Fantastic. This was my first visit. It may be one of the best in Vegas. Every menu item was half price and so were some beers. We shared Stuffed Mushrooms (Mushroom caps stuffed with andouille sausage, parmesan and horseradish, cheddar cheese & fresh herbs), Prime Rib Sliders (toasted brioche & cheese sauce) and the best ever Daily Special Tenderloin Meatballs. Yep… Tenderloin Meatballs. We each enjoyed a ½ Price Newcastle as well. Do note that they take the happy hour literally. It is only 1 hour from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
https://www.silvertoncasino.com/resourcefiles/pdf/twin-creeks-happy-hour-menu.pdf
Tenerloin Meatball
Stuffed Mushrooms
NOTE: (Happy Hour Specials - Wednesday through Sunday for 50% Off Happy Hour. Wednesday - Saturday 5pm - 6pm and 9pm - 10pm; Sunday 4pm - 5pm and 8pm - 9pm (Small Plates, Select Cocktails, House Wine, Beer).
Cantor 1
The Newbie signed up for a player’s card and over to the Sportsbook to find out what the hell this deposit bonus was all about. There is actually a separate window for Cantor Mobile App Sign Ups. Every Casino had one and they were always staffed. Cantor is obviously very serious about the mobile gaming business.
Some guy was in the process of signing up when we got there so I listened in as Supervisor Linda explained how it worked. She said you had to deposit $50 and they immediately add $25. You are required to bet at least $50. So, for example, if you bet $50 and lose, you can still cash out the remaining $25. If you won, you’d get back the $50 you bet, plus the winnings plus get your remaining $25 deposit back. What a Great deal. Unfortunately, the sign up process is slow. There is paperwork to fill out. It took about 15 minutes.
When it was our turn to sign up, Linda went on break and Stevie helped us. He explained the deal differently. He claimed you deposit $50 and he immediately adds your $25 deposit bonus and you can bet $25 and get $50 back if you lose. Hmmmm. An even better deal….No risk at all! My sign up went fast. I had already downloaded the Cantor App directly from Cantor. By the time the Newbie filled out his paperwork, I had already placed my $25 bet. This App is easy to use. You select which of the Cantor Locations to use (There are all completely separate). Enter your userid (Player’s card #) and password and you’re in. You’ll see your deposit in the Virtual Wallet and you can move money from the Wallet to your bets. You can bet on the most common betting events like NBA & NFL & NHL.
The Newbie has an i-Phone. He only uses it for phone and text and camera. He has no i-Tunes account which apparently is needed to download from the Apple Store. He kept dicking around with it…couldn’t install…couldn’t’ set up account, bad address…Wasting time…wasting time. Finally I asked Stevie to help..…He pulled out a tablet for the Newbie. That’s all you need! You don’t really need the App or a Smartphone either. The Newbie was never able to set up his i-Tunes account and download the App. That didn’t matter. All of the Cantor Books had Tablets available. We bet on obscure NBA games that were played later that night. We had no idea what we were doing when it came to actually predicting the scores. We went with which team had the cooler name.
Planet Hollywood
It was now 7:00 PM. We missed the Pink Taco Happy Hour. Decided to forgo Hard Rock and catch the Cantor bet there later in the trip. It was on to the first Destination Resort: Planet Hollywood. Here’s another great application for the Galaxy S5. Wanted to go up Las Vegas Blvd. from Silverton so we could stop somewhere to pick up a case of water. Also wanted to wind through the Airport and come out on Paradise so we approach Planet Hollywood via Harmen from the South and East….like we were coming from Hard Rock. I said “OK GOOGLE” to my phone. And then “Navigate To Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas”. Google Maps routed us to Hard Rock by going South on I15. I simply drove over the freeway to Las Vegas Blvd and we were rerouted through the Airport to Paradise. Each turn is announced by the nice Google lady well in advance and the map is easy to see and follow with big turn indicators. It’s a great navigation aid and with voice commands so easy to use.
Made it to P HO at 7:30. Thanks so much to Linda2244 for your kind contribution to our trip. She gave us her ‘Friends and Family’ coupon, so our stay at Planet Hollywood was free (Except for the $25 a night resort fee). Check-in was smooth. I asked the nice clerk Fred if it would be possible to get a complementary upgrade….to the Presidential Suite. He said that was not possible, but we could have a nice Strip View Room. Score! It was not any old Strip View Room. It was the Alec Baldwin room. The room was adorned with all kinds of Alec Baldwin memorabilia, including signed posters from his classic Broadway role as Stanley in Streetcar Named Desire. Why next to Marlin Brando and Ned Flander’s that must be the best ever rendition…but I digress.
Miracle Mile
Next stop: the Las Vegas Live Comedy Show there at the V Theater in the Miracle Mile Shops. I paid $12.00 for 2 tickets on a Vegas 4 Locals E-Bay auction. You’re required to exchange vouchers for tickets 1 hour before Showtime. We barely made it. The ticket clerk, Patty suggested we consider upgrading our tickets for $20. That way we could get reserved front row seating and we wouldn’t have to wait in any oppressive lines. We declined the upgrade because it just didn’t make sense to spend more on the upgrade than we spent for the tickets. A word of advice..always decline this upgrade. There were no oppressive lines. There were only 4 rows. There were less than 20 people attending.
We walked around the Miracle Mile a bit. What a Miracle.
“Zoltar In The Box”
Oil Pastel Effect
“Arabian Village”
Oil Pastel Effect
“Full Spectrum Newbie” (TNC)
Infrared Effect
“Kush Mon”
Oil Pastel Effect
“Electric Zippo Newbie” (TNC)
Florescent Effect
Kush Thing
“Lonely Stripper”
Cartoon Effect
Effing Robin and I always have a photography contest. We have various categories and assign point values to the shots. I won the contest this year…my award winning shots are peppered throughout.
Hidden areas of Casinos: 200 Points.
“Employees Only”
“Behind the Door”
Score: AlanLeroy 200. Effing Robin 0
“V360”
360 Mode (You start the shot and then slowly turn in a full circle. Captures a 360 degree shot)
It’s Showtime!
“Show Fisheye w/Finger”
Fisheye Lens
“Double Fisheye”
Fisheye Effect and Fisheye Lens
Unfortunately, that night there were three below average comedians. All of them attacked the crowd for not laughing more….like we didn’t get their jokes. Oh we got them. It’s just they weren’t funny….Ok? I know my bit would have been funnier and that gives me confidence because these yahoos were being paid for that crap….and I know never to attack the crowd unless you’re Don Rickles. You need the crowd on your side.
I’m reading over this and think I’m being too critical of these comedians. Maybe we were a bad crowd. The place was less than a quarter full. Many were drunk and falling asleep. My comedy bit is only 7 minutes long. Each of these guys went 20 – 30 minutes. I am convinced you do need audience participation though…that’s why I’m going to start my bit by making everyone stand up and flip me off in anticipation that I won’t really be funny. Just to get it out of their systems.
“V Negative”
Negative Effect
Cabo Wabo
Headed up to the entrance of Miracle Mile and entered the home of the Red Rocker…Sammy Haggar’s Cabo Wabo. We had a Groupon for $30 and went with the appetizer plate and a couple of brews. Oh crap. I forgot the damn Groupon in the room. Our waitress, Maria asked “Do you have Smartphone? You show us Groupon in Groupon App and we scan that”. Do I have a Smartphone? Ha Ha! Another score!
