Jai Alai and my weekend

[swordmage]

So yesterday dad and I went to Jai Alai and spent almost two hours in the racing book. A little background on the place, as I guarantee you're not familiar with it. Jai Alai actually used to be played there, they used to have a few slot machines and a book. A book is a place to make bets on horse and dog races (I can't stand the latter, did watch a few though.) The book has several large screens showing races from around the country (live, of course) and has a large number of small partitioned booth with little personal TVs that allow one to watch the races in comfort. I was the youngest in there by at least 7 or 8 years, and one of the few bettors of the female sex. When I picked up the form at the cage, the woman said "This isn't for you, is it?" I looked her in the eye, smiled, and said, "Actually, it is."

For all practical purposes, jai alai (or to be more accurate, it's Newport Grand since they got rid of the players a few months ago), is a casino. They don't have table games, but they have slots. Lots of slots (though the older term for them is "Video Lottery Terminals, or VLT). After dad and I had spent some time in the book, we walked around the floor. An insane amount of slots, filled by old(er) people wasting money on something mindless. There's a reason I prefer the horses as my choice of gambling. They make you think, at least if you want to make money. we didn't be anything, just watched and picked a few. dad got a 10 to 1 shot, which was cool, even if he didn't have money on him. not to mention it's a good way to get ready for saratoga. Slots are relatively mindless, stick money in, hit a button or two, and hope you have some luck.

It nonetheless was an interesting time. Dad and I enjoyed ourselves. And when I got back to mom's, for some reason, we dended up talking for almost two hours straight. Which totaled more then I'd said to her in maybe the past month, or at least past few weeks.

And then, at 9.15 last night, I get a call from Nile. He's an old friends who lives out of town, so I don't see him much. turned out he was in Newport with a few friends, and did I feel like joining them? Well, I said what the hell. There were three guys I hadn't met and Tom, who I'd met once before. Nice guy, we ended up spending a fair amount of time talking about stuff, which was just plain fun. I haven't done anything really with friends (and friends of friends) in ages. It was really fun.

Comments

[swordmage.livejournal.com]

Yeah, just turned 18. Here in RI, one can gamble at 18. However, I can't get into the Massachusetts casinos until I'm 21 (dad says they have very nice books.)

Actually, via my good father, I've been betting for a while.

[scarlet-crow.livejournal.com]

No wait, I lied you're 3 years older than me...ok not jealous anymore, my sister's 18.