12. Happy Birthday Toos!

Today was Toos’ actual birthday, so Kodi had an itinerary that she hadn’t revealed yet.  She was going to treat her all day ( except for gambling) . She hoped that Toos was up for a long day, but she’d planned lots of rest stops, and hopefully she’d manage everything.

As soon as she was up, Kodi sent a text to Kiddo, reminding her that she’d promised some details about their surprise for the next day… knowing that since Colorado was two hours behind Vegas, she wouldn’t get a reply until they returned after their day out.  They  showered and dressed, and had fruit in the room,  and then headed for Las Vegas Blvd.  It was hot, but they stayed in the shade on the sidewalk, and cut through Harrah’s to save a few steps as well.  They got to the bus stop heading North, and waited for about 20 minutes, but Toos had lots of new things to look at until the Deuce arrived.

(Another Vegas buddy was in Vegas now, and staying at the Plaza.  She runs a Vegas Message board as well, and Kodi was eager to see her, so she’d asked a while ago, if they could meet up for just a quick hello or drink while they were downtown that day.   Nope….she had plans all day.  It was disappointing, but as it turned out…Lady Luck was watching out for Toos and Kodi.  The gal ended up feeling under the weather that day so they avoided catching some kind of crud.)

Kodi has a seniors’ bus pass for Vegas, that allows her rides to be reduced. Toos doesn’t, but Kodi paid her fare both ways, as part of her birthday gift.   She did a running commentary for  her friend as they passed everything along the Strip, and although it was a very long ride, Kodi talked non-stop.  Sorry, fellow passengers, haha.

They got off at the stop behind the D casino, and walked around the front to the first birthday treat …a visit to McDonald’s!   Don’t roll your eyes.   Toos loves their fish tacos, so had that and a cola ( of course).  Kodi ordered a Big Mac ( without fries) and a seniors coffee…she thought.  Their number was called and the big bag that contained the order was handed over.  Hmm, no coffee in there.  Kodi is not a McDonald’s regular, and didn’t realize she had to get that at a separate counter. That issue resolved, they enjoyed their late breakfast.  

Today, rather than entertainment while people watching, they saw a lesson in humanity.  There was a fellow who appeared to be homeless, sitting quietly at a table, a little distance from them.  As people came and went, he moved from table to table, at the side of the room, making sure he wasn’t directly next to anyone.  There also was a lady wiping and disinfecting tables as people left after eating.  As she worked, she made sure also to spray each table that he moved from, and smiled at him, when she could catch his averted eyes.  Two young men were sitting across from Kodi, and she noticed them watching him and discussing the situation.  One got up, and went over to the counter , returning a moment later with a coffee, that he took to the man’s table, and spoke to him for a minute.  He then returned to his companion.  They finished their meal, just before Kodi and Toos did, and Kodi saw the same young man walk over to the fellow, passing him a few folded bills as they left the restaurant.

Kodi had received an offer from the D for 3 free nights, $70 in food credit and $40 free play.  They were not staying downtown, and she had really stressed over whether she’d be able to use the food and casino credit if she wasn’t checked in.    Her solution, to try to avoid embarrassment ( and maybe jail and torture with a rubber hose) was to go over and into the Golden Gate, and ask about her comps at THEIR aligned rewards desk, and use the free play there.

It wasn’t smooth walking with the canes, on the Fremont St. surfacing, so they moved along like 3 legged turtles.

There were just two people ahead of her, so she got the answer quickly.  She DID have the free play and food on her card.  Yay!  One unexpected glitch…she had to use the free play ONLY at the D casino.

“Umm, Toos?  We have to walk BACK to the place we left a few minutes ago.  Then we have to come back past here and go over there…” (pointing, and not looking her in the eye.)

Kodi successfully turned her $40 free play into $60 cash, while Toos lost $20 in the same period. They did each get a tasty cocktail…Toos ordered a gin and tonic, and Kodi’s was a mysterious tall fruity drink.  The server came along the aisle, looking for the guest who had ordered it from her and walked all the way around, looking frustrated.  Kodi offered to take it off her hands and gave her a $2.00 tip, but forgot to ask her what it was.  Too bad, because she’d like another someday.

Time for another long march, so leaving the D, they headed towards the Plaza.  “Way down there?” Toos whined.  “Don’t worry, you’ll be sitting again in no time!” her friend cheerfully replied.

Something that the two used to do together, along with Kodi’s Mom and sister in law, 30 years ago, was to attend a local bingo.  Toos hadn’t played in 4 years back home, and it had been 20 years for Kodi, so she was treating them to an afternoon session at the Plaza.  Surely Toos would win, because, hey, it was her birthday!

