Somewhere between the second and third hour at what had become my favorite blackjack table at the Aladdin, the dealer casually mentioned that he has Saturdays and Sundays off. He said he liked to have his weekends. My reply, as I pushed three more hundreds his way, was quick and simple: “Does it really matter? Isn’t every day really like a weekend around here? ”

Within hours of touching down in Sin City late on a Monday night, it became evident that both time and money had lost all value to me. These two concepts, one tangible and one not, had become nothing to me. Only half a day earlier I was sitting in my apartment, concerned about the unexpected cost of some new tires and stressing over being late for our flight out of Logan. Now, 10 hours later, I sat in the Party Pit at Harrah’s clicking $25 chips together and sipping a gin and tonic at 3:30 am east coast time with no thoughts of calling it a night.

Home now for 36 hours, this is clearly what I miss the most about Las Vegas. The weather was great yes, the food was spectacular of course, the sights were unbelievable I know, but it is the complete disregard for money and time that felt so damn good when I was there. Not knowing what day it was or what time it was for a full week was total bliss. Wads of hundreds that I would normally guard with my life were turned over to dealers almost happily. In my opinion, this is what vacation (and specifically Las Vegas) is all about – just letting go of everything completely.

That being said, some observations and highlights from the trip….

Favorite Casino – I really liked the Paris a lot. Also, had great dealers and a great time at the Aladdin. But we definitely played the best and won the most at the Mirage. If I was going back, I would probably stay at Caesars Palace. Great location, nice place.

Buffets - We did the Harrah’s breakfast buffet each morning out of convenience and it was so so. The Mirage had a great spread, but the quality at the Aladdin was damn good. It was also free thanks to our gambling, which saved us $50 and made everything taste a bit better.

Non-Buffet Dining – Two great meals were Shintaro at the Bellagio, and Les Artistes at the Paris. Both came in easily over $100 for 2 people but were worth every penny. Shintaro has a great sushi bar with colorfully lit jellyfish tanks as well as a dining room with a view of the water show which were two nice points.

Shows – We saw Zumanity at the New York New York which was pretty cool. Think Cirque du Soleil with less clothing. Pretty impressive stuff, and a midget which is always a big plus in any show.

Transportation – Cabs are not that cheap, so avoid them if possible. Also, the Tram and the Monorail are different (the tram is free and goes only between specific hotels). As far as flying, I highly recommend Song. Cheap ($99 each way), direct, on time, smooth, leather seats, and TV in every seat back.

Cash Money – Obviously everyone gambles at a different level, so this is a tough one to advise on. I would plan on spending at least $200/day once there if you want to have a good time. That gives you two solid buffets per day and $150 to throw on the tables. The real key is to have a chunk of money allotted for the trip, and to divide it into a daily budget. If you are lucky and win at the tables, you can carry one day’s money over into several days and still come home with cash in hand. However, be prepared mentally to go home with zero. If you go expecting to turn $500 into $1000, you will come home sad and broke. Go expecting to turn $500 into $0. It is much easier to do, and you can only be pleasantly surprised.

Last couple of notes…

Always get a players card if you plan on spending some time at the tables. This is the only way to get comped. Show the card every time you sit down and if you gamble at least $25 per hand for a while, you will get comps at most places.

Prepare to be accosted by casino staff, street promoters, and others at every corner. The worst offenders are the Mexicans (this is not a racist comment, but a fact) who wear the florescent t-shirts and stuff flyers for strippers in your face. They are everywhere and they are slightly aggressive with the flyers. Beyond that, the rest sounds something like “Are you over 26, do you live together, are you going home tonight, do you like shows, where are you staying, Jesus saves, girls direct to you, marriages half price, free drinks, come on in folks, etc, etc, etc.”

This all being said. I can’t wait to go back.

God damn potholes. This time of year they are simply everywhere and there is little you can do to avoid them other than to swerve violently into oncoming traffic and take your chances that you will come out with both tires and your life intact. Recently, on the way out of the gym, I had that sinking feeling as I noticed the rear right quarter of my Subaru was nearly touching the ground and the tire had molded itself into a sideways half-moon. Flat as can be.

