A Chick and A Chair

A Very Dank Birthday!

2010-06-30T09:16:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow is Canada Day, which means that we are sitting on the eve of an extra long weekend up here in the Great White North. Tomorrow also happens to be my wonderful husband's BIRTHDAY, so the party is going to start extra early tonight!

Go sign up for the Mookie and tune in to BDR for all the fun, festivities, shots and shenanigans!

McLovin!!

2010-06-16T18:48:00.003-06:00

WPBT Gives Back! If you haven't done so already, go join the McLovin the Kids charity tournament tonight on Full Tilt Poker. This will replace action on the Mookie tonight, and proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House.

Full details can be found on Oh Captain's blog.

Temporary BDR Redirect

2010-05-09T14:27:00.004-06:00

Due to some temporary complications with the BDR server, tonight's broadcast of the BBT Freeroll can be heard via the following link:

http://www.justin.tv/buddydank
or
http://buddydank.blogspot.com

No, not a video broadcast, just audio this evening.

BBT5!

2010-04-18T15:01:00.007-06:00

The full details have been posted on so many blogs already that I am sure anyone visiting here already knows. If not, check it out directly from the source.
Many, many thanks to a AlCantHang! You guys seriously rock!

Bloggers and Donkeys and Rabbits Oh My

2010-04-02T10:50:00.006-06:00

After the tremendous turnout at this past week's Mookie, I felt inclined enough to toss up a post as there is a lot up and coming in our little blogger world.

First, the lovely Katitude is hosting another Friday night rebuy TONIGHT - the Killer Rabbit Rebuy. Awesomeness. We will be covering the action on BDR, so don't miss it bitches . Details as follows:

Next: Riggs, Goat, and Buddy are working on a top secret project. I would give you more details but then I would have to taser you ala Chuck Bartowski and we all know that wouldn't be a pretty sight. Here is a bit of a teaser to appease you in the meantime:

Finally, Al has confirmed that there will be a BBT5. It's going to be a different format than years past, but check out his blog over the next little while as I am sure details will be forthcoming.

See you all tonight for some Bunny Slayer action, and don't forget to tune in to BDR!

Happy New Year from the Danks!

2009-12-31T13:17:00.009-07:00

Just wanted to put up a quick post to wish all of our friends a very Happy New Year's Eve tonight! It has been quite a year for us, and we are going to be celebrating Dank-style.

For those that know us well, that means a whole lot of drinking, celebrating, and broadcasting live video for your ...ummm...viewing pleasure? For your amusement? For posterity? Whatever the reason, we will be streaming live video feed from the Dank household for the second year in a row.

If you happen to be at home tonight with nothing to do, pour a drink (or twelve) and feel free to tune in. There will be music, poker games played, recaps of the past year and the past decade, as well as a bunch of surprises.

Yes, we are dorks.

Action starts at 8pm MT (10pm ET) and we will be ringing in all the New Years Eve's across Canada and the US.

To everyone else, have a very Happy New Years and play safe!!

Wedding

2009-09-15T19:33:00.004-06:00

Copied from Buddy's blog:

Under 2 weeks til the BIG DAY! Sept 26th!

We still have an open invitation to all our blogger friends. We have heard from a few but if you are still interested check out our wedding site and let us know.

http://www.ewedding.com/sites/beneichner

We'll be going out Friday night before the wedding to a local casino in Des Moines.

Still working on our honeymoon plans. But there is a possibility of us being in Vegas Sept 29th - Oct 3rd. We'd love to get together with anyone in Vegas during that time.

Driving back to Iowa next week. Good times ahead!

/copying from Buddy's blog.

So as you can imagine, we are getting pretty excited now with everything being so close. We are actually leaving Canada this Sunday to start the 24-hour drive back, then have a week full of last minute preparations to take care of. As Buddy mentioned, we will be going to the casino in Des Moines Friday night, the wedding itself is Saturday, and we have confirmed our honeymoon plans - Vegas Baby!

As it turns out, we have two comp nights at the Venetian, plus two comp nights at the Strat, so we will be taking full advantage of that from Monday the 28th through Friday, Oct 2nd, making the trek down there before heading back up to Canada.

If you are able to either come to the wedding, or meet up in Vegas, let us know!

An Open Invitation

2009-06-15T19:43:00.005-06:00

September 26, 2009, BuddyDank and I will be getting married in Ames, Iowa.

Yes, that is just over three months away, so I thought it would be a good idea to get this up sooner rather than later.

You are all invited. If anyone wants to make the trip down (or up?) for the wedding, email me (joanne1111@gmail.com) or Buddy (buddy@buddydank.com) or leave a comment and let us know.

General plan is this...

Friday night is the satellite. We will be going out as a group to party / have fun / whatever. Saturday is the actual Main Event, but at a nice respectable (gives-you-time-to-cure-your-hangover-and-get-ready-for-another-one) 4:00pm. Watch NumbBono give Joanada away. See if Buddy goes all in or folds.

Reception at 5:00 in the same location as the ceremony. See, no travel time. No 5-hour ceremony in Latin or any other obscure language. Considerate, eh? We thought so. Fun and games will ensue. Yes, there will be a web broadcast. There will be singing. (With the exception of the bride - you can thank me in advance.) There will be drinking and debauchery, but only after the grandparents have left the building.

I already have confirmation from several bloggers who are going to be attending, so if you are at all able to, please consider coming as we would love to see you there!

I heard a rumor...

2009-04-30T22:44:00.004-06:00

...that BuddyDank asked someone to marry him.

Rumor also has it that she said YES!

Leaving Las Vegas...Again

2008-12-15T22:43:00.002-07:00

I’m cruising at 35000 feet somewhere over Colorado after a three-hour layover in Denver, and all I can think about is how much I wish I was heading back the other way.

Six days and five nights sounds like it should be a long enough trip, but it wasn’t. Though Vegas can wear you out after just a few days, I’d love to have more time to do some of the more “touristy” things that always seem to get pushed aside on trips like this. I havent seen the Bellagio fountains in about 3 years, I’ve never seen the Treasure Island show, and there are still a good number of attractions, hotels and casinos that I promise I will go visit but never seem to get around to.

That said, I wouldn’t trade a moment of the trip, except for the obvious regret of not being able to talk to everyone as much as I’d like.

So then, on to the synopsis. I left my house in Calgary on Wednesday at the ungodly hour of 5am so I could catch my flight to Denver. A three hour layover there was made tolerable due to the best little smoking lounge in the continental US. A few Bloody Mary’s, free wifi, and hitting up my IIF’s on chat helped pass the time. Finally it was time to board and I was officially en route to Vegas, baby!

I arrived in town at about 4:00, and BuddyDank and I headed to the Imperial Palace where we planned to broadcast the Mookie live. We checked into the hotel without incident and managed to get the internet set up in fairly short order. A quick trip to the store downstairs and we were set up with beer and tequila – everything needed to do a proper Mookie broadcast. Many shots were had, and after busting out of the Mook we headed downstairs to do a little gambling. This part of the story you can read here because I am too lazy to type it all out, but needless to say that first night couldn't have been much better.

The Bloggers

What can I say that hasnt already been said about this eclectic group of people. I got to see all my old friends and met a bunch that I have been waiting for months or even years to finally see live and in person, and as always not one person wasn’t as awesome as I hoped they’d be. It would take far too long (and would require too many brain cells that I killed over the past week) to name everyone, but it was great meeting Bayne, Recess, Pirate Lawyer, Muhctim, Peaker, Joshua Carlson, Yestbay, Emptyman, and all the others for the first time. (Sorry to all those I left out, seriously brain dead right now.)

Highlights

HOT HOT PENNY: Most positive EV (–EV) game in da house, at least when I was sitting there. Well, that and The Big Event

Spending a relaxing night at the Strat with Buddy and Mr. & Mrs. Emptyman – enjoying a little downtime between all the chaos

Watching Corner Gas and Bob & Doug’s 2-4. I didnt think they could get funnier. I was wrong.

Lazing in bed with Katitude for an afternoon when she came to visit and hang out with me. Add room service and a whole lotta girly talk, and it was a great way to relax and recover for a few hours.

Seeing Sweet Sweet Pablo and Gracie as newlyweds – huge congrats again!

Getting a room that wasnt in the North Forty, had hot water everytime I showered, and was right by the elevator and ice machine

Steelers taking it down!

Every slot machine I touch turns to gold

Having not one, not two, not three, but FOUR beer bitches at my disposal. You guys rock.

Not getting stabbed/killed/attacked/robbed when I was approached by two very drunk guys beside a Chinese Massage Parlor when I took a wrong turn alone down a very dark, barren street.

DQB four times in two hours on video poker, plus countless other times throughout the trip

And I’m sure it goes without saying, being able to hang out in Vegas for six days with my partner in crime, BD.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Right now it is hard to feel anything except excessive sadness. It gets harder and harder to leave every time, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I should be landing in about 45 minutes, and have nothing but -25 degree temperatures (and a car that probably won’t start) to look forward to. On the plus side, my cats are probably going to be thrilled that I have finally found my way home, and I have missed them too. I’m back to work Tuesday morning, but fortunately only for a week as I get two full weeks off over Christmas. Hmmm.....thinking Vegas again for New Years would be a good idea! Who is in?

Thanks

2008-07-17T23:07:00.010-06:00

So I had every intention of writing a recap of Okie Vegas tonight, but something kept stopping me. I had to dig really deep (and I am really not that deep) only to realize that no matter what I say, no matter which words I choose to describe it - you aren't going to get the true essence of what it is like to actually be there.

How can I describe what it is like to finally meet Surflexus? He is genuinely one of the nicest people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. He and I go back years and years, and I know his game better than almost anyone's. I was taken aback by his skill at the final table of the tournament, and felt privileged just to be among the top four standing.

Then there is 23Skidoo, who I have known for almost as long yet never met live either. We have had many moments - but there is nothing quite like finally looking your friend in the eye, putting a face to the name, and finally getting that hug that has been coming for way too long.

Maudie deserves her own special section. She was the very first blogger I ever met, way back in 2005, and I love her to death. People are wrong when they say that Ozzie's is Oklahoma's best kept secret - it is this woman.

I am not a vain person, but there is something to be said about waking up on the couch (with no hair done, no makeup, in your PJ's) feeling very insecure, yet surrounded by bloggers who really couldn't give a shit what you looked like, just happy that you were there.

There are those who show up not wanting to leave anyone behind. They have presents or bounties for anyone who happened to make it, regardless of how well they knew that person.

There is also something to be said about someone who has been your wingman (woman) for the past 3 years and forgives all that you may do, causes shit of her own, and carries on without the blink of an eye or the handicap of a very sore ankle.

There are very few people who can take the kind of abuse I deal out at the poker table gracefully, catching exactly what I needed to at the right time, regardless of how donkey my play was...and still give me a hug and not hate me for it afterwards.

There are even less people who can be so humble to not even realize that their little corner of the world is something not only to embrace, but to emulate, and the fact that they are willing to share it with the world (our world) is a true gift to the rest of us.

I don't know many people who can listen to months and months of me spewing on and on about my skill at Guitar Hero, then not only Pwning me at the game, but letting me believe that I really wasn't that far behind. Further to that, I know even less who will sit there and keep me company for hours as I debate about taking a cat named Yoda across International borders, just because I quite simply can't let her go.

Even more rare are the people that you just simply love on sight. He told me to call him Beer Bitch, and though hesitant at first, I quickly warmed up to the title as I realized I didn't have to lift an un-manicured nail to get Any. Damn. Thing. I. Wanted. You had my back, Turd Chaser, and I will forever have yours.

How is it possible to let the rest of the world know that when Double-D sings, there is an angel in heaven who wipes her brow and says "Whew - I have the day off - my work here is done"

How do you describe reading the absolute insanity that is someone's day to day life, knowing there is no possible way to relate, and just hope that you can have a somewhat intelligent conversation with this person, only to find out that he is just as cool and awesome as anyone else in the room?

I am humbled.

I am grateful.

I am in awe.

I am appreciative.

I never knew that I had friends like you, and I am thankful, more than I can express on here, and more than you will ever know. You all rock.

Okie Caviar Is Pure Gold

2008-07-15T16:06:00.000-06:00

It was nothing more than a passing comment, but the single most profound statement I heard all weekend was "I'm here to meet my friends." Amidst all the hilarity, the debauchery, and the activity, for a few short moments I sank into a shell of thought and contemplated those words.

There was a time not long ago when we were all imaginary to each other. Nothing more than an avatar on a screen and an assumed personality based solely on what we decided to type into a little chat box that day. Somehow from there we gained familiarity with each other, and camaraderie followed in turn. Friendships developed and relationships formed. Still though, it was all on paper - or more accurately, all on screen.

In what still strikes me as an almost inconceivable notion, as a group we began traveling to meet up with each other across various parts of the continent. Meeting in casinos and hotels, staying in each others homes. Sometimes making upwards of three or four trips a year to see each other. Following each other's lives by what we write in our blogs, sometimes knowing more intimate details about each other than we do our own families or neighbors.

This past weekend I found myself lazing in the sun on the bank of a river in the middle of a country other than my own, surrounded by people who, through any other circumstance or possible reality, I never could have known. There is no conceivable scenario that should have brought a Western Canadian to the middle of Oklahoma State to meet up with twenty or so people from all corners of the continent in the middle of July, but through a fortunate twist of fate it really did happen and I couldn't be more thankful.

It's true what they say - you had to be there, and rather than try to recapture everything that was said and done or places we went and the food we ate, I'm simply going to limit my summary to a few quick words about our host for now, and follow up in a few days with some highlighted moments that have stuck out in my mind. I assure each and every one of you though that I have hundreds more memories of you all (y'all) that I will be carrying around with me for a very long time.

On that note - Gary Darlin - what can I say that hasn't already been said about you? Thank you so much for not only letting us into your home but also into your life and allowing us to share it with you. Everything about your home, your lake, your kids, your wife, your friends, and even your pets is pure gold - just like you. (And please tell Mrs. GCox that I already have a batch of Okie Caviar made in my fridge!)

All I have to say is....

2008-07-07T20:41:00.005-06:00

This now belongs to me.

Okie Vegas, here I come. I land in 40 hours!!!!!

Just try and keep me outta your country bitches!

Insanity Ensues

2008-06-28T11:48:00.003-06:00

I am beginning to think that I really am a sucker for punishment.

As anyone who reads me will know, my daughter's friend moved in with us a little while ago. It was originally only supposed to be until the end of the summer, but I'm fairly certain we are keeping her for good now. In my mind she is part of the family now anyways.

Two daugthers I can deal with.

Then there is the friend who lives up the street. She is over almost every night, and in turn has taken up semi-permanent residence on our couch.

Fine. Two daugthers and a friend, I can deal with.

About a week ago, my daughter asked if her two friends (who live 3 hours North of here) could come stay with us on Saturday, meaning today. I didn't even really think about it, just agreed, figuring it would be for the weekend. These guys do that all the time, travel between the two cities and hang out at each other's houses for a few days at a time.

Well imagine my surprise then when I returned from driving daughter #2 to work this morning, to find some unknown parents in a minivan unloading suitcases full of stuff onto our driveway. Yes, the girls had arrived, and are staying for 10 days. TEN. Lord help me. Yes, my daugther neglected to pass on that little detail to me.

That brings the house count to six females plus two cats (yes, they are both female too) so I'm already on estrogen overload. Be warned, if you are a male friend of mine, chances are I will be hitting you up on chat a little more than usual throughout this duration as I have a feeling I'll be seeking out a testosterone fix or two here soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Update on the new job: it is fabulous. I am thoroughly enjoying it, feel very comfortable there, and am really happy that I made the decision to go back to a structured schedule. Yes, I'm still working 7 days a week, and havent had a day off since May 23rd, BUT - believe it or not - I actually have two days off next week, two days off next weekend, and then five days off for Okie the week after. Wow - talk about a slacker, eh? I don't know how I mananged to get so many days off, but they are very much needed, I assure you.

So other than the Okie trip, what am I going to do with my four whole days off? I'd love to say that I am going to be off doing something fabulous, but the truth is I will be doing nothing more than cleaning my house. It has been seriously neglected since I've been working so much, and it is high time to do something about it. The girls do the day-to-day stuff like dishes and vacuuming, but I still have boxes that need sorting, furniture that needs placing, things that need painting, etc., etc. Rather than dreading it though, I am actually looking forward to getting everything in order, so that is a good thing I suppose.

Sadly though, today is not one of those days that I have off, so I'm on my way in to work now. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

13 days...but who's counting?

2008-06-26T22:28:00.004-06:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, which is good because I am too tired to type:

No, I don't have my passport yet. Yes, I will have it in time.

Really.

Well, I am at least 99.5% sure. (Have to leave just a smidgen of room for err)

Just. Can't. Wait.

I've got nothing

2008-06-21T11:41:00.009-06:00

I really don't have much to say today since I just woke up, but thought it was high time I put something on here again.

I rarely post about poker, and even more rarely post screen shots, but this one made me laugh:

Nothing like folding a flopped boat-turned-DQB. That was in the Friday night donkament last night, which I bubbled out of in 4th place.

/pokercontent

I'm moving pretty slowly today as I had a few too many of these last night

while chatting with the IIF's via this:

and this:

Typing in a chat box is sooooo 2004.

The next few weeks are going to be pretty busy for me as I don't have a day off until July 1st (Canada Day) and am frantically running around trying to finalize my plans to go here:

It's going to be tight, but I am still 99% sure that I will be in attendance. I'd like to say that I was 100% sure, but there is still a tiny, tiny chance that I won't be able to pull everything together in time. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

I'm off to work (seriously, what kind of sick person chooses to work Saturdays?) but I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Zero to Sixteen in Twenty-Four Hours

2008-05-26T19:06:00.004-06:00

While you were all sleeping...

I spawned another child. She weighs in at about 100 lbs, is approximately 5'4", and somehow miraculously just celebrated her sixteenth birthday.

Her first words were: "God, Rime of the Ancient Mariner Rocks"

Pink cigars and bottles of tequila are encouraged.

Thirty-Eight Hours of Bliss

2008-05-23T18:32:00.002-06:00

I have an entire day off Saturday.

That may not sound like much to most, but since I haven't had a single day off in over two months (literally) it is absolutely golden to me. Add in this evening and the hours before I have to be back at work Sunday, and you get a total of thirty-eight hours of non-committed time.

Heaven.

Of course, I have a lot of work to do, and probably will end up doing it during that time anyways, but that is something I am not going to think about right now.

So I started the new job this week. It was pretty surreal, considering I found myself back in a cubicle which I swore I would never do again. Even more strange was that I really quite liked it. There are about a million people who work there (very large Architectural Design firm) and enough work to keep me very busy for a long time to come. They are still somewhat defining my long-term role within the company, but for now I am filling the position of Project Administrator. In a nutshell, I push a lot of paper, balance a lot of numbers, edit a lot of documents, and will be attending a lot of meetings.

My only regret right now, especially since I seem to be working for such a forward-thinking company that bases their business on inspiration from the product (architectural design) and the people who work there (and their vision) I'm wishing I was in more of a creative role. I'm somewhat of an artist, somewhat of a writer, and very much a dreamer, and I'd love to be able to incorporate that into what I do day-to-day. My educational background is actually in marketing and advertising, but detail is my thing and that is what this job requires in spades.

Time will tell.

Anyways, I was taken out for lunch earlier this week by the boss from my (now-ending) contract position, and we went to this absolutely fabulous restaurant. Days later I am still dreaming of how good the food was.

