It's nice being back in the U-S-of-A :->
Wednesday August 31, 2005 at 8:45 A.M. Going Home
Steve and I left the hotel around 8:45 A.M. He saw a place yesterday to eat breakfast along Highway 99. There is a Chevron station that has Self Service and Full Service. After a 30 minute drive outside Vancouver, we arrived at International House of Pancakes (IHOP) in Richmond. Steve ordered a Pancake special and I ordered the sausage and egg. The waitress is very pretty. (More on a separate blog entry.) I had some Canadian money and I needed to spend all of it. Fortunately, the bill was easy to split. After paying the bill, I had $10.00CAD remaining.
We headed south on Highway 99 to the U.S.A. and Canada border. The weather was cloudy with grey skies. We saw a few residential development projects. Many of the homes being built are single family residence and high density housing projects. Steve tried to find some retail stores for me to spend my $10.00CAD. Steve spent all of his money at a gas station for food and drinks. Most of the scenery is open land and farming. The drive reminded me of driving down U.S. Highway 101 from San Jose to Santa Barbara.
We arrived at the border checkpoint at 10:45 A.M. We lined up waiting to be inspected by U.S. Customs. It was like a toll booth were cars lined up waiting to pay the toll, except the wait was longer and traffic lines moved much slower. I took pictures of the stones that marked the International Boundary United States and Canada border and the Peace Arch that stated "May These Gates Never Be Closed." The monument reminded when the borders were closed from 9/11. And there is a nice, brown wooden sign that says "Welcome to the United States of America in red, white, and blue colors with the Statue of Liberty, the Capital Building, St. Louis Arch, Mount Rushmore, Golden Gate Bridge, and the Space Needle.
We waited in line 50 minutes to be questioned by U.S. Customs. Just like the Canadian Customs, our passports were inspected and questions were asked to make sure we were not suspicious. Steve said the U.S. Customs are more cautious than Canadian Customs. He is correct. U.S Customs took pictures of Steve's car, checked the license plate, and measured the weighted of the car. We passed the border gate around 11:40 A.M. We were back in the United States on Interstate 5. It was nice seeing the red, white, and blue flag flying at the border gate. And it was nice seeing State of Washington license plates, gas stations in gallons, and speed limits in miles per hour. I didn't spend my $10.00CAD bill. Oh, well. An $8.00USA souvenir. I also kept Canadian coins from denominations of $0.01CAD, $0.05CAD, $0.10CAD, $0.25CAD, $1.00CAD, and $2.00CAD.
Wednesday August 31, 2005 at 12:45 P.M. Lunch and Craps
At 12:00 P.M., we stopped at a rest area to stretch and go to the restroom. The rest area was sunny. The trip from the border to the rest area was cloudy and there were thunder storms. Then at 12:45 P.M., we stopped at Tulalip Indian Casino at the Tulalip Indian Reservation. The reservation is approximately 34 miles north of Seattle.
In the casino, we ate lunch at one of their restaurants. I ordered the chicken stir fry and Steve ordered the chicken special.
From 2:00 P.M. to 4:20 P.M., we gambled. Steve played Let It Ride, Blackjack, Craps, and Roulette. I played Craps only. I regretted playing Craps late because the table I played Craps, the table was on fire for 30 minutes and I started playing at the latter end of the table on fire. In addition, before I started playing, the table halted play for 10 minutes because the table needed a new supply of chips. Fortunately, the table remained hot while I played. I hesitated to play craps earlier because Steve wanted to go to the Emerald Queen Casino which was the first casino choice we were supposed to go. I wanted to save my money for the Emerald Queen Casino. Steve won $1.00. I won $101.00 for a net gambling winning of $81.00 because I lost $20.00 at the Seven Cedars Casino on Day 2. Good call for me XD
Traffic started to congest as we drove towards Downtown Seattle at approximately 5:15 P.M. The weather was sunny and mild. The traffic is like the traffic back in San Jose and Silicon Valley: lots of cars and traffic does move. I also noticed there are no potholes on Interstate 5 as we drove to downtown and from downtown. When we arrived in downtown, the drive was like driving U.S. Highway 101 in Downtown Los Angeles. There are carpool lanes just like in California. All of the exits include the interstate exit number which also indicates the miles mark. I saw Safeco Field where the Seattle Marines baseball team plays and Qwest Field where the Seattle Seahawks football team plays. Then I saw Boeing's buildings and their airfield. And finally I saw Mount Rainier. Steve said Mount Rainier can be seen anywhere in and around Seattle and there is always snow on top.
Wednesday August 31, 2005 at 6:15 P.M. More Gambling
Since Seattle was planned for Thursday, Steve suggested we visit the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma. It was not a problem for me. I didn't plan to gamble because I was $81.00 ahead. I didn't want to lose my winnings ;-) Before we entered the casino, I was carded by security. CARDED!!! I showed him my ID and security allowed me in. People think I look 22 years old. Really?!? My hairline is receding ^_^
When we entered into the casino, it is dark and gloomy. Boy was I glad I gambled at Tulalip casino. Tulalip is big and bright for an Indian casino. By the way, none of the Indian casinos we visited has a mall or a section devoted to retail stores like the big Las Vegas casinos. There is, however, areas devoted to live entertainment. None of the Indian casinos Steve and I visited have a hotel.
Steve did not do well at Emerald Queen. He lost a lot of money. The craps table was cold. Steve did terrible at Blackjack. Every ace the dealer showed, the dealer either has Blackjack or successfully had a 21. In one hand, the dealer showed an ace. Obviously, Steve and the other players refused Insurance. The dealer checked the hand and it was not blackjack. The players were dealt their cards. Then the dealer played the cards. The dealer had two aces. The dealer dealt a card and it was a nine. Two aces plus a nine equals 21. All of the players were shell shocked and could not believe it. "The two dealers were brutal," said Steve. Steve did like the looks of the female pit boss `__* What did I do? I walked around the casino and watched Steve played Blackjack and Craps.
At 9:15 P.M. we ate dinner at the casino. I ordered the fried chicken and Steve ordered the ribs. Drinks were free.
Wednesday August 31, 2005 at 10:00 P.M. Gig Harbor
We arrived at Gig Harbor. The first stop in Gig Harbor was to get some food and water. We stopped at FredMeyer supermarket on Olympic Boulevard. The second stop was to check Steve's Dad boat located in the harbor. There was a fire in the harbor earlier in the day. Fortunately, the fire was no where close to Steve's Dad boat. The boat was safe. Steve told me the fire was the major story in years in Gig Harbor. The last event which was big was when the Chief of Police of Tacoma shot his estranged wife and himself in a murder suicide.
The final stop was Steve's Dad house which overlooks the harbor. We took our suitcase in the house and settled in. We watched a little TV. Then we went to sleep.
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Resume? I don't need a resume. Here is my resume: Innovator. I'm available to innovate for hire.
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