Black Friday, Clean Garage, Strangers bad.

Day off is going well. Stayed home to clean up and get organized. There was no way I was going out to fight the black Friday masses. I know you can get sweet deals on crap you don't need but seriously, who needs to wake up at 3AM and shop all day, screw that. Poker game tonight, not very people have replied, so it might be lame, but whatever I'm going to drink a few Guinness and go with flow. I did manage to get enough ambition wrestled up to start cleaning the garage. Need a few things cleared out and after that i should have enough room to put the cars in and still have room to work and build stuff all winter. The basement got a good once over and I finally cleaned out the entire closet which had boxes that had not even been touched since the move in. I found tons of pictures, negatives, slides, projectors, and even some cameras. I used to be a photographer, not just a guy with a camera. I went to school for it and made some decent money as well. I wish i would of kept half of the stuff i once had, but hey that's the way it goes. I get bored and find other interests, besides the money wasn't steady and the work actually got tiresome. Anyway, basement/man cave is almost complete, which is just in time for winter. It's cold down there and I'm pretty sure you'll need a beard if your gonna hang out down there. Oh, on a completely different note i watched The Strangers last night, alone because Meghyn hates those kinds of movies. It was creepy for a while but it ended so abruptly it left plenty to be desired. I'm not sure what i expected but it had the suspense and the terror, but just didn't deliver. Speaking of movies, i still haven't seen The Dark Knight, yeah i know crazy right. I really want to see it but the are pushing the DVD release until December, lame. I guess I'll wait until then. It's about time for people to start showing up, hopefully. So i will leave you to your own devices on this cold black Friday.

Thanksgiving at work! Everyone feng shui tonight!

Thanksgiving. Good times. Had to work 12pm to 10:30pm, 10 hours of non stop nothing. We literally have nothing to do. 10 hours and about 15 calls, you do the math. OK, OK I'll do it for you lazy arse. 10hours X 15 calls = BORED. I reached the end of the Internet which surprisingly enough is just a really bad clip on YouTube.


Did i say bad? I meant hilarious!

We got free food today at work so I guess its not all bad. Trent watched me play poker and get my ass handed to me over and over. It really was quite spectacular, i couldn't win at all. I need to stick with my plan and only play live, online is rigged (j/k). We watched football and really are just hanging out, no customers, no work. The Lions got trounced, it was ugly like a train wreck just a little more gruesome.

I'm off tomorrow, not sure what the plan is but I'm down for whatever is not TWC. I should work around the house. There are so many unfinished projects and things that need attention. The basement and entire garage to name a few. I want to get the garage in order so i can start more projects that I won't finish for months. Trent and I discussed starting the poker table project, we kicked that around for a while and just kind of never started it. Something along these lines:

It really is not that hard or expensive, i already have plans on how to make it, and building it yourself you can keep the cost down to under 200$, not bad since people sell the same ones for ridiculous amounts of money.
Also, making a keg-o -rator. I know it sounds like a terrible idea, but hear me out. Forty nine cents per beer. Can't argue with that. So after i clean up the garage, re arrange the basement and organize all the rooms, save up some coin, and make sure all the bills are paid, I will have cold beer and poker in the funky 70's basement that i will soon refer to as the man room. OK, go!

OK with ten minuets left of work its time for a metal clip, enjoy!

I was going to write more, but i started late and its time to go, so later alligator!

Noce's Pizzeria, Irish Pub's and poker gawds/.

OK, so i just finished this blog and somehow deleted it, so here it goes again. Blah! I had pretty decent days off this week. Friday we played poker (surprise). I got knocked out first which sucks but it sucks even more cause i re bought and got knocked out again in three hands. Damn poker gawds. Steve ended up winning, beating Bryan heads up. I'm glad because Steve's a good guy and he plays better than most of us and never seems to win, so goooo Steve! Saturday was not very event full, but while searching the web for fun things to do on my day off I jokingly mentioned to Trent that we should go see the Cheetah Girls because they were in town on Sunday. It turns out Trent's daughter is a huge fan so he decides it would be awesome if he could take her. She lives 4 hours away, but he made it happen and she was a very happy camper. Props to him, that was a definitely a selfless act sir, as i think watching that show would make my head explode. I slept in on Monday which was good. Trent and his daughter stopped by to pick up the tickets to the aforementioned show. She was adorable, and had a little attitude just like her daddy (lol). For the most part Meghyn, Marley and I just lounged around and were just lazy in general. Meghyn found out that a new pizza joint was now open down the street so we make plans to have dinner there, and then take Marley to the Contemporary Arts Center. Later on that evening Luis called and invited us to play poker at his buddy's house. So we decided to play poker in lieu of the arts ( is that bad, nah!) but pizza would never be abandoned. Noce's Pizzeria on North Bend Rd. is pretty damn good. For all you Larosas haters, this place is for you. Thin crispy yet chewy crust, good sauce, light toppings, and stringy cheese, perfect. This is where i will eat pizza from here on out. Meghyn had the chicken parm with pasta, she didn't seem to be impressed with the sauce or pasta, but the chicken was a winner as were the garlic knots. After we filled up we stopped at home for bit then headed to West Chester for the game. It was a cool house and we watched Monday night football and shuffled up. I played tight for a bit, then i busted Meghyn and i felt bad. She re bought and i busted, then i re bought and she busted again. Did not go well for us. I made it to four handed and shoved my crappy stack all in with KJ and Ben snap called and flipped AA. Ouch! The Saints pounded the Packers and we headed home with our sleepy baby. When home and celebrated my losing streak with a Guinness an d went to bed. I totally just skipped Sunday. All that was on Monday. Geez. Alright Sunday we did nothing, except Trent came over on Sunday not Monday. Everything else happened Monday. Yeah, right, OK , So, SUNDAY. We relaxed and ordered BBQ and watched movies, and had a blast just hanging out with each other alone, as in Meghyn and I. Recap done. Now move on !

