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| Cheers to good company: Diana, Toni, Kathy and Paulette became friends after they'd see each other at French Lick Casino, and now, any chance they have to meet up is an occasion worth celebrating. |
This is a friendship with some deep roots, some uncommon circumstances, and a quirky nickname to bind it all together.
These ladies don’t see one another during
the week. Scattered everywhere from Indianapolis to Terre Haute to Bedford,
group texts or swap Facebook messages get them through the weekdays.
But when Friday and Saturday nights roll around, they know
where to find one another: on the gaming floor at French Lick Casino. Just as
the jackpot on a slot machine builds bit by bit into something big over time,
the friendship among these women grows more and more every time they’re able
to convene in French Lick.
“Really, it’s a vacation every weekend that we all get
together,” Toni says.
Toni and Paulette knew each other from working together, so they got
all this started. They’d meet up at the casino and kindle conversations with
some of the other regulars who’d be at the neighboring slot machine or the
adjacent seat at the blackjack table.
The circle expanded to include Cathy, Kathy, Diana and a few others. They’d share
stories about husbands and kids and grandkids. They’d often spend the daytime
checking out other things throughout the resort and relaxing by the pool on
summer days, “but we’re here at the casino every night that we’re here,” Kathy
says, with Toni chuckling and Paulette nodding in acknowledgment. “And they’re
back in the back.”
She’s talking about the husbands. They’re along for this
ride, too.
While the wives did ladies’ night at the slot machines or
table games, the husbands would congregate near the bar since they’re not as
much into gaming. It didn’t take long for the men to start building the same
bonds as the women.
“Every week we’d come, he’d meet more people and I’d meet
more people. And the next thing you know, we joked about them being the Trophy
Husbands,” Cathy says, with her husband Don expanding on how the good-natured
nickname for the guys developed.
“They all seemed to meet at the blackjack table at one time
or another, and then they started talking and that’s kind of how the nickname
got started: Oh, yeah, I’ve got that
Trophy Husband, he doesn’t do any gambling, he sits back there at the bar,”
Don says with a laugh.
“After a few beers, we start trading stories and solving
world problems and we started talking about golf. After that we said, ‘Hey, we
should get out and play once in a while.’ That’s what our main agenda is when
we get to the bar — besides seeing who’s buying the next round — is we figure
out a tee time.”
They even dressed the part by all coming as Trophy Husbands for
one of the casino’s Halloween parties years ago — with matching orange golf
shirts, hats, shorts, pulled-up Argyll socks and necklaces with trophies
hanging from them. They even have a name for their little gathering spot.
“Chaos Corner,” as it’s come to be known, is mostly the hangout for the guys,
but it’s also where the entire group of husbands and wives sometimes comes
together for big celebrations, like the recent 60th birthday party
for Kathy’s husband, Tom.
The group will often hit up French Lick Resort’s New Year’scelebration together. Cathy, Kathy and their husbands have even gone on Florida
trips together. And weekends at French Lick typically involve some advance
planning to pull together as much of the group as possible. “We would try to
organize – ‘OK, we’re going to be here this next weekend, or we’re going to be
here Fourth of July, you guys try and see what you can work out,’ and everybody
would get together,” Toni says.
After the “Trophy Husbands” nickname took on a life of its
own, the women got into spirit and started calling their group the “Trophy
Wives.” You’ve got to have a sense of humor to be part of this group, which
sounds like a bunch of old college friends the way they’re constantly cracking
jokes. And finishing each other’s sentences.
Says Paulette: “You just meet a lot of friends down here, a
lot of different people…”
“A lot of nice people,” Kathy continues.
“The dealers, the pit bosses, they all know us, they all
call us by name,” Paulette says.
“That’s one of the big things,” Toni adds. “The hosts, the
employees, the dealers, everybody knows your name. That’s a good thing.”
Hey, when you run with the trophy crew, you’re a pretty big
deal.