The not so good "news"

Got to thinking about some of the "crazy things that Barbara and I had done! Since she is on the downside list, I thought "Dwell on the fun times!" I particularly remember one Thanksgiving weekend when Tom with with me and Katie, his daughter had come for the weekend. Barbara called me on the Friday following Thanksgiving and told me that she was so bored etc. and was going to go up to Jackson Rancheria, a gambling house and did I want to go with her. I said, who else is going? She told me if I didn't go she was going alone! Now this was about 7:00 P.M. and dark, etc. I told her to llet me think it over. No way, Tom said, is Aunt Barbara going up there by herself. And he gave me $50.00 to spend and siad that should do it. I am not a gambler and never have been. I don't think I ever won anything in my life! So Katie asked me if she could make cookies while I was gone and Tom was going to help her so Barbara and I went to the Casino. It was my first time to Jackson Rancheria! I went through my $50.00 in nothing flat playing the quarter machines. So Barbara gave me $20.00 more and I sat there at this one machine and played and I never knew whether I had won or not, because I didn't cash out! Finally she came over and says, you've got $250.00 there! I decided that it wouldn't urt to play a few more games, and you guessed it I was down to $80.00! I told Barbara that I was through! I figured I had back my $50.00 and her $20.00. But she says well just let me play a few more games. She wasn't winning anything but thought she might hit the "one" jackpot. I sat and watched her play and I kept getting so tired, I thought, I'll go out in the lobby where I can lay down on one of the benches! Barbara said that she was almost through herself! When I was out there, it kept getting quieter and quieter and finally I asked the desk clerk what time it was. He said it's 1:30! I then asked him to page Barbara. She came tearing out and wanted to know what was the matter and I told her I'm tired and it's time to go home! She told me O.K. just let her cash out and she would be right out! Well at least a half hour later she came and we got the shuttle to take us to her car in the parking lot. We were chatting all the way home when all of a sudden she says "Why is that cop following us? I wasn't speeding!" Well we pulled over and this officer came over and asked politely "And where have you ladies been? As if I didn't know!" Anyway Barbara asked him why he had pulled us over and he said that when we had passed him he noticed that one of her wheels was acting funny and just wanted to tell her she had better find out what was wrong with it! I, in the meantime, could see us in the pokey for something or other! We were not far from home and the cop said we would be Okay but that he would follow us in case anything went wrong, which he did! I came in the house and here was Tom, practically pacing the floor with a "Where have you been" I told him "yes, Daddy, calm down and I'll tell you!!" Of course he did calm down but afterwards, I thought nobody's going to believe this!!!