Thanksgiving is a few days away, which is good, but not for me because i have to work, the suck. At least it will be slow, yay. I'm gonna make my famous green bean casserole for Meghyn to take to her family. I made it last year and they liked it, i thought they were just being nice but Meghyn told me to make it again this year cause they liked it. I make it with fresh green beans by the way, not that canned stuff, YARGH! Sunday after Thanksgiving were hanging out with my family so that should be fun. Maybe I'll make something to take there. Who knows. 10 minutes to go and work is done!

I really want to open a restaurant someday. I've started working on a menu, but I'm sure there are way more important things to think about when starting a restaurant, but hey its more fun this way. I have some really great ideas, but for now i just want to make sure i can offer a decent consistent menu and cook it all myself. The way i see it, if i can't cook it and my friends and family don't like it, why should i offer it? So that's where I'm starting. It will be a long road. But more on this later. For now, I am out of here!

it's not that the Irish are cynical,it's rather that they have a wonderful lack of respect for everything and everybody.~Brendan Behan.

Quick like a bunny

I haven't posted for a while, not that I was busy or anything, in fact I've been lazy. Just working and trying to save money. It is hard to not spend money. Everything is expensive, even the worthless crap. Nothing in this world is free, but every gd damn thing is cheap. I really need to get some kind of savings going. Not so much for me, i am content paying the mortgage to keep the house and staying ahead of the bills, but i want Marley to be set up. I'm pretty sure buying a lottery ticket is not a sound financial investment, but hell with it i guess I'm just another stupid sucker with a dollar less in his pocket. Poker has been terrible as of late. I cashed out a good chunk of change and made the Full Tilt Poker gods angry, so now i cant win at all, not money, not even a damn hand. I know I'm not cursed, its just variance, and i will win again in time but i think i will try to follow my own advice and take a break. I'm off tomorrow and i cant wait, 17 minutes left and I'm off work, whoooo hoooo! Meghyn, Marley and I will make our way to the grocery store after i whip up some of the best damn omelette's on the planet. I'm excited, probably because i love food and love to cook. I might make something new, i always enjoy creating new variations of familiar meals. We shall see how that turns out. Tomorrow night is poker night (breaks only count online, duh, everyone knows that) hopefully we will get a huge turnout. The poker group keeps changing the only constant seems to be Meghyn, Trent, Myself, Steve, and Dan (although he misses some) and then we will have a few people alternating in and out, Grommon, Bryan, Erin, Lafe, Ken, Kristin, Mark, and a few others here and there. If we could get everyone to play the game would be huge. I think since we have it late on Fridays that limits some people, but the more the better. Someday we should have a huge game with bigger buy in and start it in the afternoon, that would be a blast. We can work on that, its going to be a long winter, and what the hell else are these people gonna do? "Snowboard? we're getting too old for that shit man"

So the other day I am on my way to work and get on the highway and this guy is going like 45mph in the right lane, so i go to pass him (I'm going about 65 and had just merged) i check and not one car is behind me. As soon as i get in the left lane this car is coming up on me at 100+ mph and i speed up to get around this other car, the speedy guy gets on my ass and honks, now normally it wouldn't bother me that this guy wants to speed, i could care less if he wrecks, but the fact that he honked really pissed me off, so i break checked him. and when he backs off i get over. He fly's by and i give him the wtf look when he leans over to give me the finger. There is no way i was in the wrong. Not sure what the point of this was but if you have ever done that then F U. If you speed, fine no one cares, but don't get mad at the guy who is playing by the rules cause he might not have car insurance and he might have a gun, so speed away and keep your horn and your finger to yourself.
/end rant

For those about to rock, Bob salutes you.

One of my favorite characters from The Kids in the Hall. If you have never seen it, you should check it out. Don't be fooled by these dumb clips, they are really funny, offensive but funny. Without further ado i bring you F'n good ham.

Dammit Bobby!!

It's cold and raining out, good thing I'm at work. Not really sure which is worse freezing and wet or warm and bored. I don't have much to write about, I'm sure i could ramble on about poker for many paragraphs, or rant even longer about work. I could write about Marley, but Meghyn does a much better job logging her progress and cuteness, if you haven't checked it out you can read about them here http://pameleen.livejournal.com/.

Mind is numb and work is over. Until next time...

This ones for Meghyn :)

It's a skill game Joe! Know when to Holdem. Well hell son you can even be 5th!

