The Quiet Before the Riot

Life is such a whirlwind. You get caught up in your everyday activities, and you don't have the time to do the things you want to do. I've been meaning to write in this thing forever, but I never get the chance. I really am going to try more. I read an article about Frank Sinatra, and his daughter said the best piece of advice that he ever gave her was to keep a journal...it makes sense. You need to have soemthing to remember your everday life. So I'm going to make an effort to post at least twice a week.

These next few weeks are packed full until we leave for our wedding and honeymoon. We have nothing but full days and nights until we leave, which is probably a good thing...it'll be here before we know it. I'm looking forward to it so much because I really need a long vacation. This will be the longest vacation I've ever had, so I'm pumped.

That's all for now, hopefully I can keep up a twice a week schedule on this thing...

Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf

I've felt like drinking alot lately. This weather here in Ohio is ridiculous...the winter here makes me severely depressed...single digit temperatures and cloudy, grey skies are enough to make anyone depressed...

Life has been pretty mundane lately...same old routine. Haven't had anything exciting at all happening...we did book our flight to Vegas...the trip is less than 5 months away, which is exciting. But nothing, other than that...at all

So, I'll post again when there's something worth posting...

"Do you ever wonder how long it takes to change your life? What measure of time is enough to be life altering? Is it four years like high school? One year? Can your life change in a month, or a week, or a single day? We're always in a hurry to grow up, to go places, to get ahead. And when you're young, one hour can change everything."

Empty Feeling

That's exactly what I have today, an empty feeling. My Buckeyes again lost in the BCS National Championship game, just like last year. They weren't embarrassed quite as bad as they were last year, but it still sucks. I know that it's just a football game, and last year taught me that life will go on, but it still sucks to watch your team and your state get humilated like that again.

It sucks, but come next August, the Ohio State Buckeyes will play football again...and the sun still came up this morning, so that's always a good sign...

That's about it, I just needed to vent and put these thoughts down...

At least my favorite show, One Tree Hill starts it's fifth season tonight...I can't wait!!!

Later Dudes

New Year's Resolutions...

Well, the New Year has come and gone, and I haven't had a chance to put my New Year's Resolutions in writing, so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone and put them and writing and make a blog post, so here it goes:

1. Lose 30 lbs. by June 1st. Kylie bet me $100 bucks in chips when we get to Vegas that I can't lose 30 lbs. I think this will be relatively easy, as its really only 5 pounds a month. I've already started changing the diet a little, and I plan to start using the eliptical machine every morning.

2. Keep it off. This could be a challenge. I'm sure while we're in Vegas and in Jamica there will be plenty of delicious food, so it might be a challenge when I get back. I think that if I start a daily routine, I'll be ok.

3. Pay off all credit card debt. We're actually in pretty good shape on this one, as I have a plan in place to pay all this off (except for about $600) by the wedding. The challenge is to not use the credit cards once their paid off.

4. Save $3,000. With all that's going on this year, this could be a little tough, but with the wedding gifts we COULD receive (I'm not expecting anything, but I'm sure we'll get some generous gifts), I think we'll be able to get to this # if we're smart.

5. Have $1,500 in each of our IRA's by '09. This could be challenging as well. Kylie's tips should easily fund her $1,500, but I'm not sure how I'll fund mine. I don't want to rely on her tips for mine, so I'll probably have to generate some additional income in order to do this. Guess I need to figure out how to do that.

6. Have $1,000 in an emergency fund by '09. This is kinda important, as we need to have something back (instead of a credit card) in case of unexpected expenses like car repairs, medical expenses, etc. I hope to get this accomplished early in '09.

7. Start playing poker again. I would really like to start playing again, as I really miss it and the extra income (when I was playing well) was nice. I'd like to have a bankroll of $1,500 by the end of the year.

