You blew it. Seriously.

Since nobody paid any attention to the last paragraph of my post on January 5, I was the only BIG WINNER yesterday at the Choctaw Casino. This was an outstanding experience of the first degree. Trust me, I’m not usually much of a gambler. I tend not to spend money unless I’m buying something of value, like kitchen gadgets, Chinese food or fonts.

We started with a very nice lunch at the casino buffet. Even Sam enjoyed it, which says a lot because he’s never been a fan of fish sticks, meatballs and Cheez Whiz. Afterwards we rambled around the casino floor and played various slot machines here and there until we found some good ones with no chain smokers nearby. This was a major accomplishment.

My lucky slot turned out to be a penny machine called “Silk Kimono.” This is basically a misnomer, however, because you don’t bet 1¢. You bet 15, 20 or 30 lines at a time at 1¢ (or up to 10¢) per line. Which means the minimum bet is actually 15¢ and the maximum can be $3 if you feel like blowing large wads of dough. I was betting 20¢.

On my first bet I won $3.50. On my second bet all the bells and whistles went off and I won the Bonus Round ... 12 free spins with a multiplier after each spin that increases the reward. I wound up winning $29.60 on a 20¢ bet. That might not sound like a lot to YOU, but do the math. The screen was making so much noise I drew a crowd. At that point we decided to cash out and head back to Texas with a U-Haul for my jackpot.

The Choctaw Casino is in Durant, Oklahoma, and it’s surprisingly gorgeous. Everything was remodeled in 2009 ... a new hotel tower, new gaming floors, new restaurants, you name it. We were totally impressed. I even joined Club 55 for the senior discounts. Next time we go I want to do an overnight so I can get the breakfast buffet for 55¢. This alone would be worth the trip.

I’m ready for bed now. Sam is already asleep, which is excellent because I want to whisper subliminal messages in his ear about dim sum so he’ll wake up thinking about shrimp dumplings for lunch. It works every time. Thank you for reading this and pass the soy sauce.

Achievements and accomplishments.

Sam has this week off work, and I’m pleased to report that the two of us are making magnificent progress on a variety of exciting projects. Mine mostly have been limited to folding a lot of socks and sleeping late. Sam, on the other hand, bought a five-gallon watering can from Lowe’s so our pansies wouldn’t die, installed ten nice stepping stones in the back yard and took me to lunch at Saltgrass Steak House in Rockwall. From this I suppose a casual observer can assume that Sam and I lead an exceptionally uncomplicated life, which apparently is due to the fact that we are exceptionally uncomplicated people. (Also unmotivated.)

Big plans for the rest of the week include: 1) lunch at Pei Wei because Sam has a gift card; 2) installing new towel rings in the master bath; 3) a trip to the Choctaw Casino in Oklahoma; 4) buying stamps; and 5) I want to make a homemade pizza.

In case you didn’t see this story in the news, a rare miniature cow that resembles a panda bear was born this week on a farm in northern Colorado. This “panda cow” is thought to be one of only about 24 in the world. They’re bred solely as pets and can sell for as much as $30,000. The male calf named Ben is pictured below with his mother, a purebred black Angus, and Chris Jessen, her live-in boyfriend.

Incidentally, if anybody wants to give me $10 to gamble for them at the casino this week, please send an email no later than noon Wednesday and attach a check payable to “Marcy.” I always win big at the penny slots. Thank you for reading this.