A Main Event Rookie Lives the Dream - A trip report
08-22-2010
, 08:33 PM
08-22-2010
, 10:48 PM
Sat. July 10 – Desert Heat – Fun with the ‘Rents’ -- Trouble with the Wife
No poker for 2 days. Saturday is day 2B and Sunday is just an off day for everyone. I have succeeding in getting extra nights at the Rio on Fulltilt’s dime.
Since my parents were in town with a car we decided to get out of Vegas and see some of the natural wonders of the area. Our choices were Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon, or Mt. Charleston (Vegas under $20). Our first inclination was Hoover Dam, but we had heard that traffic getting out there was terrible and that it would be crowded on the weekend. My wife wanted to do some hiking so we headed to Red Rock Canyon. If we had talked to anyone who knew, we would have gone to Mt. Charleston. My folks came to pick us up and we headed out.
Red Rock Canyon is quite impressive with unique and beautiful geologic features. We stop at the first observation point my wife and go on a short hike/climb. My parents take some pictures and stay near the car. They are not quite up for the terrain, but are willing to wait for us to do some exploring. We hike and climb (mostly in the shade of the canyon walls) a short route. At one point, my wife gets mad at me for being a wimp. There is a narrow and steep face that she really wants to climb. I express that I think it is a bad idea. She gets very upset with me and insists she can do it. She thinks I doubt her physical prowess. I explain, that I know she can climb up, but I was more concerned with the coming down. Mind you we have no climbing gear, we are wearing running shoes, shorts, and t-shirts. A heated argument ensues.
I used to be a more adventurous guy --the kind of guy that would cliff dive, swim with sharks, race cars, repel, sky dive, bungee jump, not wear my seat belt, and swim right after eating. (editorial note – I’ve only really done two of the aforementioned but, I would have, if given the opportunity.) And I would have scrambled up that cliff and reached the top long before considering the more difficult climb back down. But, in my old age, I have developed a more conservative outlook. I have children to look after, a 20th high school reunion to go to and the WSOP to win. I won the argument but my wife was annoyed with me.
We hiked back to my parent’s Prius and headed to a different part of the park where we had planned to “do a hike.” The trail was rated moderately difficult and should take about 2 hours to complete according to the trail map. My parents were interested in going to the park’s information center to read all of the materials and enjoy the air conditioning. They would be back to pick us up in 2 hours.
Now, here is where I have to admit that I have a degree in neuroscience from a prestigious university and I think I’m a pretty smart guy. Yet, I think that it would be a good idea to hike for two hours across moderately difficult terrain at 1:00 in the afternoon, in July, in the desert, with running shoes and 4 pints of water. Actually, I just didn’t want to be called out as a wimp by my wife again. I didn’t want to argue, as she was ready to go. So off we go into the wilderness to find a natural spring that should be about an hour into the hike up the canyon. As we head out, I start to question our decision but decide to keep my concerns to myself.
The route is not well marked and a few times we end up off trail. Each time we find our way back, and we feel we are heading in the right direction. About halfway in, my wife takes a misstep and rolls her ankle. I ask if she is okay, and she quickly says she’s fine. I know she isn’t, but there is no way she is going to admit or show she’s hurt, so we press on. It turns out that the desert is hot midday in July and I notice we go through our first two bottles of water quickly. It is obvious that we haven’t brought near enough to drink. I start to think about episodes of “Man vs Wild” were Bear Grylls drinks his own pee and squeezes water out of elephant dung. I don’t have the urge to go and I haven’t seen a single sign on any wildlife (seems they all have sense enough to stay out of the heat in the middle of day) much less elephant dung. I start thinking we should turn back, but my competitive juices are flowing and I want to see that damn spring.
We pass a couple who are on their way back out of the canyon and ask them how far till we reach the spring. I notice that we appear to be more fit than them at first glance, so if they can make it then we certainly can. She replies, “about ten more minutes.” But he says, “more like twenty.” They continue their disagreement as they walk away.
I look at my wife and see that she is thinking the same thing I am. “If they can do it, then we can do it.” So we press on. About ten minutes later, we have still seen no spring and we are struggling. I have stopped drinking water because I want to make sure we have some left for the hike out and I am worried about my wife. I really don’t want to drink her pee. We come across another group on their way out and we ask them how much further. They say about another 15 minutes or so. I then ask if it is worth it. They emphatically say, “No, it is a small dirty pool of water.”
