Well, I headed out of Vegas on Wednesday morning about 5:00 AM just as it was getting light out. I wanted to be well on my way before it got super hot out. The week prior to my leaving, it was not uncommon at all for the temps to be reaching 115 to 120 degrees daily.
I did chalk up another win or two before I left town and ended up the Vegas portion of the trip financially ahead.... but not by much. I certainly would not call the trip a success from that standpoint. The trip was probably unlike any I've ever had, in that I had some very large wins and some very large losses. I just had a real problem stringing any of those large wins together. It seemed like if I would have 2 good days in a row, then I'd have a real big loss the next day that would wipe out the profits from those days...and that's kind of how the entire 2-1/2 weeks in Vegas went.
I really enjoyed the motorcycling both to & from Las Vegas and will probably do it again next year if it works. If all goes well, it will be on a little newer motorcycle though.... :)
I made really good time that Wednesday that I left, averaging over 125 miles between stops for most of the day. My first bout with a headache was in Green River Utah. It was starting to get pretty warm out and it was also extremely windy, so riding the bike was somewhat of a chore by that time. I ended up going into a gas station/Arby's, ordering a sandwich, and finding a booth where I could stretch out a bit. I believe I was there for about an hour before I felt good enough to get back on the bike. I then rode to Grand Junction, CO and stopped for gas and had a root beer float which really hit the spot.
Got back on the bike and started working my way through the Rocky Mountains. It was a gorgeous ride and could be any motorcyclists dream. If you can imagine some of the best riding out in the Black Hills with the roads that go up and down and around hills/mountains and then multiply it by about 10. Riding through the mountains was basically a good 300+ miles of winding roads with spectacular scenery.
I got quite a ways through the mountains and started getting another headache. This one turned out to be a pretty bad one. I stopped at a rest area, drank a couple of waters, and....laid myself out on a slab of cement under a nearby tree and fought my way through the headache. I believe I was laying there for about an hour and a half. When I get a bad one, I will lose track of time. Sometimes, I can faintly remember talking to someone... (If that happens) but rarely can remember what that person told me...or what we talked about.
A typical bad headache will leave me completely and utterly exhausted and once the headache gets to a bearable point, I will usually fall asleep. That's what happened at this rest area.
Upon waking up, I was tired, but had my sights on getting through the mountains and making it to the Denver area.
It was still very warm out, but I did go ahead and put my leather jacket on, because I was getting pretty high in the mountains and I knew it could cool off fast. Well, it did.... Not long into the ride, it started to rain. I was glad I had put my jacket on. It wasn't a super hard rain or anything, but it was a cold rain, and my jeans were soon soaking wet....and I was cold... but I was kind of stubborn too...
I knew I was near the summit and once on the other side, the weather could easily be much more bearable....so I kept going.
It didn't take long and I'll be darned if it didn't start to snow! It was snowing enough that there was a little bit of slush on the road, but as long one was careful, there shouldn't be a problem. I rode through snow for about an hour or so...before it pretty much stopped. I pulled over...and I was super cold...
My jeans were wet and my teeth were chattering.... I pulled out my chaps after I was somewhat warmed up and dressed for the remaining 50 miles or so that I thought I needed to go to get to Denver.
I finally did make it to Denver and stopped at a restaurant and had a french dip sandwich....
They had wi-fi, so I took my computer in and checked emails, etc...
Also, at this time I gave a poker friend of mine a call. He's from Fort Collins, CO and we made a breakfast appointment in Fort Collins. So, I decided to get back on the road for another hour or so and go to Fort Collins.
Before I left Denver, I was behind a vehicle and noticed that my head light wasn't working. So, I had to stop and tear that apart....and did get the light working again.
I think I pulled into Fort Collins around midnight or so and was very fortunate to get a room. I had called a motel from Denver and they had told me they were full, but when I went by the place, there wasn't a "no vacancy" sign out, so I stopped. The kid in charge told me that he had 1 room left...
It ended up to be a room that someone had been in for 2 days...and had paid for 3 days....
They had left early and the room was clean.
However, he couldn't get the computer to accept another guest, because according to the computer the room wasn't available.
It took a little time, but I wasn't about to give up so easily... I ended up giving this kid $25.00 cash and told him I didn't care what he did with it....as long as he gave me a key to the room. I assured him, I was just there to sleep and guaranteed that I wouldn't do any damage/steal anything, etc....
He took me up on the deal and I had a place to sleep.
I had gone nearly 850 miles that first day, had survived 2 headaches, had ridden through extreme weather conditions, (heat, wind, snow, & cold) and was very happy to shower & crawl into a warm bed.
The next day would prove to be just as challenging....the major difference being that I would go less than 200 miles...and find myself on a motorcycle that wouldn't move.... :)
I'll blog about that within the next few days....and let you all know what I've been up to since I've been home....
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
The Roller Coaster Ride Continues....
Well, I've now been in Vegas for 2 weeks. It has been a true roller coaster ride. I've had big wins, but I've also had big losses. Each time it seems like I break through with a nice win or two, I've followed it up with a big loss.
Last night I played 40-80 Hold-em and ended up losing about $2500 which isn't a huge loss for that limit....but it ended up putting me a little down for the trip. Financially, the trip hasn't been a success, but I'm still glad that I decided to come out for a few weeks. I still feel very good about the way I've been playing. Like I told my wife, with the way I've been running, instead of being stuck a little bit, I probably could've easily been stuck 10 grand....
What I've described is somewhat typical for every poker player. You simply don't win all the time, no matter how good you are. You need to be prepared for the down-turns like I've had lately...and in fact, you should be prepared for much worse results, because they'll invariably come.
I'm looking forward to an extended good run though also.... Those periods of time happen also, especially if you can keep playing good, disciplined, poker....
I have not been able to put in the hours that I'd have liked to the last couple of weeks due to the headaches I've had. It's pretty important to me that I feel good...refreshed...and anxious to play cards...when I do decide to play.
I had considered playing a 3-day no-limit event at the World Series of Poker this weekend, but have since decided against it. A couple of things went into that decision....one of them being the financial aspect of this trip...and that I'm no longer ahead, and the other being the headaches that I've suffered through. It wouldn't be good for me if I got a bad headache during the tournament. I would have to leave, get a room, and wait for it to pass....
I am going to plan on coming out again in 2012 and I'm going to plan on playing at least 2 or 3 WSOP events. I will be brushing up on my tournament play between now & then.
I am planning on leaving for home very early this coming Wednesday morning. I want to get out of here as soon as it's light out (or before) and try to be well on my way before it gets really hot. I'm having some anxiety about the trip home right now, due to my headaches. It would be murder to have a bad headache in the middle of the desert, if it's 120 degrees out, like it has been lately.
I am really looking forward to the ride through the CO Rocky Mountains. It's something I've always wanted to do on my motorcycle and I will finally be doing it in a few days. Hopefully that will be a fun "roller coaster ride"....without any more motorcycle problems....
As I'm writing this...I can feel my left eye starting to twitch... It's a sign of another headache coming on... (2nd one today) Time for me to crawl into bed and try to find the most comfortable position I can to try and fight my way through another one....
If you're reading this & you're someone who prays.... I could use some intercession....
These headaches suck!
Next blog post will most likely be after I am back home in MN.
Last night I played 40-80 Hold-em and ended up losing about $2500 which isn't a huge loss for that limit....but it ended up putting me a little down for the trip. Financially, the trip hasn't been a success, but I'm still glad that I decided to come out for a few weeks. I still feel very good about the way I've been playing. Like I told my wife, with the way I've been running, instead of being stuck a little bit, I probably could've easily been stuck 10 grand....
What I've described is somewhat typical for every poker player. You simply don't win all the time, no matter how good you are. You need to be prepared for the down-turns like I've had lately...and in fact, you should be prepared for much worse results, because they'll invariably come.
I'm looking forward to an extended good run though also.... Those periods of time happen also, especially if you can keep playing good, disciplined, poker....
I have not been able to put in the hours that I'd have liked to the last couple of weeks due to the headaches I've had. It's pretty important to me that I feel good...refreshed...and anxious to play cards...when I do decide to play.
I had considered playing a 3-day no-limit event at the World Series of Poker this weekend, but have since decided against it. A couple of things went into that decision....one of them being the financial aspect of this trip...and that I'm no longer ahead, and the other being the headaches that I've suffered through. It wouldn't be good for me if I got a bad headache during the tournament. I would have to leave, get a room, and wait for it to pass....
