Oh Captain asked some questions on his blog a little while back, which I totally missed. And that is a shame because one of the questions was directed at me:
Yes, I get frustrated with it, and yes, I get tired of the same people who manage to tilt me every single solitary time they play it, and yes, I do sometimes let the tilt get the best of me and stomp off threatening to take my toys and go home.
But I won't.
Because as frustrating as it can be, it's always good for a few giggles at the end of the week, no matter what.
Will Kat really stop hosting the donkament like she said this past week?No. I won't.
Yes, I get frustrated with it, and yes, I get tired of the same people who manage to tilt me every single solitary time they play it, and yes, I do sometimes let the tilt get the best of me and stomp off threatening to take my toys and go home.
But I won't.
Because as frustrating as it can be, it's always good for a few giggles at the end of the week, no matter what.
The internal weather forecast for today is an overall testiness. Predictions call for a general mood of meh interspersed with (thankfully) short bursts of unreasonable anger and (thankfully) brief spells of sadness.
As a result of this forecast, today's work day has been canceled. Recommendations of staying in bed and watching cult movies will be followed forthwith. Thankfully, necessary comestibles have already been purchased.
Fucking hormones.
As a result of this forecast, today's work day has been canceled. Recommendations of staying in bed and watching cult movies will be followed forthwith. Thankfully, necessary comestibles have already been purchased.
Fucking hormones.
This:
I've been almost afraid to post anything for fear of jinxing it, but poker has been going very well over the last few days. There's been
That:
The man had Sunday off, and since it was so pretty out we decided to go for a ride. We meandered along and found ourselves along on the east shore of Lake Simcoe. We stopped at a small community park by the water where I lay under the trees while the man made coffee.
He went and chatted up a fellow vintage bike owner, which gave me the chance to go wading along the beach. My toes were very happy to get out of the boots.
And of course, we took a wrong turn and ended up on a remote gravel road. Every time this happens we are treated to something unusual, and yesterday was no exception. We saw a great blue heron flapping inelegantly across the sky, had to slow to allow a few porcupines to cross the road, and saw this off to one side...and no it's not a dog.
The other thing:
Speaking of bikes, I am a licensed motorcyclist again. Went up to a small town north of here to take the road test as I'd have to wait until August to take it in Toronto. It was a bit of a PITA, as the address had changed and the the guy administering the test showed up almost a half hour late.
It would have been nice to know that I was expected to push my bike as dead weight in a figure 8 as part of the test. I'd have made sure that my after market over-sized tank was not full. I did bomb one section, but since I've yet to run into a situation where it's critical that I slalom and snake around a dozen cones at a painfully slow speed, I'm not terribly concerned about it.
Alaska, here I come.
I've been almost afraid to post anything for fear of jinxing it, but poker has been going very well over the last few days. There's been
- 15th in the Riverchasers on Thursday. This brings me up from the 30 overall slot to 27th as of this writing. I've been hovering between 12 and 30 for most of the BBT, and I'm going to be making a serious push for points in this last week as I've had my eye on a custom FT jersey since the damn thing began.
- 3rd in the Friday Night Blogger Donkament. I actually only rebought once in it, and netted about 30 bucks. Which I promptly lost playing drunken low limit cash poker with Joanada and Buddy Dank.
- 3 of 4 Tier One token wins
- 3 of 4 $75 token frenzy wins
- 1 of 2 Tier Three attempts for T$216 (the other was close...I bubbled when my flopped boat lost to rivered quads. No way you can get away from that one)
- made about $130 playing at the .50/$1 limit holdem cash tables.
That:
The man had Sunday off, and since it was so pretty out we decided to go for a ride. We meandered along and found ourselves along on the east shore of Lake Simcoe. We stopped at a small community park by the water where I lay under the trees while the man made coffee.
He went and chatted up a fellow vintage bike owner, which gave me the chance to go wading along the beach. My toes were very happy to get out of the boots.
