"Rocky"

Carson city, the Capitol of Nevada, is known for its friendliness especially to older retired people. One of the attractions for us retired folks is gambling which true Nevadans call “Gaming.” Most of the casinos are small intimate places that cater to the locals, although there are a few larger casinos that are frequented by tourists.

One night shortly after I had retired, , my wife, Bobbie, and I were were sitting in the Sport’s Bar of the Carson Station Casino having a glass of wine and playing the video poker machines. Sitting on my right was a young fellow who was explaining to Doug, the bartender, that although he was working at the “Big O” as a tire changer he was really an inventor who was going to be quite rich one day.
Doug paid him the appropriate attention so he started to talk to several of the cocktail waitresses. He started to pick on one waitress who was visibly pregnant. He told her that she probably didn’t know who the father was since she was obviously the kind that slept around a lot. When I saw her become flustered and teary-eyed, I told the guy to mind his manners if he knew what was good for him. I guess the security guards knew what was going on because the jerk told me to “shut the f—k up” and I belted him and knocked him off the bar stool. Security surrounded us in seconds. Since Barbara and I are well known in all the bars and gin mills in Carson City, they escorted this creep out and told him never to return. We left the Station and did not return for several days. When I finally got the nerve to go back to the Sports Bar, I was greeted with applause, and a “Here’s Rocky.” The cocktail girls and bartender called me “ Rocky” all evening. Not bad for a guy in his seventies.

Skippy

“Skippy”

About two years ago, my wife, Barbara, and I adopted Skippy from the Wylie Animal Rescue Foundation. We have had dogs all of our lives but this is the first time we adopted one. Skippy is a small (about 25lbs.) mixed breed with a lot of Whippet in his genes. We know that because it is impossible to catch him when he is racing around our house if he does not want to be caught.
Skippy has a habit of picking up our stuff in his mouth and showing us he has it and than begins the game of “chase” which he always wins. One night, a few days ago, he somehow got hold of Barbara’s bottom denture. The game began and we lost again, but this time we could not find where he had placed Barbara’s teeth. We searched all over the house without luck in discovering where he had hidden them. Naturally, I was furious.
First I yelled at my wife for putting her denture in a place where Skippy could find them. We searched again, lifting up the sofas and chairs and still had no luck. This time I yelled at Skippy and told him that he was going to the pound the next day. Of course, I could never do that, as I love Skippy too much. Within a few minutes, Skippy appeared with the teeth in his mouth and dropped them at my feet. He was not going to the pound!