I am going to plan on coming out again in 2012 and I'm going to plan on playing at least 2 or 3 WSOP events. I will be brushing up on my tournament play between now & then.
I am planning on leaving for home very early this coming Wednesday morning. I want to get out of here as soon as it's light out (or before) and try to be well on my way before it gets really hot. I'm having some anxiety about the trip home right now, due to my headaches. It would be murder to have a bad headache in the middle of the desert, if it's 120 degrees out, like it has been lately.
I am really looking forward to the ride through the CO Rocky Mountains. It's something I've always wanted to do on my motorcycle and I will finally be doing it in a few days. Hopefully that will be a fun "roller coaster ride"....without any more motorcycle problems....
As I'm writing this...I can feel my left eye starting to twitch... It's a sign of another headache coming on... (2nd one today) Time for me to crawl into bed and try to find the most comfortable position I can to try and fight my way through another one....
If you're reading this & you're someone who prays.... I could use some intercession....
These headaches suck!
Next blog post will most likely be after I am back home in MN.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Vegas: The Poker Capitol of the World
So, without any more real exciting/entertaining incidents like the one I talked about in my previous blog post, I arrived in Las Vegas a week ago from this past Sunday. I got myself a little apartment, got settled in, and got my laundry done. This was the first time I've done laundry in at least 10 years and I was able to get it completed without wrecking anything. (with the help of a phone call to Christine)
I figured I'd hit the Bellagio card room on Monday, play some hold-em, and find out where the best games and all the action has been in town.
I found out that the Rio is crazy busy because of the World Series of Poker tournament being held there and the waiting list to get in a game I'd be looking to play in could be (& usually would be) extremely long.
So, I've found myself playing at the Bellagio every session to this point. They also have a nice wide range of games, varying from $1 & $2 No limit games to $4000/8000 limit games. Millions of dollars are changing hands on a daily basis!
I can sum up my first week pretty quickly and easily. I find myself playing extremely good poker, but not running very good for the most part. I have been able to win every single day, with the exception of one, but up until today couldn't really break through with any real decent wins.
I'm exceptionally happy with the discipline I've showed, after time and time again, getting my big pairs and other big hands drawn out on. I just keep trying to play the best that I can and hoping the cards will eventually break my way. I consider myself very fortunate to only have the one loss and to be money ahead for the trip.
Today ended up hopefully being that breakthrough day. I finally chalked up a nice win that was a little over $2000.00
Anytime I win over $1000 in a day, I consider it a pretty darn good day. I just slowly built up my winnings to around $1000 and then got on a nice little rush. I won another $1250 or so in about 10 minutes.... I then got drawn out on in a couple of hands and went back down to about a $2000 winner for the day. About that time Christine called to get some information she needed from me to ship a few packages, so I told her I'd play one more round, and if I didn't win any pots, I'd head to my apartment and call her back with that info. (and that's pretty much what happened)
I've thoroughly been enjoying myself, meeting people that I haven't seen in years. Some of these people didn't even recognize me, until I called them by name. (I do find that I am unbelievably good at remembering the names of people I haven't seen in over 10 years) Some of these people are also amazed that I can call them by name. They kind of remember playing with & seeing me....but don't remember me by name. My looks have changed a bit, as my hair is much, much, shorter than it used to be & my beard/whiskers have turned from black to gray/white.
I have been asked at by at least 4 people if I was going to.... or if I had played the Senior Tournament at the WSOP. I guess it's time for me to shave again, because I won't be eligible to play in that for another 5 years!
I attended Grace Valley Church here in Vegas on Sunday and seen more people that I hadn't seen in awhile & that was very enjoyable. This is a small church that our family was a big part of when we lived here. I played guiter there on a regular basis and Christine & I also helped out with the youth group.
Since arriving in town, I have experienced several pretty bad headaches, which isn't a good sign for things to come this summer. I suffer from something that is called "cluster headaches" and they are very sporadic, but when they come, it virtually changes my life completely for the period of time that they last. I've been very fortunate to not suffer from these headaches for the last 3 years which is the longest I've ever gone. They keep me from attending family functions & other events, because I simply don't want to get caught in a bad place (where I can't find refuge) with a bad headache. On one or two occasions, when I have had bad one where I can't find any good place to curl up, I've actually had to go lay down underneath a parked pickup truck, and try to survive until the headache goes away.
The headaches always start behind my left eye and as time passes, they get increasingly painful and longer in duration. At best, I go 2-3 days without one, and at worst I get 2 or more of them every day/night. They completely wipe me out. I can do virtually nothing, but try to find the darkest room, with absolutely no noise, (including background noise from another room) and just suffer through them. The room cannot be to warm....or to cool....
Any of those things (light, sound, temperature) seem to intensify the headache.
Right now, the headaches seem to be lasting about an hour or two. In the past, as they intensify, they can last up to 3 or 4 hours....and then when I'm finally able to move, I am so tired from fighting it, that I still can get very little if anything done.
The best way for me to describe the headaches, is that it feels like someone sticks their finger in my left eye & rips the eyeball right out my head. My eye gets all bloodshot and waters to beat heck. The main thing I can do is to cover my eye to let absolutely no light in, and to try and gently massage the left temple area.
These headaches invariably go away about the time late fall or winter comes. This leads me to believe it may have something to do with the air I'm breathing....(some type of allergy or something)
I'm thinking that they quit, as soon as we have a good hard freeze. So, if my headaches persist, I will anxiously be awaiting fall/winter this year.
Back to poker.... I honestly do believe that I'm playing close to the very best poker that I ever have...and I'm looking forward to continuing to do some traveling (hopefully with my wife) and playing more as time passes. My 2 biggest decisions over the next year or two will be:
(1) Decide if I really want to pursue and concentrate on playing no limit hold-em. (which is really a completely different game that limit poker which I've been playing up to this point) and
(2) Decide if I want to concentrate more on tournaments, and put in the time to figure out how to play them the way you need to play them to win big
I will probably be forced to concentrate and play somewhat on no limit games, because that's what they're offering at the new casino in NW Iowa, that was built close to where I live.
The tournament thing is something completely different & at this point, I really don't know if it's something I'll actively pursue or not. I have done fairly well in the past in the few tournaments I've played in, but they can also be very frustrating. The only way you're truly pleased after playing one, is if you win the whole thing.... (That's the way I am anyway) and that doesn't happen very often.
It's so frustrating (and final) to get knocked out of a tournament. You can't buy back in.... You can't go after someone who put that super bad beat on you.... It just can be frustrating....
It looks like I'll probably leave here this coming Sunday at the earliest....or the Thursday after that, at the latest....and in the meantime, I'm going to be trying to play the very best poker that I can, and to keep building that poker bankroll. On this trip, I've decided just to concentrate on the live games and maybe next year I'll commit to playing a few WSOP events. If I decide to do that, I'll be brushing up on my tournament play between now & then.... :)
I figured I'd hit the Bellagio card room on Monday, play some hold-em, and find out where the best games and all the action has been in town.
I found out that the Rio is crazy busy because of the World Series of Poker tournament being held there and the waiting list to get in a game I'd be looking to play in could be (& usually would be) extremely long.
So, I've found myself playing at the Bellagio every session to this point. They also have a nice wide range of games, varying from $1 & $2 No limit games to $4000/8000 limit games. Millions of dollars are changing hands on a daily basis!
I can sum up my first week pretty quickly and easily. I find myself playing extremely good poker, but not running very good for the most part. I have been able to win every single day, with the exception of one, but up until today couldn't really break through with any real decent wins.
I'm exceptionally happy with the discipline I've showed, after time and time again, getting my big pairs and other big hands drawn out on. I just keep trying to play the best that I can and hoping the cards will eventually break my way. I consider myself very fortunate to only have the one loss and to be money ahead for the trip.
