Getting to the Casino- Mesa – Part 2 by Valerie Halla

Bill and Gus picked my cousin Mary and me up outside Sky Harbor Airport and we sped off to the hotel. Being both excited and happy to be going to the reunion with all the snowbirds, I made offhand comments throughout our visit. (I’m normally quite aware and sharp, but please don’t ask Mary nor Bill and not Gus, definitely not Honest Abe/Gus if I’m usually sharp and “with it”.)

Walking up to the entrance to our hotel, I commented, offhandedly, “Oh, look! There’s the US flag flying over our hotel. And is that the Arizona flag beneath it?” No one answers so I answer my own question. “Yes, I think it is!”

Some laughter ensued.

After getting settled in our comfy two rooms, we headed out on the highway to Arizona Casino for dinner and what else- gambling. Bill showed me a one cent slot machine but I don’t gamble, so we hung out at the bar talking while Mary cozied up to some giant monster sized machine spitting out lights flashing trying to coax her out of money. Gus and Bill had Old Fashioned drinks and I had a more hip younger mimosa.

I was sure glad we had eaten a delicious dinner before gambling because we had the money to eat then. Who knows how much money we’d have later after gambling.

Please- No Silver Alert

Mary and I shared a room but after sleeping soundly I heard her get up around 5:00 am. Later I found out that she had taken our car rental back to the Casino to give them more money.

Later she told me she had driven carefully, hands at 10:00 and 2:00 on the wheel, eyes on the road, driving a strange car, in a strange state. Mary lives in Texas. She got to the casino to gamble, however she worried about the cops seeing her drive erratically to get back to the hotel. She didn’t want the dreaded Silver Alert when cops can seem to sniff out grey haired old ladies driving around in a daze especially ones who have gotten excited about being far from home rambling and gambling. I wonder what their law enforcement code is for that.

Phew. She made it back safely.

I cannot remember anything much about the actual Jones/Lyman County South Dakota reunion. I know we took food to share and talked a lot. I caught snatches of various people talking and was hungry for real food since it seemed like there were tons of desserts there. Being a bit hangry that there weren’t plates of meat and casseroles and salads, I swear I heard someone mention “Ham and Beans”. I was so hungry that I blurted out, “Who has ham and beans?

Mary brought me back to reality saying no one did, but Doris Haugland who owned Mack’s Cafe in Murdo, made famous H and B. She was talking with Doris’s two daughters.

I’m immediately hungry whenever I hear those three words to this day.

All in all, a good time was had by all.