Luckily I am pretty adept at a variety of things, and although changing a tire is a horrible inconvenience, I can do it fairly easily. Also luckily I had a jack and a spare. Not so luckily, I had no tire iron or lug wrench. Shit. I figured I would drive on rim and wilted rubber about a 1/2 mile to the nearby Shell station as surely this was the sort of item that they would have on hand. I mean, we are not talking catalytic converter here, I was looking for what is arguably the simplest and most common every man car repair tool. Not only did they not have one, but the gentleman behind the counter could not have been less interested in helping me. He gave me a quick “no”, and then brushed me aside so that the next person in line could purchase a pack of Parliaments. To really rub it in, he seemed visibly agitated when I asked him to break a dollar bill for me in the event that I needed to use the air machine to quickly fill the tire and try to make it to another gas station.

Somewhat coincidentally, I had seen a great episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm the night before. It is one where Larry David also finds himself with a flat tire and in need of help. He begins by asking passers by for assistance, and as each potential good Samaritan ignores him, he changes the his pitch to include a $30 payment to change the tire for him. This does nothing to increase the response, and as passerbys continue to look directly at him and offer no reaction whatsoever, he again changes his offer to $10 for a verbal response, even if that response happens to be “fuck you”. I couldn’t help but think of this as I struggled to find the simplest assistance in getting the tools I needed. In the same Shell station where I was denied any help or even reasonable response from the clerk, I noticed that there was someone in line that had also Subaru outside. He was right there in line. I am sure he heard my plea to the clerk and didn’t even think to offer his help. Admittedly his Subaru had four working tires and he had no real obligation to help me out, but presumably he also had a Subaru tire iron which would have really saved the day had he allowed me to borrow it for all of ten minutes.

After about 15 minutes of calling some friends and trying to decide what the best course of action was, I decided to re-inflate the tire and try to make it to a Sunoco down the street. I had to be doing about 75 mph in a 35 mph zone, racing against the air that was quickly leaking out of my back tire. I made it in the nick of time and walked into the garage fully expecting to be taken advantage of in every possible way. To my surprise, not only did they give me a tire iron to use, they did so with a smile, gave me a place to change the tire, and even offered to check for a leak once I got it off of the car. I didn’t have time to do the leak check, but I was floored by how amicable these guys were. Unlike the boob at the Shell, these guys were running a garage. They get paid to fix tires. They could have easily told me that they would not give me anything, but I could leave the car there and that they would fix it for a fee. But they didn’t. And because of that, I looked at their service menu, and will be taking it there for my next oil change and inspection, and likely for any other service that I may need in the near future. Simply by being cheerful and pleasant, and by not raking me for $30 when I was in need, these guys will get 50x that amount in future business from me.

This whole experience really made me realize that it is kind of sad when being treated well like that is the exception and not the norm. What has happened to people? Why doesn’t anyone help anyone anymore? Admittedly, I am not the most helpful person and being from Boston, I drive (and pretty much do everything else) with a slight chip on my shoulder….but why? Is it because everyone else does it and we have created this eat or be eaten society? Maybe too many people that stop to help stranded motorists end up taking a tire iron to the skull rather than to the wheel locks. Who knows. I don’t want to get all hippie shit here, but next time you see someone that might need a hand, at least think about offering them one. Sooner or later it will be you with the flat tire and no tools.

My home town of Sutton lost a great coach, man, and friend this past weekend. Steve Romasco, long time coach of the Sammies basketball team and staple in the small community we grew up in, died unexpectedly last night of a stroke at age 57. He will be sadly missed.

In addition to having Mr Romasco has a social studies teacher, and basketball coach (at camp…not school…I am 5’8″ for christ sakes) I will always remember riding to the Patriots training camp down at Bryant college in the back of his big grey station wagon to go meet Tony Eason, Doug Flutie, Raymond Berry and other Patriot “greats” when I was about 12 years old . He could fit about 10 of us in the back of that car and he did. And we loved it. And so did he.

From The Telegram And Gazette

By Rich Garven TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
rgarven@telegram.com

WORCESTER- The Central Massachusetts athletic community lost one of its most respected members yesterday with the death of Stephen Romasco, coach of Sutton High School’s boys varsity basketball team.

Romasco, 57, was a fixture on the Sutton bench for 30 seasons, amassing 435 wins, six Clark University Tournament titles, and three Central Massachusetts championships. He also taught social studies at the school, retiring in November after 34 years as an educator.

“He was just a gifted man,” Sutton athletic director Dan Delongchamp said. “He is almost an icon in our community, but never bigger than the kids and that was the best part.”

