Eric's Birthday in Atlantic City

2/13 - Retrospective: On a new, exciting episode of "The AC.."

Headed up to Atlantic City for the weekend with The Usual Suspects for Eric's birthday.
Car ride up was uneventful, included fresh mango and featured an exciting and effectual short-cut using the Turnpike.

The Borgata was beautiful; far nicer than any other big hotel/casino I'd seen in the AC on my previous trip there with Anne something like five years ago (Caesars, Trump, Ballys, Tropicana..?).

I looked for a picture of the gorgeous multi-coloured blown-glass candeliers and sconces but no luck... best I could do was part of the room, which was great.

And I'll just link you to Suilan http://www.theborgata.com/main.cfm?Section=dine01&TabType=A&SideNav=finedining&Content=dine01c , the wonderful restaurant where we had dinner. We had a few bottles of very nice wine (I highly reccommend Rocket Science's Proprietary Red.. there's a fun story in here about how I made the Somelier blush - ok it's really short, he hung out at our table talking shop for a while until I asked him if he was single), I had some phenomenal Diver Scallops with black truffle oil, and Eric and I shared the Chocolate Lovers plate which came with obligatory birthday candle and a little cup of flaming liquid.

The full story, Eric, is that while you were getting your shoes shined, Derek and I snuck off, found the restaurant and requested they make something flammable with alcohol for you to blow out. I'd suggested something floating in a martini, but whatever they could do would be great. When we hooked back up with you and wandered the casino we totally feigned not knowing where the place was and let you find it. Derek shot me a look as we were walking toward it and I asked if you knew where it was, anyhow, as we hadn't seen it, and I had to jab him in the kidney. Ahh, we love you, "Stu. "

Retired to the room for a bit to work through our food comas, then back to the floor for more gambling. I won 60$ on a few spins at Roulette and then the table cooled and I decided to cut and run before I started to loose. Consequently I return in victory, instead of defeat. Helen, sadly, is in the red, as is Eric, but Derek is up (by less than me) and the big winner of the weekend was David who managed to beat my profit by 100$ on a sweet run at blackjack.

I got to watch Eric masterfully play blackjack and craps, and he even put down money on me (I still maintain he profited off of me) this morning when the well-meaning dealer asked if I was shooting and pushed me the dice. I managed to throw the poor little guys off the table three times in one turn. You'd think I didn't normally handle dice!

(While we didn't play poker, I imagine Eric and I would've looked something like this..)

INXS was playing Sat night and after it let out there was a party at the Gypsy Bar where David, Helen and I visited for a Pomegranete Margarita (eh. better than any of the swill on their wine list.. ugh.. wishing tree... *shudder*) and listened briefly to a pretty cool cover band.


Where I found this, but was unable to take it home. (What do you mean, you don't have any girly Mediums???)


Woke up, leisurely showered in the ginormous bathroom, packed our stuff back into the cars. We partook of the experience that is the Borgata Buffet (I think I can count on one hand the number of buffets I've been to, and this one was by far the best. Eric has dragged me far worse places than this.. there were various stations for making omelets, waffles, etc.. they even had lox and gelato! All said and done this place was not disturbing at all. Unlike Country Buffet (*shudder*). Some more putzing about at the craps table, then, before cashing out and heading home.

Snow added a little time onto our return trip, and the AC Expressway was one-lane and a little crappy even at 3 in the afternoon, but we made it back to my place in something like 3 1/2 hours? We even rocked out to American Idiot on the way back, a great call by Eric.

Nice evening vegging with Court and Peter, including Thai takeaway a passable Shiraz (that was twice as better than the shit I got at the B Bar.. feh.), and some totally gratuitous viewing of the Shakespearean trainwreck that is Ten Things I Hate About You (what can I say? I'm a sucker for Heath Ledger and Taming of the Shrew).

Excellent Weekend = Mission Accomplished!