Today ended up hopefully being that breakthrough day. I finally chalked up a nice win that was a little over $2000.00
Anytime I win over $1000 in a day, I consider it a pretty darn good day. I just slowly built up my winnings to around $1000 and then got on a nice little rush. I won another $1250 or so in about 10 minutes.... I then got drawn out on in a couple of hands and went back down to about a $2000 winner for the day. About that time Christine called to get some information she needed from me to ship a few packages, so I told her I'd play one more round, and if I didn't win any pots, I'd head to my apartment and call her back with that info. (and that's pretty much what happened)
I've thoroughly been enjoying myself, meeting people that I haven't seen in years. Some of these people didn't even recognize me, until I called them by name. (I do find that I am unbelievably good at remembering the names of people I haven't seen in over 10 years) Some of these people are also amazed that I can call them by name. They kind of remember playing with & seeing me....but don't remember me by name. My looks have changed a bit, as my hair is much, much, shorter than it used to be & my beard/whiskers have turned from black to gray/white.
I have been asked at by at least 4 people if I was going to.... or if I had played the Senior Tournament at the WSOP. I guess it's time for me to shave again, because I won't be eligible to play in that for another 5 years!
I attended Grace Valley Church here in Vegas on Sunday and seen more people that I hadn't seen in awhile & that was very enjoyable. This is a small church that our family was a big part of when we lived here. I played guiter there on a regular basis and Christine & I also helped out with the youth group.
Since arriving in town, I have experienced several pretty bad headaches, which isn't a good sign for things to come this summer. I suffer from something that is called "cluster headaches" and they are very sporadic, but when they come, it virtually changes my life completely for the period of time that they last. I've been very fortunate to not suffer from these headaches for the last 3 years which is the longest I've ever gone. They keep me from attending family functions & other events, because I simply don't want to get caught in a bad place (where I can't find refuge) with a bad headache. On one or two occasions, when I have had bad one where I can't find any good place to curl up, I've actually had to go lay down underneath a parked pickup truck, and try to survive until the headache goes away.
The headaches always start behind my left eye and as time passes, they get increasingly painful and longer in duration. At best, I go 2-3 days without one, and at worst I get 2 or more of them every day/night. They completely wipe me out. I can do virtually nothing, but try to find the darkest room, with absolutely no noise, (including background noise from another room) and just suffer through them. The room cannot be to warm....or to cool....
Any of those things (light, sound, temperature) seem to intensify the headache.
Right now, the headaches seem to be lasting about an hour or two. In the past, as they intensify, they can last up to 3 or 4 hours....and then when I'm finally able to move, I am so tired from fighting it, that I still can get very little if anything done.
The best way for me to describe the headaches, is that it feels like someone sticks their finger in my left eye & rips the eyeball right out my head. My eye gets all bloodshot and waters to beat heck. The main thing I can do is to cover my eye to let absolutely no light in, and to try and gently massage the left temple area.
These headaches invariably go away about the time late fall or winter comes. This leads me to believe it may have something to do with the air I'm breathing....(some type of allergy or something)
I'm thinking that they quit, as soon as we have a good hard freeze. So, if my headaches persist, I will anxiously be awaiting fall/winter this year.
Back to poker.... I honestly do believe that I'm playing close to the very best poker that I ever have...and I'm looking forward to continuing to do some traveling (hopefully with my wife) and playing more as time passes. My 2 biggest decisions over the next year or two will be:
(1) Decide if I really want to pursue and concentrate on playing no limit hold-em. (which is really a completely different game that limit poker which I've been playing up to this point) and
(2) Decide if I want to concentrate more on tournaments, and put in the time to figure out how to play them the way you need to play them to win big
I will probably be forced to concentrate and play somewhat on no limit games, because that's what they're offering at the new casino in NW Iowa, that was built close to where I live.
The tournament thing is something completely different & at this point, I really don't know if it's something I'll actively pursue or not. I have done fairly well in the past in the few tournaments I've played in, but they can also be very frustrating. The only way you're truly pleased after playing one, is if you win the whole thing.... (That's the way I am anyway) and that doesn't happen very often.
It's so frustrating (and final) to get knocked out of a tournament. You can't buy back in.... You can't go after someone who put that super bad beat on you.... It just can be frustrating....
It looks like I'll probably leave here this coming Sunday at the earliest....or the Thursday after that, at the latest....and in the meantime, I'm going to be trying to play the very best poker that I can, and to keep building that poker bankroll. On this trip, I've decided just to concentrate on the live games and maybe next year I'll commit to playing a few WSOP events. If I decide to do that, I'll be brushing up on my tournament play between now & then.... :)
Friday, June 10, 2011
"Reggie"
I call Reggie to see if he still has the afternoon open to help me change the wheel bearings on the bike. He had assured me earlier when I'd talked to him that he would have any tool we might need and it's a pretty easy fix, so we shouldn't have any problem.
For those of you who don't know me real well, I am not what you'd call a "Master Mechanic". I'm always willing (and anxious) to help when someone's working on the bikes, and I relish the mechanical learning opportunities that riding and owning an older Harley present. That being said, unless it's a pretty simple fix, that I'm somewhat familiar with, I'm not real comfortable unless there's someone there that really does know what they're doing. (Like both of my brothers, David & Brian)
Back to Reggie.... After making the initial mistake of not throwing that napkin with his phone number away as soon as he left the O'Reilly's parking lot, I give him a call... He gives me some pretty simple directions to his place about 6 miles away and I limp the bike in that direction. He tells me that he doesn't have much going on, so he'll be happy to help me fix the bike.
I see his old Chevy and I pull into his yard... It's lookin' a little spooky so I give him a call again from the from the front yard. The guy's got 3 gnarly lookin' horses on his little 2 acre plot & they're looking like they might be really happy if they could make their escape.... (Just like I'd be feeling later in the day) lol
He answers the phone & a minute later I see him at the front door... He says to me.... "C'mon in and grab a chair" and I do...
He's got a 6-pack of beer on the coffee table in front of his couch and he's finishing off the last one....as he explains to me that he hasn't had a 6-pack of beer before 1:00 in the afternoon for a "long time".
I'm thinkin' he'll finish his last beer & we'll get to work on the bike. He's a talker....and he lets me know all the important people he knows....and all the different types of work he's done...and the different businesses he's run, etc.... and all the while, I can see he probably would have a hard time finding 2 cents in a pinch... He's layin' on the couch, rubbin' his eyes....and yappin....
1/2 hour later, I see movement on the couch...
I'm thinkin'... "YES!" let's get this show on the road so I can get outta here....
He stumbles outside and we go around back and get all the tools we'll need. He's got about 3 other old vehicles back here and he explains to me that he could've had 3 "jobs" today, but his pickup needs the brake pads replaced.
Reggie does help me get the bike jacked up & on blocks, so that the work can be done.... (as he's telling me about all the times he's been stabbed and shot) We get the front tire off of the bike and Reggie heads for the door of his little pad. He says to me..., "Well, you're on your own now."
I'm not likin' this.... I'm feelin' pretty darn uncomfortable and as I explained earlier, I'm not the master mechanic that I'm wishing I was right about now.... but with the tire off and the bikes on blocks, there's not really any lookin' back at this point.
I give Dave a call and he starts walking me through the process of changing the wheel bearings.... I'm putting the phone down, while I'm pounding on the bike.... pick the phone up to ask more questions, etc... I'm really feeling that I wished I'd never have come on the guy's property.... Reggie seems to be getting a little more spooky every time I have interaction with him....
I have to run into the house a few times to ask Reggie if he has this tool....or that tool.... and every time that I open the door after knocking, he wakes up.... He's laying belly-up on his couch getting every last wink of sleep that he can....
I had asked Reggie if he had grease for the wheel bearings and he had assured me on our first phone call that he did. With the help of David, I eventually get to the point of needing that grease, so I again go wake Reggie up. He stumbles back into one of the bedrooms and comes out and says.... "I must've used that for somethin' else". So, I ask him if he'll give me a ride into town to get grease....assuring him that I'll pay for gas.... (Thinkin' to myself that he might have all my money and belongings anyway by the time this is done... ) :)
He tells me that he'll give me a ride....and he needs to buy a C-clamp anyways so that he can finish fixing his brakes. I immediately offer to buy that for him....for all the "help" he's given me....
Now, maybe part of why I was a little uncomfortable might be that I have a fair amount of cash on me....and I have my computer and expensive camera.... and if this guy had any idea of the value of what was on my person and on my bike.... he'd think he'd hit the lottery....
Probably was a good thing I looked as rough as I did also....
I'm unshaven.... My face is about is dark as a white guy's face can get, from ridin' in the sun every day...and I'm dirty... I got grease everywhere.... If Reggie was someone that I had been feeling comfortable with... I probably would've had him take a picture of me... (and the bike) just because I don't look as rough ever....as I looked that day...