We sit in the shade for a while thinking it over and finally decide to turn back. I am feeling a bit defeated, but I know it is the right decision based on the conditions and our supply of water.
It’s not long before we have another brief, but heated, argument about which way to go. We are both getting short tempered, and then my wife rolls her ankle again. This time there is no hiding the fact that it hurt. But my wife is tough and she is pissed at me so we keep moving. We are down to the last half pint of water and I have been making sure she has been getting a little water every few minutes or so. Up until this point, I had not really been worried about our safety – just our level of discomfort. However, now I actually started to consider that we were in a semi-bad spot.
On our way out we had not passed anyone coming in, so I did not expect we would see anyone else until we were in sight of the trailhead. I wanted my wife to just keep moving forward. I knew her ankle hurt and I knew she was struggling with the heat. I went into coach mode and just tried to motivate her. One thing to know about my wife is she is tough. Last year she completed a 100-mile bike race up and down the hills of Sonoma California to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund. There is no quit in her. We staggered along and finally reached the trailhead.
When we got back to the car we tried to play it off like it wasn’t a big deal, but we had made a foolish decision. We were not wearing the proper footwear for that terrain and we did not have close to enough water. My parents – the consummate team parents --had Gatorade and cold water waiting for us (but no sliced oranges
).
We headed back to town with a plan to get cleaned up and have a night out in Vegas -- just the four of us. Romantic huh? By the time we got back to the Rio, my wife’s ankle was very very swollen. We showered and I wrapped my wife’s ankle with ice. I have seen enough ankle injuries to know that this could be serious, but we won’t know until we get the swelling down. She decides she wants to chill for a while. And then I made a tactical error. I asked if she wanted me to stay with her or go show my parents around a bit. She said I should go, which I found out later really meant that I should stay. That combined with the injury make it doubtful that I will be hitting the jackpot tonight.
My mom wants to learn to play blackjack and craps. I want to teach her, but I want it to be a cheap lesson. They also want to see the strip. So we head over to Bill’s Gambling Hall (bc of the low table limits). My Dad and I pull out some cash and put my mom at a blackjack table. We start slowly but soon she thinks she’s getting the hang of it. When my Dad and I were distracted by some of the local scenery, my mom hit her 14 with the dealer showing a 6. Of course she busted and took the big card away from the dealer who turned over the king and then peeled off a 5. The rest of the table was not pleased. My mom was having fun and was oblivious to their unhappiness. I suggested we go give craps a try before one of them says something nasty, which would incite my father, who I would then have to defend with a threat of physical violence. Craps went a bit better, but my Mom really had a hard time following what was going on.* We left with our pockets a little lighter, but it was all about entertainment so no big deal.
*(editorial note – My mom is not dumb, quite smart in fact, a PhD, but this is out of her element)
I had tried to text my wife a few times, but she didn’t reply. I figured she must have fallen asleep. So I didn’t call. However, as we go to leave Bills I realize it has been about 4 hours since we left her –oops--- Vegas can do weird things to your sense of time passage. I call and she is pissed. She thought we were just going downstairs to the Rio for a while. In the meantime she has gotten deep into the mini bar (just to spite me and my budget). She has also called the front desk to ask if they have any crutches she can use. (They say no – later we see they have scooters for rent which they failed to mention– I really wish we would have known bc that would have been awesome if she raced Doyle and TJ up and down the Rio hallways.) I tell her we will come get her. Her ankle is still bad, so I stop at the pharmacy to buy a compression ankle brace and Advil.
When we get to the Rio, she is not moving well and obviously in pain, but she wants to go out. I figure a few Advil and enough alcohol and she will be fine. We go grab a bite and head back to the strip. After a bit of walking and people watching, we head to Treasure Island - my wife really wants to see the show free pirate show outside of Treasure Island and then the volcano at the Mirage. (Vegas under $20). This is a colossal waste of time and effort. If you are thinking about it on your next trip – DON’T DO IT! I guess you get what you pay for. We left before it was over. We decided it was time to head back. My wife’s ankle was hurting despite alcohol intake, my folks were tired and no one was really having fun.
We make plans to meet in the morning to go to Caesar’s Palace to watch the World Cup final. My former student, Gordon was going to meet us there.
No poker for 2 days. Saturday is day 2B and Sunday is just an off day for everyone. I have succeeding in getting extra nights at the Rio on Fulltilt’s dime.