Those are my New Year's resolutions for the year. Of course there are others, like being a better fiance/husband to Kylie, house improvements, etc, but I'm confident in my ability to accomplish those. I wanted to put these ones in writing so I can hold myself to them. I'll try to post updates throughout the year on my progress.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season. I wish for you all to spend 2008 doing amazing things with the amazing people in your life. Remember, life is what you make of it, and it's all about the experiences. Peace.

"It's not the destination, it's the journey"

The Nameless Blog

I promised I'd write more...that was over 2 months ago, and this is my first post since then. Well, I've just been busy. Not doing anything terribly important or exciting, just working really. Kylie was confronted with a less than appealing medical situation, that required her to have surgery but it seems like that has worked itself out...hopefully.

I finished up my first class in this expierment of me going back to school. I ended up with a B...could've done better, but alot of things came up at once, and I didn't have alot of time to put into the last two projects for the class, so a B is what I get. Listen to my excuses...I should've gotten an A, but I pretty much blew off the last two projects and did them at the last second, which is what I usually do with school stuff. Hopefully I can avoid that this quarter.

Christmas is coming up, and that's exciting...I guess. I'm really trying to be smarter with money and get some debt paid off, while at the same time saving for the wedding in Vegas and the honeymoon in Jamaica...but Christmas isn't really cooperating. I still really like Christmas, but it's kinda lost it's meaning to me in the past two years...it seems like spending money is the new meaning, not giving "gifts", no matter what their monetary value. Maybe next year when we'll have more money for Christmas, I'll get a little more involved and excited.

Other than that, not much going on. Trying to make this push at work so I can get me 2k bonus for the 4th quarter...that would be sweet. No quote today, I don't feel like taking the time to find one...maybe next time. See ya!

It's Been Sooooooo Long!!

I'm back...

It's been a long time, and I've had a TON going on, but I'm going to do my best to start writing more. I want to be able to look back on this blog and remember this time in my life, and I won't be able to do that unless I write some stuff...

Since I last posted, I've bought a house, got a new job, bought another puppy, and have spent a ton of $$ on the wedding preparations. I'm going to start writing more, but I just wanted to throw this post up to get things started...

Also, I don't know if I'll be posting the quotes with EVERY post, but I'll still try to make keep them frequent.

That's all for now, more hopefully this weekend...

All These Things That I've Done

I just sat down to write this, knowing that it has been a long time since I last posted. I'm going to stop promising that I'll post more often, becuause the truth is I probably won't. I'm going to be a lot busier in the next couple months than I have been, so I know more frequent posts are not in the near future. The point I'm trying to make is that life is busy, and I don't know how much I'll be able to post coming up, but that's ok. My life seems to be coming together, and it's a good feeling.

I've been thinking the past couple days about how lucky I am. I have a wonderful family that has supported me in anything I've ever done, whether they agreed with it or not. They've always been there, and have provided me with the material things I've needed (or wanted) to the best of their abilities. I have really great friends who are always there, and we always look out for each other, while having a blast together at the same time. Most importantly though, I have the best finace anyone could ever ask for. She puts up with me when I'm in a bad mood, and sometimes I'm sure that can be a chore in itself. She's beautiful, caring, and she's the woman of my dreams. I'm very lucky to have her, and she's spun my life around 180 degrees, which is exactly what I needed.

The reason I've been thinking about this is because of the things I've had the opportunity to do in my life. I might not have the best job, I might not have the best things, but I've had the opportunity to do A LOT of things. Now that we just went to the Final Four, I've got to watch both a College Basketball and College Football National Championship. I've been to like 30 states. I've played baseball everywhere from Ohio to Tennessee to Oklahoma. I've played poker at some of the biggest and best casinos in the world. Now, I'm no high roller by any means, but I've had the opportunity to do a lot of things in my life, and for that, I'm very thankful.

Well, Vegas was fun…I don't feel like talking too much about it right now, so that'll be that. I might post some pictures on here randomly just for fun.

The Final Four was cool too…it just sucks we lost the National Championship game…especially to Florida. Oh well, nothing we can do. Here are a few pics…

That's all for now…who knows when I'll be back.