The ride into town is quite an adventure in itself... I'd say about half of the time we were driving on the right side of the road....and the other half we were on the left-side of the road...or somewhere in the middle.... But without fail, he seemed to get back in the right lane whenever he'd see a vehicle coming. I'm tellin' ya.... If I'd have seen a cop... I'd probably have tried to non-discreetly wave him over... I'm gettin' more uncomfortable all the time with my new friend....
We safely make it to O'Reilly's, get the stuff we need, and head back to the house...
I call David again and tell him I've got the wheel bearings packed and I'm ready to get the wheel put back together. I'm wanting him to kind of walk me through it as I'm doing it to make sure it goes back together like it's supposed to. I also tell him I only have 1 bar left on my phone....so if I lose him...that's why... I also get the message across to him that I'm very uncomfortable and he WILL be hearing from me if and when I get out of there safely.
David gives me a crash course on getting things put back together correctly, in the event my phone goes dead. I'm thinkin' I want to save enough juice to at least make a 911 call if I need to... lol
I gotta give some major kudo's to my brother Dave....
After this was all done, I said to him... "I bet this is the first time you've ever changed the wheel bearings on a bike, via the telephone..." We had a few good laughs over the whole deal, once I did eventually get out of this guy's place..
So....I do manage to get everything put back together and the wheel turns the way it's supposed to...so things are lookin' up. I go back into the house to wake Reggie up again and let him know that I would sure appreciate his help getting my bike off the blocks. This is virtually an impossible task for 1 person.
Reggie briefly sits up on the couch....only to recline back into his belly-up position. He tells me to go ahead and wash my hands...and grab a glass of lemonade out of the fridge and sit for a bit. I oblige....and am not surprised to see that the pitcher of lemonade in the fridge...is the ONLY thing in the fridge... Not even ketchup.... lol
Another 1/2 hour goes by & I'm just chompin' at the bit to get away from this man...
He finally rouses again....and throws his slippers on and heads towards outside. I follow and I'll be darned if he doesn't head into the back yard. He starts working on the brakes on another one of his old pickups. Another 1/2 hour goes by and I finally say to him, "Reggie... I'd sure to like to get on the road, and if you'd just help me get the bike down I can do that..." He says, "OK..." and continues working on his brakes until they're done. Now he has to put the wheel back on the truck & thank the good Lord, he needed the jack that I had on the bike. He realizes this and cussin' under his breath, says, "Well, I guess we better go get that jack".
On the way to the front yard, he stops to feed his starving horses....pets them all.... and says sweet nothings to them....
I honestly am starting to get very nervous by this time wondering if I was going to get out of there. While he's feeding his horses, I go to the bike & gingerly try to start jacking it up, holding the bike up, and removing the blocks.... I was to the point that I would NOT let Reggie walk behind me, because I was afraid I might get the old MN bullhead treatment. (which is a knock on the head)
I was also getting to the point, with the back tire of the bike on the ground, if I needed to I would start the bike & just give 'er hell and somehow get off those blocks.
About this time Reggie sees me working on getting the blocks out, he comes over and gives the jack a few pumps.... It's all I need to get the remaining blocks out & get both wheels on solid ground again...
I had the bike completely packed up and ready to go before I had alerted Reggie to the fact that I needed help....so that once I got off those blocks, I could make my escape.
I had finally made it to that crucial point.... Reggie started to saunter into the backyard and I hollered over to find out of he wanted me to close the gate behind me... He told me that I could just leave it open...and then he asks me..., "Oh... you takin' off already?" I casually said "yeah.... I better get a few miles on yet tonight".....as my heart's racin'... I thank him for his "hospitality" and start the bike....
I know I'm close now.... lol
I make it to the gate.... open it....ride through.....and I'm home-free!
I had survived the ordeal.... I rode into town, stopped at a gas station & called David again to let him know that I had gotten out alive.... We did have some good laughs.... I sure appreciate him taking the time to help me get through a few interesting incidents on this trip. He's always willing to help (especially with bike issues) and it's SO nice to have the expertise available of someone like him.....
I ended up driving to Albuquerque and did find a very nice hotel, very attractively priced, (no sarcasm here) and very close to a good poker game. I decided last night to spend an extra day here just to relax and count my blessings....and that's what I've been doing today...
That brings us to the present time.... I hope to arrive in Vegas early Sunday....
I will try to keep you posted on the adventures yet to come... :)
For those of you who don't know me real well, I am not what you'd call a "Master Mechanic". I'm always willing (and anxious) to help when someone's working on the bikes, and I relish the mechanical learning opportunities that riding and owning an older Harley present. That being said, unless it's a pretty simple fix, that I'm somewhat familiar with, I'm not real comfortable unless there's someone there that really does know what they're doing. (Like both of my brothers, David & Brian)
Back to Reggie.... After making the initial mistake of not throwing that napkin with his phone number away as soon as he left the O'Reilly's parking lot, I give him a call... He gives me some pretty simple directions to his place about 6 miles away and I limp the bike in that direction. He tells me that he doesn't have much going on, so he'll be happy to help me fix the bike.
I see his old Chevy and I pull into his yard... It's lookin' a little spooky so I give him a call again from the from the front yard. The guy's got 3 gnarly lookin' horses on his little 2 acre plot & they're looking like they might be really happy if they could make their escape.... (Just like I'd be feeling later in the day) lol
He answers the phone & a minute later I see him at the front door... He says to me.... "C'mon in and grab a chair" and I do...
He's got a 6-pack of beer on the coffee table in front of his couch and he's finishing off the last one....as he explains to me that he hasn't had a 6-pack of beer before 1:00 in the afternoon for a "long time".
I'm thinkin' he'll finish his last beer & we'll get to work on the bike. He's a talker....and he lets me know all the important people he knows....and all the different types of work he's done...and the different businesses he's run, etc.... and all the while, I can see he probably would have a hard time finding 2 cents in a pinch... He's layin' on the couch, rubbin' his eyes....and yappin....
1/2 hour later, I see movement on the couch...
I'm thinkin'... "YES!" let's get this show on the road so I can get outta here....
He stumbles outside and we go around back and get all the tools we'll need. He's got about 3 other old vehicles back here and he explains to me that he could've had 3 "jobs" today, but his pickup needs the brake pads replaced.
Reggie does help me get the bike jacked up & on blocks, so that the work can be done.... (as he's telling me about all the times he's been stabbed and shot) We get the front tire off of the bike and Reggie heads for the door of his little pad. He says to me..., "Well, you're on your own now."
I'm not likin' this.... I'm feelin' pretty darn uncomfortable and as I explained earlier, I'm not the master mechanic that I'm wishing I was right about now.... but with the tire off and the bikes on blocks, there's not really any lookin' back at this point.
I give Dave a call and he starts walking me through the process of changing the wheel bearings.... I'm putting the phone down, while I'm pounding on the bike.... pick the phone up to ask more questions, etc... I'm really feeling that I wished I'd never have come on the guy's property.... Reggie seems to be getting a little more spooky every time I have interaction with him....
I have to run into the house a few times to ask Reggie if he has this tool....or that tool.... and every time that I open the door after knocking, he wakes up.... He's laying belly-up on his couch getting every last wink of sleep that he can....
I had asked Reggie if he had grease for the wheel bearings and he had assured me on our first phone call that he did. With the help of David, I eventually get to the point of needing that grease, so I again go wake Reggie up. He stumbles back into one of the bedrooms and comes out and says.... "I must've used that for somethin' else". So, I ask him if he'll give me a ride into town to get grease....assuring him that I'll pay for gas.... (Thinkin' to myself that he might have all my money and belongings anyway by the time this is done... ) :)
He tells me that he'll give me a ride....and he needs to buy a C-clamp anyways so that he can finish fixing his brakes. I immediately offer to buy that for him....for all the "help" he's given me....
Now, maybe part of why I was a little uncomfortable might be that I have a fair amount of cash on me....and I have my computer and expensive camera.... and if this guy had any idea of the value of what was on my person and on my bike.... he'd think he'd hit the lottery....
Probably was a good thing I looked as rough as I did also....
I'm unshaven.... My face is about is dark as a white guy's face can get, from ridin' in the sun every day...and I'm dirty... I got grease everywhere.... If Reggie was someone that I had been feeling comfortable with... I probably would've had him take a picture of me... (and the bike) just because I don't look as rough ever....as I looked that day...