Appetizer:

Handmade Gnocchi with Black Truffles and Herbs, served with a side of Parmesan Foam

Entree: Roasted Salmon on top of a Whipped Potato base, with green beans, served with a Saffron & Pancetta Beurre Blanc

Good lord it was amazing. We had two bottles of sparkling water during, finished with lattes, and the total bill was $92 before tip.

~~~~~~~~~~

So I wrote the above last night but apparently forgot to hit publish post, and it is now Saturday morning. Sadly I did wake up at 6am, which was kind of surprising since I was kept up way too late last night by a few highly entertaining people (no fault of my own, of course) but managed to laze around in bed for a few delicious hours before hitting Kat up on the IM.

Her and I made some coffee and played a few token tourneys, had a several-hour-long voice chat (joined eventually by OhCaptain and his hilarious girls) and now I'm off to actually get something done today. My list is long and full of things that are so very not fun, but unfortunately laundry happens and the kitchen doesn't clean itself.

How is it that I can be friends with some of the biggest self-professed geeks in the world, yet none of them have come up with ways to make my house self-cleaning? Sheesh - get on it, guys.

Don't Fall Off Your Chair

2008-05-15T18:02:00.003-06:00

Two posts in two days? WTF is up with that, eh?

Me, to my friend today:

Hey guess what? I got another job

Her, to me:

Are you fucking insane?

Yes, that does bring the job count up to six now.

Now granted, one of them ends in two weeks as this new one begins, so really it is still only five. However, the latest one was a little unexpected. I was originally recommended to the new company (which is a major architectural design firm) by a current co-worker, as they needed someone to do contract administration a few days per week for a definitive amount of time. Since it worked well with everything else I had on the go, I agreed to do it and was hired yesterday sight-unseen at a very nice rate of pay.

Today I went in on my lunch hour to complete the required paperwork and meet with them for the first time, and before I left they had convinced me to join the firm as a full time employee. Actually, the exact words of the Project Manager were: "There is no way you are NOT going to work here full time." Nice little boost to the ego, if I do say so myself.

Since my skill set just happens to mesh perfectly with what they currently are in dire need of, we tossed around numbers and finally settled on a figure that admittedly is more than what I expected, and certainly pleases me to no end. The job itself isn't rocket science, but it does require someone with a diversified background that I just happen to have, and in fact, they are kind of creating the position around what I am able to do for them. Since I'm able to cover a bunch of areas, the job itself should stay pretty interesting for a long time to come.

I haven't really made a decision on what I am going to do about the other jobs yet, though obviously I am going to have to scale them all back a bit. Right now I work about 65-70 hours a week between the five jobs, almost always seven days a week. I haven't even begun to reach the point of burnout, but I know that will eventually happen.

The thing is, I can't stand having idle time these days. I have to throw myself into 101 things at any given moment or I go stir crazy. Funny really, since I am by nature the laziest person I know. I can't be bothered with doing "things for me" like shopping (HATE shopping), going to the spa (no interest whatsoever) or the like. My "down time" is when I am actually playing poker with all of you or chatting it up on the radio, but even then I am usually doing a few things on the side. I do have an unnatural obsession with Guitar Hero though, and when I have a few hours with nothing else going on, that is usually what I can be found doing.

Anyways, everything will eventually fall into place. I'm not starting the new schedule for a few weeks, so that leaves me with a little time to figure the rest of it out. In the meantime though, I am so excited I can barely sit still!

Spawn and Speck

2008-05-13T21:44:00.008-06:00

Mother's Day came a few days late for me this year, as several of my nine thousand jobs prevented me from being able to celebrate on Sunday. My daughter actually sent me a text message asking if we could arrange to go out for dinner one night this week, so I replied sure, are you paying? She said yeah, as long as I can borrow some money. Needless to say, I got stuck with the bill.

It was worth every penny though, as we went to my favorite restaurant. Her friend tagged along (it was supposed to be three of them all together, but her other friend bailed at the last minute) and as you can see, they dressed up for the occasion:
Yes, those are both Iron Maiden shirts. Would you expect anything less from a child I spawned?

Dinner itself was wonderful though. The restaurant we went to is actually owned by a friend of mine, though sadly I haven't seen him in over a decade. My daughter has met him on a few of her frequent visits there without me, but he always seems to be missing in action when I show up.

We decided to just share a bunch of food, and started the meal with some mixed greens drizzled with a house-made red wine vinaigrette. Following that we had the calamari, which they prepare by crisping to perfection before lightly tossing in a spicy lemon tomato sauce. Our third dish was the Fungi Fritti, which is battered oyster mushrooms topped with a gorgonzola cream sauce. Absolutely incredible.

Now, the thing that makes this restaurant so incredible is that they are one of the few Italian restaurants in the world (outside of Italy) that belong to the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association, a Naples-based group that ensures all ingredients, preparation, and equipment passes their strict guidelines. To give you an indication of what I mean by strict, their massive wood burning oven contains stones straight from Mount Vesuvius - a requirement by the organization.

I don't know how much difference the actual stones make, but the pizza is incredible. Now you have to understand, we are talking about authentic Napoli pizza here - this isn't Dominos. If you like your pizza loaded with toppings and weighed down with two pounds of cheese, this isn't for you. The crust is soft, and just lightly charred (not burnt) on the botttom, resulting in an insanely delicious flavor. The sauce is nothing more than crushed San Marzano tomatoes. You will not find Hawaiian Pizza on their menu - the toppings are all authentic as well. My favorite is the Speck, which is tomato sauce, mozzarella, speck (smoked prosciutto), parmigiano, and basil:

Just trust me, it is amazing. Anyways, we wrapped up our dinner with an order of Tiramisu split three ways, which took all of about 92 seconds for us to demolish. One drink for me and Italian soda for the girls, and the total damage was $90 (including a 20% tip) for the three of us.

The food alone was worth every penny, but since my daughter and I get to spend very little actual quality time together these days due to both of our insane schedules, it was the company that made the evening priceless.

Perspective

2008-04-16T15:12:00.005-06:00

This is a story about Nick.

Nick was born 11 days before me, in the same year. I've since found out that he and I were born in the same hospital, and his family moved to Calgary at about the same time as mine did. I've also found out that he and I shared a number of friends over the years, yet we never actually crossed paths that I am aware of. More about him in a minute though.

Twelve years ago this month, one of my very best friends committed suicide. I've written about this before, so for now I'll just say that even though I went to the church portion of her funeral, I never attended the grave-side services. It was months before I was finally able to bring myself to go visit and try to make peace with her passing, but since I didn't know where she was buried, I was resigned to spend the entire day walking around looking for her grave.

If you've ever walked around an entire cemetery, you will know there are little things you learn along the way. The older sections are very grey - there are very few visitors and an ominous feeling hangs in the air. Not twenty feet away, where the more recently departed rest, there is a kaleidoscope of colors, most graves decorated in flowers or ornaments or small tokens in honor of their memory. There is also a lot of dirt, as the grass hasn't always had time to grow yet. Needless to say, within a few short hours and with very muddy shoes, I narrowed down where her plot would be, and finally came face-to-face with the reality of her death. I sat beside her tombstone and talked to her for quite a long time. I had to make peace with her for choosing to leave us all, and though I had never felt anger over her death, after that day I was able to not quite feel as helpless in dealing with it. When I stood up to leave though, something caught the corner of my eye. It was a gleaming white headstone, about four feet tall, and the way the sun caught it I was compelled to go take a closer look.

This is where I met Nick.

As soon as I read his name on the marble, I felt an unbelievable connection. It was as though I had known him my entire life, and I could almost visualize actual memories of him, helped by the fact that there was a picture of him embedded in the marble. He passed away just before his twentieth birthday, ironically in the same month that I had conceived my daughter. His life was ending, and I was bringing new life into the world. I spent a good two hours there trying to make sense of why I felt such a powerful connection to him, but finally wrote it off as having spent too much time around sadness that day and that my imagination was just working overtime.

Over the years though, every time I went to visit Janet, I was compelled to visit Nick as well. I no longer felt as though I was visiting the grave of a stranger, but rather someone that I had once known. I felt as though I was there to mourn his death as well as that of my own friend. Years later, with the help of old newspapers and the internet, I did some research and found out the coincidences about our birthplaces, about our mutual friends, and everything else.

Yesterday, Kat and I were talking about cemeteries, and I was telling her the story about Nick. Today, I was out of the house and all of a sudden knew that I had to go visit again - it had been far too long.

As I pulled into the cemetery, there was a small, old, Asian man walking very slowly, as though in pain, holding a wrapped bouquet of flowers. It was obvious that he still had a long way to go as the graves don't start for quite a distance, plus from experience in walking around the cemetery I know where the predominantly-Chinese section is located and it was far. I pulled over and asked him if he would like a ride, and though he spoke very little English, he climbed into my car and pointed to direct me where to go. Now I'm not really in the habit of picking up strangers and letting them into my vehicle, but under the circumstances, there was no way I would consider doing otherwise.

When we reached the area he wanted, he turned to me and gave me a sad little smile. He reached out and squeezed my hand in thanks, and exited my car. I watched him for a few moments as he made his way through one of the greyer areas of the graveyard, and I could only imagine that his wife had passed away many years before, and that he still made his way out here once a week to bring her flowers. Hers was the only grave that still had color on it for miles.

After making my way back, I stopped by Janet's grave first. I felt terrible that one of my best friend's final resting place is a mere 40 blocks from my house and I haven't stopped by in years. I spent a considerable amount of time at her plot, silently going over everything that I wished I could say to her, filling her in on everything she has missed, and once again making my peace with her untimely death.

Afterwards, I made my way over to Nick. I spent some time there, thinking about this person who I never met, yet had touched me in such a profound way. I had always thought, with every part of my soul, that he and I were destined to meet, yet we didn't. Was it because death took him before that could happen, or was it because we missed out on the opportunity while he was alive - that is what I didn't know and had always dwelled on. It may sound silly, but I honestly believed there was a portion of my life that he should have been a part of - no matter how big or how small.

I was wrong though. I was never really able to put my finger on it until today, and though I still don't have it all figured out, there is some semblance of reason in my mind now. The thought I couldn't shake today, as I sat in front of his grave, was about all the people that I have met through the strangest of circumstance. Since the inception of this blog, I have met over a hundred people in real life who I never possibly could have crossed paths with otherwise. With that comes hundreds of memories to draw upon. Factor in the chats, the games, and the late night phone conversations, and I now have thousands upon thousands of memories that wouldn't have been there had I not taken the time to start this, or gathered up the nerve to make that first trip to Vegas.

For the past twelve years, I had been trying to figure out what Nick represented to me, and I finally realized today that I had it backwards. It was not what he represented to me, it was how I perceived what I represented to him. I had the chance to live my life still. I had the chance to not miss out on opportunity. I had the chance to go out and meet people and experience new things. Looking at Nick, I was looking at myself, and was reminded that I was still able to go out and grasp every opportunity possible. To me, he represents all the people that I actually HAVE met through strange circumstance, that never expected to and really never should have, had my life played out any different.

I've vowed to myself to take whatever chances life presents to me, because I don't want to look back in twenty or thirty or forty years time and have any regrets. I don't want to miss out on any opportunities. I don't want to miss out on meeting those people who have, and will continue to enhance my life.

I want to be able to go visit Nick, and let him live vicariously through me.

Canada Sucks

2008-04-10T09:22:00.003-06:00

Highlights of my day so far, and it is only 9am:

- Took me over two and a half hours to drive into work this morning - usually takes 20 min

- Snowflakes are the size of baseballs (no exaggeration)

- I can't see out the window of my office due to a complete and total white-out

- My car has been sitting outside for 10 minutes, and it is completely buried already

- When I stepped out of said car this morning, the snow was up to my calves and the ground underneath was so slippery I wiped out and cracked my head. Bruises are forming as we speak.

Living in Canada sucks.

Finding My Voice

2008-04-07T19:36:00.003-06:00

I've been asked repeatedly where the hell I've been for the past year, and though it isn't an easy one to explain, I'm going to try to do my best. This post has been a long time coming, and I've written and re-written it dozens of times. The short answer is - I've been busy. Yes, I know, we are all busy, but trust me when I say that working an average of 70 hours a week and raising my daughter alone has pretty much taken all my time lately.

That is only part of it though, the other reasons involved are where it gets more complicated, and are where this explanation begins. The truth of the matter is, the past few years have been the most difficult years I have ever had to face in my life. I'm not interested in crying a swan song or getting into every single detail, but I have had to set aside an enormous amount of time to heal, mend, rebuild, and rediscover myself. I chose not to bring anyone along for that ride, and though in hindsight I see now that may have been a mistake, it was simply how I needed to deal with it at the time.

Four years ago I got married. From the day we walked down the aisle on though, we never actually lived together again. Honeymoon was over instantly. His work was out-of-province or out-of-country, and he was constantly traveling from one destination to another. Anyone who has actually read my blog in it's entirety will see various references to multiple planned moves that never happened. We had secured places in Toronto, Vegas, and Jersey, and for one reason or another each one of these deals fell through. When you spend two years planning to move at a moment's notice, you are never really able to settle into your life where you are at. When home no longer feels like home, and the person that you chose to spend that life with is no longer there, well....I'm sure you get the picture. Don't get me wrong though, I was certainly not without fault during this time too, but for these and many other reasons, things eventually came to a head and we separated two years ago this month.

Throughout this duration, I slowly slipped into a depression. I hate using that term, because most people instantly mistake it for what it wasn't. I was not suicidal, I did not walk around crying every day and I wasn't miserable all the time. It was deeper than that on a lot of levels, but on others it was very superficial. I'm generally on quite an even keel, but throughout this time period I didn't know what "even" was. I lost my sense of self, only to emerge afterwards wondering if I ever really knew it to begin with. My entire life I felt like I was something to everyone else - a daughter, a mother (at a very young age), a sister, a girlfriend, a wife, an ex-wife. I finally realized I had no idea what my own identity was, and I needed to take some time to figure it out.

Unlike some others who have gone through some very tough times and have worked through it by blogging, I found that I had nothing to say. It wasn't the same as having writer's block, I simply found that I had lost my voice. Nothing really mattered anymore. I had no opinion on anything. I couldn't have told you if I liked a, b, or c, what I thought about current events, or if I preferred steak or chicken for dinner. There was simply nothing there. I more or less coasted for many, many long months, believing that one day I would snap out of my funk, but not being able to see an immediate end to it.

Those who know me well know who I truly am. I have an enormous lust for life, passion, and friendship. I'm very outspoken, have many opinions, and am a type-A personality who needs to work around the clock. I work hard and play harder. I never minded surviving on just three hours sleep each and every night, so long as I didn't miss out on anything the next day. Well, for several years, I missed out on just about everything. I slept for about 12 hours a night and had no energy to do anything the next day. I figuratively pushed the same piece of paper around on my desk until I finally felt like I had accomplished something, and then called it a day.

This past September though, something snapped. I had one of those life-defining moments that I had previously only read about. I literally packed up my depressed state, threw it out the window, and moved on with my life. I found I couldn't work enough. I took on every opportunity that came my way, and I started to actually live again. I had boundless energy, and even better than "finding" myself again, I discovered a whole new me. I am now not only at the point where I am happy, I find that I am ecstatic just to wake up every day and see what is in store for me. I'm in a very good place in my life right now, and though it certainly isn't where I ever expected to be, it is fulfilling in many unexpected ways.

Though my "return" has been slow, I've started to reconnect with those online that I had left behind. It has been a long process, and I still haven't got around to everyone, and for that I have many regrets. I'm working my way around the board, so to speak, but just know that I truly have missed everyone more than you can know.

/life story

Now, I said I was opinionated, and here are my two cents regarding the current state of dissension in our little blogging world. You have to know - these are the people who have been my sounding board through the toughest times in my life. These are the people that - each in their own way - have enhanced my life beyond belief. These are the people who have stayed up late with me while I was upset and listened to every word I needed to get out. These are the people that I have traveled thousands upon thousands of miles to go see, even if I only got to spend five minutes with them one-on-one. These people, each in their own small, huge, or indirect way, are the ones that helped me get through this all. There are those that completely refused to let me fade out of the blogosphere all together, and there are those that never forgot the little things like sending me a quick email to wish my daughter a happy birthday. There are those that truly rock my world, and there are those that I know I will still be friends with in thirty years time. If you have not yet realized how much this fucking community of people truly rocks, then you probably will never get it. Stop bitching about the quality of play in a $10 MTT, and start appreciating what you are a part of. This is beyond anything that any of us ever could have hoped for or expected, so enjoy it and quit yer bitchin!

Maybe now sleep will come

2008-02-27T19:54:00.005-07:00

I'm back, bitches! (There ya go VinNay, that was for you!)

Where to begin.

Yes, I'm aware I haven't written on here in over a year. I suppose when people come up to me and can literally quote my last post word for word, it is high time to put something new up. I'll say more about my extended absence a bit later (or maybe in a few days), but for now I have far more entertaining tales to tell.

Two words: Eh Vegas

I'm writing the first part of this while sitting in the Toronto airport on the departure level, missing everyone so much already. I've been thinking about the past four days and can't help but sit here with a smile on my face. Such is usually the case when you have had one of the best times of your life. Again.

I rolled into town on Thursday afternoon after my flight was delayed by an hour. Kat was still at work and no one else was expected in until Friday, so I took my time catching a ($65) cab and making my way to her place. I hadn't seen Kat since New Years 2007, when her and Hunny Bunny traveled to Calgary to visit me her brother and his family. There is nothing quite like that moment when you see someone again for the first time in over a year. Time instantly slips away and it really does feel like it was just yesterday that you saw them last.

Since her and I were both exhausted, we decided to grab dinner, pick up a box of cookies, and simply stay in and watch a movie. It was exactly what I needed, especially since I was still trying to shake off a lingering cold from the week before.

Friday morning I woke up surprisingly refreshed at the ungodly hour of 6am Toronto time (which for me is actually 4am - so early it's almost criminal) but I had the exquisite pleasure of stepping into Kat's morning routine for a moment. Freshly ground free-trade coffee, some of the finest quality beans you can find, brewed to perfection and served to me on the couch before I could even find my way out of the blankets. Prepared and delivered by the incomparable Hunny Bunny, of course. (For those of you not in the know, HB actually gets out of bed each and every morning that he is home, and makes Kat this amazing coffee for her to enjoy before getting up and starting her day. This is even on days when he doesn't have to be up for hours. Now THAT is dedication! You are one lucky girl, my friend.)

Anyways, Kat had to go to work, and when she was finished we packed up and went to check into our hotel. Fortunately there wasn't much of a wait before the Tuckfards called us, and we decided to meet in their room, which was in a different hotel just a quick three blocks away.

I hadn't met any of the Tuckfards before, either live or online, but as you all know that doesn't mean a damn thing when it comes to this group. Within minutes we were hugging, laughing, drinking, and telling stories as though we had been friends for years. Very, very cool.

We were actually all just hanging out and killing time before the rest of the crew showed up - expected still were Al, Riggs, CK, Irongirl, VinNay, and Iak, but we got too hungry to put off dinner any longer so we headed to a nearby Italian Restaurant. The food was quite good, but the dinner conversation was priceless. After I watched Astin polish off a sinful-looking slice of chocolate mousse cake, we all headed back to the hotel room for more drinking while we waited for the rest to show up.

There is a moment when every blogger gathering seems to really begin, and for this one it was the moment Al and Co. strolled into the suite. The vibe instantly changed, the voices got louder. We had the appetizer, now it was time for the main course.

Now, if you really don't know how out of the loop I've been for the past year, I can sum it up by saying that even though I knew who CK was, I had no idea she was Asian. Or Jewish, for that matter. Little, Yellow, Different indeed. I adored her on sight. (Herro? Herrroooooo!) Same as Riggs. It is impossible not to like this man - he is the guy that you see in the bar that has crowds of people around him laughing at all times because he is just that damn hilarious. I could go on and on about every person who was there, but let me just say that there wasn't a single one in the bunch that I wouldn't want to hang out with on a regular basis.

Drinking and talking continued until security showed up at the door strongly suggesting we take the party elsewhere, though they seemed to be having a hard time keeping a straight face while kicking us out. Can't say I blame them, as I can only imagine what it is like to watch this group from the outside looking in. Since staying there was no longer an option, we decided it was high time to make the hike to the Brass Rail (strip club) so we took our leave.

As I'm sure you've already read elsewhere, the highlight of the Brass Rail was watching Riggstad's face as he emerged from an extended trip into the private lap dance room, stating that he couldn't believe how expensive lap dances were in Canada. No Riggs, $180 is not for one dance. That would be because you stayed in there chatting her up for nine consecutive songs! Besides that and the other hilarity that ensued among the bloggers, the strip club was pretty much a wash. The dancers were unbelievably unenthusiastic, the music wasn't really all that good, and to be honest, they weren't even that great to look at. I'm not exactly a connoisseur when it comes to dancers, but really - a little effort would have been nice.

