Vacation and Casinos

I'm on vacation from work this week.  Except for Thursday when I have to go to a meeting.  But at the meeting I'll find out what my bonus will be for the year.  Crossing my fingers it is at least as big as last year.  One year I got zilch.  Didn't know I was going to get zilch.  It was a surprise.  "If I woke up tomorrow morning with my head sewn to the carpeting I couldn't be more surprised than I am now Eddie," surprised.  I didn't even get the Jelly of the Month subscription.

(Don't get the references?  Well, too bad.  Okay, I'll tell you, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.)

It has been a hectic last few weeks.  I had 2 out of town trips and a day from hell in the office.  Have you ever been late to a meeting you weren't invited to?  It brings staff meeting to a whole new level of awful.

One of my trips took me to a casino.  Not the actual casino, the hotel that surrounded it.  I don't gamble, so I didn't go in.  You know how some people don't drink, period.  That's me with gambling.  I don't.  It's a thing.  Anyway, staying at a casino was definitely an eye opener.  Did you know that casinos are open until 5 am?  And reopen at 8 am?  At least this one did.  At 3:30 in the morning I heard a housekeeper knocking on a door on my floor.  Maybe gamblers don't sleep.  I have heard they pump extra oxygen into the casinos to keep people alert and gambling longer.  I don't know if it is true or not.  I didn't ask.

I found it quite humorous that they hotel directory in the room had information on Gamblers Anonymous "in case you need help."  Yeah, I'm sure they are real concerned about their addicts there in the casino.

In the morning I didn't have to meet my boss until about 10:30, so before I put my suit on I threw on denim capris and a work golf shirt and went to the lobby to get coffee.  On my floor a lady was reading my shirt.  Oh great, I thought, a client.  I came back up with my coffee and she was still there.  She said to me, "You clean the rooms?"  (She was Filipino and had an accent. There are many Filipino women in my industry.  I figured she was probably with the conference.)  I said no, I wasn't the housekeeper.  Thinking, "I'm not your housekeeper, I'm your speaker!"

Well, I met my boss (after I was dressed up) and told her the tale.  She found it hilarious.  I decided perhaps I was dressed a little too casually.  Perhaps I need to rethink what I wear in the hotel, even "off duty".  When we did our presentation I scanned the audience (nearly 200 people!) but thankfully didn't see my lady there.  She was just another hotel guest. 

I probably should have asked what she needed.  Maybe I would have gotten an extra tip.