73. With Sherry, Mom, Dad, Dana, Sue, Karen, and Vic - The Mirage, March 8-10, 1998

• This was a great trip. Lots of fun and lots of good food.

• Of course this was the annual trip for Mimi's birthday, so we went to the Official All Star Café. Those in attendance (in addition to those listed above): Jody d'Assalenaux; Bob Sheppard, Jan d'Assalenaux and Kate & Kevin Sheppard, Jane Sheppard, Ric & Theresa d'Assalenaux, Bill & B.J. Blakeley; Chris, Betsy, Lauren & Will Blakeley.

• Dana got two fake magazine covers made, one of them a sexy cop.

• We went to Hoover Dam (first time for me).

• Sherry bet five dollars at 20-1 on the Padres to win the National League Pennant. (And they did!)

72. With Mike Stefanidis, Helen Blount and Paul Huyser - Harrah's, October, 1997

• This was Paul's trip. He won close to $10,000 playing blackjack, drunk most of the time.

71. With Sherry - September 19-20, 1997

• This was an unexpected layover at McCarran Airport (due to bad weather) on our way home from a trip to Illinois. I played a little video poker.

70. With Sherry, Mom, Dad, Dana, Sue, Jody, Mimi, Karen, and Vic - New York, New York, March 16-18, 1997

• A very stressful trip. We decided to drive, and that turned out to be a mistake. With this many people it took us forever to get to Vegas and back. Even though the trip took three days, we were virtually only in Las Vegas for one.

• This time it was my turn for the fake magazine cover: Elvis in front of the MGM Grand.

• We stayed at New York-New York for the first and last time. (No ice on some of the floors, lengthy wait for bell service, etc., etc.)

69. With Mike Stefanidis - Caesars Palace, July 27-28, 1996

• Finally stayed at Caesars. The excuse for the trip was Helen had just dumped Mike. After the gambling, Mike had TWO things to be depressed about.

68. With Sherry, Mom, Dad, Dana, Sue, Jody, Lou, Mimi, and Barbara Konieczny -- The Mirage, March 1-3, 1996

• Sherry & I and Mom & Dad got rooms at the end of the "wings" of The Mirage, so there were windows on two walls in each room with great views of The Strip.

• This time Mom and Sue were the victim's of the fake magazine covers; Mom on Cosmopolitan, Sue as a sexy cowgirl.

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.