Save it

I'll save you the apologies and whatever. If you're reading this right now, you are really desperate for content... :)

I guess it's been a bit, but you know that and you all have similar reasons, except those of you who are just deranged enough to write because you actually have something of value to say.

It turns out I went and bought one of these today:

I've wanted a Mercedes for a long time and this one fell in to my lap. The kicker is that I'm flying up to St. Paul on Friday and driving it back to Georgia. My journey will take me through Madison, Chicago, Indy and Nashville. I figured I'd let you know in case my route takes me through your parts. Feel free to comment here or contact me otherwise if you want a visit.

I'm looking forward to Mastodon weekend after that, as I will run/walk my crippled fat ass through the 5K then find a place place I can get as horizontal as possible.

See you kids soon!!!

No Poker? No Problem

So, its been a long time without online poker for me, but I've found many ways to effectively pass the time and also occasionally scratch that little gambling itch.

I've played in 3 of the 5 monthly poker tournaments near my neighborhood. There's usually 2 tourneys a night and anywhere from 12 to 20 players. I've cashed all three nights I've played to put myself in good position for the year long payout. I'm currently sitting in 2nd place.

I've recently joined Draftstreet to see if I can figure out how to beat daily baseball leagues. It's been a mixed bag so far, I've cashed in only 1 event. So I'll keep on the low and free tourneys until I get a good grip on the scoring system. I think if you use that handy little link there I and you will get some sort of bonus for playing $ games, so hook a brother up.

The WSOP has begun so I can begin sweating my horsies. The Leak should make things interesting.

I've been actively seeking out new music and keep finding old stuff. I have been picking through the Grateful Dead library and been getting some good bootlegs. I've also filled out my library with older Massive Attack, Acen (yes I went though the early 90's rave scene), the entire Daft Punk library, the new Beasties, and a Joy Division remaster.

I keep expanding my role at work by digging in to Wordpress (not that this site shows it), Sitecore, and some other CMS. Enough so that I know I will never have the patience and attention to detail to be a real programmer.

OK, I think I had a point at the beginning of this post, but I gotta go home. See you kids soon.

The rapture

Really People?

How did this nutjob gain global pub for this shit? Guy adds a few numbers up and poof! The world is ending.

Seriously people.

Your life is not ending. God is not coming to save you....especially you. You will still have your life, your loved, ones, your world. I suggest you start controlling the things you can control and leave God alone. He has better to do than come and save you....especially you. Now go home, kiss your wife, kids, and whoever else you hold dear. Remember to live today and let tomorrow work itself out.

-Skidoo

New game in town

I played a new neighborhood game for the second time last night. A good friend of mine turned me on to a juicy traveling game last month. It rotates houses every month and takes a very small rake for an end of the year leader board. Last month I played a little too tight and ended up 3rd in the first tourney. Bad beat in the second. This month I had a better understanding of my opponents, and outplayed/outdrew them all night. I won both tourneys last night chopping with the 2nd place guy both times. I now am atop the 2011 leader board. Then I won another 100 or so playing dealers choice. It was so nice having a great feel for the cards and players. A perfect storm of awesome. Pulled in a little over 5 bills then woke up this morning and played three sets of winning tennis.

Like I told Waffles, you gotta play like a champion for things to happen, I'm starting to do just that in cards and life. It's a great feeling sometimes.

HeadsUp

HighOnPoker, always a font of good ways to separate me from money, is getting together some sort of prop bet for NBC's Heads Up Championship. Poker, gambling, and not dependent on MY ability...SOLD.


Here is the lineup of talent:


Jason Alexander
Patrik Antonius
Eric Baldwin
David Benyamine
Andy Bloch
Liv Boeree
James Bord
Doyle Brunson
Joe Cada
Daniel Cates
Johnny Chan
Don Cheadle
Nicolas Chouity
Allen Cunningham
Jonathan Duhamel
Annie Duke
Tom Dwan
Peter Eastgate
Eli Elezra
Antonio Esfandiari
Chris Ferguson
Ted Forrest
Phil Galfond
Phil Gordon
Barry Greenstein
Bertrand Grospellier
Joe Hachem
Gus Hansen
Jennifer Harman
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Ivey
Faraz Jaka
John Juanda
Gabe Kaplan
Frank Kassela
Eugene Katchalov
Phil Laak
Howard Lederer
Erick Lindgren
Ayaz Mahmood
Thomas Marchese
Mike Matusow
Jason Mercier
Michael Mizrachi
Sorel Mizzi
Chris Moneymaker
Daniel Negreanu
Scotty Nguyen
Annette Obrestad
Dennis Phillips
Dwyte Pilgrim
John Racener
Greg Raymer
Vanessa Rousso
Kara Scott
Huck Seed
Erik Seidel
Vanessa Selbst
Emmitt Smith
Gavin Smith
Jennifer Tilly
Melburn Whitmire
David Williams
Justin Young


I think it would be a good idea for each participant to pick 5 players one of which must be a celebrity, one WSOP champ, one female, and 2 wildcards. Also, maybe as a tiebreaker we could use the card suit brackets that are set just before the filming. Check in with HOP, and lets get this moving...

Fantasy Baseball

Hey there kids, I'm interested in running a Head to Head league on yahoo this season. It will be 6x6 format with the following setup (these can be changed if necessary).


Ideally I'd get 12 owners, but will accept 10-16. So if my 4 readers will tell 3 friends a peace, I should get a full league by opening day. (March 31'st)

Cost is negotiable, but I'm thinking between $20-50 for the season. Post here or email me if you are interested, once I have a minimum of 10 interested, I'll proceed.

WOOOT Baseball!! You kids be careful out there.

The Ugly

Well my memories of WPBT and Vegas have all but faded into oblivion, however I did want to address something mostly for myself. If I didn't manage to link you or mention you in the past 2 posts, but I did in fact meet you, well I'm slack. Its not you its me.

What I did want to get out for me to remember is that I'm a junkie. I'm reckless, thoughtless, and plain ignorant at times. It's something that's hard to admit when you pretend to be a pretty smart guy. I simply don't have an excuse for Thursday night. I can't convince myself that it was actually me. I ran through my bankroll in a matter of hours. When I was done with that I hit the ATM and damn near drained my checking account. I didn't walk upstairs and go to bed, I didn't sleep it off. I didn't listen to the me that said on the plane 'Don't be an idiot...please'

Nope, I kept pushing the throttle....oblivious to anything other than the fix, the gamble, the booze. It makes me sick to think about what I put in jeopardy. For the sake of....nothing. selfishness, hardheadedness, greed, stupidity? I don't know. I couldn't shake that pit in the bottom of my stomach the rest of the weekend, so please forgive me if I was a little off. I was scared shitless of myself, of fucking up again, of losing. So, no more Vegas for me. Some guys just can't handle it.

Peace.

Recovering

I had back spasms all day yesterday, also sore throat cough, all that fun stuff. Those of you who didn't see me in Vegas can safely assume that other than meeting some really fun people, things didn't exactly go as planned. Full post coming at some point.

Finishing touches.

About this time tomorrow I will no longer be able to function as a rational human being. Too bad I'll be at work most of the day.

I'm still holding out hope of getting my bounty delivered today, if not, someone gets an IOU or I pull an Astin and just win the damn thing.

I got this:

to read for the trip. Hopefully the good Doctor can sign it for me.

I had to finish getting our big ass tree set up and decorated last night. We sat around after finishing up and played 'I spy' with the ornaments as the kids sipped hot chocolate and munched on chocolate chip cookies. Norman Rockwell would be proud. Here is said big ass tree:

Tonight I have to pack and spend some more quality time with the kids and the wife. Tomorrow will be like a trip to the dentist until 5PM est.

See you kids soon!

EDIT: I also found another picture compilation that is pretty neat. Pencil VS Camera

Vegas

Yep, It happened, I managed to secure passage to Vegas for the WPBT guilt free. Though a combination of Haitian Voodoo, mind altering drugs, and a lot of begging, the wife is allowing me to head to Vegas. I know, it sounds whipped cause it is. When you are in a marriage with kids, you have to make sacrifices, concessions, and relinquish a little part of your ego. That also happens to be the gift you receive. Its hard to explain but totally worth it. Anywho, I'm heading out on the 9th and coming back the 13th. I need to see if anyone is looking for a last-longer teammate, so hit me up. I'm terribly excited to go to my first Vegas blogger gathering and only my 2nd trip to vegas ever.

