Good News....Bad News.... 3 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back... Blah...Blah...Blah....

First off...  We'll get the poker talk out of the way....
I was able to play 2 more times since I last posted.
The first time was in a very small game and in a casino I'd never stepped foot into until this past Tuesday.  I first stepped into the casino with my wife as she intended to enjoy an evening playing bingo while I passed the time playing poker.

As we walked up to the casino, we were greeted enthusiasticly by a security guard who wished us good luck....  :)
I asked him if he'd point us in the right direction to the bingo hall and he got kind of a blank look on his face and said, "Oh.... there's not any bingo tonight."
I had called the place earlier to check on times, their location, etc... and had been informed that bingo started at 6:30 in the evening.
So, seeing as how I must've got some bad information, I asked the security guard what days or nights they DID play bingo on.  Very matter of factly, he said to me, "Oh, they play bingo every afternoon and every evening here."  I couldn't help but laugh a little bit and said to him, "I thought you just said to me that there's not any bingo tonight."
"Oh, there's not any bingo tonight, because they've got some kind of a party going on in there."
So, I kindly thanked the gentleman and my wife & I wandered in to see if we could get any good information on our own....for future reference.

Christine did get some info on bingo & I briefly checked out the poker room to see what they had to offer.  Christine found out that they did indeed have bingo every afternoon and evening, barring a party in the bingo hall...  :)
I found out the poker room had very small limit games that pretty much go 24-7.
We decided to come back the following morning so she could get her bingo fix....and we headed back to our apartment in Casa Grande.  We enjoyed the little ride to and from the casino through a beautiful desert backdrop.

The next morning we were there by about noon and I promptly was seated in a 4-8 Hold-em game.
I proceeded to kill the little game for $354.00
It was an amicable enough game and I was really fortunate to catch a lot of cards and make a lot of hands...and as is usually the case in little games like this...I got paid off on pretty much every hand.  Everybody always thinks I'm bluffing...and in games like this, I very rarely do....
I secretly wished to myself that I'd catch some cards like this in one of the games I usually play in, because there, it'd translate into thousands of dollars...
I enjoyed myself, but probably will not ever go back unless if Christine wants to play bingo there again in the future.  She also had fun, but wasn't able to yell BINGO at all...  :)
It was an enjoyable day.

I went back to the resort in Mesa on Thursday and ended up playing 8 hours....
After an hour or two, I was stuck $600 and couldn't get much going.
I finally got 2 aces dealt to me (first time this year) and ended up losing a monster pot to a guy who was kind of irritating to me anyways...  He was sitting beside me....non-stop talker....believing he had this whole poker thing completely figured out...  I guess the joke was on me...because he left with a lot more chips than I did...  :)
After the beat he put on me, he was REALLY irritating to me...  lol

I generally play better from behind.  Most people play worse when they're behind.  I just kind of buckle down and really get disciplined.  I don't let a bad beat affect the way I play the next hand.
Anyways, I proceeded to really buckle down, lose a few hundred more...buy more chips... and finally start to win a few hands.  I grinded it out for another 5 hours or so until I could finally show a profit of less than $100.  At this point, I took a little break and texted Christine to let her know my status and to let her know I was going to play for another hour or so and then I'd be heading for home.
It's not super-important to me that I win every time I play....but it does seem more enjoyable when that happens.  I am not one to play for hours and hours and hours....trying to get even.
I'll take my little losses and wait for another day.

So I get back from my break and get an AK suited, a AQ suited, and 2 queens in subsuquent hands.  Every single pot was really big...by the time it was over.  I had the misfortune of being involved until the bitter end in every pot and not winning a single one of them...
So within about 10 minutes of talking to Christine, I was stuck $700 again.
I was very near the point of having had enough for one day, but I thought once again, I'd try to play disciplined poker for the hour and see what happened.
After about 1/2 hour, I did win a few small pots, but I also lost a couple of small ones and I ended up losing $671 over the 8 hour session....

