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The Idi-Odyssey

Sunday Mar 28, 2004

Unlike my trip to Japan, which I potentially may not finish updating you on, I embarked on a journey that only had idiocy wreaking from its pores. An idea so half baked that I got salmonella just dreaming it up. And yet, when a young man has a little bit of time and money, things happen. This adventure was to Vegas.

So Sandye and Wayne, my surrogate parents, came down to LA to help me scout it out. The purpose of the trip was to find areas that I'd be interested in and potentially buy property. This was only to take Friday, but of course I wanted to spend as much time with them as possible. Our twist stems from young Gabe and our band of idiot friends. Every year more and more of our college friends have joined up for a long weekend in Vegas. I have yet to attend this event, but had every intention of doing so this year. Not so fast Jro, its the same weekend as the parental visit in LA. Game over. You lose. Unless...unless what? I could take a flight that leaves after our dinner plans on Saturday night and return Sunday morning before anyone misses me. Now don't get any false pretenses or go off fantasizing that I was trying to pull some cockamany Saved By the Bell Style trick by trying to go without being noticed. No, no. Everyone knew of this journey, I'm not THAT good.

Flight one leaves at 10:17pm, landing in Vegas at 11:24pm. I figured with the cab ride I would arrive at Midnight upon the strip and ready for drinking and gaming. Correct assumption. Flight two leaves vegas at 8:00am. I figured after making my millions I would flag a limo down at 6:30am or so after not sleeping all night to go to the airport. Well I didn't make those millions....

Here's what really happened. I arrived at the Mirage at the stroke of midnight. Dare I say the gentlemen who I jetted off to enjoy the company of were almost Vegased out. They were enjoying a slow meal at a cafe near the rear of the hotel. I went off gaming alone for an hour or so. After the meal it became abundantly clear that most peeps were going to bed and that I was going to have to rally anyone I could to hit the strip with me for some gaming. That rally cry was heard only by none other than Gabe, the Viking. Gabe, sporting a helmet won by our friend Barn for playing guess my weight, resembled a Scandanavian Warrior with plastic horns to boot. It was the perfect look for the Idi-Odessey.

I went down big early and really never looked back. Though there were some brief glimpses of hope I think the best I could have done at any point would have been to walk even, but I had time to kill, drinks to drink, and chips to play. Needless to say, my adventure which lasted 7 hours on the strip, ended with a 3 mile hike to the airport as the sun came up in my eyes. It was beautiful, it was honest, and it was Idiotic!

Next week: JRo prepares for the Devil. Get tix from me for cheap.