MIXED FEELINGS

Although no hotel I have seen in Vegas has better bridge playing facilities than the Riviera, we have had some zany personal experiences here.  Let’s start with the heating and air conditioning unit which is self regulating.  Suddenly it shuts off and a while later it turns back on with a sound like a tornado warning or air raid siren.   This continues all  through the day and night.   Classy!  

Oh, yes – it appears there may be a shortage of toilet paper with one roll to two customers for twenty four hours (and no reserve) – and when you leave a burned out light bulb on the table, they remove it – but don’t replace it.  I left a note and a ten dollar bill and amazing … when we returned we had three rolls of toilet paper and a torchier with a working light.

I had two dining experiences not to be believed:  I called room service and asked (instead of toast) for an English muffin and was told it was $3.95 extra   I countered it was only 35 cents more at the coffee shop to which she replied, ‘THIS IS NOT THE COFFEE SHOP.  This is ROOM SERVICE’ (BFD) … for which we waited an hour and a half the first morning – but they don’t warn you.   Then, we just learned (on our fifth day) that if you present your players card, you get a discount.   Lest I forgot, we ate at the coffee shop again today.   Bobby paid the bill and commented that our breakfast omelets though almost identical had a $2.00 discrepancy.   He learned (with no pre-alert) that egg whites separated by some brain surgeon were two bucks more than plain eggs cracked by some lackey. 

Apparently, there is new management and ownership and most of the stores are vacant (with dark panels covering the barren insides).  Looks like a huge alteration in progress. My favorite shoe store, Norman Kaplan, is history but thank heavens (not for Bobby) that the jewelry store is still in full bloom (with big advertised discounts).  The casino is practically empty though there is a new Single Deck BJ game we patronized where BJ pays 3/2, though there are other prohibitions not present in any of the other casinos (can only double down on 10 or 11), no surrender or hitting again after splitting, etc.   Times have really changed.

However, as I mentioned in the introduction to this blog, the playing space is great and the numbers, according to TC Tom Shulman were fantastic.   The section tops are adorable, many choices and plentiful sized shirts as well.  Guess good attendance and enthusiastic players is what it is really all about.    Time to get movin’!