Lost and Not Found

Day 17

I loved this Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly woman. She seemed perfect for The D's vintage slots.

I had a noon flight or so on this, my final day in Vegas. I had met up with my host the day before to see what could be done about the additional nights - I ended up with casino rate and no meals picked up (there was only one anyway). I couldn't quibble, I hadn't played a whole lot and the first two nights were comped.

But what was worrying me was that damn missing key fob with it's $300 starter.

I emptied everything and went through it all. My keys were gone, gone, gone.

I decided to retrace my steps and see if they had turned up anywhere. First stop, the Cal.

I bumped into super server Judy (aka Nurse Blue aka Dr. Red), and told her my tale of woe. I asked her if she'd seen my keys, but she hadn't.

I started at the desk, and then over to the bell desk where they radioed someone to find out if any keys had shown up. Nope.

I had them call housekeeping but no luck there either. Nothing had been turned in. I had another idea though and took off through the casino towards the west elevators.

Bumping into Judy again she asked if I'd had any luck, and heard my troubles again, and gave me a quick hug. Another plus for the Cal, cocktail waitresses that hug me.

Back up on my old floor, I tracked down the maid. She was right outside our suite.

"Good morning! How are you?" she asked, recognizing me.

"Kind of crummy, I lost my keys. You see I -"

"Oh I'm blessed, thank you. You be blessed."

"Well, yes, that's just it, my blessed keys... I lost them. Did you find any in the room Sunday?"

"No sir, I was off Sunday, but you be blessed anyway! Have you tried housekeeping?"

"Yeah, no luck."

I thought, well, maybe it's karma time. We'd left $20 for the maid when we check out to compensate for 6 days of suite destruction. Our regular maid hadn't gotten a blessed dime of it.

"You say you didn't work Sunday?" I asked.

"No sir, my day off. I had a blessed day!"

I reached into my wallet, and as they say in various novels and other written descriptive prose, I 'fished out' a $20 bill.

"Here. You missed your tip."

"Oh bless you sir! Bless you and thank you."

"You're welcome - take care."

"You be blessed now! Blessed! BE BLESSED I say!!!!"

The Cal was a bust.

I headed downstairs again and crossed the casino. Just as I hit the corner doors I looked back wistfully and Judy caught my eye from the bar. She gave me the tentative 'thumbs up' with the raised eyebrows - that universal unspoken look that said, "Hey, did you find your fucking keys or what?"

I looked back and shook my head. I made the thumbs down. I made a slashing motion across my neck. I made paper Xs and put them on my eyes. There was nothing to do but wave and head off to the Nugget.

At the Nugget it was more of the same. I checked at both check-ins, I tried the lost and found at the cage - they weren't in yet. I got on the house phone to housekeeping. I talked to security, who wanted to know just who the hell I was calling on their cage house phone.

Taking pity on me, the guard said, "C'mon, let's go look in the lost and found box," and led me through a secret door, and then up the stairs.

I was going to see the secret rooms where they back room you and break your thumbs! I wondered how many thumbs would be in the lost and found box.

But halfway up the stairs she got a call on the radio. "No keys in the box. None turned in. Especially no $300 fobs."

We turned around on the stairway and I marched out.

I had twenty minutes before I had be on my way to the airport and I had a brilliant idea.

If I couldn't find my $300 fob, I'd win one!