Lucky Seven

It has been a year in the building of the new dining room at the Lucky Seven casino just over the border between Oregon and California. It is approximately seven miles from Brookings. We have watched the big machines at work as they dug deep and took out tons of dirt and rock. The construction crew knew their business and made it look so easy. It was an amazing sight to watch them finish up one project then go on to the next step and soon the inside windows of the old dining area were covered and the secret work went on and on until the new dining area opened last week. It is huge, with two levels and the waiters and waitresses have a lot more walking to do from the tables to the kitchen. The best thing now is the fact you can enter the restaurant and not have to work through the smoke filled areas. The new non smoking room is large and there is a new poker room too. I don't know who the decorator was but it is really lovely. The carpeting along can shake your eye balls up with its varied colors of what looks like skinny leaves. The new intensive lighting is a bit hard on the eyes though, not an improvement over the lovely lighting they had previously. All in all it is a huge improvement and hopefully the chef will outdo himself in making dishes we can't live without. The cost had to be high and we have noted the machines are tighter than ever so someone has to pay for all this improvement . . . and the someone is us as the brand new penny machines call to be played. The latest one is a combination of three machines here (Paula and I saw them for the first time in the Florence casino where there were four tied together) It is the "Survivor" game and it is such fun to play but it takes so much more of your pennies if you want to win anything and that is 'only a chance'.

As you can see I went with my friend Carol who is a victim of roseachea and has to wear hats inside and out. She cannot stand light. Her cheeks get beet red and she tells me it is like having hot flashes than never leave. It certainly doesn't sound like it is much fun to have. Carol does not gamble, well with one exception, every Wednesday those of us with cards get matched play and we have five dollars to start off with. Once in awhile the machine is ready to pay out a little, but believe me it is rare. All I can say about the new and beautiful new dining area is that it will not see as much of me. I know the penny machines are house machines and I know that they are set to pay off very little, so like giving up cigarettes so many years ago when they got to be thirty-five cents a pack, I am giving up penny machines until they start paying off . . . so you can see there is about to be a parting of the ways. Back to hiking on the beach searching for agates; roaming through the thrift stores looking for a treasure and God forbid days of housework and chasing weeds . . . oh well experience counts every time so I am off to make my coffee and have some breakfast and maybe today I'll finish washing the windows on the inside . . . although daughter Pat has the day to herself and maybe, just maybe, she will swing by and take me out in her chariot for one last look at the penny machines. Weak of character you say . . . nah . . . a slow learner is more like it.

So today, make your day a nose to the grindstone day. Finish up your work week and plan your weekend so you can be free as a bird and enjoy your time off . . . and stay away from the penny machines. Hugs to All.