Risk is our business. -Capt. James T. Kirk, Star Trek It's a crazy thing to just get up and go, travel 1,740 miles away at just a whim. But this is my life."You used to always put on your hat and your shoes, that meant you were ready to go," my mom told me last month of me as a child.I guess nothing's changed. I always want to be going somewhere. A review of poker trip excess: So far this year -- four trips to Las Vegas, two to Tunica, minor skirmishes in Kansas City, New Orleans and Illinois/Indiana. And I'm still up for the year.I have a natural 3-day weekend coming up because of my schedule, Sunday-Tuesday, and it pains me to not take advantage of it. It would be crazy to travel to play poker because 1). I just came back from Tunica and 2). I just made arrangements for a Las Vegas trip with Drew Sept. 14-19.A corruptive thought overcame me today at work: But what if my miles hold up and I can travel to Las Vegas for free?What if? Well, it wouldn't be on Delta. Because Delta is nearing bankruptcy, I bled off most of my miles to get Mark and I tickets to Memphis for the Tunica trip last week.But I have miles on several other airlines! For years, I've been hoarding the miles. It used to be I'd save up to have enough for a business or first class ticket to Asia on two airlines at any given time. But now that my main interest is poker playin', it's like the fall of the Soviet Union. That miles cache goes a long way when you're just traveling domestically.Sure enough, a free ticket was to be had on United. The timing wasn't that great, though, I'd have to leave Sunday morning. The best case scenario would be to leave right after work on Saturday. Plus, United flies those Airbus planes that gave me such an uncomfortable ride last month. I know that airlines have costs to take in consideration, but it seems ironic that Boeing is based in the same city as United. And they've taken a hurting from the European consortium.Well, what about American? It turns out they have a Saturday flight I can take!Hotels then were a troubling thing. They must be expensive. I looked at first and found great deals on Sunday-Monday hotels -- $25/a night at 4 Queens, $39 for Binion's. I'd stay at Binion's if they would at least renovate the rooms a little. The rooms at 4 Queens are decent.Getting a Saturday night on the spur of the moment was a bit harder. I broke down and called Binion's but they were all sold out. I found a room at the Gold Coast for a little more than $100. It's acceptable, considering the plane ticket is free.I'm excited, if only because this is what I'm good at. The logistics of travel. Arranging separate details together until they all fit together.I can't wait! Soon I hope to be driving past the neon lights of my second city, shuffling chips at a whim and gathering information for future stories.Oh. And making a little money in the process.

Source: Poker Cats