Well I’m back from my vacation with Jason. It was awesome! Between what I lost and won, gambling only cost me ten dollars for two days. I was hitting with blackjack and losing with slots. Each time I played blackjack I walked away with one crisp one hundred dollar bill and a little extra, but that includes what I first put down. For anyone that remembers, I made a video of a love song I wrote and played on my twelve string for Jason. He loved it! After he watched it he looked at me, smiled, and said “come here” and kissed me and said “I love you.” The song served as a catalyst in the way he felt more comfortable and opened up and we became much closer. He is my best friend and he feels the same for me. Towards the end he was getting on my nerves. I think that was because we were together the whole time for 24 hours and I need to recharge by myself every so often. This experience really showed me that I could definitely live with him, I would just need my hermit time. It was weird though, last night I couldn’t sleep because my head wouldn’t stop and I kept having visuals and voices. I finally got to sleep, but I was surprised with how happy I was that I would have symptoms. I love Atlantic City though, it’s like Candyland for adults. One thing peeved me though. There are cocktail waitresses walking around the casino bringing free drinks. We were sitting by the bar playing video poker and there weren’t any waitresses coming around. So I went up to the bar and ordered myself a beer and Jason a soda. I got ready to just leave a tip and walk away and the bartender said it would be ten dollars. I said how I thought the drinks were complimentary and he told me it was a cash bar. When I said how I thought they were free a woman sitting there laughed at me. I was offended. Why laugh at me for being logical? If I sit on my butt, the drinks are free. If I walk up to the bar and get it I have to pay for it. Granted this was my second time in a casino, and I am not familiar with how they work. But seriously? Am I the only one who sees the absurdity in that. Why would you pay for something that is free? Just when I feel I have an understanding on life, it throws me a curve ball. Oh well, I had an awesome time and will be going back. 
I’m glad you had an adventurous and romantic time! I knew the song would get him.
Don’t feel bad for needing your space after spending 24 hours together. I’m the same way. I LOVE spending time with the person I love, but after a while, I start to get overstimulated and need to get away and smoke a few cigarettes by myself.
There’s nothing wrong with alone time. Just make sure to communicate this to him so he understands your needs.
I hope the two of you have many more adventures together 
Blessings,
Anthony
The casinos are looking out for themselves. I think complementary drinks somehow psychologically influence people to sit at the gambling tables longer… If they are sipping on drinks they are most likely to stay there longer and spend more money. I have often ordered a drink (orange juice or hot chocolate since I’m a recovering addict) and then felt like leaving before my drink comes but I stay and wait for the drink but I end up playing some more. My guess is that they got you by the “you know whats” when it comes to the cash bar. If you’re not sitting at the tables the waitresses will not wait on you. So the only way to get a drink is from the cash bar and you’re at their mercy. Thus they charge. And plus a cash bar is the only place you can physically sit down and enjoy JUST drinking with a couple friends without the distraction of gambling and you pay for it.
Glad you had a wonderful time with your boyfriend in Atlantic City, SunGirl. I had only been in a casino once and I did not know how to gamble. Actually I was in fear of those machines over there. I just walked around the place and took a look at the people gambling there. I think if I take a vacation I would choose an art gallery or a music show as destinations.
I saw this documentary on A&E on-line about the psychology of a casino… It was AMAZING… the dim lights and no clocks so you have no track of time… the layout, the visual component… even the carpet all has a purpose. the way you can get in easily but have to search for the exit… all pre-planed.
I’m glad you made the trip and had a great time… I’m really glad this help cement the relationship with Jason. It’s nice that you have this developing with a good guy.
Don’t worry about needed some away time. I’m learning that balance with my girlfriend. Decompress and recharge… I think everyone needs that. My parents relationship is very solid… but they will still take some time away from each other as well.
My sis is my very best friend and there are times where we both love being away from each other.
@radmedtech Thanks Anthony! Yeah the song did get him. On the bus ride home we didn’t sit together because the seats were tight and we are both large people so the bus ride up was uncomfortable, and it was two hours. I got to recharge and listen to my music. He offered to get off at my stop and walk me home. I had recharged and enjoyed his company again. He stayed for dinner so we hung out a little longer and I was again loved every second of being with him. In the future I’ll just have to make sure I set aside for some alone time. We will be having many more adventures together.
@77nick77 Thanks for your reply Nick!! The waitress did eventually come around to the poker machines. They actually have poker machines at the “cash” bar. That’s what I don’t get. Why would you sit at a machine and pay for drinks when they come around to the machines with free drinks? We went to another casino where you could order drinks from the machines but they charged a dollar for beer.
@green5 Thank you! You just need someone to show you how to gamble and only take money you don’t mind blowing. I spent $140 on Blackjack and walked away with $130, and that was two days. I would have sat longer but Jason was losing and didn’t want to stay. The casinos are fun, you should try it. I play online with fake money and that gave me an idea of how to play.
@SurprisedJ Thanks James! That sounds like an interesting documentary. I’ve also heard they pump oxygen into the room to make you stay and gamble. Jason is such a good guy. I have to train him on a couple of things, but he is awesome. That’s great you’re learning that balance with your girl. I think you need that alone time.
