Time Machine

Sometimes you just have to drop everything and be a kid again. When you have kids of your own and you are under constant time schedules for months on end....once in awhile, you just have to say...well...you know.

This past weekend, five of my best friends from high school convened on Atlantic City for a weekend of gambling, eating, gambling, eating and eating. They stayed at the Taj Mahal for 2 nights, comped of course, and dropped a few bucks at just about every casino on the boardwalk and even hit the marina for a few hours. I joined them on Saturday afternoon and stayed with them until 1am that night. Folks, if you ever have the opportunity to "go back" even if its just for 8 hours, DO IT.

Allen Frankel is taller than before, either that or I am fatter, or both. He and I spent an hour waiting for Duran Duran to emerge from the Borgata elevator so they could play blackjack at three roped off tables on the casino floor. They didn't show and we had to leave before we caught a glimpse of them. Deb was mad because I didn't get a picture of John Taylor. I told her she had enough pictures of him in boxes with scotch tape that used to secure them to her bedroom walls. Big Al is still a goofball and it was great to see him.

Mike Weinberg was...Mike Weinberg. After complaining that I didn't give him any props in my post to the Cherry Hill East Class of '85 message board...ugh...we got into our usual conversation about Night Ranger and he tried to convince me that Journey and Def Leppard define music history. Then I watched as hundreds of dollars left and entered his wallet time and time and time again. I love watching Mike gamble. It's like watching the Kentucky Derby - fast and furious for 2 minutes and then its over.

Brad Scher taught me how to play Paigow poker and I won $70. Thanks Beej. Brad is still one of a kind. His mood is ALWAYS the same - no mood swings like the rest of us humans. Level headed and relaxed as can be. I miss him - too bad we don't get together often. Still wondering if he ever hooked up with Lisa Washington...hmmmm..

Scott Turer was packing heat as always. Scottie has not changed a bit. Flashy yet sophisticated. The guy has more money than dirt and lets you know it but he is still as grounded as ever. One of the best guys in the world - my mother thinks he should be knighted. He lives so damn far away - Pittsburgh - and we don't get to hang out enough.

Gary Vincoff is still the best friend a guy could have. You wanna know what "real" is? Talk to Gary. NO BS, no cutting the corners, no beating around the bush. I like spending time with Gary because he can see things the way I see them. He's not superficial like so many Cherry Hill products. I am glad he's not moving to New Hampshire. Watching Gary get beat while gambling is a treat though and I am looking forward to watching him lose again soon. Gary makes losing fun.....for everyone around him. It's a sight to behold.

So that's that...we ate at the White House (awesome) and ate at the Hard Rock and ate some ice cream too. We gambled in between and shot the shit the whole time. It was a great trip in the time machine....

So it's back to 2003....strange, isn't it?