So for the year, I'm up $500 and change....   Not a whole lot different than the last time I posted.
I won the first 3 sessions of the year and lost the 4th....   Thus the 3 steps forward, 1 step back...

On the home front, I have a child who has a gambling problem.  He has an addictive personality period....  I'm happy to say he does more things that make me proud of him than things that make me frustrated with him.  He's a productive member of society and has devoted his young life to helping out the folks on the Rosebud Indian Reservation where he's a paramedic.  Believe me when I tell you that it's not an easy job.... and it's not the easiest place to work.

So, I have some communication with my son tonight and he lets me know that his bank account has taken a serious hit, due to his having a bad day and deciding to go take it out on the world by going to a casino....and losing all his money.
I know....there doesn't seem to be a lot of logic in that, but in some weird kind of a way, I can kind of relate....

I've devoted quite a little time and effort into trying to get him to be more financially responsible, to live on a budget, to pay off old bills that have gone to collections, etc...etc....
I was very disappointed to hear that he had "fallen off the wagon".  We had an agreement that he was going to live within the constraints of a budget, (agreed upon by both of us) and he didn't live up to that agreement.  I guess I'm kind of feeling let down by him right now.

That's the bad news....

Here's the good news.....  He informed me that he had called the gamblers help line to ask for their help.  He knew that once he made that call, he would, not ever again, be allowed on the gaming floor in ANY casino in the United States.  He will be escorted out by security if he shows up there.

That's a big step.  For that...I am proud of him...and feel somewhat uplifted.

Gambling is like many of the "gray areas" in life.  It can be some good fun entertainment if it's not abused....and if it's kept in check.  It also can wreck lives...just the same as alcohol, marijuana, crack cocaine, and other things can....

Over the years, I've run into young people at the poker table like my son...  I remember one instance in particular.  The guy playing had absolutely no chance of winning in the game we were playing in.  This guy had JUST got married a few hours earlier and his new wife was behind him (with her gown still on) trying to get him to quit and take the few chips with him that he had left on the table.  When he got up to use the bathroom, I followed him.  I told him that I knew it wasn't any of my business, but I thought he should cut his losses and spend the day with his wife.  I've seen his kind before, and I felt that I could almost see into the future with this couple.   And they were such a cute young couple too...  I could see him losing everything (including, but definitely not limited to, his marriage) over the next few years due to his gambling abuse.
I tried to talk some sense into him with the hopes that it wasn't too late.

If the other guys at the table knew that I did this...they'd be ticked at me...
He was like an open water spigot...  Money just kept being distributed to us pros at the table...

So...I go back and forth on the morality of gambling, even though I played professional poker for years.  I hate to see people get hurt by it.  I'm not trying to 'toot' my own horn here for trying to help this kid.  He wasn't the first and he won't be the last I'm sure....

This is exactly one of the reasons I play relatively high limit games.  Most of the money being distributed to the pro's come from business guys, doctors, lawyers, etc.... who for the most part can afford to take the losses.

If you want to find the gambling addicts that play poker, you'll find them in very low limit games....for the most part.  You actually won't find many period... in poker....because they can't seem to lose their money fast enough.  There's not enough 'action' for them.  The place you'd look for them is at the blackjack table, craps tables, roullette tables, and slot machines....

I guess I've rambled enough....  I'm not sure if there's a lesson in this for anybody or not....
I'm not even sure it makes any sense...
I still have a slight headache from the initial news I got from my son....

Sunny Arizona...

So, once again....  It's been quite some time since I've blogged... and to be perfectly honest, I have considered just letting this blog drift away into oblivion.  I was surprised when I looked at the "stats" to see that there's been anyone checking in at all...  It's been that long since I've posted...

I briefly looked over the last post or two to refresh my memory on what had been transpiring in my life when I last wrote about it. 