The ride into town is quite an adventure in itself... I'd say about half of the time we were driving on the right side of the road....and the other half we were on the left-side of the road...or somewhere in the middle.... But without fail, he seemed to get back in the right lane whenever he'd see a vehicle coming. I'm tellin' ya.... If I'd have seen a cop... I'd probably have tried to non-discreetly wave him over... I'm gettin' more uncomfortable all the time with my new friend....
We safely make it to O'Reilly's, get the stuff we need, and head back to the house...
I call David again and tell him I've got the wheel bearings packed and I'm ready to get the wheel put back together. I'm wanting him to kind of walk me through it as I'm doing it to make sure it goes back together like it's supposed to. I also tell him I only have 1 bar left on my phone....so if I lose him...that's why... I also get the message across to him that I'm very uncomfortable and he WILL be hearing from me if and when I get out of there safely.
David gives me a crash course on getting things put back together correctly, in the event my phone goes dead. I'm thinkin' I want to save enough juice to at least make a 911 call if I need to... lol
I gotta give some major kudo's to my brother Dave....
After this was all done, I said to him... "I bet this is the first time you've ever changed the wheel bearings on a bike, via the telephone..." We had a few good laughs over the whole deal, once I did eventually get out of this guy's place..
So....I do manage to get everything put back together and the wheel turns the way it's supposed to...so things are lookin' up. I go back into the house to wake Reggie up again and let him know that I would sure appreciate his help getting my bike off the blocks. This is virtually an impossible task for 1 person.
Reggie briefly sits up on the couch....only to recline back into his belly-up position. He tells me to go ahead and wash my hands...and grab a glass of lemonade out of the fridge and sit for a bit. I oblige....and am not surprised to see that the pitcher of lemonade in the fridge...is the ONLY thing in the fridge... Not even ketchup.... lol
Another 1/2 hour goes by & I'm just chompin' at the bit to get away from this man...
He finally rouses again....and throws his slippers on and heads towards outside. I follow and I'll be darned if he doesn't head into the back yard. He starts working on the brakes on another one of his old pickups. Another 1/2 hour goes by and I finally say to him, "Reggie... I'd sure to like to get on the road, and if you'd just help me get the bike down I can do that..." He says, "OK..." and continues working on his brakes until they're done. Now he has to put the wheel back on the truck & thank the good Lord, he needed the jack that I had on the bike. He realizes this and cussin' under his breath, says, "Well, I guess we better go get that jack".
On the way to the front yard, he stops to feed his starving horses....pets them all.... and says sweet nothings to them....
I honestly am starting to get very nervous by this time wondering if I was going to get out of there. While he's feeding his horses, I go to the bike & gingerly try to start jacking it up, holding the bike up, and removing the blocks.... I was to the point that I would NOT let Reggie walk behind me, because I was afraid I might get the old MN bullhead treatment. (which is a knock on the head)
I was also getting to the point, with the back tire of the bike on the ground, if I needed to I would start the bike & just give 'er hell and somehow get off those blocks.
About this time Reggie sees me working on getting the blocks out, he comes over and gives the jack a few pumps.... It's all I need to get the remaining blocks out & get both wheels on solid ground again...
I had the bike completely packed up and ready to go before I had alerted Reggie to the fact that I needed help....so that once I got off those blocks, I could make my escape.
I had finally made it to that crucial point.... Reggie started to saunter into the backyard and I hollered over to find out of he wanted me to close the gate behind me... He told me that I could just leave it open...and then he asks me..., "Oh... you takin' off already?" I casually said "yeah.... I better get a few miles on yet tonight".....as my heart's racin'... I thank him for his "hospitality" and start the bike....
I know I'm close now.... lol
I make it to the gate.... open it....ride through.....and I'm home-free!
I had survived the ordeal.... I rode into town, stopped at a gas station & called David again to let him know that I had gotten out alive.... We did have some good laughs.... I sure appreciate him taking the time to help me get through a few interesting incidents on this trip. He's always willing to help (especially with bike issues) and it's SO nice to have the expertise available of someone like him.....
I ended up driving to Albuquerque and did find a very nice hotel, very attractively priced, (no sarcasm here) and very close to a good poker game. I decided last night to spend an extra day here just to relax and count my blessings....and that's what I've been doing today...
That brings us to the present time.... I hope to arrive in Vegas early Sunday....
I will try to keep you posted on the adventures yet to come... :)
Biking Across the Good Ol' USA
Just to follow up on my last post....
I ended up having a very good weekend playing cards in Shakopee a few weeks ago.
They started a new 20-40 1/2 Hold-em and 1/2 Omaha 8 or better game which was exceptionally good. I ended up having one small loss and 2 nice wins and it all equaled out to a very profitable weekend.
I then returned home and worked my tail off up until the minute I left on my little trip to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker. My trip was delayed for several days, just to give me additional time to get everything in order.
For those of you who don't know, I am riding my '91 Harley to Las Vegas from MN.
The first day, I got to Kansas City and stayed at my daughter's house. I ended up with a stomach bug of some sort and decided to stay there for an extra day....to recover. I was very glad that I did, as I was a very regular visitor to her bathroom facilities all day long.
So....I cruised out of KC on Tuesday morning and hit the Kansas turnpike. (This is a toll road) The turnpike, if you haven't used it has sporadic "service areas" where you'll find a Mc D's and a gas station. When you exit the turnpike, that's when you pay your toll, so I generally don't exit until I have to.
Cruisin' along the turnpike, I noticed that my speedometer was acting a little goofy. This was the first sign of trouble.... I pullled into a service area and filled up with gas. To my surprise, the bike just 'clicked' when I'd try to start it.
So....I call my bike mechanic...who just happens to be my older brother, David.... I explain to him what's going on, and he has me get my tools out.... pull the primary cover off and "smell" inside it. It did kind of smell like something had crawled into there and died. I relayed that to him and he diagnosed the problem from afar. The stator had gone out in the bike, which is a unit that charges the battery as you ride the bike. He told me if I could get a charge on the battery, I'd probably be good to go for awhile. I found a young air force guy traveling who was kind enough to let me throw jumper cables on the battery and let it charge for 15 minutes or so. I was back on the road....
I went as far as Wichita and stopped at a Walmart to buy a battery charger to charge the battery up again and made some calls while I was there. I located a HD dealership, talked to someone in the shop and they said if I could get there soon....they'd probably be able to fix it yet the same day.
That's exactly what happened and about 4 hours and $400 later, I was back on the road. It was evening and I went to Dodge City, KS and spent the night. I had talked to some guys at the dealership who had told me that there was a new casino there with a poker room, so I thought I'd maybe be able to make a few bucks...
However, once I found a piece of crap room for the bargain price of $80.00 (being sarcastic here) I was so pooped out from the day that I just ended up sleeping. Morning came and I got the heck out of Dodge. :)
I had a decent day of traveling that next day. It stayed relatively cool and wind-free until about 2:00 in the afternoon... Then it got super hot...and super windy... I was totally exhausted by the time I got to Santa Fe, NM. After the room I had the night before, I was thinking I would just camp. I did stop at one normal looking hotel and asked about rates. They had a "manager's special" of $90.00
I went to the KOA.....pitched my tent, and got a good nights sleep.
I've met some great folks along the way and the past 2 days were no exception. I'm havin' a ball.... You ride through (and stop to eat in) some of these little towns in Kansas, Oklahoma, and NM with the bike all weighted down with the luggage and every once in awhile you have a pretty girl wave at you.... It's all good....and it's a lot of fun....
So....I leave Santa Fe with kind of a strange feeling about the bike... I just sensed that something wasn't going to go my way on Thursday. Shortly after hitting the interstate, my speedometer stays on zero. I was nervous about shutting the bike down, but every time I did...it started back up, so I thought to myself... "Well, if this is the 'problem' that I had the strange feeling about, I can deal with that". I've gone 2 years without a speedometer working on the bike, so it wasn't a big deal to me at all.
But...unfortunately, that was the least of my problems that day.... :)
I started hearing a noise from the bike that was coming from the front end. I rode for awhile, as the bike seemed to ride OK and the noise stopped for awhile. When it started back up, the noise was louder and I knew I better pull over and see what I could see....
