I just got in from Chicago today. Had a great time--as usual. I arrived at 5 p.m., and my friend didn't get out of MBA class until 9 p.m., so I had some to kill. I decided to take a cab from her condo to Michigan Avenue to do some shopping. I shopped--bought nothing. Then I started noticing the shops starting to close.

"Ack!" I thought. It was only 7 p.m. so I still had 2 hours before my friend was done with class. "What to do, Lawren? What to do?" I decided to go have a drink at the Four Seasons Hotel bar.

I'm a little nervous to walk in by myself, but I think, "What's the worse that could happen?"

I walk in and sit at the only empty chair at the bar--on the end. I order a cosmo and start chatting it up with a nice lady beside me. She was in sales with Microsoft.

Fast forward an hour and one more martini.

The lady has to leave and up comes this old man. My estimate is that he was around 65 years old. Silver hair, deaf as a door nail, and had nerve damage in his hands. We begin talking and he tells me that he is retired (big shock) and that he use to trade at the CBO (Chicago Board of Options). I had been on the floor a few times, so I talked with him about that. He said that now all he does is eat, drink, and bet on sports games.

I asked if he had a bet on the Indianapolis Colts game for Sunday. He said he did not yet, but he was planning on it. Jokingly, I told him to definitely bet on the Colts. He said, "You must be from Indianapolis." Indeed, I told him.

I then watched him get out his phone and call "someone." He placed a $15,000 bet on the Colts. I immediately freaked out. I kept telling him I knew NOTHING about football, and that I was just being a loyal fan. He said he was on the fence as to which team to vote for, and that talking to me nudged him to go with the Colts. Again, I kept persuading him not to bet on them because of me, but it did no good.

Now I know he could have been faking placing the bet. I also know that if he indeed placed the bet and can throw that kind of money around, he can probably afford to lose it.

But, needless to say, I'll be cheering EXTRA hard now. GO COLTS!

Posted by Lawren at January 10, 2004 10:46 PM

You Said