And of course, we took a wrong turn and ended up on a remote gravel road. Every time this happens we are treated to something unusual, and yesterday was no exception. We saw a great blue heron flapping inelegantly across the sky, had to slow to allow a few porcupines to cross the road, and saw this off to one side...and no it's not a dog.
The other thing:
Speaking of bikes, I am a licensed motorcyclist again. Went up to a small town north of here to take the road test as I'd have to wait until August to take it in Toronto. It was a bit of a PITA, as the address had changed and the the guy administering the test showed up almost a half hour late.
It would have been nice to know that I was expected to push my bike as dead weight in a figure 8 as part of the test. I'd have made sure that my after market over-sized tank was not full. I did bomb one section, but since I've yet to run into a situation where it's critical that I slalom and snake around a dozen cones at a painfully slow speed, I'm not terribly concerned about it.
Alaska, here I come.
It's been a while since I've live blogged a game, so what the heck.
10:00
I've got dwal78, lightning36, surflexus, rmbj494, jjok, oossuuu754 and recess rampage. This is gonna be fun *grin.
10:09
First playable hand is KK. I get one preflop caller, but lightning folds to my pot bet on the raggy flop. phew.
10:10.
And presto is gold. Who knew?
10:26
stealing here and there = chipping up oh so slowly. Oh hey, for once JJ is OK.
10:30
have 99 here and in the face of dwal's rasies, I'm pretty sure it's not good. Fold. But I get KK right after and get it back.
10:44
my laptop crashes . yay. come back just in time to be moved to a new table.
10:54
ok. I'm pretty sure that 77 is no good with a flop that has AK. Merde!
11:12
Out. A9 < AT.
No BBT points, but for the first time in a week or so, online blogger poker was fun. And that made it all better.
10:00
I've got dwal78, lightning36, surflexus, rmbj494, jjok, oossuuu754 and recess rampage. This is gonna be fun *grin.
10:09
First playable hand is KK. I get one preflop caller, but lightning folds to my pot bet on the raggy flop. phew.
10:10.
And presto is gold. Who knew?
10:26
stealing here and there = chipping up oh so slowly. Oh hey, for once JJ is OK.
10:30
have 99 here and in the face of dwal's rasies, I'm pretty sure it's not good. Fold. But I get KK right after and get it back.
10:44
my laptop crashes . yay. come back just in time to be moved to a new table.
10:54
ok. I'm pretty sure that 77 is no good with a flop that has AK. Merde!
11:12
Out. A9 < AT.
No BBT points, but for the first time in a week or so, online blogger poker was fun. And that made it all better.
Poker content:
I did something last night I have never done before online: I played a limit cash game. And after tripling my buyin within the first 25 hands I have fallen in love.
And yes, I am aware that this is how the poker gods keep me hooked.
Oh, how did I do in the Skillz game, you ask?
*walks away, the sound of her near-hysterical laughter trailing after her.
I did something last night I have never done before online: I played a limit cash game. And after tripling my buyin within the first 25 hands I have fallen in love.
And yes, I am aware that this is how the poker gods keep me hooked.
Oh, how did I do in the Skillz game, you ask?
*walks away, the sound of her near-hysterical laughter trailing after her.
It's a process - notes on design (no poker content at all)
3 Comments Published by katitude on at 8:54 a.m..
Most of you know I teach; really, if you read this, how could you not. I've also run my own business for the last 10 years both full and part time, where I get to be a total design geek AND get paid for it.
It's pretty damn good when you can make some money with a passion. It helps support my poker passion, something that I do not make money at. Alas.
When I wear my business hat, I do design for both print and www; commercial and informational site design, custom blog templates, newsletters, marketing materials, business cards and logo design.
I love doing logos. It gives me something to sink my teeth into; this is something that all the branding hangs on, that determines the flavour of a business for lack of a better word. I'm not claiming to be the world's greatest graphic designer, far from it, but I've had the opportunity to work with a number of small businesses who have been very happy with what I've done, and I've built up a good, solid portfolio of work.