"Have you ever wondered what marks our timing? If one life can really make an impact on the world? Or if the choices we make matter? I believe they do. And I believe that one man can change many lives... for better, or worse."

Lifetime Piling Up

Whew…doesn't seem like there is any time to slow down these days. When I was younger, I always wondered why adults always said they were so busy. I didn't understand how they had all these things to do. Now I do. Everything is so hectic, and there is just so much to get done. There just isn't enough hours in the day.

We've been back from Vegas for about a week and a half, and yet I still haven't had time to post a trip report. An abbreviated version might come in this blog futher down, but I haven't decided yet. I'd like to do a nice full one, so we'll see.

My mom got out of the hospital while we were in Vegas, but then had to go back in 3 days later. She had fluid on her lungs, which was causing her a lot of pain, so they had to put a chest tube in to drain the fluid. The problem is that she has been on blood thinner (and will be for awhile) to stop clots from forming, so they had to stop her blood thinner and wait for her blood level to get back to normal so she wouldn't bleed to death when they put the tube in. So she's been in the hospital for a week and a half. The good news is that she had the tube taken out yesterday, and as soon as they can get her blood thinner level back up, she should be able to go home for good…at least let's pray it's for good. She's been through more in the last year and a half than any human should have to endure during their entire life. She deserves to catch a break here soon.

Other than that, we're trying to find a house still. It's starting to get a little frustrating, but hopefully we can find something we like soon. I'm also trying to get some bills paid off before we get a house. I've been pretty irrresponsible with money this past year, and I'm paying for it now…literally. I've been trying to work some overtime to get the extra cash to pay off some of these debts, but with my mom in the hospital it's hard to find the time. I try to go see her everyday because I know it can get lonely in the hospital, but it shortens my evenings. I shouldn't be complaining though, she's the one that has to be in there.

I did finally pay off Kylie's ring!!! I'm pretty proud of myself actually. I came up with $5,000 in a little less than 5 months. That's pretty impressive…at least to me. I had 0% interest until December, but I didn't want that big debt hanging over my head, plus it wouldn't look good when we apply for a loan for a house. That's all for now…I've decided to do a full trip report here soon. Give me a week. I'll talk to ya later.

"There are moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a crossroads. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days. And, of course when faced with the unknown, most of us prefer to turn around and go back. But, once in a while, people push onto something better. Something found just beyond the pain of going it alone. And just beyond the bravery and courage it takes to let someone in. Or to give someone a second chance. Something beyond the quiet persistence of a dream. Because, it's only when you’re tested that you truly discover who you are. And, it's only when you're tested that you discover who you can be. The person you want to be does exist; somewhere on the other side of hard work and faith and belief. And, beyond the heartache and fear of what lies ahead."

These Are The Times That Try Mens Souls

I know it’s been awhile, but I actually have good reasons this time. I’ve had way TOO much going on, and haven’t even had time to sort out all of my thoughts, let alone enough time to sit down and write about them. I’ll try to keep this short, as I’ve got a lot to get done today since we’re leaving for Vegas on Monday.

First, my mom was life flighted from Marion General Hospital on Friday February 2nd. They took her to Riverside because each of her lungs was 75% blocked with blood clots. This is a very serious situation, and most people that suffer from this die within 30 minutes. It was pretty touch and go there for awhile, but they’ve taken her out of Intensive Care and she’s doing much better. It was probably the most scared I’ve ever been in my life. For the first time, I really wasn’t sure if she was going to make it. I could go into a lot more detail, but I don’t really see any need for it. The only thing that matters now is that she’s getting better, and the doctors expect a full recovery.

The next thing to report is that Kylie and I put an offer on a house the other day. We still haven’t heard if it’s accepted or not, but I’ve got my fingers crossed. It’s a pretty new house built in 2001, and I think it’d be perfect for us where we’re at in our lives now. We’re going to be pretty strapped financially for a little while if we get it, but we’ll figure it out. I just want to get away from apartment living!!

