by: Terje Brooks Ellingsen
This, a true story about a Vegas vacation involving casino gambling and... a little more, that must be told now that I am an adult and making my own decisions in life - whether gambling, casinos or whatever - and with a need to share this story in hopes that it brings a smile to the reader of these words.
I was 15 years old and took what was called a “turn-a-round” trip to Las Vegas, the city with all the casinos and gambling hotels. The chartered bus had not been filled to capacity which was a requirement in order for the Las Vegas trip to take place. I went with a friend whose Mother had planned the Vegas trip and she allowed us to go, as long as we behaved ourselves and did not get into any mischief - gambling included.
We arrived in Las Vegas at midnight and the temperature was 100 degrees and no breeze whatsoever. In other words: all was normal in Sin-City. We knew we were in for a good time. We walked through the air-conditioned casinos and played the slots for as long as we had nickels to play with but truly enjoyed watching the adults play Poker, Blackjack, Craps and other gambling games. Wanting to play a joke on my friends, I went and sat at the casino bar and asked for a whiskey glass but with water and ice cubes and when my friends met me at the bar I was telling the Bartender a "sad story". Oh the look on their faces. We all had a good laugh as did the Casino Bartender.