The food was only fair and overpriced. It would have been a rip off if not for the Groupon. After eating, we went out on the Patio. It’s a great location that overlooks the strip. I set up my tripod and put the Galaxy S5 Camera into a new mode: Animation. Animation mode creates a looping Gif. It’s a great effect. This shot was crowds of people crossing Las Vegas Blvd…and then walking backwards and crossing again. Only problem is these GIFs are huge…30+ MB..
After Cabo, we took a quick tour of the Casino. My phone was still in animation mode so I took another Animation shot …one that’s even better than people continuously walking across Las Vegas Blvd. Thanks to the poster TsuDoNihm over at LVADVICE.com who was able to crop my GIF into its very essence. I am now able to Crop my own GIFs. Without further ado…I give you my GIF Masterpiece…”Swinging Butt”
Swinging Butt.
Animation Mode
Here have few more…they’re free:
Package Deal
Somehow it got to be 1:00 AM. We made our way to the elevators. There was a talkative lady waiting for an elevator too. We all got on the same one. She pressed 8. The Newbie pressed 20. Funny that when we got to the 8th floor the lady didn’t get off. She rode with us to 20 and got out with us. Then she asked if she could check out our view and use our bathroom. I thought that was odd. She was a space invader too….one of those people who stand 2 inches from you. Next thing I know, she reached out and rubbed my package. That’s right. She rubbed my package…right there in the hallway at Planet Hollywood.
I immediately took a step back, Held out my hand in the Universal Stop Sign and said ‘Whoa’. I was thinking “What a rude thoughtless little pig”, but that might have been the Alec Baldwin room talking. She took a step back and said “I thought you liked me”. For the rest of the trip, The Newbie mocked me with that line in a high pitched voice. I responded the only way I could in that situation: “I’ll give you three dollars if you let me take your picture”.
She quickly agreed. Newbie was frantically trying to open the door…I’m sure he was going to lock me out. I handed over three dollars and she promptly pulled down her shorts, mooned me with her substantial booty and started to walk away. I was trying to get my camera started up and was yelling “Wait you said I could take your picture!”. I managed to snap one as she turned and said “That will cost you $20”
Damn. My first night in Vegas and I’ve already been ripped off by a Hooker.
End of Part 1.
NOTE: I walked 12,543 steps today. (According to my Samsung S-Health Pedometer)
12/18/14--Thursday
We do a lot of planning for these trips. Every key activity is entered an Excel Spreadsheet. There are columns for matchplay or slot play value, other coupons and also a Color coded Drunk Status column. We never make it to all of our planned destinations...but that’s ok. We constantly adjust the plan as we decide parts are overly optimistic, unrealistic or impossible.
It was important to hit the road early….We should be at our first stop, Hooters right at 8:00 AM. We were already behind after missing Hard Rock on Wednesday. Unfortunately, we were not early. One day I’ll realize that ‘early’ on the first Vegas morning is not possible. I tried to get the Noob to move faster, but he’d only say in a high pitch voice “I thought you liked me”. Made it to Palms at 10:00 AM (Missed Hooters, Tropicana and Orleans).
Remember when Palms was new and they were doing the Real World and Celebrities and Athletes would hang out there? Hard to believe that was only 15 years ago. The demographic has changed from the beautiful people to coupon clipping tight wad grey beards….the cheap ugly people. Like us. We both Enjoyed the Palms Bistro Buffet Breakfast…and it’s a real bargain. With LVA ½ off coupon it ended up being about $6.00 each. Good coffee. Custom Omelets. Fruit. Juices. Pastries, and unlimited bacon, and unlimited bacon.
We took advantage of a couple of Matchplay Opportunities and worked our way back to the Sportsbook. Like the Silverton (and in fact all Cantor Books) there was a separate Mobile App sign up window. At Palms, the deal was deposit $25, get $25 immediately. You must bet $50 (can be any combination of bets totaling $50). The signups went smoothly, but Newbie was still technically challenged with his iPhone. He finally borrowed a tablet and we were gone in 60 seconds..
“Palms of Hearts”
Symmetry Effect
We had a quick stop on Fremont Street. The Golden Gate has a deal where you show your Allegiant Boarding Pass and get a $50 MatchPlay. Luckily I had actually printed those bulky boarding passes so we lugged them Downtown. The deal is only available once per person so you can’t do it every trip and you must collect your Matchplay within 24 hours of landing. They gave us two $25 Matchplay Chips/I stashed them in the Gambling Wallet for later use.
“Golden Gate Gate”
Symmetry Effect
Motored the black ragtop back down I15 to Silverton to cash out our Cantor deposit bonus. Both of our $25 bets were losers. I was a little concerned when I noticed that Supervisor Linda was staffing the Mobile App window. She’s the one who told the guy in front of us that you had to bet $50 not $25.
Since we didn’t bet $50 Linda would not let us cash out our deposit bonus and was unyielding. I tried every trick in the book from sweet talking to sympathy to semi-irate. I was upset…not over the money… I wouldn’t have minded betting $50 (which we would have lost). I was upset because it was going to require an unplanned third visit to Silverton to collect our deposit bonus….Also, Stevie steered us wrong….and Linda was kind of implying that we were lying ignorant assholes. That’s hard to argue with. We both just bet another $25 each and moved on.
“Silver Crap in Shades of Grey”
Moody Effect
Important note: The Cantor deposit required varied between casinos…it was either $25 or $50. In all cases we were required to bet $50 to be able to cash out the deposit bonus. It’s a fantastic deal. I will have a separate Cantor Banter Tips and Tricks section at the end to summarize this advantage play.
Our final stop before returning to our home Planet was The Tropicana. Here, we had the Cantor Signup and a $10 Matchplay from Vegas Rovers. They gave each of us 2 Free Drink coupons for betting $50 and because their printer was slow and because we asked…twice.
The drink tickets could only be used at The Lounge Bar. I ordered up a Bombay Sapphire Martini. The bartender claimed he could only give us what came out of the gun which was Gordons or Seagrams or some other toxic chemical with a slight hint of nozzle crud. I convinced him we were worthy of at least Tanqueray. It was served in plastic cups because they had no running water for three weeks. Classy. We each enjoyed an OK Martini before that short drive back P Ho. The Newbie took two extra Martinis to go. I made him chug them in the parking lot. I’ve got two words for the Trop… Folies Bergere.
After a brief pit stop in the room, we set out walking down LV Blvd to The LINQ Hotel and Casino.
“Green Paris”
Nightvision Effect
We had tickets to the Jeff Civicillico show at LINQ. Jeff is one heck of a juggler.
“Jeff Mounting”
In fact, he’s the best juggler I’ve ever seen. His show is funny. He’s very talented and entertaining. I can’t fully endorse it because of the rugrat infestation.. …but I must still recommend. We got our pair of tickets for $15.00 at a Vegas 4 Locals E-Bay auction.
We strolled through the LINQ Hotel and Casino to the LINQ Mall and used our Vegas Rovers cards to get a discount admission and free drink at the High Roller. It was about 5:00 PM and a perfect time for the ride. After you’re admitted past the ticket counter you walk up some stairs to the bar. We each received one free drink apiece courtesy Vegas Rovers. I had some froo froo sweet drink. Newbie had a beer. We continued on (drink in hand) to the platform where we were loaded onto our designated Pod. We then became Pod People…..Or Poddies.
The ride takes half an hour. I really enjoyed the High Roller. It was relaxing with an interesting view/perspective of the town. The 360 degreed windowed pod cabin provided a lot of opportunities for photography. Our pod only had 10 people in it. I could live in one of those pods if it had plumbing.