I pulled into a gas station about an hour away from Albuquerque and tried to diagnose the problem. The front fender was bolted down good.... No problem there. I checked that first, because I had problems once with that in the past. It occured to me that front wheel bearings might be going out and I called the mechanic to see what he thought....
Once again, he diagnosed the problem from afar and I limped the bike along the side of the interstate 10 miles down the road to the nearest town. The front wheel was making an awful noise going down the interstate & to put it bluntly.... I wasn't comfortable... I was uncomfortable enough that I was wearing my helmet and holdin' onto the handle bars pretty tight... :)
I find an O'Reilly's auto parts store. They tell me they don't have what I need.
While I'm there, I meet "Reggie". I don't really know how to describe Reggie... He's driving a '67 Chevy pickup I think, with plywood in the place of a topper. The back windshield is totally shattered and the front windshield isn't much better. The guy's got a beer belly that looked like it would constantly be getting in the way of everything. He's unshaven, wearing his pajama bottoms and a t-shirt that doesn't cover that beer belly. I don't know if this would be the definition of a redneck...but I think it might be...
Reggie is kind enough to offer me a ride to his house and help me fix the bike. "We can throw the bike in the back of the pickup". (as I'm rollin' my eyes) I tell him I haven't even been able to get the parts I need...but thanks for the offer. He pulls out a napkin from his truck and writes him name down and a phone number. (Looking back, I don't know if it was his name or an alias) lol
David (the bike mechanic) tells me via the phone that the bearings are not unique and they probably have them, but I just have to find a parts number. I go to a travel center where they let me use their wi-fi and try to get the part number I need. I get a HD part number and a JP Cycles part number. (neither of what do me any good) David calls later with the part number I need. He had called a local bike shop and they got him the numbers I needed.
I go back to O'Reilly's and they do in fact have the parts I need so I think I'm in luck.
I hee-hawed a little bit deciding if I wanted to try and limp the bike to Albuquerque and find a bike shop....or if I should call "Reggie" and take him up on his offer to help me out with this.
The bike had been making such an awful racket that I wasn't comfortable driving it any further than I absolutely had to..... So.....
I made the mistake of calling "Reggie".... That's what my next blog post will be about....and it will be written before the day (or night) is over....
Can you all imagine how Jeffrey Dahmer's victims must've felt before they met their end? I'm thinkin' that they kinda felt the same way I was feeling when I was at this guy's place.... Check this blog post out later today.... :)
I ended up having a very good weekend playing cards in Shakopee a few weeks ago.
They started a new 20-40 1/2 Hold-em and 1/2 Omaha 8 or better game which was exceptionally good. I ended up having one small loss and 2 nice wins and it all equaled out to a very profitable weekend.
I then returned home and worked my tail off up until the minute I left on my little trip to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker. My trip was delayed for several days, just to give me additional time to get everything in order.
For those of you who don't know, I am riding my '91 Harley to Las Vegas from MN.
The first day, I got to Kansas City and stayed at my daughter's house. I ended up with a stomach bug of some sort and decided to stay there for an extra day....to recover. I was very glad that I did, as I was a very regular visitor to her bathroom facilities all day long.
So....I cruised out of KC on Tuesday morning and hit the Kansas turnpike. (This is a toll road) The turnpike, if you haven't used it has sporadic "service areas" where you'll find a Mc D's and a gas station. When you exit the turnpike, that's when you pay your toll, so I generally don't exit until I have to.
Cruisin' along the turnpike, I noticed that my speedometer was acting a little goofy. This was the first sign of trouble.... I pullled into a service area and filled up with gas. To my surprise, the bike just 'clicked' when I'd try to start it.
So....I call my bike mechanic...who just happens to be my older brother, David.... I explain to him what's going on, and he has me get my tools out.... pull the primary cover off and "smell" inside it. It did kind of smell like something had crawled into there and died. I relayed that to him and he diagnosed the problem from afar. The stator had gone out in the bike, which is a unit that charges the battery as you ride the bike. He told me if I could get a charge on the battery, I'd probably be good to go for awhile. I found a young air force guy traveling who was kind enough to let me throw jumper cables on the battery and let it charge for 15 minutes or so. I was back on the road....
I went as far as Wichita and stopped at a Walmart to buy a battery charger to charge the battery up again and made some calls while I was there. I located a HD dealership, talked to someone in the shop and they said if I could get there soon....they'd probably be able to fix it yet the same day.
That's exactly what happened and about 4 hours and $400 later, I was back on the road. It was evening and I went to Dodge City, KS and spent the night. I had talked to some guys at the dealership who had told me that there was a new casino there with a poker room, so I thought I'd maybe be able to make a few bucks...
However, once I found a piece of crap room for the bargain price of $80.00 (being sarcastic here) I was so pooped out from the day that I just ended up sleeping. Morning came and I got the heck out of Dodge. :)
I had a decent day of traveling that next day. It stayed relatively cool and wind-free until about 2:00 in the afternoon... Then it got super hot...and super windy... I was totally exhausted by the time I got to Santa Fe, NM. After the room I had the night before, I was thinking I would just camp. I did stop at one normal looking hotel and asked about rates. They had a "manager's special" of $90.00
I went to the KOA.....pitched my tent, and got a good nights sleep.
I've met some great folks along the way and the past 2 days were no exception. I'm havin' a ball.... You ride through (and stop to eat in) some of these little towns in Kansas, Oklahoma, and NM with the bike all weighted down with the luggage and every once in awhile you have a pretty girl wave at you.... It's all good....and it's a lot of fun....
So....I leave Santa Fe with kind of a strange feeling about the bike... I just sensed that something wasn't going to go my way on Thursday. Shortly after hitting the interstate, my speedometer stays on zero. I was nervous about shutting the bike down, but every time I did...it started back up, so I thought to myself... "Well, if this is the 'problem' that I had the strange feeling about, I can deal with that". I've gone 2 years without a speedometer working on the bike, so it wasn't a big deal to me at all.
But...unfortunately, that was the least of my problems that day.... :)
I started hearing a noise from the bike that was coming from the front end. I rode for awhile, as the bike seemed to ride OK and the noise stopped for awhile. When it started back up, the noise was louder and I knew I better pull over and see what I could see....
I pulled into a gas station about an hour away from Albuquerque and tried to diagnose the problem. The front fender was bolted down good.... No problem there. I checked that first, because I had problems once with that in the past. It occured to me that front wheel bearings might be going out and I called the mechanic to see what he thought....
Once again, he diagnosed the problem from afar and I limped the bike along the side of the interstate 10 miles down the road to the nearest town. The front wheel was making an awful noise going down the interstate & to put it bluntly.... I wasn't comfortable... I was uncomfortable enough that I was wearing my helmet and holdin' onto the handle bars pretty tight... :)
I find an O'Reilly's auto parts store. They tell me they don't have what I need.
While I'm there, I meet "Reggie". I don't really know how to describe Reggie... He's driving a '67 Chevy pickup I think, with plywood in the place of a topper. The back windshield is totally shattered and the front windshield isn't much better. The guy's got a beer belly that looked like it would constantly be getting in the way of everything. He's unshaven, wearing his pajama bottoms and a t-shirt that doesn't cover that beer belly. I don't know if this would be the definition of a redneck...but I think it might be...
Reggie is kind enough to offer me a ride to his house and help me fix the bike. "We can throw the bike in the back of the pickup". (as I'm rollin' my eyes) I tell him I haven't even been able to get the parts I need...but thanks for the offer. He pulls out a napkin from his truck and writes him name down and a phone number. (Looking back, I don't know if it was his name or an alias) lol
David (the bike mechanic) tells me via the phone that the bearings are not unique and they probably have them, but I just have to find a parts number. I go to a travel center where they let me use their wi-fi and try to get the part number I need. I get a HD part number and a JP Cycles part number. (neither of what do me any good) David calls later with the part number I need. He had called a local bike shop and they got him the numbers I needed.
I go back to O'Reilly's and they do in fact have the parts I need so I think I'm in luck.
I hee-hawed a little bit deciding if I wanted to try and limp the bike to Albuquerque and find a bike shop....or if I should call "Reggie" and take him up on his offer to help me out with this.
The bike had been making such an awful racket that I wasn't comfortable driving it any further than I absolutely had to..... So.....
I made the mistake of calling "Reggie".... That's what my next blog post will be about....and it will be written before the day (or night) is over....