What I love about doing logos is the process and to be able to marry my geeky side and creative side. One of my design instructors of a course I took at OCAD said, good design is more than just being proficient at software. It needs to be creative, original, and thoughtful as well as technical. So FWIW, here's my process as applied to the Live Poker Radio logo.
Research
First, I like to get a handle on the owner's personality/personalities as this permeates and colours the business. With LPR, I've talked with all the players. Then I take a look at the competition - what does their branding look like? What are they doing well? What works? What doesn't? This is pretty crucial from a copyright standpoint as well. Buddy's design is a good concept but I found other existing logos that incorporate radio iconography inside a poker chip and even though it's not an intentional duplication it could still lead to legal issues down the road.
Inspiration
Once that part of the process is done, it's time to get the creative juices flowing so to speak. Over the last 12 years I've built up a substantial library of reference books, catalogues and magazines like HOW and Communication Arts. I shudder to think how much I've spent on it all, but every time I flip through it for inspiration I'm reminded that it's worth it's weight in gold. I also check out sites like GettyImages.com and do some keyword searches in photography and illustration for more ideas.
Putting pencil to paper
Now I usually have ideas popping all over the place, and start doodling and sketching old school style, with pencil and paper. I'll usually fill 5-10 pages, brainstorming as I go. Then it's time to take a break, and come back to the sketch book with fresh eyes to see what's crap and what's usable.
Colours
While it changes from culture to culture, there's a psychology to colours, to how we perceive them. When I was asked to make the logo three weeks ago, the colours mentioned were red and yellow. There's a solid reason why these colours are used in business logos. Red is an action colour that evokes strong emotions, excitement and intensity; I've listened to LPR and felt red echoed the energy. We pay more attention to red than any other colour...there's a reason why so many businesses use it. I was originally thinking of green there, the colour of money, but green has been successfully co-opted as the colour of environment concerns. Yellow has been shown to increase the metabolism (back to excitement), and since yellow is the most visible color, it is also the most attention-getting color making it good for an accent. Black is used for the text as it's a power colour, and it tends to draw our eyes to text as it's what we are most used to reading. Since the logo is going to be reproduced in print, www and in embroidery I kept the colours strong; gradients can be expensive and tricky to replicate in some media.
Fonts
Since this is mainly going to be used online, I went with sans serif fonts as they are easier to read. Plus I always feel that serif fonts feel a bit old-fashioned, and LPR is anything but. The font of initials is futuristic, making me think of new media and new directions. The text font is strong, and echoes the slight futuristic feel of the other font, and has more interest than boring old Arial or Helvetica.
Creating the file
I love Adobe Illustrator. Adore it. Even more than PhotoShop. It's one of only two software programs I couldn't grok on my own, and had to take a course to stumble up that steep learning curve. I'm always glad of a reason to play around in the software. I originally designed the logo with the radio tower from BDR's original graphic for continuity, but felt it gave everything too much of a retro feeling for a relatively new way of delivering content. I kept the radio waves imagery, but skewed it slightly.
And this is what I ended up with:
It's clean, simple, forward thinking and easy to reproduce. Or at least that's what I was trying to go for *grin.
It's pretty damn good when you can make some money with a passion. It helps support my poker passion, something that I do not make money at. Alas.
When I wear my business hat, I do design for both print and www; commercial and informational site design, custom blog templates, newsletters, marketing materials, business cards and logo design.
I love doing logos. It gives me something to sink my teeth into; this is something that all the branding hangs on, that determines the flavour of a business for lack of a better word. I'm not claiming to be the world's greatest graphic designer, far from it, but I've had the opportunity to work with a number of small businesses who have been very happy with what I've done, and I've built up a good, solid portfolio of work.
What I love about doing logos is the process and to be able to marry my geeky side and creative side. One of my design instructors of a course I took at OCAD said, good design is more than just being proficient at software. It needs to be creative, original, and thoughtful as well as technical. So FWIW, here's my process as applied to the Live Poker Radio logo.