Thankfully, my headaches had indeed gone into remission...and I haven't suffered from any signs or symptoms of them since this past summer.  It's been at least 6 months since I've had one, so it's almost difficult for me to remember how bad they actually can be.  I feel like getting up in the morning, going for walks, working on pipes and other sculpture work, and once again...playing some cards.  Yeah!!  :)

My wife & I have been enjoying the sun in Arizona for the last 6 weeks or and so.  It's probably been about 70 degrees on average.  We go for walks pretty much every day, and I've even got a little bit of football in with some of the kids that live around us, after they get done with school. 
Since I'm the old guy.... I'm the designated quarterback.  I probably have as much fun as they do!  A couple of them youngsters are pretty darn competitive though and I'll get a dirty look every once in awhile if I overthrow somebody or God forbid, throw an interception...

We've enjoyed the company, for almost a week, of my sister, her husband, and their 18 year old daughter.  My oldest brother also came up and visited with his wife for several days.  My parents stay right in this area also for about 3 months out of the winter, so we do plenty with them.  We probably enjoy lunch or dinner at least twice a week, and we also go on little outings. (especially when there's visitors in town)

We've been down to Tucson twice now and enjoyed the hospitality of my cousin and her husband. 
One of the nights Christine & I even spent the night.  We had a great time visiting with Patti & Scott.  He's an officer in the Air Force, so we had the luxury of getting an interesting tour of an A-10 fighter jet.  We had strict orders about which red lines...not to cross....unless we wanted to get tackled by some 18 year olds.  Scott said he doesn't relish the thought of 18 year old kids running at us, brandishing their firearms...  I guess that'd make me a little nervous too...  :)
We intend to go down there again in a week or two and see an air show...with my parents...  Should be fun!

Last Friday I FINALLY got a 4 hour session of poker in at a resort in Scottsdale.  Seemed like kind of a tough session, as I immediately got stuck, however I did end up winning $416.  As you may recall, I'd been playing off of poker winnings for the last year or two, but seeing as how I spent most of those winnings on another motorcycle, I've been anxious to get a little card playing in.
I played again today for another 4 hours or so and made $422 this time.  It kind of seemed like a lot of work, as I wasn't getting much for cards and really had to concentrate so that I'd hopefully be successful on timely bluffs....and I was...   It's not like there's opportunity to bluff a lot, but over the course of the 2 sessions, I probably made 2 or 3 very nice moves that worked.  That basically translates into the wins I had.
$100/hour isn't anything to sneeze at...so I'm basically happy with those first 2 sessions of the year.
(I've only played in one small game before these last 2 sessions since I returned home from my motorcycle trip to Vegas)
So....  My plan is to take my $838 of winnings this year... and turn it into a few hundred thousand over the next 2 or 3 years....  :)   Another few small wins like this (or 1 big one) and I'll be comfortable enough that I won't have to dip into any of my own money....

I know it sounds EZ....   lol   I'll probably be back on here crying around about my bad luck the next time I post.  I'll have to completely formulate a new plan....  I'll be looking for loans and backers....  I'll be dipping into the grandkids piggy banks...etc...etc...   lol

We had every intention of spending a few weeks in Vegas this winter, but my wife is really liking it right where we're at....so I probably won't get back to Vegas until this summer again.  I know you all might think I'm crazy...but I plan on going on another motorcycle trip...

Maybe I'll run into my old buddy, "Reggie".... 
I haven't seen him on any of those crime shows, or prison shows yet...so he must still be out there somewhere...
(If you don't know what I'm talking about here...you'll have to read a few of my older posts...from this past summer)

After a long hard day....It's about time to say toodle-doo.... so until next time....
Keep Smilin'...
Ciau!

Back in the Saddle (and in Remission) Again!

Well, it's been awhile since I blogged, so I hope this doesn't get too long.

I'm extremely happy to let you all know that my headaches have once again gone into remission.  I haven't had a headache for nearly 2 weeks now and am quite certain I'm back in remission.  Now that I am feeling good every day, I am trying to take full advantage of it.

