$6 for $5 BLACKJACK

THERE HAS BEEN A TREND IN NEVADA SINCE THE LATE 1990’S TO PAY $6 FOR $5 ON SINGLE DECK BLACKJACK. 

 IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT THE PLAYERS ODDS ARE SLIGHTLY BETTER IN A SINGLE DECK GAME OF BLACKJACK THAN USING SEVERAL DECKS IN A SHOE.
SINGLE DECK BLACKJACK IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT LURED GAMBLERS TO PLACES LIKE LAUGHLIN AND WENDOVER IN THE EARLY DAYS.  AS CORPORATIONS TOOK OVER THE GAMING INDUSTRY, CORPORATIONS REMOVED THE SINGLE DECK GAMES TO INCREASE PROFITABILITY.

IN A NORMAL GAME,  BLACKJACK PAYS 3:2.  THAT MEANS IF YOU BET $10 AND GET A BLACKJACK THE PAYOFF IS $15.  IN A $6 FOR $5 BLACKJACK GAME, A $10 BLACKJACK ONLY PAYS $12.

IN A MULTI-DECK GAME OF BLACKJACK THE CASINO HAS A 1.5 % ADVANTAGE OVER THE PLAYER.  THAT MEANS THAT FOR EVERY $100 WAGERED ON A BLACKJACK GAME THE CASINO MAKES $1.50.  IN THE $6 FOR $5 GAME THE CASINO ADVANTAGE JUMPS UP TO 2.9%.  THE CASINO WINS $1.40 MORE OFF OF EVERY $100 BET.  THAT INCREASE IS HUGE !!!

IN THE LATE 1990’S THE BIG CORPORATIONS RE-INTRODUCED SINGLE DECK BLACKJACK AS A BIG DRAW TO GAMBLERS, BUT ONLY PAID BLACKJACK AT 6:5.  WHAT A DEAL?

MY ADVICE AS A BLACKJACK DEALER, NEVER PLAY BLACKJACK AT A GAME WHERE BLACKJACK PAYS EVEN MONEY, LIKE “SUPER FUN 21” OR “BLACKJACK SWITCH”, AND NEVER PLAY BLACKJACK WHERE BLACKJACK PAYS $6 FOR $5.

THESE CASINOS ARE ALL ABOUT THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR AND IF NO ONE PLAYS BLACKJACK AT 6:5 THEY WILL RETURN TO REGULAR BLACKJACK AT 3:2 .

Gooseberries

When I was a kid I got to go gooseberry picking with my Mother and her friend Margaret.  They always wore long pants, and long sleeved shirts with pockets.  The pockets held their cigarettes.  Neither of them smoked, but they puffed on cigarettes while berry picking to create huge smoke clouds around themselves the  mosquitoes didn't bother them.  Now I wonder if the smoke made their eyes tear up? I  didn’t pick many berries, but I did find old, old tombstones and a lot of junk people ditched in the ditches.


That is the image came to me when Bobby Flay said tomatillos were in the same family as gooseberries.  I was shocked anyone had actually heard of gooseberries.  So of course, I have to try this recipe!!  The recipe is shrimp  coctail with tomatillo-horseradish sauce.

This is the tomatillo-horseradish sauce ingredients in the food processor.

Guess I still had Valentine's Day on my mind!!


If anyone is interested in this recipe go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/ and search for shrimp coctail with tomatillo-horseradish sauce by Bobby Flay.


It wasn't as hot as I thought it would be.  Also the shrimp were not as flavorful as they should have been considering what it was boiled in.  I didn't keep the recipe as I won't be making it again.

Annual Michigan Snowmobile Run

This blurry blackberry photo is the reason we went to Michigan this past weekend. That and Sara's birthday, of course. In the center is a two story building that Sara and her partner Jack bought last fall. It has 4 apartments upstairs, a tavern called the Iron Inn and a small retail storefront destined to be a pizza shop. It is in downtown Nagaunee, Michigan................

