My Country Of Sin! aka USA 🇺🇸

It is amazing to me how many casinos have opened up over the years. The last time I went to AC was 20 some years ago with my Mom also a poker player, she's the one who taught me <3 

I've been a gambler since around 10 years old when I would play with my Mom's friends weekly poker games and the two of us were the only women playing! In fact I can't ever remember a game with another woman! It wasn't til I started playing at a Deaf club monthly poker games a few years back. That I saw other women playing!

Anyhow back then my Mom and I would stop by the bank for 2 rolls of quarters and a bunch of $1. And back then we used real money not poker chips like today. And back then it wasn't legal! It was hush hush! I sure miss the gang, Joe Kesse, Michael "Mike" Thompson both who are dead now, and a cute guy name Bob I think that was his name? He had strawberry blond hair and I was in love with him! He also took me on one of my first early dates at 16 when he was like 21 or 22! I was so nervous i was shaking!? And of course my favorite one Eric "hot 🌭 dog!" players. I'll never forget the joke he made up, "How do you hide the 3 wise men in the desert? You camel-flauge (camouflage) them! *groans I know terrible right!* also when we played poker we played many versions of it not like today's obsession with Texas Hold'em version which annoys me to no end! I mean there's so many different ways to play

There's 

-7 card stud or wild

-5 card draw stud or wild

-Criss cross that had the shared open cards in a criss cross

- High low,  roll your own something about the player picking to play either high or low and if you had it you got to split the pot

- Up the river, down the river where I think that's like Texas Hold'em today but the middle card was wild and I think we turned the cards 1 by 1 not 3, then 1, then 1.

- Black Jack

And I'm sure I'm forgetting a few other versions sadly. 

We were the core players (My Mom,  Eric, Joe,  Mike, Bob and me) and on occasion one of us would bring a friend or two to join the game for the night. I bought Paula with me many times too. It would go on for 5 to 7 hours a night! I got to drink beer Old Milwaukee which I enjoyed. 

Mike Thompson would often near the end of the night play and deal Black Jack with the rest of the players! And if I would run out of my money early he would occasionally slip me another 20 to play! Such a good guy, my earliest memory of him is at Park City Mall arcade before they renovated it in the early 80s. There was a ice rink in the mall basement that was later used as a flea market where I would buy my knock off Jordache (sp?) purses and mechanical flipping dog and other early 80s junk that kids would buy!

Anyways Mike was a pinball player and my Mom and him were friends before I was born so he knew me all my life. I don't know when he died but it wasn't a surprise he was a heavy smoker and I think a drinker too but I'm not sure on that? I recall vaguely he would pass out sometimes?

My Mom <3 was the coolest Mom in the 🌎 world. I miss her terribly!

I'll never forget at one game around the age of 16 or 17, one of the guy players was a state trooper and there was a few joints passed around also very illegal and hush hush! I looked at my Mom in disbelief and the police officer assured us he was off the clock and wasn't going to narc! And I think he toked up too! 

I thank my Mom for making me such a good card player and gamer and pool player. She taught me what was consider traditionally "boys" things back then which today is much more equal among the several genders. I think that contributed to my Tomboy behavior 🤔?

So back to the title of this post. 

They say there's 7 deadly sins right? pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. All of these are in abundance in today's standards compared to 30 years ago. America is truly a puritan gentile country with roots deeply entwined with Christianity and the braches of Christianity! It is no wonder all that repression has lead to the very things the religion is concerned over! Crazy!!! *shrugs*

30 years ago weed, gambling, sexuality identification, constant eating out, or eating processed foods or overeating, the need for chronic instances meaning everything has to be right now and not later. I'm guilty of this too! I love Google and some of the other formerly taboos mentioned above! And for better or for worse I'm proud to be an American and have done pretty well for myself all things considered!