At this point most of us called it a night. I've heard rumors that some of the boys stumbled around Yonge Street for a while, but Kat and I headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest.

Saturday Irongirl, Kat, CK, and myself decided to have a girls afternoon down in the distillery district where we feasted on brunch, cocktails (Caesars - my personal favorite that I have now got CK hooked on) and the best damn chocolate around, which was followed by some window shopping and general female bonding. Therapy, as I called it. I hang out with men far more often than with the ladies, but these three I could spend countless hours with. We are all very different, but I think that is why we got along so well.

Afterwards Kat and I had to do some mad dashing around town to pick up last minute supplies for the dinner at Astins, which included my first ride on a Toronto subway, a whole lot of walking, picking up cupcakes, and a trip to her school to grab a dozen or so chairs. Not such an easy feat to balance all this when you are riding the transit, so we finally broke down and called a cab to get us to our destination.

Arriving at Astin's place, you can't help but be impressed. Without getting into details, let me just say that he obviously takes a lot of pride in his home and it shows. In fact, I can sum it up by saying that even with the dual distractions of Guitar Hero on TV (my favorite game) and the enticing smell of roasted elk drifting out of the kitchen, I had to take time to give myself a little tour of his place. Very, very nice.

We tried to lend a hand with the final preparations, but he really did have it all under control and soon we were feasting on the most amazing soup I've tasted since...well, I can't remember ever having soup that delicious before. It is true when someone said that you could almost hear a pin drop when we all tucked in, followed by a collective sigh of appreciation before the expletives starting rolling. "Holy fuck this is amazing" was uttered many, many times as I recall. I'm sure you've already seen the pictures so I don't need to go through every course, but the entire meal was absolutely phenomenal. The elk was cooked to perfection - certainly the highlight for me, as I am a meat lover more than dessert or anything. Thanks again Astin - that meal will be very well remembered for a long, long time.

After dinner we were off to the poker club. It is amazing how much fun a three-block walk can be. (Actually, for the record, they told us it was only three blocks, but it felt more like seventeen or so. Am I alone on this?)

Along the way several things happened:

1. We decided that this was part of Astin's master plan to win the tournament - stuff us all so full that all we wanted to do was nap and couldn't focus on our cards
2.) We learned to stay far, far away from guys on the street who have way too much money and are packing heat
3.) Even after eating half of a side of elk, Riggstad can still be enticed by the thought of Chinese Food
4.) Residents of Chinatown don't even blink when a whole procession of crazy people are walking up the street yelling BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The tournament. What can be said that hasn't been said already? I was bubble girl. I finished in 4th place, killing my hopes that Kat, CK and I would fill the top three places. Huge congrats to Matty who brought a stellar game to the table, as well as knocked me out when my AQ failed to improve against his pocket 7's. Also huge congrats to mah girls who very much deserved their finishes in the money. I'd also like to extend my apologies to Pebbles for knocking her out - she played a brilliant game, but thank you so much for the bounty. It is sitting in a place of honor in my house, I assure you!

Afterwards we played a little cash game, and at 1:45am it was just Astin, Kat and myself left. Preparing to leave, we finally received a call from Iakaris, who had just made it into town and was only 5 minutes away. Yes, this is how the Doc rolls. We only got to spend a little while chatting with him, but it was certainly one of the highlights of the weekend for me. I've wanted to meet him for a long time but it seems like we always end up at opposite blogger events. Great to finally meet you Iak - next time it has to be for longer!

Sunday was a mix of emotions for me. On one hand it was very sad as half of our crew had already left - the Tuckfards had to head home for a live game they had scheduled, and we were already missing them. On the other hand I was elated. It was my birthday, I was spending it with some of my favorite people in the world, and I was heading to Niagara Falls for the first time in my life. I got to spend some quality time in the Man Truck with Riggs and Al on the way up which was awesome, and once we arrived at the casino drinks and toasts flowed freely. VinNay finally made it in as well, and it was great seeing him again. Certainly one of my favorite people from the last gathering I attended, so the day just kept getting better and better.

It was a good two hour wait before I finally got my seat at the poker table, directly to Al's right, no less. As I'm sure you can imagine there were many, many highlights considering we sat there for a good five hours and he single-handedly ensured the entire table was kept well lubricated, but my favorite moment was when Al and I went head to head in a hand, only to find out that we were both playing the hammer. He even managed to get me to fold mine after a flurry of bets and raises. Well played, sir. The other moment that really stands out in my mind was when I played (and won with) the Asian Jew and proceeded to yell it across the room to CK, to the horror/amazement/shock of the rest of the room.

There are so many more moments that I wish I could have captured on film or on paper as they happened, and even as I write this I keep remembering other small details that made the weekend even more amazing, but there just isn't enough time to recap them all.

I'd like to extend my utmost gratitude to Kat for putting this all together, changing the date to accommodate my birthday (yes, it really is my fault you were all here in winter rather than early spring) and for letting me stay with you. You are certainly the hostess with the mostess, and I love ya.

To everyone else who was there, it was a spectacular weekend and I can't thank you enough for everything you all did - which really was just being yourselves. That alone is more than enough and I am truly privileged to be able to call you all friends.

I will be back, sooner rather than later, as there is much to tell from the last year. Real life kind of smacked me in the face and by necessity has taken a front seat for a long time now, but I am working hard to get back on here more often again. I hope to catch up with you all soon.

Sleep Wont Come

2006-12-07T01:10:00.000-07:00

It is 1:00am. I went to bed an hour ago, but tossed and turned enough that I finally convinced myself I may as well get up for a little while. I can't seem to shut my mind down tonight, even though I have to leave for the airport in less than 4 hours.

I really feel like a kid on Christmas Eve listening for Santa Claus. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I was this excited about something. It's not just that I get to see some of my old friends again, it isn't just because I get to meet some of the newer ones live and in person. It isn't just because I love Las Vegas and really, that alone is enough to keep me awake at night. It is all these things, and so much more, combined.

I will see you all tomorrow night - hope everyone has a safe trip in!

Oh and by the way, congrats to 23skidoo for placing 6th in the 25k at FT tonight! Glad I was awake to see your finish!

Are you ready to go?

2006-12-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

"So are you all ready for your trip?"
- my Mom, this morning

"Mom, I have 48 hours until I board my plane. Of course I am NOT ready."
- me

Alright, so I am a wee bit of a procrastinator. And by a wee bit, I mean I am the queen of all things that can be put off until later. I don't do it on purpose, really, it is just the way my mind works. Maybe I am missing a chip or something, but I know no other way. I start something, then realize there are 500 other things that need doing, and by the time I get back to my original project, three moon phases have passed and I am left wondering how I never finished it in the first place. Confused? Welcome to my world.

The one good thing about being a professional procrastinator is that you never actually worry about getting everything done. You know you will, in your own time. It is just everyone else that begins to panic on your behalf - all those people who pre-plan their life and complete tasks in an orderly fashion don't understand how you can leave everything to the last minute and still get it all done.

MY panic starts when I actually have everything completed and find myself with nothing to do. Think I am joking? I'm not. Honestly, that thought fills me with terror. It's like in Vegas this weekend, Kat and I are sharing a room. If her and I are both getting ready to go out, there is no possible way that I could finish up before her and sit calmly and wait. I would begin to obsess. Checking my hair every few minutes. Pacing the room. Walking out to the balcony and back inside, over and over. Chain smoke. (Ok, to be fair, I will be chain-smoking anyways in the land-of-ashtrays-everywhere) but you get my point.

If I were packed and ready to go right now, that suitcase would get unpacked and repacked 17 times between now and then. I would begin to worry that I forgot something. I would start adding unnecessary items to the bag. Basically, I would be going nuts. So why do it?

That said, it is not my intention to laze about all day and slack off all night and hope that everything magically finds its way into my suitcase sometime late tomorrow evening. Actually, I have been progressing quite nicely with my list of things to do before leaving town. Almost too nicely, in fact, which is why I thought I better slow things down a little and write a post here, lest I somehow complete too many things early.

So, I bet you are wondering how I am going to turn this into a poker post. Actually, everything I just wrote IS the reason why I love poker. I see the game a lot different than most people I have talked to, or rather, my mind just works in a different way. I'm not saying that is for better or worse, it just is what it is.

I don't get a rush from playing cards. I don't really experience that high that others describe from winning or losing. It doesn't get my adreneline pumping. I long ago stopped getting excited about good hands or disappointed by bad beats.

Actually, poker has the exact opposite effect on me. I can still still for hours, patiently waiting for a good hand. I don't get stressed. I don't get impatient. Being short-stacked doesn't bother me, etc. The fact is, I am still doing something that is unfinished, and I could wait for the right play for days if I had to. I suppose it is because I feel busy, so my inner A.D.D. actually gets to take some time off and lounge by the pool. Playing poker is one of the few times in my life when I actually feel that sense of calm.

Anyways, I will see you all on teh girly chat tonight as I count down the last few hours before take-off, and I may even play a little bit of poker - ya never know.

Just please don't ask me if I am all packed and ready to go.

Blogger Meetings Start Early in Canuckland

2006-12-04T02:29:00.000-07:00

Anyone I have talked to over the last little while knows how (absolutely, unbelievably) excited I am about the Vegas trip later this week. I leave for the airport in 75 short hours and I just can't wait. (Yes, I am counting it down - I told you I was excited.)

However, tonight I got to celebrate just a little early with the arrival of my fellow Canuck and WWdN regular Astin (plus three of his Toronto friends) who took a little time out of their Western Canadian ski trip to join me at one of my local casinos for a bit of degeneracy.

This was definitely a first for me, meeting a blogger in my own hometown, and they certainly didn't disappoint - all of them were fantastic. As any of you who have met bloggers before know, there is that quick moment where you try to associate the face with the online personality, but once you are past that it seems like you have known each other for a long time.

We settled in for a pre-game beer in the (very tiny) lounge, then hit up the poker room which was suprisingly pretty crowded, especially for that late on a Sunday night. The only game they were spreading at the time was $1/$2 NL, and there was a guy at our table who had racked up over $1200. Needless to say he was playing pretty much every hand (and invariably hitting most of them, too) so I was hoping he would stick around long enough to pay me and my uber selective-aggressive self off. No such luck though, he took his chips and ran before I could claim any of them for myself. I did manage to double up at one point, bringing my $200 buy-in over $400, but at the end of the night I walked out of the casino up just $100. Not bad though, considering that I paid for a few drinks and played some blackjack too.

Astin had a rougher time at the poker table - he was completely cold decked on a very loose table, but he did manage to make up for his losses there by winning a very nice jackpot on a min. buy in at the slots. (I'll let him tell you the details if he so chooses, but I do find it funny that he hit this just moments after telling me that the slots at my casino suck lol...)

Anyways I definitely had a great time, and am now looking even more forward to Vegas (if that is possible) for more of the same later this week. (Thanks again guys for inviting me to join up with you!)

So, speaking of the trip. I'm arriving into Vegas on Thursday at 2 or 3pm, but am not making any plans to meet up with anyone right away as I have some things I have to take care of. Sound mysterious? Sorry to disappoint, it's not, really. I am doing most of my Christmas shopping while there and if I don't do it first, I won't do it at all. That and I am tentatively planning to take a nap if I can. Yes I know napping in Vegas is a sucky plan, especially before actually doing anything there, but you need to understand - my flight leaves that morning at 8am, which means that I have to be at the airport for international check-in by 5:30am, which means my alarm clock will have gone off at 4:00am, and you all know that I don't go to sleep usually until about 3am. Ugh. Am I allowed my nap now? Thank you.

The first (and last) scheduled thing I am doing is picking up Kat, Gary, and Maudie at the airport that night and (finally!) having a live-and-in-person shot with them before we even hit the luggage carousel. Kat, Gary, and I have been counting this one down for the last few weeks, warming up with a flurry of dial-a-shots and IM-a-shots, so it will be very awesome to finally talk face-to-face with the two of them for the first time. I've met Maudie before (she was actually the very first blogger I ever met) so it will be absolutely wonderful seeing her at the airport, too. I heart Maudie. But then again, who doesn't?

Anyway it is 3:30am and the lettering on my monitor is starting to blur, so I am going to head off to dreamland for a few hours of zzz's. If I don't get another chance to post before the trip, I hope the next few days fly by fast, and that everyone has a safe trip in.

New Addition

2006-11-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

(Warning: no poker content here. Just cute fluffiness.)

Here is the latest addition to my household:
She is 2 months old, and is light grey with a strange pinkish-orangish tuft of hair on her neck and paws. As you can see - her eyes are a very intense blue. She bounces around the room endlessly and doesn't stop purring - way too cute. I've always had cats (have one other one currently) but have never owned one as a kitten, so it is pretty exciting for us over here.

Jess and I are looking for names, so feel free to suggest something. If we use your suggestion, you just might win something - ya never know.

Moving sucks, just so you know

2006-11-06T01:19:00.000-07:00

I've received several emails and instant messages over the past week asking where I disappeared to, so following is my (very long) story. I wasn't ignoring y'all, really.

For the past five/six days straight I have been helping my ex-husband move out of the house that we recently sold. Even though I haven't lived there for 6 months I volunteered to help - I mean really, how bad could it be, right? Lift a few boxes, walk up and down a few flights of stairs - not a big deal. Oh how very, very wrong I was. Two words: Murphy's Law.

According to the terms of sale on our house we had until Friday at noon to vacate. Since we started moving stuff on Tuesday evening (Halloween) we figured we had plenty of time, even though he has a million items. Though normally we would hire movers in a heartbeat, this time around all of his possessions were going to four different locations - his new place, storage units, my house, etc etc. Way too difficult to coordinate that with movers, or so we thought.

Big mistake.

As it turned out, the few people that we had lined up to help were unable to at the last minute (with actual legit excuses, mind you) so we were pretty much left to do the entire thing between the two of us in nothing more than a cargo van.

Wednesday rolled around and we spent the entire day packing up stuff, sorting, and managed to get some stuff out of the house. Our spirits were still quite high considering the amount of work that was left to do, but we decided to call it a night at 1:00 am and get an early start the next day.

I only managed to get about 4 hours sleep before my 7:00 am alarm went off, but went back to the house with the intention of working straight until everything was done. At the time I kept thinking that I would be able to sleep all day Friday, so it didn't really matter how long it took for us to finish. Oh if I only knew...

Cargo vans are great for moving things, but they have a limited capacity which naturally means that many more trips are required. Our day was spent sorting what furniture/boxes/items went to which location, loading up the van as full as possible, driving to said location, unloading van, then drive back to the house. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Did I mention that his new place is up a flight of 16 stairs which includes two 90 degree bends?

Did I also forget to mention that it was freezing fucking cold outside and snowing? Black ice on the streets and sidewalks? Wind chill factor in full swing? How silly of me - must have slipped my mind - it was oh-so-forgettable, after all. (Yeah right.) Dressing in layers was mandatory - for those of you who live in warmer climes you may not realize that when you enter any house or building you have to strip off about three layers otherwise you sweat to death within minutes, and when you set foot outside again you gotta toss it all on once more. Do that every single time you have a load ready to take to the van and you are quadrupling the time it takes to move anything. Also you can't get your feet wet, gloves have to be worn, and God forbid you get a chill because you can't afford the few hours that it takes to get over that.

I also neglected to mention the distances we had to drive. The storage locker is about 20 minutes from the house, when there is no traffic. In rush hour, it takes about 45 minutes each way. My house is about 15 minutes away, and his new place is downtown - again about 20-25 minutes away, but over an hour in rush hour / crappy weather traffic. I'm sure you get the idea - every trip took a very long time.

Anyways, as I had mentioned we started at 7am on Thursday. 19 hours later we were nowhere near finished. I came home at 3am and slept for 2 hours before I returned to the house at 5am on Friday. We now had six hours before the official walk-through with the new owners. Fabulous. By 7am we phoned our real estate agent and told him that there was no way we would be finished by 11. He called their agent and no one seemed to be overly concerned so we figured we had bought ourselves a few more hours - mistakenly thinking that was all we needed. I scheduled my parents to come over and help with some of the cleaning while Bill and I reworked our strategy.

Naturally our first priority was to get everything out of the house so we decided to double-up on vehicles and get a cube van from U-Haul. At least that way everything could sit in the truck until we were ready to unload it, and the new owners would be able to get into the house on time. Sounded like a great idea, but as (bad) luck would have it U-Haul was out of cubes so we were stuck with another cargo van. Granted, it was certainly better than nothing, but didn't solve our dilemma.

The new owners finally showed up at 1:30 for the walk-through, and we apologized profusely for not being done. They assured us that it wasn't a problem, they just wanted to get in and paint a few of the rooms since they weren't actually moving in until the next day. We were so relieved that they were that cool about it, but we knew at that point there were still many hours of work left to do. After making a few desperation calls to friends and family (no one was available - damn people with real day jobs) we knew that the situation wasn't going to improve and we had to just suck it up and keep doing what we had been doing. For a while all seemed to be fine - they were working upstairs while Bill and I were in the basement. They even offered us beer (which we refused) and helped us with the odd thing, and in return we offered them a few items that were still in the house - an extra fridge downstairs (which they didn't need) and the stereo system with build in speakers upstairs (which they happily accepted).

At about 4pm we had to make our second-to-last trip to the storage unit and told them we would be back in about 1 or 2 hours - depending on traffic. It ended up taking three hours (since we had a quick bite to eat as well) and when we returned there were a few additional people in the house including one of the new owner's Mother. Well - Mom wasn't too happy about us still being there and decided to be a downright bitch. She kept going on and on about several things including the extra fridge that was there, asking how we were going to get it out of the house, and making sure we weren't planning on leaving it in the back lane. Over and over and over. Seriously. We assured her (as pleasantly as possible) many times that we would have it removed - she didn't have to worry, but the woman could not let it go. She literally wasted at least an hour of our time with all her questions, (not to mention her 1.5 year-old granddaugter that was running around the basement in our way) so Bill was finally so pissed off (especially after she threatened to call her lawyer if we did leave said fridge there) that he went across the street and asked one of our neighbors if we could borrow his garage overnight to put the fridge into, just to get it out of her way. Fortunately we have the best neighbors in the world there and he not only let us use his garage, but came over and helped us wrap up the last of the moving.

At 11:00 pm we walked out of our house for the last time. 11 hours late, but finally finished. Absolutely exhausted, yet totally wired. There was no way in hell we were going to unload the two vans until the next day, so off to the pub we went. Many beers were had, shooters were bought for us by our regular bar staff. We finally relaxed, knowing that we could sleep in until whenever we wanted the next day. Time crunch was over, so life was good. Or not....

We got back to my house at about 3am after closing down the bar. (He was crashing on my couch for the night so we could go unload the vans the next day.) I am pretty sure I was asleep within seconds of my head hitting the pillow, and considering the drinks I had plus just pure exhaustion, I was pretty amazed when the phone woke me up the next morning - normally I would sleep right through it. Call display told me that it was U-Haul, so I brought the phone out to Bill and he started talking to them, asking if we could just keep it for an extra day. They said no, they were fully booked, and if we didn't have it back to them by 9:30am (It was 9am then) it would cost us $100 for every half-hour that it was late. (A little overkill on the incentive, no?)

It took both of us a moment to put this all into perspective. We were a.) slightly hungover, b.) hadn't slept for more than 9 hours total over the past three days, c.) could barely move and d.) the van was full.

The van was full and we had 1/2 hour to return it! Jesus!

I raced to my daughter's room and woke up her and her friend who had stayed over, and the four of us unloaded that sucker in record time. Actually, the girls did most of the work - they seriously kicked ass. No complaints, no whining about being woken up, nothing. They just said ok and got busy. Damn do I love 'em. Bill sped off and I followed minutes later to drive him back, collecting the girl's McDonalds breakfast orders first.

Amazingly enough he showed up at U-Haul only 10 minutes late and didn't get charged any extra - not even for the shortage of gas in the tank - he was unable to fill it up after leaving his wallet behind since he was in such a rush to get there. Anyways, we picked up the breakfast and decided to offer the girls some cash incentive ($50 each) if they would help us finish what we had to do that day. They were thrilled - money rules at that age for sure. We were just so thankful for the help because at this point it was difficult enough for either of us to just stand upright for any period of time.

So on very little sleep and slightly hungover, we proceeded to get almost everything else wrapped up on Saturday. The girls helped us straight through until 8pm so we dropped them off at the movie theater and finished the last of it ourselves. (We doubled their expected salary to $100 each because they did such an amazing job.) It took us until midnight to wrap up what we could do that day, and when I got home I didn't check my email or anything - I collapsed into bed and didn't move for 12 straight hours. Sleep has never felt so good.

What a hellacious experience. I didn't even mention locking ourselves out of the cargo van, losing my house keys, or the renting of the second storage locker since the first was overflowing, but I think you are probably already cringing enough for one day. Now I think I may head back to bed for a few more hours sleep, since just writing that made me tired.

Have a good day. I know I will, anything is going to be an improvement over the past week.

For Peyton