Research
First, I like to get a handle on the owner's personality/personalities as this permeates and colours the business. With LPR, I've talked with all the players. Then I take a look at the competition - what does their branding look like? What are they doing well? What works? What doesn't? This is pretty crucial from a copyright standpoint as well. Buddy's design is a good concept but I found other existing logos that incorporate radio iconography inside a poker chip and even though it's not an intentional duplication it could still lead to legal issues down the road.
Inspiration
Once that part of the process is done, it's time to get the creative juices flowing so to speak. Over the last 12 years I've built up a substantial library of reference books, catalogues and magazines like HOW and Communication Arts. I shudder to think how much I've spent on it all, but every time I flip through it for inspiration I'm reminded that it's worth it's weight in gold. I also check out sites like GettyImages.com and do some keyword searches in photography and illustration for more ideas.
Putting pencil to paper
Now I usually have ideas popping all over the place, and start doodling and sketching old school style, with pencil and paper. I'll usually fill 5-10 pages, brainstorming as I go. Then it's time to take a break, and come back to the sketch book with fresh eyes to see what's crap and what's usable.
Colours
While it changes from culture to culture, there's a psychology to colours, to how we perceive them. When I was asked to make the logo three weeks ago, the colours mentioned were red and yellow. There's a solid reason why these colours are used in business logos. Red is an action colour that evokes strong emotions, excitement and intensity; I've listened to LPR and felt red echoed the energy. We pay more attention to red than any other colour...there's a reason why so many businesses use it. I was originally thinking of green there, the colour of money, but green has been successfully co-opted as the colour of environment concerns. Yellow has been shown to increase the metabolism (back to excitement), and since yellow is the most visible color, it is also the most attention-getting color making it good for an accent. Black is used for the text as it's a power colour, and it tends to draw our eyes to text as it's what we are most used to reading. Since the logo is going to be reproduced in print, www and in embroidery I kept the colours strong; gradients can be expensive and tricky to replicate in some media.
Fonts
Since this is mainly going to be used online, I went with sans serif fonts as they are easier to read. Plus I always feel that serif fonts feel a bit old-fashioned, and LPR is anything but. The font of initials is futuristic, making me think of new media and new directions. The text font is strong, and echoes the slight futuristic feel of the other font, and has more interest than boring old Arial or Helvetica.
Creating the file
I love Adobe Illustrator. Adore it. Even more than PhotoShop. It's one of only two software programs I couldn't grok on my own, and had to take a course to stumble up that steep learning curve. I'm always glad of a reason to play around in the software. I originally designed the logo with the radio tower from BDR's original graphic for continuity, but felt it gave everything too much of a retro feeling for a relatively new way of delivering content. I kept the radio waves imagery, but skewed it slightly.
And this is what I ended up with:
It's clean, simple, forward thinking and easy to reproduce. Or at least that's what I was trying to go for *grin.
One weekend, 24 hours of driving
0 Comments Published by katitude on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 7:28 p.m..
"What is your reason for traveling to the US? Business or pleasure?"
"Pleasure."
"Are you bringing in anything into the US? Any alcohol? Tobacco? Citrus fruit?" (Citrus? Huh? We don't grow citrus up here!)
" No. No. No." (And please don't look in the cooler where the Cubans are hiding)
"Enjoy your visit."
"Thank you. I think I will."
And I did.
OMG, Fugo de Chao. Jesus. What Al says is true. But I swear I thought the orgasmic cries of a happy carnivore were only in my head. Meat orgy indeed. And no, I didn't have a meat nightmare that night, but it was the most surreal and vivid dream in a very long time. Four days later I am still haunted by it. Too weird to even relay.
Thank you to the Toronto Blue Jays for winning Saturday and Sunday; the TO - Phillies bet with Gracie was the only thing I won all weekend. Poker was not kind. But it was very entertaining, what with Peter the drunken Russian and the Twitter tale.
Ah, Twitter. Alcohol + instant technology = seemed like a good idea at the time.
