" A Quicky"
I just wanted to make a quick post. Ok so it is a new definition for the term "Quicky"!
Everything went well in Ohio. I damn near missed my return flight. My sister is still laughing at me for all the cus words I was blurting after driving 16 miles past the airport. Saving grace was the fact the clock in the rental was WRONG! Gambling with airports is not fun!
Speaking of gambling I had a revelation last night. I was playing $.05/.10 No Limit. Twice I got a good read on the other player when heads up and won some decent sized pots. I did not let them bully me into folding. The revelation came when I was forced to go all-in with one caller to go. The third person called. Once again I had a good read on the player who put me all-in and I would have beat him; however, the other caller had the nuts. So the revelation for me is to think more carefully about going all-in if there are other players that could call. It is all about 'position". Oh and that applies for a "quicky" too!
I am looking forward to playing in the Austin blogger tournament on Saturday. Hmmmm! What strategy will I deploy? Definitely a bunch of tough players! I am definitely hoping to "Crack the Hammer". I think a little experimenting is in order. It will be a long drive to south Austin, so I must place in the money in order to pay for the gas. I am betting it will be $2.89 by Saturday. Sheesh!
I sure wish we had mass transit planned for Austin and not toll roads. Soon no one will be able to afford to put their cars on these roads.
Party on!
Monday, August 22, 2005
"Blowing Off Steam"
I got home from RCIA and there just was no way I could go to sleep. The 5:00 AM alarm will be rude. I thought I would play some cards and catch up on some blogs. Definitely some good write ups from the event in South Carolina.
Scott - thanks for your kind words.
I must say I just got screwed royally in a 6 person SNG. There were four players left. Two of us around $2k and the other two at $4.5K. I get dealt JJ. The flop comes Q35. I do not recall the river, but I go all-in. I get called by one of the larger stacks from the SB. He called half his stack with 34o. A f'n 4 hits on the river and I am out. I read him correctly and played it correctly. That is the way the cookie crumbles.
Looks like I will not be leaving for Ohio until late Thursday. I need to load up the poker game my Brother in law got me for X-mas on my laptop. Won't be the same as playing for money, but mindless on the plane none the less. Do they have wireless net on planes yet?
I am going to chug my Guinness and see if I can fall asleep. For some reason my brain will not let me. Perhaps another Guinness is in order.
I am looking forward to the Austin Blogger event. It is way south, but I will manage. My better half keeps trying to make other plans, but I reminded her that I am booked.
Play on!
I got home from RCIA and there just was no way I could go to sleep. The 5:00 AM alarm will be rude. I thought I would play some cards and catch up on some blogs. Definitely some good write ups from the event in South Carolina.
Scott - thanks for your kind words.
I must say I just got screwed royally in a 6 person SNG. There were four players left. Two of us around $2k and the other two at $4.5K. I get dealt JJ. The flop comes Q35. I do not recall the river, but I go all-in. I get called by one of the larger stacks from the SB. He called half his stack with 34o. A f'n 4 hits on the river and I am out. I read him correctly and played it correctly. That is the way the cookie crumbles.
Looks like I will not be leaving for Ohio until late Thursday. I need to load up the poker game my Brother in law got me for X-mas on my laptop. Won't be the same as playing for money, but mindless on the plane none the less. Do they have wireless net on planes yet?
I am going to chug my Guinness and see if I can fall asleep. For some reason my brain will not let me. Perhaps another Guinness is in order.
I am looking forward to the Austin Blogger event. It is way south, but I will manage. My better half keeps trying to make other plans, but I reminded her that I am booked.
Play on!
"A TRIBUTE"
At 7:5AM EST a great man passed away this morning. He is my grandfather, Charles A Leet. I am very sad and uncertain as to the near term future. I will make it to Geneva Ohio to pay tribute to this great man. Not sure how yet, but I will make it!
I am very sad! In my sorrow I must pay a tribute to my Grandfather. I also must ask that God hold my mother and care for her! Dear God please guide our family through this time of sorrow.
"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen!"
Charles A Leet was the kindest man. In my lifetime I only recall him raising his voice once in a negative way. It took a miraculous golf shot to raise the ire of my Grandfather. My brother and I had been hitting golf balls on the course where my Grandfather's home backed up to. My brother took careful aim and hit a 9 iron toward the house, which was protected by huge trees. We looked in amazement as that ball traveled the height of those huge trees and headed for the house. The little golf ball managed to dodge one billion branches and find its way to the large sliding glass door on the back of Grandpa's house. He was not happy and rightfully so!
I remember at a very young age my Grandfather would host parties at his house on Bathgate. One specific time he served Mai tai drinks to all of his guests. With me being a deviant child, I spent the day drinking down half full glasses of the delicious nectar. Yes this was the first time for me to get drunk. It was not pleasant at the age of ten vomiting and making my Dad pull over on the way home. This was either an omen or a first lesson in the life ahead of me.
I do not recall my age, but I do recall twice when my Grandfather went out of his way to surprise my brother and me. Once he took us horse back riding. He nervously watched us ride around the corral. The horse my brother was on was a bit feisty and bucked a few times. I am sure it made Grandpa a nervous wreck, but I know my brother and I appreciated every last second of our first time on a horse. One day he really surprised us by taking us up in a small airplane. I do not recall what kind of plane it was, but as a kid I always wondered how my Grandfather could spend so much money for us to be up in this plane. We flew along Lake Erie and I vividly remember seeing God's handy work and a rainbow of colors along the shores of a murky lake.
