Day 248 on the road.
Firehouse Coffee Co.

I'm drinking some coffee, surfing the net, catching up on some writing, and just trying to catch my breath after 17 straight days of poker. I'm sitting at the roomy tables in backroom area of the Firehouse Coffee Company, my favorite hang out since arriving in Laughlin.

The Firehouse is actually across the Colorado River from Laughlin in Bullhead City. The Laundromat (at the Gretchen Inn) and Safeway store I frequently use are nearby, too. After three weeks in this area, I'm beginning to settle into a routine. Since I've been on the road, and visited many towns and cities, I've noticed it takes me about three full days to aclimate myself to a new place. Once I find a Starbucks (for coffee and internet access), a Safeway store, and a Laudromat, then I'm ready to settle in.

But I'll be leaving for a short trip on April 24, as my free room at the River Palms will be taken over by a bunch of Harley bike riders. The Bikers are coming to town next week for a big party and they have booked every room on the Strip. So I'll head out of town for a few days. I'll actually check back into my room on Sunday, April 27. I've reserved my room for that following week. Therefore, aside from a short weekend trip somewhere, I'll be here in Laughlin until the first part of next month, probably checking out May 3.

For my group of Omaha players, I must homage to "the Shark." The poker room at the River Palms ran a promotion in March featuring a "tank" full of toy "sharks." When playing either Texas Hold'em or Omaha, you got to catch a shark from the tank each time you received a full house. Each shark had a number on it, and the number was related to a cash prize, most of which were $10. We had so much fun during the promotion yelling out "Shark!" every time someone got a full house it kept our group playing for hours each day. I placed my collection of sharks on top of my TV stand in my hotel room.