Lastly, we’re heading to Vegas for 4 nights. We leave Monday morning and we’ll be in Vegas by 10 a.m. I don’t know if I’ll get to gamble or play poker as much as I’d like to while we’re there, but I’m looking forward to getting away and spending some time with Kylie. It should be a blast, and since I got a new digital camera, I plan on taking a TON of pictures, so I’ll make sure to post them.

That’s all for now. Sorry it’s been so long, but hopefully everything will settle down a little and I can get back to a normal routine. Til’ next time…

"When life comes rushing at you from our of the darkness, who will you choose to face it with? Will it be someone you trust? Will they be wise?And will their love for you help them to guide you to the light? Or will they lose their way in the darkness? Will they make noble choices? Or will that person be someone untested, someone new? Life comes rushing at you from out of the darkness, when it does -- is there someone in your life you can count on? Someone who will watch over you when you stumble and fall? And in that moment, give you the strength to face your fears alone?"

This Weight Is A Gift

Man, have I been lazy lately…I'm still stuck in the holiday mode, so I need to kick it in to gear. Starting next week, I'll be working overtime again, so I can start saving for the wedding…wow, never thought I'd be saying that…but that's how it goes. Life seems to work in funny ways, and when you are least expecting something, like finding the person of your dreams, poof…they show up in your life. Maybe everything does work out in the end.

I've been really stressed lately though. It seems like with this wedding, honeymoon, and trying to save money for a house, times are going to be a little tough for the next year and a half. Not to mention that I still have to pay off Kylie's ring before January 1st of next year. Throw all that together with about a 1,000 other things that have to get done or need my attention, and it makes me really stressed. I've tried to tell myself that everything will work itself out, which I'm sure it will, but it's hard to not stress about it. I think that times like these are thrust upon people to help them figure out how much they can handle. I know I'll figure out a way to get through this and I'll come up with the $$ for everything, and in the long run it'll help me because I'll know that I can do anything I need to do. So this burden isn't actually a burden at all, just a challenge that will allow me to take another step in becoming the person I want to be.

My Buckeyes also got WAXED in the National Championship game. They were favored to win, and to be honest I didn't think Florida had a chance…but they came out and dominated the Bucks…the OSU Marching Band did a new version of script Ohio at halftime, when the Buckeyes were down by 20. Check it out.

Also, we've decided on a date and location for the wedding. We're getting married on June 27, 2008 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Mark your calendars, it should be an awesome time!!

On the poker front, I've decided to get back to what makes me money…tournaments and sit n go's. I will mostly play sit n go's, but I want to improve my multi-table tournament game as well. When I was making half-way decent money, I was playing sit n go's…I was up to $20 buy ins, and I hope to be back there in a couple months. I don't think I can play no limit cash games until I learn to control my tilting…I need to get better at that. This is all I've got for now, so I'll catch ya later.

"There comes a time when every life goes off course. In this desperate moment, you must choose your direction. Will you fight to stay on path? Will others tell you who you are? Or will you label yourself? Will you be haunted by your choice? Or will you embrace your new path? Each morning you choose to move forward or simply give up."

Champagne For My Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends

I know it's been awhile. I apologize…I'm just lazy.

Well I have some big news…I'm engaged!! I asked Kylie to marry me last Friday night, and luckily she said yes. It was something that I knew was going to happen for awhile, but I just wasn't sure when. I had thought about waiting until the spring, but I changed my mind. Recently my mom and my aunt have had some health problems, and it got me thinking…none of us are promised tomorrow, so we might as well let the people we care about know how we feel. So I decided to make it part of her Christmas, and I think she was pretty excited…Now I have to pay for the damn thing, which from the past experience of paying the first bill, is ZERO fun. Anyways…

This is the time of year where everyone makes New Year's resolutions, so I figured I'd join in. These are really resolutions…more like goals. So without further adieu, here are my goals for 2007:

I would like to get my credit card debts paid off in 2007. I have a regular credit card, My Circuit City account that my TV and Xbox are on, and the Fred Meyer account that Kylie's ring is on. This may not be possible in 07, but I'm going to try.