I am not sure I ever let him know how much he inspired me with those generous trips. I was around 12 or 13 years old and I was all about making money. I would rake leaves, shovel snow, and mow lawns to earn extra cash. My Grandfather was a realtor and asked me to mow some of his properties. I was glad my Dad had to tote me around, because some of the yards were huge. At least as I remember them. Receiving a check from my Grandfather was like receiving a pot of gold. I recall one day he asked me to mow his yard. Or perhaps I begged to mow it since it required a riding lawn mower. He showed me how to operate it and off I went. Of course I was going about it all wrong. He quickly came out to correct my technique. It seemed like it took forever that day to mow the grass, but heck it was on a riding lawn mower.
Holiday's at my Grandparents were always great. The one thing you could safely gamble on was the fact that at some point during the family gathering, Grandpa would play his electric organ. He loved experimenting with the drum beat and usually would play a peppy upbeat tune. I really wish he had the chance to hear our daughter play the piano. She plays beautifully and I hope his spirit fills her heart, so that she may continue to take on the challenge of practicing everyday. Yes I am crying at this point. It is Ok to grieve I guess, but I am trying to reflect on all of the wonderful things Grandpa provided us.
I am not just talking material things. His spirit was much much more than that. He traveled to Austin Texas for our wedding. My wife's family spoke very little English, yet he tried his best to fit in and make everyone comfortable. He went to El Paso Texas for the baptism of our daughter. Again he tried to fit in with everyone, despite the language barrier. Grandpa was fortunate and was able to travel to many places in the world. I believe he got along with everyone.
I am not sure how old I was, but either in High School or College. He told me an amazing story how he wanted to learn more about his family history. He started at the library. Either by word of mouth or via the library. He heard that there was a book somewhere in New York about the Leet family. He made the journey to find this book. Sure enough it was about his family. I believe it dated back to something like 1608. The really cool thing about it was the fact that his name was the last name in that book. The book ended with the birth of Charles A. Leet. I truly hope I can get access to that book. I am not sure I have the strength or the wisdom, but I think it would be truly great to continue that book and expand the legacy of Charles A. Leet.
The man was amazing and I am not sure I expressed often enough how he touched my heart. I am so glad that both of our children got to meet him. One hot summer we took him to Fredericksburg. It was extremely hot and it was difficult for Grandpa to keep up in the heat. He stopped in at a little store where they spun there own wool and made blankets etc... That day he ordered himself a handmade blanket from that little store. As usual he hit it off with store proprietor. I am sure he got a good deal on that blanket.
As I try to bring this tribute to conclusion I am in the middle of great debate. Do we take the kids out of school and make the long drive to Geneva Ohio or do I simply go and see this wonderful man alone? I know my Mom deep in her heart would want the kids there. I also know she understands the logistics and the cost to make that happen. I am confident that the Holy Spirit will guide me to the correct decision. I know I want my kids to remember him for his smile and caring demeanor. I am blessed in that I have had a lifetime of memories and our children only have a few brief encounters. I look forward to telling our children about my times with Grandpa and I hope they are blessed with some of his great traits.
We love you Grandpa! Thanks for everything you have provided this family. Your battle with Alzheimer's was a gallant one. I believe you are in good hands now. Please continue to fill us with your spirit and your guiding light. I hope you take the journey into heaven, knowing you have been a great influence to us all.
"Dear lord - please embrace my wonderful Mother. Hold her and hug her in this time of need. I will hold her and hug her, but she needs your strength to guide her and heal the loss of her father. I ask this in Christ our Lord! Amen!"
At 7:5AM EST a great man passed away this morning. He is my grandfather, Charles A Leet. I am very sad and uncertain as to the near term future. I will make it to Geneva Ohio to pay tribute to this great man. Not sure how yet, but I will make it!
I am very sad! In my sorrow I must pay a tribute to my Grandfather. I also must ask that God hold my mother and care for her! Dear God please guide our family through this time of sorrow.
"Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen!"
Charles A Leet was the kindest man. In my lifetime I only recall him raising his voice once in a negative way. It took a miraculous golf shot to raise the ire of my Grandfather. My brother and I had been hitting golf balls on the course where my Grandfather's home backed up to. My brother took careful aim and hit a 9 iron toward the house, which was protected by huge trees. We looked in amazement as that ball traveled the height of those huge trees and headed for the house. The little golf ball managed to dodge one billion branches and find its way to the large sliding glass door on the back of Grandpa's house. He was not happy and rightfully so!
I remember at a very young age my Grandfather would host parties at his house on Bathgate. One specific time he served Mai tai drinks to all of his guests. With me being a deviant child, I spent the day drinking down half full glasses of the delicious nectar. Yes this was the first time for me to get drunk. It was not pleasant at the age of ten vomiting and making my Dad pull over on the way home. This was either an omen or a first lesson in the life ahead of me.
I do not recall my age, but I do recall twice when my Grandfather went out of his way to surprise my brother and me. Once he took us horse back riding. He nervously watched us ride around the corral. The horse my brother was on was a bit feisty and bucked a few times. I am sure it made Grandpa a nervous wreck, but I know my brother and I appreciated every last second of our first time on a horse. One day he really surprised us by taking us up in a small airplane. I do not recall what kind of plane it was, but as a kid I always wondered how my Grandfather could spend so much money for us to be up in this plane. We flew along Lake Erie and I vividly remember seeing God's handy work and a rainbow of colors along the shores of a murky lake.