I sure am glad i decided to take a break from poker. I didn't really, but what can i say, i guess I'm weak. I won a 75$ token from $6.80, then i used that token to buy in to a tournament. 523 entrants, i played for almost 5 hours, made the final table, then busted in 5Th place. I was very happy and very disappointed at the same time. I won almost 2k for 5Th place which is damn good, but 1st would have been over 7k that is a huge difference. I think the only thing that makes me disappointed is the fact that i played really good and did not win. I went out on a cooler, i had AK suited in the small blind, everyone folds to me and i make a standard raise into the big blind. He thinks for like 2 seconds and shoves all in, he has me covered so I'm playing for my tournament life here. I think long and hard, at the time it just felt like he was making a move on me saying " i gotta huge stack buddy, I'm not gonna be bullied by you and I'm defending my blinds all day" I eventually called and he shows 55, WTF? Of course i d0t hit and I'm out in 5Th place. Had i won that hand i would have been 2Nd in chips and certainly would have several thousands more. Oh well, that's poker. So i have some extra coin which is nice because we have bills to pay! I cashed out most of it, but left some on there to try and make another run. While we are on the poker kick for the day i just want to say a few things to the people who think poker is gambling. Poker is a game of skill, you don't just throw your money around and hope to get lucky if your doing that then yes you are gambling. Odds and percentages are very important in the poker world. Rarely will the best poker players get their money in without being even a slight statistical favorite to win the hand. Pot odds are also very important. An example of how a typical poker hand works is if a player has 67 of hearts and calls the big blind. The pot now contains 200 and the flop comes 4 K A with two hearts. Another player in the pot bets 50. What should the player holding 67 do? Some people may call instantly, which is the correct move. However, the average player does this for all the wrong reasons. The reason this is such an easy play is pot odds. It only costs 50 to see a pot of what is now 250. This means there are 5 to 1 odds on putting the money in. There is a 4 ½ to 1 chance that the third heart will come on the next card. The player holding the two hearts now is getting better odds on his money than the chance of hitting his hand. This makes it an easy call. Where the amateur player would go wrong in this situation is if the person betting would have bet the full pot of 200. It now would have cost the player with 67 200 to see a pot of 400. This is only giving this player 2 to 1 on his money. There is, again, only a 4 ½ to 1 chance of hitting the heart so this becomes a bad call fairly quickly. This is just one example of how much skill is involved with every hand played. Statistics never lie. The best poker players in the world have statistics to show that their achievements are not because of fate or luck. Daniel Negreanu, who is ranked third in all time tournament winnings at over 9 million dollars, has never won a single prize of more than 2 million. This clearly shows that he has had success in a plethora of poker tournaments over the years. Somebody who gets lucky and wins one tournament can not do this. There are augments for both sides of the fence and I clearly am biased but i really do think that poker is a game of skill just like chess or any game where your decision affect the outcome of the game. Just like blackjack, in blackjack your decision affects the outcome. Anytime you have a choice you have an edge and anytime you have an edge your not gambling, at least that's how i feel. There are people that just play to have fun and even consider it gambling. There is just as many blackjack strategy books as there are poker and chess books. If you can read a book about a subject and get better at it, you have an edge. I don't know how many "beat the slots" and "roulette for dummy's" books there are but i can tell you this, if your buying those books you have a problem for sure as there is no amount you can study on those subjects to have an edge. While we are playing the gamble or no gamble game, here's a fun story. Sunday night after a nice evening over at my dads house we get home and just relaxing, its early so get on AIM and see what Trent and Dan are up to. Long story somewhat shorter, we end up at Argosy. Within 15 minutes of being there we were damn near busto. I didn't bring much money with me and left my bank card at home and I'm glad i did. So after the first blackjack dealer (who looked like a run down used car dealer) completely destroyed our funds, we take a walk and get a drink. We congregate around the cheap slots in a dark corner. Before i know it Trent's putting dollars in the slots and laughing, then Dan follows suit but puts in 20 bucks. After the inevitable defeat that ensued we move on. On to the ATM. Dan loans me 40bucks and Trent takes out a little more. We have our mission now. Win. We wonder around looking for the right table. After a bit of searching we run into the pit boss we made friends with last time we were there, Dino. Dino is one cool cat. He is Denzel Washington meets Chris Tucker at Barack Obama (white) house. He asks us how were doing and we tell him that we are down because the truck salesman pretending to be a dealer at the first table distracted us with his crafty sales techniques and stole our money. Dino assures us everything will work out and tells us to hang tight for minute. So we wait and within a few moments Dino's back and tells us that there is a table down the way that is hot "off the charts" as he put it. We move in. Only one seat available and I grab it. I lay my borrowed 40 bucks down and the dealer slides me a stack of 5 dollar chips. Now right away i feel good, everyone at the table is laughing and having a good time, i can see they all are winning and that is good news. The dealer is jolly and wishes me good luck. First hand whole table wins. Good start. Over the next dozen or so hands i am winning like crazy. My stack is more than doubled and i am feeling good. A seat opens and Dan grabs it. Within a few hands he is up also. Trent finally takes a seat on the end and does OK. After while Dan and i are absolutely crushing, we look over and see Trent hurting bad, short stacked and all odds against, i feel bad for a bit, but my stack cheers me up quickly. This particular table has a side bet option "high tie" basically you can put a few extra chips on a separate circle and if you get a pair you get paid 3 to 1 if you get a suited pair its 5 to 1, blackjack is 10 to 1, suited blackjack is 15 to 1, and if you get blackjack and the dealer also has blackjack you get 50 to 1 hence "high tie". So being the action junkies we are and the fact that we apparently hate money we are playing the side bet like crazy. I hit a 15 to 1 and double my stack. Dan hits it a few times and is way up. We look over again and Trent is down to his last 15 bucks, 3 chips. He puts 2 chips in for his bet and his last chip goes on the side bet. I get dealt a 20 and feel good. Trent hits a blackjack! lucky huh? Well, everyone else at the table looses, why? THE DEALER HAS BLACKJACK!! It took Trent a second to realize it, he HIT 50 to 1 !! It takes another second to realize its 250 bucks! We all start yelling and the table erupts with cheers and clapping, it truly was a sight. Trent immediately colors up and heads to the cashier a very smart move. Dan and i refuse to not leave millionaires so we keep betting. I know its about time to go, as Trent is not going to want to stick around in a casino with 250 bucks cash burning a whole in his pocket. I start doubling my bets and generally going crazy. Dan hits a few more side bets for good chunks of change. Then some crazy Asian dude puts 15 bucks down on the side bet and hits a 50 to 1 for 750 bucks! THANK YOU DINO! I run my 40 bucks into 195, i pay Dan back and he is about even, he would have been up if he didn't get sucked into the slot monster. So we head to the cashier and cash out. We hit up the cafe on the way out for some grub. I got mine free because i got comped at the first table, apparently if you sit down and show your players card and then lose 75 bucks in 10min they give you a free sandwich. Good times. I was going to leave you with "The Gambler" but that's too cliche' and besides this rocks much more.