.......we had the usual great time on Friday as we all arrived and drove around making all our connections, motels, meetings in Neil's big red suburban....

....Friday night we spent at the Iron Inn. The blackberry does not like pictures at night. We went back to the Inn early the next morning to "help them open". We started out with Neil behind the bar..............

.....Jake and Hannah (both bartenders in the past) jumped in and the drinks were flowing..................

....Negaunee is "quaint". That's the politically correct way to say it is depressed since the mining petered out in the 70's, has lots of plywood windows, and looks decayed. This is the bank, now partially occupied by a print shop. The people have a lot of pluck and life goes on there. The bar business is one that always seems to muddle on even in slow times complicated by a recession.........

 
 
....after we successfully "opened" the bar we got the ambition to go snowmobiling. We had hauled 5 sleds, and put them on the ground...........

 
 
....We assembled 8 hardy souls and we were off, with the suburban as a chase car.....

....Neil and I learned this summer on our bike trip that Michigan suffers from a severe shortage of taverns. In Wisconsin, there are bars all over, and the trails are marked with signs and directions. We rode 24 miles before we scored..........

....the sign said we were welcome.......

....but they had no food so we had only a couple drinks (?), ate a whole pan of Kathy's mom's delicious peanut butter/Special K/chocolate bars, and headed back to Negaunee to attend a benefit spaghetti feed put on by the motorcycle club for an accident victims young family at the Eagle's Club next to the Iron Inn. Hundreds attended, like I said, these shabby old mining towns have some pluck. It really felt good.........

....the ride home the next day had Renee, Jake, Laurel, Hannah and I in some beautiful scenery and the roads were great...........

.........the road goes, of course, through Hurley and right past the Munch tavern, famous for it's tacos.......

.....they must be having a problem with under aged in the bar so they put up a new sign in typical Yooper fashion........

.........Jake bought some Munch taco sauce as he was out at home..........

.....but all good trips come to an end and we unloaded the truck and trailer and put the toys all away. Back to work tomorrow, but we can dream of the motorcycle season opener a few short weeks off. Coming through town we got the greatest uplifting news..............

The Dairy Queen re-opened while we were gone!! The surest sign of hope that spring is not far off...........

Uncle Hans

WEATHER AND WHEELS

THE WEATHER HERE IN THE SOUTHWEST HAS BEEN A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS WINTER.  IT'S BEEN WARMER THAN USUAL.  ACTUALLY THE SOUTHWEST HAS HAD THE BEST WEATHER OF ANY OF THE NORMAL SNOWBIRD ROOSTS LIKE FLORIDA AND SOUTH TEXAS.

WINTER STORMS TRACKED DIFFERENTLY THIS YEAR TOO, AND QUARTZEIT, YUMA, AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HAD A LOT MORE RAIN, WIND AND STORMS.  THEN LAST WEEK RIGHT OUT OF THE BLUE IT GOT HOT!!!
SNOWBIRDS GET REALLY ITCHY WHEN THE THERMOMETER HIT 90 PLUS DEGREES IN YUMA AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

THOSE RV'S HAVE WHEELS YOU KNOW, AND SO LOTS OF THEM STARTED HEADING NORTH ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER.  THEN YOU ADD THE PEOPLE FROM OUT EAST WITH CABIN FEVER FROM ALL THE SNOW STORMS AND SUDDENLY OUR MOHAVE VALLEY IS PACKED.

WE HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY AT THE CASINO AND EVEN WORKED A COUPLE OF HOURS OF OVER TIME.  NOW THERE'S A RUMOR GOING AROUND WORK THAT WE WILL BE GOING TO A SIX DAY WORK WEEK.

FROM FAMINE TO FEAST IN JUST 10 DAYS. THE RV SNOWBIRD GROUP HAS WHEELS AND THEY AREN'T AFRAID TO USE THEM.

