More LEARNINGS fromLauglin

QUOTE from Spike Milligan: "All I want is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy."

More LEARNINGS from Laughlin:

3. Brother Chuck and wife Marlys drove to Laughlin from Casa Grande, Arizpna to spend a few days with us. They had their car so we got to take a tour of Laughlin's other casinos - there are eleven of them - so we learned it is like a little Las Vegas strip. They also took us to Oatman (a little old mining town) about 15-20 miles from Laughlin. Silver was mined there in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The most interesting aspect of present day Oatman is that donkeys wander around the main street. They were used by the miners to pull the ore cars out of the mines. When mining ceased in the early 1900s the donkeys were left to be on their own. So they wander the streets and enjoy the food given to them by the many tourists visiting Oatman. They were real friendly and easy to pet.
Another interesting tidbit of history was the hotel we went into to get an ice cream cone. In 1939 Clark Gable and his actress bride (can't remember her name) spent their honeymoon at this hotel. In future years they came back many times to visit in order to get away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood - they liked the anonymity Oatman provided. That was a fun visit - interesting and educational.

4. Over my 70 years of life I've LEARNED it is so interesting to start talking to strangers. An example is what happened last Wednesday night. I was at the bar playing video poker when I struck up a conversation with the guy next to me. Before we got done talking we found out a lot about each other. He was originally from the Cresco area of Iowa but now lived in Winona, Minnesota. I told him I was originally from Chatfield, Minnesota but now lived in Anamosa, Iowa. He mentioned he was in Laughlin to play golf with several brothers. When I asked how many brothers he had he said he had 6 brothers. I said "you have to be kidding because I also have 6 brothers." Then he said I have two sisters. And I said I also have 2 sisters but I lost a third sister in her first day of life. Then he says his Mom lost one baby also due to a miscarriage but she didn't know if it was a boy or girl. Anyway we went onto talk about our careers and the sibling rivalries we had growing up. It was a fun conversation and it just goes to show how interesting life can be when you
start talking to strangers.

5. I LEARNED the Colorado River was not nearly as wide as I had imagined it. A good swimmer could easily make it across in 15-20 minutes. It was also the first time I had seen a river taxi. Many people (employees and tourists) park across the river and get on the pontoon taxi and go across. It is free and no hassle finding a parking place.

6. Ruth Ann LEARNED what a multi-millionare's wife looks like. Ruth Ann was going up to our 8th floor room last Friday afternoon. When she got on the elevator an elderly lady got on with her. They started visiting and the lady said I'm Betty Laughlin, Don Laughlin's wife. Ruth Ann said she looked to be in her late seventies. Ruth Ann said she looked weather beaten, like she'd had too much sun - in other words she had a lot of wrinkles. They talked about their Minnesota roots - Betty was from Faribault. Ruth Ann said I'm from Chatfield - Betty knew where Chatfield was. Betty was going to the 11th floor - Ruth Ann guessed her and Don had their own suite there. That was a fun little sidelight for Ruth Ann.

7. I LEARNED how to make $200.00. It is easy to make $200 if you get a Royal Flush. I was playing nickel video poker when I was dealt the ten, jack and ace of clubs. I discarded the 2 losers and the good machine dealt me the queen and king of clubs on hand #1. I was playing three hands at 6 nickels per hand for a total of 18 nickels or 90 cents. That is a good feeling to look at the screen and see the words Royal Flush - you just won 4,000 nickels.


HUMOR from Laughlin: The reason I didn't make more money is that I didn't want to create a vacuum. Ben Franklin said "The more money a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one."
I didn't want to make my life more complicated by winning lots of money. (If you believe that you're not too smart.)

I'd rather go with the quote I wrote today. "All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make my happy." That sounds like more fun than worrying about creating a vacuum.