Pod
“Electric Pod”
Florescent Effect
“Illustrated Harrahs”
Oil Pastel Effect
“4 way wheel”
Reflections Effect
“Full Spectrum Venetian”
Infrared Effect
Notes on Vegas Rovers Card: Every Rovers Matchplay or discount we used was a little hassle. I expected they would just swipe my card with some kind of…you know…card swiping machine, but instead your information is manually recorded in a log book. Often the ticket clerk or player’s club clerk had never seen the Rovers card and had no clue what to do with it. The savings and especially the $25 D & Golden Gate Matchplays were excellent plays…. since we only spent $10.00 for the card. The delays at every club or ticket counters burnt a lot of Vegas time though. Oh…and I know it’s Rover not Rover(s), but I call them Rovers because it has a better ring to it.
Dinner was the outstanding Happy Hour at Brooklyn Bowl at the LINQ Mall.
“Brooklyn Bowl”
Brooklyn bowl is a combination Restaurant/Bar/Bowling Alley and Concert Venue. From 5:00 – 7:00 M-F drinks and appetizers are ½ off of already reasonable prices.
Since there was an NFL game in progress, we got an even better deal….their excellent Fried Chicken Wings at $1.00 and $2.00 Sliders…and ½ price beers. Many beers.
“Carnival Knockdown Punks”
There was a private party in the Bar/Lounge where the Happy Hour is usually located so we were seated in the Restaurant. I can’t say enough about the Wings. Fried Chicken is this Joint’s specialty…and their Fried Wings were spectacular….I bet the Breasts were too. We ate them so fast; I forgot to take pictures of them. Many beers too.
After a fine happy meal of Fried Chicken Wings and Sliders, we continued walking North on the strip to the Venetian. We were making our way to the Sportsbook for the Cantor Sign Up. I heard a little commotion and happened upon a big Wheel of Fortune jackpot. Security was just roping off the area and the lucky winner was standing there dazed talking to a casino rep. I told him “Congratulations Uncle Bob”.
“Big Wheel”
“Of Fortune”
I took several Pictures and sent them to effin’ Robin with no explanation. He would send me text messages for the next day trying to determine if I hit that jackpot. I ignored them.
When we got to the Venetian Sportsbook, Newbie refused to sign up for the Deposit Bonus. He was mad at his iPhone and just wanted to sit in the nice chairs. I went ahead and made my Deposit. Since I was no longer tethered to the betting window, I decided to bet later using the App…whenever and where ever I felt lucky.
I can see why Cantor wants to get people signed up for the app. The Gambler can bet at his leisure…like while drunk at the pool or drunk and on tilt or drunk and in jail (Well maybe not there). Cantor can book a lot of new action from betters who can’t visit or won’t hang out at the Sportsbook. Cantor doesn’t have to pay anyone to actually take the bets, although they have other expenses like sign-up and cash-outs.
Bridal: 50 Points
“Happy Bride with Baldie”
AlanLeroy 250 Effin Robin 0
Moody Giant Plastic Christmas Tree
Moody Effect
We crossed LV Blvd to the Mirage. Although this is Newbie’s third visit to the Mirage, he still hasn’t seen the Volcano go off. It didn’t happen for him tonight either. Tonight’s show was “The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil”. We had good seats via the Winter of Cirque deal for the 9:30 performance. It’s my favorite Cirque Show. Those Beatles tunes set off some memory endorphin secretion or earworm activation or something. “All you need is love, love. Love is all you need”. Yes, we need air and food and booze too, but Love is right up there..
When the show ended we hiked back to Hollywood on the Strip. Man I was tired and it was only 12:30 AM.. My feet were sore. It's been a hard day's night. That buzz you’re hearing is
Effin Robin’s Text Message…asking me again if I won the big Jackpot. I ignored it and dozed off to sleep.
Walked 22,543 Steps Today (Our longest walk)
12/19/14 Friday
We checked out of Planet Hollywood. It was a good stay and a great value considering it was only the resort fee. Thanks again Linda2244. A beautiful crisp December morning. I powered the Black Mustang Convertible over to the Orleans where we enjoyed the French Market Breakfast Buffet. Ooh la la. We were able to use a 5 year old Vegas Perks 2 4 1 coupon…..so it was another fabulous deal at $4.50 each. We had Custom Omelets, Fruit, Coffee, Juice and a wide variety of other breakfast choices including unlimited bacon. We also played all of the ACG and MRB Matchplays and Free Slot Plays.
“Orleans Orleans”
Symmetry Effect
It was such a beautiful December Morning we put the top down for our short drive to Silverton. Ok. That was stupid. You know, it’s a lot colder in a convertible when you’re moving down the highway compared to sitting in the parking lot. I guess we thought we’d be cool…and we were right.
We both won our $25 dollar bets and were finally able to cash out. It ended up better that we bet it wrong to start because we certainly would have lost the whole $50 on day 1.
“Silverton Fishy Face”
Animation Mode…GIF. This was another massive GIF file, that I was able to crop. I used Easy Gif Animator. I’m going to name the fish.
Next stop: the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to place our Fourth Cantor Bets. $50 Deposit here. The Hard Rock was home to the Colorado State Rams who were playing Saturday in the 2014 Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl. The Rams were playing a formidable opponent in the Utah Utes of the Pacific 10 Conference. We met many fans from Both Colorado State and Utah over the course of our trip.
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“Electric Newbie Guitar”
Infrared Effect
“The Illustrated Prince”
Oil Pastel Effect
“Cash Bubbles”
Blue Effect
The final stop for the Black Mustang Convertible: Downtown… The D….where we would spend the weekend. Check in at The D was smooth. I requested a complementary room upgrade. We got a nice Fremont Street View. The room was clean and comfortable. I flipped on the TV and caught a repeating infomercial Starring Derek Stevens…Owner of The D. Derek welcomed us to the D and told us how awesome The D was…a few minutes later he called us with an important recorded welcoming message. How thoughtful.
We intended to hit four happy hours for dinner…splitting one or two appetizers at each. On our way to the Fremont Street exit, who should I see but Derek Stevens…Himself. He was wearing a bright orange blazer, smoking a cigarette down to the nub and directing a photo crew that was with him. I was sporting my Santa Stuck in Chimney Lucky Hat.
Luckiest of Lucky Hats (Stock Footage)
Derek pointed at my head as if to say “Cool Hat Bro”. I pointed right back at him…as if to say “I wish I had a bright orange blazer”.
Happy Hour number 1 was Four Queens Chicago Brewery for their outstanding ½ Price on Appetizers + Discount Beer Happy Hour (M-F 3-5).
https://www.fourqueens.com/pdf/chicago_brew_menu.pdf
We had had the excellent Filet Mignon Sliders and an order of Michigan Avenue Garlic Knots. The sliders were bigger than expected, topped with mushrooms and grilled onions and had a side of au jus for dipping (4.95 for 3 at half off). Garlic Knots were the equivalent of a loaf of garlic bread with about 8 large separate garlic knots. The knots were glazed with parmesan garlic butter sauce and there was a side of marinara for dipping. I loved the Garlic Knots. Newbie thought they were buttery grease bombs….as if that’s some kind of negative.
To top it off we shared a pitcher of their Black Widow Stout. That was a lot of food and beverage. The 64 ounces of stout was like a meal by itself. So much for the night of 4 Happy Hours. We spent some time on Fremont at the Big Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl Pep Rally. Colorado had the edge in crowd support.
We walked to the back of the Golden Nugget to catch a Cab to the Venetian.
Hidden areas of Casinos: 200 Points.