ARE YOU SICK OF YOUR WEATHER?

SUNNY & 80

HERE WE ARE BACK TO "SUNNY & 80" ENJOYING A COCKTAIL ON THE OUTDOOR PATIO AT JUDY'S IN OATMAN.

BACK TO SHORTS AND T-SHIRTS........

TRAINING

 WE NOTICED WHEN AMY AND DANIEL WERE HERE TO VISIT THAT SUSIE-Q WAS A LITTLE MIFFED BY COMPANY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY SPENT THE NIGHT SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR AND TABLE.

SHE ROAMED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE BEDROOM AND THE LIVING ROOM INSTEAD OF CURLING UP IN MARY’S LEATHER CHAIR FOR A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP.

AFTER THEY LEFT SHE LOST HER INTERNAL MOTOR (PURRRR), FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.  IF SHE WERE A KID I’D SAY SHE’S A FAILER.  HER WHOLE WORLD IS INSIDE THIS LITTLE CAMPER.  SHE LAYS AROUND ALL DAY AND HAS ACCESS TO HER FOOD SILO ANYTIME SHE WANTS.  AMY SAID SHE’S GETTING TOO FAT.  IN FACT SHE’S WORSE THAN A LAZY KID, SHE DOESN’T EVEN TALK ON THE PHONE, USE THE ‘PUTER, OR PLAY VIDEO GAMES.

I KNEW THIS WAS A PROBLEM AND LAST FALL FORCED HER OUTSIDE ON A LEASH.  HER RESPONSE WAS TO HIDE UNDER THE TRAILER.  WHEN I PULLED HER OUT OF THERE, SHE WENT CRAZY AND CLAWED HER WAY UP THE OUTSIDE OF THE SCREEN DOOR DESPERATELY TRYING TO GET BACK INTO HER TRAILER.  DIDN’T DO MUCH FOR MY SCREEN DOOR AND I DECIDED THE HELL WITH IT !!!

WE ADMIT THERE ARE SOME POSITIVE POINTS TO HAVING A WELL BEHAVED INDOOR CAT.  FOR EXAMPLE YOU CAN COME HOME FROM WAL MART AND UNLOAD GROCERIES LEAVING THE DOOR WIDE OPEN WITHOUT WORRYING THAT THE CAT WILL SNEEK OUTSIDE OR ESCAPE.

SUSIE WILL BE A YEAR OLD NEXT MONTH AND I DECIDED I NEED TO BE A BETTER CAT PARENT AND EXPAND HER HORIZONS.

WE’VE DECIDED TO TRAIN HER TO RIDE ALONG IN THE CAR.  WE PUT HER INTO HER CAT GARAGE AND SET THE GARAGE IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR. 





WHEN WE OPENED THE DOOR TO THE CAT GARAGE SHE IMMEDIATELY EXITED AND FOUND A PLACE TO HIDE UNDER THE FRONT SEAT.  AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES SHE CAME OUT AND WHINED ABOUT BEING LEFT IN THE CAR, BUT WENT BACK INTO HIDING.

SO THE TRAINING HAS BEGUN.  ONCE SHE GETS COMFORTABLE IN THE CAR AND NOT HIDING UNDER THE FRONT SEAT, WE WILL TURN THE KEY AND TAKE HER FOR A RIDE.

I WON’T BE DRIVING.  I DON’T WANT MY FACE TO LOOK LIKE THE CLAWED UP SCREEN DOOR.  I’LL PUT MARY MARY BEHIND THE WHEEL FOR THAT FIRST ROAD TRIP.

Ice Fishing

Winter on Cable Lake usually winds down to staring into a hole in the ice and waiting. The annual Tamarack Tavern Ice Fishing contest was this saturday on Cable lake. The gizmo at the bottom of the picture is a fish finder, which practically will give you the serial number of the fish you are about to catch. We are in Jake's ice house.......

..........Necessary ingredients include a couple of drunken friends.........

