Here Come the Cousins -- Part One

So this post is a little overdue. I should have written it back on Saturday, August 5th, the day after the wine-and-cheese event hosted by my cousin David and his lovely wife, Natalie. But how do you accurately capture with words an evening that has you laughing those kind of stomach-hurting laughs?

A bit of history . . . I went to high school with Natalie, albeit she was two years behind me. David is a year younger than me, and has always been my most favorite boy cousin (really). We used to be "wedding & funeral cousins," but some events over the past few years have forced the families to come together and emerge much closer, for which I will always be eternally grateful.

Anyhoo, we are blessed that David & Natalie thought to include us when they sent out the invite to share in several bottles of fine Napa wine they purchased during a recent trip to our former grape-stomping grounds. Just us, them, and two other couples -- should make for a lovely-evening, right?

Wow, it's amazing what you learn when family has their friends over . . . I knew that David and Natalie were the fun-loving type, but man, did we ever learn about them that night! Apparently, what happens in Vegas does not necessarily stay in Vegas! Amongst the most interesting and useful pieces of info we gathered:

* Natalie loves to play the nickel slots.
* Dave thinks nothing of playing $25 rounds of blackjack.
* Natalie had to be babysat by their friend Kevin while her husband was busy playing cards.
* Do NOT bump into Dave as he's walking into the Ghost Bar, or you may get your ass kicked.
* There's a reason why there are no clocks or windows in a casino (by the way, that bright thing shining outside the door is called the Sun).
* If Dave wants to cash out, he tells the dealer, "C'mon Benny, we ain't building railroads here!"

Geez, Dr. J and I sooooo needed to laugh, after such a thoroughly shitty couple of weeks -- so Dave & Natalie, we raise our glasses to you (um, could you get me a refill on the cabernet, too?!)