2006-11-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder to all: if you haven't already, head over to the ForPeyton site and check out the auction items listed there (and below). If you are unable to bid on one of the auction items, please consider making a donation directly to the family. Go now! Seriously!

Poker Table signed by over 30 professional poker players

Greg "Fossilman" Raymer Package - includes autographed fossil & t-shirt and PokerStars tote

Autographed Mike "The Mouth" Matusow basketball jersey, XL

The Real Old Testament DVD

Happy Birthday and Picture Fest

2006-10-18T23:02:00.000-06:00

Again, no poker content here. One of these days, I promise. Right now I am still kind of lost on the fact that my daugther turned 14 today. I was going through some old photos and (by the request of a few people) thought I'd post them up here. (Yes, you are allowed to make fun of my 80's hair.) This is a little trip down memory lane of Jess and I, so if you don't want to view, feel free to move on.

I thought I'd start with me at 16. I can't seem to find any photos of me when I was her age now, so this will have to do. Yes, I had bleach-blonde big hair. Didn't everyone? The picture quality is kinda crappy because this was a looooong time ago before we had high tech gadgets like digital cameras. I specifically remember buying this outfit at Au Coton which was my favorite store at the time. I don't think I have been in that store since. This probably marks the last time I wore pink of any kind.

Ok...moving on, shall we?

The picture to the right is when I was 18/19 and was living in British Columbia. Yes, the hair is still big - it was 1991 and we hadn't quite got out of that whole 80's mode yet.

The next pic was taken on Oct. 18, 1992, the day Jess was born - after 36.5 hours of labor I might add. To top it off I had bronchitis, so I was a bit of a mess. She was a tiny little thing, only 6lbs and under 19" in length. Miraculously, she was the quietest baby I have ever met in my entire life. For the first year all she did was smile and laugh. That only lasted until she hit the terrible twos though and it all went to hell from then on! (Just kidding... kinda.)

The next photo on the right was when she hit her first birthday. I'm also pretty sure that was the last time either of us wore anything floral. She had just learned to walk, and had long since spoken her first word - "shoes". I was kinda hoping it would be "Mom" but no such luck.

The next few pics are of when she was three (on the left) and five (on the right). It is really hard to associate that little person with the teenager she has now become. It's also really hard to remember her with long, blond hair, as you will see in the next few pics.

The nine years in between were a total blur. This is her now in all her jet-black hair glory. It's pretty much guaranteed the next four years are going to be the most interesting of the bunch, and also possibly the most challenging and frustrating, but honestly I wouldn't change a thing about her if I could. Though a part of me sits here and mourns the childhood that has past, I can't help but look forward to discovering the person she will eventually become.

Happy birthday, Jess!

Time keeps on ticking

2006-10-09T13:03:00.000-06:00

Kid content. No poker here.

I was reading Nickerson's post about his 3-year old daughter and it really hit home just how fast time flies. Next week my daugther will turn 14. Fourteen. That is four years from adulthood. Less than four years to graduation.

Having children young really messes with your mind. I have a lot of friends, real life and IIF's (term borrowed from Gracie), that are around my age and also have children, but most of their kids are under the age of five. There is only a 20-year difference between myself and my daugther. I got to thinking, my Mom was 50 the year I turned 14. My Dad was 54. I look at them now and don't think of them as old, but I am sure I did then.

Jess likes to tease me that I am all old and stuff, but she knows the reality of how young I really am to have someone her age running around calling me Mom. She asked me this morning if it was strange to me that she would be an adult in 4 years and I answered truthfully no, it was just strange associating her as the fourteen year old she is with the baby/toddler/little girl she once was.

Due to recent events though, I am now kind of hoping these four years go by fairly quick. Don't know what I mean? Well for all of you that have young kids...here is what you have to look forward to in about a decade's time:

"Mom, my friend's Dad just got 8 tickets to the Guns N Roses concert. Can I go?"

What was once long, silky, naturally honey-blond hair is now short, chopped, cropped jet black hair resembling Billy Joe Armstrong from Green Day. But you know, female.

"Mom, for my birthday, will you sign so that I can get my eyebrow pierced?"

In response to my "No" on above question - "But you let me get my ears pierced six times"

"Mom, rather than the black hair I have now, I want to dye it lime green with blond streaks"

With the proceeds from her first real paycheque (paycheck for non-canucks) she went to the store and bought knee-high silver stilletto boots

She has four tattoos picked out. I believe this is where the term "over my dead body" comes into play.

That is just all in the past week. Can you imagine what I have in store for me over the next few months?

In Light of Recent Events...

2006-10-02T12:33:00.000-06:00

If any of you are thinking of moving....

SWF, Canuck
Looking for neighbours (lots of 'em)

Benefits: Inexpensive rent, unlimited Internet access, legal online poker played right from your home

Must love to: Drink copious amounts of beer, eat a lot (hey, I'm a chef), watch football

Side benefits: Lottery here is not taxed, home poker games are encouraged, six-plus casinos right here in your new home city

Downside: Listen to us say "eh?" a lot, get used to your money being different colors. Snow.

In response to...

2006-09-28T09:53:00.000-06:00

...a bunch of different things.

Kind of a different angle here, but one that I think is worth mentioning in regards to 'reckless play' or 'bad play', and bloggers not playing to their full potential in blogger events:

First off, I think there is a bit of confusion as to what bad play really is. As an example - if you open the pot in late position with a 3xBB bet while holding 75o and I smooth-call with my Big Slick sooted, the flop comes A55, are you a donkey because you have a crap hand? No. You made a positional play, I called you rather than raised you out of the pot, you happened to catch and trapped me.

Now on the other hand, if you call my 4xBB raise with 75o then a.) yes, you may be a donkey and b.) please show up at my house with lots of money every week for a home game BUT c.) you will never see me chastise you for that play because I want you and your chips there everytime I sit down. Every. Single. Time.

Quite honestly, I am just tired of people mistaking bad cards for bad play. Even in Super/System, is Doyle teaching you how to win with AA? No, any idiot can figure that out, but do you know how to win with suited connectors and the like, when to lay them down, when to call or raise with them? Those are the decisions that make poker a great game, and fortunately for a lot of us, people usually make the wrong decisions. If you happen to luck out every once in a while by making poor decisions, all that much better for me, because you will have renewed faith in that choice. By all means, keep doing it.

Bad beats happen, suck it up or get out of the game. And anyone who says that they have never delivered a bad beat is either lying or isn't playing to their full potential. It happens.

You are not obligated to play good cards against me. In fact, I prefer you don't. In turn, I am not obligated to play good cards against you. You should hope I don't.

Now, as far as any of us not playing to our full potential in blogger events: in theory that is crap, but there is truth to it as well. Fact is - we are all there to not only win, but to wipe your ass all over the sidewalk in the process. Make no mistake, there is only one purpose. However sometimes life happens. I have had to leave many a tournament early because I have to go pick up my daugther, in which case I completely donk off my chips. Lucky you. But otherwise yeah, I'm not going to make it easy for you to take my chips. Usually, but shit happens sometimes.

That said, do I play blogger tournaments as hard / take them as seriously as I do my 'real' tournaments? Absolutely not. But here is the reason/difference and this is important so pay attention dammit!

I am not sitting here making notes on all of you like I would in a real tournament. I am not watching for betting patterns, doing the math, and taking note of how you play middle pairs, connectors, etc. I am not looking for your pauses prior to a bet, or watching for how fast you call me. I take 'real' tournaments extremely seriously, and quite honestly I couldn't do that in a blogger event (let alone 5 of them every week), especially while chat is going constantly, etc. Besides, it is exhausting - who the hell would want to?

In blogger tourneys I am playing purely by instinct, and am not using the 'tools' that we acquire to win other events. Does that mean I am not bringing my A-game to the table? You bet your ass it does - the only people that would assume I do are the ones that don't know about what really goes into proper tournament play - the study, the calculations, note taking, concentration, patience, and persistence. It would be ridiculous to assume that I am going to use every possible trick and technique I am aware of in every blogger tournament. You think I'd rather take notes and calculate pot odds than chat with all of you in the girlie chats? Not bloody likely.

BUT - I would never use that as an excuse as to why I lost. You beat me in a blogger event, you beat the best game that I brought to the table that day. I lose, it is my own fault. I don't care what cards you played or how you played them. I have no excuses, you beat what I brought to the table. That is no one's fault but my own.

So people please, can we not just all have fun kicking each other's asses?

Spam is sooo rigged

2006-09-27T14:02:00.000-06:00

No, I dont mean the type that goes into your inbox and holds viruses. I mean the actual canned meat (and I use the term 'meat' loosely) that I have ranted about before. Seriously, who really buys this stuff? It's like Alpo pate for humans. The pleather of protein. Ugh....

Anyways, if you happen to be a Spam lover then I know you can't do without this recipe that I found linked up on my gmail page. Spam Breakfast Burritos. Does it get any better than that?

See, this is why I don't usually get out of bed before noon. I may come back later and actually talk about poker, ya never know.

Eating Crow

2006-09-26T04:53:00.000-06:00

Yep, I lost the bet. Though Iak was unable to post his comment on my previous post for some reason, he took me up on my challenge of a last longer in the MATH tournament last night. His terms? The loser buys the winner's entry next week, plus the loser must post about the loss on their blog. I have posted it on CardSquad, so if you would like to see me eat a little crow, head on over there via this link.

Tournaments suck, didn't you know?

2006-09-25T01:17:00.000-06:00

See, that is the problem with posting. You do it once or twice in the same week, and people come to expect that you will write all the time. Sheesh. But, since someone ~~forcefully told me to~~ asked so nicely that I post again, I figured I would induldge the request and yap nonsensically on here for a while before sleep.

First, the wedding. It truly was a wonderful event. Big congrats again to my brother for not only finding such a wonderful person to marry, but also for convincing her that marrying into our family is a good idea. Don't know how you managed that, Rod, but congrats again!

I also managed to play some poker this weekend, though my results were less than remarkable. I played the 30k last night with mah boyz Hoy and Iak, and Hoy and I proceeded to go out back-to-back after each of us suffered nasty little bad beats, finishing in 1240th (him) and 1241 (me) out of 1274. Not exactly a stellar performance, I know. That's ok - since they both beat me in the 30k, it is my mission to destroy both of them in the MATH tourney tomorrow night but shhh...don't tell them that, it'll just be our little secret. Ah crap - they both read this, my cover is blown. Fine, I'll just issue a little challenge to them both then. Last longer bet, boys? Name your terms.

I then decided to play the 12k tournament and walked straight into the worst run of cards I have seen in a long time. (And I have seen a lot, trust me.) I don't like to complain about being card dead, but even positionally I wasn't able to come up with anything. After the first 1 hour and 22 minutes, these were my stats:

Flop (1) 1%
Turn (1) 1%
River (1) 1%
Showdown (1) 1%

Street Won Won/Saw Won/Total
Pre-flop 0 / 0% 0%
Flop 0 / 0% 0%
Turn 0 / 0% 0%
River 0 / 0% 0%
Showdown 1 / 100% 1%

Nice, eh? I mean, I am a tight player, but come on!

I finished in 61st place out of 235, and it was pretty miraculous that I even made it that far. Anyways, it was definitely amateur night when it came to my play - I couldn't make anything happen so I should have just bailed on poker altogether for the evening. I was just unable to slip into the groove of the table and it clearly showed in my results. Fortunately days like this don't happen too often to me, so I am just going to shrug it off and get back on the horse tomorrow.

Hope everyone who went to the Bash had a blast, I wish I could have been there!

Sugar Roses - No Poker Here

2006-09-18T16:24:00.000-06:00

Alright, completely off-topic for a poker blog, I know, but I told a few people I would put up shots of the wedding cake as it got made. Besides, I'm actually posting twice in one week - to hell with the actual content, that is amazing enough!

Here is a look at the roses I made out of pulled sugar. (DO NOT try this at home!! Trust me!) The images didn't really photograph well, but I think you should be able to see most of the detail.

Latest News

2006-09-14T12:31:00.000-06:00

Well I am finally back in the swing of things, and am so busy lately I don't know which way to turn next. It is a good kind of busy though, I don't have time to sit around and think about unpleasant things. I've made a return to poker as well, and not only have I been on one of best runs of my life, I am once again playing in the proper frame of mind.

I played five $50 SNG's back to back and cashed in each, including two first place prizes, two seconds, and a third. I then lost one, but proceeded to cash in three more. Last week I placed second in one of the many weekly blogger tournaments and then proceeded to take 7th in the Stars $100 tournament which was good for $875. (I sooo should have colleced the $7k for first place, though.) In between all that I have also returned to playing ring games, mostly NL, and have had an insane run there too. Now I'm planning to get back into the Sunday million tournament again, since I am once again able to really concentrate on the game.

So aside from poker I have been busy doing all kinds of things, including making the cake for my brother's wedding. He is getting married next Saturday, and has asked me to do that as well as to emcee the event. I get to roast him in the process, so this should be a lot of fun. As far as the cake, I was thrilled because cake decoration is among my better skills, but for some reason simply decorating and making icing roses wasn't quite enough. I wanted this cake to be something really fabulous, so late, late at night I have been learning the art of sugar pulling / blowing. If you have ever seen finished pieces, you know it really is quite something - but holy fuck is it hard to do! (Here is where everyone collectively says um, durrrr.) Leave it to me to decide that I want to learn a new skill like that two weeks before the wedding. Afterwards, if I am still able to hold a camera with all the burns on my hands, I'll take a picture of the finished product.

(btw - for some odd reason, my comments are now at the tops of my posts. Don't know why that is happening. Anyone know how I can get them to be at the end of the posts again?)

Yes, I am still here somewhere

2006-07-19T13:19:00.000-06:00

I'd like to send out a quick thanks to the people who have called/emailed/commented to make sure everything is alright. Things are actually going quite well considering everything, though I have been really busy and have spent very little time on my computer. Well, compared to normal, anyways. I'm still writing on Card Squad (almost) daily, so for me to post any kind of poker content on here is pretty unlikely for a while. Since this is supposed to be a poker blog, I tend to neglect it since anything card-related ends up on the other site, and since I really don't want to get into all the personal stuff that is going on in my life, well - that doesn't leave me with very much to say on here. Make sense? Good.

I've actually been super busy working on a few other projects, so that has been taking up most of my spare time. I haven't played much poker at all for a few months, but that will change soon hopefully. Once I get everything else sorted out in my life I'll be playing again, but I'm glad I took the time away from the tables when I was unable to focus on it.

Missing the blogger event in Vegas was a really tough decision for me. I was actually able to go (especially thanks to a few wonderful people who will remain anon., but you know who you are. I love you all, and again, I really appreciate the offers) but I had to decline because I simply wasn't in a good enough place emotionally, mentally, whatever. Sometimes it sucks being an adult and recognizing when you have to take a pass on fun, but now, looking back, I am glad I didn't go. I simply wasn't ready for it.

All that said, I truly miss everyone that I used to talk to on a (semi) daily basis. I will catch up with you all soon, I promise. Just know that I have had to take this time for myself and my daughter, but I will be back soon.

Quick Update

2006-06-20T16:50:00.000-06:00

It doesn't look like I am going to be able to make it to Vegas in July. Don't count me out for sure yet, but a few things would have to happen for it to be possible and it isn't looking likely that they will happen in time.

I am, however, going to be in the LA/Hollywood area in August. I don't know the dates yet, but I will probably be out there for a week or so. Fortunately, I may be able to make the Bash at the Boat this year as well - so there are all kinds of trips coming up to make me feel less sad about missing out on Vegas.

I'll know for sure in the next week either way.

Moving Day

2006-05-14T02:33:00.000-06:00

On Monday I'm moving to my new place. Hopefully I'll be back to playing poker and posting somewhat regularily again after that.

A special thanks to everyone for all the comments, emails, and phone calls that I received. Even though I have been somewhat incommunicado for a while, I should be back to normal (whatever that is) here soon.

Vegas Bound

2006-04-05T03:27:00.000-06:00

Next Thursday I'm heading to Vegas.
No, not to move - not yet, anyways. Not to predominantly have fun/vacation, either. This visit will be mostly running around town scratching off a long, boring list of to-do's. That said, there are certainly worse places to be, so I'm not complaining.

I'll be gone for a week and a half, which includes four days of driving - two each way. Flying wasn't an option this time as we are helping my father-in-law (who lives in the area half of the year) to drive back an extra vehicle to Canada.

As always, I'll be staying at the IP. Gotta love VIP reservations. We managed to get a really good deal for the duration, with the exception of our last planned night - Friday the 21st. Seems there is a convention in town with approx. 5,458,365,252 attendees, so we are pretty much shit outta luck for that day. Since paying $935 at Caesars Palace doesn't sound too desirable, we will probably just head home a day early.

If you have never done the drive, there is a whole lot of nothing in between Canada and Vegas. Montana is beautiful, but seems to go on for days. Idaho is the shortest part, but also the most boring. After you have seen the thriving metropolis of Pocatello and the potato fields, there isn't much else. Utah, by far, drags on the longest though. With the exception of the Salt Lake City / Provo stretch, there are very few signs of life.

Even though it isn't the most exciting of drives, I still can't help but look forward to it. I have a true passion for road trips - the gritty gas stations, 24-hour greasy-spoons, all the cheap motels along the way. Yes I prefer luxury resorts and 24-hour room service once I arrive at my destination, but there is just something so...real about life on the road that it keeps me coming back for more.

Even if the errands don't keep me too busy to play poker, the kid is coming along for the ride this time too, so that will very much limit my casino time. She is seriously excited since she hasn't been there since 2004. I let her plan out our itinerary (for what little free time we will have left) and it looks like we will be (at the very least) visiting the Sharks at Mandalay, the White Tigers at The Mirage, and the Bellagio fountains. Also on the agenda is a visit to the Forum Shops, mainly to stock up on Bath & Body Works products since my supply has dwindled since the WPBT Classic in December, though she seems to think that she will be outfitted in DKNY, D&G, Versace and Cavalli. Yeah fat chance, eh?

Anyway, it will be a much needed break in my routine. All I need to see are the palm trees and I'll be happy.

Aboot time I blogged, eh?

2006-03-23T00:04:00.000-07:00

Once again it has been ages since I added anything here so I decided it was about time to get on it. Truth is, I haven't had much going on that I felt was interesting enough to write about. Since all my poker content goes on Card Squad and I rarely leave my house anymore, I have been in a bit of a slump when it comes to writing personal stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy spending time at home. When it becomes all I do though I get a little snaky, but isn’t a permanent thing, it is just where I am at right now and I'm ok with that.

There are certain advantages though. Not having to get up to an alarm, kicking around in sweats and a t-shirt all day - there are worse things. I’ve also been reading an extraordinary amount lately. Mostly poker books – some for the second or third time, but also a few that I recently picked up. I’ve reached another plateau in my game, so it was time to review and mix up my strategies again. I’ll be discussing that on CS soon, so for now I will digress…

I sweated April in the 17k on FT tonight, and she did an awesome job – even though she was short stacked for part of it she managed to steal blinds when appropriate and double up when needed. She placed in 17th, which was within the top 3% of the field. Congrats, April!

I’ve had several conversations lately about where people live, and what it is like where I/they are from – so since I am (one of) the resident ‘foreigners’ of the WPBT I thought I would add some pictures of my city and surrounding area. Perhaps I will even debunk the myth that we Canucks all live in igloos and ride dog sleds ;)

Please note: I did not take these pictures (obviously). I'm sure the postcard-quality gave that away already ;) I found them around the web, but they are pics of some of my favorite places in and around Calgary. You can drive to any of the places shown outside of Calgary within one to two hours - shows what a diverse landscape surrounds us here.

This is a view of the Calgary Stampede (Rodeo) Midway and downtown in the background.

Canada Olympic Park, which is within the city of Calgary. Those are the ski jumps from the '88 Olympics

Better view of the ski jumps

A view across the city looking towards the mountains. This is only a tiny portion of the city though - the population is ~1,000,000 here. The mountains are a 45 min drive away

A closer view of downtown

Downtown Calgary at night

Downtown Calgary at night again

The Bow River, downtown and the mountains

East of Calgary, all you will see for days (and days and days) is farm fields. This one is Canola

And if it isn't farmland, it is fields and fields of nothing

This is Drumheller, which is in the Badlands, about 1.5 hours NE of Calgary. This was dinosaur country, and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology is located here.

Another view of the Badlands

These are Hoodoos which are natural structures formed by erosion

The Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta. This is the most amazing hotel I have ever seen, short of ones in Vegas. It is built on the side of a mountain which is obvious in this picture. It is about an hour's drive away from my house in Calgary.

Another view of the Banff Springs.

And yet another view. The town of Banff is to the right of this picture. Very touristy place, very scenic, and very expensive.

To give you an idea how small the town of Banff is, and how large the mountains are

Even in the summer, the mountains are topped with snow

Lake Lousie is another ski/chalet resort about 40 minutes from Banff

And here is the obligatory snow-drenched picture

Addictions and Stuff

2006-02-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

Poker not enough for you? Need another addiction to add to your list? Then go visit ~~The Pusher~~ Alan and he will hook you up.

It all starts innocently enough. "Yeah, go check out this link," he says. Of course you do, trusting him, there is simply no way you can foresee the dark path that lies ahead.

All is well at first, it's just recreational. Soon though you find yourself unable to stop at just one. You need to get your fix more and more often until it totally takes over your life. Work gets pushed aside, you begin to neglect your friends. Your life as you knew it has been changed forever.

"Just one more, only one more," you keep telling yourself, though you no longer believe it.

You would think your friends would help you - a little intervention, perhaps, but noooo. Once you show them the source, they become junkies just like yourself. "Ohhh...I got to level 10!" they exclaim, just making you try that much harder to beat your best score.

Soon you find yourself pushing it too. It's no fun to be hooked on it all by yourself. "Just try it once, it's lots of fun. Everyone is doing it," you tell your friends. Of course they do, trusting your judgment, not able to see the consequence of this simple little action.

It's too late for me now, but you can still save yourself. Don't click on the link below, seriously. You will be sorry you did.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Blobby Game

KMA

2006-02-22T17:33:00.000-07:00