“Employees Party”. It’s just a suggestion
“Party Raffle!” I was going to write AlanLeroy as the 6:00 PM winner, but Newbie didn’t like that idea.
Alan Leroy 450 Effin Robin 0
After an uneventful cab ride, we entered the Venetian…again. Since Newbie didn’t throw down his Cantor Bet at Venetian yesterday, he signed up and did that now. I placed my bet while waiting for the Newbie to sign up. We had acquired some inside information at the Pep Rally that Colorado State was a lock to cover.
We had tickets (Vegas 4 Locals E-Bay Auction) for an Exhibition at Venetian: The Da Vinchi Experience. The Da Vinchi Experience chronicles the inventions and art of Leonardo Da Vinchi 1452 –1519. Da Vinchi was a prolific inventor, mathematician, musician, writer, philosopher, scientist, sculptor, map maker and more. A regular Renaissance Man. He is considered one of the greatest painters ever and a diversely talented genius who was clearly ahead of his time. He may have been a time traveler stuck in the 16 century.
The Experience was divided into three sections. Section one chronicled Leonardo’s art and along with it, his life. It included many full sized reproductions of his paintings including The Last Supper Mural. Section two was a collection of about 50 ‘working’ prototypes of Da Vinci inventions. Section three was short video and tutorial on the mathematics of The Golden Triangle, something used throughout Leonardo’s work.
Exposed Boob 200 Points
“Madonna Litta” C 1490. Housed at The Hermitage St. Petersburg Russia.
AlanLeroy 650 Effin Robin 0
“John the Baptist” c 1516. Probably Leonardo’s last work. Housed at the Louvre, Paris France
“J. The B. Aura”
Thermal Effect
“Essential J”
Infrared Effect
The invention prototypes. Everything from double hulled ships to pulley systems and screw jacks….Machines of Flight, Submarines, War Machines.
The prototypes were most interesting from a “How did he invent that” standpoint, the actual workings of them were more geared toward children…so we did not play with every device…not every. We spent about an hour in the Exhibit.
“Sistine”. Of course Michelangelo was a contemporary of Da Vinci
“Electric Sistine”
Florescent Effect
“Electric Sistine Floor”
Florescent Effect
It was a beautiful night for mid December. We walked south on the strip and then Crossed over to Caesars Palace. All Hail. They had an Ice Rink in front. I had a TITO from my November Trip to cash out
Exposed Boob 200 Points
Negative Couple with Christmas Balls.
Negative Effect
AlanLeroy 850 Effin’ Robin 0
Vibrant Couple with Charistmas BALLS.
Infrared Effect
We continued Sourth on Las Vegas Blvd to the Bellagio. There’s just nothing like the Conservatory of the Bellagio at Christmas. Except of course the Conservatory of the Bellagio last Christmas.
“CT”
“Christmas Tree Hue “
Infrared Effect
“Happy Bear”
“White Tree”
Illustrated WhiteTree
Pastel/Oil Effect
“White Tree Close”
“Plant Power Poinsettias”
Illustrated Effect
“Conservatory 360”
360 Mode
“Global Snow”
Infrared Effect
“Paris in the dark in black and white at night”.
Gotham Effect
“Fountain”
We had planned to walk to Ellis Island and Tuscany but those places seemed as far away as New York and Italy. Cabbed it back to The D.
We spend about an hour at the Vue Bar drinking Bombay Sapphire Martinis and milking quarter Video Poker..
“Vue Bar Flairing”
Downstairs for a couple of American Coney Island Chili Dog (24 hours). Bombay Sapphire Martinis …Coney Chili Cheese Dogs….Mmmmm. Breakfast of Champions.
American Coney Island at the D
Overall a good day couple of days. We were a little ahead in the gambling wallet, some good food and shows and booze….and I hadn’t been ripped off by a hooker in days. That was about to change.
End of Part 2
I walked 18934 steps today.
My gambling buddy Robin backed out of this trip at the last minute. His nickname is now effing Robin. That caused some major adjustments to the plan.…like cancel our Vegas Movie Production “Vegas Dickhead” and cancel the world premier of my Standup Comedy Bit at Sapphire Gentlemen’s Club Open Mic night. I was still accompanied by my long time friend ‘The Newbie’ and there was plenty for us to do…even though performing stand-up in a giant inflatable penis costume wasn’t one of them.
Objectives
Deploy the Droid
I bought a Samsung Galaxy S5 Smartphone last May and I’ve been really impressed with it. I thought I’d share some of the many ways it enhanced my Vegas experience…so this report will be instructional. I’ll point out how I used the phone that was never an option before…and I’ll explain how the various capabilities actually work.
One of the best features on the S5 is its 16 megapixel camera. I decided to forego my Sony RX100 Camera and instead experiment with and evaluate the photographic potential of the Galaxy S5.
Las Vegas Lomography
Lomography is photography using retro specialty cameras. It started with Russian analog cameras from the early 80’s….Cameras like the LOMO LC-A Compact Automat from optics manufacturer LOMO PLC of Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Lomography was turned into an art movement in the 1990’s when (according to Wiki) ‘a group of Viennese students discovered the LOMO LC-A and were inspired by its "unique, colorful, and sometimes blurry" images’. Hey! I’ve always been good at unique, colorful and often blurry images.
It turns out that a number of these analog retro camera images can be emulated using digital effects available for the S5. In the spirit of exploring the potential of my Smartphone camera I am posting many of these artsy filtered images…I hope you enjoy them. I gave each of the special photos a name so you can order them from my catalog. ..Ok I have no catalog..but it sounded good.
I purchased a lens kit for the Galaxy S5. It cost $50. That included a new hard case, 4 interchangeable lenses (Telephoto, Wide Angle, Fish Eye and Macro) and a tripod. I was surprised to learn that there are alternate lenses available for a Smartphone Camera.
Galaxy S5 with tripod and telephoto.
The kit arrived the day before my trip so I didn’t have an opportunity to test it. Nothing like a trial under fire.
I am posting my photos larger than I normally would in a trip report so you can better see the quality this phone camera produces. Hopefully your reaction is “Wow…you really did that with your phone?”. Even though they are big, they won’t be anywhere near full size. The originals are 5312 X 2988 Pixels and run between 2 and 3 MB. So, if anyone wants an original to create a unique, colorful, blurry, poster-sized family heirloom, just shoot me a PM
I will note any effect or special lens or camera setting I used and also explain how to download, install and use effects, camera modes, features and the add on lenses. Some of this will be in detail, but I’ll put it in italics or a notes section so you skip it if you have no interest in learning about the Galaxy S5.
Cantor Banter
Some of our trip plan centered on a deposit bonus deal from Cantor Gaming that appeared exploitable. Cantor provides the Sport Book at many Las Vegas casinos. They have a sports betting Smartphone app available for Android or iPhone. I noticed some references to a $25 Deposit Bonus if you signed up for the Betting App, but the details were sketchy. Supposedly you could use the bonus at any or all of the Cantor Vegas sports betting facilities (M, Silverton, Hard Rock, Palms, Cosmo, Venetian and Tropicana)
A quick trip in November with Mrs. AlanLeroy suggested the bonus might require a $100 deposit and it was unclear how much of that had to be risked to get the bonus. So Newbie and I planned our 5 day trip under the assumption that we would visit each of these Sportsbooks Twice…..Once to sign up and bet and once to collect. The deposits needed to be in line with our meager bank rolls. Based on the $100 deposit, we limited ourselves to 2 bets in play at one time. We bet on events that would resolve that day/night so we could collect our winners and deposits before placing the next bets.