I am not sure I ever let him know how much he inspired me with those generous trips. I was around 12 or 13 years old and I was all about making money. I would rake leaves, shovel snow, and mow lawns to earn extra cash. My Grandfather was a realtor and asked me to mow some of his properties. I was glad my Dad had to tote me around, because some of the yards were huge. At least as I remember them. Receiving a check from my Grandfather was like receiving a pot of gold. I recall one day he asked me to mow his yard. Or perhaps I begged to mow it since it required a riding lawn mower. He showed me how to operate it and off I went. Of course I was going about it all wrong. He quickly came out to correct my technique. It seemed like it took forever that day to mow the grass, but heck it was on a riding lawn mower.
Holiday's at my Grandparents were always great. The one thing you could safely gamble on was the fact that at some point during the family gathering, Grandpa would play his electric organ. He loved experimenting with the drum beat and usually would play a peppy upbeat tune. I really wish he had the chance to hear our daughter play the piano. She plays beautifully and I hope his spirit fills her heart, so that she may continue to take on the challenge of practicing everyday. Yes I am crying at this point. It is Ok to grieve I guess, but I am trying to reflect on all of the wonderful things Grandpa provided us.
I am not just talking material things. His spirit was much much more than that. He traveled to Austin Texas for our wedding. My wife's family spoke very little English, yet he tried his best to fit in and make everyone comfortable. He went to El Paso Texas for the baptism of our daughter. Again he tried to fit in with everyone, despite the language barrier. Grandpa was fortunate and was able to travel to many places in the world. I believe he got along with everyone.
I am not sure how old I was, but either in High School or College. He told me an amazing story how he wanted to learn more about his family history. He started at the library. Either by word of mouth or via the library. He heard that there was a book somewhere in New York about the Leet family. He made the journey to find this book. Sure enough it was about his family. I believe it dated back to something like 1608. The really cool thing about it was the fact that his name was the last name in that book. The book ended with the birth of Charles A. Leet. I truly hope I can get access to that book. I am not sure I have the strength or the wisdom, but I think it would be truly great to continue that book and expand the legacy of Charles A. Leet.
The man was amazing and I am not sure I expressed often enough how he touched my heart. I am so glad that both of our children got to meet him. One hot summer we took him to Fredericksburg. It was extremely hot and it was difficult for Grandpa to keep up in the heat. He stopped in at a little store where they spun there own wool and made blankets etc... That day he ordered himself a handmade blanket from that little store. As usual he hit it off with store proprietor. I am sure he got a good deal on that blanket.
As I try to bring this tribute to conclusion I am in the middle of great debate. Do we take the kids out of school and make the long drive to Geneva Ohio or do I simply go and see this wonderful man alone? I know my Mom deep in her heart would want the kids there. I also know she understands the logistics and the cost to make that happen. I am confident that the Holy Spirit will guide me to the correct decision. I know I want my kids to remember him for his smile and caring demeanor. I am blessed in that I have had a lifetime of memories and our children only have a few brief encounters. I look forward to telling our children about my times with Grandpa and I hope they are blessed with some of his great traits.
We love you Grandpa! Thanks for everything you have provided this family. Your battle with Alzheimer's was a gallant one. I believe you are in good hands now. Please continue to fill us with your spirit and your guiding light. I hope you take the journey into heaven, knowing you have been a great influence to us all.
"Dear lord - please embrace my wonderful Mother. Hold her and hug her in this time of need. I will hold her and hug her, but she needs your strength to guide her and heal the loss of her father. I ask this in Christ our Lord! Amen!"
Thursday, August 18, 2005
“Sailing Away “
“Well it’s not far back to sanity, at least it’s not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find serenity
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see
Believe me”
Does anyone remember this Christopher Cross song? Well wind and miracles are two key words from this past Saturday.
Friday night I took our daughter to piano lessons. I decided to go to a near by bar called Hanover’s to study for my class and have a cold beer. I arrived and ran into an old friend (So much for studying). I was not quite in the mood for Guinness, so I compromised with a Black and Tan. My friend and I started conversing when one of his co-workers arrived. Very pleasant conversation; however, my friend made a rude comment to me. Last time I had seen him he had done a similar thing. I calming let it roll off my shoulders and ordered a Bass. Needless to say I am not sure this individual falls into the category of friend.
I left in a rush to pick up our daughter. She was a little upset because she was missing open house at her school. We quickly headed toward the school, but I knew we would not make it in time. The cell phone rang and it was my better half. I think she is psychic. “Honey we are going to go out to eat” with the K family and the H family. “Sounds great honey”! We went to Serrano’s Mexican Café. The main reason I mention this is for all of you parents out there in Austin land. Kids eat free Wednesday through Sunday with the purchase of an adult meal. This ends August 31st, so enjoy. Six adults drinking and 6 goofy children made for a great time, especially since I had an early start with 2 imperial pints.
OK Now to Saturday! I got up reasonably early because I had a long list of honey-do’s. I had permission to go sailing in the afternoon, but I HAD to accomplish certain honey-do’s. I cleaned the gutters! Now that was fun hanging on to the eve’s of the house for dear life and getting poked in the rear-end by spirea bushes. Yee-Ha! Next I did the normal yard beautification project of edge, mow, and trim. Finally I did my most favorite chore of pulling weeds for 2 plus hours. In total I spend about 4.0 hours in the hot Texas heat. Oh wait there is more! I come in from the hot sun and wet mop the floors. I did win the prize in that I could go sailing.
