Bad Words by Frank Showalter
Published on October 8, 2008 at 4:05pm in Non-fiction. No responses
“And who are you?”
I wake up about 10 A.M. Vegas time and head down to the casino. After about half and hour, I’ve made back about half my losses of the night before.
We head to Country Club for lunch. I’m not in the mood for anything too heavy so I order the crab cake sliders. They’re light and very tasty and just what the doctor ordered.
After lunch, I stop by the poker room and get on the wait list for a $1-3 no-limit game. Fifteen minutes later, they call my name and I sit down at a full table.
I bide my time, sizing up the table. It’s solid competition, and to top it off, one guy’s on a rush catching aces, kings, and jacks, all back-to-back. I fold a pair of 10’s early against a raise and re-raise on a board with three overs, only to see a 10 drop on the river that would have won it for me. MORE »
Published on September 22, 2008 at 12:49pm in Non-fiction. No responses
“Welcome to Picasso.”
I wake up about 9:30 A.M. Vegas time and head down to the casino. Within fifteen minutes, I’ve recouped my losses the previous night and then some.
The plan today is to hit the pool, but my sunglasses are lying on the seat of my car back home, so we head across the street to Macy’s at the Fashion Show Mall, where I pick up a new pair.
From there, we make our way through Treasure Island to the Mirage, where we line up outside BLT Burger, which is due to open in about ten minutes at 11.
It’s 11:05 and the restaurant is about a quarter full by the time the hostess seats us in an awkward corner next to the open kitchen. I look at the menu and get excited to find out they’ve got one of my favorite beers, Turbo Dog, on tap, only to have my hopes crushed when the waiter comes back to tell me they’re out. We order a couple of burgers and wait.
And wait. MORE »
Published on September 19, 2008 at 9:26pm in NSFW and Stories. No responses
Jake eased the cab over to the curb, careful to avoid splashing the well-dressed, heavyset fare waiting on the corner. The rain had already drenched the man, which meant Jake’s tip would be small. Splashing him would make it smaller.
“Where to?” Jake asked once the man was inside.
“Columbia and fourteenth,” the man replied.
“Sure,” Jake said and pulled away from the curb. The man began to fiddle with his cell phone.
“Damn thing!” the man muttered.
“What’s the trouble?” Jake asked, looking into the rear-view.
“Oh, this piece of shit’s locked up again,” the man said. “Fourth time today.” MORE »
Published on September 12, 2008 at 6:55pm in Non-fiction. No responses
“Welcome home.”
August 31, 2008: It’s six A.M. and I’m driving to the airport. I haven’t slept in close to 24 hours, and the fifteen-minute drive to Dulles is a struggle. My girlfriend is a zombie in the seat next to me. She needs coffee.
We park, trudge to the terminal, get our boarding passes and check our luggage. MORE »
Published on July 21, 2008 at 7:30pm in NSFW and Stories. No responses
“Fucked again!” Ken said a bit too loudly. The bouncer had just let a score of people into the club, but just as Ken, Alan and Linda got to the front of the line he had pulled the velvet roped across the entry way.
“Relax man, we’re next.” Alan said.
“I hate lines,” Ken replied.
“Give him a fifty Alan,” Linda said.
“What?” Alan asked.
“Yeah man,” Ken said, “Grease his palm.”
Alan looked at the large bouncer who grinned. Alan fumbled for his wallet and pulled out a fifty. “Will this get us in?” he asked.
The bouncer just grinned. MORE »
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