Since my parents were in town with a car we decided to get out of Vegas and see some of the natural wonders of the area. Our choices were Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon, or Mt. Charleston (Vegas under $20). Our first inclination was Hoover Dam, but we had heard that traffic getting out there was terrible and that it would be crowded on the weekend. My wife wanted to do some hiking so we headed to Red Rock Canyon. If we had talked to anyone who knew, we would have gone to Mt. Charleston. My folks came to pick us up and we headed out.
Red Rock Canyon is quite impressive with unique and beautiful geologic features. We stop at the first observation point my wife and go on a short hike/climb. My parents take some pictures and stay near the car. They are not quite up for the terrain, but are willing to wait for us to do some exploring. We hike and climb (mostly in the shade of the canyon walls) a short route. At one point, my wife gets mad at me for being a wimp. There is a narrow and steep face that she really wants to climb. I express that I think it is a bad idea. She gets very upset with me and insists she can do it. She thinks I doubt her physical prowess. I explain, that I know she can climb up, but I was more concerned with the coming down. Mind you we have no climbing gear, we are wearing running shoes, shorts, and t-shirts. A heated argument ensues.
I used to be a more adventurous guy --the kind of guy that would cliff dive, swim with sharks, race cars, repel, sky dive, bungee jump, not wear my seat belt, and swim right after eating. (editorial note – I’ve only really done two of the aforementioned but, I would have, if given the opportunity.) And I would have scrambled up that cliff and reached the top long before considering the more difficult climb back down. But, in my old age, I have developed a more conservative outlook. I have children to look after, a 20th high school reunion to go to and the WSOP to win. I won the argument but my wife was annoyed with me.
We hiked back to my parent’s Prius and headed to a different part of the park where we had planned to “do a hike.” The trail was rated moderately difficult and should take about 2 hours to complete according to the trail map. My parents were interested in going to the park’s information center to read all of the materials and enjoy the air conditioning. They would be back to pick us up in 2 hours.
Now, here is where I have to admit that I have a degree in neuroscience from a prestigious university and I think I’m a pretty smart guy. Yet, I think that it would be a good idea to hike for two hours across moderately difficult terrain at 1:00 in the afternoon, in July, in the desert, with running shoes and 4 pints of water. Actually, I just didn’t want to be called out as a wimp by my wife again. I didn’t want to argue, as she was ready to go. So off we go into the wilderness to find a natural spring that should be about an hour into the hike up the canyon. As we head out, I start to question our decision but decide to keep my concerns to myself.
The route is not well marked and a few times we end up off trail. Each time we find our way back, and we feel we are heading in the right direction. About halfway in, my wife takes a misstep and rolls her ankle. I ask if she is okay, and she quickly says she’s fine. I know she isn’t, but there is no way she is going to admit or show she’s hurt, so we press on. It turns out that the desert is hot midday in July and I notice we go through our first two bottles of water quickly. It is obvious that we haven’t brought near enough to drink. I start to think about episodes of “Man vs Wild” were Bear Grylls drinks his own pee and squeezes water out of elephant dung. I don’t have the urge to go and I haven’t seen a single sign on any wildlife (seems they all have sense enough to stay out of the heat in the middle of day) much less elephant dung. I start thinking we should turn back, but my competitive juices are flowing and I want to see that damn spring.
We pass a couple who are on their way back out of the canyon and ask them how far till we reach the spring. I notice that we appear to be more fit than them at first glance, so if they can make it then we certainly can. She replies, “about ten more minutes.” But he says, “more like twenty.” They continue their disagreement as they walk away.
I look at my wife and see that she is thinking the same thing I am. “If they can do it, then we can do it.” So we press on. About ten minutes later, we have still seen no spring and we are struggling. I have stopped drinking water because I want to make sure we have some left for the hike out and I am worried about my wife. I really don’t want to drink her pee. We come across another group on their way out and we ask them how much further. They say about another 15 minutes or so. I then ask if it is worth it. They emphatically say, “No, it is a small dirty pool of water.”
We sit in the shade for a while thinking it over and finally decide to turn back. I am feeling a bit defeated, but I know it is the right decision based on the conditions and our supply of water.
It’s not long before we have another brief, but heated, argument about which way to go. We are both getting short tempered, and then my wife rolls her ankle again. This time there is no hiding the fact that it hurt. But my wife is tough and she is pissed at me so we keep moving. We are down to the last half pint of water and I have been making sure she has been getting a little water every few minutes or so. Up until this point, I had not really been worried about our safety – just our level of discomfort. However, now I actually started to consider that we were in a semi-bad spot.