This was an outstanding deal…. if you like free money, but it wasn’t exactly as we expected. It was better. I’ll explain how it all works as part of the report.
Coupon Runs Galore
We contribute equally to our communal Gambling Wallet and make all of our matchplays and special gambling plays using communal funds. We’re gambling commies. The last night we split our winnings and go to PG (Personal Gaming). This trip would be no exception. Expecting effing Robin to be with us, we had a shed load of matchplays and free slot plays to use and abuse. We also had many Groupons and other coupon savings. We planned 42 casino visits.. made it to 36.
The Great Lucky Hat Give Away
Mrs AlanLeroy keeps insisting that I reduce the size of my Lucky Hat Collection. I got a dozen cheap imitation Santa Stuck in Chimney Hats for 15 bucks a couple of years back. I’m always looking to sell one of these puppies at a great profit or to give it away to someone worthy. I had three of these Santa Hats and two Lucky Lighted Christmas Turkey Hats to sell or give away this trip. That’s in addition to any original true lucky hat I carried. I always think I can convince the Newbie or effing Robin to wear one, but that never happens.
12/17/14
It was a dark and stormy day.
“Casa De Newbie en Blanco y Negro ”
Gotham Noir Effect
Mrs AlanLeroy delivered the Newbie and I to FAT (Fresno Air Terminal) at 1:00 PM…
“FAT Sequoiadendron giganteum”
We quickly made it through the TSA checkpoint. It was quick because I didn’t have to lug around those bulky boarding passes. Before leaving for the airport I installed the Allegiant Air App on my Galaxy and simply waved it at the friendly TSA agent.
At the gate I decided to try out my new telephoto lens and discovered that the lens is unusable unless on the tripod. You just can’t keep it steady enough otherwise. No problem. I sat on the floor next to a west facing window, set up my tripod and began to lomograph. I still couldn’t get non fuzzy pictures with the long lens because the very act of pressing the screen or a shutter button caused the camera to move slightly. Then I found the ultimate solution. I activated the Camera Voice Command. Then, I just sat there on the floor setting up my shots and yelling ‘SHOOT’ or ‘CHEESE’ or ‘SMILE’ to my phone whenever I wanted to snap a picture. The Newbie pretended he didn’t know me.
“FAT T”
“FAT TT”
FAT Tower with Telephoto Lens
“FAT T SNIPER”
Night Vision Effect with Telephoto Lens
“FAT 4”
Reflection Effect with Telephoto Lens
The flight was uneventful.
“High Flyn’”
Cartoon Effect
Landed right on time, collected our bags and hopped on the shuttle to the McCarran Rental Car Facility. Used the Galaxy to check my business E-Mail…which I did throughout the trip. I can also turn the Galaxy into a Wi-Fi hot spot and share the network with the notebook computer I carry. That was never necessary this trip.
I used the Alamo ‘bypass the counter’ feature so we headed right out to the cars. I asked the lot attendant if there was any way we could get a complementary upgrade from our compact while fumbling through my wallet for a $5.00 bill. “What do you want? “ he queried. “Oh…BMW or Lincoln or something like that”. Upgraded to a Black Mustang Convertible. Score!
Silverton
Ten minutes later we pulled into the Silverton Parking Lot.
“Another Fish on the wall”
“Fish Eye Fish”
Fish Eye Effect
“Comic Fish 1”
Cartoon Effect
“Comic Fish 2”
Cartoon Effect
Under a tight schedule. The goal was to enjoy the Silverton Twin Creeks Happy Hour, The Hard Rock Pink Taco Happy Hour and hit Cantor Gaming at both casinos for our first two deposit bonus bets. We also wanted to check in at Planet Hollywood by 7:30 PM because we had a show there at 9:00 PM. It was 5:00 PM
Happy Hour
The Twin Creeks Happy Hour is Fantastic. This was my first visit. It may be one of the best in Vegas. Every menu item was half price and so were some beers. We shared Stuffed Mushrooms (Mushroom caps stuffed with andouille sausage, parmesan and horseradish, cheddar cheese & fresh herbs), Prime Rib Sliders (toasted brioche & cheese sauce) and the best ever Daily Special Tenderloin Meatballs. Yep… Tenderloin Meatballs. We each enjoyed a ½ Price Newcastle as well. Do note that they take the happy hour literally. It is only 1 hour from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
https://www.silvertoncasino.com/resourcefiles/pdf/twin-creeks-happy-hour-menu.pdf
Tenerloin Meatball
Stuffed Mushrooms
NOTE: (Happy Hour Specials - Wednesday through Sunday for 50% Off Happy Hour. Wednesday - Saturday 5pm - 6pm and 9pm - 10pm; Sunday 4pm - 5pm and 8pm - 9pm (Small Plates, Select Cocktails, House Wine, Beer).
Cantor 1
The Newbie signed up for a player’s card and over to the Sportsbook to find out what the hell this deposit bonus was all about. There is actually a separate window for Cantor Mobile App Sign Ups. Every Casino had one and they were always staffed. Cantor is obviously very serious about the mobile gaming business.
Some guy was in the process of signing up when we got there so I listened in as Supervisor Linda explained how it worked. She said you had to deposit $50 and they immediately add $25. You are required to bet at least $50. So, for example, if you bet $50 and lose, you can still cash out the remaining $25. If you won, you’d get back the $50 you bet, plus the winnings plus get your remaining $25 deposit back. What a Great deal. Unfortunately, the sign up process is slow. There is paperwork to fill out. It took about 15 minutes.
When it was our turn to sign up, Linda went on break and Stevie helped us. He explained the deal differently. He claimed you deposit $50 and he immediately adds your $25 deposit bonus and you can bet $25 and get $50 back if you lose. Hmmmm. An even better deal….No risk at all! My sign up went fast. I had already downloaded the Cantor App directly from Cantor. By the time the Newbie filled out his paperwork, I had already placed my $25 bet. This App is easy to use. You select which of the Cantor Locations to use (There are all completely separate). Enter your userid (Player’s card #) and password and you’re in. You’ll see your deposit in the Virtual Wallet and you can move money from the Wallet to your bets. You can bet on the most common betting events like NBA & NFL & NHL.
The Newbie has an i-Phone. He only uses it for phone and text and camera. He has no i-Tunes account which apparently is needed to download from the Apple Store. He kept dicking around with it…couldn’t install…couldn’t’ set up account, bad address…Wasting time…wasting time. Finally I asked Stevie to help..…He pulled out a tablet for the Newbie. That’s all you need! You don’t really need the App or a Smartphone either. The Newbie was never able to set up his i-Tunes account and download the App. That didn’t matter. All of the Cantor Books had Tablets available. We bet on obscure NBA games that were played later that night. We had no idea what we were doing when it came to actually predicting the scores. We went with which team had the cooler name.
Planet Hollywood
It was now 7:00 PM. We missed the Pink Taco Happy Hour. Decided to forgo Hard Rock and catch the Cantor bet there later in the trip. It was on to the first Destination Resort: Planet Hollywood. Here’s another great application for the Galaxy S5. Wanted to go up Las Vegas Blvd. from Silverton so we could stop somewhere to pick up a case of water. Also wanted to wind through the Airport and come out on Paradise so we approach Planet Hollywood via Harmen from the South and East….like we were coming from Hard Rock. I said “OK GOOGLE” to my phone. And then “Navigate To Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas”. Google Maps routed us to Hard Rock by going South on I15. I simply drove over the freeway to Las Vegas Blvd and we were rerouted through the Airport to Paradise. Each turn is announced by the nice Google lady well in advance and the map is easy to see and follow with big turn indicators. It’s a great navigation aid and with voice commands so easy to use.
