Room Sweet Room

With the live updates wrapped up, I'm very busy writing up the tall tales and adventures of savvy degenerism on this recent trip.

So don't worry, there will be more gambling stories coming shortly.

Meanwhile, I thought I'd share this little gem off of Vegas Message Board, which I thought was hilarious.

I wrote it, so naturally I'd think that.

The question posed in this thread was how do you make the room your own?

The responses were very interesting, ranging from chucking stuff into a corner to going on an all-out germ warfare routine.

OK, first things first - every time I enter the room, immediately wash my hands. So I guess first thing is unwrap the soap.

I also test the extra room keys to make sure they work.

Suitcase goes on the stand, and I remove the foot thingy that goes across the bed.

I call down to see if my standing order from Amazon has arrived, and wait for them to bring it up. Meanwhile, I put a few room things away in a large trash bag and tape around the windows with green tape, get some music going, and maybe go and get some ice.

I usually pause for a beer here, check the locks on connecting doors, check window locks, and then push the furniture to the center of the room. When my goods arrive, I wash the walls down with a mixture of TSP and water - one of the garbage cans, first cleaned, is great for mixing this up.

As the walls are drying, I move into the bathroom and TSP the walls in there, and also the tiles. Back in the main room, I use an angle brush to cut along the ceiling lines and wall corners and apply the first coat of Benjamin Moore eggshell Warm White with a roller. I don't worry about the carpet. And I'm not anal, I don't treat the ceiling.

With that done, I move to the bathroom and install new faucets in the sink and shower - Delta all the way, baby. The new bath-grade laminate usually installs nicely over the existing tile, as long as you use enough leveling compound first.

In the past I have called engineering up to help me remove the carpet in the main room - it can be quite a chore and its good to have some help. Five bucks a man usually paves the way for a good clean removal.

Prior to that, I move all the furniture out into the hallway, and check on the standing order from House, Home and Hardwood. They don't always have my sectional in the right fabrics and I often have to make a snap decision.

With the bathroom done (mirror tiles work wonders on all the walls in there), the main room walls done, the laminate installed, the new furniture put in, I have a second beer and call in my Feng Shui expert to place ottomans, vases, lamps and the like to turn the room into a zen oasis - the energy has to flow smoothly so that it is not at odds with my relaxed, easy-going personality.

It's pretty easy to hang new doors if you order the pre-hung ones, so I usually manage that by myself, and with the new draperies up, I'm ready for the casino!