....a steady supply of Renee's bananacran bread, a fillet knife (to cut the bread as no fish will be bothering us)............

....you need your dog and a Blondie (wait, that's Renee)............

............ HOLY SHIT!!.....A FISH!!........

....Renee is squealing, "Let me hold it!"............

....next thing you know, the sun is coming up. The contest is over. Your puny little fish did not win. But it is a beautiful morning to sit in the hot tub.........

Uncle Hans

WEATHER FORECAST

LOOKS LIKE A SHITTY WEATHER FORECAST AT HOME.....
"SUNNY & (ALMOST) 80" HERE.

VALENTINES DAY

HERE COMES VALENTINES DAY, AND I CAN'T SAY I GIVE A SHIT ABOUT FLOWERS, CHOCOLATES, LOVE POEMS, AND SUCH, BUT I LOVE THE CHANGE IN OUR WEATHER!

 THE FORECAST FOR SUNDAY IS 73 DEGREES AND SUNNY !!!

WE HAVE TO WEAR JEANS AND SWEATSHIRTS FROM THANKSGIVING TO VALENTINES DAY, GIVE OR TAKE A WEEK, SO BRING ON VALENTINES DAY.

CAN "SUNNY & 80" BE FAR BEHIND?

Spooner Haircut

A few weeks ago, Renee happened to stop by the barbershop when I was getting a haircut from my friend Glenn. She needed some information for some banking or something. She lingered a while and we gossiped . Later she remarked how lucky I was to be able to get a haircut in a few minutes for $10 and get all the gossip too boot. when I told her I was going again today, she perked up and asked me, "can I come too?, I only need to have my ends "straightened" out?" I asked Glen and he seemed a little skeptical, but caved in...............

 

 
 
....when I was done she hopped up into the chair with a giggle.......
 

.....Glenn set to work on "straightening" her out (even though I knew that would never happen!)............

...I swear, it took him longer fussing over clipping off a half inch of her hair than my whole haircut........

....Still. He did a nice job.............

 
 
..........She was pretty pleased at getting to sit in the barbers chair, the domain of men, and spending $7 on anything. You know it is winter in Spooner when something as mundane as a half inch of Blondie hair on the floor warrants a whole blog..............

Uncle Hans

AMY AND DANIEL

OUR SOCIAL CALENDAR HAS BEEN PLEASANTLY FULL LATELY.  FIRST UNCLE HANS AND RENEE, THEN A TRIP TO VEGAS TO CATCH UP WITH PAULIE, AND NOW A VISIT FROM AMY AND DANIEL.

DANIEL WAS "TDY" IN LAS VEGAS LAST WEEK AND THEN TOOK A WEEK'S LEAVE.  HE HAD AMY FLY OUT FOR THIS WEEK TO CELEBRATE THEIR 10TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY AND DRIVE TO ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO TO LOOK FOR A NEW HOUSE FOR THEIR UPCOMING MOVE IN EARLY SUMMER.

WE ENJOYED A GREAT VISIT AND PICKED UP SOME TIPS ON OUR NEW WII GAME.  WE HOPE THEY HAVE GOOD LUCK IN FINDING A NEW HOME.

Vibram Five-Fingered Sprints

Are you sick of shoes yet??  If so, today's post is NOT for you.

About six months ago, I was reading a blog that mentioned Vibram Five Fingers.   I was interested enough to visit their website http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/ .  After starying at them for six months, I decided-Yes, I want these shoes.  The store locator found this kiosk in Town Square in Vegas, I might mention that is the ONLY place that sells them in Vegas.  Since Vegas is one of Rex's favorite cities, no problem in getting him on board- we scheduled a trip.

They even had the color I wanted!!  And yes they are this stupid looking!!

They come in black...what do you thing chances are of getting these on the "Dress Code" approved list. 

Ya, me either.

