- 3 Day Drought
- Chip Lost
- Karrie Gone?
3 days of shitty earnings in busking had whittled my cash supply down to 10 dollars; almost even.
I still had the 5 dollar casino chip, though.
The "3%" Jar-that-will-never-be-touched, hit about 25 dollars after I dropped the minimum deposit of 35 cents into it; effectively verifying that, in the past month or so, I have been unable to prosper upon 97% percent of everything I made.
11 Black
I decided to take the route up Canal Street, past Harrahs Casino.
The previous day, I had been told "Not today," by the security guy at the front podium.
I hadn't argued, because I knew that he must have had carte blanche in rejecting anyone whom he thought was going to come in there and pick ashtrays and scoop up unfinished drinks but not gamble away anything in return.
I did walk over to another more important looking employee, within the sight of the security guy, who looked on with a smug smile as if to say "He's gonna tell you the same thing!"
After briefly complaining about being barred entry, I pulled my Starbucks card out of my wallet and showed it to her, saying: "I have a Starbucks card," and then held the $5 chip in my hand like a badge and said "And chips."
She was at a loss for what to say "I don't know..." but my hope was that the security guy would think that I was flashing some kind of credentials and that he may have just barred some kind of undercover agent from the Gaming Commission (or something) from the casino; and had screwed up ...Didn't you get the memo?!?
I do stuff like that.
My previous trip there, I had sat in Starbucks charging my phone but not buying anything. I HAD tried to bet the $5 chip on black, though, but there had been a 25 dollar minimum at that (weekend) time.
The Coincidences
My first forray into Harrahs, I was with Sue the Colombian lady. I had tried to play a number, but was bebuffed by the mimimum bet thing...
I was stopped by the dealer, and informed of the minimum.
It came up black 11.....gee, I would have won...
Today, I found the 5 dollar minimum table and was able to place the chip on black.
Coincidence #1: It came up black 11, again.
I then had 10 dollars and probably should have taken a 10 dollar chip to carry around with me for a couple of weeks like I did the 5 dollar one; until it started to feel lucky.
I instead bet the 10 dollar chip on red; and lost when it came up black 6. Maybe the guy meant put it on black, perpetually.
I left; having been wiped out. I felt like there were 100 eyes upon me as I made my way across the football field sized carpet toward the exit. They could see in my walk that I had just been wiped out. I struggled to keep my head somewhat up.
Coincidence #2:
I got here to the library and signed up for this computer with 35 minutes to wait for it.
I wandered over to the "new releases" book table and happened to pick up a book by a self-help specialist, and flipped it open to a page with the heading of "Coincidences," and read a bit about them; still thinking about how much of a coincidence the Black 11 was.
I keep a notebook tracking, as I put it, "every penny in, every penny out", but that's probably not easy for you to do. However, I've noticed some trends: You're drinking brandy now instead of Hurricanes. I'd have to say, the Hurricanes are likely cheaper and healthier, since they at least have more water in them, and the general wateriness of beers tends to make one take in less total alcohol.
ReplyDeleteYou're also buying more hooch as opposed to the free NOLA way of just finding it on the street.
I also notice you're going to Starbucks instead of the library, which means you have to buy a $2 or more coffee each time. That adds up.
I dunno what to say, I'm making $200 a week when things are going right, which might be more than you're making, and paying $60 for the electric bill (California, and an industrial space so it's pricey) but I don't have a food card and there's no free food/hooch around here. So it might work out about even. I save money, and my savings go up and down due to what expenses come in and the times my friend can pay me vs. the times he can't.
We're both in the same situation as far as not being able to come up with the $300 or $400 a month for a room.
I'm hoping to be able to make enough for a basic living with my trumpet, and save the money I get for working for my friend. I guess the eventual goal is to make enough playing music to afford a room and drop the hi-tech stuff, since it just doesn't pay that well and is not the stable career music is.