Monday, May 15, 2006

I attended the Padres game against the Brewers last Wednesday, as a guest of Valley View Casino. This was the second year they extended an invitation to watch a game from their deluxe skybox, and again I had a very good time. I'm not a big sports fan, but baseball is one of the few sports in which I do have at least a passing interest, so an opportunity to see a game in person, from one of the absolutely best seats in the house, with free food and booze, is one opportunity I won't miss.

I almost did miss out, though, because unlike last year, and other events I have attended at Valley View, they never called to confirm my attendance. So the day prior, I gave them a call to double-check that I was on the list, and I was not. After checking a few other dates (apparently this isn't computerized) and not finding me, they said there were a few tickets left, and I could still attend. So I went up the night before and picked up the tickets, and had the buffet and gambled. Their buffet is always a favorite of mine, but this time, in particular, it really shined. One of the first things to catch my eye was at the dessert counter, where they had added bananas foster (in a tray, not made-to-order, but that's fine). I tried the fried catfish, and was really impressed. There actually were quite a few good entrees, so for once I actually ate a fair amount of real food, rather then filling up on dessert. The bananas foster was pretty good, though they went a bit nuts with the cinnamon (there were whole sticks of the stuff thrown in the vat). I had some sort of amaretto cake dessert, which I just expected to taste like caramel, but actually had a very distinct amaretto taste (if that's a good thing or bad thing I'll leave to your judgment). And my old favorite, the various berries and cream, made me very happy, and the berries tasted particularly fresh (some of the best raspberries I've ever had). I've always liked the buffet, but it's always nice when it can go above and beyond enough that you get to rediscover just what a fantastic find it truly is.

While I'm on the topic of food, I should probably discuss the food at the skybox now, rather than later. The buffet at Valley View was better then the spread at the game. Not that it was bad. But it wasn't really that amazingly great. It seemed like they kept things slightly simpler than last year, with things like hot dogs and chicken strips and seven-layer dip. I actually forgot to have any dip, which is a shame because I remember from last year it was pretty good. I had a hot dog and some chicken strips; the hot dog was fine, the chicken strips were underwhelming. They had bags of Cracker Jacks, always a good thing. The presents have gotten chintzy; it was just some paper thing you unfolded to find out who the person pictured grew up to be (it looked like the little girl in the picture grew up to be Benjamin Franklin, but apparently it was supposed to be Susan B. Anthony). The desserts were good: Haagan-Daaz bars and some really good brownies. Overall, I certainly don't mean to complain about the food. It was good, and by ballpark prices, I easily consumed at least $50 worth (and we're not even talking about alcohol yet).

I took my mom this year; she had fun when I took her to the football game at Qualcomm Stadium, and had never been to the new Petco Park. Her arthritis has been bothering her, so she was very concerned about how to get there, and how much walking would be involved. I told her we'd take the trolley, and told her where it let off, but she was fretting that it would all be too much for her. A friend said you could buy parking spots online, so I just went ahead and bought a spot right by the stadium, so she could stop worrying. The tickets were free, so why not pay a bit to park? I ended up paying $27.50 for parking, including service fees for paying online (which is actually a bargain, considering that a basic parking spot at Qualcomm next football season will set you back $20). We parked in the Padres Parkade, which looked to be the closest on the map, but once we got down there, it looked like the tailgating lot is probably the best bet (at the same price). And I was able to show Mom how conveniently located the trolley is. We probably walked a bit more then we would have had we taken the trolley. But anyways, we were there, and after a few wrong turns found the suite and settled in to wait for the game. I fixed a plate of food and then found the liquor, where I was disappointed to learn they'd switched brands of vodka from Skyy to Absolute. I'm not picky, but Absolute is the one brand of vodka I really don't like. But I made do, and had a few screwdrivers, along with one of those Jack Daniel's brand bottled malt beverages (the fruit punch flavor), which was pretty good (though I'm rather partial to the watermelon flavor). Later, when it was time for dessert, I moved on to Bailey's, served on the rocks along with a couple of packets of half & half from the coffee area. I didn't get wasted or anything, but I rarely drink anymore, so it was a nice change to get a little buzz going while enjoying a sporting event.

The game was a good one. I'd like to tell you all about it, but the back of my ticket clearly states the following:

Holder agrees not to transmit or aid in transmitting any description, account, picture, reproduction, or other depiction in any media now or hereafter existing, of all or any part of the baseball game or related events to which this ticket admits the holder. Breach of the foregoing may result in legal action against the holder.
So I will refrain from commenting on the game. I hope my getting drunk is not considered a "related event," or I could already be in hot water for mentioning that.

Anyway, it was a good game, one team emerged triumphant, and all was well. We slipped out in the eighth inning to beat the traffic, and were home in no time. I'm a bit of a Valley View booster, and events like this are exactly the reason why. Now obviously, I wagered quite a bit to get invited to such events, but we're not talking millions or anything. I can assure you, from personal experience, that giving pretty much any other local casino twice the action I've given Valley View wouldn't get you nearly the comps they have given me over the years. I just wish their table games were better (lose the 6:5 single deck and put in real double deck blackjack!), and there was a bit more room to move around. Hopefully, after their expansion, those dreams may come true. Huzzah and kudos, Valley View, for treating players right in San Diego.

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