Can you all imagine how Jeffrey Dahmer's victims must've felt before they met their end? I'm thinkin' that they kinda felt the same way I was feeling when I was at this guy's place.... Check this blog post out later today.... :)
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Poker, Poker, & More Poker!
Well, I meant to write this after the last time I played cards for a long weekend, but the site was down and I never got back around to it.
So....I'm finally getting around to it.
We went to Shakopee a couple of weekends ago to relax and get a few hours in at the poker table and hopefully make a few bucks... Didn't quite work out that way!
The first night I played things started out bad right away and never got any better....and I lost my limit for the night. I played good disciplined poker in my estimation but the cards simply weren't going my way. Sometimes that's the way it goes for a night... Sometimes it goes that way for a week.... and it can go that way for a month and even a year. That's why it's so important to have a bankroll that can handle the ups and downs.
Over the course of the next 2 days, things didn't go any better and by the end of the 3rd day I was stuck about $5000 for the weekend. I was still happy about the way I'd been playing but realized it was especially important to really be disciplined if I was going to play again....
I'll try to explain to you how this can happen. One of the days I was playing 30-60 hold-em because it was simply an outstanding game. I sat and watched the game for awhile and saw it for myself. It also was confirmed to me by a couple of players in the game that I have a lot of respect for. There was one exceptionally loose player in the game who had a ton of chips and would more than likely lose all or most of them before the night was over.
I won a huge pot the very first hand I played and proceeded to win a few more over the course of the first hour or so. I found myself $1800 winner and new there was a good possibility of a real good night. I didn't come there to play for one hour....so I decided to keep playing and go for a really big score.
The loose/wild player in the game had about $8000 or $9000 in front of him. He had gotten exceptionally hot and started winning almost every pot he was in. He ended up beating me in a few big hands and before you know it I was no longer a winner in the game.
I decided to tighten up a bit and wait for him to "cool" off a bit and start dumping off chips. Well, it simply didn't happen.... He just stayed hot and 4 hours later, I found myself about a $2000 loser. After taking a beating the first couple of nights, I thought it probably would be best if I just called it a night and try again the next day.... So.... I ended up having about a $4000 swing in that game alone.
The next day, I talked to a guy who ended up playing in the game until 7:00 AM who told me that the loose player eventually left and cashed out for $2700 so he did end up dumping about $10000 but unfortunately I wasn't there for my share. :)
The last day that I had to play I really didn't even feel much like playing after being treated like the ugly step-child the last 3 days, but I knew in my heart & mind that I was playing good cards, but had just been unlucky.
That 4th day started out just like the first 3. I was playing 15-30 and lost the first couple of pots and found myself stuck $500 before you know it.
In my defense, the first big pot I had 3 jacks and was beat by a straight on the river. The other big pot, I started with 2 aces and flopped 1 so I had a huge hand. I ended up getting beat by a flush. I just quietly mucked my big hands and didn't say a word. I told myself to just buckle down and keep playing good cards....which I did....
I bought another $500 worth of chips and continued to play good cards. I played for about 5 hours or so and managed to get $1200 winner. I now told myself that no matter what, I needed to book a win just for my morale if nothing else.....but I also wanted to give myself an opportunity for a big win, so I kept playing. I ended up losing a couple of small pots and winning a couple of small pots...and then I was dealt another pair of aces. I raised 'er up and started to build a big pot. To make a long story short, the aces ended up getting beat and I was a little over $1000 winner.
I decided to quit for the night, even though it was early....
I had finally booked a win and that was important. I went back to the room and Christine & I drove around trying to find a good place to eat....
Financially it was a bad weekend, but over-all I felt pretty darn good about it. I had been beaten up and kept playing good cards....making good judgement calls.... and just being unlucky. You just can't do anything about that, except keep playing good. If you have a few bad days like that and start playing bad, a bad weekend financially can turn into a horrible weekend (or week or month) financially. I had perseverence and ended up ending the week with a decent win...
Overall, the bankroll took a hit, but I was OK with that.....
That brings us to this week... I had my appt at Mayo clinic in Rochester this morning and that went exceptionally well. There were no changes to my exam that was done 2 years ago, so the Dr is quite confident that there is no cancer and not even any need to do biopsies, etc.... That was great news!
After going to Mayo, I find myself in Shakopee for another weekend of cards. I am intent on playing great this weekend and hoping for better results. I planned on playing today/tonight, but after taking a nap, I'm still pretty tired, so I think I'm just going to get well-rested and start tomorrow.
Once again..... I will keep you posted....
So....I'm finally getting around to it.
We went to Shakopee a couple of weekends ago to relax and get a few hours in at the poker table and hopefully make a few bucks... Didn't quite work out that way!
The first night I played things started out bad right away and never got any better....and I lost my limit for the night. I played good disciplined poker in my estimation but the cards simply weren't going my way. Sometimes that's the way it goes for a night... Sometimes it goes that way for a week.... and it can go that way for a month and even a year. That's why it's so important to have a bankroll that can handle the ups and downs.
Over the course of the next 2 days, things didn't go any better and by the end of the 3rd day I was stuck about $5000 for the weekend. I was still happy about the way I'd been playing but realized it was especially important to really be disciplined if I was going to play again....
I'll try to explain to you how this can happen. One of the days I was playing 30-60 hold-em because it was simply an outstanding game. I sat and watched the game for awhile and saw it for myself. It also was confirmed to me by a couple of players in the game that I have a lot of respect for. There was one exceptionally loose player in the game who had a ton of chips and would more than likely lose all or most of them before the night was over.
I won a huge pot the very first hand I played and proceeded to win a few more over the course of the first hour or so. I found myself $1800 winner and new there was a good possibility of a real good night. I didn't come there to play for one hour....so I decided to keep playing and go for a really big score.
The loose/wild player in the game had about $8000 or $9000 in front of him. He had gotten exceptionally hot and started winning almost every pot he was in. He ended up beating me in a few big hands and before you know it I was no longer a winner in the game.
I decided to tighten up a bit and wait for him to "cool" off a bit and start dumping off chips. Well, it simply didn't happen.... He just stayed hot and 4 hours later, I found myself about a $2000 loser. After taking a beating the first couple of nights, I thought it probably would be best if I just called it a night and try again the next day.... So.... I ended up having about a $4000 swing in that game alone.
The next day, I talked to a guy who ended up playing in the game until 7:00 AM who told me that the loose player eventually left and cashed out for $2700 so he did end up dumping about $10000 but unfortunately I wasn't there for my share. :)
The last day that I had to play I really didn't even feel much like playing after being treated like the ugly step-child the last 3 days, but I knew in my heart & mind that I was playing good cards, but had just been unlucky.
That 4th day started out just like the first 3. I was playing 15-30 and lost the first couple of pots and found myself stuck $500 before you know it.
In my defense, the first big pot I had 3 jacks and was beat by a straight on the river. The other big pot, I started with 2 aces and flopped 1 so I had a huge hand. I ended up getting beat by a flush. I just quietly mucked my big hands and didn't say a word. I told myself to just buckle down and keep playing good cards....which I did....
I bought another $500 worth of chips and continued to play good cards. I played for about 5 hours or so and managed to get $1200 winner. I now told myself that no matter what, I needed to book a win just for my morale if nothing else.....but I also wanted to give myself an opportunity for a big win, so I kept playing. I ended up losing a couple of small pots and winning a couple of small pots...and then I was dealt another pair of aces. I raised 'er up and started to build a big pot. To make a long story short, the aces ended up getting beat and I was a little over $1000 winner.
I decided to quit for the night, even though it was early....
I had finally booked a win and that was important. I went back to the room and Christine & I drove around trying to find a good place to eat....
Financially it was a bad weekend, but over-all I felt pretty darn good about it. I had been beaten up and kept playing good cards....making good judgement calls.... and just being unlucky. You just can't do anything about that, except keep playing good. If you have a few bad days like that and start playing bad, a bad weekend financially can turn into a horrible weekend (or week or month) financially. I had perseverence and ended up ending the week with a decent win...
Overall, the bankroll took a hit, but I was OK with that.....
That brings us to this week... I had my appt at Mayo clinic in Rochester this morning and that went exceptionally well. There were no changes to my exam that was done 2 years ago, so the Dr is quite confident that there is no cancer and not even any need to do biopsies, etc.... That was great news!
