Well guys, to be honest I am just now starting to recover from this weekend! I like to write about my experiences because as Ferris Bueller said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it!"

Lucky for me, I got good friends like you guys so Stellar Enterprises LLC sent me on a little trip without even really leaving the farm! So without any further delay, and now that I am working with more than a handful of brain cells - let me show you how it all went down.

Started at around 3:30am in the morning Sunday, having worked hard to out drink and stay awake longer than anyone in the house I finally was able to slip away, Bakers 107 in hand with a few cans of A&W Root beer, dressed like Johnny Cash with an Italian leather cowboy hat... 1st stop was my morning prayer (did not actually go into the church but I still said my blessings) in what I consider to be one of the most beautiful photos of the city in the morning I have ever taken.

Having been humbled by the lord, I figured I'd go home and pick up the kid to drive me around Downtown Detroit in my Corvette with the top down. The kid jumps at the opportunity to drive my car around and gets the top down. I explained to him what he was getting into, that he was going downtown to drive me around in a Corvette, and that Dad had a few and needed a driver. Upon our drive clouds rolled in out of nowhere! It literally went from sunny beautiful morning to torrential downpour and dark skies with thunderstorms! We had to pull over to put up the top, and before we even got on the highway I could see the fear in the kids eyes of dealing with the weather and the uncertainty of Detroit in general with his old man acting a little more childish than himself. I offered him the opportunity to change his mind and he took it. Back home we went, where I was faced with the question if the day had been a bust.

I managed to walk out of Greektown +$40 and for once the kid was scared so it was already looking like a winning morning - despite the downpour. In the Cadillac DTS front wheel drive sleigh I jumped, destined for MGM Grand Detroit where I had amassed some $300 in chips over the past several months. Figured I would at least have a look at MGM Grand Suites since I have one reserved for June 24th when Mike Tyson is in town and I wanted to know what I was working with.

Upon sitting there at the Concierge, slightly buzzed I might add (heavy hair of the dog drinking when I first arrived), there was mention of the Grand Prix! Instantly my pulse started to increase - had I just landed at the right time and place to be in a position to watch the Grand Prix!? YES I WAS! The Concierge told me she would have myself and any of my guest driven to Belle Isle, whenever I wanted if I booked a room.. So I busted out the company American Express card and decided to make a day of it!

This is where it get's interesting, as you all remember what happened when I tried to check into a Trump International Hotel Las Vegas at 7am (before check in time, but with a reservation and promised 7am check in - secured with a credit card), well I was about to try the exact same thing at the place that allowed me to lot lizard in their parking lot for hours while getting dicked around by Trump International. The Concierge told me her Suites were all full and had to be cleaned before I could take a look at one, and that they were booked due to the Grand Prix but they would call me the moment a room opened up and then show me a similar suite later in the day after housekeeping cleaned them. I didn't even make it to the door before my phone rang! My Concierge, Shahnee (who's name reminded me of Shawnee), said they had my room ready and to come back and they would get me in right this very moment! This was good news because the Bakers was creeping up on me and I was almost positive anyone talking to me knew I was getting drunk from the heavy smell of fine Kentucky Bourbon emanating from my lips. 

Get up to my room and realized my bourbon and all my stuff was still in the car and I was at this point too drunk to even drive it a street over to the valet! LOL! So I hoofed it across the Casino and up to the top floor to the visitors parking lot to get my things out of the Cadillac. Upon getting to the car I realize that I don't have a single bag in the car! So I have to sneak in a fifth of bourbon thru security, across the Casino, and then thru the security at the Hotel! Pockets packed full of cigarette boxes, keys, wallet, money, credit cards, rewards cards, big a$$ Apple cell phone, wearing tight fitting black docker pants and black button up shirt I start to wonder.... where in the hell am I going to hide this fifth of Bourbon!? It's not that I am cheap mind you, Bakers is a rare bourbon that very few stock and you know what happens when you switch alcohol mid-way.. it never turns out well... So I un-tuck my shirt and figure I'll just stuff the fifth in my back pocket and let my shirt cover it, because hey - I was drunk and it seemed like a good idea, right? LOL