Extreme makeover blog edition. Tuesdays gone, Thrusdays slow.

Snoop bloggy blog got a face lift today. I'm sure this was due to the fact that work was incredibly slow today, seems to be a trend lately. But i did have to train newbies so someone was sitting with me most of the day. I will let Tom tell you about work today.....




Ok, im out of here. Had enough work for one day. Nothing else i can think of at the moment.

Bob (1) Children's Hospital (0). Optimistic Pessimism. What's the deal, what comes next?

I am Harry Dunne (baby blue suit) Children's Hospital interview is Lloyd Christmas (orange suit).




That sums it up nicely I think. I didn't overly prepare, that usually turns out bad. The last thing i want in an interview situation is for my answers to appear scripted or rehearsed. Honesty is usually the best policy, and it worked in my favor today. I really think she (the interviewer) felt i was over qualified for the position in some way. She kept asking me if i was sure this wouldn't be a step back, and if i was prepared to take a level one position. There was no doubt in her mind that i was capable of doing the job, but she was just stuck on the notion that i wouldn't want the job. It was weird. How do you answer that at a job interview? Are you sure you want this job Bob? No, not at all nice interviewer lady, i would hate to make more money for less work. The thing that gets me is the amount of money they are offering for the job it is literally ten to thirteen dollars more per hour than i making now! For the kind of work they do it just seems too good to be true, and every time Ive ever seen that scenario it usually is. I suppose it is for a Hospital and their computers and hardware are helping to save lives, so if you look at it like that its very important which means they need quality people and they need to pay them accordingly. I have a foot in the door, but its a long road ahead. I have to interview with two more people, not really sure when or if i will meet with two people at once or what. Only thing i can think of right now is Op-Ivey "all i know is that i don't know nothing". Patience is rewarded i suppose. OK more on this later.


NEW PRESIDENT?


I haven't seen a knock out like that for a long time, it really was a landslide. This comes to mind..


Now, don't get me wrong i am by no means a political person. But, for now you have to realize that no matter who the president is the world will go on. There will still be death and taxes. The president is never going to be able to fix everything that is wrong with this world, they will never have a cure all. All we can do is hope that they point us in the right direction, it is up to the people to make change, that's how democracy works. I'm not going to tell you who i voted for (mind your p's and q's buster) but i will tell you that i think Obama will do a fine job. The entire world is looking at us now, waiting to see what happens next. Time will tell but his message was pretty simple, if you missed the speech here are some highlights.
Obama:

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.
We are, and always will be, the United States of America.
**************************************************************************************
And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.
That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
*************************************************************************************
I liked the speech, and i hope he delivers. Enough politics for one day i think.

Today i leave you with a video of Strung Out, one of my favorite bands. This is one of there more recent songs and i think it suits my mood for the day. Check out more of there stuff if you like this song. They have been around for a long time and have never sold out, i respect that. Enjoy!

Bobby Lobby gets a jobby. Money, ugh. I learned poker by playing darts. Top pay = Top shelf.