Romasco’s death was startling, coming about 22 hours after he complained to assistant coach Joe Lapere of a headache midway through the Sammies’ 65-40 win over Bartlett High School Sunday night in the opening round of the 66th annual Clark Tournament.

Romasco was coherent when he left Kneller Athletic Center and was taken by ambulance to St. Vincent Hospital at Worcester Medical Center. A series of tests, including a CT scan, revealed Romasco had suffered a “massive cerebral hemorrhage,” his son, Chris, said yesterday afternoon.

The cause of the hemorrhage was unknown, but Romasco was removed from life support at an undetermined time yesterday and died a few minutes after 6 p.m.

A small group of family members and friends kept watch through the ordeal, including Romasco’s wife of 30 years, Kathleen; his son, Chris, 24; and his daughter, Catherine, 20. The family lost not only a husband and a father, but a friend as well.

“My dad was my best friend ever,” Chris Romasco said. “He was my sister’s best friend. He was my mother’s best friend. He was my brother’s best friend. I can’t accentuate him being a family man without saying how much he was our best friend.”

The Romascos’ middle child, Alex, died unexpectedly July 30 at the family’s Sutton home at the age of 22. He was buried a few days later on his parents’ wedding anniversary.

Chris and Catherine Romasco stopped by the school early last night and briefly met with the Sutton players before returning to the hospital to rejoin their family.

“They went to convey their father’s expectations that they would continue to compete and play through this,” said David E. Roach, a longtime family friend, “that they would represent the school the way he wanted them to.”

Top-seeded Sutton is scheduled to play Bromfield at 7:45 p.m. tomorrow in a Clark Tournament Small Schools semifinal. The game will go on.

“The kids are going to do what Stephen would want them to do,” Delongchamp said. “They’ll play, they’ll compete, and they’ll make the best of the situation.”

Andy Niedzwiecki played for Romasco from 1991 to 1995 and is considered among the finest players to don the green and white. He went on to attend Assumption College, from which Romasco graduated in 1969, and followed his mentor into the teaching and coaching professions at Auburn High School.

“Other than my parents, he’s been the most important person in my life,” a tearful Niedzwiecki said. “Especially going into teaching and coaching, I’ve looked up to him. I loved what he did, and I wanted to do the same thing.”

Romasco was raised in Whitinsville and attended Northbridge High School, graduating in 1965. However, he made his home – and a name for himself – in Sutton.

“It was Steve’s program,” Nipmuc Regional High School coach Jim Grant said. “He’s the one who drew the philosophy up there. Sutton is known for its soccer and basketball, and Steve should get all the credit for what they’ve done in basketball.”

Grant, who has been at Nipmuc since 1975, likely coached more games against Romasco than anyone else. He always walked away from those Dual Valley Conference meetings – many of them memorable – with a deep appreciation for his coaching adversary.

“Steve’s teams played great defense,” Grant said slowly, choking on the words. “He had a great philosophy, especially when the 3-point shot came in. He put an emphasis on the 3-point shot, but he also worked on theinside game. His teams were always well disciplined, and he always had a great plan.”

Grant graduated from Assumption with Romasco and has often mentioned that neither played basketball for the Greyhounds. Grant was on the baseball team, Romasco was on the golf team.

Ironically, Romasco didn’t play varsity basketball in high school. The powerhouse teams Northbridge fielded in the mid-1960s deterred him from trying out, recalled then-coach John Doldoorian Sr. None of that kept Romasco from developing into a Hall of Fame-caliber
coach, father and husband.

“He’s such a great kid … the whole family is just such good people,” Doldoorian said

Romasco loved animals as much as he loved basketball.

On Wednesday night, he and his wife delivered seven German shepherd puppies in the basement of their west Sutton farmhouse. The first dog was born at 11:30 p.m., the last one just after 8:30 a.m. Thursday. At 7:30 that night, Romasco coached Sutton to a share of the Dual Valley Conference championship with a win over Blackstone-Millville Regional.

“I didn’t get much sleep,” Romasco said before practice Friday. “Thank goodness the team played well and that I didn’t have to do a lot of coaching.”

The Romascos bought the adult German shepherd last year. The family has always bred dogs, but not in years.

Stephen Romasco fostered a winning atmosphere at Sutton that permeated through the Central Massachusetts athletic community. He will be missed.

Telegram & Gazette staff members Dave Nordman and Jennifer Toland
contributed to this report.