Any of you who live in warmer climes can Kiss My Ass!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone

2006-02-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Val. Day everyone!

I am on this crazy sleep schedule lately - going to bed at 8am and sleeping until about 2 or 3 in the afternoon usually. Works well for playing late night poker, but not so good for keeping in touch with everyone since I am either working or hanging with the family during the remaining daylight hours. I've been playing a lot of $3/6 6-handed lately though - I really wanted to get back into some ring game action since I just don't have the time to focus on tournaments right now (withdrawls!) other than the weekly WWdN's.

We are still progressing with the packing, hoping to be done our stuff around here by the end of the month, then we will be driving down to Vegas to finalize the paperwork and find a place to live. Once that is done, we are coming back and putting our house up for sale and will move when it sells. That is the plan, anyways, but a lot can happen between now and then so you never know.

Quite honestly, I have been too busy to even get excited about it, though after seeing the snow storm that hit the East Coast I'm reminded about how much I hate the winter weather - even though our weather has been deceptively nice.

Anyways, I hope everyone has a great Hallmark holiday. Eat some chocolate for me please. I can't stand the stuff.

Save BG! Plus Other Random Thoughts

2006-02-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already heard about the Save BG! campaign, then you obviously don't read enough poker blogs. Since Pauly, Sir Al, Wil, and the rest have written it up so well, I will leave you to follow the links to hear the whole story - but please do what you can to help him out.

Moving on...

I've been super busy still, putting in way more hours than I care to admit on getting our house ready to sell. We are hoping to be done everything within the next month, and will go to Vegas at that time to secure a place. We are actually moving to Henderson - they have a ton of houses for rent, so it looks like we will take that route for the first six months and then decide if we are going to buy. We are up to our ears in paperwork since it isn't that easy to just move from one country to the next, but hopefully soon this part of it will be over.

The biggest consideration we have for getting a place is making sure it has room for guests, since we are anticipating A LOT of people to come visit. Plus, we currently have a tiny house and are in desperate need of more room since we both work from home, so we are looking to resolve that issue when we move as well. Fortunately, there are hundreds of 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom houses for rent there, so I don't see that being an issue.

I have to get ready for the ~~Star Trek Actor~~WWdN tourney tonight - if you haven't already signed up - get on it, eh?

Poker Mentor - Do You Have One?

2006-01-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

(As posted on Card Squad)

I am often asked when it was that I first began playing poker, and I find it difficult to answer exactly. Cards have been a part of my life since I was a little kid – from playing Go Fish and Old Maid to learning Gin Rummy and Euchre.

Being the youngest of almost thirty cousins, I watched with envy as the older kids were allowed to play cards with the adults, while us younger ones played hide and go seek and such. Sometimes one of my aunts or uncles would let me sit in with them for a hand or two, and that was always my favorite time of the night.

When I was an opinionated and disagreeable teenager my Mom and I played cribbage endlessly. She would be lying on her bed watching television and I would plop myself down with a deck of cards and begin dealing. She never once refused and we would play for hours - even when we were angry at each other. At times not a word was spoken other than the card count…fifteen two, fifteen four, and the rest don’t score…silently taking out our aggression by skunking or double skunking each other. She didn't tell me until recently that she actually disliked the game itself – would have much rather played something different, yet she never complained. I have to admit that I was never really a big fan of crib either; though I very much enjoyed the time we got to spend together.

As a family we played many other card games like bridge and hearts. My Dad was always the one to watch out for though. He has a natural combination of luck and skill which serves him well – even if it is a game he isn't overly familiar with. I have learned a lot from just watching him play.

As the years passed, we began to play more and more poker. I used to go over to my brother’s house and we would play dealer’s choice, even if it was just the two of us. I was always predictable when picking the game – Whores, Fours, and One-Eyed Jacks was by far my favorite, not because I enjoyed playing poker with ten wild cards, I just simply liked saying it. Ultimately though, we would always come back to ‘that seven-card game’ as I called it at the time, which of course was Texas Hold’em. I loved the game so much that I could have stayed up for days playing it, even back then.

My brother introduced me to many other variations of poker over the pre-internet gaming years and I developed a great fondness for Omaha and O8, though I never really got into it as much then as I would have liked. Once online poker became a staple in my gaming diet, my brother and I would spend hours discussing hands and theory – though I was usually much more on the receiving end of the conversation than participating with counter-thoughts of my own since those skills of mine had yet to be developed.

I began taking the game quite seriously, and found my niche to be in tournament play. I would pour over books and articles about strategy and tactics, and of course consult with my brother when I got stuck in one style or began to pick up bad habits. Few people will be brutally honest about your game, and even fewer will take the time to analyze Every. Single. Hand. that you played in a tournament, yet he did – pointing out the good moves along with the many true bonehead maneuvers that I made. The best part was he never expected me to agree with his analysis. Conversely, he welcomed the debate. One thing is for certain; we both walked away much better players with an increased ability to think outside of the box.

To this day my brother analyzes my play and helps point out holes in my games – some of which are quite deep and complicated, while others should be blatantly obvious to me yet aren’t at the time. Though many people have contributed to my love of cards, for the better part of a decade my brother has been my poker mentor and I wouldn’t be half the player I am today without his coaching, guidance, and patience - but most importantly his ability to turn my faults into lessons I could learn from rather than repeating the same old mistakes over and over.

It happens to be his birthday today, so I would like to take this opportunity to say ‘Happy Birthday’ as well as to say thanks for all the lessons in poker and in life.

How will we be celebrating? A family poker home game, of course. Is there any other way?

Back From an Unplanned Hiatus

2006-01-04T15:10:00.000-07:00

I have returned from an unplanned hiatus from blogging, playing poker, and chatting online. Several things came up over the holidays that I had to deal with (nothing bad, just important) which took up a lot more time than expected. Add Christmas and New Years to the mix, and I barely found my way to the computer for two full weeks.

Honestly, I needed the break though. I finally feel refreshed and rested, something I haven't experienced in a long time. The next few months are going to be extremely busy, so I'm glad I was able to just take a little 'me' time.

Our plans to move are in full swing. Right now we are looking into all the legalities and rules involved in making a country-to-country move - a process which is a little less painful than it could me since I used to work for customs brokers and understand that side of the law pretty well. That said - it is still a never-ending stream of information and paperwork that we have to sort through.

Our goal is to move by the end of February - which is 98% pipe dream and 2% realistic at this point, but time will tell. Fortunately, we are both working from home now (the same home, even!) so that is helping to expedite matters. The largest obstacle is selling our house here - so that will pretty much determine our actual moving date.

For now though, I am looking forward to playing a lot of poker. I have really neglected my game over the past few months and it shows. Actually, the only tournaments I have played have been the WPBT and Wil's - so it is time to get back in the game.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year's Eve. See you at the tables!!

Merry Christmas, Everyone :)

2005-12-25T02:42:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!!

I'll be back Monday.

Back Home, Unfortunately

2005-12-15T01:25:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday night and I have finally returned to the Great White North. I'm way too tired to write much now, but I just wanted to say that I had a helluva time in Vegas with everyone.

Unforunately, as of late Saturday / Sunday morning I caught that nasty cold that was going around. I spent the majority of the past 4 days in bed hacking up whatever was left of my lungs after smoking like a fiend and screaming OY OY OY to the endless calls for Lewey. I couldn't even talk on the phone, it was so bad.

Even though my opportunities to hang out with everyone got 'cut short' because of this, I'm very glad I had a chance to at least meet most everyone, even for a brief time.

I'll be back tomorrow with more, but for now I will leave you with this - the single ONLY picture that I managed to take with my camera the entire trip. We were looking through the room service menu and were pleased to see that the Imperial Palace was fully prepared to cater to Iggy:

Two More Days...

2005-12-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am thrilled about going to Vegas. I am totally excited about meeting everyone for the first time. But as of this moment - I am looking most forward to the absolute luxury of escaping this within the next forty-seven hours: (see pic)

I have had it with snow and wind and cold. I need to live amongst the palm trees and green grass. Hell, I don't even care if the grass is green, just as long as it isn't white.

Anyways, I am T-47 hours now and am getting ready to leave, though I didn't really anticipate this many last-minute things to do. I have about a week's worth of work to do, plus finalize all the arrangements for while I am gone. This would be much easier without a cat and a kid. Anyways, I probably won't have another chance to update this before I leave, so I wanted to wish everyone who is going a safe flight. I will, however, be updating Card Squad with (non-incriminating ;-) ) reports about the trip.

We do have the cell number that will be active in Vegas, though I am not going to post it on the main contact list because it is Bill's work cell and he doesn't really need a bunch of dial-a-shots (or the like) before we get there, especially since he is in New Jersey until the last minute. If you want to know the number, shoot me a quick email at: joanne1111 at gmail dot com.

I am very excited about CJ's last longer bet, and hand-picked my team of Maudie and Gracie. Though there are many people who topped my list, these two stood out as the perfect match. Thankfully, they were both available! Just. Can't. Wait.

See you all in a few days. For those of you who aren't able to make it, you will definitely be in our thoughts.

Dr. Pauly Tournament Results

2005-11-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

Not much makes me happier than receiving emails like this:

PokerStars Tournament #14328957, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $10.00/$1.00
51 players
Total Prize Pool: $510.00
Tournament started - 2005/11/26 - 13:00:00 (ET)

Dear Joanne1111,

You finished the tournament in 1st place.
A $153.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account.

Congratulations!Thank you for participating.

Thanks again Pauly for hosting, that was a great series!
Congrats to the overall prize winners!

Happy Turkey Day

2005-11-23T16:23:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone South of the border has a great Turkey Day tomorrow. I actually bought some deli turkey meat and am going to mix cranberry cocktails all night long. I'll be there with you in spirit, just without the tryptophan.

Ah hell, who wants to have to wait until tomorrow to celebrate? Party at my place tonight. With Vegas only two weeks away, I think a mid-week celebration is in order. A few drinks, maybe a group chat, maybe a game or two of poker. I am seriously getting into party mode now that the flight leaves in T-14 days. If you are in, ping me on IM. My first drink opens at 8pm EST. (Have to leave the house first, dammit.)

Three Weeks Today!!!

2005-11-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

Twenty-one days from today I will be heading to the airport to go to Vegas. I'm seriously so excited I can barely sit still. I haven't been there since my birthday in February, which is far too long of a stretch.

I'm leaving at noon and have a layover at LAX. This will be my first time to Los Angeles and I wish I had more time to check it out, however I am too thrilled to be going back to Vegas to really care at this point. I'll be arriving in Vegas at 6pm, and am staying for an entire week. Sounds like a long time I know, but it is nothing compared to last year when I was there for three full weeks. We actually have a hidden agenda this time though.

Originally Bill was going to be doing some job-hunting while we were down there, but he has since landed a contract with a company in the US so we are seriously looking to move there. So while in Nevada, we are going to be looking for places to possibly live. Nothing is ever 100% sure, especially in the industry he works in, but that is the plan as of right now.

So besides all that, I am looking so forward to finally meeting all of you. It is one thing building friendships online, but to actually meet and talk face-to-face will be amazing. I still regret not making the event in May/June more than I can say, (plus the Boathouse Bash, G-Vegas, et al), and even though I already know it is going to be too difficult to meet everyone that I want to, I will take what I can get.

I am also looking forward to doing/seeing some of my favorite things in Vegas. At the IP, I love going to the one restaurant which features a champagne brunch / champagne dinner buffet every day. Yes, I realize it is champagne on tap, but who am I to criticize? There is no better way to start the day than with some champagne and orange juice, IMHO. During my downtime or in between things at the IP, I can often be found in the lounge off the sports book or the lounges on the casino floor. We generally sit at the bar, throw $10 in the video poker machines, and drink for free for hours on end.

That all said, I don't know how much time we will actually spend at the Imperial Palace, since I do want to hit up the other casinos for some rounds of poker. I was looking at the list I made this past February of things I wanted to do while in Vegas, and most of it never happened. I'm really trying to not schedule much this time, but there are certain things that I absolutely have to accomplish. These include:

1.) Play a live game of poker with Pauly. I have definitely played more poker with him online than with anyone else in the past year, but never live.

2.) Be inducted into the ACHE, officially, and hear Al and Big Mike sing the song they made up for me, 'Joannada' live. (Yes, it is to the tune of 'Oh, Canada')

3.) Meet my Card Squad partners in crime for the first time

4.) Meet all the women bloggers including the April Twins, Eva, Heather, Gracie, Maudie, Jaxia, Felicia, Shelley, (and anyone I may have missed - sorry - working off the top of my head here), plus all the guys, but there are just too damn many of you to list individually.

5.) Have a real shot with everyone, rather than a dial-a-shot or an IM-a-shot or a I-am-stuck-in-Calgary-while-you-are-all-somewhere-else-together-shot.

6.) Play in my first live WPBT event

List to be continued over the next three weeks. Just. Cant. Wait.

Reminder - West Coast Warm Up Tonight

2005-11-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

Don't forget, tonight Wil is hosting the West Coast Warm Up over at Stars. I have personally issued a last-longer challenge to Jason.

The event is $10+1 NLHE, and starts at 10:30 pm.

My Bags Are Packed...

2005-11-06T22:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, my bags are not actually packed, but I am happy to say that...

My
Flight
Is
Booked!!!!!!!!!!

It is official, I WILL be attending the WPBT Winter Classic in Vegas.

I am beyond thrilled.

Tournaments Today and Tomorrow

2005-11-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

Hey, I am back, remember me? Sigh. I honestly do try to post more than once a week, really. However, I have been even more busy than before.

Most of you already know that I am writing at CardSquad, but I am also writing for Slashfood now. Poker and food - my two favorite things, life doesn't get much better than this. However, between the two sites I am going to be averaging 12 posts per day, so that doesn't leave a lot of time for this blog. I will try to keep up though, and will update a couple times a week until things settle down a bit.

If you get a second later in the day, hit up Slashfood for some drink recipies. Cocktail hour countdown is now on.

Now, on to more serious stuff. Why havent you registered for Pauly's tournament tomorrow, and Wil's tournament today? Get on it now!

What: WWdN: Donegal Invitational
Where: PokerStars.
When: Friday, November 4th. 7:00 PM EST
Password: monkeyT
ournament number: 14391236
Buy-in: $10+1
More information click here

What: Saturdays with Dr. Pauly
Where: Poker Stars
When: Saturday November 5th at 1pm EST
Tournament Info: #14338880 (check under Private Tournament Tab)
Password: hiltons
Eligibility: Anyone with a Poker Stars account
Attire: Pants optional
More information click here

I will be at both tournaments, and will offer a bounty of my own. If you knock me out of either one, I will send you a true Canuck gift in the mail, but you have to tell me that you read about it here or I am not going to offer it up.

Hope to see everyone there!

Sir Al's Q & A

2005-10-26T01:44:00.000-06:00

From Sir AlCantHang's website, a question directed at me:

Joanne - who's going to be the first female blogger to win a major tourney, eh?

First of all Al, I am glad you added the 'eh?' cause otherwise I may not have understood the question. Us Canucks get confused easily you know.

I would love to say that the first female blogger to win would be me. But you know what? It ain't gonna happen. I have far too many obstacles to overcome before I could even consider achieving that goal.

Logistics

The most obvious is logistics - first you gotta get me to the damn thing. You know firsthand that no amount of asking, begging, pleading, coercing, bribing, threatening, guilt-tripping or forcing is going to actually make me leave my house. Hell, if I can't even make it to a blogger event, how am I going to make it to a major tournament?

Dial-A-Shots

Let's imagine, shall we, that I managed to stop ice fishing for a moment and the dogsled teams were able to drag me from the vast hinterland I call home to the nearest airport. The stars somehow managed to align and I actually made it to the event. Would I now have a chance? Oh no - there is still far too much to overcome.

I would be seated at the final table with the likes of Johnny Chan, Hellmuth and Scotty Nguyen, when all of a sudden my cell phone would ring. Sure enough, it is the Philadelphia Chapter of Quantity Control on the other line inquiring if I have reached my daily quota of liquid sunshine yet.

Sheepishly admitting that I haven't, you proceed to wax poetic about the virtues of SoCo and Dial-A-Shots. Like I could say no. Has it ever done me any good before?

No Al, I can’t have a shot cause my parents are over
No Al, I can’t have a shot cause it is only two in the afternoon on a Tuesday
No Al, I can’t have a shot cause I have to work for another four hours

Yeah right. Like any of that has ever worked. Even before I could say...

No Al, I can’t because I am at the final table of a major tournament

...BigMike would join you on the line and all I'd be able to hear would be a rousing chorus of “Joannada” until I caved and ordered a damn shot from the cocktail waitress. I’d have to tip her big and tell her to keep ‘em coming, cause there is no such thing as a single Dial-A-Shot during momentous occasions like that one.

Eventually I would have to sit out and run over to Pauly’s laptop, because you know he would be there covering the tournament. I would proceed to get my fill of IM-A-Shots with everyone else as my hands got mucked over and over in my absense.

This could only lead to drinking games at the table (cause you know I’m not going to party by myself) and I would talk Scotty Nguyen into having Fold-A-Shots and Bluff-A-Shots with me. Before long, he and I would be sitting out constantly, as we would need to keep going for those in-between-drink smoke breaks. We would bust out, but who would care at that point?

The point, Al, is that you are probably –EV for my game. (And Scotty Nguyen’s as well, apparently.)

The ‘Eh’ Factor

Even if I managed to successfully leave my cell phone at home, I still wouldn’t have a hope in hell of winning the damn thing. There would certainly be an incident that sparked the tournament director to declare English-only at the tables, and my vocabulary simply wouldn’t cut it. I can understand this though, really. It would certainly be too much work for the film crews to add subtitles or dubbing so the general population could understand me.

Imagine me getting into it with Phil Hellmuth.

PH- You called me all the way to the river with that hand?
Me- Take off, eh?

PH- If it weren’t for luck, I’d win ‘em all
Me- What’s this all abooot?

PH- You are a Jopke
Me- Ya Hoser

Yes, I would certainly be disqualified for being too damn Canuck.

So, to answer your question, there isn’t much chance of me winning a major tournament. The actual game of poker? Ah hell, that is the easy part – raise, fold, check, bet. It’s the rest of it that is too difficult to master.

My vote is for Maudie.

WWdN Decker711 Invitational

2005-10-21T15:15:00.000-06:00

Don't forget, you have 1 hour and 45 minutes left to register for tonight's tournament over at Poker Stars.

What: WWdN: Decker711 Invitational
Where: PokerStars
When: Friday, October 21st. 7:00 PM EDT
Password: monkey
Tournament number: 13788952
Buy-in: $10+1

Hope to see you guys there!

Happy Birthday...

2005-10-18T19:38:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Jess!

My daughter turned 13 today - officially a teenager.

Here, it all begins....

Tournament Theory

2005-10-17T15:15:00.000-06:00

What a weekend. Flew by way too fast, as most enjoyable weekends do.

On Friday night I had a dial-a-shot conference call with April and Iggy, which turned into a four-hour discussion about online tournament poker strategy, among many other fascinating topics. You guys are the best, by the way - that was a ton 'o fun.

Iggy expressed his hope that I would discuss my thoughts and theories about tournament play in a blog post, so I have begun. However, I will be posting them over at CardSquad because, well, I am sure it is obvious why.

You can click here to read the series, which will continue over the next few days. Yes, I am giving away all my 'trade secrets' ;)

Saturday night I played in the PokerStars Deep Stacks tournament and came in 70th out of 1100. I doubled my entry, but it took 7 hours and 1 minute to accomplish that minor victory. The full tournament ran 11 hours before crowning a champion, but I would play it again in a heartbeat. I really enjoyed the format, though it certainly wouldn't appeal to everyone.

Last night I played in my weekly live tournament, and placed 12th out of 50th. Not a great showing, but it was fun as always.

I'll be focusing on writing that tournament series for the next couple of days - hope you enjoy it.

Inaugural WWdN Tournament

2005-10-14T18:01:00.000-06:00

Thanks again to Wil for hosting the Inaugural WWdN Tournament this afternoon.

Yes, the rumors are true, I did finish in first place. Wow, what a field of players though, there was a lot of talent there. I have cashed in MTT's before, but this one was more exciting just due to the fact that I knew a lot of the players and have a great respect for all of them.

Our final table included Derek, Maudie, April, Decker and Jaxia. Bloggers definitely represented!

I can't wait for next week's tourney. Hit up CardSquad for details about the next event, Wil should be posting that soon.

Quick Update

2005-10-11T17:54:00.000-06:00

I am sad to say that my daughter is NOT the new President of Degrassi Junior High. Fortunately, she has since decided that it would take up too much of her spare time and is now focusing all her energy on her thirteenth birthday next week. Priorities, I suppose.

Also, thanks for the Turkey Day wishes. I have to admit though, I didn't have turkey for Thanksgiving. No Pauly, I didn't have moose either. We actually had ham, scalloped potatoes, and assorted vegetables. There was pumpkin pie, but no - I didn't have any. Ick. No offense to the 'chef' who brought it along, I am just not a pie fan. Though I did sample a half piece of irish cream nanaimo bars - those were really good.

I am still struggling to catch up and get back to my normal schedule after being sick for a few weeks and shuttling parental-types to and from the hospital, but I will try to post more regularly this week.

Junior High Was Just Yesterday

2005-10-06T11:01:00.000-06:00

One of the hardest things about getting older is realizing that the recent memories you have are actually not recent at all. When I think back to Junior High (in Canada that is grades 7-9) it doesn't seem all that long ago.

Now, my daughter is in grade 8 and is running for School President. Oh my. My little political offspring will find out the results today, so please keep your virtual fingers crossed for her.

So we have hockey again, eh? I only have one word for that: BAH. I stopped caring what happened in the NHL years ago and I have little-to-no intention of watching it this year either. That said, I know that deep down something will trigger in my canuck blood and I will be drawn to it inexplicably like Al to a Soco shipment.

