Hello from Sin City

S

sargentodiaz

Member
Location
North Las Vegas, NV
I'm in pretty good shape for my 79 years although I got lots of stuff the doctors like to keep an eye on.

I've been just getting around with a cane and/ or walker and have my fingers crossed that I'm going to get a wheelchair Monday - tomorrow.

Blew the cartilage in both knees for being obese and tore one of the ligaments. Doctors gave my oxy and then hydrocodone which I've done my very best to avoid using.

I'm Type-II diabetic taking a couple of pills along with Lantus and Novolog. Had a problem the past couple of days with super low blood sugar - in the 40s - and am happy I have sucrose tablets along with plenty of juices. It sure is scary to wake up with the cold sweats and shakes.

I had a couple of DVTs and am on Xorelta, making me bleed and bruise easily. Kind of dicy when my doc removes skin cancers due to be blonde haired, fair skinned, and growing up outdoors in Southern California.

I'm taking stuff for high blood pressure and cholesterol, both of which are working just fine.

I need to lose a lot of weight but am too stubborn to do what it takes to lose it.

I'm nearly 30 years into my 4th and best marriage to a woman who looks after me like no other. She's taught me fluent Spanish and was the cause of my studying Mexican and Californian history resulting in the 4 novels I wrote in Saint Junipero Serra's Legacy.

I retired after 23 years in the US Army, spent 10 years as a professional slot machine player, worked the desk in a Pick-a-Part junkyard, drove the city bus, gave guided tours, and ended up as a cabbie until my insulin-dependent diabetes took away my commercial drivers license.

I'm addicted to politics and the daily news. I am an American nationalist and, having spent 12 years assigned in Europe, know this is the best country ever - in spite of its shortcomings and current political difficulties. I'm sure we'll get over them.
Anything else? Ask.
 

Welcome Sarge ( hope you don't mind me shortening your name)...

Sounds like you've had a very interesting life... sorry you're so poorly, but you know, it seems a waste doesn't it, for you to have gone through so much... 23 years in the services not the least of it, to be too ''stubborn'' not to look after yourself, and dice with the seriousness of diabetes, just for the sake of losing some weight...

I really hope you don't mind me saying that to you, I don't mean to sound rude , but now you've come to visit us, we'd like you to be with us for a long time yet.. :D
 
Well said, HD. Sarge, how does one play the slots, professionally, or was that an inside Vegas joke?

From a non-casino connected site:

- - - you don't need the money, put it in savings, speak to an investment counselor, make a nice donation to charity, buy yourself something cool — anything. But DO NOT attempt to become a professional slot player.

At any game, playing professionally is a pipe dream for most players. Even at blackjack, most players who attempt to count cards can't really beat the house.

On slots, the house edge is much too high for sustained success. You've been fortunate enough to win two large jackpots in a short time, but the house edge on penny slots of 10 to 15 percent — depending on casino and jurisdiction — will grind you down over time.

Slots involve no skill. You can't bring that house edge down. There is no way to tell when a machine will pay off or when a jackpot is coming. Many more sessions will bring losses than wins. Players go years or decades at a time without hitting jackpots as large as yours.

Slots are fun. The bonuses are engaging, and the occasional big wins are exciting. But they should be treated as entertainment and the money you play with should come from an entertainment budget.

But if you try to step up and play professionally with your $40,000 in jackpots as seed money, the most likely outcome is that you'll come out of the experience $40,000 poorer.
 

Hi Sargento!

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Hi Sarge, Hope you decide to stick around. This is a pretty friendly forum.

I've spent a lot of time in Vegas and have relatives there. Before he retired my husband and 2 of my brothers worked on a remodel at Ceasar's Palace. He worked on several jobs there. I like Vegas. So did my brother's wife and her ashes were spread on the strip after she passed away. (And yes, we know that is illegal.)

Do you fish over there or have any outdoor activities you like to do? My husband is a type 2 diabetic but he keeps pretty busy walking, fishing and working on old cars so he can outrun me. :)
 
HI Sarge,
I've been to Las Vegas twice, with family&friends celebrating my sister's 50th birthday in 2000,had a fun weekend.We stayed at the Luxor hotel
In Oct 2001,with couple of girlfriends,we had made reservations months earlier.We were there for long weekend,didn't see many people walking the strip or in the casinos
Welcome to this friendly site,glad you found us Sue in Buffalo,NY
 
treeguy64 said:
Well said, HD. Sarge, how does one play the slots, professionally, or was that an inside Vegas joke?

From a non-casino connected site:

- - - you don't need the money, put it in savings, speak to an investment counselor, make a nice donation to charity, buy yourself something cool — anything. But DO NOT attempt to become a professional slot player.

At any game, playing professionally is a pipe dream for most players. Even at blackjack, most players who attempt to count cards can't really beat the house.

On slots, the house edge is much too high for sustained success. You've been fortunate enough to win two large jackpots in a short time, but the house edge on penny slots of 10 to 15 percent — depending on casino and jurisdiction — will grind you down over time.

Slots involve no skill. You can't bring that house edge down. There is no way to tell when a machine will pay off or when a jackpot is coming. Many more sessions will bring losses than wins. Players go years or decades at a time without hitting jackpots as large as yours.

Slots are fun. The bonuses are engaging, and the occasional big wins are exciting. But they should be treated as entertainment and the money you play with should come from an entertainment budget.

But if you try to step up and play professionally with your $40,000 in jackpots as seed money, the most likely outcome is that you'll come out of the experience $40,000 poorer.
Click to expand...

First of all, there is no way on earth of beating today's slots. They will take your money. You might get lucky but, unfortunately, most people put it all back.

As for "playing slots professionally" it was all a matter of figuring the odds on machines with progressive jackpots and knowing the proper way to play them. I was a member of a group of people workig for the same sponsor. He would find potentially profitable machines and give us money to play them. We were paid by the hour according to the monetary value of the machines along with perks such as or drinks and meals. For out-of-town machines, we would get a mileage allowance and even a paid hotel room in the play turned out to be extensive.

Not a lot of fun pulling a slot machine handle for hours on end.

I did write a book about it but don't want to break any rules by plugging it here.
 
Linda said:
Hi Sarge, Hope you decide to stick around. This is a pretty friendly forum.

I've spent a lot of time in Vegas and have relatives there. Before he retired my husband and 2 of my brothers worked on a remodel at Ceasar's Palace. He worked on several jobs there. I like Vegas. So did my brother's wife and her ashes were spread on the strip after she passed away. (And yes, we know that is illegal.)

Do you fish over there or have any outdoor activities you like to do? My husband is a type 2 diabetic but he keeps pretty busy walking, fishing and working on old cars so he can outrun me. :)
Click to expand...

With both of my knees shot, I rarely get out of the house with no hope of walking whatsoever.
 
:rose::wave: Hi Sargento. Welcome. I'm glad to see you here! Scroll down on the Home Page and you will see the forums like Health, Veterans, Senior Retirement, Financial, General Discussions, etc. Politics was banned here a little while back but there are still Current Events and Hot topics which are sometimes borderline. Enjoy! Btw, good intro and profile. I'll see you around :eek:nthego:
 

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