Time flies! I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted a blog entry!
I got to thinkin' about "Aces Full" again, because I am planning another motorcycle trip and I thought this would be a good way to share the adventure with anyone who gives a crap about me & what I'm up too....and is interested in where I happen to lay my head down for the night...(much like I did a couple of years ago)
If you're reading this blog and personally know me, I'm sure you're just a little curious about the title of this entry... I'll get to 'Sabrina' before I'm done....but you'll have to read up on (via an abbreviated version) of what I've been up to since the last post app 15 months ago.
As those of you who used to read this blog know, I occasionally suffer through major, major headaches... Since I wrote so much about it a couple of years ago, I thought I'd briefly address it now. Last summer was actually a pretty good summer in that regards. I had a few headaches, but none so severe that I contemplated the positives and negatives of sticking the barrel of a gun in my mouth....and pulling the trigger....to make the headache go away.
I was referred to a neurologist, in the spring, who put me on some calcium channel blockers (meds) before the headaches ever started for the summer...and that certainly might've contributed to a much more enjoyable summer. The meds did seem to make me feel extremely tired virtually all the time, but that was a lot better than the alternative. I did sleep a lot last summer!
No signs of headaches yet this summer, so I'm optimistic... 2 summers ago I was already starting to suffer with them by this time. I'm overdue for a summer completely free of headaches!
Christine (my wife) and I once again spent a couple of very enjoyable months in Arizona this past winter. I ended up playing quite a bit more poker while we were there than I have in previous years. I made some great new friends and was also fortunate enough to make some pretty good money. We spent some of that money on a 2004 Dodge Dakota pickup that has 4 doors. A pickup like that has been on Christine's wish list for quite a while now, mostly so that it's easier to transport grandkids and/or other people. The truck also has a V8 and it's a 4WD, so I think I'll be very comfortable hauling my trailer with the motorcycle to Arizona this coming winter. We've had the truck for a couple of weeks now and we're pretty darn happy with it. I'll probably be selling the '99 Ranger that we drove for many years... It still runs great, even though it has over 254,000 miles on it.
Since we've been back from Arizona, I have not had a chance to play any poker at all...so I'm looking forward to doing a lot of it...when I'm on the road trip this summer.
I have been keeping busy making a lot of pipes and filling orders that come in on the website. I'm almost completely caught up...and I will be....before I actually head out on the trip.
So....here's the initial plan: (There's lots of room for variation in the 'plan' but I have a few of the basics worked out) I hope to leave here no later than June 18th and preferably a week or so before that. Virtually the only part of the trip that I am 100% sure of is that I will go to Kansas City the first day and spend an evening with my daughter, her husband, and their family. (They don't know this yet, so I'm hoping it works out) From there I really don't know much other than that I will initially be heading West. I'm thinking I might hook up to Route 66 and take it all the way to Arizona where I hope to spend a few weeks playing poker. From there, I will probably go to Las Vegas, since the World Series of Poker will still be going on. However, if I'm really enjoying myself in the Phoenix area...and having a great poker trip, I might just stay there for a longer visit.
I am working on getting my passport in the event I really get a wild hair and decide to head to Alaska on the bike. I would of course have to go through Canada....thus the need for the passport. So, as you can see, there's lots of room for variation on this trip and I simply don't know for sure where I'll end up.
The other part of the 'plan' that I'm relatively certain of is that I will be back in MN by August 10th so that I won't miss my niece, Jade's birthday. This is a birthday that's been hard for me to be around for in past years, because of 2 conflicts: I'm either at a Sundance or I'm at Sturgis for the bike rally. I think last year was the first year that I was around for it....and she was pretty happy that I was.... So hopefully this year I will be again. So....no matter where I find myself around the end of July or the first part of August, I will be starting to head home. I will hopefully spend an enjoyable week or so in Sturgis with bikers from all over the world...and hopefully some of my siblings and other relatives as well....before arriving back home by August 10th.
I know most of you have forgotten about Sabrina by now, but there's still a few of you that haven't....so: Here's a true poker-related story of a somewhat typical Midwestern guy's (that's me) run-in with what I think (or at least hope) is a not-so-typical big city girl...