In happier news, it is good to live in Alberta. Our Province is so rich that our Premier Ralph Klein (Canada's equivalent to US Governers) is sending a cheque to every Alberta resident for $400. I am planning to use part of it to cover the increased fuel cost of gassing up my car, and the rest I want to donate to Hurricane Relief - hopefully via some poker tournaments if there are any more. Gas prices here average $1.05/litre now, which converts to $4.20/gallon. There isn't much difference between our dollar and the USD anymore, so needless to say fuel prices have skyrocketed here.

I am finally over the flu that has plagued me for the past 3 weeks, so I am looking forward to doing a little partying, playing a live tournament tomorrow night, and enjoying the three-day Thanksgiving weekend coming up. Yes, Tryptophan Day is Monday here in Canuckland. I will definitely be sedated in a turkey coma next week.

Return From MIA

2005-10-04T09:14:00.000-06:00

It's been a little while since I posted, so I figured I better catch up.

Life has been a little crazy. Both my parents had (scheduled) surgeries within the past two weeks, so I have been playing chauffeur/personal shopper/nurse to them. My Mom had a few complications, so at one point they were both in the hospital at the same time. Nothing like running back and forth to her in the ER and my Dad in his room, where he had to stay for five days.

Between that, having the flu, looking after Jess and trying to do some work, I haven't had much spare time. Unfortunately, that all contributed to my NOT going to the Boathouse Bash. I had an amazing offer from Al & Co., and I thank you guys for it, but with all that going on there was just no way I could go.

Last night marked my return to playing tournaments though. I played three total, including two of my small Calgary ones. I placed third and first in the Cal. tournaments, and busted out in 32nd place in the larger one. Didn't really surprise me though, as my attention span has been relativaly short over the past few weeks.

Anyways, I am back and will be playing at least one tournament a night this week, so hopefully things will get better by the weekend.

PokerStars Blogger Tournament

2005-09-30T22:04:00.000-06:00

I have registered to play in the
Online Poker Blogger Championship!

This event is powered by PokerStars.

Registration code: 6191276

Football is Kicking Me in the...

2005-09-22T14:02:00.000-06:00

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am uber-competitive. To a fault, really. Not one to back down from any challenge, I will learn a game overnight rather than admit I know nothing about it. If I know the game well, you can be sure I will practice until I master it to the best of my abilities.

I have always hung out with the boys and am fairly self-sufficient. When I go fishing, I bait my own hook and gut the fish myself. I can drink with the best of 'em. I will play football, baseball and floor hockey. I was on every conceivable sports team in school. Hell, when I was younger I played pool for a living, now I play poker. That alone speaks for itself.

I play to win, not to sit on the sidelines.

However, due to recent happenings in the NFL world, I find myself in unfamiliar territory. I am losing.

Really Losing.

That doesn't bode well with my psyche. My competitive nature has taken a virtual blow to the gut. I am second from last in the Pauly Pub Football Pool, and that just aint cool my friend. The really sad part is I actually watch football, and not that Canuck stuff, either. However, it just doesn't seem to matter so far this season.

I am the Bobby Baldwin of Sports Bettors.

I feel as though I should have a bubble bath, dress in pink and watch some soap operas. Never before have I felt like such a girl in a man's world.

Time for a pep talk I think (or a whole damn rally) with myself. A little praying, maybe a sacrificial offering to the football gods is in order.

All I know is - it just aint cool.

WPBT Event Tonight

2005-09-19T23:54:00.000-06:00

Tonight is the WPBT Tournament on Titan Poker. I wrote the following post for CardSquad, but am copying it here for everyone else:

For those who don't know, the WPBT stands for the World Poker Blogger Tour. It is a large group of poker bloggers and readers that get together many times a year to play against each other for the prize pool and bragging rights. Most of all though, we play just for the fun of it. Seriously, this is the best group of people I have ever met.

We have played for World Series of Poker seats. We have played for the family of Charlie, the poker blogger that touched us all in his recent fight against cancer, which he tragically lost this past summer.

Now, we are playing again Tuesday night. Come join your favorite writers and poker bloggers in a $20 MTT tournament on Titan Poker. Everyone is welcome to play, whether you are a blogger or just a reader. For full details and the password, read Pauly and Iggy. While you are at it, wish Pauly a Happy Birthday as he turns 33 today! Happy Birthday Doc!

I am putting a personal bounty up. The person who knocks me out of the tournament will receive a gift in the mail from me. Many people tend to sign up at the last minute, so hopefully it will be a full house. Come join Derek and I from CardSquad, and all the other bloggers as we compete for first place. Hope to see everyone there!

If you have any questions, let me know.

Neglect

2005-09-16T16:15:00.000-06:00

Neglect:

1.) To pay little or no attention to; fail to heed; disregard
2.) To fail to care for or attend to properly
3.) To fail to do or carry out, as through carelessness or oversight

Guilty, guilty, guilty.

My blog and I are barely on speaking terms so I thought I had better give it a little time and attention today.

This has been a very busy week. Getting used to working for a living again (what a concept, eh?) has taken a few days to adjust to, but I am happier than I have been in a long time.

I'm still experiencing a good run on the tournaments over at Titan/Noble, and this week have two wins, a 2nd, a 5th, and a 12th which were all in the money. Unfortunately, they were all in small tournaments (except for the 12th place) so the money wasn't overly significant. However, I am certainly not going to complain.

It kills me that I am not going to be playing in the WCOOP final event, unless I happen to actually play a satellite and win my way in. That kind of thing is what I have been exclusively training for, and should be playing in. Unless a miracle happens between now and then though, I will be watching from the sidelines.

Tuesday night is the next WPBT Tournament, so if you haven't already, go see Iggy for details. Also, check out Pauly and his reports from Barcelona (Barcelona - that is just way too cool) as he covers the EPT. Awesome, awesome stuff.

Up Two Hours and I Need a Nap

2005-09-12T09:07:00.000-06:00

Can you believe September is almost half over already? Wow...I am in shock. The weekend flew by so fast I barely remember it happening.

Friday night I went to the casino to play in my weekly Calgary tournament, though I didn't do too great. I landed in about 22nd out of 50 to the best of my calculations. I've had a little bit of a bad run this past week, which I am sure is just karma rearing her ugly little head after having two back-to-back stellar ones. Oh well, I laugh in the face of variance, she doesn't frighten me. (Much.) Maybe I will just quietly wait out the swing.

Saturday night I went to my brother's house and we played a home game tournament and he barbequed up some butter chicken and potato/vegetable packs. T'was awesome food, and a great time as always. Thanks also to SirRevAl who stepped up to play a freeroll entry for me that I made but couldn't play in due to the home game. Al kicked all kinds of ass and landed me in the final table. All of us over at my brother's house were actually watching him play, though I couldn't chat to him so he had no idea. Thanks again Al :)

Though I don't want to curse it by saying it - chances are looking good for me to go to Vegas this December. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Shameless Blogger Bonus Code Pimpage

2005-09-07T09:35:00.000-06:00

I signed up for Titan Poker yesterday since my Calgary tournament has now switched homes due to the recent Empire takeover of Noble. Let me tell you - this whole Noble/Titan thing is a goldmine.

Seriously.

Play smart, play slow, and the money is there for the taking. I only bought in for $200, but I almost doubled that in 3 hours of $2/4 limit ring games. Not multi-tabling, either - that was all on one table. I don't even play ring games often, but it is hard to refuse these ones. If you are interested, go hit Pauly up for a link to Titan and try it out. 100% bonus, what more can I say.

While you are at it, go hit up my favorite IM-a-shotter Iggy for some links to other sites too.

Am I the only one itching for another WPBT event? I am going through withdrawls...I really miss being able to play against everyone. Also, the fact that the leaderboard needs updating from like, three events ago is gnawing away at me. Does anyone have a list of who placed what? I wouldn't mind updating it, but I need the info.

Long Weekend Over Too Soon

2005-09-05T23:13:00.000-06:00

Since I work from home, there wasn't a whole lot of difference between a Tuesday and a Saturday during the summer. Now that school is back in full swing though, I thoroughly appreciated getting to sleep in for three days straight.

Now, at 11pm on Monday night, I find myself wishing for just one more day to laze about in bed all morning, getting up when I feel like it rather than when my alarm shakes me out of a dream. Oh well, back to reality.

I had a good weekend, though it was really busy. Since I began writing for Card Squad last week, I have spent even more time on my computer, though I didn't think that was possible. Working seven days a week is an adjustment, but I am enjoying every moment of the process. I won't for a minute complain about being able to write for a living, from home, at whatever hour I choose - but it is a lot of work.

Fortunately, I managed to get in some poker time this weekend too. I played in a $1000 freeroll on Noble yesterday, which I gained entry to by placing in the top 3 places in a MTT last week. There were 195 players, and I finished in 6th place, making another final table. Last night I went to the casino to play in my weekly live tournament. I didn't do as well there, busting out in the second hour. I decided that I was just going to kick back and have a few beers, and was joined by my brother and several other players where we drank and chatted until almost 2am.

Remember, starting September 12, Stars will be running their Katrina relief tournaments, so sign up for as many as possible. Also, you can check out Wil Wheaton's live blogging reports of the WCOOP over at Card Squad.

Hope everyone had a good long weekend!

New Endeavors

2005-09-01T21:40:00.000-06:00

I left a teaser the other day about a job possibility, and the time has come to fill you in. I have decided to take some time in between playing online poker tournaments and blogging here to pursue some other opportunities.

As of today, I am writing for Card Squad, along with Derek, Jen Leo, and Wil Wheaton. Yes, it is true - I am living my dream of being paid to blog. Card Squad belongs to the Weblogs, Inc. network which features over 100 independent, unfiltered bloggers, producing over 1,000 blog posts a week. Our team is striving to make Card Squad a one-stop resource for poker/gaming news and information.

I hope to see you over there leaving comments for myself and the others when you see something you like. A few words go a long way, as we all know. :)

Now I gotta go play some poker!

A New Face

2005-08-31T18:47:00.000-06:00

I was frustrated with certain elements on my old template, so I have switched over to this one.

Little Broken Bones

2005-08-31T13:49:00.000-06:00

A day in my life...

Yesterday afternoon I had just hit "publish blog" on my most recent post, trying unsuccesfully to ignore the phone ringing incessantly beside me. Picking it up, I hear my daughter crying, telling me she thought she broke a bone and I need to come pick her up right away.

This is where the color drains out of most mother's faces and they rush around scrambling for their keys and purses in a panicked state. Visualizing the worst as they fumble with the lock at the front door.

Not me. I calmly tell her I will be there soon, hang up, and pick up the receiver again to place another call. My mother answers and I tell her that I wont be home this evening as I have to take Jess to the hospital since she broke her arm.

Again.

You see, my daughter tends to have the worst luck with things such as walking, falling out of her bed, and playing co-ed dodgeball. Four years, three casts. This has become old hat for me and I am sure that they are going to give me my own personalized parking spot at the Children's Hospital soon. I have paid enough in parking fees there over the last few years that I am on their Christmas card mailing list now.

The first time, just over 4 years ago now - she was 8 and was downstairs in her room sleeping. Something made her get up late at night and she tripped and fell - using her hand to brace her fall. She came upstairs and was whimpering a little, saying that she thought she may have broken something. I was thinking it was a lamp or a piece of furniture at first, but then she held up her little twig of an arm and you could see both the radius and ulna bones projecting up at weird angles. We spent 12 hours in emergency that night and she emerged with a plaster cast after they knocked her out and reset the bones in place.

The second time was last October when she was playing dodgeball in gym class. When I saw on my call display that it was her school, my first thought was "what did she break this time?" Another trip to Emerg and seven hours later her broken wrist was neatly fixed up in a purple fiberglass forearm cast.

So, yesterday when I heard the familiar words, I gathered my things and calmly went to pick her up. This was the first time that she actually was crying though -the pain was obviously much worse. We fought rush hour traffic and arrived at the hospital 35 minutes later. They weren't too busy for a change, and she was able to score some codeine and extra-strength tylenol for the pain while we waited. Four hours, some ketamine and a fluorescent orange full-arm cast later, I took her and her fractured radius home.

It was 11pm and she went to bed almost immediately, but kept waking up because of the pain. At 12:30am she began to complain that the cast felt too tight, and when I noticed her fingers were a purplish-shade, I phoned the hospital help line. They advised I bring her back so a doctor could evaluate, so off we went again. We booked another four hour session in ER while they cut through and loosened the cast, making it home around 5am.

There is something about an injured child that transforms them back several years. I look at my daughter most days and see her for what she is - almost a teenager, confident in who she is, terrorizing the boys and spending hours doing her hair. When something like this happens though all I can see is the little girl she once was. Helpless and scared, needing - no - really needing her mommy to make everything alright again. They say kids grow up too fast and it is true, so when fleeting moments like this happen I relish having that little girl back in my arms one more time. Even if it is to go get another cast.

More Tournaments

2005-08-30T16:00:00.000-06:00

The rush continues, I am happy to say.

I scored my first victory in the Calgary tournament that I play several times a week. Down to three players with only 340 chips vs. 4500 and 5000 or so, I managed to double up several times and claim first place. That ties me for second on the leaderboard there - though it looks like they are going to start a new one in September.

Then last night I played yet another MTT on Noble. Pauly and Drizz came along for the ride, and we battled it out against 76 others. Drizz got KO'd after about an hour and went to sleep. Pauly and I ended up on the same table, and carried on to land in the top 20 when he suffered one of the worst beats I have seen in a while. A9 vs A6 and a 6 spikes on the river to take him out. Was there a last longer bet on the side between him and I you may ask? Well of course there was, we are - after all - professional gamblers. I believe the count is 12 beer you owe me now, eh Pauly? ;)

After he got knocked out I went on a super rush and had the table completely dominated. My average chip count was 45,000 and the next closest was 12,000. It had all the makings of a sure win for me - except, I didn't. I busted out in third after making a few bad decisions and taking a couple bad beats. Oh well - still just can't complain.

Speaking of last-longer bets, stay tuned for another tale coming soon. Bobby Bracelet is mailing off something to me shortly in payment of our game from last Thursday. I am refraining from guessing what it will be, because quite frankly - I am a little afraid. Will it be huge? Will it be junk? Will it be huge junk? The jury is out. I promise pictures once I get it.

I'm going to end today with a little teaser. I got a new job. Yes, other than playing online tournaments. I don't want to give out more information until the details are finalized, but I'll fill you in over the next couple of days.

Tourney Top Five

2005-08-27T12:12:00.000-06:00

I don't care how many of you don't like Noble, all the more fish for me. As mentioned, I have been playing nightly tourneys and ring games there recently with some success. The past two days have been even better though.

Thursday - $15 MTT, placed 2nd
Thursday - $20 MTT, placed 5th
Friday - $3+R MTT, placed 1st
Saturday - $10 MTT, placed 6th
Saturday - $5+R, placed 5th

All the tournaments I played had a field between 70-90 players, so even though the prizes weren't huge, it still beats the hell outta playing the $1, 2200-entrant tournaments for 6 hours to only make a buck or two.

I really didn't expect to even place in the one last night, as I joined late night after a few hours of IM-a-shots with Felicia, Iggy, Tactix, Drizz, Chad, and Spaceman. However Tac and I decided to enter it anyways, which turned out to be a good decision on both our parts. He placed 8th (in the money) and I scooped first place after going on a major rush. The only downside was it was 3am my time when it finished, and there was no one around to share my victory with. Damn people needing their sleep! ;)

Anyways, I am going to be playing a few more multi's this afternoon, then I am heading to the casino tonight for a live tournament. Hopefully, I will be reporting good things tomorrow.

Canuck Mixology 101, eh?

2005-08-25T14:11:00.000-06:00

After a whirlwind week of nothing but checking and folding, raising and limping, I decided it was high time to relax with a beverage or two. I wasn't even planning to fire up a poker site.

Well, we all know how long that lasted. More on that in a bit.

I decided to make one of my favorite drinks, which is also the number one selling cocktail in Canada - a Caesar. This is similar to a Bloody Mary, except in place of the tomato juice we use Mott's Clamato. What is clamato you may ask? Well, it is a blend of tomato juice and clam broth. Sounds really quite disgusting when you say it like that, but I can assure you that with one taste you would be hooked.

The only problem with drinking those is the actual mixology required to make it perfect, and since I bartended for too many years to count, I won't accept anything less than perfection. First step is to salt the rim. Take a wedge of lime and run it around the rim of the glass, ideally leaving little bits of pulp behind. Next step is to dip it into celery salt. No, not just any salt will do - it must be celery salt and it shouldn't be more than 3mm thick on the rim.

Add some ice to your glass, and a shot (or two - dealer's choice) of vodka. I am picky and prefer only Stoli for my Caesars, but any vodka will do, really. Next, fill the glass about 5/6 full with the clamato. You really don't want to use just any clam either, Mott's is the best and the difference is quite noticable if you cheap out on this step. Add tobasco and worcestershire sauce to taste, and squeeze in some more of the lime that you used for the rim. if you are really fancy you could add a stalk of celery to the mix, as that is how they are served in restaurants, however I don't bother with this.

Drink, enjoy, repeat.

As you can tell, it becomes a bit tedious to make several of these in a night, so I almost always switch over to Clam-eyes, which is three parts beer and one part clamato. Ahhh much easier. Now I can focus on playing some online poker.

I signed up for my 8pm nightly tournament, and was short-stacked throughout most of the game. I went on a mini-rush near the end and became chipleader for the briefest of momemts, then bubbled out in 4th place after making a few bad back-to-back calls. No leaderboard points for me :(

Still in the mood to play some tournaments, I joined the $5+R tourney. I was chipleader for most of the game and made it to the final table, but unfortunately that is as far as I went. I barely squeezed into the money as I went out in 10th place, but I am overall really happy with my play.

There is a live tournament tonight at one of the local casinos which I was thinking about going to, $20+rebuy but no add on. I am playing live on Saturday night again so I may pass on this one, but I am still undecided at this point. Either way, I am pretty sure I will be hitting up some tournaments this evening.

Home Game, Calgary Poker Network, and my very own Theme Song

2005-08-22T02:27:00.000-06:00

It is 3am on Sunday night/Monday morning, and I can't sleep. Way too wired from all the poker I played this weekend. In fact, I don't think I did anything BUT play poker.

First of all - I am going to say something that no self-respecting blogger would normally say. I have actually grown to like Noble. Maybe it is because they have dramatically improved their game interface since the blogger tourney there. Perhaps it is because the games are so very soft - literally candy from a baby. But the main reason is because I have discovered a secret little nightly tournament there that I have become somewhat addicted to.

I was bored a few weeks back and still had a bonus to clear at Noble, (yes - from way back when) so I was scouting out the tournaments there. I came across one that was hosted by the Calgary Poker Network. The tournaments are open to anyone from anywhere, but since membership is free (and I happen to live in that city), I joined up. The tournament is a $5+50 freezout at 8pm MST nightly, and as of right now the field averages about 20 players. Nice small tourney, little commitment for money and time - perfect for someone like me who averages several tournaments in a night. Top three places pay (at least for all the ones I have played so far) and the first time I played I came in second. Bob came along for the ride the second time I played, and he scooped first and I ended up second again. Yes - you heard me correctly, I had to take second place to Bobby Bracelet and his twice-confirmed huge junk. I've since placed second again, and took third another time - placing in the money four out of six games total. We all know that I am a sucker for anything with a leaderboard, and they just happen to have one. Currently I am tied for 4th place.

Anyways - these fine people who host the nightly tournament also play live every week or two at the various casinos here in Calgary, so I decided that I would go play in the $30+3 freezeout earlier tonight. There were 45 entrants on 5 tables, and starting chip count was T4000 - which is so nice after playing so many with only T1000 to start.

I don't think I played more than a dozen hands all night, but managed to make it to the final table after four hours of play. Unfortunately, I had exactly T4000, and the big blind was - you guessed it, T4000. My saving grace was I had a bit of time to choose where I was going to make my stand, as I started the final table in cut off position. Three hands later, I looked down to find JJ and went all in. I was called by 77, and fortunately the Jacks held up, giving me T14,000. I felt pretty confident that I could outlast a few more people at this point, even possibly bully a few people out of their blinds, so when I saw AdKd UTG, I raised all-in. A young guy in middle position thought about it for what seemed like hours, then finally called me. He flipped over 77, and I just about died when he completed a set on the flop. The turn was a diamond though - giving me four to the flush, but lady luck didn't bring another on the river and I was out in 9th place. (Incidentally, the guy who busted me out won the entire tournament with pocket sevens. He was, even more ironically, the same person who won the tournament at their previous live event.)

Unfortunately only the top 3 places paid - plus 4th received a free entry into the next live event - so I didn't cash. I'm already signed up for the next one this coming Saturday night, so I hope to have a better ending then.

Saturday night I played in a tournament with my brother and a bunch of his friends. This one was also live, but it was a home game with 23 players. I didn't do as well though, after receiving three ~~horrible~~ bad beats in a row I ended up 17th or 18th I think. Fortunately, I doubled up in the cash game we played on the side, so that helped ease my pain (and bankroll) a little.

If that wasn't quite enough poker content for you, I also played a freeroll on Noble this afternoon before the casino tournament, and placed 3rd out of about 85 players.

Just to top off my weekend, I received multiple dial-a-shots from Al, Pauly, and April (sorry April - I was out when you called - or at least when someone called from your cell phone lol) so that eased the pain of having missed yet another blogger event.

Personal quote from the Brad-O-Ween festivities via dial-a-shot:

"Some people get nicknames, but you get your own fucking theme song"

- Al Cant Hang, as he and the others sang their drunken rendition of "O Canada" while on speaker phone with me, except the words have now been changed to JO-anada. Nice guys, thanks ;)

Monotony

2005-08-17T13:13:00.000-06:00

I've been lacking creative thought the past few days/week. The whole moving/not moving, packing/unpacking thing is enough to warrant a vacation from my everyday life, however I am pretty much stuck in one place for the remainder of the summer. I've been in a state - not depression, exactly, but sadness and uncertainty nonetheless and it is difficult not to bring it to the blog.

I don't like feeling that way and it isn't who I am, so I have been trying to think of the things that make me happiest in life. Some of them are silly and sappy, others are - well, just plain strange. But every one of these things are guaranteed to put me in a better mood:

- Having my cat curled up in my lap, purring. There is something exceptionally soothing about the rhythmic noises a cat makes when they are happy, that somehow lulls me into a similar sense of contentment.

- Traveling. I don't care where I am going, and I don't care how I get there. Bus, car, plane. Ok, maybe not bus - but I would take it over staying at home anyday. If I can't be traveling, I want to be planning my next trip.

- A mug of SmartAss draught and a plate of chicken wings. The pub by my house has the best draught beer, and they offer a platter full of appetizers that kicks ass on most other places. Chicken wings, mini-meatballs, deep fried cheese, onion rings, breaded jalepenos, etc, etc. Soooo goood. Now I am hungry. Since I spend a lot of time alone, it is probably the social aspect of being out at the pub that increases my mood, but either way this is one of my favorite

- Italian meat. Minds out of the gutter, please. When I worked as a catering coordinator for a large hotel, we served an antipasto platter that included the most delicious meat known to man. I still haunt my local deli every week for prosciutto, capicollo, Genoa salami and any other meat that ends in a vowel. I don't really know why this makes me happy, it just does.

- Palm trees. It took 29 years for me to see my first one in person, and I have since started growing potted versions in my house. It is difficult to pass up buying more everytime I go to the store. Something about them just make me happy.

- Music. I love music of all kinds. The style of music I am listening to is a direct reflection of the type of mood I am in. We pay monthly for satellite television, and pretty much the only channels I ever tune into are the music stations. The few times that I can't decide on a particular station - I will just turn on jazz and let it play in the backgroud.

- Coconut and pineapple. The smell of these two things instantly make me happier. I wash my hair with coconut shampoo, and slather on the pineapple cream all day long. Every time I go to the store I buy more products. In fact, this is about the only thing I actually like shopping for. If you ever want to sell me anything, just slap a picture of a coconut on it and I will buy it, regardless of the price. The picture to the left is just a small sample of my ever-increasing collection. Yes, I may smell like a pina colada, but I am sure there are worse things.

- Friends. Can't really have a list of things that make me happy without including my friends. Some of them I see on a regular basis, and others I see only a few times a year which is never enough. I have learned the importance of the phrase "they are only a phone call away" over the years though, and try to stay in contact with as many as possible, even if for only a few minutes at a time. I often find it funny that the people I do talk on a daily basis are the friends of the new millennium, the internet friends. I know more about what is going on in some of the lives of people I have never met than the friends I have had for decades, but that is just the way it is now.

- Reading. Whenever I need to escape what is happening (or not happening) in my life, I turn to books, weblogs, anything that is in print. Sounds so cliche, but there is nothing like slipping into someone else's world for some true escapism.

Well, that is all I can think of off the top of my head. Just thinking of these things makes me a whole lot happier, which in turn make me a better person. I am curious what others do / think of to put themselves in a better state of mind.

On A Rush

2005-08-14T11:45:00.000-06:00

It's been a good weekend, poker-wise. I stated some time ago that my goal in tournament poker was to reach a top 10% average, and this weekend certainly helped.

Friday night I played the $1.00 O8 nightly tournament that so many of us play on a regular basis. Though I bubbled out in 97th (top 63 pay) I was still pretty happy to hold on for so long. (Placing top 13.6%)

Saturday began with a $1 SNG, and came in 4th out of 45, top 7 were pay spots. (8.89%)

Next, for lack of choices, I played a FPP entry tournament. There were 872 entrants, with only the top 9 places paying. I ended up in 18th, which was out of the money but again I'm not complaining. (2.06%)

Then last night, Al, Drizz, Felicia, EasyCure and I were all signed up for the $1 O8 again. Al ended up not being able to play, but the rest of us grinded for hours against 905 others. Drizz made 27th, and I battled it out to the final table. Actually, going into the top nine I was the chip leader, but three bad beats in a row reduced my stack considerably and I went out in 8th place. (0.88%)

Simultaneously, I played a $3 limit hold em tourney with 870 entrants. I was paying very little attention to this table, as the O8 tournament required a lot more attention. I was short stacked through most of it until I hit a rush and started dominating the hands. Shortly after I finished the O8, I busted out in 39th place, once again making the money. (4.48%)

Since I made the final table in the O8 tourney, I gained entry into a weekly freeroll this afternoon, and was debating whether or not to bother. I was most concerned about reckless players, and didn't really want to bring down my average for a freeroll. Anyways, I decided to play, and for the first hour seven players at my table were sitting out. I KO'd the eighth guy within a few hands, and had another opponent join me. We decided to just take turns scooping the blinds, as there was not a lot of sense battling it out against each other. I had a decent chip stack once I was brought to a table full of players, and managed to double then triple up right away. I was actually the chip leader at one point, then hit the driest run of cards imaginable. I finally pushed all in with A9 when I was shortstacked, only to come across quad Q's. I ended up finishing in 34th place out of 937 others. (3.63%)

Though there was not one significant prize amount in the bunch, it was a good weekend for getting my head back in the game and focusing on what it is I want to accomplish by playing poker. My average for these six tournaments lands me in the top 5.59%, so I am more than happy about that. Now I have to consider playing some tournaments that have higher buy-ins so I can actually make some money at this again.

Dinner

2005-08-13T19:32:00.000-06:00

I dont feel like writing anything - so here is a picture of what I made for dinner tonight.

88 Lines about 44 Women

2005-08-09T02:50:00.001-06:00

Ok - maybe it is just 88 lines about me.
Or - maybe it is just 88 lines of confessions from me.
Either way - this is all about me.

1. I honestly believe that yelling at my computer screen affects the outcome of the cards that fall on the flop, turn, and river
2. I am selfish as all hell - though I don't always appear that way
3. Sadly I love cigarettes more than just about anything in the world
4. When I sit at a poker table, I honestly do believe that I am the best player at that table. The day I stop believing that is the day I quit playing.
5. I derive sinful pleasure from check-raising when I have the nuts
6. I would rather win a pot with the hammer than with any other hand
7. My greatest gift in poker is patience, my worst flaw is undervaluing my hands
8. My favorite job ever was working as a bartender. I would do it again for minimum wage without tips if I had to
9. Women in general piss me off with their "girly" ways. However, when I find women that I respect and like, I will go out of my way to be in their company
10. I like cards, beer, golf, fishing, baseball and football more than most things in life.
11. I like being alone way more than I should
12. I like cats and dogs equally, and will spend hours trying to convince people that I need to adopt every stray I find - though I never actually do
13. I do not goo and gush at the sight of a baby
14. I believe in the power of meditation
15. Though I am from Canada, if you ask me the temperature I will probably tell you in degrees F
16. I probably use the words 'eh' and 'dude' more than any other word in the english language
17. I hate brandy. I used to hate scotch, but have since acquired a taste for it and would drink it any day of the week
18. I love beer. Any kind of beer
19. There are approximately 2000 people in this world who know me only by the nickname "Bobo". It is a really long, boring story why
20. I did not listen to any kind of heavy metal in the 80's, though I really like it now
21. I used to ride a skateboard, and lived for quarter and half pipes
22. The longest crush I ever had was for a guy named Rob Oliver. I have no idea where he is now, and don't really want to know
23. I love cooking, and will spend seventeen hours straight making a meal if I have to
24. Money is not the reason I do things, yet I do dream of being a millionaire
25. I have never dated anyone based on what they looked like
26. If I go to a bar, the last thing I want to do is dance
27. I can not sing. At all. Don't ask me to, cause I won't
28. I do, however, love singing when I am alone
29. If I had to pick one famous man to be my 'ideal' - it would be John Corbett
30. There are times in my life when I feel completely and utterly lost, and others when I feel invincible
31. Sappy commercials make me cry. So do game shows
32. I am a contradiction of terms, and I am ok with that
33. I always had short hair as a kid, and I now refuse to cut it. I also refuse to cut my daughters hair and cried the only time I ever did.
34. I think you learn more about people when they are drunk than when they are sober
35. I am left-handed, so chances are I will die 4 years before most of you
36. I play hockey, golf, and baseball with both hands though
37. All my favorite teams are from Michigan. I have said that before, but it bears repeating
38. My favorite foods are chicken wings, ribs, cedar-smoked salmon, and rare steak
39. I could never be a vegetarian - though I agree with the principles
40. If I could live anywhere, it would be Vegas. I am sure I would be sick of it within 2 months, but I am willing to risk that
41. I have never been off this continent
42. If I could travel anywhere in the world - it would be Italy. No question
43. I willingly studied Latin. And Russian.
44. My favorite wine is a Chateauneuf De Pape, and it is not that expensive
45. I love champagne, but am not that impressed with Dom Perignon
46. I have no desire to travel to England, but would still go if presented with the opportunity
47. I like to stay up as late as humanly possible every night, yet I love being up in the morning. I have no use for afternoons
48. I am fairly independent and will fix and build things myself, but I firmly believe in the mantra: car broke, man fix
49. The thought of working in another cubicle terrifies me, but every now and then I miss it
50. At age 15 I knew who I was. At 20 I had no idea. At 25 I knew again, but I am once again trying to figure it out
51. I don't understand sibling rivalry. My brother and I have always been great friends
52. My best friend and I have been friends for 26 years. I consider that one of my greatest accomplishments
53. I am still trying to figure out how to make money doing the things I love
54. Though I don't necessarily love working, I can't seem to ever stop
55. I like cleaning, but hate clutter. Unfortunately, my house if very cluttered
56. I think Corner Gas is the best show to hit tv in decades
57. I watch very little tv, but love movies
58. I can answer most questions about celebrities, but it is not because I really care, I just read a lot
59. I can achieve a zen state of mind by folding hand after hand in poker
60. In a bar, I am most comfortable working, but if I were to go to one, you will usually find me sitting at the end of the bar talking to the bartender
61. I am the most competitive person I know. By far.
62. I wish I was independently wealthy enough to just travel for a few years - I don't even really care where
63. I paint, sketch, and draw, but very rarely get around to any of it
64. When I was little, my grandma used to make homemade ice cream. It was so delicious that I have never been able to eat commercial ice cream and enjoy it since
65. I will buy anything that smells like coconut or pineapple
66. When I was 13, I got busted for stealing $40 worth of stickers (scratch 'n sniff, etc.) from a drug store
67. The only magazine I buy on a regular basis is Maxim
68. I don't like censoring myself, but there are things that I just wont let myself write about online
69. I do not have a favorite color. I like them all
70. The only music I won't listen to is techno
71. I love playstation and other video games. I wont touch them for years, but when I do, I play for days
72. I worked in a pool hall when I was 16/17, and seriously considered making a living outta playing pool
73. I am only 5'4", and have never wanted to be taller
74. I wouldn't know a Manolo Blahnik if it speared me in the head with it's pointy little heel, but I own about 17 pairs of sandals
75. I cant stand having anything on my feet
76. I hate chocolate
77. I am addicted to Degrassi, the Next Generation
78. I am very proud that my daughter knows what the Hammer is, and knows how to play it
79. I hate starting sentences with the word "I", so writing this list is driving me nuts
80. I have never watched an episode of Sex & The City, nor do I ever want to
81. I hate it when people complain about the radio. It is free, and you have the option of changing the station or turning it off
82. As a single parent working full time plus every Fri and Sat night in the bar for a decade, I refused to serve women who used the excuse that they couldn't afford to tip because they were single parents
83. I am not tough, but I have forcibly removed men from the bar when they pissed me off enough
84. My favorite soup is chicken gumbo, but I make outstanding beef barley and split pea too.
85. You guys make fun of the way we talk, but I can't stand to hear the word roof pronounced "ruff"
86. There is only one beer that I won't drink, and it is called Maibock. I have a bottle in my fridge that will be there until the end of time
87. I drank enough Sambuca in my twenties to choke a small horse. The smell of it makes me nauseous now
88. My favorite quote from a movie is "Sell crazy somewhere else, we're all stocked up here"

Home Game

2005-08-08T01:02:00.000-06:00

There has been so much confusion lately that it was finally time to put everything aside and just play some poker.

I headed over to my brother's house earlier today for some NLHE action. We were only able to play one tournament, so we didn't waste time with pleasantries and such, we just sat and got right down to business.

I had terrible cards for most of the game, but that didn't stop me from betting recklessly at every pot that I ventured into. Fortunately I picked a night where my opponents were playing super tight, so I got away with it for the most part. They were getting a little tired of my forceful play, and the one time Jess made a stand against me was the time I actually had pocket kings vs. her pocket sevens.

One by one I took them out and emerged victorious. Unfortunately, we didn't stop at the bank machine on the way there, so we were forced to play a freeroll format. All I won were the bragging rights - but I am making the most of that, of course ;)

I'm going to finish off the night playing some SNG's over at Noble, taking my stab at the million dollar challenge. Pauly and I were haunting those tables a few days ago, and I hear that Grubby is working on it as well. Good luck guys!

Picture Dump

2005-08-05T02:53:00.000-06:00

Random pictures taken on the trip from Calgary to Ontario and back

Jess at the Terry Fox Memorial

Saskatchewan. Yes, it is that boring.

Chipmunk at our cabin

You know you have entered Ontario when you see nothing but lakes and trees

Boats docked on Lake Superior in Thunder Bay

The Canadian Shield

The infamous Yonge Street in Ontario

This is the lake where we were / are / might possibly move

This is my baby. It killed me to leave her behind again

Bridge to America at the Sarnia, On / Port Huron, MI border

View of Port Huron, from the bridge

Lake Huron, from the bridge. We were on the bridge for a while

Entering Michigan. Looks a lot like Ontario.

Chicago

Not what you expect to see in Wisconsin

More Wisconsin

Somewhere in between Minneapolis and Fargo

North Dakota - the west side

Rolling hills of Montana

Final stretch home. To the west of Calgary lie the Rocky Mountains. To the east, north and south there is a lot of very, very flat land. However, it still isnt as bad as Saskatchewan.

A Little Clarification...

2005-08-04T15:08:00.000-06:00

As I said in my previous post, we MAY not be moving.

Without getting into too much detail at this point, it boils down to this: There are good job offers coming from places other than Ontario now. It doesn't seem logical anymore to pack up and move all that way if he may be working elsewhere again. At least here in Calgary we have the support of our friends and family if Jess and I have to be alone.

Stress level is quite high since this news came at the 11th hour, but hopefully all will work out for the best. We should know more in the next few days.

Curveball

2005-08-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

Bases are loaded. Two outs and the pitcher throws a curve.
And just like that....things change.

I may not be moving after all.

More soon.

August Already?

2005-08-02T11:44:00.000-06:00

Over the past 5 days I have done nothing but pack, clean, and paint. Ugh.

I am going to try to play a tournament tonight though.
Will be back soon.

Another Day at the Office...

2005-07-28T03:07:00.000-06:00

"haven't seen hardly any hands whatsoever and joanne is rollin out ace king and pockets like it's her job"

$2.00 MTT on Party
5 hours, 23 minutes
8th place out of 2000
$90.00 prize

Ok, the money sucked, but I am happy with the result. I played the same tourney the past two nights and came within 60 of the bubble each time, so this should help my average.

Thanks Pauly and Grubby for dial-a-shotting my victory. I'm glad I can count on someone being up at this time of night!

"The Simple Life" Revisited?

2005-07-27T14:18:00.000-06:00

I think I deserve my own TV show.

Paris and Nicole did it, why can't I? Take Jess and I. Two chicks out on the road driving alone across the country from town to town. Wreaking havoc on the locals, terrorizing wildlife. Seriously, the similarities are endless. We both have long, blonde hair. Only one of us drives. Split the difference between our ages and we would fit right in with Hilton & Co.

Of course, there is the fact that neither of us are heiresses. I also don't suppose Carl's Jr. will be beating down my door to do an ad for them anytime soon. Crap, we don't own pint-sized puppy dogs either.

Oh well. There goes the dream.

Seriously though, that was quite a trip. I covered seven States plus my Province for a total of 3865km / 2400 miles as the sole driver. I am feeling a strong sense of accomplishment about that, (perhaps a little too much, really) but it was something I always wanted to do.

We left on Wednesday at 1pm, and fought the Toronto traffic for over an hour. It was a relief to finally do some highway driving after dealing with red lights and traffic jams for so long. We stopped for a quick quarter pounder w/cheese in Kitchener, Ontario, vowing that would be the first and last McDonalds we had on the trip.

I had never crossed the border at Sarnia/Port Huron before so the Bridge to America was something to see, even though they charge you $2.50 just to cross it. After waiting for 40 minutes behind at least twenty cars, we pulled up to the booth and our designated customs official asked if we were bringing across any fruit or vegetables. I answered no, just two bags of chips and a cooler full of iced tea. He still had me pop open the trunk to check, and debated with his partner for a few minutes if he should seize my bag of spits. It was finally decided that since I was unlikely to plant the seeds anywhere on their soil, they wouldn't seize them and I was on my way.

We pulled into Port Huron to get gas and stretch our legs before tackling the Michigan portion of the drive. The girl working behind the counter was looking at our car with a confused expression. She asked what state we were from since she didn't recognize the license plate. When I told her we were from Alberta she stopped to think for a moment then asked if that was near Alaska. I just smiled and said yes, figuring it was easier than trying to deliver a geography lesson.

The speed limit was 65 in the States, which is confusing since my car displays kilometers in big bold text with the miles in tiny little numbers. I am always hesitant to speed too much when I first enter a new area, but everyone was flying down the highway so I set cruise at about 72. The scenery was much the same as Ontario - lots of trees and hills, and we made our way quickly past Flint and Lansing.

Along the way I saw the sign for Saginaw and I had to laugh. Growing up, we did a lot of driving on the highway to BC, and my Dad endlessly played a certain 8-track (yeah, yeah, I know) which included a song called "Saginaw, Michigan" on it. Before I left for this trip, I had actually burned a CD which had as many songs as I could remember from it, including that one, so I put it on and reminisced about my childhood a bit as I drove past the city I had only heard of in song.

The weather took a turn for the worse, and I could barely see the highway through the torrential rain as I approached Grand Rapids. I hadn't decided where we were going to stop for the night exactly, but the rain dictated that we find some shelter quick. We ended up in a place called Grandville, and after an unsuccessful attempt at reaching a certain Michigan blogger, we decided to grab some quick dinner at Arby's and crash for the night at the Days Inn. They were actually more expensive than what we budgeted for, but after dealing with the rain I was in no mood trying to locate other motels. The room was nice though, and we had a great continental breakfast the next morning so I think it was worth it.

After finishing breakfast, we rolled out of town at 9:30 (no, I am not that person who leaves at 6am), and drove straight, reaching Gary, Indiana after two hours. We were planning to have lunch there since our breakfast was fairly light, but there was no way we were getting off that freeway once we started. There was so much construction that traffic was at a crawl the entire way from Gary through Chicago. The closest I had been before was a quick stop at O'Hare for a layover, so it was pretty cool finally seeing the Windy City up close. After two long hours, we finally made it through Chicago and found ourselves on the Northwest Tollway. That was a pain in the ass, having to stop five times to pay five separate tolls, but we finally emerged at the border of Illinois/Wisconsin where we hit absolute pay dirt.

We stopped at the Flying J for gas and lunch, and were happy to see a huge buffet spread out in the restaurant. This place was insane. I have to say it was one of the best buffets I've ever been to. Our iced tea came in glasses taller than Jess's head. The food selection was enormous, and we filled a large plate of salad each before digging into the main course. I had mashed potatoes and fried chicken among other things, and Jess had bbq pork, potatoes and corn. She helped herself to the make-your-own ice cream bar as I received the bill, and was shocked to see it was only $15.00 for the two of us.

Well fed, we continued on our way. We had covered three states already, but still had two to go. I really think that the biggest surprise of the trip was Wisconsin. I am not one for farmland and boring prairies, but the scenery here really was beautiful. There were lush green, rolling hills, deep rich valleys, and apparently even ski resorts - though they were well hidden. Three-quarters of the way through the state my cow count was only at three. So much for nothing but cheese country.

Minnesota was much the same, truly beautiful country. It was approaching dusk when we entered St. Paul, and tired though I was, driving the I-94 through the Twin Cities certainly woke me up. I had to call upon every skill I ever learned playing Ridge Racer, Gran Turismo, and Grand Theft Auto. I was half expecting the cars ahead of me to start dropping oil slicks or fog bombs on my car it was so insane. Looking for a motel proved to be impossible from the freeway, so we passed through Minneapolis and ended up in a little place called Maple Grove. Ironically, this was the home of yet another poker blogger (or two, from what I have heard.)

It was already 8:30pm, and since I didn't have a laptop with me, I went into the local electronics store and asked them if I could use their computer for a moment. These guys were terrific, not hesitating to fire up a browser for me, then leaving me alone to check my email and use instant messenger. I was trying to get a hold of the Minnesota contingent of poker bloggers, but to no avail. I had arrived into town too late and didn't give proper notice. Resigned to the fact that I wouldn't be able to meet any bloggers this trip, Jess and I set out to find some lodging for the night.

The first place we went to was rather scary. I entered the front desk area and one of fifteen men emerged from a back room where they were gathered watching tv. We knew instantly that we didn't want to stay here, but figured we may as well ask what the rate was for the night. When he told me $79 plus tax I just about spit out my iced tea. I told him (outright lied) that we had already been quoted a rate of $50 for the night somewhere else, so he kept dropping the price trying to get us to change our minds. I did get him down to $45 at one point utilizing my negotiation skills, but I told him we would have to think about it as we ate dinner and quickly made our exit. Thinking maybe I was being a bit too fastidious, I called Bill and he gave me some words of wisdom when I explained how the front desk clerk made me feel kind of icky - "Just remember, this is the guy who has a key to your room". Enough said - we were looking for an alternate motel.

This proved to be a bit more difficult than it sounds. Most of the rooms in town were sold out, and the only one available was selling for $119, though they graciously offered to drop it down to $99 which was still out of our budget. Jess remembered seeing some motels at the town prior to this called Brooklyn Park, so we drove back a few miles and inquired at the first one we came across - the Sleep Inn. Again we struck gold. The rate was $69, which included a continental breakfast, and the best part was they had a pool. After driving through waterpark central (a.k.a. Wisconsin) Jess had been bugging me to go swimming. After telling the front desk clerk about my trials trying to find lodging, she ended up dropping the price another $10 for me.