Remember the last time I went sailing there was no wind. This time there was wind and we are going to race. I had never participated in a regatta and I had no earthly clue what is expected of me, but here I am part of a three person crew on a 26 foot sailboat called Vitamin Sea. It is quite an amazing site watching 40 or so boats tacking back and forth across the lake vying for position and perfect access to the starting line. Mr. D our captain definitely had a plan.
The horn blasts into the air from the starters boat and 2 seconds later we zip past the starting line and the race is on. I believe there were 5-6 boats in our flight. I quickly learned my role with respect to the tacking maneuver. Back and forth we went, heading for the first buoy. We are battling it out for first place. The other boat cut directly in front of us twice. If you ask me just a little to close for comfort, but I was informed that that was part of the adventure. Around the first buoy we go, then we head toward the dam and the second buoy. We are still in a very tight race, but things are looking good. The other boat gets around the second buoy just ahead of us. At this point the wind is at our backs and we need to use the spinnaker. Check it out I know some sailing terms! FYI – Spinnaker is the huge and colorful sail. The other team got their spinnaker up with out a problem. Let’s just say we mucked up. First mate M was cursing and there I was not having a clue as to how I could help. Finally we get things straightened out, but now we are way behind.
We head to the third buoy. As we rounded this buoy we mucked up again. This time I had a little part in the fiasco. Captain D had asked me to steer the boat. Heck I did not know you move the rudder right to go left and left to go right. I think that is correct, but I was so confused. I did not do a good job, so I did not keep the wind in the sails like we are supposed to. I think somewhere in this chaos I received a rope burn on my middle finger. I was even wearing gloves! Another mistake and even further behind, but now we are in third place. Captain D is not happy!
You think this is fun! Just wait!
We head back to the buoy by the damn. This time we are ready for the spinnaker move. We executed it flawlessly. Got team! Soon we are back in second place. The really cool part is that we have to go the entire length of Lake Travis on this leg of the race. We got to relax a little bit and have a drink. I was not up for beer after Friday night. I slammed down a bottle of water. It was hot out on the lake, but we were to busy to really notice. Let me tell you working a sailboat is no picnic.
We seem to be making up some ground on the first place boat. I learned that we have to actually spot that team time, since we have a larger keel. I think the keel is the thingy under the boat. We are relaxing and enjoying the ride and it was a beautiful day. The third place boat was nowhere in site. We prepare to round the final buoy, so the spinnaker must come down. Captain D had given me some pointers. My role was to grab the spinnaker and get into the boat as quickly as possible. I stretched out and grabbed the proper rope and pulled handfuls of sail as fast as I possibly could. Then I grabbed the rope for the Genoa (smaller sail) and hoisted it up as quickly as possible. We did it flawlessly as we rounded the final buoy.
Then this look on my face appeared! “Holy shit!” Looking toward the finish line we see this wall of grey clouds. I mean a huge wall! Before we had time to breath the sky opened up, dumping buckets of giant rain drops. The wind increased at least by 3 times. The sailboat is almost on its side. I am clinging on for dear life. Captain D starts yelling “Get the Genoa down Get the Genoa down!” Instinctively I climb up onto the deck of the boat. The damn Genoa will not come down. If feels like we are about to flip over. First mate M and I are frantically trying to bring down that sail, but the wind was not cooperating. I grabbed onto the mast. I leaned out as far as I possibly could. I was able to grab onto the bottom of the Genoa. We tugged and pulled. Finally the sail came down and we stuffed it onto the front deck of the boat. Next thing we know Captain is yelling “Get the Genoa up! Get the Genoa up!” The storm had ended and by some miracle we are only a couple hundred yards behind the lead boat. We quickly jump into action and get the sail back up. We are now heading for the finish line. There was a beautiful rainbow in the sky and it was almost a complete rainbow. Wow that is also a miracle! And I am thinking to myself it is a miracle that my fat butt did not end up in the lake. It is a miracle that the boat did not capsize. One boat in the regatta apparently was not so lucky and it had been flipped over. The regatta sponsors had to pull someone out of the water. Everyone was OK!
The wind on the Lake was now tranquil and almost non-existent. We finished in second place about one minute behind the first place boat. Needless to say the Vitamin Sea would remain in first place over-all. There are six races total. I certainly hope to race again. The second half of the race was nearly flawless.
We ended up meeting my wife and kids at Johnny Carino’s, where I quickly slammed down 3 huge glasses of water and to huge root beers. Man I was thirsty!
What a great time! I can not help but think someone was watching over us. I got one message very loud and clear. “Wear a life jacket next time you idiot!” I probably will not listen to that voice, but it is probably sound advice. Give me that next list of honey do’s, because I am ready do experience it all over again! The other lesson I learned is that “Yes Honey, I am out of shape!” Let’s just say I was a little sore in the legs and arms on Monday.
Sunday we had some friends over for a light dinner and dessert. We had goat cheese and roasted red bell pepper sandwiches. We had a great visit!
Kids started school this week without a hitch. Our son started kindergarten and is really excited. He eagerly wakes up to get ready to go to school. Soccer season will soon be upon us, so we will have something going on every night of the week. For the first time in 9 years my wife and I do not have to work split shifts. It is really nice to have all four of us sit down to dinner every night. We still might have 3 different means, but that is a different story.