My days off went well. After work on Saturday i went home grabbed a bite to eat and crashed. Halloween festivities are exhausting. I went to bed early and slept in, it was nice. I got up and played poker, which is exactly what i told myself i wasn't going to do. Remember? I was taking a break, surely you've read all about it right? Anyway, Full Tilt Poker decided to credit my account with money they had confiscated from people that were cheating in games that i had played months prior. Nice! So instead of cashing out i fire up a few tables and grab some coffee. Meghyn was fast asleep and it looked as if she would be down for at least a few more hours. So, Marley watched Noggin, while I played poker. It was all well and good for a while but I convinced myself it would be a good idea to try and satellite into a big tournament that started that evening. I've played this tournament several times in the past and have cashed in it more times than not. Not bad for a tournament that gets 4,000 entrants and has a first place price of $132,000. My best finish in this particular tournament is 52nd place, and that paid just shy of 2k. So i am really comfortable playing this tournament and i really want to satellite into it for cheap. I grind and grind for several hours, and i just can't seem to win. Meghyn wakes up and i call it a day for poker. Maybe next time. Afternoon rolls around and its gorgeous day outside so we make plans to head to the dog park, which is very over due for the Murphy dog. We message Trent to see if he wants some sunlight, he does so he heads over. I hop in the shower and maybe 2 minutes later Meghyn is pounding on the door and screaming. The shower and fan are pretty loud, but I make out just enough to know that Children's Hospital just called me. For those of you playing at home you know this is VERY good news. This is a job that I have been trying to get for quite some time now. I'm confident this job will trump anything that Cincinnati Bell would offer me, so im pretty excited. Meghyn takes the message for me and i call them back after pacing the house for a bit. No answer, DAMN! I leave a polite message and now all i can do is wait, ugh! Hours pass and I hear nothing, I know i put my cell phone number on my resume, but i don't want to chance it. Finally Trent arrives to head to the dog park. I decide to call back and leave another message with my cell number. On to the DP we go! No sooner do i put the car in park and get the baby and dog out, my cell rings. I talk with the man for a good 30 minutes, and it goes really well. He gives me the ins and outs of the job, and to be completely honest, it sounds super easy. Apparently he thought the job was very demanding, challenging, and frustrating. I could tell by the way he was describing the job and the questions he was asking me. He was trying to get a feel for how comfortable i was, and trust me folks i was very comfortable. I had a perfect answer for every question. He seemed impressed with my resume, and i could tell he wanted me on his team. I've made a living talking on the phone and i can tell when someones blowing smoke and when they are sincere. So after a little more chit chat i have him laughing, and at this point I'm pretty sure he knows there is nothing i can't handle over the phone. He tells me to check my email the next day to see when to come in for a face to face interview, BINGO! I check the email last night, and my interview is tomorrow at 9:30am, YIKES that was quick. Now I'm worrying about what to wear, what I'm going to say, and just a nervous mess all around. I can get through it, I'm confident in my knowledge and skills, but I'm worried about the money. It's more than I've ever made, and i want as much as i can get! There web site shows a starting salary like X - XXX and believe me there is a big difference between there low and there high. I've never been a very good negotiator, I'm the kind of guy who eats the broccoli the waiter brings to me after ordering mashed potatoes with my steak, i just go with the flow. I don't want to get suckered and i sure as hell don't want to get low balled. I guess it boils down to how qualified they think i am, and what they think I'm capable of. Hopefully i will soon have an entry about getting top dollar for my services, but until that time its just high hopes.

Today i leave you on a good note, speakers up please.

Sleep? Whats that? Pirates should not eat "melt your face off chilli" it makes them late for work. Marley thinks your funny.

Halloween is so awesome. I love this pumpkin carving, it screams Halloween! and also,
I WILL FKN KILL YOU!!

Alright! Last night went pretty good, my only regret is getting a pretty late start, and eating Kristin's chili..(more on that later). Halloween kicked off with me waking up and feeling like complete garbage. I felt like i got in a fight with a flight of stairs, and lost. I was sore all over and my back was aching. Not really sure how that happens, i did nothing out of the ordinary the night before, i even went to bed early and got plenty of sleep. Weird huh? So, i was sluggish and not in a very good mood most of the afternoon, despite knowing what a good day it was going to be. I got over it. Ate, sucked down some Tylenol, chugged a Monster and i was on my way. We got dressed up, Meghyn as Tank Girl and i as ... you guessed it, a Pirate. We headed over to Robyn and Scott's to meet up with family and pass out candy to eager trick or treaters. I was shocked to learn that they were also passing out JTM burgers and hot dogs as well as candy. Where was there house when i was a youngster with a mask? It went well, we ate and grilled and hung out with family and friends. Marley started fussing a bit and i started to get tired again, i guess monster wears off fast, or maybe it was the three jalapeno burgers i ate. So after changing Marleys diaper and her costume from a frog to a giraffe and then back to the frog costume, i was run down, sluggish, and just flat out exhausted. We stayed until 10:30pm then headed to Meghyns parents to put our little starfish to bed. After some nursing, and quiet time, Marley was sound asleep. We left around midnight without our baby girl. This was the first time we were both going out without her, we were a little worried, but she was being left in very capable hands. Thankfully we never got a call saying Marley missed us, she was too busy smiling and farting in her sleep. We pick up Harper and Steve and head to Kentucky. A Pirate, Tank Girl, Random dead guy, and Amy Winehouse walk into a bar and.....oh never mind. We arrive at the party and meet up with a geisha, a psycho doctor, a nurse, a cop, a couple of jokers, and my personal favorite two Bob's. That's right. Dan and Trent were wearing my clothes and had bright red beards glued to there face, and playing poker.. it was hilarious. There wasn't as may people there as i expected, but i think that was for the best. Kristin, in usual fashion, had tons of food. So we ate and drank, and hung out with friends, most of which we had not seen in a while. Good times. You would think I've learned by now that it might not be such a good idea to have a few beers, jello shots, long island, and then more beer on top of a stomach full of jalapeno burgers, but i am not easily deterred. One would also assume that after all that the LAST thing i should do is eat several heaping bowls of Kristin's homemade "Melt your face off Chili" at 4:30am. However as previously stated i am not easily deterred, especially when it comes to food.

