SAN DIEGO – This past weekend I stayed at Sycuan Casino Resort on a reservation owned by one branch of the Kumeyaay people.
My favorite slot machine is in the non-smoking section. It is named Aztec Temple and is a “penny slot.” I like this machine since I am a graduate of San Diego State University, whose team nicknames are the Aztecs, and I always get more than I put in (fingers crossed I don’t jinx myself for next time).
A few years ago, the kids both gave me one dollar each and said to get a jackpot for them. Well, I played one dollar and got five dollars out of both. So, it is a tradition that I put aside ten dollars and “hand it over” when I come home.
This weekend was the slot machine tournament, and I was my bestie, Charlotte Freifeld’s plus one. The theme was the Olympics and had many flags from around the world.
The Olympics will be held in Paris this year which is very dear to my heart. I spent a few weeks in Paris studying abroad and for leisure. When I was in graduate school, I petitioned to attend a Barcelona and Paris trip and wrote a research paper on parenting skills and differences in parenting approaches with the United States.
Little did I know that being fluent in French would be helpful on this trip. I had not practiced writing or speaking French in a few years so on the flight over, I crammed for the task. As soon as we landed, I was hailing cabs, asking directions and ordering food for our group. Parisiens were impressed with my diction and accent.
As I was grabbing some dessert noshes, I saw the Israeli flag and was so touched to see that.
Charlotte and I had a great time. One of the dishes they had was from Sweden “Swedish Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes” that were vegan. I think I had four plates of those.
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Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of the San Diego Jewish World.