I got a call from one of my nephews about 10 days ago or so, letting me know about a motorcycle he saw for sale in Canton, SD.  It sounded pretty interesting to me, (and within my price range taking into consideration that I was going to use poker winnings to buy it) so I cruised on the bike to Canton and was joined in Inwood, IA with 2 of my brothers and my sister-in-law, and the nephew who had called me about the bike originally also met up with us in Canton.

I took the 2003 100th Anniversary HD Road King for a little test ride and was pleased with the power and the sound of the bike.  It had Screaming Eagle pipes on it and I must say....  it sounded good....   It was black....with lots of chrome....and a few other extra's and I got a good first impression.
The bike had been in an accident so there would be some minor cosmetic stuff to take care of.
It had app 18000 miles on it, so I was pretty sure that I could ride it for many miles without having to worry about doing mechanical work.

I took a few pictures for my wife to look at and left the guys place letting him know that I would call him the next day letting him know if I was going to purchase it.
After visiting about it with Christine and showing her the pictures, and answering her question, "Is it shiny?" with a "Yes!",  I got the OK to purchase it, as long as I also purchased her a new vacuum.  Tough decision, huh?
I can buy the bike....and also have a cleaner house.... (not that the house isn't clean anyways) and everybody'd be happy.....  SO.... I called him the next day to let him know I was going to purchase it, and we set up a time for me to pick it up.

About 10 days to 2 weeks ago, I started to really feel quite confident that my headaches were again going into remission.  I was still getting an occasional headache, but the pain wasn't as bad....and they also were getting shorter.  I'm extremely happy to report that I have now gone at least 2 weeks without any headaches at all.  I'm so excited about that.....that sometimes I hate to go to bed at night because I just want to keep doing stuff....  Now, I'm to the point that I hope I can go at least another 2 or 3 years without headaches again.

Well.....since I was feeling better, I got more work done....and I also started reconsidering my decision to not go to the bike rally in Sturgis, SD this year.  After purchasing the new bike and not getting any more headaches that week, I decided to cruise out there by myself on Monday morning (after the Sunday memorial for Christine's uncle) and meet up with 3 brothers, 1 sister, and 3 nephews....along with wives, husbands, and girlfriends and a cousin with his wife.  I think with all the family & friends, we had about 20 people camp, ride the Hills, and just have a ball together.  I think I can honestly say that a jolly good time was had by all!

Sturgis is kind of like Vegas....where what happens there kind of stays there....so regretably, I can't share a lot....   lol 
I can talk about myself though.  I think that's allowed.
The rally seems to make people let loose a little bit and maybe do some stuff they wouldn't ever do back home...  I'm quite certain that there's some women who have body parts that never, ever, see the sun when they're at home....who for some reason feel quite comfortable flopping those said body parts out when they're in Sturgis.
In keeping with the spirit of things, I let loose a bit myself, and tried a cup of coffee for the first time in several years.  I think it's only the 2nd or 3rd cup of coffe I've ever had in my entire life.
A cousin of my wife told me that if you start with a 1/2 cup of coffee, and then put sugar in it until the cup is full....you can drink it....  so that's pretty much what I did....
It didn't taste too bad.  :)

We all did have a great time, especially sitting around the fire at the campground...and sharing meals together.  All of my relatives and friends got to Sturgis without any major incidents and also arrived safely back home this week.  (With the exception of one brother and his son who are still traveling home to Missouri, and one nephew and one niece who are in Sturgis yet for another day or two)

I also have to thank everyone who was accomodating to me, taking most of my camping supplies (tent, bedroll, sleeping bag, & blanket) in the camper.....so I didn't have to haul them on the bike, and inviting me to eat/grill with them on several occasions.  We have an awesome family & any of the nephews & nieces that have not yet made it to one of our Sturgis excursions, should seriously consider taking that first full week of August off from work so they can accompany us older folks some year.  Us old folks know how to have a good time!  (and we're more than happy to include the younger ones!)

So....now that I'm back home, I again have more work to do and plan on really getting a lot done in the next week or two.  I seriously have to make some time for poker now that I've spent the majority of the bankroll on that bike.