In 2003 I went to Vegas with a friend in the neighborhood. He was going for a conference and offered a room. I remember sitting down and playing blackjack for about 9 hrs. We didn't make it to the room until the 2nd day and I was in the hole. I somewhat remember getting asked to leave the Bellagio at one point. We rallied the next day playing 2/5 limit and betting football and horses. My buddy hit a longshot winner and handed me a wad of cash at some point that evening. Later we went to see the delertianers and played 20/hand blackjack. Somehow I managed to leave the 3rd day with some money left, good times.

I'm looking forward to seeing the bloggers again, and meeting some for the 1st time. People looking for last longer partner email me or leave a comment.

Random

Hey there! I just wanted to shoot a little post up to anyone who still has me in their reader or whatever. Things a the same as they ever were, just more of it. 3 kids and 2 parents doing 5 sports keeps us moving all week these days. Seriously, friends in the 'hood ask me every now and then how we do it and I have no answer. We just keep on moving.

One of these days we will look back and miss being sofa king busy and that keeps me motivated.

I'm looking forward to going to the Falcons game this weekend. I'll be taking my son and father in law. If everything moves along correcly we will also have some tailgating time with kuro, sham et al.

I hope you and yours are doing well.

Quick one.

Sitting at 224 pounds....not exercising....shocker.

Ready for a long weekend, may the 4th be with you.

You kids be careful out there.

Geeking out

I can't wait!

30 Days

Well today marks the 30th day since I began to try and lose weight. My initial thought, is that A) It's really hard. B) It takes dedication and sacrifice C) I've been really lazy for a very long time.

Things I've improved: General eating choices - I eat smaller portions and only when I'm hungry. I also eat more green stuff now.
Sleep habits - I've been getting 7 hours of sleep a night (for the most part). Exercise - I'm now exercising at least 3 days a week.

After 30 days, I feel like I have more energy and feel thinner. I don't look at the gut in the mirror and grimace. I feel good. I've lost 12 pounds, which is below what I wanted, but I feel like I can keep going and extend this for another 15 days at least. I hope my continued dedication pays off with another 5-8 pounds of missing weight.

Thanks for the well wishes I have gotten, it really means alot to get some support. See y'all at the virtual tables tonight. Go play the charity tournament for the Ronald McDonald House.

Details:

Date: June 16
Time: 9PM CDT (Same time as Mookie)
It will actually be running in place of the Mookie. BDR will be broadcasting it.
Charity: Ronald McDonald House
$5 + $5(Tournament, charity)
Password= vegas1
Tournament#= 164273435

10 pounds and a good cause. Day 23

Hello there folks, things be moving along here. I'm really starting to feel some of the heath benefits of weight loss. I've passed my first milestone, 10 pounds. I was 226 this morning!

I can definitely tell my belly is shrunk a little and my face has become more defined. Maybe next week I'll grace you with some pics. I ramped up the exercise and it is paying off so far, despite being a little sore. I may just have to extend my challenge past 30 days. Its starting to get contagious and the hunger is a small price to pay for how I feel right now.

Now for something that will make you feel good as well.:



Even if you are unable to play, $5 of your buy-in goes to the Ronald McDonald House. So, yeah, it's OK to be dead money. No one will complain :)

So one last time, here's the details:
Date: June 16
Time: 9PM CDT (Same time as Mookie)
It will actually be running in place of the Mookie. BDR will be broadcasting it.
Charity: Ronald McDonald House
$5 + $5(Tournament, charity)
Password= vegas1
Tournament#= 164273435

Day 18

Sorry for the dissapearing act, I've had a head cold all week, but I'm feeling a bit better today. Sickness really helps a diet I believe. I've crossed the 230 barrier and was sitting at 228 this morning. I'm beginning to understand the importance of exercise I believe. I feel like I've been starving myself and have only lost 8 pounds. I'm going to jump into July and really try to up the exercise.