I have managed to play a little poker her and there, but nothing exciting. I do get tired of people complaining about the flaws of a given site or the way you played a hand. I guess that comes with the territory. I did manage to get a straight flush on my cell phone video poker.
Sail on!
“Well it’s not far back to sanity, at least it’s not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find serenity
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see
Believe me”
Does anyone remember this Christopher Cross song? Well wind and miracles are two key words from this past Saturday.
Friday night I took our daughter to piano lessons. I decided to go to a near by bar called Hanover’s to study for my class and have a cold beer. I arrived and ran into an old friend (So much for studying). I was not quite in the mood for Guinness, so I compromised with a Black and Tan. My friend and I started conversing when one of his co-workers arrived. Very pleasant conversation; however, my friend made a rude comment to me. Last time I had seen him he had done a similar thing. I calming let it roll off my shoulders and ordered a Bass. Needless to say I am not sure this individual falls into the category of friend.
I left in a rush to pick up our daughter. She was a little upset because she was missing open house at her school. We quickly headed toward the school, but I knew we would not make it in time. The cell phone rang and it was my better half. I think she is psychic. “Honey we are going to go out to eat” with the K family and the H family. “Sounds great honey”! We went to Serrano’s Mexican Café. The main reason I mention this is for all of you parents out there in Austin land. Kids eat free Wednesday through Sunday with the purchase of an adult meal. This ends August 31st, so enjoy. Six adults drinking and 6 goofy children made for a great time, especially since I had an early start with 2 imperial pints.
OK Now to Saturday! I got up reasonably early because I had a long list of honey-do’s. I had permission to go sailing in the afternoon, but I HAD to accomplish certain honey-do’s. I cleaned the gutters! Now that was fun hanging on to the eve’s of the house for dear life and getting poked in the rear-end by spirea bushes. Yee-Ha! Next I did the normal yard beautification project of edge, mow, and trim. Finally I did my most favorite chore of pulling weeds for 2 plus hours. In total I spend about 4.0 hours in the hot Texas heat. Oh wait there is more! I come in from the hot sun and wet mop the floors. I did win the prize in that I could go sailing.
Remember the last time I went sailing there was no wind. This time there was wind and we are going to race. I had never participated in a regatta and I had no earthly clue what is expected of me, but here I am part of a three person crew on a 26 foot sailboat called Vitamin Sea. It is quite an amazing site watching 40 or so boats tacking back and forth across the lake vying for position and perfect access to the starting line. Mr. D our captain definitely had a plan.
The horn blasts into the air from the starters boat and 2 seconds later we zip past the starting line and the race is on. I believe there were 5-6 boats in our flight. I quickly learned my role with respect to the tacking maneuver. Back and forth we went, heading for the first buoy. We are battling it out for first place. The other boat cut directly in front of us twice. If you ask me just a little to close for comfort, but I was informed that that was part of the adventure. Around the first buoy we go, then we head toward the dam and the second buoy. We are still in a very tight race, but things are looking good. The other boat gets around the second buoy just ahead of us. At this point the wind is at our backs and we need to use the spinnaker. Check it out I know some sailing terms! FYI – Spinnaker is the huge and colorful sail. The other team got their spinnaker up with out a problem. Let’s just say we mucked up. First mate M was cursing and there I was not having a clue as to how I could help. Finally we get things straightened out, but now we are way behind.
We head to the third buoy. As we rounded this buoy we mucked up again. This time I had a little part in the fiasco. Captain D had asked me to steer the boat. Heck I did not know you move the rudder right to go left and left to go right. I think that is correct, but I was so confused. I did not do a good job, so I did not keep the wind in the sails like we are supposed to. I think somewhere in this chaos I received a rope burn on my middle finger. I was even wearing gloves! Another mistake and even further behind, but now we are in third place. Captain D is not happy!
You think this is fun! Just wait!
We head back to the buoy by the damn. This time we are ready for the spinnaker move. We executed it flawlessly. Got team! Soon we are back in second place. The really cool part is that we have to go the entire length of Lake Travis on this leg of the race. We got to relax a little bit and have a drink. I was not up for beer after Friday night. I slammed down a bottle of water. It was hot out on the lake, but we were to busy to really notice. Let me tell you working a sailboat is no picnic.
We seem to be making up some ground on the first place boat. I learned that we have to actually spot that team time, since we have a larger keel. I think the keel is the thingy under the boat. We are relaxing and enjoying the ride and it was a beautiful day. The third place boat was nowhere in site. We prepare to round the final buoy, so the spinnaker must come down. Captain D had given me some pointers. My role was to grab the spinnaker and get into the boat as quickly as possible. I stretched out and grabbed the proper rope and pulled handfuls of sail as fast as I possibly could. Then I grabbed the rope for the Genoa (smaller sail) and hoisted it up as quickly as possible. We did it flawlessly as we rounded the final buoy.
