I'm going to a casino this weekend. I have no idea what to expect but it's an early birthday celebration. We are going to the one at the Cherokee reservation and spend the night.

I also met M's cousin who is like a move character to me. Fast taking Southern dude with a cowboy hat and cigarette and he seems to know everyone. M's family is very different from mine.

Anyway this weekend will be an adventure. Gambling, a hotel room wirh a hot tub and some more gambling.

I finally got my spoons together and did grocery shopping. I'd put it off until I was out of everything but a 10lb bag of rice, some frozen veg and chicken tenders (for slicing frozen for stir fry) and steaklets, ditto.

Have accomplished the previously impossible, I rewarded myself with a Magnum (I mean, really, that name? Ridiculous) double chocolate raspberry ice cream bar. I shall be doing penance with carrots and hummus over the weekend to compensate.

Speaking of raspberry, once upon a time and long ago, amid all the animated Christmas programs was Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. There were some wonderful songs in that little opus, and one of them had Tiny Tim singing the tagline, "and razzleberry dressing." My kids both demanded razzleberry dressing whenever there was celebratory turkey. And it's just been a catchphrase for a very long time. I was in the frozen dessert aisle and my glance happened to fall on "razzleberry pie." At some point my resistance will be low and I'll have to try it.

Razzleberry pie is REALLY good.

I rewarded myself with a Magnum (I mean, really, that name? Ridiculous) double chocolate raspberry ice cream bar.

The most suggestively named frozen treat ever.

I made my very long list of groceries for the stuff I am making for the shower on Sunday. I'll go to Trader Joe's at 8AM when it is a ghost town. I also have a couple things to get from the dollar store and BJs, but I will delegate those runs to other people.

Ignore if I have said this stuff before! Mind is overrunning.

Shower menu! Massive punch bowl of Sangria, and other stuff for the non-drinkers. Then hors d'oeuvres trays of skewers with various fruits and cheeses, artichokes/olives/tomatoes, etc., and baby pepper halves on a tray with hummus. 2 bowls of salad, one a fruit salad and the other a tortellini/broccoli and stuff. Sandwiches with either finger rolls or croissants (depends on what looks good in store) to be stuffed with egg salad or tuna salad or just lettuce & tomato. SIL is making some kind of rolo filled turtle things and I am making strawberry shortcake.

I'll do all the food prep tomorrow afternoon while DIL's mom and a friend do the decorating. She did the goodie bags and game stuff since I suck at that, and she sucks at cooking!

I'm going to a casino this weekend.

Have fun! I haven't been other than in Vegas. Gambling isn't one of my vices so I can just do a little bit for fun and expect to lose a set amount.

I love casinos. The employees all have to be nice to you--even if impersonally--because you can't really tell who's got $50,000 in their bank account and is headed for the poker table to spend it all. Though I have seen the smiles get very strained when dealing with someone who's camped out in the cheap seats and arguing about the quality of the free drinks. I need to tip them better.

I'm getting two inches lopped off my already fairly short hair tomorrow. The depths of summer are here, and I'm testing how short the line between stylish and "remembers the Marine Corps stint fondly" is. With a week before I go back to work, I'll be used to it, and Vegas don't care.

Connie and askye, may I make a pitch for funding Buffista Island when you hit the jackpot?

If all the bells and whistles go off, I'll keep the Island in mind.

I hate casinos because I don't gamble and my husband loves it. It's not a spot for marital harmony. Speaking of which, we get to move back into our house at the end of the month after six months out to renovate. The little apt has worked out really well, but little apt is little.

I had a good time. I lost all I took yesterday. Which I don't know what happened. I mean I lost but I also wasn't being as cautious as I had been . I meant to stop with a certain amount left but I didnt and I'm mad at myself about that. But I had fun.

And it was a great weekend and while I want to do it again I'm ok if it's not until next year or something.

I found out at work that they are moving forward to making me fulltime. It's not so much we love your work and so we are offering this as it is management is making them because of how many hours I'm working . I think the store manager is the main issue because of budget but I'm not sure.

They like me and it's just complicated I guess. And the good news is I'll be eligible for health insurance so I won't have to be on constant anxiety about that. The bad news is that it is both expensive per month and has huge deductibles . I think the most expansive, which is the lowest deductible is something like $2000/year deductible and nothing is covered except check ups until that is paid. I have no idea how much a month it will be but I think it's around $200.

And I'll be getting fewer houra because we are fully staffed.

My goal is to get to the point where I can feel like I can take some onlike courses and take another stab at school. I guess it's never too late.