If you've been reading this blog, you know that I intend on going to Vegas next year for the World Series of Poker again, and if I'm going to play a few tournaments, and play the medium/high stakes cash games, I'm going to need to get down to some serious poker playing between now and then....to build that bankroll back up.

You all know.... I'll keep you posted....
If I get to playing more....I'll probably also be blogging more....
There'll be more to talk about!

Headaches!!!

Well, I've ben home now for nearly 3 weeks and there's not a lot to write about besides the headaches that have engulfed my life. 

I have been to my local Dr. and have an appointment with a specialist/neurologist the last week in August.  I told her that the end of August seems like a lifetime away for me right now, and her office staff said they are going to check into finding something sooner.  I have also checked on this myself without any success in finding anything sooner.
My Dr. was also able to write some new prescriptions for the medications that have had some positive effects for me in the past.  She also prescribed an injectable Sumatriptan (a shot in the thigh) which has shown to be effective on some cluster headache patients.  I have yet to see how effective they'll be on my headaches.

I am hopeful that I am on the downward slope, as far as this round of headaches go.
2 days ago, I had an extremely good day, waking up refreshed and feeling anxious to get some work done in the shop.  Days like that have been few & far between, so I relished this one.  I did end up having a very productive day and made the mistake of enjoying a cold beer after dinner that evening.  Alcohol of any kind is a known "trigger" for almost all cluster headache patients.  
I haven't had any alcohol at all since this latest "cluster" of headaches started, because I am/was well aware of it being a "trigger".
It didn't take long at all for me to get a severe headache.  If I was physically capable of kicking myself in the ass for having that beer, I probably would've.
I was awakened on 2 other occasions throughout the night with very painful headaches.

Normally after a bad day or night, like the one I suffered through that night, I am a waste of human flesh the next day.  I'm so exhausted, have NO motivation, and it is literally very, very difficult for me to accomplish anything.
Well, the day after these headaches was no exception.  I had a dull headache all day up until about 5:00 in the afternoon, at which time I started snapping green beans, podding sweet peas, and getting fresh broccoli ready to blanche & freeze.  I did end up getting something done that day (yesterday) so it was not an entire day lost.

Today, I am again feeling pretty darn good.  I went into Pipestone because there's a local rendezvouz going on, and I expected a person to be there, whom I could buy some sumac from for pipe stems.  He was there and I bought all the good stem material he had.

They were also selling Indian taco's at the Indian Center, so I went there for lunch...  The taco's were outstanding & I left there comfortably filled.
I saw my mother-in-law at the Indian Center and she looked good.  She said she's been feeling a little ill this past week. (probably due to the excessive heat)  I encouraged her to drink lots and lots of water & she assured me that she is/was.  It was good to see her again....and good to see her enjoying the company of friends and family at the Center.

We have an ambulance fundraiser/pork tenderloin feed at the park tonight, so in a couple of hours, I will go down there to help.  Today/tonight should be a good test for me as to whether I can take being outside for an extended period of time.  If not, I'll be taking one of those injections and seeing if it has a positive effect.

On another note, I did make it down to Inwood, IA for a day last week to work on my motorcycle with my brother.  I once again have my primary mode of transportation back and feel good about that.  It felt great to get back on the bike & feel the wind through my hair.  Thanks again to Dave for all of his help with the bike!  I wish I knew 1/2 of what he knew when it comes to mechanical issues!

I've had a tough time getting on top of all the weeds in our large garden after being gone the month of June, but when it's not too hot, I'll try to clean 1 row at a time.  It's been extremely hot here lately so I've been losing a little ground on the weed front....  We are however enjoying lots of great fresh vegetables out of the garden on a daily basis.  (sweet peas, green beans, onions, green peppers, jalapeno's, banana peppers, radishes, and soon we should be enjoying tomato's)
My brother says that as long as you plant enough of everything, you got a pretty good chance of having some success with the garden, even if you're not the greatest gardener.  :)

On good days, I try to get lots of work done on pipe orders.  We were losing ground daily, but we're close to having things in a manageable position again.  One thing nice about our little business is that even when we're on vacation, or if one of us isn't feeling well, the orders and the $$$ keep coming in.  That alleviates any stress on the financial front anyways....
Our customers have been extremely understanding of my headache situation also, and seem to be OK with waiting for their orders a little longer than they normally would.