It was too late to go swimming, so we decided to order pizza and watch a movie. We ordered Miss Congeniality 2 (Jess loves Sandra Bullock) and ate our pizza and wings courtesy of Papa John's. In the morning we hit the pool, relaxed for a while, and left town around noon.

We made the unfortunate decision of having lunch in St. Cloud which was an hour away, but since the road was under construction it took us almost two hours for the entire stop. We ate at IHOP though, which I love and we don't have in Canada. Our next stop was Fargo. Since the movie is among my favorites I have always wanted to go, and it certainly didn't dissapoint. Talk about desolate scenery. If there had been snow on the ground, I would have felt as though I stepped right into the movie set. There was a real sense of isolation in the town, people kept to themselves and you had to really draw them out when asking a question. We stopped at a gas station and convenience store which could have been an exact replica of the store in "Clerks". I was almost surprised when Jay and Silent Bob were nowhere to be seen. The counter girl inside wore a look of confusion when I asked if there was an internet cafe anywhere around. She said they had a Starbucks, and asked if that was what I was looking for. I was truly not meant to get online this trip.

I was originally planning to go North to Winnipeg to stay the night with a friend, but I found out that she was actually out of town so we decided to stay in the US and head west through North Dakota into Montana for the night. North Dakota is very much like Saskatchewan. Long. Flat. Boring. The only saving grace was the speed limit all of a sudden changed to 75, so I was able to maintain 80 as my minimum. I put in a CD that a friend of mine made for me, and lost myself in thought.

There is something about the open road that brings out the best and worst in people, and you can see it on their faces as they drive. I am sure I was no exception, either. I felt moments of extreme jubilation, as well as inexplicable moments of complete and utter sadness. When you drive for days you are left with nothing but your thoughts. Memories that you have blocked out or pushed aside come rushing back in with a vengeance, flooding your mind. For hours I lost myself in existential thoughts, questioning life, trying to make some sense out of what I wanted, what I was ready to let go of, and what I hoped to achieve. Moving across the country makes you face certain realities, and I covered it all that day.

I was becoming quite exhausted at that point, having seen nothing but flat prairie for hours on end. As though on cue, the scenery made a drastic change. To my right I saw a sign indicating a place called Painted Canyon ahead. Within seconds I was no longer in the middle of farmland. The ground recessed and indented to display thousands of small little valleys, hills and canyons. If I didn't know better, I would have sworn I was in Arizona looking at the beginning of the Grand Canyon. This was much more green, beige and orange than the red rock of that area, but it was simply amazing nonetheless. The canyons rose to become rolling hills, and the hills soon became small mountains. I was back into territory I had previously visited. I had entered Montana.

It was already dark, and Montana greeted us with an amazing lightening storm. The whole land lit up when the strikes shot across the sky, almost blinding me when they sparked directly ahead. I was hoping to make it to Billings, but there was no way I was going to continue on for two more hours in the storm. We pulled into a place called Miles City, and checked into the Motel 6 for $40 a night. It was almost midnight when we went to the 24-hour restaurant beside the motel, but we had an amazing dinner which was much needed after that drive. Jess ordered the teriyaki steak, and I had salad with my fish and chips. We sat for over an hour, then made our way back to the room to pass out. I couldn't fall asleep, so I watched the weather network for a while to see what I would be facing the next day. Turns out we missed the worst part of the storm, and the next day was supposed to be bright and sunny once again.

Heading home.

I have been to Montana many times since I have family that lives there and it is on the way to Vegas from Calgary. The trip through the mountains is beautiful, but we avoided it as time was now the driving factor. At this point I just wanted to get home. We had a quick lunch in Billings, then passed through Great Falls and up to Shelby, which is my favorite place to stop when entering the states from Alberta. They have the best diner, amazing food at ridiculously low prices, as well as Lucky Lil's casino. I have never passed through without dropping some money into the video poker, but I just didn't feel up to it that night. We scarfed down a quick dinner, avoided the Australian hitchhikers outside asking for a ride into Alberta, and made our way to the border. The road was empty, so we passed through customs in seconds, and three hours later found ourselves back in Calgary for the first time in over three weeks.

Now, days later, I am packing up my house to move. I am going through serious withdrawls, wishing I was back on the highway with nothing but the open road and my thoughts as company. The next month is going to be extremely stressful with the move, but there are many lights at the end of the tunnel. I really feel as though I am closing one chapter of my life and beginning another. Though I am uncertain of what the future out east will bring, I am glad I will always have memories of that trip that my daughter and I took alone across two countries.

And I am home...

2005-07-23T22:20:00.000-06:00

....finally.

One Car
Two Chicks
Four Days
Seven States + One Province

I need a beer.

More to come...

It's Official....

2005-07-18T07:31:00.000-06:00

September 1st I move into my new place.

Yes, it is the one by the lake. We are renting a two-storey, three-bedroom house which includes a sauna and a jetted tub. I am pretty excited, though it doesn't really seem real that "home" is now Ontario, and I am heading back to Calgary to pack up my life.

Now I keep waking up every hour as I am so stressed over all the work that needs to be done within the next month. I am not leaving Toronto until tomorrow now, and I have a four or five day drive before I can get started on anything so I am starting to feel the time pressure.

I will write more later, I'm going to try to get a few more hours of sleep.

A House is a House

2005-07-13T13:12:00.000-06:00

I have officially had it with house hunting.

I drove around today for what I hope is the last time looking at listings, and I think we are ready to make a decision tonight. We keep coming back to the one by the lake, and though it is pricey, it does seem to be the best one available.

I have already mentally placed all my furniture in it - as well as visualized making my espresso in the morning and sitting out on the double deck overlooking the lake. I don't think there are many better ways to start a day than checking email while sitting outside in the midst of mile-high trees and glistening water. There is also plenty of room to host a home game - so if I actually knew 8 or 10 people out here I would be able to play some live poker, too. But I am getting ahead of myself.

If this plan goes through and we take the place, I will probably be staying this weekend and leaving Sunday or Monday to head back to Calgary. To all those that I talked to regarding meeting up along the way - there is still a chance I may darken your doorstep but my route back has changed a bit. There is a possibility that I will be going through/near the following cities: Buffalo, Cleveland, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, Winnipeg and then Calgary. We will see who gets to be the first blogger to meet me in person - I am sure that after driving for days I will be extremely charming lol...

That is it for now. I am going to go do something other than househunt for a change.

More Ontario...

2005-07-11T13:04:00.000-06:00

Last night after the sun set I got in my car, put the top down, cranked some tunes and drove around for a while. It has been almost a year since I have been able to do that. The hot, humid nights here are perfect for driving around aimlessly. This move is a huge adjustment and I need those moments where I can zone out, let everything go, and just be myself.

It really kicked in just how far from home this move is as I drove each of the 2200+ miles to get here. It is nothing to hop in a plane for a 4-hour flight, but when you cross more than half a country (a rather large country, too) in a car you gain a much different perspective.

I cant get over the differences between here and Calgary. I really feel as though I am in a whole other world. It isn't the size or population - Calgary is a decent sized city with 1 million people - but things are set up a lot different here. It amuses me that you can be in one city, but right across the street is another and there are no signs to let you know which one you are in exactly. Truth be told, every day I am in at least 4 different towns/cities, and I haven't even been to actual "Toronto" yet this trip.

So the search continues for a place to live. There are also major differences between here and Calgary when it comes to real estate. In Alberta, the first question you ask and the first item listed is the square footage of the house. Here it is not even mentioned unless the house is massive and too damn expensive to matter. I did, however, find my dream house. Well - my dream area anyways.

The city I am in right now is called Richmond Hill. The houses in this area are all cookie-cutter big, beautiful brick homes worth about $650,000 each. No - we are not spending that kind of money - we are currently renting a basement suite in one of these houses. It is actually a really nice space - 1500 square feet, 3 bedrooms, and bright, even though it is a basement dwelling. I would almost consider staying here for a year if it weren't for two very important points:
- It only has one bathroom which is sooo not cool with three of us living together
- For how much I am home, I couldn't handle not having natural sunlight and fresh air flow through the place all day long.

So anyways, we have been looking in this general area for ~~slightly~~ way more affordable homes, and came across the find of a century. Fifteen minute drive north on Yonge Street and we were there - Lake Wilcox. Lakefront homes. Need I say more? Yes - I have a thing about living near water. The closer the better. If I could wake up in the morning and go around the lake in a boat/canoe/kayak or floatation device, and in the evenings fish off my deck as the sun sets, I would be about the happiest person in the world. Well, we have found several homes there, and are hoping that one of them works out. The area has both shacks and multi-million dollar mansions, but we have found three in particular that are reasonable and are currently for rent or for sale.

Anyways - we are hoping to get this wrapped up this week so I can head back to Calgary and pack up and list the house there. The plan is to be moved here by September 1st, so there isn't much time left.

One of these days I would really like to play some poker, too. I haven't played anything online in ages, and live has been even longer. I may have to hit up some of these Toronto guys for a home game soon (hint, hint!)

Main Event!

2005-07-08T14:43:00.000-06:00

The 2005 WSOP Main Event started yesterday. I can't say how much I wish I was there playing - or even watching for that matter. I really hoped to make it to the world series this year, but I will have to wait for 2006 now.

Anyways - what can I tell you about the main event? Nothing.....I am not there. But these guys are:

For the best in coverage, go visit these links:

World Series of Poker Live Blog

World Series of Poker Photo Gallery

World Series of Poker Podcast

World Series of Poker News

Touring Canada, eh?

2005-07-06T03:40:00.000-06:00

Wow - what a drive. 3612 kilometers - or 2244 miles for you non-Canucks.

I left at noon on Friday, July 1st which was Canada Day. Surprisingly, there was very little traffic, and the trek through Alberta, Saskatchewan, and half of Manitoba was fairly uneventful. Uneventful, that is, until I took my turn behind the wheel.

At approximately midnight we decided that we may as well drive the additional 6 hours to the cabin which is just inside Ontario, and since I had been napping off and on the entire day it only made sense that I drive. Not two minutes after I slipped into the drivers seat, the first few raindrops appeared. Within 20 minutes, I could barely see the highway it was raining so hard. It finally tapered off a bit when I hit Winnipeg, but the roads were still slick and there was a glare from the mix of headlights and street lights. Winnipeg has a perimeter highway - which seemed to be a good choice because we can avoid the city and there was no one else on the road at that time of night.

No people or cars, anyways.

I had one of those moments where everything seems to play out in slow motion. I could see the shape of the creature on the highway and the way it ran across two lanes of traffic in a split second. I couldn't make out the colour of it, but I could see tufts of fur and the look in it's eye just before it doubled back on my car after I swerved to avoid it. After hearing the unmistakable "thunk" I couldn't look back, my hand was over my mouth and I kept saying "Oh my God" over and over - but there was no doubt that it was dead. I am not sure if it was a skunk or a badger - there were no telltale remains (or smells for that matter) - but I was a mess. I have a knack for killing gophers in Calgary - there are just so damn many of them and they literally run right under your wheels, but this was the first time I had killed an animal of "substantial" size. I felt, and still feel, so terribly crappy about it.

Needless to say - I handed over the drivers seat and sulked the rest of the way to the cabin. We passed by at least five deer, all killed on the side of the road, and I was thankful that if I had to hit something, at least it was a helluva lot smaller. It was 6am by the time we got to the lake, and after a quick trip to the dock I passed out from sheer exhaustion.

I woke up around 2pm, and we took the boat out to do a little fishing. Didn't catch anything, but it was good to get out on the water. It was really strange being on the lake for the first time as a non-smoker. It's amazing how many things you do in your life that revolve around smoking, and fishing is one of those things for me. To me fishing is packing a cooler full of beer, sitting out in the boat, chain smoking and drinking, and reeling in what you catch. Without a pack of smokes, I had no desire to even open a beer. I realized later that night that I was coming down with a cold, which is probably a more accurate reason why I didn't feel like drinking, but it was still strange.

Sunday. Sick as a dog. Cold. Flu. Hell I was even worried that one of the 945 mosquito bites I got passed on the West Nile Virus and I wasn't going to make it overnight, that is how crappy I felt. I haven't been hit with a cold like that in a long time. We only drove five hours to Thunder Bay since we didn't leave the cabin until 4pm, but it was a pretty good drive, all things considered. Even though I felt lousy, I was pretty excited about seeing Thunder Bay and Lake Superior. We made it in just before the sun set, so I got to see some ships and the water. I took a bunch of pictures, but I left my cable at home so it will be a while before I can upload anything.

Monday and Tuesday are one big long blur of sitting in the car, taking cold medications, seeing dead moose on the highway, and eating at Husky Houses. (And no, they don't serve mooseburgers.) I started to take some kind of super pill for my cold, and it made me pretty drowsy. And bitchy. I am finally somewhat coherant tonight - at least I think I am - but if this post doesn't make sense then you know I am still delusional and I can blame my medication. I am still sick but finally over the worst part I think. I hope.

Now I am in Toronto, and I am trying to get used to EST. It is 3am Toronto time, which is 2am cabin time and 1am Calgary time. It is definitely going to take my system a few days to catch up. Either way - it is time to crash. I will be back tomorrow, hopefully a bit more rested.

Animal sightings for the trip:
Skunks: Alive-1 Dead-1 ('niff)
Deer: Alive-3 Dead-5
Moose: Alive-0 Dead-4
Eagles: 2 - both alive
Porcupines: Alive-2 Dead-1
Horses, cows, hawks, grouse, geese and other common animals / birds - Waaaay too many to count. I will just say more than 3,000. This is Canada, after all.

Heading East

2005-06-28T08:07:00.000-06:00

In a somewhat last-minute turn of events, I am going to be heading to Ontario this upcoming weekend.

The move there is official and will be happening as soon as I sell my house. Anyone who has been reading me for a while knows that this has been the tentative plan off and on for the past year, but it is happening for sure this summer.

For this trip I am driving rather than flying, which means four long days in the car through Canada on the way there, and at least four for the trip back, which will be through the States and then Canada. There's a chance that if you live in Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, or anywhere near there, I may look ya up in a couple of weeks.

I am one of those strange people who actually like driving (or even being a passenger) for trips that last days. Especially if it is drving somewhere I have never been before. The scenery is pretty monotonous from Calgary to Winnipeg as it is mostly just farms, but once you get past Winnipeg it turns really beautiful. The Canadian Shield starts, and the flat farmland morphs into rocky, hilly, forest-filled lake country. A few hours inside the Ontario border is where my cabin is located, so that will be one of the stops along the way.

I have never driven through Canada past Kenora, Ontario, so that will be a first. Though it is in the same province, it is still actually 24 hours away from Toronto. I have a feeling that part of the drive is going to drag on a bit- as there aren't even many towns along the way. That plus the O.P.P. has set the speed limit at 90km/hr, and my radar detector is highly illegal there.

I haven't been to Toronto since November of last year, so I am looking forward to seeing a few things again. (Other than friends and family, of course.) First is my car. I haven't seen her in seven months. We left the "highway" car here since it only made sense, and shipped my Sebring convertible to Ontario last year. I feel as though I am being reunited with a pet or a child, I am so excited about seeing her.

The other thing I am really looking forward to is Nandos. I cant believe we don't have this in Western Canada. If you like super-spicy food, this is the place for you - they have the best peri-peri chicken I have ever tasted. Muy caliente. I would eat there every day if I could.

I wont be able to get online everyday while I am out there, so I may not be posting much over the next couple of weeks. If you are on the route, shoot me an email and I will see if we are able to possibly meet up.

What A Week

2005-06-23T10:23:00.000-06:00

I have been pretty depressed this week. There have been so many tales of tragedy out there in the blogging world lately. I can't say enough how bad I feel for everyone and and their respective losses. Unfortunately, I can relate all too well. I have become a master at blocking this kind of misery from my thoughts for about 358 days of the year, but every so often it comes to the forefront of my mind and I have to confront it once again.

I will state a warning - the following does contain some pretty terrible, graphic imagery. You may not want to keep reading. I need to vent this for myself, but it is not my intention to bring anyone else down.

The day I turned 20, I began working in a hotel as a waitress in the coffee shop. I had been living in a different province for the two years prior and just moved back home. I was also one month pregnant. Needless to say, I was scared and I was alone, with the exception of my immediate family. All the friends that I grew up with had gone their seperate ways, and for the first time in my life I found myself without a large network of friends that I could lean on for support. That feeling lasted less than a month.

Immediately my co-workers from all areas of the hotel befriended me. I went for coffee with the day bartender, the girls from the front desk took me to lunch. When a group of eleven staff members went for dinner, I was invited. The hostess from the coffee shop went to Lamaze class with me and was in the delivery room for the entire 36 1/2 hours while my daughter decided to procrastinate her entry into this world.

Two years and four job promotions later, I was in a great place. I was working in a junior management position as a Catering Coordinator, working weekends in the night club (which was also in the hotel), and I had a huge group of friends. We spent every moment together - at work, socially, we even started a softball team. Every Sunday we would play a double-header, then go to someone's house and play cards. I loved every minute of it. Overnight though, things changed.

I went to work in the bar one Saturday evening, only to find several of my co-workers crying inconsolably. Apparently the night before, after our shift at the bar, one of our bartenders went home and hung himself. No one knew why, no one saw it coming. This was probably the most popular guy in the group. He was tremendously outgoing and friendly to everyone. He was the guy that all the girls wanted to date and all the guys wanted as their best friend. Through weeks of talking to and crying with each other, and many, MANY, bottles of alcohol later, we all emerged from the experience dumbfounded but ok. We all still had each other and it was time to move on with our lives.

Within three months, there was another. This time it was a member of the management team. He traveled up north of our city to go on a sales call and never showed up. He was found a week later, had also hung himself in a remote area of Northen Alberta. Six months after that, one of our bellman died of aids and another 6 months passed only to find one of our bouncers had died in a car crash. Having seen too much untimely death took its toll on everyone. We were literally looking around wondering who would be next.

One day I was at work and received a call from our head of security. Her name was Janet, and we had only met in passing a few times since she was relatively new to the hotel and only worked evenings. She had stopped in the bar a few times on her rounds, but otherwise she was pretty unknown to everyone. She apologized for bothering me at work, but asked if it was possible for me to come by her house that night. She needed someone to talk to and for some unknown reason chose me.

When I showed up, coffee in hand, she told me something that to this day still sends shivers down my spine. She had tried to commit suicide twice. The first time was a year prior, when she used her diabetic needles to attempt injecting oxygen into her blood stream. Obviously, she failed. The second time she slashed her wrists. She came very close to not making it, but managed to call 911 in time for them to help her. This was just two weeks prior to me showing up on her doorstep. I was in total, complete shock. We talked for hours, and she said that she was getting counseling, and they recommended that she talk to some of her peers about it as she didn't know many people in the city. Again, why she chose me was a mystery, but we became fast friends.

For the next two years, we had a blast. When I wasn't working in the bar, her and I would tear up the town on the weekends and hang out for coffee during the week. She joined our softball team and was completely accepted into our group, or more accurately, our family. With the exception of my one lifelong friend who lived out of province at the time, she became my closest friend.

Then one morning, I got the call.

She broke tradition and left a suicide note. The words haunt me to this day. "I just can't stand the pain of living" was her only explanation. I still run that phrase over and over in my mind, trying to understand it. For two years we lived virtually the same life. We hung out with the same people, we went and did the same extraordinarily fun things, but the entire time she was absolutely miserable. I couldn't, didn't, and still don't understand it, but she was upset enough to premeditate her own death.

I saw the hole that was drilled into her car door two weeks prior. It was easy to accept her explanation that someone must have been trying to break in, though it never really rang true. When they told me she died in a garage, no one had to explain to me how she attached a hose to her exhaust system, ran it through the hole, and asphyxiated herself while in her car, I could already visualize it. I knew the exact moment of her death actually. I was calling her house frantically the night before and wasn't surprised that she didn't answer. I called her work, and they confirmed that she had called in sick. A few of us even went to her house, but she wasn't there. She was unreachable - no one knew where she was, but I was certain as to what she was doing. I dialed her number one last time, but hung up, knowing that there was no point - she had already done it. I hardly slept that night, just sat waiting for the call that would confirm what I had feared the entire time we were friends. When the phone rang at 6am the next day I knew who would be on the other line.

I was messed up for a long time. Truth be told, I still am, even years and years later. The next five years brought five more deaths to the hotel. Ten total, in as many years. Some were suicide, some were disease, all were untimely. Add to this count my grandparents who all died before I was 12 and several family members that have died of natural causes within the past few years, and it can be said that I have been to more than my share of funerals.

I quit working at the hotel/bar the day I turned thirty. Ten long years. I haven't been back since, either. There is still a group of fifteen or twenty of us that get together a few times a year, but underneath the celebration there will always remain a layer of sadness. We carry a lot of ghosts around with us.

When I read about other people's tragedy, I really can relate. Even though I know better, I wish there was something I could do to make it easier on those suffering from a loss.

A friend asked me once, knowing what I know now, if I would do those ten years differently. My answer is no. Even though too many of those relationships ended tragically, I am still grateful that I got to spend the time with them that I did. I have accepted that I was unable to change any of the outcomes, and I know that I am a better person because they were in my life.

It just wasn't for long enough.