Kodi decided to get herself the new fangled automatic bingo cards, but Toos chose the good old paper and dauber system.  They had a ticket for a free alcoholic beverage if ordered by a certain time in the game.  Toos didn’t know about this, so was suitably impressed when Kodi put their Malibu Sunsets down in front of them. ( A lady in front of her in the drink line, told her they were the bartender’s specialty, haha)

The games?  SO close….  Quite a few people won more than once, so obviously the game was fixed.  The caller was related to them all most likely, LOL.

It was a nice way to wile away a couple of hours, and Kodi asked if Toos had worked up an appetite, with all the ferocious daubing she’d had to do.

She had a couple more things on the agenda for the day.  One was going to be the free Downtown Shuttle ( not to actually GO anywhere, but to show more of the city to Toos. ) Kodi was looking forward to seeing the Brain Institute again.  First, it was time to eat.

Kodi had originally considered Hash House a GoGo, but now that she had the D comp, she decided to use that at 8 East, the oriental restaurant in Circa. She’d probably have to supplement it, but not a great deal, she imagined.

Toos was a bit weary, but Kodi kept saying, “not much farther”, and then they suddenly were at the door to the restaurant. Kodi asked if a particular table in the very back was available, but it wasn’t, so she requested a booth.  They had to wait 10 minutes more, but it was a nice location…(her favourite), in a corner.

Toos ordered…yep, another cola.  Kodi got beautiful Jasmine Tea, and ordered just appetizers.  She had the lamb lollipops, and the Pork Belly Bites.  Toos finally decided upon a noodle dish that appealed to her.  She can’t use chopsticks, but pretended to, so she could send a photo to her daughters. 

Toos couldn’t finish her Noodles, but Kodi let her have dessert anyway…you know…because of her birthday. They shared a cream brûlée, and the server brought it out with a candle. 

It was a relaxing meal. Kodi hadn’t eaten the Lamb before ( with Cumin) and found it way too spicy. A gallon of water was consumed while eating them.  It was all prepared well, and the service was excellent.  If Kodi had kept a better running total in her head, she would have ordered TWO delicious cream brûlées.  The comp covered everything, so Kodi’s only pocket outlay was the tip.  Since that was unexpected, when Toos said she had seen her ‘birdy’ game near the restaurant, she agreed to play for a little while.  (Once Kodi got home after the trip, she was sad but wasn’t too shocked when she received an offer from the D for 30% off room rates, no food, no free play. In invisible ink at the bottom, it read…“Take that, you thief!”)

They both got a lot of bonuses and long play before their stakes ran out. Consequently, they missed the last Downtown Shuttle, as Kodi hadn’t double checked the schedule, to see that it ran 3 for hours less on this weekend day.

By the time they got back out onto Fremont, it was dusk and getting busier, and Toos, given the option of staying to watch a couple of overhead light shows or heading back to the bus stop, chose the latter.  

Kodi might have alarmed her by saying when they ‘looked up’ at the shows, and were using their canes, it was important to keep her purse firmly against the front of her body with her other hand.  Perhaps she wanted to leave because she was just too tired to stay any longer, knowing they had to walk down to and past the back of the D to get the bus….. but Kodi had told her about security because she needed to keep her safe from the lurkers who looked for opportunities to snatch and run during the shows when people are distracted, unfortunately.

They both enjoyed seeing what they could of the Strip lights on the way back home.  The only thing Kodi wished was different during the trip was if the return driver had called out the upcoming stops consistently and more clearly. It was easy to get disoriented by the darkness, and not quite be sure where they were exactly.

Toos was tired enough that she headed to the room once they arrived at the Flamingo. Kodi played for an hour or so, losing, bit by bit, till she decided the casino wasn’t fun any longer.  Time to go upstairs and check emails, send photos to Toos’ daughter, and finally get details about the ‘surprise’ the next day.

There was no message from Kiddo in Colorado.  Hmmm.  She sent a quick message to her, and just before 10:30 a reply came back.  Her friend said she’d been shopping all day, and had taken a couple of online classes.  After supper she had dozed off before she could send anything to Kodi. Anyway…she’d  found out that the driver for the next day would be driving a white SUV, and his name was Mitchell.  He’d pick them up at  2:30 at the shuttle stop, at the entrance near FedEx.  Oh, and she had asked him to attach a flag or something like that to the car, so they’d know it was him.  

Kodi finally dozed off, trying to think about everything except venturing into the unknown the next day.