After going to Mayo, I find myself in Shakopee for another weekend of cards. I am intent on playing great this weekend and hoping for better results. I planned on playing today/tonight, but after taking a nap, I'm still pretty tired, so I think I'm just going to get well-rested and start tomorrow.
Once again..... I will keep you posted....
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Whatever Happened to Aging Gracefully?
Went in to refill my prescriptions this past week and was told that there wasn't a refill, so I'd have to make an appointment with the Dr to get a new prescription.
So.... I call the Doc & she writes a prescription for 2 weeks to get me by, until I can get lab work done to make sure everything's looking OK. I currently take medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I stop at the clinic to get some blood work done and at the same time I figure I can pick up my prescriptions in Pipestone.
Well, the next day, the fun starts.
I get a call from my Dr.'s nurse who starts going over "numbers" with me.
I'm a little familiar with what some of these "numbers" should be, due to the fact that I'm a volunteer EMT and have had emergency medicine training.
The nurse starts by telling me that my blood sugar is high and they want to test me for diabetes. I ask her what the number was, and she tells me.... and it's a little higher than optimal, but nothing to make me get super concerned.
However, I have to get tested for diabetes later this month....and in the meantime I'll be monitoring my blood sugar.
She then asks me if I have been back to Mayo Clinic for a prostrate exam follow-up that was done in June, 2009. At the time, I had an abnormal exam locally which included an enlarged prostate gland, as well as a couple of possible 'nodules' or areas that were a little harder than what would be considered normal.
This could be due to me having a prostate gland that is just a little bit more firm than what you'd see on most men.
I was referred to Mayo where they did another exam and basically confirmed the original diagnosis.
At the time, the Dr at Mayo recommended biopsies along with a couple of other procedures that seemed a little bit more invasive than I was geared up for.
We did discuss the options and decided to keep an eye on things and get it re-checked in 6 months...and hold off on any other procedures.
Well, 2 years later, I guess it's time to re-check it.
So... I tell the nurse that it's on my "list of things to do" and will get an appointment scheduled.
She affirms that the Dr. really does want me to get this done.... I assure her that I will.
I've made an appointment that is app 2 weeks from now.
I'm not looking forward to this at all! I just got a feelin' in my gut that they're going to want to go ahead and do the biopsies and other procedures this time.... (and the exam itself isn't something that gets me excited)
She then goes on to tell me that "numbers" associated with my liver are higher than optimal and they are going to change my cholesterol medication to see if they can get on top of that.
Moving on to the next "number".....she tells me that my kidneys don't seem to be working quite the way they should....or at least "that's what the number's indicate". :)
About this time.... I simply say to her, "Why the heck are all the "numbers" too high?" to which she replies, "that's what we want to find out".
Now, I'm not overly concerned about all of this.... but it's not exactly what I'd call, 'aging gracefully'.
All of the numbers that are high, (except the ones I'm already on medication for) are not exceedingly high, but just slightly over what is optimal.
I do however know and understand that this could be a sign of some underlying problem, so I'll do what I can to figure things out...including obeying Dr.'s orders, doing lab work, changing diet if needed, and exercising more....etc...etc....
None of that is a real big deal to me....
I am a poker player and am blessed with the ability to be pretty discerning.
I could tell that the nurse is concerned enough about things that I shouldn't just ignore it.
That being said, my outlook on life might not be typical.
I lived life in the fast lane when I was younger. From a young age, I smoked, I drank.... occasionally smoked and ingested things that are considerably harder on your body than cigarettes.... I would throw caution to the wind, when it came to doing 'fun' stuff like trying to break land speed records, etc... :)
When I was younger, I told myself and others that if I lived to be over 40 years old, it would be a small miracle in and of itself. I figured that if I did make it to 40, anything over and above that would be considered a 'freeroll'. I'd be living on borrowed time....
Well, I've made it to 45....and now...I'm thinkin' I'll probably make it considerably higher than that number.... (However if not...I wouldn't have anything to complain about)
My wife & I have been extremely blessed throughout our life.
We enjoy life itself, we enjoy close family on both sides...and we enjoy an extremely close relationship with our kids and grandkids....We enjoy the freedom that we have to travel and do fun things all the time...
Life is good for us....and I'm sure it'll be good for us well into the future...
I'll keep you posted on my "numbers"....but in the meantime, Christine & I are going to enjoy a very nice, very long, very relaxing weekend together in Shakopee, MN......(starting tomorrow) playing cards, playing bingo, and just kickin' back.....
So.... I call the Doc & she writes a prescription for 2 weeks to get me by, until I can get lab work done to make sure everything's looking OK. I currently take medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I stop at the clinic to get some blood work done and at the same time I figure I can pick up my prescriptions in Pipestone.
Well, the next day, the fun starts.
I get a call from my Dr.'s nurse who starts going over "numbers" with me.
I'm a little familiar with what some of these "numbers" should be, due to the fact that I'm a volunteer EMT and have had emergency medicine training.
The nurse starts by telling me that my blood sugar is high and they want to test me for diabetes. I ask her what the number was, and she tells me.... and it's a little higher than optimal, but nothing to make me get super concerned.
However, I have to get tested for diabetes later this month....and in the meantime I'll be monitoring my blood sugar.
She then asks me if I have been back to Mayo Clinic for a prostrate exam follow-up that was done in June, 2009. At the time, I had an abnormal exam locally which included an enlarged prostate gland, as well as a couple of possible 'nodules' or areas that were a little harder than what would be considered normal.
This could be due to me having a prostate gland that is just a little bit more firm than what you'd see on most men.
I was referred to Mayo where they did another exam and basically confirmed the original diagnosis.
At the time, the Dr at Mayo recommended biopsies along with a couple of other procedures that seemed a little bit more invasive than I was geared up for.
We did discuss the options and decided to keep an eye on things and get it re-checked in 6 months...and hold off on any other procedures.
Well, 2 years later, I guess it's time to re-check it.
So... I tell the nurse that it's on my "list of things to do" and will get an appointment scheduled.
She affirms that the Dr. really does want me to get this done.... I assure her that I will.
I've made an appointment that is app 2 weeks from now.
I'm not looking forward to this at all! I just got a feelin' in my gut that they're going to want to go ahead and do the biopsies and other procedures this time.... (and the exam itself isn't something that gets me excited)
She then goes on to tell me that "numbers" associated with my liver are higher than optimal and they are going to change my cholesterol medication to see if they can get on top of that.
Moving on to the next "number".....she tells me that my kidneys don't seem to be working quite the way they should....or at least "that's what the number's indicate". :)
About this time.... I simply say to her, "Why the heck are all the "numbers" too high?" to which she replies, "that's what we want to find out".
Now, I'm not overly concerned about all of this.... but it's not exactly what I'd call, 'aging gracefully'.
All of the numbers that are high, (except the ones I'm already on medication for) are not exceedingly high, but just slightly over what is optimal.
I do however know and understand that this could be a sign of some underlying problem, so I'll do what I can to figure things out...including obeying Dr.'s orders, doing lab work, changing diet if needed, and exercising more....etc...etc....
None of that is a real big deal to me....
I am a poker player and am blessed with the ability to be pretty discerning.
I could tell that the nurse is concerned enough about things that I shouldn't just ignore it.
That being said, my outlook on life might not be typical.
I lived life in the fast lane when I was younger. From a young age, I smoked, I drank.... occasionally smoked and ingested things that are considerably harder on your body than cigarettes.... I would throw caution to the wind, when it came to doing 'fun' stuff like trying to break land speed records, etc... :)
When I was younger, I told myself and others that if I lived to be over 40 years old, it would be a small miracle in and of itself. I figured that if I did make it to 40, anything over and above that would be considered a 'freeroll'. I'd be living on borrowed time....
Well, I've made it to 45....and now...I'm thinkin' I'll probably make it considerably higher than that number.... (However if not...I wouldn't have anything to complain about)
My wife & I have been extremely blessed throughout our life.
We enjoy life itself, we enjoy close family on both sides...and we enjoy an extremely close relationship with our kids and grandkids....We enjoy the freedom that we have to travel and do fun things all the time...
Life is good for us....and I'm sure it'll be good for us well into the future...
I'll keep you posted on my "numbers"....but in the meantime, Christine & I are going to enjoy a very nice, very long, very relaxing weekend together in Shakopee, MN......(starting tomorrow) playing cards, playing bingo, and just kickin' back.....
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