Spring Break

In my job, I rarely travel much anymore due to budget constraints, but I did take the opportunity to attend the National Indian Gaming Association meeting in San Diego last week. I always welcome the opportunity to learn more about my chosen field and to hear first-hand accounts of other people experiences. All of us Indians share the same frustrations and same expectations.

It gave me the opportunity to spend some time with my Granddaughter Tara again. She is married to a Ho Chunk Indian named Dawson McAndrew and he is stationed at Camp Pendleton. In the evenings Tara drove us around the crazy traffic that is California and we played the role of tourists but I didn’t have the Hawaii garb on, you know the routine. I did have the camera though.

We walked along the pier in the early morning hours getting in some needed walking and when you factor in conference walking and tourist walking it translated into some sore feet and legs. This meant an early bed-time for the old folks, plus the time change played hell with the old body.

All of the California experience is new to an old country boy such as myself and it takes some getting used to seeing such a hectic lifestyle. We checked out the local casinos. There are ten Indian casinos in San Diego County, but of course we didn’t have time to see them all. We enjoyed the fish and chips a couple of times, Mexican food another time so the food was excellent.

One night we watched Duke beat Butler. I only watched because I had some change riding on a bracket pot. When that shot bounced off at the end for Butler so did my chances for immediate financial gratification and it also ended a damn disappointing season of basketball.

Tara said some people are awful racist there and call them awful names thinking they are Mexican, so it’s like that no matter where you go. I think Mexicans are treated worse than blacks and Indians. She has to adjust to that kind of behavior. It shouldn’t be that way but it is like that everywhere. I rarely run into that kind of stuff anymore and if I do I look the other way. Change is not in the cards for some people.

The workshops at the conference were informative and I got to see many old friends from past meetings and heard there were others there but I didn’t see them because the event is so huge. It was well worth the time to attend for me. It too was great to see my Granddaughter, who we have had hanging around our house since she was a baby. It was also great to go home, too.