67. With Sherry - December 23, 1995

• This was simply a layover during our plane flight to Illinois for Christmas. It was originally to be an hour, but it turned into four hours due to a diaper in the toilet on the plane. We played slots and won three dollars.

66. With Mike Stefanidis and Helen Blount - Harrah's, July 1-3, 1995

• We took advantage of the long four-day Fourth of July weekend by leaving San Diego Saturday and returning Monday. It was a losing trip.

• We did go to the Hard Rock Casino for the first time. It was pretty cool, but crowded.

• We rode the roller coaster at Circus Circus. Very fun.

65. With Mike Stefanidis and Helen Blount - April 21-22, 1995

• I was actually contemplating driving to Vegas by myself for the day since Sherry was going to be out of town visiting her friend Sarah in Davis, California. But after discussing it with Mike, we decided to go together and fly. We left at 9:00 p.m. Friday night with reservations for a return flight at 11:30 the next morning.

• We started at Center Strip and gradually worked our way south to Excalibur and Luxor. We were losing, but we weren't wiped out.

• Finally at 8:30 Saturday morning, we walked up to a table at the MGM Grand. It started out as a very, very slow game due to an elderly player next to the stick. After about twenty minutes he left, and the game picked up.

  A guy at the other end started a hand and I immediately went $137.00 across (basically $25.00 on each number). He was having a pretty good hand, making a point right away. After establishing a new point of eight, he rolled a ten and I collected the $50.00. A couple of rolls later he rolled another ten and this time I pressed it to $50.00. Almost immediately he rolled another ten, so I pressed it to $100.00. Not too long after that… another ten! He was rolling other numbers as well, but nothing like this ten. I pressed it to $200.00. Another ten. I pressed to $300.00. Another ten! Now I had it pressed to $500.00.

  I turned to Mike and said, "You know, if I just take that ten down, I'll be up for the trip!" But I kept it there. He continued to roll. I was starting to make money on the other numbers now: a couple of sixes, a few nines. About the only place I wasn't making money was on the pass line; he couldn't make his point of eight. Then, another ten. $1,000.00 winner. I decided NOT to press. Before too long… another ten!

  Mike said, "You gotta press it now! Up to $700.00."

  "Eh, I don't know," I said.

  Mike said, "Come on! You just won $1000.00. It'll only cost you $200.00 to go to $700.00."

  He was right, and I was up for the trip now. So I pressed it to $700.00. A few rolls later the shooter threw another ten. $1,400.00 winner.

  I pressed my bet to $1,000.00, but that was as far as it would go. He sevened out shortly thereafter; he only made one or two points the whole hand. But he had thrown nine tens before sevening out. When he was done, I had nearly five thousand dollars in front of me.

• Mike had not jumped on the ten during that monster roll; he didn't want to spook it. Even so, he ended up winning over $500.00 for the trip thanks to the hot tables at the MGM Grand. I won a little over $2,900.00.

64. With Mom, Dad, Dana, Sue, Jody, Lou, and Mimi - Treasure Island, March 31 - April 2, 1995

• We finally got Dad to Las Vegas, and we all had a blast.

• We went to see Cirque du Soleil at Treasure Island, and it was spectacular.

• While we were at Luxor, we stopped at one of those booths where they can put your face on a magazine cover. Dad got one done where his face is on the body of a wrestler who has Bill Clinton in a head lock. It was a riot.

63. With Mike Stefanidis - Harrah's, January 27-28, 1995

• We used the Chargers' appearance in the Super Bowl this weekend as an excuse to go to Vegas. (We made a few bets for people.)

62. With Sherry, Mike Stefanidis, Helen Blount, Paul Huyser, and Mary Whelan - The Golden Nugget, December 30, 1994 - January 1, 1995

• It was kind of fun to go for New Year's. To top it off, we all won money on New Year's Eve.

• Paul had an amazing streak at blackjack. He turned $50.00 into $1,800.00 on a tear that must have been at least fifteen winning hands in a row. Really amazing.