Made it to P HO at 7:30. Thanks so much to Linda2244 for your kind contribution to our trip. She gave us her ‘Friends and Family’ coupon, so our stay at Planet Hollywood was free (Except for the $25 a night resort fee). Check-in was smooth. I asked the nice clerk Fred if it would be possible to get a complementary upgrade….to the Presidential Suite. He said that was not possible, but we could have a nice Strip View Room. Score! It was not any old Strip View Room. It was the Alec Baldwin room. The room was adorned with all kinds of Alec Baldwin memorabilia, including signed posters from his classic Broadway role as Stanley in Streetcar Named Desire. Why next to Marlin Brando and Ned Flander’s that must be the best ever rendition…but I digress.
Miracle Mile
Next stop: the Las Vegas Live Comedy Show there at the V Theater in the Miracle Mile Shops. I paid $12.00 for 2 tickets on a Vegas 4 Locals E-Bay auction. You’re required to exchange vouchers for tickets 1 hour before Showtime. We barely made it. The ticket clerk, Patty suggested we consider upgrading our tickets for $20. That way we could get reserved front row seating and we wouldn’t have to wait in any oppressive lines. We declined the upgrade because it just didn’t make sense to spend more on the upgrade than we spent for the tickets. A word of advice..always decline this upgrade. There were no oppressive lines. There were only 4 rows. There were less than 20 people attending.
We walked around the Miracle Mile a bit. What a Miracle.
“Zoltar In The Box”
Oil Pastel Effect
“Arabian Village”
Oil Pastel Effect
“Full Spectrum Newbie” (TNC)
Infrared Effect
“Kush Mon”
Oil Pastel Effect
“Electric Zippo Newbie” (TNC)
Florescent Effect
Kush Thing
“Lonely Stripper”
Cartoon Effect
Effing Robin and I always have a photography contest. We have various categories and assign point values to the shots. I won the contest this year…my award winning shots are peppered throughout.
Hidden areas of Casinos: 200 Points.
“Employees Only”
“Behind the Door”
Score: AlanLeroy 200. Effing Robin 0
“V360”
360 Mode (You start the shot and then slowly turn in a full circle. Captures a 360 degree shot)
It’s Showtime!
“Show Fisheye w/Finger”
Fisheye Lens
“Double Fisheye”
Fisheye Effect and Fisheye Lens
Unfortunately, that night there were three below average comedians. All of them attacked the crowd for not laughing more….like we didn’t get their jokes. Oh we got them. It’s just they weren’t funny….Ok? I know my bit would have been funnier and that gives me confidence because these yahoos were being paid for that crap….and I know never to attack the crowd unless you’re Don Rickles. You need the crowd on your side.
I’m reading over this and think I’m being too critical of these comedians. Maybe we were a bad crowd. The place was less than a quarter full. Many were drunk and falling asleep. My comedy bit is only 7 minutes long. Each of these guys went 20 – 30 minutes. I am convinced you do need audience participation though…that’s why I’m going to start my bit by making everyone stand up and flip me off in anticipation that I won’t really be funny. Just to get it out of their systems.
“V Negative”
Negative Effect
Cabo Wabo
Headed up to the entrance of Miracle Mile and entered the home of the Red Rocker…Sammy Haggar’s Cabo Wabo. We had a Groupon for $30 and went with the appetizer plate and a couple of brews. Oh crap. I forgot the damn Groupon in the room. Our waitress, Maria asked “Do you have Smartphone? You show us Groupon in Groupon App and we scan that”. Do I have a Smartphone? Ha Ha! Another score!
The food was only fair and overpriced. It would have been a rip off if not for the Groupon. After eating, we went out on the Patio. It’s a great location that overlooks the strip. I set up my tripod and put the Galaxy S5 Camera into a new mode: Animation. Animation mode creates a looping Gif. It’s a great effect. This shot was crowds of people crossing Las Vegas Blvd…and then walking backwards and crossing again. Only problem is these GIFs are huge…30+ MB..
After Cabo, we took a quick tour of the Casino. My phone was still in animation mode so I took another Animation shot …one that’s even better than people continuously walking across Las Vegas Blvd. Thanks to the poster TsuDoNihm over at LVADVICE.com who was able to crop my GIF into its very essence. I am now able to Crop my own GIFs. Without further ado…I give you my GIF Masterpiece…”Swinging Butt”
Swinging Butt.
Animation Mode
Here have few more…they’re free:
Package Deal
Somehow it got to be 1:00 AM. We made our way to the elevators. There was a talkative lady waiting for an elevator too. We all got on the same one. She pressed 8. The Newbie pressed 20. Funny that when we got to the 8th floor the lady didn’t get off. She rode with us to 20 and got out with us. Then she asked if she could check out our view and use our bathroom. I thought that was odd. She was a space invader too….one of those people who stand 2 inches from you. Next thing I know, she reached out and rubbed my package. That’s right. She rubbed my package…right there in the hallway at Planet Hollywood.
I immediately took a step back, Held out my hand in the Universal Stop Sign and said ‘Whoa’. I was thinking “What a rude thoughtless little pig”, but that might have been the Alec Baldwin room talking. She took a step back and said “I thought you liked me”. For the rest of the trip, The Newbie mocked me with that line in a high pitched voice. I responded the only way I could in that situation: “I’ll give you three dollars if you let me take your picture”.
She quickly agreed. Newbie was frantically trying to open the door…I’m sure he was going to lock me out. I handed over three dollars and she promptly pulled down her shorts, mooned me with her substantial booty and started to walk away. I was trying to get my camera started up and was yelling “Wait you said I could take your picture!”. I managed to snap one as she turned and said “That will cost you $20”
Damn. My first night in Vegas and I’ve already been ripped off by a Hooker.
End of Part 1.
NOTE: I walked 12,543 steps today. (According to my Samsung S-Health Pedometer)
12/18/14--Thursday
We do a lot of planning for these trips. Every key activity is entered an Excel Spreadsheet. There are columns for matchplay or slot play value, other coupons and also a Color coded Drunk Status column. We never make it to all of our planned destinations...but that’s ok. We constantly adjust the plan as we decide parts are overly optimistic, unrealistic or impossible.
It was important to hit the road early….We should be at our first stop, Hooters right at 8:00 AM. We were already behind after missing Hard Rock on Wednesday. Unfortunately, we were not early. One day I’ll realize that ‘early’ on the first Vegas morning is not possible. I tried to get the Noob to move faster, but he’d only say in a high pitch voice “I thought you liked me”. Made it to Palms at 10:00 AM (Missed Hooters, Tropicana and Orleans).
Remember when Palms was new and they were doing the Real World and Celebrities and Athletes would hang out there? Hard to believe that was only 15 years ago. The demographic has changed from the beautiful people to coupon clipping tight wad grey beards….the cheap ugly people. Like us. We both Enjoyed the Palms Bistro Buffet Breakfast…and it’s a real bargain. With LVA ½ off coupon it ended up being about $6.00 each. Good coffee. Custom Omelets. Fruit. Juices. Pastries, and unlimited bacon, and unlimited bacon.
We took advantage of a couple of Matchplay Opportunities and worked our way back to the Sportsbook. Like the Silverton (and in fact all Cantor Books) there was a separate Mobile App sign up window. At Palms, the deal was deposit $25, get $25 immediately. You must bet $50 (can be any combination of bets totaling $50). The signups went smoothly, but Newbie was still technically challenged with his iPhone. He finally borrowed a tablet and we were gone in 60 seconds..