Then this look on my face appeared! “Holy shit!” Looking toward the finish line we see this wall of grey clouds. I mean a huge wall! Before we had time to breath the sky opened up, dumping buckets of giant rain drops. The wind increased at least by 3 times. The sailboat is almost on its side. I am clinging on for dear life. Captain D starts yelling “Get the Genoa down Get the Genoa down!” Instinctively I climb up onto the deck of the boat. The damn Genoa will not come down. If feels like we are about to flip over. First mate M and I are frantically trying to bring down that sail, but the wind was not cooperating. I grabbed onto the mast. I leaned out as far as I possibly could. I was able to grab onto the bottom of the Genoa. We tugged and pulled. Finally the sail came down and we stuffed it onto the front deck of the boat. Next thing we know Captain is yelling “Get the Genoa up! Get the Genoa up!” The storm had ended and by some miracle we are only a couple hundred yards behind the lead boat. We quickly jump into action and get the sail back up. We are now heading for the finish line. There was a beautiful rainbow in the sky and it was almost a complete rainbow. Wow that is also a miracle! And I am thinking to myself it is a miracle that my fat butt did not end up in the lake. It is a miracle that the boat did not capsize. One boat in the regatta apparently was not so lucky and it had been flipped over. The regatta sponsors had to pull someone out of the water. Everyone was OK!
The wind on the Lake was now tranquil and almost non-existent. We finished in second place about one minute behind the first place boat. Needless to say the Vitamin Sea would remain in first place over-all. There are six races total. I certainly hope to race again. The second half of the race was nearly flawless.
We ended up meeting my wife and kids at Johnny Carino’s, where I quickly slammed down 3 huge glasses of water and to huge root beers. Man I was thirsty!
What a great time! I can not help but think someone was watching over us. I got one message very loud and clear. “Wear a life jacket next time you idiot!” I probably will not listen to that voice, but it is probably sound advice. Give me that next list of honey do’s, because I am ready do experience it all over again! The other lesson I learned is that “Yes Honey, I am out of shape!” Let’s just say I was a little sore in the legs and arms on Monday.
Sunday we had some friends over for a light dinner and dessert. We had goat cheese and roasted red bell pepper sandwiches. We had a great visit!
Kids started school this week without a hitch. Our son started kindergarten and is really excited. He eagerly wakes up to get ready to go to school. Soccer season will soon be upon us, so we will have something going on every night of the week. For the first time in 9 years my wife and I do not have to work split shifts. It is really nice to have all four of us sit down to dinner every night. We still might have 3 different means, but that is a different story.
I have managed to play a little poker her and there, but nothing exciting. I do get tired of people complaining about the flaws of a given site or the way you played a hand. I guess that comes with the territory. I did manage to get a straight flush on my cell phone video poker.
Sail on!
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
"Amazing"
Congratulations to my wonderful parents! Yes it is AMAZING in that they have been married for 46 wonderful years. Y'all are truly amazing!
It was also amazing last night when I went on a hot streak at CNR, winning 5 hands in a row. I tripled up, then it was a good thing it was bed time!!
Friday night was also pretty amazing. At one point I was playing 4 tables concurrently, two on CNR and 2 on Paradise. On paradise I was just having fun and remained even. On CNR I joined the midnight NL Holdem tournament, using half of my check points. On the .10/.20 NL holdem table I won a huge hand and I was up $20. The tournament started getting tense, but I was holding my own until this hand. I am on the button holding AA. The flop comes 22T. I bet 3000. I get called! The turn is a K. I bet another 3000. The river is an Ace. I put the caller all-in. Absolutely the correct thing to do right? Wrong! The other player had pocket dueces. He had flopped 4 of a kind and hung me out to dry. I still had a decent chip stack. Around two in the morning I had managed to gain the chip lead back and was in the money. I wanted to win really bad. I was heads up against another player from Texas. We duked it out, exchanging the chip lead back and forth. Finally I got a decent hand AJo. I bet a nominal amount. He raised. I went all-iin for $27K. He immediately called. I have AJo and he has A6o. I liked my chances. A six hits on the flop. I had to settle for second place and $31. The cool thing was I never had to re-buy.
The main lesson I learned here was that there was no way in hell I could play four tables and concentrate on the tournament. After I earned enough check points to get my $25 bonus on CNR. I had stopped the ring game to focus on the tournament. I made a couple of good lay downs and two great bluffs, but other than that I really got the cards. Net profit was $75 for the evening, which is not too shabby.
Congratulations to my wonderful parents! Yes it is AMAZING in that they have been married for 46 wonderful years. Y'all are truly amazing!
It was also amazing last night when I went on a hot streak at CNR, winning 5 hands in a row. I tripled up, then it was a good thing it was bed time!!
Friday night was also pretty amazing. At one point I was playing 4 tables concurrently, two on CNR and 2 on Paradise. On paradise I was just having fun and remained even. On CNR I joined the midnight NL Holdem tournament, using half of my check points. On the .10/.20 NL holdem table I won a huge hand and I was up $20. The tournament started getting tense, but I was holding my own until this hand. I am on the button holding AA. The flop comes 22T. I bet 3000. I get called! The turn is a K. I bet another 3000. The river is an Ace. I put the caller all-in. Absolutely the correct thing to do right? Wrong! The other player had pocket dueces. He had flopped 4 of a kind and hung me out to dry. I still had a decent chip stack. Around two in the morning I had managed to gain the chip lead back and was in the money. I wanted to win really bad. I was heads up against another player from Texas. We duked it out, exchanging the chip lead back and forth. Finally I got a decent hand AJo. I bet a nominal amount. He raised. I went all-iin for $27K. He immediately called. I have AJo and he has A6o. I liked my chances. A six hits on the flop. I had to settle for second place and $31. The cool thing was I never had to re-buy.