I'd like to play more poker, and build my bankroll to around $2,000. That's where it was before I started taking $$ out, so that's my goal.

I'd like to get in better shape. I was doing pretty well around Sam and Keith's wedding, but then I started eating crappy again.

That's pretty much all I've got…I try to keep it simple. If I don't post again before January 1st, I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year. Good Luck in 07!!

"When life comes rushing at you from out of the darkness, who will you choose to face it with? Will it be someone you trust? Will they be wise? And will their love for you help them to guide you to the light? Or will they lose their way in the darkness? Will they make noble choices? Or will that person be someone untested, someone new? Life comes rushing at you from out of the darkness, and when it does -- is there someone in your life you can count on? Someone who will watch over you when you stumble and fall? And in that moment, give you the strength to face your fears alone?"

Truth, Bitter Truth

I've been thinking a lot this week about being a good person, and if it really matters or not. One of my favorite shows had an episode this week, which got me thinking a lot. The premise of the episode was whether or not the actions you take, even the little ones, affect your life and the lives of the people around you. Since it's a TV show, the final verdict was yes, it matters and can affect others as well. But my question is, does it really?

I think it's pretty obvious that what you do affects others, and sometimes the affects can be profound. But should you consider others feelings when you make decisions? It seems that in todays world, you need to be cutthroat in order to succeed, and being a good person and being kind takes a backseat.

This brings me to two things. First, I like to think I'm a good person, and I care about others, and try to do what's right. This hasn't always been the case, but I like to think I've come along way from the person I used to be. Although I have along way to go, I think overrall I'm the type of person I want to be. Well, do the people I used to know when I was different really care? Does it matter to them that I've changed, and I'm different? When I see someone I used to know, in the mall or something, will they mutter "he's an asshole" to the person they're with. Probably. So, in some (not all, hopefully) cases, no matter what you do, you'll always be the person you used to be. Some people will always judge you by some wrong that you committed against them, and even if you cure cancer you won't be able to change their opinion of them. I must say that I am sometimes guilty of judging people this way. I try all the time to get better, be more mature, and forget about things that have happened in the past…but it's not always easy. So, to some people, I'll always be the arrogant, selfish, high school jock that I was 7 years ago…and that's fine, because I know that's not who I am now.

Secondly, can you be successful, and still be a good person. Pretty much every successful (mostly $$ wise, and I mean successful as in owning a company, big house, etc.) person you hear about or know is arrogant, full of themselves, or incredibly mean. I know the business world is hard place to succeed, and sometimes you have to be cold and cutthroat to be successful, but can you be the person you want to be and be as financially successful as you want to be? Or do you have to sacrifice your morals or values to be successful?

I'm not sure what conclusion I'm trying to come to here. I just think maybe this is a bridge I'll have to cross in the future, but I guess I'll worry about it then. During this thinking process of mine, the only thing that has become glaringly obvious is that I'm neither the person I want to be nor financially successful as I want to be. So maybe I shouldn't be worrying about this. Regardless, it's something I wanted to figure out, and I thought that writing it down may be helpful…it really wasn't. Til next time, enjoy this freezing cold and enjoy the holiday season.

"Regret comes in all shapes and sizes. Some small. Like when we do a bad thing for a good reason. Some are bigger. Like when we let down a friend. Some of us escape the pangs of regret by making the right choice. Some of us have little time for regret because we're looking forward to the future. Sometimes we have to fight to come to terms with the past. And sometimes we bury our regret by promising to change our ways. But our biggest regrets are not for the things we did but for the things we didn't do. Things we didn't say that could have saved someone we care about. Especially when we can see the dark storm that's headed their way".

Happy Holidays

It's the Holiday Season, and I'm starting to get excited for Christmas. It's only 3 weeks away, and I need to get some shopping done. I've (and will continue) to work overtime at work, so I haven't had much chance to do things I'd like to, like post on here. Plus I haven't had any motivation.