Now, I have had plenty of chili in my days, I love it. I blame my dad for getting me strangely addicted to hot/spicy food. This chili on this particular day kicked my ass. It wasn't even the hottest chili Ive ever had, it just had a mean burn i guess. After the first bite i knew i was screwed, my stomach immediately started bubbling trying to tell me what a bad idea this was. I didn't listen, i reasoned that adding sour cream, crackers, corn salsa, and a ton of cheese would balance it out. It didn't. But why stop there? After all, I'm a man and i am hungry, i am a Hungryman! So after a few more bowls of the devils chowder, I'm sweating and i fear the worst has yet to come, i was right. The slow burn gained speed and quickly became a roaring fire, you don't notice this while your eating, only after you stop do you realize what you've done. I think what made it worse (besides the jello shots, uggahh!) was the fact that Kristin then told me that she put 4 habanero peppers in it, yeah. 4 habanero in a pot of chili the size of a crock pot, yikes! That explained the slow burn that progressively got worse, it also explained why my stomach was boiling. I grabbed the closest beer to me, which happend to be of the warm and light persuasion, and tried to enjoy the last few minutes we were there. The party broke up and people shuffled to there cars and drove off into the early morning. We were only a few miles away from dropping Harper and Steve off at home when we got the call, (no not that one) It was VanHero aka Stevie V (no one has ever called him that, but it sounds cool) aka VanAllen, as soon as Steve (Harpers Steve, not VanAllen Steve, that wouldn't make much sense would it?) heard the phone he knew he messed up. He forgot Harpers purse, doh! So we turn around and head south back towards Kentucky. We get the purse, drop off Steve and Harper and head back to rescue our baby from the clutches of warm and fuzzy, safe and sound dream land. Everything worked out, everyone had fun, and everyone got home safe. We crashed, good thing too because i had to be at work in 5 hours, ugh. I over slept and was late for work, who didn't see that coming? All in all it was a damn fine Halloween. I will edit with photos when i get them.

After all that, I can't belive it but i want chili. Trent and I decided we will make chili tomorrow. I guess im just a glutten for punishment. We shall see how it turns out...



In other news...

Do I look like this guy, or does he look like me?




Either way, i really miss playing the drums. I've got my cajon bongo...
and it is awesome. You wouldnt guess it but this drum has lots of good sound. But, i do miss my kit and sometimes you just have to rock out. My set is in Chris O's basement where its been for years, i need to get off my arse and set it up in my basement. I wouldnt be able to play that much or that loud, but it would something.

I leave you with this song for today, its good. Well, i like it anyway :)

Wanted: drummer for rock band 2. Sign me up! Larosas makes me feel crappy. Another one bites the dust.

Typical day at work today. Had a Rock Band II contest, free pizza, pasta, salad ect. Talked to complete A-holes, and tried to relax. Then it happened....

I got this text message: "Apply ASAP" Now, you might think you have it all figured out because your an avid reader of this silly blog, well i assure you, you are wrong! This was a message i have been waiting for for several months, well before i was told to apply for a competing company's NOC job. Its for Children's Hospital, and its a damn fine job. So now i have some things to think about. I guess its time to press the suit, shine the shoes and go to some interviews. Salary is one concern i suppose, but both jobs are almost twice what I'm making now. Trying not to get my hopes up, but i do want to be prepared and i want to make the right move. I am perfectly content where I'm at, I'm comfortable here but as they say... money talks.

Halloween is tomorrow and i have yet to decide what i will be. Kristin is having a party and it should be a good time. Meghyn is going as Tank Girl.

I'm thinking pirate again, but that's what i was last year, and i pretty much act and look like a pirate all year anyway so i don't know. Marley will be staying with Meghyn's parents, and i hope that goes smoothly. I really want Meghyn to have a good time (she deserves it) and I don't want her to worry too much about leaving Marley. Im sure we will both worry, it's our responsibility to make sure our daughter is safe. Meghyn's parents are fully qualified to handle this, after all they raised three girls and to be honest have done a heck of a job.

Post Halloween pictures to follow....

Did you know?

Hemingway once wrote a story in just six words "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."and is said to have called it his best work. I know he was a brilliant writer, I have read some of his work, its good and i enjoyed it. But, how in the world is this considered a story? One could assume many things about those words. Where did the shoes come from? Who's selling them and why? Why were they never worn? You could develop any story you want with just those six words, but it would be your story not Hemingway's. I mean, since when is it up to the reader to develop the story, or was that the point? That might explain why he considered it his best work, because anyone who reads it is going to imagine a story that is specifically tailored to their imagination. If that's the case then i suppose it is his best work. A story that can have an endless possibility's, yes i would say that is just brilliant. However, anyone could write like that i have found several people you might be familiar that have tried to duplicate this brilliance.