I'm going to  take the wife on a real date this weekend to take advantage of the kids being gone. The house is really quiet when they're not around and we've had the chance to catch up on some cleaning etc. I've wondered more than a couple times this week what we talked about before we became parents. It's not a struggle, but its just odd to catch myself searching for a conversation. Anyway, the beat goes on and I'm glad to be out of the haze of a head cold. It should be a good weekend as tennis kicks back in. Summer is mixed season, so me and the wife get to team up tomorrow. I'll be doing some stretching tonight.

Oh, I twittered it but in case you don't follow me @iam23skidoo my lovely wife got the news that she passed the bar! It's a huge weight off of both of our shoulders, I assure you. I had no idea how much it was affecting her until about 3 days before getting the results. She broke down in a rare weak moment and shared her deep fear that she failed and how that failure was so deeply tied to her feeling of self worth. I tried to assure her that no matter what the results, she is in many ways my hero and my motivation for being a better person. Congratulations Rachel, it was a long journey from sitting on our little porch 5 years ago, going over the pros and cons of sending you to school, buying a new house, and not killing each other. We accomplished all those things and more. We are still friends and that's all that matters.

You kids have a good weekend, be careful out there.

Day whatever

230 again this morning. I mowed the lawn yesterday and did 3 sets of 20 crunches. FML.

Its shaping up to be a good weekend, 2 parties tonight, one tomorrow. Beer brewing and tennis party on Sunday. Hopefully Monday will just be relaxing by the pool.

Next week the inlaws will take the kids to Florida for a week!!! God I love them. Should be a good time as I will go on a date with my wife for the first time in a bit. I need to come up with bday ideas for her, it's coming up quick.

You kids be careful out there. If your drinking, don't drive and if  you're drivin, dont drink.

Day 11

OK, now I'm a little pissed. Can't a guy deviate just a little??? 231 this morning. I let the wife talk me into going to eat Mexican last night. I looked over the menu and found no 'healthy' options, so said fuckit and ordered what I wanted. I'm not giving up dammit. I'm over 1/3 into this and I must succeed. Time to start burning calories more... there is no miracle pill.

In other news, I flamed out in 27th in the MOOOOK last night and my big bro played. His exit was sealed up against the mighty 2-4. I had a blast listening to Buddy reminisce about the good ole days. Thanks for entertianing the donks for 3 years. Oh and I cashed in the DOOOKIE too, turbo razz is painful.

You kids have a good long weekend, it's not going to do my diet any favors I'm sure.

Day 6-7 Weekend wrap-up.

I weighed in at 233 on Saturday morning. Must have had something to do with the bowl of chili right before bed on Friday night. We played outside for the better part of Saturday. It started off overcast and turned into a heck of a day. I tormented the girls soccer team mates on the jet-ski. There's something really satisfying about scaring the piss out of little girls. It's too easy.

I slept over 11 hours Saturday night. I needed that.

Weighed in at 231 Sunday morning and I spent the better part of 3 hours in the yard. Followed that up by taking the kids to the pool. It was packed to the gills and the kids had a really good time. I came home and napped for about 30 minutes. The sun took alot out of me and I have a nice red neck to show for it.

Weighed in at 230.5 this AM, so its back on the horse tonight. I'm going to try and add a half hour of workout tonight since my results aren't where I want them.

I hope y'all had a good weekend! Cheers.

Day 4

Alright this is going to be like an AA meeting I guess.

Hi I'm Brian and I'm an alcoholic fatty....

I did manage to eat better yesterday, did some walking and stayed away from the beer. One day at a time right...

231 this AM by the way, I probably took in right at 2000 calories yesterday. I made relatively good decisions, besides staying up until almost 2am. This supplement is messing with my brain for sure. I felt really depressed on Tuesday and then really upbeat yesterday. I stayed up and bubbled the mook, cashed in the doook, then blew $30 bucks or so playing OH8 russsshhhhh. I was very meh about the whole thing, but then regretted staying up. I'm not tired at all. I haven't been tired all week and I'm just going to have to force myself to go to sleep.

Big congrats to my buddyOOOSSSSUU for taking down another TOC spot. You fucking donk.