Why Does He Do It?

Last Saturday, I dropped in on an old high school buddy of mine. I didn't call first, though. If I had, he would have gotten out from under his car.

You see, fixing that old car is what he does for fun. It's a '67 Pontiac something or other, and it's been in his garage for as long as we've known each other. His dad bought it in 1982, and he sort of inherited it last year. He says that he'll get it going, as a memorial to his dad.

I can respect that, but I don't think that 25 years in a garage, with a couple of guys tinkering on it one weekend a month has done much to improve the drivability of this vehicle. Of course, wild horses couldn't drag that opinion out of me within 10 miles of my friend. It's a good thing this blog is sort of private, isn't it?

So there I was, sitting in my old bud's garage, with my feet propped up on the rear bumper of this car, beer in one hand and scratching his dog behind the ears with the other hand, and wishing that there was better heat in there. His wife was in the kitchen, baking cookies with their kid. If it weren't for the beer, I'd've felt like I was sitting inside a Norman Rockwell painting.

But then, what's wrong with that? Small town America might be fading, and it's hard to find it in the suburbs, but it did exist, and it still does exist, and there was something bright and beautiful about it, for all it's provincial garb. And maybe that's what his car project is really all about.

It's a July Free Slots Tournament!

Every now and then, I get online and play the Internet casinos. OK, so maybe it's not the smartest thing to do, but I make sure to follow some simple rules: I never, ever pay more than my budget; I never, ever chase a loss; and I always have a good time, win or lose. It works, and it saves me the airfare to Vegas or Atlantic City, or a drive downtown or across the river. And of course, the games are a lot of fun.

Mostly, I'll play blackjack or video poker, but sometimes I'll get to the online slot games. This month, that's a sure thing.

One of my favorite online casinos, All Jackpots, is running a great promotion on their slot games. It's called the Free Slots Tournament, and the "kicker" is that the entry fees for the tournaments are waived, so you can get into them anytime you want, just by playing the slot games.

This is a great promotional gimmick. The games are great, if you're just looking for a quick escape, and the prizes are real. I even won $100 dollars on the second tournament I entered! Just because this is gambling on the Internet doesn't mean you have to lose money; as long as you set a gaming budget and stick to it, you can have a great time without breaking the bank, and there's always the chance to win a big prize.

There is one thing: before you play, make sure to read the terms and conditions, and the tournament rules. You're playing online, after all, and it's not like you can ask anyone what the rules are. So make sure you know in advance. You'll have a better time, and there won't be any surprises. But mostly, just have fun. Online casinos are escapism, pure and simple, and there is a time and place for that. Enjoy it!