I've been playing quite a bit of poker online, and I'm doing ok. I decided that I want to start taking the poker thing a little more seriously, so I'm going to sit down and come up with some goals for poker. I want to start making progress instead of spinning my wheels, per se. I'll try to get that done before Christmas and I'll post them on here.

Going to have a lot of running around to do in the next few weeks because of the holidays, so I'm not sure how much I'll post…but I'll give it my best effort. If not, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'll talk to you soon!!

"Merry Christmas"

Twas' The Night Before Michigan

Twas the night before game time,
And all round the shoe,
Not a creature was sleeping,
They were screaming Beat Blue.
The banners were hung by the lamp posts with care
In hopes that St.Troy would find Ginn through the air.
Drunken and crazy and burning their beds,
While visions of kick off danced through their heads.
When all of the sudden there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the keg to see what was the matter.
When there in the sky, in a Coupe DeVille sleigh,
Was Woody Hayes decked out in scarlet and gray.
He looked on the crowd that was gathered around,
And said that he heard that a game was in town.
I came here to watch it, and wish you good luck.
Though it's not like you need it, cause Michigan Sucks!

Chicago Is So Two Years Ago

This post is well overdue, but here it goes...keep in mind I wrote this the day after we got back from Chicago, I've just been too lazy to post it.

Ahhh…it's good to be home! It was an awesome trip to Chicago, but it was exhausting. We probably walked 10-15 miles in two days, so it's Tuesday and I'm still recovering. It was fun though, and I would definetly recommend Chicago to anyone.

We got in at about 8:45 Saturday morning and took a cab from the airport to our Hotel. The second we stepped out of the cab, Mother Nature's winter grip slowly started to tighten on Chicago. It wasn't freezing cold, but the buildings in Chicago serve as pseudo wind tunnels, and it is the whipping winds are hard to bare at times. The Hotel was awesome, and I'll try to post a pic or two, but since I lost my f#$%ing camera, I'll have to get the pictures from Kylie. (I'll talk more about that later.) We went up on the Sears Tower on Saturday morning, and got a beautiful view of the Windy City. They say you can see up to 50 miles on some days, but I think the visibility was ONLY 30 miles when we went up. I can now say I've been on the two tallest buildings in America, the Sears Tower and the Stratosphere in Vegas. (I think that's true, I'll have to look that up).

The rest of the day we did some shopping and relaxed in the hotel room. We watched some of the Buckeyes game and then went to dinner at a nice little café on Navy Pier. Afterwards, we retired to the room to chill out and just relax for a little bit. We had a long day ahead of us on Sunday, so we wanted to get some shut eye in the KING size bed we had. Ah, how nice that was.

Sunday, Mother Nature saw it fit to relieve some of the wintery pressure on us, and it was a pretty decent day in Chicago. We had to check out at noon, and our flight didn't leave until 9, so we had a whole lotta time to kill. We started by going to lunch at a 50's style dinner about 2 miles from our hotel. It was a pretty cool place with really good food. I wish we had a place like that around here. It was a little pricy, as are most things in Chicago, but it was pretty cool.
This is where the camera comes in. We took a cab to NikeTown, and in the process, I left my camera in the cab. I didn\'t realize it for about an hour, and by then I was screwed. I made a few feeble efforts to contact the lost and found departments of various cab companies in Chicago, but it was to no avail. I suppose I have to get a new one.

So Sunday, we pretty much shopped all day. In shopping at all of these fine establishments in Chicago, I noticed that all most of the doors are of the revolving nature. The doors that actually opened were all EXTREMELY heavy. They were all at least 3 inches think and made of the heaviest wood you could imagine. The only reason I could come up with for these heavy doors is that it makes it harder for people to break in. But be prepared for a workout if you go shopping in Chicago.