Get into the hotel elevator to go down to the 1st floor, packed like a blowfish, drunk as a skunk, making my way thru the 1st security checkpoint I noticed in the mirror that my fifth of bourbon tucked in my back pocket and hidden by my shirt no longer looked like a concealed bottle of booze! LOL! Like a duck I walked thru the 1st security checkpoint where I made a B-line across the casino, walking like a duck, but now with my pants falling down - LOL where luckily I was recognized by the Hotel doormen at security checkpoint #2 and immediately gained access to the more private area for Hotel guest! Phew! Pulled up my pants, got on the elevator and proceeded to my room where I got even more drunk.

So I did what every guy does when they get totally $hitfaced, I called the woman! LOL, who was just getting up for the morning and not too happy with me. I told her I got a ride to the Grand Prix and a hotel room and that she should join me immediately! Well, this might not have been a good idea since it sort of appeared as thought I had already stayed in the hotel over night, rather my actually checking in during the morning! LOL, so she's pissed - tells me to get stuffed and hangs up. I was crushed... No one wanted to party with me, I had a hotel room, booze, smokes, food... anything and everything you could have wanted... I started to understand the old adage that it's lonely at the top, but I managed to get ahold of myself and drag my drunken self back down to the concierge for a ride to the Grand Prix. Concierge must have smelled my breath from the 10th floor and had a black Chrysler (model unknown because I was that drunk) waiting for me in the valet complete with a driver. 

On the drive there the driver ask me how many laps are in the Grand Prix, somewhat ashamed I really didn't know because this was my very first time having the honor of attending Detroits Grand Prix! I looked it up later and it says 70 laps FYI... Anyway, the Driver tells me that she can not get me on the Island, and I'll have to walk across the bridge to get there as it's blocked... all this last minute with the caveat that upon stopping I must immediately depart from the vehicle. Come around the bend and there it was, about 20 Detroit cops with K9 dogs and massive police presence at the bridge entrance to Belle Isle. Car stops right in-front of the cops and K9 group, literally have to walk thru them to get on the sidewalk when I am told to get out. Upon exiting I pulled myself together and pretend I knew where the hell I was going, at that moment I just realized that I forgot to tip the driver! LOL, oh well! I am always good for a $5 spot but I had honestly been so worried and shocked by the fact I just got dumped off in Detroit I forgot!

Upon crossing the bridge, which is quite the walk if you're drunk, I felt very humbled as the roar of the cars carried over the river. A peaceful tranquility took hold that brought a tear to my eyes. I made it!

Making my way thru the attractions it was very clear that I needed food! You never know how good them nasty cheese fries and a soda is until your pissed drunk and starving! Had to be the best chili cheese fries ever, even though I'm just not getting over the heartburn! Made my way thru all of the tents, purchased some Cadillac gear, got some free t-shirts too.

About this time a shred of sanity crossed my mind in realizing I had no idea where I was at and had no address to give anyone to pick me up! A sense of panic set in that I had better get moving before the sun went down as it was a long walk back across the bridge and then who knows how long of a walk back to the hotel! I must admit, I got a little cheap in not wanting to pay for a ride back which is ironic since I later realized I had a free $20 Uber certificate from the Concierge room key packet I was given! LOL, but that's not how it went down. No, I was much too drunk and the sanity really turned out to be a very long walk across the city of Detorit! From Belle Isle to the GM Renascence Center I walked in dress shoes on an 85+ degree humid day where I jumped the people mover to the Times Square exit so that I could walk two blocks black to my room. But I did it, and only spent $1 on fair which was paid to the People Mover. 

Getting back to my room, completely parched I order two six dollar Coca-Colas - tipped the dude who brought them and cleaned up. 