My daughter, Kala is going to be visiting us again this coming week, along with our grandson, Jackson.... (who we don't get to see nearly as frequently as the other 3 grandchildren) so we're really looking forward to that!  When Kala comes around, we also see JD a little more frequently....as well as Heather's family....   It's so nice to have them all around.... (even though I sometimes act like I'm in agony to my wife, when she tells me that Heather's 3 grandkids are coming)  :)
I act (to my wife) like they're little terrorists & I can hardly take the stress....   lol
I'm just teasing her though and in reality, I actually love it when they come over!

That being said....There are occasions where... I'd like to smack that naughtiest one!  :)
I know that anybody who knows Heather's family... knows exactly who I'm talkin' about....   lol

Someday soon, I'll have to figure out how to put pictures on this blog....
When I do....I'll introduce you all to the entire family....

Home....Sweet Home...

I ended up sleeping really good that Thursday night in Lusk...and as it turned out, it was a good thing that I got a motel room.  I found out we were in severe thunderstorm watches and/or warnings most of the night.  I slept through everything!

I woke up probably around 10:00 and just laid around for another hour.  I then thought I better get cleaned up and get all my stuff together so that when Riley did get to Lusk, we wouldn't have to waste much time getting on the road again. 

I gave Riley a call around noon or so and he told me that he was in Rapid City....so that told me he'd be in Lusk sometime around 2:30 or 3:00 in the afternoon.  I didn't mind a bit, as I was still recuperating from the headache the day before.  I ended up going back to sleep and set my phone alarm for 2:30.  
I had everything packed and ready to go before I napped, so all we'd have to do when Riley got here was load the bike onto the back of the pickup.

Riley showed up around 3:30 or so I think...and we didn't waste any time.  Rich (The guy who'd helped me the day before) told me to stop by the shop where he worked and he'd help us load up the bike.  We did that, and I'd say within 1/2 hour or so, we were on the way....

I was a little concerned about getting a headache in the truck and warned Riley of what he might expect if I did...   After talking to my wife about this the other day, I began to realize how uncomfortable people may be when they see me experience a painful headache.

After being back home, and going out to eat twice....and having to leave the restaurant both times, before we could enjoy the meal... I told her that I understood how frustrating the whole headache thing is for her....    As I've explained before the whole headache thing makes life completely different for me...but it also affects her.
Christine explained to me that she wasn't so much frustrated by the inconvenience, but she was more scared....when she sees me in pain...and she can't do anything for it...and she wonders if she should call the ambulance.... 
I guess that makes perfect sense and it helped me to understand what others might see, when they see me having a headache.
That's one reason it's been so nice to be home.  When I get a headache, I can retreat to my "headache room" which is one of our guest rooms in the basement of our home.  It's nice and cool....and dark...and quiet..and about one of the best places for me to be when one comes on...  It's also in a place where other people can't hear me moan & groan, etc....

The ride home with Riley went really good.  He was tired...so I offered to drive for awhile from Newcastle, WY and he accepted.  He was able to get some much needed sleep.  We also had plenty of time to visit....and that helped make the trip easier...for both of us probably. 
He tried getting some dirt on his dad from me... :)  (since he knew we went to high school together) but I really didn't have any dirt to share with him....   lol
His dad & I didn't live real close together so we didn't spend a terrible lot of time together in high school.

We stopped to eat somewhere between Rapid City & Chamberlain....  I felt a headache might be imminent, so he ended up driving the rest of the way home.  I took one of my pills when I felt the headache coming on, and it was effective.  The headache never got really bad...