On our way out we had not passed anyone coming in, so I did not expect we would see anyone else until we were in sight of the trailhead. I wanted my wife to just keep moving forward. I knew her ankle hurt and I knew she was struggling with the heat. I went into coach mode and just tried to motivate her. One thing to know about my wife is she is tough. Last year she completed a 100-mile bike race up and down the hills of Sonoma California to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund. There is no quit in her. We staggered along and finally reached the trailhead.
When we got back to the car we tried to play it off like it wasn’t a big deal, but we had made a foolish decision. We were not wearing the proper footwear for that terrain and we did not have close to enough water. My parents – the consummate team parents --had Gatorade and cold water waiting for us (but no sliced oranges
). We headed back to town with a plan to get cleaned up and have a night out in Vegas -- just the four of us. Romantic huh? By the time we got back to the Rio, my wife’s ankle was very very swollen. We showered and I wrapped my wife’s ankle with ice. I have seen enough ankle injuries to know that this could be serious, but we won’t know until we get the swelling down. She decides she wants to chill for a while. And then I made a tactical error. I asked if she wanted me to stay with her or go show my parents around a bit. She said I should go, which I found out later really meant that I should stay. That combined with the injury make it doubtful that I will be hitting the jackpot tonight.
My mom wants to learn to play blackjack and craps. I want to teach her, but I want it to be a cheap lesson. They also want to see the strip. So we head over to Bill’s Gambling Hall (bc of the low table limits). My Dad and I pull out some cash and put my mom at a blackjack table. We start slowly but soon she thinks she’s getting the hang of it. When my Dad and I were distracted by some of the local scenery, my mom hit her 14 with the dealer showing a 6. Of course she busted and took the big card away from the dealer who turned over the king and then peeled off a 5. The rest of the table was not pleased. My mom was having fun and was oblivious to their unhappiness. I suggested we go give craps a try before one of them says something nasty, which would incite my father, who I would then have to defend with a threat of physical violence. Craps went a bit better, but my Mom really had a hard time following what was going on.* We left with our pockets a little lighter, but it was all about entertainment so no big deal.
*(editorial note – My mom is not dumb, quite smart in fact, a PhD, but this is out of her element)
I had tried to text my wife a few times, but she didn’t reply. I figured she must have fallen asleep. So I didn’t call. However, as we go to leave Bills I realize it has been about 4 hours since we left her –oops--- Vegas can do weird things to your sense of time passage. I call and she is pissed. She thought we were just going downstairs to the Rio for a while. In the meantime she has gotten deep into the mini bar (just to spite me and my budget). She has also called the front desk to ask if they have any crutches she can use. (They say no – later we see they have scooters for rent which they failed to mention– I really wish we would have known bc that would have been awesome if she raced Doyle and TJ up and down the Rio hallways.) I tell her we will come get her. Her ankle is still bad, so I stop at the pharmacy to buy a compression ankle brace and Advil.
When we get to the Rio, she is not moving well and obviously in pain, but she wants to go out. I figure a few Advil and enough alcohol and she will be fine. We go grab a bite and head back to the strip. After a bit of walking and people watching, we head to Treasure Island - my wife really wants to see the show free pirate show outside of Treasure Island and then the volcano at the Mirage. (Vegas under $20). This is a colossal waste of time and effort. If you are thinking about it on your next trip – DON’T DO IT! I guess you get what you pay for. We left before it was over. We decided it was time to head back. My wife’s ankle was hurting despite alcohol intake, my folks were tired and no one was really having fun.
We make plans to meet in the morning to go to Caesar’s Palace to watch the World Cup final. My former student, Gordon was going to meet us there.
08-22-2010
, 11:51 PM
08-23-2010
, 12:03 AM
08-23-2010
, 11:34 AM
08-23-2010
, 04:22 PM
Great read! I have a very similar situation. I work full-time, have a family and grind SNGs on FTP in my spare time. We play the same stakes and I see you at the tables quite often. I've probably got 10K+ hands on you in my HEM database. 
It's nice to put a story behind one of the regs I see all the time. Keep it up!
It's nice to put a story behind one of the regs I see all the time. Keep it up!
08-23-2010
, 04:55 PM