Took a long nap and then upon waking I was shocked at how well I had rested in such little time! They must have special air in them hotel rooms I tell you! Sent that photo to the wife and told her I was coming to get her and we were going to have a nice dinner and enjoy the city for the night in style. She said she wasn't going, and she was still pissed off. Decided to drive home 30 minutes to get her as surely she knew better! We already dealt with this issue back with the Miami trip! Get home and give everyone their Grand Prix souvenirs and the woman seems to be in better spirits... until I say, "now we have to go back". For whatever reason she wasn't having it, and that is when I lost the black Johnny Cash shirt, buttons and all! Thing is, I had to go back! I had almost a half bottle of bourbon I left in the room, along with smokes in the bathroom and a few casino chips! Someone had to go back! 

Managed to slip back out, this time with a gay a$$ salmon colored shirt, but alas, I had my new Cadillac Dress shirt still in the room! LOL! So I was all good until about 3:30am when I checked out and set sails for home! What a day! What a day!

It is just like Ferris Bueller said - "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it!"

Yes, thanks Rastus! It was an incredible 12 hours with enough ups and downs (literally) to keep me entertained all day. Such a shame the kid missed out but he went fishing with some friends and the wife did her thing. It is true I have another adventure set for the 24th of June for the Mike Tyson show but she hasn't shown much if any interest in that either. With all the excitement that day I forgot to check out the Suite I'll be getting, which was the main reason I stopped in! LOL, so I guess it will be a surprise. She is positively for sure going to the Journey / Def Leppard concert on Friday, July 13th so she says, but I haven't booked a room yet for that night as I wanted to feel out what a Suite in Detroit is like first. I think I'm finished with Las Vegas after my last visit, so why not enjoy what is just down the road? At least until it's winter here anyway! LOL

No doubt about hiding the keys while I am away! Lest I have to replace the rack and pinion again, or someone backs into it! LOL

I did however manage to get one video off during the Trans Am Muscle Car Challenge

Shawnee_B wrote:

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That's awesome cool. Makers Mark Bourbon distillery is not far from me but haven't been there yet.

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 Yo,

You won't leave the place in a sober state, & you'll need a taxi for the ride home, if you can dial / remeber the numbers...

Awesome drink, possibly too nice even...( I've polished 2-bottles-off in the one-day, & still had room for more...( with a friend of course )).

Cheers,

Rastus

SELLC wrote:

 

Bakers, @ 107 proof is one of them drinks where you do less drinking... I am sure Makers Mark is 80 proof or so.

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Yo,

Oh for sure, the small-batch Bakers is a revered sipping drink...I tip my hat to you for getting through 1/2-the-bottle !

My stint with Makers Mark was on the day I demolished my beloved 5.0ltr VK Commodore, way back in 1991-2(?)... I was pretty much sitting on the speed-limit of 65-mph ( in your scale ) on a near-to-home hwy, & when rounding a subtle right-hander, the ass-end slipped-out, & sent me into the medium strip knocking over dozens of small shrub-like trees in the process. It happened in a flash, & I was caught-out completely by surprise. Anyhow, I escaped without a scratch, but the car....

Yes that Makers Mark is / was around the 80-proof mark, so whilst not super toxic, was certainly very tasty. Our bottles come here with a wax-seal on the corked lid. It's just too easy to enjoy, as it tastes so nice LOL !

Cheers,

Rastus

The car was very similar to this, but without the bonnet-scoop, & had a silver grille + bumpers & door trim. It had 15" factory cast aluminum wheels too.

 I am more of an  dirt track kind of fan my favorite being flat track motorcycles at 130  mph your boot can catch a spot and slap you in the back of the head

Hammerin frijoles wrote:

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 I am more of an  dirt track kind of fan my favorite being flat track motorcycles at 130  mph your boot can catch a spot and slap you in the back of the head

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 Flatrtack is cool as hell. I was into it back when BSA 441's ruled.

sorrrrrry!  i could not resist!

SELLC wrote:

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Figured I would at least have a look at MGM Grand Suites since I have one reserved for June 24th when Mike Tyson is in town and I wanted to know what I was working with.

