December 29th my family loaded up and drove to the WinStar Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma. Being occasional road trippers to our northern neighbor, my dad and sister were eagerly sharing all they knew of the WinStar. Brother played it cool, of course. Mom surprised me, though. Having been raised by a social drinking, cigar smoking, card playing dad, this was nothing new for her. Leave it to me, to be the clueless intimidated one.
Wide eyed and dressed down, we made it into the huge huge huge tent off the side of the highway, that is the WinStar Casino. The smokey flavored freezing air immediately hit once the sliding doors closed. There was a Christmas tree stationed by the front desk. How comforting.
PARIS, BEIJING AND ROME NOW OPEN OVER 2000 NEW MACHINES!
I've never been to a Casino before. There were thousands of electronic slot machines. Multiple areas of Blackjack, Texas Hold Em' and 5 Card Poker. Construction workers, couples, dads and sons, questionable women and fanny packs poured through the place. A constant single keyboard note, perhaps a C Sharp, rang through the intercom of the tent. Oh the humanity.
After milling around for a while (There is no concept of time at the Casino, so there's no telling how long we actually waited) brother and sister got seats at a blackjack table. I anxiously watched and tried to learn. Polly was our overly helpful blackjack dealer. Polly was a big girl. 4'11. 200 pounds maybe. Bless her heart. She carried a box to stand on when she moved table to table.
Sister played with just $20 the whole night. Never losing. Never winning. Brother accumulated a nice stack of chips. I quickly lost almost $60. And the parents supervised.
The craziest part of the night had nothing to do with money. It was a dream of a lifetime. I met ZZ TOP. Ok. So maybe not the dream of MY lifetime, but I'm sure it's someone else's dream.
We noticed the band sitting at the $200 minimum bet Blackjack table. Big Spenda's.
They blended quite well with all of the other old truck driver looking men playing cards. After much talk and google verification that they were in fact ZZ Top, I was "chosen" as the one to take it for the team and approach them. Sister has been violated one too many times at the Walmart to risk going over. So it was up to me.
Dad was stationed at the Thai food restaurant, iPhone camera ready to go, just next to the mens restroom. I was hovering around the restroom exit. Classy, I know. Dusty Hill, aided by his manager, stumbled out of the bathroom. Completely wasted.
I freaked. This was not what I signed on for. I practically run back to Thai Food Base-camp. Dad can't believe I didn't get the autograph. I regroup. I can do this. I can do this. He's only 5 feet tall. I can do this.
Dusty is being led out a back door of the casino. I catch up with him and his manager just before he climbs onto the tour/old folks bus. "Hey there! Do y'all have time for one more autograph?" I ask in my most I grew up in Texas and went to school in Alabama, Southern voice. Dusty, trying to light a cigarette, turns his head towards me and tries to light my non-existent cigarette. "Oh no thanks! But would you mind a quick autograph?" Not sure what he thought I said, but he shuffles towards me and hugs me. Long beard, leather jacket, lit cigarette and all. Hugging me. I probably have cocaine sprinkled all over me now. Thankfully, his manager steps in to hold and move my piece of paper under Dusty's wrinkly pen holding little hand.
I got the autograph.
Well Dusty must have been good luck that night. I ended up winning my money back plus $15! Sister came out even. And brother lost most of winnings in a gutsy and glamorous Going-All-In moment later in the night. By 2:30 in the morning we were back in our driveway. Smoky, tired and exhilarated. Just another normal family outing.