Z-Coils Shoes and The “Dress Code”

 Remember a few (7 or 8) years ago, when Rex and I bought Z-Coil Shoes?  We had pictures on our website and told all about them.
In those 7 or 8 years we have religiously worn them to work wherever we have been working (Avi or Harvey’s).

Apparently, some one way higher up the food chain than me, decided employees having face to face contact with the customers should have more uniformity. One thing they decided to eliminate was Croc, Birkenstock, and Z-Coil shoes.  I would have a very difficult time working, if I had to go without my Z-Coils.  From the first day I have worn them, the hip pain I had went away.  They make it possible to work on my feet my entire shift.
Needless to say, my reaction to this new rule from the Dress Code Committee was total devastation.  I can’t work without these shoes!!  I wrote a letter to the “powers that be” to explain why I wear these shoes that are so not stylish!!

Whether it was my letter or the fact that one of the Table Games Directors wears them, they decided if we bought covered coils that would fix the objection and we could wear them.  THANK GOD!!!






This is the difference…..

Love My Z-Coil Shoes!!

$80 LUNCH

WHILE IN VEGAS WE WENT TO THE TOWN SQUARE SHOPPING MALL ON THE STRIP IN VEGAS.  I'VE BLOGGED ABOUT THIS SHOPPING CENTER BEFORE, HERE.

WE HADN'T SEEN PAULIE SINCE AUGUST, SO WE MET UP WITH PAUL FOR LUNCH AT THE BRIO RESTAURANT.

IF YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR'S REPORT ON PAUL, YOU WILL REMEMBER A VERY UNHAPPY PAULIE.  THIS YEAR'S REPORT HAS PAULIE VERY RELAXED AND A HAPPY CAMPER!!

THIS WINTER HE HAS BEEN ENJOYING MANY THREE DAY WEEK-ENDS AND TRIPS TO BRIAN'S HEAD SKI RESORT IN UTAH, WHERE HE HAS RETURNED TO SNOWBOARDING.

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT !!  LAST YEAR WHEN I LOOKED AT HIS SNOWBOARD SITTING IN THE CORNER OF THE LIVING ROOM, MY ONLY THOUGHTS WERE OF HOW HARD IT WAS GOING TO BE TO BOX IT UP TO SHIP, AFTER HE SOLD IT ON EBAY.

AFTER THE BROKEN ARM HEALED, SOME PHYSICAL THERAPY, WORK OUTS AT THE HEALTH CLUB, AND PURCHASING SHORT TERM DISABILITY INSURANCE, HE HAS RETURNED TO THE SLOPES WITH A VENGEANCE.

SHOCKED THE SHIT OUT OF ME !!! YOU GO BUD !!!

OH YA, THE $80 LUNCH.  SINCE IT HAD BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'VE SEEN PAUL I FORGOT ALL ABOUT MY CAMERA AS I WAS TAKING A MILE A MINUTE. 

 I HAD:

Shrimp & Scallop Linguine

Tossed with sauteed shrimp and Bay scallops, Shiitake mushrooms, garlic, pepper relish, black pepper cream sauce and fresh basil.
 
MARY TRIED:
 
Margherita Flatbread

Fresh Mozzarella, vine-ripened tomatoes and fresh basil.
 
AND PAULIE ORDERED:
 
Seasonal Bruschetta

Chef's selection, housemade with the finest and freshest ingredients.
 
 
IT'S AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT, AND I SWEAR I COULD HEAR RACHEL RAY'S DISTINCTIVE VOICE COMING OUT FROM THE KITCHEN.  THE FOOD WAS GOOD, BUT NOT WORTH $80.75 IN MY OPINION.  OF COURSE YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER THE SOURCE.  $80.75 WOULD BE A CART LOAD OF FOOD FROM TRADER JOE'S TO ME.
 
THANKS FOR MEETING US FOR LUNCH PAUL, GOOD TO SEE YA, AND CATCH UP ON THE STORIES.