After about 6 solid hours of walking around Chicago, we got on the train and went to the airport. We got there kind of early, but it was nice to relax and chill before we flew home. We got back to our apartment at about midnight, and that wrapped up our trip. Like I said, it was a blast, and it was nice to get away for even just a weekend. It's back to the daily grind now, so I'll try to keep ya'll updated on any exciting happenings. I wouldn't cross you fingers if I were you.

"You ever look at a picture of yourself and see a stranger in the background? It makes you wonder how many strangers have pictures of you, how many moments of other peoples lives have we been in,we're we a part of someone's life when their dreams came true, or were we there when their dreams died. Did we keep trying to get in, as if we were somehow destined to be there, or did the shot take us by surprise. Just think, you could be a big part of someone else's life, and not even know it."

Good News For People Who Love Bad News

Man...poker is sure a humbling game. About 2 weeks ago, I deposited $130 in Absolute Poker and $150 at Full Tilt. Well, I worked the $130 at Absolute up to about $350, and the $150 at Full Tilt up to about $200. I was playing pretty well, getting some good breaks, and all my bluffs were working. And then...it all went to shit. In the past week, I lost all $350 at Absolute Poker, and I just cashed out only $143 at Full Tilt, and that's after receiving a $20 bonus. So I lost about $80 there. So I've lost about $430 in the past week, playing .50-$1 NL and .25-.5 NL. If that doesn't humble you in a hurry, I don't know what will. I'm going to take a break for about a week to refresh myself. I need to get away from it for a little while and get a fresh perspective. I've been playing so much, I just got in a rut and I couldn't get out. The good thing is that all of that is profit. I started out with $50, and with bonuses, sports betting, and poker, (even after thisatrociouss week) I still have $1,000. So I guess it could be worse.

We leave for Chicago in a few days. I need this little "get away" to re-charge my batteries. Hopefully it'll tide me over until I can get back to Vegas. I'll have a full trip report sometime next week. Later...

"There comes a time when every life goes off course. In this desperate moment, you must choose your direction. Will you fight to stay on path? Will others tell you who you are? Or will you label yourself? Will you be haunted by your choice? Or will you embrace your new path? Each morning you choose to move forward or simply give up.There comes a time when every life goes off course. In this desperate moment who will you be? Will you let down your defenses, and find solace in someone unexpected? Will you reach out? Will you face your greatest fear bravely? And move forward with faith. Or will you succumb to the darkness in your soul?"

Can't Stop This Thing We Started

So I'm back. I wish I had some awesome story to tell you about traveling the world or hitting the lottery or something…but I don't. My life has been painfully, well, painfully the same lately. I haven't done much to alter this routine, so I guess the only person to blame is the person typing these words. Which by the way, although they are arranged differently, are mostly the same words I've typed in the past 4 or 5 entries. I need to get a life!!

Poker was going good the past week or so, but I've managed to dust off all the profits from the past week in the past two nights. I attribute my success, and then my terrible failure to a couple things:

1. I was playing too many hands (i.e. suited connectors, big connectors like KQ & QJ, and small pairs) either too aggressively or out of position.

2. I was bluffing entirely too much…and getting away with it. So when I started to get called, it was big trouble.

3. I was calling too much, especially out of position.

All 3 of the problems listed above are BIG trouble. If you do any or all of these with any regularity, it's going to catch up with you. Couple those with a few bad beats (ex. My AQ against Q8 on a flop of QQ6. All the money went in on the flop, which was about $125 and the 8 hits on the river to send me packing with my balls in my stomach) and you get the past two days for me. Thems the breaks I guess, so it's time to stop feeling sorry for myself and correct the problems.

Onto other things. Next weekend Kylie and I are going to Chicago. We're flying out on Saturday morning and coming back late Sunday night, so it should be a nice little escape for us. I'm really looking forward to it, and I hope I can get some really cool pictures to post. I think we're both looking forward to getting away and spending some time together.

I'll try to post between now and then, but if not I'll have a full trip report afterwards. Everyone enjoy your weekend!!

