What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas
They have their story and they’re sticking to it.
Amanda Burton, resident alibi and DCS at Oak House, swears she was with resident Ann Mauter the whole time. “Ann and I had a great time in Vegas,” says Amanda. “We shopped until we dropped, ate TONS of delicious food and saw incredible shows!
“We stayed at Caesar’s Palace in one of their rooms for the handi- capped,” says Amanda. We were on the 26th floor and our room over- looked the Bellagio Hotel. We could see the Bellagio’s water fountain show from our window every night. It was beautiful!”
Well, that sounds like the start of a very nice, innocent little trip to Las Vegas now, doesn’t it? But this MSSG Newsletter Editor and part- time Roving Las Vegas Strip Reporter has heard rumors that lead her to believe there may be more to this story. You may have heard the rumors too. The ones about the notorious Wheelchair Gambler who took Vegas by storm a couple of months ago. Seems this Dr. Pepper-drinking high roller, sporting her trademark yellow Converse tennis shoes, wheeled up to the black jack tables of several prominent hotels on the strip, amassed a fast and cool fortune, and then quietly vanished into the neon lit night in a 1966 Mustang driven by an unidentified accomplice.
there is no proof, most gambling experts believe she was a highly skilled card counter, perhaps motivated by The Rain Man movie.
Amanda continued her story: “We saw the Ulti- mate Variety Show, the knights at Excalibur, the Pirate Show at Treasure Island and the lions and dolphins at the Mirage. All of the food was deli- cious. We ate at Planet Hollywood and had Vanilla Bean Cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory. Ann really loved the cheesecake. The food was one of her favorite parts of the trip. But she was really happy anywhere she could find Dr. Pepper!”
Did she say…Dr. Pepper?
“Ann just loves Dr. Pepper,” continued Amanda. “She likes almost any food, but she won’t eat anything green. Ann came to Mountain Shadows in April of 2005, on her birthday. She has a lot of energy and loves to be the center of attention. She’s always smiling and she’s never idle. She enjoys making latch-hook rugs and jewelry. She also loves to watch Spiderman and Bewitched. Put on any type of music and Ann will start dancing and singing. Her favorite colors are purple and yellow.”
Oh-oh.
“While in Vegas, we shopped at the Fashion Show mall, the Forum Shop at Caesar’s, the Canal shops at the Venetian, the shops at the Alad- din and the outlet mall near Henderson,” added Amanda.
Amanda came to Mountain Shadows about two years ago. “My mother is disabled and I’ve cared for her all my life,” she says. “I really enjoy being a caregiver to the residents. My favorite part of working here is interacting with the residents.” Amanda also volunteers with the Boy Scouts, enjoys camping and hiking, scrap booking, and… restoring classic cars.
“Our trip to Vegas was one of the best trips I’ve ever taken,” says Amanda. “We did SO much! The trip was very memorable. Ann and I had a great time just being girlie together. We have become best friends.”
Was this just an inno- cent getaway for two girl- friends or was it another carefully crafted sting by the now legendary Wheelchair Gambler? This reporter will let the reader decide. But I know what I believe. You see, as I was pulling away from Oak House following the interview for this story, I noticed a flash of light in my rearview mirror. as I squinted into the mirror to see what it was, I saw a glimmer of sunlight as it shown on the hard steel of a wheelchair. Straining to see against the sun, for a split-second I saw her—a woman with a smile as big and wide as the Grand Canyon on her face and a pair of yellow Converse tennis shoes on her feet. I slammed on my brakes and jumped out of my car. But the woman had vanished. In her place was a can of Dr. Pepper. I smiled and thought for a moment about trying to find the mysterious woman, but, like the old Kenny Rogers’ song said, I knew it was time to fold and walk away.
As I got back into my car and cracked open the Dr. Pepper, an all too familiar slogan echoed in my mind:
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
Perhaps that’s exactly the way it should be.
You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table.
There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’s done.
Kenny Rogers, The Gambler