I had just cashed out after ending a pretty long poker session this past winter, and was just relaxing for a few minutes, in an outside area that is somewhat similar to a little lounge, before heading back to the apartment,. There's places to sit, get some fresh air, etc... I always have enjoyed just spending a little time outside before heading home, after a long poker session. The evening desert air, both in Arizona and Las Vegas, is something to be relished, in my mind. I also enjoy doing a little people-watching, especially in Las Vegas.
I noticed an attractive young lady standing about 10-15 feet away from me...and she looked slightly distressed. About the same time I saw her, she looked up and saw me... She strolled over and asked me if I had a cell phone. My radar kind of went up right away, because I'm thinking.... "Who DOESN'T have a cell phone nowadays?" "Is there any way this can be a dangerous situation for me?" I had a fair amount of cash on me....and it seems there's always people who'd be more than happy to separate anyone...with the 'fair amount of cash'....in their pocket...
I didn't see any harm, so I simply said, "Yes".
She said, "Would you mind if I used it?"
I said, "Don't you have a cell phone?"
"It's not working she said."
So....I asked what the number was that she needed to dial and she told me as I entered it into my phone. I wasn't going to just give her my phone and let her dial, because I was still leery of a scam... I didn't want her dialing some foreign number that was going to cost me 100's of dollars per minute.....
I heard her talking to someone and it was obvious, she was trying to get someone to come and get her from the casino. It apparently didn't work out, as she handed the phone back to me, with a dejected look on her face.
I asked her if she wanted me to call a taxi for her and she proceeded to tell me that she didn't have any money for a taxi. Then, I ask her where she lives at and she tells me that she lives on Thomas RD, which is basically about 5 miles away from the casino, and it happened to be on my way home. I told her I'd give her a ride, since it was on the way anyway.... She'd just have to tell me how to get to her house..... If it wouldn't have been on my way, I'd probably have gotten her a taxi and just paid for it... She actually looked kind of pitiful.... flat broke.... and not able to get home....
She agreed to it...so we walked to my truck. I was actually thankful that the vehicle I was driving would give every indication that I didn't have much money.... My radar was still up, even though I thought to myself that it would be hard for her to devise a scheme like this, knowing that someone would offer her a ride home.
We start heading in the Thomas RD direction, all the while making some small talk..... Me letting her know that I was married with 3 kids, 4 grand-kids, etc... Spending a couple of months away from MN trying to escape the cold winter...blah...blah...blah...
She talked about her kids....and then started worrying out loud.... She says, "I'm going to get home safely, aren't I? This is a little bit scary for me getting into a vehicle with someone I don't know at all. Nothing terrible is going to happen to me is it?"
I assured her that I was harmless and I was simply giving her a ride home. I told her that I was concerned myself a little bit. How did I know that someone wasn't going to be waiting for me at her house, and when I stopped the truck, they'd take a baseball bat to me.... or pull a gun on me....or whatever....
By the time we got to her place 4-5 minutes later, after the little chit-chat while on the way, I was pretty comfortable that I didn't have anything to worry about....
She directs me to her apartment complex and I pull into the parking lot to let her out... She very matter of fact says to me, "So, do you wanna get down?" I was either not quite sure what I heard, or SO surprised at what I thought I heard, that I said, "What's that you say?"
"Do you wanna get down?" She says again....
This was SO unexpected that I simply didn't know quite what to say for a second.... I AM a Midwestern boy, but even I can figure out, what "getting down" means.... :)
Being that Midwestern boy, I was quite polite with my answer and simply said, "This really was JUST a ride home.... I need to get home myself...." and I proceeded to get out of there as quickly as I could...
As I'm driving to MY apartment, I'm thinking to myself that Sabrina here, initially was introduced to me about exactly 10 minutes prior to asking me into the privacy of her bedroom. This....after she knew I was happily married, with children and grandchildren... I don't often give unsolicited advice on here, but if I were it would simply be this: If anyone you've known for less than 10 minutes wants you to 'get down' with them..... JUST SAY: NO!!!
Just another day in the life of "yours truly".....
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