“Palms of Hearts”
Symmetry Effect
We had a quick stop on Fremont Street. The Golden Gate has a deal where you show your Allegiant Boarding Pass and get a $50 MatchPlay. Luckily I had actually printed those bulky boarding passes so we lugged them Downtown. The deal is only available once per person so you can’t do it every trip and you must collect your Matchplay within 24 hours of landing. They gave us two $25 Matchplay Chips/I stashed them in the Gambling Wallet for later use.
“Golden Gate Gate”
Symmetry Effect
Motored the black ragtop back down I15 to Silverton to cash out our Cantor deposit bonus. Both of our $25 bets were losers. I was a little concerned when I noticed that Supervisor Linda was staffing the Mobile App window. She’s the one who told the guy in front of us that you had to bet $50 not $25.
Since we didn’t bet $50 Linda would not let us cash out our deposit bonus and was unyielding. I tried every trick in the book from sweet talking to sympathy to semi-irate. I was upset…not over the money… I wouldn’t have minded betting $50 (which we would have lost). I was upset because it was going to require an unplanned third visit to Silverton to collect our deposit bonus….Also, Stevie steered us wrong….and Linda was kind of implying that we were lying ignorant assholes. That’s hard to argue with. We both just bet another $25 each and moved on.
“Silver Crap in Shades of Grey”
Moody Effect
Important note: The Cantor deposit required varied between casinos…it was either $25 or $50. In all cases we were required to bet $50 to be able to cash out the deposit bonus. It’s a fantastic deal. I will have a separate Cantor Banter Tips and Tricks section at the end to summarize this advantage play.
Our final stop before returning to our home Planet was The Tropicana. Here, we had the Cantor Signup and a $10 Matchplay from Vegas Rovers. They gave each of us 2 Free Drink coupons for betting $50 and because their printer was slow and because we asked…twice.
The drink tickets could only be used at The Lounge Bar. I ordered up a Bombay Sapphire Martini. The bartender claimed he could only give us what came out of the gun which was Gordons or Seagrams or some other toxic chemical with a slight hint of nozzle crud. I convinced him we were worthy of at least Tanqueray. It was served in plastic cups because they had no running water for three weeks. Classy. We each enjoyed an OK Martini before that short drive back P Ho. The Newbie took two extra Martinis to go. I made him chug them in the parking lot. I’ve got two words for the Trop… Folies Bergere.
After a brief pit stop in the room, we set out walking down LV Blvd to The LINQ Hotel and Casino.
“Green Paris”
Nightvision Effect
We had tickets to the Jeff Civicillico show at LINQ. Jeff is one heck of a juggler.
“Jeff Mounting”
In fact, he’s the best juggler I’ve ever seen. His show is funny. He’s very talented and entertaining. I can’t fully endorse it because of the rugrat infestation.. …but I must still recommend. We got our pair of tickets for $15.00 at a Vegas 4 Locals E-Bay auction.
We strolled through the LINQ Hotel and Casino to the LINQ Mall and used our Vegas Rovers cards to get a discount admission and free drink at the High Roller. It was about 5:00 PM and a perfect time for the ride. After you’re admitted past the ticket counter you walk up some stairs to the bar. We each received one free drink apiece courtesy Vegas Rovers. I had some froo froo sweet drink. Newbie had a beer. We continued on (drink in hand) to the platform where we were loaded onto our designated Pod. We then became Pod People…..Or Poddies.
The ride takes half an hour. I really enjoyed the High Roller. It was relaxing with an interesting view/perspective of the town. The 360 degreed windowed pod cabin provided a lot of opportunities for photography. Our pod only had 10 people in it. I could live in one of those pods if it had plumbing.
Pod
“Electric Pod”
Florescent Effect
“Illustrated Harrahs”
Oil Pastel Effect
“4 way wheel”
Reflections Effect
“Full Spectrum Venetian”
Infrared Effect
Notes on Vegas Rovers Card: Every Rovers Matchplay or discount we used was a little hassle. I expected they would just swipe my card with some kind of…you know…card swiping machine, but instead your information is manually recorded in a log book. Often the ticket clerk or player’s club clerk had never seen the Rovers card and had no clue what to do with it. The savings and especially the $25 D & Golden Gate Matchplays were excellent plays…. since we only spent $10.00 for the card. The delays at every club or ticket counters burnt a lot of Vegas time though. Oh…and I know it’s Rover not Rover(s), but I call them Rovers because it has a better ring to it.
Dinner was the outstanding Happy Hour at Brooklyn Bowl at the LINQ Mall.
“Brooklyn Bowl”
Brooklyn bowl is a combination Restaurant/Bar/Bowling Alley and Concert Venue. From 5:00 – 7:00 M-F drinks and appetizers are ½ off of already reasonable prices.
Since there was an NFL game in progress, we got an even better deal….their excellent Fried Chicken Wings at $1.00 and $2.00 Sliders…and ½ price beers. Many beers.
“Carnival Knockdown Punks”
There was a private party in the Bar/Lounge where the Happy Hour is usually located so we were seated in the Restaurant. I can’t say enough about the Wings. Fried Chicken is this Joint’s specialty…and their Fried Wings were spectacular….I bet the Breasts were too. We ate them so fast; I forgot to take pictures of them. Many beers too.
After a fine happy meal of Fried Chicken Wings and Sliders, we continued walking North on the strip to the Venetian. We were making our way to the Sportsbook for the Cantor Sign Up. I heard a little commotion and happened upon a big Wheel of Fortune jackpot. Security was just roping off the area and the lucky winner was standing there dazed talking to a casino rep. I told him “Congratulations Uncle Bob”.
“Big Wheel”
“Of Fortune”
I took several Pictures and sent them to effin’ Robin with no explanation. He would send me text messages for the next day trying to determine if I hit that jackpot. I ignored them.
When we got to the Venetian Sportsbook, Newbie refused to sign up for the Deposit Bonus. He was mad at his iPhone and just wanted to sit in the nice chairs. I went ahead and made my Deposit. Since I was no longer tethered to the betting window, I decided to bet later using the App…whenever and where ever I felt lucky.
I can see why Cantor wants to get people signed up for the app. The Gambler can bet at his leisure…like while drunk at the pool or drunk and on tilt or drunk and in jail (Well maybe not there). Cantor can book a lot of new action from betters who can’t visit or won’t hang out at the Sportsbook. Cantor doesn’t have to pay anyone to actually take the bets, although they have other expenses like sign-up and cash-outs.
Bridal: 50 Points
“Happy Bride with Baldie”
AlanLeroy 250 Effin Robin 0
Moody Giant Plastic Christmas Tree
Moody Effect
We crossed LV Blvd to the Mirage. Although this is Newbie’s third visit to the Mirage, he still hasn’t seen the Volcano go off. It didn’t happen for him tonight either. Tonight’s show was “The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil”. We had good seats via the Winter of Cirque deal for the 9:30 performance. It’s my favorite Cirque Show. Those Beatles tunes set off some memory endorphin secretion or earworm activation or something. “All you need is love, love. Love is all you need”. Yes, we need air and food and booze too, but Love is right up there..
When the show ended we hiked back to Hollywood on the Strip. Man I was tired and it was only 12:30 AM.. My feet were sore. It's been a hard day's night. That buzz you’re hearing is
Effin Robin’s Text Message…asking me again if I won the big Jackpot. I ignored it and dozed off to sleep.