I think we arrived in Inwood, IA around 2:30 AM or so, and my sister/brother-in-law were kind enough to borrow me a car, and even have it waiting at Riley's house, so I could head straight home from there.

My brother Dave was going to worry about getting the bike unloaded with Riley and his dad the next day.

There are many people to thank for all the help given, & prayers offered on my behalf.  At the risk of forgetting someone, I need to especially thank my brother Dave for all the help with the motorcycle, Kala & Scott in KC for allowing me to spend 2 days while I wasn't feeling well, Rich in WY for the help given after a bad headache, (& help w/ the motorcycle) Riley for being willing to drive nearly 300 miles extra to help a guy in need, Sharon & Craig for allowing me to use a vehicle, (which I still have access to) my mom & dad for their unwavering prayers, and especially my wife for allowing me to go on an adventure like I did....and being her usual supporting self.  There are also others that helped me along the way....and many others that were praying for me the entire trip, especially after the headaches became persistant and bad.....  I sincerely appreciate everyones help & prayers!

I made the 45 mile trip home and was welcomed by my wife around 3:30 or 4:00 AM.  Home....Sweet Home...  It's great to be back...and enjoying family again....

When I've been feeling good enough, I've been working hard at trying to catch up on orders that came in while I was gone, and that have continued to come in since I've been back home.
I've had good days & bad with the headaches, but I'm surviving them....and they say that, "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger" so I should be mighty strong by winter...if this keeps up.

In all honesty, it is sometimes hard to deal with, but I know that eventually they'll go away....& I'm looking so forward to that....  In the meantime I do sincerely appreciate all the thoughts & prayers...

I have yet to make it to the new casino in Larchwood to play poker, but am looking forward to doing that soon.  I'll let you all know my thoughts on the room....and whether or not I'll be a regular visitor, after checking it out for myself....

One last note about getting home....  I mentioned to my wife how much I was missing her home cooking...  I told her that I had only had 2 home cooked meals the entire month of June....   To which she replied....  "That's one more than I had."   :)
Summer's usually pretty busy, so we do eat out quite a bit....but I DO miss that home-cookin' and I've been able to enjoy some since I've been home.
Life is good!

The Dream Turns Into A Nightmare....

After getting a great nights sleep in Fort Collins, I met my buddy, Rod for breakfast at Denny's.  We enjoyed a very nice visit talking about poker, family &kids, God, & other things...  I enjoy visiting with Rod as we seem to have a lot in common and have also experienced some similar challenges in life.  We met in either Reno or Las Vegas (at the poker table) about 15 years ago I suppose...and since then, our wives have had the opportunity to meet & visit also.... 

I suppose we ate and visited for about an hour.  He left to go play poker from there and I left for the 2nd leg of my journey home.  I was hoping to put a bunch of miles on again on Thursday, with my sights set on Rapid City, SD (or somewhere near there) as a stopping place.

I had mentioned, on Wednesday night, to my brother Dave (the bike mechanic) that I was starting to hear a noise coming from the bike.  We decided that it probably was the roller and/or cam and would have to be looked at when I got home.  He did bring up the idea of checking into it while I was on the road, if I could find a place, but I wasn't real concerned about it, because the last time I had this same problem on the bike, it rode fine for quite awhile before I had to get it fixed.

I got quite a few miles in before I had to stop for gas.  It was a good start to the day, however the noise on my bike, upon leaving town, was getting a little louder and more noticeable... 
I pulled out of Torrington, WY after putting on my leathers and helmet, due to an ominous dark cloud in the direction that I was going to be heading.

About 2 miles out of town, it started to rain, so I was glad I had prepared for it.  I stayed dry for the most part and it wasn't too cold, so it was pretty easy to put up with.  I rode through the rain for about 1/2 hour or so and by that time the clouds had moved to the East of where I was it.