The main lesson I learned here was that there was no way in hell I could play four tables and concentrate on the tournament. After I earned enough check points to get my $25 bonus on CNR. I had stopped the ring game to focus on the tournament. I made a couple of good lay downs and two great bluffs, but other than that I really got the cards. Net profit was $75 for the evening, which is not too shabby.
Saturday I did my honey do's, because I had been invited to be part of the crew on a sailboat, Vitamin Sea. I had permission to go, but it depended on the honey do list. I packed up some Guinness, water, and sun screen. I arrived right on time. There was no wind at all. I ad a feeling that once again I would not get to race. Last time I went there was no wind. I am beginning to see a pattern. I did jump into the lake and help clean the bottom of the boat. It can be a little eerie swimming under the bottom of the boat and popping up between the boat and the dock. We did have the captain and his lovely wife over for dinner after the race was cancelled. My wife cooked three recipes from he El Ferrol cook book we got on vacation, spicey potatoes, firey shrimp, and lemon-rosemary flan. Add a little bit of syrah and a temparnillo and it was a great time. The great news is that my better half gave me permission to try again this Saturday. I hope the weather is perfect and I will definitely be praying for at least a little wind.
Congratulations to April on her new puppy, Vegas. What a perfect name! When we got our puppy we named her Ash. It was great when our three year old would run around the house yelling "Nice Ass!" and "Bad Ass!"
I am really looking forward to playing in the Austin Blogger tournament on September 3. I have permission but I have not seen the honey do list. The honey do list can sometimes be "Amazing"!
Oh I forgot one quick rant! Texas House and Senate should proclaim Happy Anniversary to my great parents. Hell last Wednesday you spent your entire hour in session making proclamations about anniversaries and math school awards. Please serve the people of Texas and get off your asses and hammer out a school reform bill. Toss your special interests aside and focus on the quality of education for all children. Your procrastination is truly AMAZING!
Play on!
Friday, August 05, 2005
"Battle of the Aces"
First of all I need to apologize to those persons using RSS. I obviously have to continue my education regarding these applications. As soon as I have a better understanding I will try to implement something. Thanks Adam for pointing this out. April's links should also be of some help. Added to my list of to do's!
I am so glad I was not involved in this hand last night, but I thought it might be worth some discussion. I do not have all the details, but I can create a quick summary. The game was .10/.20 NLH on Check N Raise poker. I was not getting great cards, so I folded as usual. Two players raised each other pre-flop for a couple of bucks. After the flop there was some healthy betting and raising. Same thing happened at the turn and the river. I believe there was close to $20 in the pot. Player #2 was actually put all-in. Both players turned over AA. The irony here is that the board had four spades. Doesn't that suck to hold the same powerful hand as your opponent yet lose. The winner was indeed remorseful. :)
I had a similar experience on one of the few hands I got involved with. I believe I had A4. The
flop brought me a shot at the wheel. The turn brought me my 5 for the wheel. I bet $2 and got called. On the river brings a fourth spade to the board. I did not have a spade, so I mucked.
I have been taking a beating lately, but I am only 40 check points away from a $25 bonus. That will certainly help. I have been chasing a bit to much lately, so I am reeling the game in a bit. Hopefully I can play in a tournament tonight, but players on CNR are getting scarce. I may make the plunge tonight and join Full Tilt.
I am looking forward to playing in the Austin Bloggers tournament on September 3, but I must seek permission from my goddess. :)
Scott - If you happen to read this little excerpt I have a question for you. Did you go to Deer Park HS? I graduated from J. Frank Dobie HS. Perhaps it truly is a small world!
Party on! Oh wait! I mean play on!
First of all I need to apologize to those persons using RSS. I obviously have to continue my education regarding these applications. As soon as I have a better understanding I will try to implement something. Thanks Adam for pointing this out. April's links should also be of some help. Added to my list of to do's!
I am so glad I was not involved in this hand last night, but I thought it might be worth some discussion. I do not have all the details, but I can create a quick summary. The game was .10/.20 NLH on Check N Raise poker. I was not getting great cards, so I folded as usual. Two players raised each other pre-flop for a couple of bucks. After the flop there was some healthy betting and raising. Same thing happened at the turn and the river. I believe there was close to $20 in the pot. Player #2 was actually put all-in. Both players turned over AA. The irony here is that the board had four spades. Doesn't that suck to hold the same powerful hand as your opponent yet lose. The winner was indeed remorseful. :)
I had a similar experience on one of the few hands I got involved with. I believe I had A4. The
flop brought me a shot at the wheel. The turn brought me my 5 for the wheel. I bet $2 and got called. On the river brings a fourth spade to the board. I did not have a spade, so I mucked.
I have been taking a beating lately, but I am only 40 check points away from a $25 bonus. That will certainly help. I have been chasing a bit to much lately, so I am reeling the game in a bit. Hopefully I can play in a tournament tonight, but players on CNR are getting scarce. I may make the plunge tonight and join Full Tilt.
I am looking forward to playing in the Austin Bloggers tournament on September 3, but I must seek permission from my goddess. :)
Scott - If you happen to read this little excerpt I have a question for you. Did you go to Deer Park HS? I graduated from J. Frank Dobie HS. Perhaps it truly is a small world!
Party on! Oh wait! I mean play on!
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
"A Tall tale"
I just received these photos from my wife. I thought it would be a good time to try the new blogger utilities.