Longed for him. Got him. Shit.
Margaret Atwood

With bloody hands, I say good-bye.
Frank Miller

Kirby had never eaten toes before.
- Kevin Smith

Easy. Just touch the match to
- Ursula K. Le Guin

Bush told the truth. Hell froze.
- William Gibson

Pain, unutterable pain, stertorous exhalation. Death.
- Will Self

They awaited sunrise. It never came.
- AS Byatt

In the end, everything simply began.
- Ali Smith

Dad called: DNA back: he isn’t.
- Helen Fielding

Dream punctured. Build pyre. Curses… Adolf.
- Beryl Bainbridge

“It can’t be. I’m a virgin.”
- Kate Atkinson

Veni, vidi, vici: heavy the crown.
- Evan Maloney

Now, these people were challenged with the task of creating a six word story, these are not simply one line or partial sentences of something they had previously written. These are all good and i think my imagination could run wild with any one of them, but I'm just not sure i can consider it a story. In any case, it is what it is. I will stop doubting it, and just accept it as brilliant. I guess there is something to be said about being the first to do something. I wonder if Hemingway knew just how much would be written about those six simple words, i know I'm not the only one who has written about them and i won't be the last. Maybe i will write a full story based off of those words, would that be plagiarism? Has it already been done? I think i might do it anyway.

That's all for today, i leave you with this:

"Forget your personal tragedy. We are all bitched from the start and you especially have to be hurt like hell before you can write seriously. But when you get the damned hurt, use it-don't cheat with it. "

Ernest Hemingway

Cook time 5min, yeild - 8, leave work in 10min!

Yes i forgot the blog again, and yes I'm OK with that. Work was unbelievably slow today, i really did nothing productive at all (for TWC anyway) I watched YouTube clips, read some poker strategy, learned more CCNA/sub netting/networking, and day dreamt about opening a restaurant which lead to the best thing i read today...........................


Ingredients

1 gallon peanut oil
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons (approximately 1 large) jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
1 (8.5-ounce) can cream-style corn
1/3 cup finely grated onion
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons cornstarch, for dredging
8 beef hot dogs


Directions

Special equipment: 8 sets chopsticks, not separated

Pour oil into a deep fryer or large heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cayenne pepper. In a separate bowl, combine the jalapeno, corn, onion, and buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all at once, and stir only enough times to bring the batter together; there should be lumps. Set batter aside and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Scatter the cornstarch into a dry pie pan. Roll each hot dog in the cornstarch and tap well to remove any excess.

Transfer enough batter to almost fill a large drinking glass. Refill the glass as needed. Place each hot dog on chopsticks, and quickly dip in and out of the batter. Immediately and carefully place each hot dog into the oil, and cook until coating is golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. With tongs, remove to cooling rack, and allow to drain for 3 to 5 minutes.


THANK YOU Mr. Alton Brown! You saved my work day.

I will make these, soon.... very very soon. I will post results.

damn @! its 1030 I'm outta here!!

Poker, WSOP? Marley is cooler than you, Meghyn is hotter than you, Fierce Beard=profit?

Back to work......... I had a nice couple of days off. Played poker on Friday and Sunday i won both games ;) brag post obviously. I've been getting better, but i think playing with the same group of friends over and over helps... everyone is really there to have fun and for 5 bucks its really just an excuse to hang out and be lazy at the same time. In any case i still feel i play pretty good and want to keep progressing. I have decided that i will qualify for the WSOP main event this year. I say that every year, but this will be the year i actually try. It might not be possible to go and play but i will try to win the seat regardless. The main event will be the week of Marley's first birthday, I don't want to miss it but i think she would forgive me cause by that day if I'm still in i would be on day 3 or 4 and if i get that far the payoff is HUGE, but if i bust i can hop back on a plane and be with her. We shall see, a guy can dream right? 10 million dollars? Yes please! Oh, and speaking of poker, i have decided to take a break from playing online. I have had TONS of success playing online but money is really tight right now and i cant afford to play because i cant afford to lose. I have been running bad and just not playing well, most likely because I've been playing with "scared money" and therefore making lay downs and calls i would normally make if i had a decent bank roll. So i will take this time off to read more books, analyze my game, and continue to improve my live game. OK, moving on.... i fold.


For those of you who don't know, or missed the memo, Marley is the cutest baby in the world. I know every parent says that, and they think they have the smartest, cutest baby, but they are all wrong and I'm right.. I'm sure of it. Have a look:


yes, the beard is fierce! And Marley is too cool to look at you...



Meghyn's the reason Marley is cute ...


enough said.

I feel very fortunate to have such a beautiful baby and a wonderful, smart, funny, hot girlfriend! I'm also glad we decided to get this house, even though our income has been cut in half i think working harder for it will make us appreciate it more. I know the hard times will pass, they always do, i just hope its soon! I want Meghyn to not be so stressed out about money, if i could turn the doom switch off i would. She has been very good about the whole money thing, but i can see its starting to wear on her, there is only so much one can take ya know? The good thing is we are both on the same page and we usually work things out together. I know things will get better, and i am confident we will be much better off, it's just a matter of time.

In other news, I have not heard anything more about the new job. Come on dealer! One time! I need this double up bad if i am to survive this very long tournament. I don't know if the job gods are the same as the poker gods, but at this point i would love to hear from either of them.

OK, i think were just about done for the day. I leave you with some Pirate jibber jabber....


