Happy 2009!

(7 months pregnant in this pic, on New Yrs Eve)

Our new years eve was a fun one. Andrew and I went with our friends, Julie and Paul to the Harrah's Casino for the count down. The casino was having a 70's theme for new years to dress up for. I went to Goodwill and bought Andrew a $3 shirt, and myself some brown prego pants for $3 to wear to the casino. I had a black prego top and my authentic 70's purse. I love this purse, it is a leather saddle bag with a flower boarder painted on it. (Purse in pic below) My Aunt Terry painted the flowers on it way back when the purse was her hippy bag, in the 1970's. Now I have it in my collection of fun purses, and had to use it for the 70's theme.

We played some Roulette and Black Jack. I showed Julie how to play the Roulette, and she would bet on red and win each time! She didn't know she had one at times, because she was taking it all in, trying to understand the game. I would tell her, "you won! collect your winnings!... play again if you want to bet another round." Paul and I played the Black Jack card game. We were both doing well on the winning then Paul was on his last $10 minimum bet and lost, I had some chips left and spotted him ten more bucks to play one more round with me, and he got 21! He won the black jack on my chips! We played a bit more and then cut out while we were still up in chips to cash out.

I tried playing a Wheel Of Fortune slot machine, it was only a penny bet...but it was too complicated. I have never played the 15 lines of matching symbols on a screen before, I am old school with slot machines. I like the three sevens to land in a row or three BAR symbols to land in a row. This version with betting pennies, I think I was betting about 10 cents a turn, I really don't know, and was matching up all these multiple lines to try and win something, anything. So I push the spin button, NO PULL DOWN HANDLE!, and all those symbols with nothing matching up!!!???? Bogus. Penny slots are too complex for me. I just wanted to have the machine land on a free spin, being the wheel of fortune game. I could spin the big wheel at the top; where all the glitz and glam is emphasised on. The lady, next to me, spun her big wheel and it landed on 4 free spins. HAHAHA, she basically wins 4 cents? Playing the free spins she didn't win anything else. The game is ridiculous, and a waist of my time and pennies. I would rather use my penny wisely and make wishes in a fountain. A little bit of this and that going on in this pic. Three different moments caught in one pic. Waiting for the count down, a few more minutes to go.

As it is nearing midnight, we gather near the bar area in the middle of the casino, where the 70's style disco dancers are at, along with there pimp. It was a lot of fun and hooting n' hollering. There was a money box set up for someone to go into and catch as much money, while it blows around in the box. The total amount blowing around in the money box was, of course, $2009. The money box wasn't going to be done till 12:30 after the midnight count down. We did not stick around for that. There was a Midnight Breakfast buffet upstairs to head over to. The buffet earlier in the evening that ran till 10pm was $30, and this buffet we went to was $8. Hard decision on which one to hold out for...

At the close of the night, we need to grab a free Harrah's shuttle back to the hotel where we parked our cars. Impossible! There are two Harrah's shuttles making the rounds picking up and dropping off. The one shuttle comes first and the driver says he doesn't run that way towards our hotel, he covers the other wrought and we have to wait for Beverly's shuttle. A cab comes in between time and we want to just grab the cab; only he is dropping off these people paying with credit card and the cabi is taking for ever to get the credit card to go through! It is cold out side to keep waiting. We decide to wait for Beverly...here comes the Harrah's shuttle, it must be her, let's go! It was the guy driver again!? What? Where is Bev? He left and came back already and no Bev?! We try getting on his shuttle saying, Beverly isn't coming you will have to take us instead, this is too long of a wait. Beverly is on the radio saying she is pulling in, and we hop off his shuttle and onto hers. She goes to about three other hotels to drop off people, before reaching ours. UGH. What we do for free shuttles. We were so frustrated with the shuttle delay and all; we didn't tip her on our way off the shuttle. Sorry Bev, but we just weren't feeling the tip.

2009 is happening, we are due in March with our first baby and preparing for her arrival. Andrew and I are going to have an amazing new year, filled with new joy and love.

Happy New Years to you all!