Here are pictures of my 'Pride and Joy' room!!! The Man-Cave!!!

This room used to be part of my office out in the business building about 100 steps from our house. I have 8 pins: Fish Tales, Phantom of the Opera, The Simpsons Pinball Party, and James Bond Golden Eye 007, Twilight Zone, Avatar, Lord of the Rings LE, and WhiteWater. Here are the other things that make it special:
- It is located in my business building outside of the house and my wife can't bitch at me for making noise! (We live on a farm.)
- It has a refrigerator (for beer!)
- It has a microwave oven
- It has a real popcorn machine
- It has a cold water machine
- It has a big screen television with full cable service, and with 'Surround Sound'
- It has my stereo and professional Karaoke equipment
- There is a 'gaming table' (in the middle of the picture) where you can play poker when you turn the top over, a roulette wheel when you remove the top, and when you remove the roulette table, (the middle layer), it is a full size dice (craps) table.
- On the wall are many pictures from times of my TV days, my Army life (32 years in Active Duty and Reserves) and travels to many countries, my awards, and family pictures.
- An "OPEN" sign that blinks and does crazy things.
- A BLUE neon pinball clock that has a picture of pinball bumpers in the middle.
- COLOR lighting (LED) around the ceiling
- My electronic piano/organ

Mike
(I can't seem to post my pictures on here. I've tried everything! I'll come back later and try again when I have more time. Sorry.)

I admire you for being so truthful about what you have and how you got it. I grew up poor and my parents had very little, other than a decent home. I plan on doing the same thing as your parents did. I have been successful and own a farm (70 acres) a large home and a
30X50 building that is next to our home that has a 3-D movie theater in it, a Man Cave room for pinball, and another room with slot machines. I have been offered 1.8 million for my place.

I have helped our 3 grown kids buy homes so as to get a head start, and I plan on leaving the bulk of everything I have to my 4 grandchildren. Some say it is a bad thing to spoil their children. However, there are some kids who know how to appreciate what they have and are not out causing trouble and bringing shame upon the family. I have faith that the ones I spoil will turn out to be alright!!!

I'm still reeling after reading 10,000 sq. ft. and FIVE kids!!!! Whoooo! If you are married, that gives each one of you about 1,430 sq. ft to call your own.

Does grandma play? My mother played my pins up until 3 months ago when she passed away at age 91. One of the last things she did before she died was buy me a NIB Iron Man VE. It was fun to watch my mother play, because she would get excited and start yelling and occasionally she would let fly some expletives when a ball would drain!

Mike in Kentucky

Ha! My mother was Catholic also, but she didn't spare the words!!! Her favorite thing to yell out was: "Well, shit Miss Mitchell!" She said that all her life. I never knew who Miss Mitchell was!

When she would really get perturbed while playing a pin, she would utter: "Well, good Lord A'mighty, Gosh Damn!!!"

Here's to you, Mom!

I need that badly in my game room. If you don't mind, once you figure out where to buy the motion detector (and anything else you are kind enough to tell me about), I wish you would post it here.

Good luck with that project. I'm EXCITED!!!

Mike in Kentucky

That is just damned BEAUTIFUL!!!

I LOVE that color you painted the walls. I'm calling it 'beet'. Makes the room look RICH!

Great job on the make-over. Lot's of work. I know. Because I've done it myself too. But sure is rewarding when you are done!!!

Mike in Kentucky

That was so awesome to see your mother playing the pins!

My mother did the same thing, and did so until she was 91 . . . the same year she passed away (last August).

She would play so intently. As her reflexes slowed down, she would yell and scream when a ball would fly by and drain. And lots of laughter. Some of the best memories I have.

Tell your mom we are all proud of her and that it lifted our spirits. Give her a big ole hug!!!

Mike in Kentucky

Ha! Me too!!! I'll tell my wife, "Hey . . . look at this. See what this guy has done with his game room? We could have something like that too if you would just go along with it." Then, I hear: "Well . . . you MIGHT be able to have that someday AFTER you enlarge the back deck, put me in a Jacuzzi, cut down that dead tree in the back yard, buy me a new washer and dryer, and trade my car in for a new one."

I would tackle ALL of those requests but . . . I know the list would just keep on expanding . . . .

I've got a pretty decent game room, so guess I should just leave things alone. It will be cheaper in more ways than one!

Mike in Kentucky

I had lightning damage to several pins back in March, and it also destroyed my 3D movie theater projector and audio system. Several thousand Dollars. But my insurance company couldn't have been kinder. I have a simple insurance plan with nothing special added. They never questioned anything about my "collection". Not only did they pay the FULL cost of all the repairs and replacements, but they upgraded my components, giving me more modern devices (projector, audio, speakers, etc.), and still gave me about $4,000 more than I needed! I have Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance. I didn't know they were so good until I read about this!!!

I would raise nine kinds of hell with that insurance company.

Mike in Kentucky

By all means TAKE IT! You can always sell it or throw it away if you don't like it.

What is the appeal? Well, I have 4 slot machines. I admit, they sit idle for long periods of time. But . . . I enjoy studying the payouts. Pretending that I'm at a casino and what would be the odds I would actually take home a sizable amount of money. I have played one for 5 years now and have never hit the main jackpot. I HAVE hit some serious big ones, around $2,000, and I've had days where the payouts kept me playing for several hours before going bust. I really enjoy watching the mathematics of these things, always looking for a sign of 'repeat' things, trying to see if I can remember any patterns so I can predict. And just when I think I've got it all figured out, BOOM! I'm wrong and lose the whole pot!

One thing I've noticed, even though the slots are totally random, it seems like they let you have spells of losing 7, 8, maybe 12 times in a row. Then, a stable win/lose/win/lose mode for awhile and then several big wins all in a row. I was told slots at casinos have the computer chips set at around 90% upwards for payouts. The bad casinos have it as low as 84%. I had the chips in mine set at 95%, yet the "house" always wins at the end of the day! The one thing that playing mine so much has taught me is that when you get on a roll and rack up some decent wins, that's when you need to stop, cash out, and go home! It is always downhill after a major run of wins.

We also have contests where I give each person $100 worth of Quarters to play (and you must play them all) and whoever has the best 'numbers' at the end is the winner. More fun for me, is watching my grandchildren (ages 6, 7, 8, and 9) play. They get excited and yell, tons of laughter and competitiveness, and they love all the lights, whirling wheels and the sounds. I get additional enjoyment out of watching visitors play. Some had never wanted to 'gamble', whether it was considered a 'sin' by them, or they had fear of losing money and had never slugged and cranked a handle on a slot. Since my slots are free, it is a first time experience for them without an 'anxiety'.

Lastly, they are definitely fun to just look at. They are mighty attractive in a game room.

That's my "Quarters worth"!
Mike in Kentucky

I passed through your town in November, 1969 while on a LONG drive all over Europe.

Mike in Kentucky

Loved the costumes!

Mike in Kentucky

That was hilarious . . . and TRUE!!! The man has balls to stand up there and draw it all out. I wonder if he's married and 'she' has beat the shit out of him on a "crazy day" for mansplaining what it is all about!!!