wait 'til next year

For those of you who have missed me, thank you.  I have been very busy with life . . .  The BIG news to announce is that I have opened a coffee shop / cafe in Bradenton Florida check it out if you can:   www.jarsgardencafe.com

Because it is the right business thing to do, I have also started a blog for the cafe http://jarsgardencafe.blogspot.com/ 

I hope some of you who like coffee or food will follow Jars Garden Cafe.   

Dealing Blackjack the other night the discussion at the table centered around drinking, vacations, couples, dating, marriage, divorce and the rules of the road surrounding each.  Being newly single again (after 23 years of marriage) one of the guys at my table had some sound advice for me that I am going to pass on to all of you.

During one of the moments as I was shuffling the eight decks of cards, this kind gentleman reached in his pocket and gave me a 3" x 5" card which was titled "How to Impress a Lady", in an easy to read block style font, it read:

"Wine her, Dine her, Call her, Hug her, Support her, Hold her, Surprise her, Compliment her, Smile at her,  Listen to her, Laugh with her, Cry with her, Romance her, Encourage her, Believe in her, Pray with her, Cuddle with her, Shop with her, Give her jewelry, Buy her flowers, Hold her hand, Write love letters to her, Go to the end of the Earth and back again for her."  (I now know where I went wrong, haha)

He then said to turn the card over, I did such and it was titled "How to Impress a Man" and printed in a fancy script font it read:  "Show up naked . . . Bring food . . . Don't block the TV".

Thanks to this kind stranger, I have learned so much and am happy to pass these words of wisdom along to all of you.  You never know where or when you may learn something important as I did the other night while dealing Blackjack.   

For those of you who may not know, my nighttime life is as a Las Vegas theme party planner / Casino dealer for Casino Nights .  

I received the ultimate gift from my daughter last night.

Because in our house we celebrate both Chanuka and Christmas, the exchange of our immediate family gifts is usually on a day between the two holidays (though we usually leave at least one to be opened on Christmas morning).

So, last night we had our Chanu-mas dinner and gift exchange.  Naturally I did receive two packages of Pepperridge Farms Rapsberry Milano's (some family members actually read my blog), a bottle of Crown Royal (yes I have a dark side) and . . . drum roll please . . .

This toaster which has the Chicago Cubs logo on the inside to brand each piece of my toast. 

Now my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will taste better and my breakfast egg and cheese sandwiches will be blazing in the Cubs trademark too. 

My thought is that if the Cubs have a bad day, stink up the joint, lose a thriller, get shutout or worse yet be the victim of a no-hitter I can always burn a piece of toast beyond eat-a-bility. 

But, if the Cubbies have a good day, win in a walk off, pitch a no hitter or even shall I say make a run for the World Series (and actually get there ?!), I shall be toasting plenty of slices of bread in honor of their success.

For now, thanks to my daughter, I can Toast the Cubs every day !

ok before anyone gets too worried, it is NOT one of those addictions that are serious nor require medications, support groups or a ten step process,  I wont be invited on the Dr. Phil, Oprah or Jerry Springer shows either.

Now that I have set that record straight, my addiction is Raspberry Milano.  Ok, one more clarification.  It is NOT an infatuation with the one and only Alyssa Milano wearing a raspberry robe, though I could very easily be persuaded to be addicted to her.  That would certainly be a more healthy addiction than the one I am about to confess to but she may not agree.

My (newest) addiction is one of the cookie sort, more accurately a Pepperidge Farm cookie called the Raspberry Milano.  If you have not tried these, dont ! You too will become addicted very quickly.  So I warn you - do not even try them ! 

The package begs us to "indulge in a little raspberry romance . . . " and continues to tell us to "embrace decadent cravings. Reward yourself. Open . . .Taste . . .Delight"

With a package so enticing it is no wonder that I have this addiction. 

If you care to help me with my issue, go buy a package; at least then there will be one less for me to consume.  If you dont care to help, leave them on the groceries shelves, I will be around your neighborhood soon enough to but them all and stock my entire home. 

If neither of those options appeal to you, just let Alyssa know.  She might be the only cure to my addiction.

CASINO NIGHTS is more than just your typical provider of Las Vegas style table games and professional dealers for your party.

One thing that separates us from the crowd is our connection to so much more.  Yes Casino Nights is actually part of Apollo Amusements and Gameroom SuperStores along with Saturn 5 indoor amusement center in Bradenton Florida.

This allows us to offer YOU the largest selection of video and pinball games, foosball, air hockey, ping pong and even billiards for rental.  All of these can add major FUN at any of your upcoming events.

If you only want to rent a few video games, have an air hockey or foos ball fun filled afternoon, reward your employees (or friends) with an evening of friendly competition without the "formality" of tuxedo wearing dealers, then calling Casino Nights and renting these other FUN games is all you need.

When you call 1-877/FLA-PLAY you get the full array of FUN for any sort of event you may want to plan.  Ask for Steve or John and let us know you have read this blog for an extra discount.

See, this is something you probably did not know.

We all have fringe benefits at work, some are better than others.

Check out my new blog post at Casino Nights Blog and see what I mean.

This is a tease.

I love my job ! 

I have started a new blog . . . CASINO NIGHTS BLOG I hope some of you will follow along.

This is my new life, a FUN life it is . . . baseball cards are my hobby (a forgotten sole as it has been a rough year or so). I shall return to spending more time (and money) on my hobby one day soon, but for now my new venture as an event planner / casino dealer must take top honors.

If you have ever attended a casino night party, las vegas style event fund-raiser, poker tournament or have ever gone to a real casino to try your hand at "real" gambling then my new blog might be of interest. If not . . . I understand.

Thank you ALL for your loyal readership, generosity (baseball card collectors are some of the most generous bloggers out there) and friendship (yes I do consider some of you friends).

Here's the link to my website and new adventure . . . . CASINO NIGHTS

Thank you !