The best thing about a hiatus is remembering other things you enjoy! At the rate this year is going, I may have to take a long one in the fall. I do find it difficult to read trip reports and I am a big baby when I have to skip M&G's so I find myself withdrawing from the forum a bit at those times. And slot videos are almost always a NO NO for me. It is hardest for me in winter, because there is less to do here in snow country now that I am too old & fat to cross country ski HHH. Mostly, I plan trips and yes, they almost all involve a casino.

As far as 'converting' goes, I do the opposite of you. After a losing trip I think about all the tangible things I could have done with the $$ I lost. Like, "Damn, I should have just stayed home and bought a new washing machine." Or "Sonofabitch, why didn't I just go furniture shopping instead of the casino?" Unfortunately, when I (occasionally) win, instead of using my winnings for those things, I just tuck it away for the next casino trip. As Nancy Kerrigan so eloquently says "WHY???"