Walked 22,543 Steps Today (Our longest walk)
12/19/14 Friday
We checked out of Planet Hollywood. It was a good stay and a great value considering it was only the resort fee. Thanks again Linda2244. A beautiful crisp December morning. I powered the Black Mustang Convertible over to the Orleans where we enjoyed the French Market Breakfast Buffet. Ooh la la. We were able to use a 5 year old Vegas Perks 2 4 1 coupon…..so it was another fabulous deal at $4.50 each. We had Custom Omelets, Fruit, Coffee, Juice and a wide variety of other breakfast choices including unlimited bacon. We also played all of the ACG and MRB Matchplays and Free Slot Plays.
“Orleans Orleans”
Symmetry Effect
It was such a beautiful December Morning we put the top down for our short drive to Silverton. Ok. That was stupid. You know, it’s a lot colder in a convertible when you’re moving down the highway compared to sitting in the parking lot. I guess we thought we’d be cool…and we were right.
We both won our $25 dollar bets and were finally able to cash out. It ended up better that we bet it wrong to start because we certainly would have lost the whole $50 on day 1.
“Silverton Fishy Face”
Animation Mode…GIF. This was another massive GIF file, that I was able to crop. I used Easy Gif Animator. I’m going to name the fish.
Next stop: the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to place our Fourth Cantor Bets. $50 Deposit here. The Hard Rock was home to the Colorado State Rams who were playing Saturday in the 2014 Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl. The Rams were playing a formidable opponent in the Utah Utes of the Pacific 10 Conference. We met many fans from Both Colorado State and Utah over the course of our trip.
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“Electric Newbie Guitar”
Infrared Effect
“The Illustrated Prince”
Oil Pastel Effect
“Cash Bubbles”
Blue Effect
The final stop for the Black Mustang Convertible: Downtown… The D….where we would spend the weekend. Check in at The D was smooth. I requested a complementary room upgrade. We got a nice Fremont Street View. The room was clean and comfortable. I flipped on the TV and caught a repeating infomercial Starring Derek Stevens…Owner of The D. Derek welcomed us to the D and told us how awesome The D was…a few minutes later he called us with an important recorded welcoming message. How thoughtful.
We intended to hit four happy hours for dinner…splitting one or two appetizers at each. On our way to the Fremont Street exit, who should I see but Derek Stevens…Himself. He was wearing a bright orange blazer, smoking a cigarette down to the nub and directing a photo crew that was with him. I was sporting my Santa Stuck in Chimney Lucky Hat.
Luckiest of Lucky Hats (Stock Footage)
Derek pointed at my head as if to say “Cool Hat Bro”. I pointed right back at him…as if to say “I wish I had a bright orange blazer”.
Happy Hour number 1 was Four Queens Chicago Brewery for their outstanding ½ Price on Appetizers + Discount Beer Happy Hour (M-F 3-5).
https://www.fourqueens.com/pdf/chicago_brew_menu.pdf
We had had the excellent Filet Mignon Sliders and an order of Michigan Avenue Garlic Knots. The sliders were bigger than expected, topped with mushrooms and grilled onions and had a side of au jus for dipping (4.95 for 3 at half off). Garlic Knots were the equivalent of a loaf of garlic bread with about 8 large separate garlic knots. The knots were glazed with parmesan garlic butter sauce and there was a side of marinara for dipping. I loved the Garlic Knots. Newbie thought they were buttery grease bombs….as if that’s some kind of negative.
To top it off we shared a pitcher of their Black Widow Stout. That was a lot of food and beverage. The 64 ounces of stout was like a meal by itself. So much for the night of 4 Happy Hours. We spent some time on Fremont at the Big Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl Pep Rally. Colorado had the edge in crowd support.
We walked to the back of the Golden Nugget to catch a Cab to the Venetian.
Hidden areas of Casinos: 200 Points.
“Employees Party”. It’s just a suggestion
“Party Raffle!” I was going to write AlanLeroy as the 6:00 PM winner, but Newbie didn’t like that idea.
Alan Leroy 450 Effin Robin 0
After an uneventful cab ride, we entered the Venetian…again. Since Newbie didn’t throw down his Cantor Bet at Venetian yesterday, he signed up and did that now. I placed my bet while waiting for the Newbie to sign up. We had acquired some inside information at the Pep Rally that Colorado State was a lock to cover.
We had tickets (Vegas 4 Locals E-Bay Auction) for an Exhibition at Venetian: The Da Vinchi Experience. The Da Vinchi Experience chronicles the inventions and art of Leonardo Da Vinchi 1452 –1519. Da Vinchi was a prolific inventor, mathematician, musician, writer, philosopher, scientist, sculptor, map maker and more. A regular Renaissance Man. He is considered one of the greatest painters ever and a diversely talented genius who was clearly ahead of his time. He may have been a time traveler stuck in the 16 century.
The Experience was divided into three sections. Section one chronicled Leonardo’s art and along with it, his life. It included many full sized reproductions of his paintings including The Last Supper Mural. Section two was a collection of about 50 ‘working’ prototypes of Da Vinci inventions. Section three was short video and tutorial on the mathematics of The Golden Triangle, something used throughout Leonardo’s work.
Exposed Boob 200 Points
“Madonna Litta” C 1490. Housed at The Hermitage St. Petersburg Russia.
AlanLeroy 650 Effin Robin 0
“John the Baptist” c 1516. Probably Leonardo’s last work. Housed at the Louvre, Paris France
“J. The B. Aura”
Thermal Effect
“Essential J”
Infrared Effect
The invention prototypes. Everything from double hulled ships to pulley systems and screw jacks….Machines of Flight, Submarines, War Machines.
The prototypes were most interesting from a “How did he invent that” standpoint, the actual workings of them were more geared toward children…so we did not play with every device…not every. We spent about an hour in the Exhibit.
“Sistine”. Of course Michelangelo was a contemporary of Da Vinci
“Electric Sistine”
Florescent Effect
“Electric Sistine Floor”
Florescent Effect
It was a beautiful night for mid December. We walked south on the strip and then Crossed over to Caesars Palace. All Hail. They had an Ice Rink in front. I had a TITO from my November Trip to cash out
Exposed Boob 200 Points
Negative Couple with Christmas Balls.
Negative Effect
AlanLeroy 850 Effin’ Robin 0
Vibrant Couple with Charistmas BALLS.
Infrared Effect
We continued Sourth on Las Vegas Blvd to the Bellagio. There’s just nothing like the Conservatory of the Bellagio at Christmas. Except of course the Conservatory of the Bellagio last Christmas.
“CT”
“Christmas Tree Hue “
Infrared Effect
“Happy Bear”
“White Tree”
Illustrated WhiteTree
Pastel/Oil Effect
“White Tree Close”
“Plant Power Poinsettias”
Illustrated Effect
“Conservatory 360”
360 Mode
“Global Snow”
Infrared Effect
“Paris in the dark in black and white at night”.
Gotham Effect
“Fountain”
We had planned to walk to Ellis Island and Tuscany but those places seemed as far away as New York and Italy. Cabbed it back to The D.
We spend about an hour at the Vue Bar drinking Bombay Sapphire Martinis and milking quarter Video Poker..
“Vue Bar Flairing”
Downstairs for a couple of American Coney Island Chili Dog (24 hours). Bombay Sapphire Martinis …Coney Chili Cheese Dogs….Mmmmm. Breakfast of Champions.
American Coney Island at the D
Overall a good day couple of days. We were a little ahead in the gambling wallet, some good food and shows and booze….and I hadn’t been ripped off by a hooker in days. That was about to change.
End of Part 2
I walked 18934 steps today.
