The Cal, The Cow, The Call

I unpacked in a regular room at The California, or as those 'in the know' call it, The Cal. (Which is short for The California.) Now you are savvy too!

The room is more comfortable than the Four Queens, I think by a fair margin. Somehow its cleaner maybe? And again, there are no rolls of someone else's dirty socks in the room. T.I. escaped this hosiery faux pas also.

Speaking of T.I., I almost immediately spied.... the $10 Keno ticket from breakfast that I forgot all about checking to see if I might have won some big bucks.

Damn. Well, I had the Kahunaville comp, so maybe if I ever got the balls up to venture back there, I could check it then.

Settled in at the Cal and it seemed like I started to find my rhythm, playing some familiar slant tops and getting some success.

For some reason, I was counting how many times I had 3 of a kind and did not get a quad out of it. The count was up to the mid thirties. At least I had remembered how to get quads from 2.

The VP tournament at The Cal (short for The California, savvy-speak, remember?) - anyway - The Cal VP tournament comes with one of their slick meal books. My meals are covered for the next 4 days. You can pay a few bucks to upgrade the meals as needed too, if you want a better buffet or a steak or something.

But generally, the coupon for lunch is good for The Special or The Spec (for those staying at The Cal who are in The Know, or The Kn. for short.) Anyway, I check out the coffee shop and the Spec is Oxtail Stew.

Based on a recent discussion on an online forum, and my penchant for not eating something that spent its life swinging 0.83 inches from a cow shit spewing cow's ass, naturally I decided to 'challenge' myself and try it.
I skipped the line-up for tables and hopped on a stool at the counter, which is old-style, kitschy, diner-style fun. You get to meet and elbow strangers next to you too.

Oddly, on the milk dispenser, a sign read:

"1 INCH LONG TUBE. CUT AT 45 ANGLE"

Now I now how they 'harvest' the 'ox' tail.

Regardless, I ordered up The Spec.

Let me tell you...

Flushers and Flusherettes, it was outstanding comfort food, delicious, fantastic, and I would have it again in one swing of a cow's rudder. (Next to the udder.)

The most amazing, rustic, Oxtail stew, yes?

Played around some at The Cal and Main Street Station and was doing sort of okay, but losing bit by bit.

I tried a few different machines after lunch as I ruminated on my fate. I was determined to stay in control. 20 here. 20 there. Keep changing if it isn't working. Play the man, not the puck. Don't go on tilt!

Wouldn't you know it, I could not get my first The Scratchcard at The MSS?

The Cal did allow me one more quad, and then I decided to try some $5 blackjack. It went well, I pressed up a bit and got bored after a while, up $55. A win is a win.

I was looking forward to a quiet evening when I got a call from a friend. She'd gotten bumped off her flight and was staying in Vegas another night. Did I want to meet for dinner?

Sure I did. Why not, I had a comp on the strip.

Back at the place of 'that which shall not be spoken of'...

...at Kahunaville, at The Island of Treasure Island, or in savvy-speak... TITI.

I shuddered and called my host to make it dinner for 2, not 1.