The noise on my bike was getting noticeably louder and it was beginning to concern me a bit.  I was pretty much in the middle of nowhere between Torrington and Newcastle, WY.  There is a little town called "Lusk" which I knew was coming up....and I decided I better stop there to assess the bike.  Upon arriving, I made a call to my wife, Christine...to let her know where I was, visit, etc...and to Dave...(the mechanic) to discuss bike issues.  We pretty much decided there weren't any/many options and the only sensible one was to get as far as I could on the bike.  Rapid City, SD would be the closest place where I could have somebody look at it.  I told him I'd call him later to let him know where I was at & how things were going.

I no more got off the phone with David and I felt a headache coming on.  It came on very fast and very hard...  It turned out to be an exceptionally bad headache, and I laid out on a sidewalk, in the shade, with my coat as a pillow, on the North side of a gas station where I'd stopped.  Not unlike when I have had bad headaches before, I ended up falling asleep as soon as the pain got to a tolerable level.  (which seemed like forever that day) I knew I had laid there for awhile...when I woke up.
I looked at my phone to see how long ago I had talked to my brother.  Turned out I had laid there for a little over 3 hours.  The day seemed like it was pretty much shot... (It was about 5:00 PM by the time I woke up) and I hadn't hardly gotten any miles on.  I was exhausted from the headache but was determined to at least get to Newcastle, WY yet that evening.

Well, I went less than 1 mile and my bike was making noise...and it was a-grindin'... and in an instant, I had no power, in any gear.  I coasted to the side of the road and ended up pulling onto a side street in Lusk.  I was near a city park and thought I would probably end up throwin' my tent up and sleeping there that night and work on my other problems in the morning.  I did walk to the park (as there was a little kids baseball game going on) and asked a couple of people if they knew anyone in town that worked on bikes. 

No one did, so I started walking back to my bike (1/2 block away) to reassess that situation.  About that time, I noticed a guy unloading a dirt bike off the back of his pickup...in his backyard.  I walked over and asked him if there was anyone who could/would work on bikes in town and he thought there might be one guy... (a friend of his) who could take a look at it, but it turned out his friend wasn't comfortable tearing into a Harley.

I was still in major recovery mode from my headache. I asked Rich if I could push the bike over to his front yard.  I just felt that it would be safer there than anywhere else.  I asked Rich if there was any motels in town.  There was one and Rich would eventually drive me to it with most of the stuff off of the bike.  I really appreciated this guy's help that day...  He went above & beyond what anyone could've expected, trying to find someone to look at the bike...and eventually hauling me to the motel.  I ended up leaving Rich with some "going out to eat money" for him, his pregnant wife, and 2 children when I eventually did get out of Lusk.  I had a hard time getting him to accept the $$, but I wasn't about to give in.  I SO appreciated his help on Thursday.  In the exhausted state I was in that day, I can't even imagine having to walk to that motel, carrying as much of my items that I could.

Upon getting my stuff in the motel room, and securing that room for the next 2 nights, I collapsed on bed, to shut my eyes, even if it was only for a little while.  I then made a call to Dave, to let him know that I was only about 4 blocks from where I originally called him from...and my bike was about a mile in the other direction, and it was unrideable.

David must be simply awesome at networking, because he knows about a million people....and about that many people seem to also know him....  He got on his blackberry...and I'll be darned if he didn't come up with a young local IA guy, who was going to be leaving for Rapid City that very night, (like at 2:00 AM) to deliver a motorcycle that he'd sold to the HD dealership there.  Riley was his name...(and turns out his dad & I were in the same grade in high school) and he agreed to go the extra 150 miles or so to Lusk and come and get me the next day.

It was probably about 11 or 12:00 by the time I got to sleep that night....but I slept good!  I don't know if I've ever had my energy so depleted....due to the headache....and then the misfortune with the motorcycle.  I also knew someone was going to be coming to pick me up, to make what would hopefully be, the last leg home, at some point on Friday.

This story's getting a little longer than I anticipated, so I'm going to stretch it out over one more blog post.  In the next day or two, I'll tell you about the rest of the trip home....and what I've been up to since getting here.

The Ride Home: A Biker's Dream? or.....A Biker's Nightmare?

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....