Upon sitting there at the Concierge, slightly buzzed I might add (heavy hair of the dog drinking when I first arrived), there was mention of the Grand Prix! Instantly my pulse started to increase - had I just landed at the right time and place to be in a position to watch the Grand Prix!? YES I WAS! The Concierge told me she would have myself and any of my guest driven to Belle Isle, whenever I wanted if I booked a room.. So I busted out the company American Express card and decided to make a day of it!

This is where it get's interesting, as you all remember what happened when I tried to check into a Trump International Hotel Las Vegas at 7am (before check in time, but with a reservation and promised 7am check in - secured with a credit card), well I was about to try the exact same thing at the place that allowed me to lot lizard in their parking lot for hours while getting dicked around by Trump International. The Concierge told me her Suites were all full and had to be cleaned before I could take a look at one, and that they were booked due to the Grand Prix but they would call me the moment a room opened up and then show me a similar suite later in the day after housekeeping cleaned them. I didn't even make it to the door before my phone rang! My Concierge, Shahnee (who's name reminded me of Shawnee), said they had my room ready and to come back and they would get me in right this very moment! This was good news because the Bakers was creeping up on me and I was almost positive anyone talking to me knew I was getting drunk from the heavy smell of fine Kentucky Bourbon emanating from my lips. 

 

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I have an interesting update to the MGM portion of this story that I want to share...

Apparently when slightly intoxicated I was actually being taken advantage of by the MGM concierge! While I was told that a discount was being placed on my room for tonight at the MGM Grand, for the "Grand View" Executive corner suite, the concierge was actually 

cheating me out of a room that I had booked for several months as they canceled my reservation and put me in a Executive Corner Suite without the view! Thank goodness I checked my reservations in advance on Friday or I would have been paying for top dollar

for a crap view! I immediately canceled and I feel so cheated! 

This cancelation shown above was NOT done my me, rather my Concierge Shahnee! I explicitly told her that I wanted NO CHANGES to the reservation, yet she insisted she was just applying a discount!

Turns out this discount was in the form of being bumped from the "grand view" (reservation canceled) and put in a regular corner suite (new reservation by the concierge).

I had to cancel her modifications and new reservation and the hotel has done nothing at this point. 

Now that I think about it, MGM should have had better transportation services to an event as big as the Grand Prix as I had to walk 27,000 steps while in Detroit! 

Most of these steps were the result of poor transportation to and from the Grand Prix, as I walked from Belle Isle to the people mover at the GM Renascence building.

I don't much mind the walk across the bridge on the way there, but on the way back it was a bit much to go walkabout in Downtown Detroit. 

Sure, I had a good time either way! I had a good time because I would not let adversity get in my way! Be it rain clouds, a long walk or even a wife who was not interested in having a good time. 

But it could have been MUCH better, at least in terms of the money I spent at MGM to stay there along with the fact I lost the great room I booked WAY in advance for the Tyson event. 

It's sickening, and I had to write about it. Then seeing how Sarah Huckabee was mistreated at the Virginia Red Hen, getting kicked out for just being Republican! 

It really makes me wonder if my money is best spent in Detroit at this time... If Liberals are going to pull back, should I start pulling back on spending in Liberal areas?

You might think this is going overboard, but I have had similar treatment at other establishments 

https://autotrend.activeboard.com/t64053973/my-review-of-the-trump-international-hotel-las-vegas-poor/

and in that instance above, I was mistreated right about the time I made known my support for President Trump! Now it has happened again, I have been mistreated by a company

for absolutely no reason whatsoever! 

And I never did get a look at a suite there at the MGM, but not for lack of $$$, rather something much more sickening like political discrimination! There is really no other explanation, yet I welcome anyones comments!

Next year for the Grand Prix, if I am lucky enough to attend, I'll be booking a room at the Marriott in the GM Renascence building! 

My only current issue is that I have two tickets to Mike Tyson at the MGM tonight that will not sell for face value on Craigslist and $100 worth of MGM Casino chips... So I will be forced to enter the lions den once more before the divorce...

