Yesterday, Sunday, we were invited to go meet my step brother and sister at the Sechuan Casino over East San Diego toward the desert. It was located, naturally, on the Sechuan reservation. Actually, I had thought that Sechuan was a Chinese name, but I was wrong.
So instead of going to church we went to play the slots. How bad is that? I kept expecting God to take the place out while we were there--was glad nobody needs us any longer, just in case.
It was a huge building in the neo-Indian architecture style of hogan teepees or something. Very dramatic and landscaped to the nines with desert trees lining the drive into the place which was out in the middle of nowhere East of Jamul. Incongruously, lighted deers made of bundles of sticks were stocked along the entrance trees as well. And inside the casino were monster Christmas Trees, decorated with every imaginable light, ribbon and glass ball. It looked beautifully artificial. I looked around for God but didn't see him--he must have been behind the cash machines.
My last foray into a casino was in Reno, Nevada, which never pretended to be holy, or family fun either for that matter (like Las Vegas).
That was back in the olden days a few years ago when the machines were full of happy little bundles of cherries and blue logos that said "Winner" on them. You could put your nickel in the slot and pull the handle. Gambling? Of course, but it was a mini game. In the electronic world, about twentyfive pictures of Hawaiian dancers and big words dot the face of the screens. No money is involved. No way to see if or how much you win or lose because it's not money after it goes into the machine--it's now "points". The machines take only paper money in any denomination. And it's a button you push to "play". Penny machines take 30 at a time. Is that a penny machine? It seems like 30 cents to me. Oh yeah, it's 30 points. No wonder I like the quarter machines.
I looked all over the copious rooms (50 of them?) for cherries and "Winner" logos. I guess they shipped all of those to the Bahamas.
I didn't feel much like I was playing. The blonde part of my brain was confused but didn't care. The rest of my brain was confused but did care. Uncomfortable. If the blackjack tables hadn't been $5 tables I would have gone on over there. I'm a cheapskate and only play $2 tables.
I know I lost $40 because my money pocket was empty when we left. I'm not sure how I did that. Maybe I'll go back on a Wednesday.
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