Now, I have never been to a casino before, but I've had a certain curiosity about them ever since they were built about 20 years ago, so when the opportunity arose, I went. It came about like this. The group of priests that serve our parish also serve 3 other parishes in north Mississippi, and about five years ago, they built a new church in the casino area. A friend of mine wanted to see the church, so she suggested we go to the vigil Mass there and then go eat at the buffet at the casino, so off we went.
I'm a bit disappointed in the lack of glitz at the casino we chose. I'm wondering why the name, Sam's Town isn't on the front of the building and I'm thinking maybe they are remodeling or something. The other casinos were much fancier. Basically, what we have here is miles and miles of empty fields with casinos plunked down in the middle of them near the river. It's very odd.
So, Mass is always good, and the company was good, and the food was good enough. I wanted to go into the casino itself just to see what it was like, and I have to say that had Dante been with me, he would have gone home and burnt the Inferno and been ashamed that he did such a sorry job of envisioning Hell. I've decided for sure that if I decide to acquire a new addiction, I'm going to pick something quiet and solitary like drinking.
When Bill's father visited Memphis for the first time, he wanted to see the Mississippi. We drove down to the river, and got out of the car, and walked a bit down to the river. He took one look at the river and said, "Well, I've seen it," turned around, and walked back to the car. That's about how I feel about the casino.
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My birthday was in November, but as you can see, that pole is pretty high, and we had to wait until a friend with a tall ladder could come help Bill put it up (help = do the entire job himself). He is also much younger than we are and more adept at climbing tall ladders with large, heavy items.
There had been another birdhouse like this one (This is a purple martin house.) on top of that pole before we owned the house, but by the time we got here only the front and sides were left, and I have always wanted to get a new one. This one was made by the son of a friend in what used to be my homeschool support group. I don't know if there will ever be any birds in it--there certainly won't be any this year--but I am happy just to look at it.
This is a purple martin. I've never seen one in my yard, but I see them occasionally in the hedgerows when I'm driving around.
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And speaking of birthday presents, here is something that you just might like to get for your birthday.
Now, I don't know about y'all, but I can't think of anything nicer than lying down at night and snuggling up to something that shoots light into your eyeball all night long. It's almost like . . . well . . . sleeping in a casino! It says, "As seen on TV" on the box, so maybe you have all seen them before, but we don't watch TV for some reason.
AMDG
Whoa, I hate casinos. We used to eat in them when we drove across Nevada from Salt Lake, which we did about four times, all told, in the eight years we lived there. I think it's the peculiar quality of the suspension of time inside them -- once you're in there, it could be midnight, it could be noon, who knows and who cares -- that makes them seem like Hell. It's what the bad kind of eternity would feel like.
ReplyDeleteI love the purple martin house. Actually, what it reminds me of is your directions to your house, from my old house in Memphis, with the gourd/martin-houses as the main landmark to tell me where to turn. Now you *have* just such a landmark, even though it's not a gourd.
It was all those hundreds of glaring machines with zombie-like people just sitting there pushing a button over and over and over.
ReplyDeleteI do have the landmark, however, unless one is arriving by helicopter, it won't be visible until you've already arrived and by then it's too late. And even if you are coming by helicopter, you probably won't be able to see it for the trees.
I have a box full of history magazines sitting in my bedroom waiting for you. I you come to Memphis later in the summer and don't get them, it will destroy my whole life, so I hope you do come get them.
AMDG
We're planning to come, though I'm not sure when. A lot depends on Ada's schedule, which is still up in the air -- she either is or is not working the UD summer program in July. We hope she is, and that we can either put her on a bus in Memphis at the start of the month, or meet her at the bus in Memphis at the end.
ReplyDeleteVery funny, Janet.
ReplyDeleteI did once go to a "gambling place" where people were playing roulette and blackjack and so on. I don't remember any slot machines, and it wasn't a proper casino anyway -- just one mid-sized room in a mall, I think. Gambling has no attraction for me, thank God.
I do a fair bit of travel for work, and I am dreading the day I have to go to a conference in Las Vegas.
As for that pillow, I've not seen it before, but I think it might actually be good for kids, as an alternative to a nightlight. I could see my daughter snuggling up to it and being quite content.
Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWell, there are toys like this one that have a glowing face, but they don't go right under the kid's eyes. That seems a bit much to me.
AMDG