-I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, A poet, a pawn and a king; I’ve been up and down and over and out, And I know one thing; Each time I find myself flat on my face, I pick myself up and get back in the race

Life’s pretty good, and why wouldn’t it be? I’m a pirate, after all.

Anti Limericks? OR Has it come to this? OR Bad dreams: fear and loathing in dreamland. OR Money: make you or break you, the real value of a dollar.

There was a young man from Japan
Whose limericks never would scan.
When asked why this was,
He answered "because
I always try to fit as many syllables into the last line as ever possibly I can."

I guess its possible to have an anti-limerick............ who knew? not me.


Moving backwards.....

A quick search of the Internet reveals that yes in fact IT has come to this..... Just something for you to think about.


OK, so as far back as i can remember... um, oh wait... what?

DREAMS yeah i never remember them. Not really sure if I'm just not trying hard enough or if they are just not worth remembering. Meghyn has very real very scary dreams, so much so that it can bring her to tears and cause sleepless terrifying nights. I wish there was more i could do when that happens but i can barely remember my dreams, so it seems futile to try and leave my dream world, enter hers and save the day. I hope she knows if i could i would. I'm pretty sure if people could choose what they dreamt about they would become pretty boring and eventually they would no longer be dreams, they would just become you remembering the stupid stuff you do in your life. No imagination, no adventure, it would just be reality, just you closing your eyes and thinking about how good that piece of cake was you had at your 7Th birthday was. So whats the trade off? Dream in epic adventure with somewhat unbelievable over the top characters and colorful surroundings with the possibility of some being horribly frightening, grossly sadistic and just plain mean? Or, would you rather have a nice familiar picture of a time in your life that was pleasant, safe, and happy? I guess it depends, and i guess it doesn't matter cause you don't have a choice, your brain is going to do whatever it wants while you sleep.



So, as my eye Doctor says... better here?

Or here....

On another completely different c-note............

I think money has everyone down. As Trent put it last night.. "Getting out of debt is the new American dream, its no longer the house with the white picket fence, the dog, the wife, and the 2.5 kids." Damn! if that's not the most sad and depraved, true statement I've heard in a while. If you or someone you know is hurting financially right now remember, its only a matter of time before someone tells you something cliche' like "it could be worse!" or even better "its gotta get worse before it gets better!" or my personal favorite.. "FK IT lets go to the BOAT!!". If someone tells you something like this, just nod and smile, unless its the latter in which case get out your fkn checkbook, shove all in, double down, get a drink and relax, then tell the guy at the bar who just lost his house to the craps table.. "Hey, it can always be worse!"

Oh, if you have no idea how this country's monetary system works you really should check this out http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7065205277695921912 I try to take everything with a grain of salt but this really got me thinking how far off this world really is from where it should/could be. Most of the points in this movie are true, which is scary. There are however, some things that are just not feasible and will never happen, for better or worse. So, if you have 2 hours to kill and want to see just how crazy we are click the link and get cozy. That's it for now folks. Today i leave you with words from someone who was smarter than me and you.....

"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both. "

-Benjamin Franklin

subnetting, binary hell, CCNA + new job= more $ ?

OK, I keep forgetting i have a blog. I will try to post something here everyday, but i make no promises. As you can see from my first entry technical support can be loosely linked to hell. I've been doing this line of work for so long it just rolls off my shoulders. I don't take anything personally, you really can't in a job like this. I've seen the smartest people get beat down by jobs like this because the are not mentally "tough enough" to take the onslaught of hateful ignorance most consumers spew while hiding behind their stupid VOIP telephones. Again, if you must call technical support understand that they are there to FIX YOUR PROBLEM, they are not CUSTOMER SERVICE and they sure as hell cant give you credit. Let them do what they do and when they are done ask to be transferred to the correct department regarding your bill..... OK, enough about this crappy job... how about we get a new one? eh? why not.....



Oh, this is a very good picture by TRENT it not only shows how boring this job is.. it shows just VOIP works... enjoy !!




I recently applied for a NOC (network operations center) for a competing company. The pay is about double what i make now so i have to go for it. As much as i complain about my current job, it really is not that bad and i do enjoy working with my friends. Money is really tight right now and i think this would be the best move for me and my family (much more on them later ;). The only problem i see with this new job prospect is all the damn reading i have to do! I forgot just how much stuff i forgot! Basically i have to become a network engineer in a week without any formal education. That may sound like a daunting task but most of this information is stuff I've learned on my own over the years. So the re-learning begins and i have to ace this interview/test, i just have to. Can anyone in the class tell me what the network address is for a host with the IP address 123.200.8.68/28 is? I will update with progress and hopefully with good news of new jobby job. I leave you with this old Irish blessing....

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

bobblogblah!

This will be my first entry, since im at work now i thought it was fitting. My MS Paint skills are not all that great, but i just wanted to show you what its like working in tech support. If you call tech support, do me a favor and remember that your problem is not unique or special and the person your talking to has had the exact same call over and over again all day and your really dont need to give them a story or "background". Tell them what the problem is and let them fix it.. and if at all possible stfu and be patient. That is all for now, my first post will not be spell chedcked or proofread for grammer so if that bothers you.. well, your probly gonna hate this blog anyway. Until that time my friends......