No, no, no. You misread me. It has nothing to do with the peeps. I'm pretty sure they are great bunch, otherwise I would have been kicked out of here.

No, it's the situations that I would be placed in. Yes, I would turn down a high-end dinner. Yes, I would turn down expensive wine. Yes, I am absolutely positive that no one would hand me half the check. Yes, if I did still play golf, I would much rather play my home course on the Navy base than the finest course in Vegas. Although I have played on my course with Admirals and Captains and they were fine fellows. I remember playing with a guy who said he just worked for the Navy and call him Bill. A short time later, I saw him in uniform and he was a two-star. Just for fun, I said "Hi, Bill." He said "Hi, Breeze, how are you?" But I digress.

Because those high class things are not ME. It's not what I have ever done. I am very comfortable in my own skin. I know who I am and what I am all about. I struggled for a long time trying to figure that out, and now that I know who I am, I'm not going to change that.

Also, Ken, keep in mind that you are looking at this from the other side of the rainbow. We can't know each others' worlds. I could not pass myself off as something I am not.

It is not the people, it is me and the situations I would be thrust into that would totally throw me out of my comfort zone. If one of the big dogs had to go to Outback for a steak and cold brew, I guarantee they would tolerate it, but would not be happy at all. Same thing, but the view is from the other side of the tracks.

 

I get you might not be comfortable with certain situations, but my point is that at least with folks around here who might like things a bit higher on the hog, they still don't see things in terms of "nots." If peeps don't make you uncomfortable, as you say, I personally don't think the situations then should. I DO, however, respect your position.

Love the two-star story!

 

breeze...I get what you're saying here... but there really are some of us who are quite comfortable in our skin - and that happens to be remarkably similar to your "World"... and are also perfectly comfortable making treks into the higher-end world (or the lower-end one as well).
I had high-end steaks and burger-king during the same Vegas trip... I've sat with yellow-chip blackjack players during the same trip where I played 25-cent VP & $3-keno tickets from the booth at Toucan Harry's.
I've stayed in multi-room suites (courtesy of my 'yellow-chip' friend), and I've stayed at the luxurious El-Morocco for $19/night, and walked across the street to play $5 blackjack at the Stardust.
High-end players just don't really intimidate me or make me uncomfortable... what I've observed over the years is that their blackjack play is rarely as good as mine... competent, sure, but certainly no better.

Now - I agree with you about the gawking - I could never do that...I have a tough time just watching anybody gamble - whether they're betting red, black or yellow... unless I'm playing myself, I get bored rather quickly.

 

if I am treating a friend to a dinner in Vegas, it comes with no strings attached, or any type of expected reciprocal expectations. I am doing it because I enjoy their company. I would feel worse if we were both in town at the same time, and we couldn't have dinner together for some reason. Friends are friends are friends. The circumstance or current atmosphere should not change the fact that you want to enjoy a dinner together.

 

VegasBJ, I'm now enjoying the lovely fall Viennese weather. You were here at the right time, as there is now daily rain and a pervasive damp chill. Plachutta's boiled beef should warm me up!

 

Ha, we had the boiled beef one night as well as stopping by for the infamous Sacher torte. We were staying right across from the Opera house at the Hotel Bristol. Weather was great when we were there about 10 days ago

 

I usually stay at the Marriott on the ringstrasse, but the Ritz Carlton came in at a better rate with an incredible breakfast spread included. Oktoberfest Wien was incredible as well. Far smaller than Munich, but the tents were manageable without the insane tourist lines. The downside is after 730 they charge a €30 "reservation fee" but I just dollar cost averaged it into the multiple €9 litres of Austrian gold! Viennese architecture is just astounding. Wonderful city. Onward to Prague to revisit past lager induced embarrassments!

 

Funny, we had a beer at the Champions bar at the Marriott there one of the days we were walking around

 

Nice. If you make it back, Pub 1516 and Flanagans, just 1 block off the ring, probably 4 blocks from the Marriott, are both excellent bars. I went to Champions Sunday night hoping to catch some NFL, but alas soccer... TGI Fridays had the Jets game, so that was the reward for having to sit in a TGIF in Vienna!

 

We did Flanagans one day as well for a nice Guinness. It was just around the corner from our hotel