$250 Coffee? Damn, That’s SMART!

The main floor of the hotel where we're staying for Julia's conference is a large casino.

At this hotel, there is but one coffee shop.

Dunkin', which is not my favorite, but it was my only option at 5:30 this morning; down the elevator I went.

Sleepy-eyed, hair a mess, and halfway dressed in the same clothes I wore yesterday.

And here's where it gets interesting.

To get to the coffee, one must pass through the casino.

Not just cut through, not step around a corner, but all the way from one side to the other. It's about a 1-minute walk if you head straight there.

Past the slot machines.

Past the blackjack tables - where there are a surprising number of people for this time of morning.

Past the poker machines - my favorite.

And finally, to the coffee.

Then, turn around and walk back.

Past the slot machines, the blackjack tables (with the surprising number of people), and the poker machines.

I couldn't help myself.

Poker machines are indeed my fav, but I can't just walk right past the slots.

I've never been a sit-for-hours guy on the slots. I'm more of a put $100 in and see if I can turn it into $10,000 real quick.

For my efforts this morning, there was no reward.

I went to bed about $70 up.

The sun's not even up this morning, and I'm already down $250.

Dammit!

At least I'm not a high-stakes player.

My buddy Eamon says the mafia built the place, which would explain why it's in the middle of nowhere with nothing to see or do but gamble.

Mafia or not, somebody knew what they were doing.

Putting the coffee on the other side of the casino was no accident.

They knew what they were doing.

And it's brilliant.

Because there's no way I'm the only person that spent $250 on coffee this morning.