Wish me luck! 

LOL!

I know Shawnee, the spelling of the offending concierge representative was spelled differently, but did remind me of you right away... 

I have come to realize that my age old belief that when taking a vacation you never plan anything in advance, this way you are not let down when the vacation finally arrives and people have less of a chance to mess with your plans. In todays social media I have no doubts that unscrupulous companies are mining information for more reasons than any of us could imagine. If you read my most recent thread in the V8 Cafe, Shawnee, you would see another example of exactly what I am saying above.

What I know now is this, I was mistreated by Trump International Las Vegas... But it is currently the best "value" in the industry. It's just a shame the customer service is so poor or I would visit again!

With regards to MGM, well... They lost a nice chunk of change as a result of the unauthorized changes to my reservation. I'm letting it slide, but only because I feel it was politically motivated and would be very hard to prove. Maybe they just didn't like Shawnee... Who knows... lol

SELLC wrote:

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My only current issue is that I have two tickets to Mike Tyson at the MGM tonight that will not sell for face value on Craigslist and $100 worth of MGM Casino chips... So I will be forced to enter the lions den once more before the divorce...

Wish me luck! 

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Well, despite canceling the 2nd hotel reservation the concierge set me up we still went to Mike Tysons show at the MGM. We had a pretty good time and we didn't get hassled but we would have really enjoyed the night a whole lot more if we had our "Grand View Executive Corner Suite"... But hey... We saved a little north of $500 and MGM did not hold us to the lesser room set up without our knowledge (which is how it should be, FYI). 

So the wife and I have decided not to divorce MGM just yet... Maybe next time I'll see better service? Who knows but look at how much fun we had even without a room!

Mike Tyson really put on a good show too! Despite the lisp, he tells a good story and was actually quite funny at times. MGM can thank Mike Tyson's great performance for saving the day, even though it was prolly one of his crew that got my Grand View Executive corner suite! LOL

Giving this and all other threads like it a bump due to the fact we found errors in the case sensitivity of the .jpg extension. We don't know if this was the result of hackers (Russian or otherwise) or a simple mix up in the transfer of the site. 

Be nice if everyone let me know if the photos are working for them on their end... 

This one I have edited to ensure all the photos point to the https server, and in others I will just leave them as the http and see if they auto-convert or have issues showing up. 

But yeah... good times! PRE-COVID!

I'd like to know if Will Smith would have tried that slaping shit with Mike Tyson?

Thanks Rastus! I'm really shocked at how many photos weren't showing up now days with GoDaddy! Literally over half overall and 3/4 of the ones that I used for photo instruction on various jobs had just turned into dead links! 

And this was going on for YEARS! Have NO IDEA how only these critical photos were the only ones that had been messed with... it almost feels like sabotage! Although the list of people I have probably pissed off online it would be very hard to figure out who. I imagine it started happening in the last five years or so... just crazy really!

Not as crazy as this thread, but pretty crazy none the less!

I have been going thru and checking all the old threads, especially the ones with repair information to ensure they are not only displaying, but also converted to the https coding as to prevent them from being automatically blocked. I miss hosting my own images in-house, not that I mind uploading them to the forum, but it helps to have another copy elsewhere too... not surprisingly, every photo hosted thru the forum was always viewable, although in the earlier days I did not embed them like I do now days, so I did that with a few of the older post to give them a little more pop...

Well, I didn't make it to the Grand Prix this year... 

Too many cars came in, and now we got the kid is back working here I had to keep throwing him red meat. 

But there is always next year! And like I said, next year should see F1 cars and the track being made up of the streets of Down-Town Detroit! This should offer ALL KINDS of interesting entertainment with the action touching the entire Downtown District according to maps that I have seen! Not only that, as I understand it they may be moving the Detroit International Auto Show to the summer months to coincide with these dates. Should be some good times next year 2023 in the Downtown Detroit District from all I have been hearing!