Check out the size of these sunflowers!!
All I know is the blogger tool works and that we will be planting these giant sunflowers again!
Enjoy!
I just received these photos from my wife. I thought it would be a good time to try the new blogger utilities.
Check out the size of these sunflowers!!
Another view.
Did my wife stand on the shed to get this one?
All I know is the blogger tool works and that we will be planting these giant sunflowers again!
Enjoy!
"Cracked"
Once again not overly inspired to post, but I did play a little poker last night at Paradise poker. Yep, I am still living off the $2 they gave me a long time ago. I do not have a huge bankroll, but enough to have some low limit fun. I have been playing a bunch of .02/.04 Stud lately and I also play .05/.10 Limit Holdem.
I am playing 7 stud and my very first hand I get a full house only to lose to a larger full house. Ouch!
I am in middle position on the limit holdem table and I am dealt pocket aces. I had just won a nice pot with two pair and ace kicker. Seems like the entire table is in and we make the betting. the flop comes 66x. Again maximum betting. Turn comes no help. Again maximum betting. Of course I believe someone has a 6, but I continue to fire away. There was not flush or straight draw. Four of us showed out cards. AA, QQ, and of course a raise with K6. One person folded on the turn who had TT. Three pocket pairs got "cracked". I just said nice hand and continued playing. There was some joking afterwards, but it was fun!
Now I think I will just toss out some randomness. My two brain cells are being pulled in multiple directions. That is correct in that I only have two brain cells left from all of the partying during my youth. Amazingly enough they usually fire at the same time resulting in a little bit of thought and creativity.
My brain is being pulled back into the world of development at work. Writing code certainly puts my two cells to the test. I have never had any formal training, so it really can be a struggle.
Outside of work my brain is on a totally different tangent. I have started taking RCIA classes. I am not sure this blog needs my thoughts on religion posted, so I am debating about creating a new blog. The spiritual side of me has not been greatly tested. Joining the Catholic church truly feels like the correct thing to do. It is a huge commitment and will take my two brain cells to the maximum. There may be some random spiritual posts on this blog, but I will try to keep it to a minimum. One thing I strongly believe is that I shalt not push my religious beliefs onto others. It is an individual journey!
Finally my brain is fried trying to determine how much poker to play and where to play it. I am tempted to join a new site, but I am not sure which one. Currently I am leaning toward FullTilt. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I am looking for a good bonus that does not take a decade to earn. I am looking for a reasonable number of players and some low buy-in tournaments.
Perhaps I should just be smoking crack instead of getting my "aces" cracked! Definitely would make for an interesting religious experience. Hee Hee
I did have one more poker point to ponder. Lately on Check N Raise poker there have been numerous players going all-in early. This is a .05/.10 table and they go all-in for $20 only to win 40 cents. I know in certain situations you want to isolate the chasers, but man if you have a good hand at least attempt to make them earn you some dough!
Play on!
Once again not overly inspired to post, but I did play a little poker last night at Paradise poker. Yep, I am still living off the $2 they gave me a long time ago. I do not have a huge bankroll, but enough to have some low limit fun. I have been playing a bunch of .02/.04 Stud lately and I also play .05/.10 Limit Holdem.
I am playing 7 stud and my very first hand I get a full house only to lose to a larger full house. Ouch!
I am in middle position on the limit holdem table and I am dealt pocket aces. I had just won a nice pot with two pair and ace kicker. Seems like the entire table is in and we make the betting. the flop comes 66x. Again maximum betting. Turn comes no help. Again maximum betting. Of course I believe someone has a 6, but I continue to fire away. There was not flush or straight draw. Four of us showed out cards. AA, QQ, and of course a raise with K6. One person folded on the turn who had TT. Three pocket pairs got "cracked". I just said nice hand and continued playing. There was some joking afterwards, but it was fun!
Now I think I will just toss out some randomness. My two brain cells are being pulled in multiple directions. That is correct in that I only have two brain cells left from all of the partying during my youth. Amazingly enough they usually fire at the same time resulting in a little bit of thought and creativity.
My brain is being pulled back into the world of development at work. Writing code certainly puts my two cells to the test. I have never had any formal training, so it really can be a struggle.
Outside of work my brain is on a totally different tangent. I have started taking RCIA classes. I am not sure this blog needs my thoughts on religion posted, so I am debating about creating a new blog. The spiritual side of me has not been greatly tested. Joining the Catholic church truly feels like the correct thing to do. It is a huge commitment and will take my two brain cells to the maximum. There may be some random spiritual posts on this blog, but I will try to keep it to a minimum. One thing I strongly believe is that I shalt not push my religious beliefs onto others. It is an individual journey!
Finally my brain is fried trying to determine how much poker to play and where to play it. I am tempted to join a new site, but I am not sure which one. Currently I am leaning toward FullTilt. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I am looking for a good bonus that does not take a decade to earn. I am looking for a reasonable number of players and some low buy-in tournaments.
Perhaps I should just be smoking crack instead of getting my "aces" cracked! Definitely would make for an interesting religious experience. Hee Hee
I did have one more poker point to ponder. Lately on Check N Raise poker there have been numerous players going all-in early. This is a .05/.10 table and they go all-in for $20 only to win 40 cents. I know in certain situations you want to isolate the chasers, but man if you have a good hand at least attempt to make them earn you some dough!
Play on!
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