...I have returned.
I think this may be my longest absence yet. Oh how all you non-existant readers must have quailed and gnashed your teeth!
So anyway, a quick catch-up (wherein the reason for my absence may become clear).
Firstly, on my last post. It seems I was right in my pessimism. Social Security, Alberto Gonzales, the Bankruptcy Bill, John Bolton, horrible judicial nominees redux...
He took the lowest of the low road. It saddens me. It's good to see the Democrats at least trying to be a real party again in the face of it (hell, their back is against the wall now; did they have a choice?). Though I am still an ardent independant, they have my support as the only viable voice of opposition (though where in hell that voice was during Gonzales and the Bankruptcy bills is anybody's guess).
Enough of that.
First and foremost among what's gone on in my life.
Mary.
What can I say? She's more important than I ever thought another person could be to me. So much so that I've broken my own ban on mentioning my dating life in this blog. 'Cause frankly, it's not really dating anymore.
You may recall her from this post on poker awhile back, as the girl who was "an issue for mostly different reasons".
Yeah... that's putting it mildly. She's literally changed my life. But I'm not going on and on (and I could), because she's actually going to be here in about an hour, and my place is an absolute mess.
Suffice to say that, if I have my way, she'll be getting mentions in the Monologue for as long as it exists.
Work... steams on as usual. Great job, great boss, great fun. Had to do a drive to Syracuse (from where I live, near Boston) a few months ago to do a crash install of a router. It was 12 hours of driving and installing fun! I made movies on my digital camera to pass the time, which are quite strange. Sadly, you shall never see them!
Poker... after a self-inflicted slump just before the turn of the year, my game has picked-up considerably. I credit it to luck, a renewed focus on actually improving my game (instead of just having fun) and reading Lee Jones' book, "Winning Low Limit Hold'Em" (twice).
This is a great book, and a must read for any novice or intermediate hold'em player. Thanks to Berna and JD (and Mary) for suggesting it.
Since the upswing started, I'm up about $180 ($150 of that coming from a second place finish in a 50+ person poker tourney). I have another monthly game tonight, at which I hope to continue my winning ways.
I've now taken that $150 and set that aside as my "poker bucket". The hopes is I will never run out of it. If I do, I'll revisit my methods of play and whether I even should play (depending on how fast I burn through it, fun has a price in my head, after all).
After much soul-searching, I've also taken half of said bucket (aka, $75) and deposited it at an online poker site, for use in low-limit games (.25/.50, .50/1, 1/2, and maybe someday 2/4). I haven't actually started playing yet (I just deposited it yesterday), but I have some hopes.
I intend to keep track of how I do there on this blog, both as a writing exercise and an exercise in self-control (I have fears of losing much money doing this). Chances are, if I run out of THAT $75, that will be the end of my online poker career.
We'll see how it goes ;)
The house is doing well, though unpacking, which paused its asymptotic approach to completion sometime in september, still remains incomplete. Must do something about it one of these days... (shyeah, right).
So yeah, I'm just sitting here, more happy and content than I thought I could be.
For those in the real know, can you imagine how I would have reacted to hearing this outcome 7 years ago?
It is to laugh.
Posted by Campbell at March 12, 2005 11:52 AM