It was a blast. In addition to the usual camp contingent of the Weebs, Wiggs, and the Load, my brother from another mother, and my brother from the same mother both came along. This was a time when the Load did not have his financial house entirely in order. To that end, he had applied for a credit card, which he intended to treat as a gift card, to finance the trip. Unfortunately, the credit card didn't come true. I don't know if you can have a negative credit rating, but if anyone could, it would be the Load. Regardless, he was my best man and was not going to let this obstacle stand in his way.
I don't remember all the details, but there are a number of incidences that standout:
1. We had a great time at this Irish themed bar. It was a beautiful day, sitting out on a comfy porch and the beer and food was flowing freely. There was the usual making fun of each other and making ridiculous jokes that were only funny to us. For instance, one of the trips that we used to guide out of camp involved a portion of the Raquette river. There is one section of the river called "the Oxbow" which is an area where if you take a wrong turn you end up going in circles endlessly. Ken Smith, wrote descriptions of each trek, and for this section he wrote in bold letters avoid the oxbow. So of course, when on my way to the bathroom, which involved going around a corner I passed the load going around the exact same corner and admonished him to avoid the oxbow.
2. We had a friendly game of Texas Hold-Em poker. I think we each threw in 20 bucks and it was elimination with the winner taking all (~$100). Normally, for most card games, the Wiggs always wins. However, he had not played much poker, and poker is a game of luck and bluffing in addition to skill. The Load had the most experience playing poker and had set this up. We only found out later that the Load had assumed he would win and had factored the hundred bucks into his financing. As luck would have it, I ended up winning. The Load, as always, took it in stride though.
3. The NJ Ballet. Once you leave the main boardwalk area of Atlantic City, you quickly find yourself in some less than desirable neighborhoods. Fortunately we were travelling as a pack and we were all pretty good sized guys. As we were taking in a show, all was merry and bright. However, the Weebs indicated that at one point both he and the Wiggs had been minding their own business when they felt their eyes begin to burn and their noses run. What we surmised/guessed, is that someone had sprayed pepper spray in the area in an attempt to perhaps steal their wallets while they were incapacitated. Fortunately, it never came to that. Perhaps they escaped the full blast.
4. You really can't smoke in an elevator. Over the course of the weekend, many a cigar was smoked. You are allowed to smoke most places in Atlantic City. You are not allowed to smoke in an elevator. However, my brother was never one to let a placard deter him. We all entered an elevator, and I think my brother was the only one smoking. Even if he was not the only one smoking, he was producing an incredible quantity of smoke. His cigar was like the machine beekeepers use to keep their bees calm. Not only was he spewing smoke at an alarming rate, but it was a relatively small elevator and a smoky haze quickly enveloped us. It would have been OK if we had made it all the way down. But, a few floors down a couple stepped on the elevator. Right away, the woman, who was probably in her mid forties informed my brother that it was not legal to smoke in the elevator. Perhaps if my brother had said something rude or ignored her, she would not have gotten that mad. Instead, he sincerely acknowledged her and responded back with, "Yes, it is illegal to smoke in an elevator." This seemed to set her off and she told him that he should be ashamed of himself, to which he responded that she was right and he should be ashamed of himself. The more he agreed with her, the angrier she got. Also, he kept that stogie stoked and produced just as much, if not more, smoke. Fortunately, it was not that long of a ride.
5. There is a restaurant on the boardwalk that is entirely covered in dollar bills. The walls, the ceilings, picture frames etc. In addition to the dollar bills, there are foreign currencies from all over the world. Most people who visit the restaurant, sign a dollar bill and the owner finds some place to stick it. He probably has thousands of dollars worth of dollar bills in there. For some reason, society works here. I talked to the owner and he said he had very few instances of people taking the money. It is like a diner in the choice of food, a place where you can get breakfast any time of the day. However, it also sports a full bar, so if the mood strikes you, you can order a stack of pancakes and a mint julep! I really enjoy visiting this place any time I am in Atlantic City and I am sure we had at least one breakfast there.
All in all, it was a great trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment