The wife and I took her son to Vegas over the 4th of July - Poker Card Room

leo doc · 07-12-2010, 01:08 PM

This trip was planned at O’Charley’s back in March...

The wife and I had taken her two boys to dinner after her 21-year-old made an unannounced, mid-week visit from college. For those of you that don’t have kids in college, I’ll forewarn you that you should dismiss the notion that they’re dropping by to spend a little quality time with the family. Nosiree. You can bet with certainty that you’re gonna have a conversation that deals with some ongoing catastrophe they’re experiencing at school. With my daughter, it was always about boyfriend mis-management. Since my stepson is the object of every woman’s fantasy, he doesn’t have that problem with women.

When he shows up, he needs money. Since his Mom has already paid the usual and customary school fees, he knows she’s a dry-well when it comes to getting additional funds for those niggling, unexpected life expenses. This, of course, should explain my entirely fabricated enthusiasm while greeting him at the door on that cold and windy March evening. His mere presence almost caused my wallet to levitate from my back pocket to his hand. But I’ll have none of this Jedi mind-trick until I make him suffer through dinner with his little brother who, I must admit, invariably makes his visit miserable and provides at least a modicum of disincentive for another one of his surprise, poor-mouth returns.

He also knows that he can’t claim pauper status in front of his Mom or- God forbid!- his little brother so I decided to delay the inevitable conversation surrounding his current financial crisis by insisting that we all go to dinner at O’Chuck’s. At this point, his discomfiture is palpable ‘cause he’s worried that he’s not gonna get to have our “man-to-man” fearing that I’ll go bed when his Momma does, thereby rendering myself unavailable for any such private discussion.

I enjoyed dinner… immensely. There’s nothing like a rack of ribs, onion tanglers, a fair-to-middlin’ Cabernet and a tormented stepson to round out the day. I even made him drive home and feigned two loud yawns on the way back.

I’m getting ahead of myself. Sorry.

My stepson, naturally wanting to ingratiate himself before begging for dollars, asks about my pokering right after I finished my second rib.

Me: “I’m running a bit bad lately, but everybody experiences downswings.”

Him (feigned empathy): “Bummer. Are you gonna get to play live anytime soon?”

Me: “Your Mom and I are going to Vegas over the 4th of July.” (I knew better than to mention the upcoming CAZ trip in front of his Momma since she wasn’t going and was already plenty chapped about that.)

Him: “Very cool. Are they having that get-together that you went to last year?”

Me: “Yup. Get to hang-out with some of my poker pals in Vegas and your Mom gets to extract revenge on the Aria’s slots.” (The wife has that “I’m still pissed about Scottsdale” look, which forebodes another conversation that I’d like to avoid and ensures that the stepson gets to have his money talk with me while I wait for the wife to fall asleep before venturing to bed.)

Him (dreaming aloud): “I’m gonna go to Vegas one day and play poker.”

Me (in a complete and utter lapse of sensibility): “You wanna go with your Mom and me?”

His little brother (before he could answer): “I wanna go, too!”

The three of us: “NO!”

Later that night, he went back to school with five of my fun tix and I booked three round trip tix to Vegas.

CardSharpCook · 07-12-2010, 01:15 PM

So how did it go....

nuisance · 07-12-2010, 01:15 PM

So did he ask you for money?

BubbleMint · 07-12-2010, 01:19 PM

In on first page of what usually turns out to be an epic thread !

EfromPegTown · 07-12-2010, 01:20 PM

Worst possible thread title.

BubbleMint · 07-12-2010, 01:22 PM

DUDE !!! You had better have wrote this segment in March and the Vegas segment better be there when I click 'Post Quick Reply' and this page refreshes !