@SunGirl, that’s great you and Jason had a good time together. I think it’s normal for everyone to have some “me” time. I know I need time away from my wife, and she needs her space from me. But she’s also my best friend and vice versa. We have a TON of Native American casinos out here in the Phoenix area. It’s hard to watch TV out here and miss a casino commercial. I’ve never been to a casino. My wife has been up to Las Vegas a million times (mostly for work), and she keeps trying to get me to go up there. I’m very reluctant to do so because of the throngs of people and unending visual displays. We don’t really have more than $50 to gamble, and I’m not really into just throwing money away. I think if you say OK, I am only going to spend, say, $100, and not descend into a degenerate gambler, than that’s okay. I like to go out to karaoke with my wife (she sings, I do not), and one of the karaoke places we used to go to had a lot of off-track betting. I remember talking to one guy who had bet $150,000 that day, had lost it all, and came back to net $20,000 in profit. I had to check with my wife because I am ignorant about gambling, and she said, “Oh yeah, it’s real money.” I was shocked. He had basically gambled away his house, and won a nice profit. Crazy!
Thanks so much! It’s a shame a lot of the casinos in Atlantic City are closing down because they opened them in Philadelphia so people don’t have to travel all the way to AC to gamble. It is crazy how much money people spend gambling. I took $440 to spend on meals, gambling, and anything else I needed and only ended up spending $10 on gambling between what I lost and won. People will put up their houses and sell jewelry. You can’t do that. You have to go with the attitude that if I win I win if I lose I lose, oh well.
My family (on both sides) is from New York City, and let me tell you, there are some degenerate gamblers there! Bookies, numbers games, all that good stuff. I haven’t been to NYC since I was 16 or 17, and I couldn’t tell you what people do for legal gambling, but I do remember my dad talking about Atlantic City. He told me he was going to take me there one day (he passed before that happened). I’ve yet to set foot in any casino. I’m kinda scared of them to be honest.
I’m sorry you never made it to AC. It’s funny all of the free things they give away. We were walking down the boardwalk and were offered a free dinner and a show to listen to their timeshare schpeal. We didn’t qualify because we didn’t make enough money. The casinos also give comps and there are many free drawings. Maybe that’s good you’re afraid of them. They can be a money pit.
LOL. I’ve heard you can get some nice accommodations just listening to sales pitches. My uncle who lives in South Carolina does this for free meals. He will listen to people trying to sell timeshares stuff, and he gets “points” or something, and once he has enough, he can redeem them for lodging and airplane tickets. I guess some of these schemes are rather complex. I guess I live a sheltered life, I don’t do any of these things. Right now, my wife and I are saving money to go to Sea World in San Diego. I want to do The Penguin Experience where you can pet and feed penguins. Being a Linux user, and an animal lover in general, I have a fondness for 
!
Oh I disagree completely. The best part is that these new casinos affect each other. People don’t need to travel far to gamble. These new states and cities allowed casinos in hopes of drawing people from outside their area to come spend money in their region. The proliferation of all these casinos makes that unlikely, people just gamble in their area. Eventually these casinos will die out and leave a bitter economic taste in the mouths of the people and politicians.
I am incredibly opposed to casinos.
Awesome, I was a big time Debian nut for a while. It’s still on an ancient server I have laying around. I kind of sold my soul to Microsoft lately, but I still love Debian. Oh, and Linus is an asshat, had to say it.
It’s getting harder and harder to escape the confines of Microsoft and Apple these days. My wife’s work is exclusively M$, and our phones are iPhones. I hate the damn iPhone. So why did I get it you may ask? Mostly pressure from my wife. She has an iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Her MS laptop is fscked up from spyware and whatnot. I have convinced her (after 5 years of persuasion), to give Linux a shot. So this weekend, we’re backing up her files, and installing Linux Mint. Good starter distro. I will use either Mint, Ubuntu, Debian,or Fedora, in that order. Yes, Linus is a dork, and I am a fan of RMS. My friend donates to The Linux Foundation on a yearly basis. I used to contribute to the bugzilla of Firefox (dating back to when it was Firebird).
Me too. Have you ever seen the documentary “Revolution OS”? It’s awesome.
Sorry for derailing your thread with this Linux talk.
Yeah, free stuff. Some casinos will give you a package deal if you make reservations at their hotel. They’'ll give you like ten dollars to gamble with, a free buffet, and a discount for your hotel room. I’ve been to Las Vegas and Reno and Lake Tahoe.
And the Indian Casinos. The Indian casinos are just as good as any of those three.
Hey Sungirl! Sorry I missed you!
I was there at the same time. We also went to Ocean city which is a lot like Atlantic City used to be when I was a kid. Personally, I hope the casinos go away! They came in and wrecked that end of town. Maybe all the small businesses will come back again, and the piers will be more family-oriented.
I do love that place. Did you go swimming?
That’s so funny that on an international forum you were in the same city as me. Were you on the boardwalk in AC? We may have passed each other. I love Ocean City! That’s my favorite boardwalk. We did not go swimming. Did you? Remind me again where do you live that you are close to the shore?