Well, we’re back “home” in Palm Springs again, having taken our friend and my former radio partner Mike Cooper to McCarran International for his flight back to Toronto yesterday. All in all, it was a fun-filled and entertaining few days filled with laughs, hugs and even a few truly surprising moments. Let me take you back to Saturday, one of the most incredible angel-kissed days of my life.
 
Rob and I were at a place called Aliante, a casino hotel resort on the outskirts of Las Vegas. We don’t do the strip, as the pays are so meagre (we find) and there isn’t a wide enough variety of nickel and dime games. We don’t have the stomach to play quarters and dollars like some folks and that’s why I’ll never win enough to have to summon a casino employee to come over for a payout in cash, or what they call a hand pay. But I’m okay with that. I can’t stand the remorse, so I play within what I think are reasonable limits.
 
I sat down at a machine on Saturday and pulled a bill out of my little Beatles change purse, bought in Liverpool the year Mike and I went to London to cover the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. As I did so, a little pewter medallion fell out on to the floor. I carry it in my full-sized wallet at all times; a gift from Debbie Cooper when Lauren died, it means a lot to me.
 
As I was picking it up, I noticed a penny wedged under the machine. I wasn’t able to get it out, but felt that maybe Debbie was with me, just reminding me how glad she is that Mike was coming to be with us and have a lighter heart for a little bit.
 
I’ll skip to the best part: I hit a Royal Flush (worth $200 in nickels) a very short time later. Here it is!
 

 
When we were ready to move on, I asked Rob if he’d dig that penny out. He got on his hands and knees and, using a player’s card, retrieved that lucky penny. I tucked it into my bra. Within a few hours, I’d found another penny and even a quarter! Yes, I had quite a “treasure chest” going, if you will.
 

 
It seems to have worked: I proceeded to win another $400.
 

 
Rob had his share of aces and kept up his end of the bankroll, so we left feeling pretty satisfied. But wait – there’s more….
 
On our way to the car, a vehicle was following us and I said to Rob that we should deke through some parked cars so they didn’t think we were leading them to a spot. As we did, I looked down between two dark, empty cars and saw a little white ticket. I wasn’t too surprised; often people playing machines that pay them out one or two cents just throw them away rather than cash them in. So, with no expectations at all, I bent down and picked it up. Here’s what I got.
 

 
I couldn’t believe it. (And yes, it adds up to an 11, as significant a number in my life as 8’s are). We made sure no one was getting into a car nearby who might have dropped it, then walked – no, rushed – back into the casino to cash it in. I suppose we could have turned it in to security, but from what a man told us earlier in the day, they hold onto it for a year and then you can claim it. Um, no. 
 
And something that happened moments later confirmed that we were meant to find it: we got into the car, turned on the Beatles channel on the radio and what song do you think was playing? 
 
Guess….
 
….keep guessing….
  
….got anything….?
  
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It was that kind of a “record” day. Hope yours is magical, too, and thanks for the visit – back with you here tomorrow.