"There are moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a crossroads. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days. And, of course when faced with the unknown, most of us prefer to turn around and go back. But, once in a while, people push onto something better. Something found just beyond the pain of going it alone. And just beyond the bravery and courage it takes to let someone in. Or to give someone a second chance. Something beyond the quiet persistence of a dream. Because, it's only when you’re testedthat you truly discover who you are. And, it's only when you're tested that you discover who you can be. The person you want to be does exist; somewhere on the other side of hard work and faith and belief. And, beyond the heartache and fear of what lies ahead."

The Same Deep Water As You

What's up? I've been wanting to write something to post, but I just can't come up with anything worthwhile. I've lost whatever creative juices I used to have, and they probably weren't that creative anyways. So, most likely, I'm going to ramble on for a little while about absolutely nothing, and then end this thing…

Something horrible happened over the weekend, and it's simply ridiculous. Congress passed a bill that makes it illegal to gamble online. This bill is completely un-American, and it disgusts me. This bill makes it illegal for banks and credit card companies to process transactions with online gaming sites…they're trying to cut off the pipeline of money to online gambling. I personally don't think this will work because sites like Neteller will still be operational, and it's not illegal for banks to make transactions with sites like these. You simply make a deposit to Neteller from your bank account, and then deposit the money into the online gaming site from Neteller. The thing that is really going to hurt is that some companies are going to stop allowing U.S. customers to use their site. I truly don't think this is going to fly, and I think they'll be numerous lawsuits challenging the validity of this law, along with it's constutationality…if that's a word. But you get my drift. So, the "Race to 5K" might be cut short due to those conservative bastards that run our country. I mean, how much more ridiculous can it get? Americans are supposed to have freedom of choice, but this bill essentially eliminates our right to choose whether we want to gamble online or not…it's ludicrous.

On another front, there is A LOT of good T.V. shows on this season. I've been busy watching quite a few of them…along with College Football on Saturdays and the NFL on Sundays, I don't have much time to do anything besides work and watch T.V.!! I need to stop being such a lazy S.O.B. and start exercising or something…we'll see how that goes.

Well, I was hoping to write something meaningful this time, but as usual I failed miserably. I guess I just don't have that many interesting things to say…damn. I'll talk at you all again later...

"We are all vulnerable, and we all at some point in our lives will fall. We will all fall. It is these times...it is this pain, that allows us to look inside ourselves."

Holiday From Real

This is messed up...I don't know what happened to this site since I last posted, but I can't post in the font I want to...what a bunch of BS. Oh well. Well nothing has really been happening, so that's why I haven't been posting. I've been too busy watching football all the time. I haven't gotten much chance to play poker either, although I'd like to play more often. I'm still at about $400 for my "race to 5k" thing. I don't really have much to talk about, but it't won't be as long til I post again...I promise. Til' next time...

P.S. I fixed the font thing!!!!

"Don't judge a person on whether he or she encounters adversity...make your judgement based on how they react to that adversity."

On the Way Up

Well, well. Cedar Point was a bust. It was fun, but the lines were so long we only got to ride 3 rides. It was still nice to be able to get away, even for only a day. Although I'm now exhausted, which I'm not sure why because it wasn't like it was hard work or anything.

I got the free $75 on PartyPoker up to $283…and with the extra $25 bonus I got from PartyPoker for playing 1,000 hands, that's up to $308. A big had is when I had aces on the button, raised, got reraised and called by two players, and then I reraised all in. The small blind called me reraise and the other caller folded, and the flop came with an A, so that pretty much put the other guy with JJ out on the street. Add that with the $70 I have on Ultimate Bet, I'm up to $380. So I'm starting to make a little progress. It feels good to have a little bit of cash in the ole poker account.

We got a new grill, so we're gonna be doing some cooking out in the near future!!! Gotta go fire the grill up baby!!!

18 days til the BUCKEYES!!!

Don't forget to check out my website at www.freewebs.com/sdogg10. Later dudes!

"Appetite, with an opinion pf attaining, is called hope; the same, without such opinion, despair."