And driving to Philly falls into the "seems like a good at the time" category as well. Or it did until the 13 hour drive home. That was not so enjoyable. Thank god for audio books.
Big thanks to Gracie and Maudie for hanging out - I needed it! And huge thanks to Donkette for arranging the room at the Tropicana in Atlantic City, and for taking delivery of my bike gear (which fits great and looks kick-ass, photos to come).
"Pleasure."
"Are you bringing in anything into the US? Any alcohol? Tobacco? Citrus fruit?" (Citrus? Huh? We don't grow citrus up here!)
" No. No. No." (And please don't look in the cooler where the Cubans are hiding)
"Enjoy your visit."
"Thank you. I think I will."
And I did.
OMG, Fugo de Chao. Jesus. What Al says is true. But I swear I thought the orgasmic cries of a happy carnivore were only in my head. Meat orgy indeed. And no, I didn't have a meat nightmare that night, but it was the most surreal and vivid dream in a very long time. Four days later I am still haunted by it. Too weird to even relay.
Thank you to the Toronto Blue Jays for winning Saturday and Sunday; the TO - Phillies bet with Gracie was the only thing I won all weekend. Poker was not kind. But it was very entertaining, what with Peter the drunken Russian and the Twitter tale.
Ah, Twitter. Alcohol + instant technology = seemed like a good idea at the time.
And driving to Philly falls into the "seems like a good at the time" category as well. Or it did until the 13 hour drive home. That was not so enjoyable. Thank god for audio books.
Big thanks to Gracie and Maudie for hanging out - I needed it! And huge thanks to Donkette for arranging the room at the Tropicana in Atlantic City, and for taking delivery of my bike gear (which fits great and looks kick-ass, photos to come).
Happy Victoria Day Weekend to my fellow canucks! Nothing like a statutory holiday to make people happy.
I'm leaving very soon to join some bloggers in Philly and Atlantic City, but wanted to toss out a reminder that the Donkament is tonight. I've signed up, but won't be playing - if all goes according to plan I'll be sitting in a bar in Philly with martini in front of me and blogger conversation around me at the starting time. Sorry it's only a $2 donation rather than the usual $20 *grin.
Have a good weekend, y'all.
I'm leaving very soon to join some bloggers in Philly and Atlantic City, but wanted to toss out a reminder that the Donkament is tonight. I've signed up, but won't be playing - if all goes according to plan I'll be sitting in a bar in Philly with martini in front of me and blogger conversation around me at the starting time. Sorry it's only a $2 donation rather than the usual $20 *grin.
Have a good weekend, y'all.
This time tomorrow I will have (hopefully) cleared customs and will be cruising happily along I90 East on my way to meet up with some pals, who like me, need a weekend of fun, booze and poker. We will harass the locals while there, because that's how we (I) roll.
Ipod is loaded and charged, camera is charged, phone is charged. All I need to do is convert some $ to USD and throw some clothes in a bag and I'm ready!
Actually, in my head I was ready about a month ago, but that's another story.
****
As a thank-you to some folks, I offered to pick up treats that one can only get here. Of course I left it to the last minute (quel surprise) and ran out at lunch to pick them up. I found the place with google, and luckily it wasn't far from the school. It's a busy part of town, but the joys of the bike is that I can park it anywhere.
I walked into the store still in full leathers with helmet in hand. The smell hit me as soon as I walked in, dark and smokey, and it reminded me of when I was a kid and Dad would treat himself. I was surprised at how busy it was; there were about 10 men in there.
"Can I help you?", the very attractive young man asked me.
"I hope so. I'm looking for something for some friends of mine. Something...Cuban."
He smiled, and opening the door to the large walk-in humidor, led me inside. The door shushed closed behind us and deadened the other conversations.
"So", he said. "how much do you like these friends?"
"Excuse me?"
"Do you like them $15? or $95?"
Thank god for having worked on my poker face. Otherwise my eyes would done this. I knew they could be pricey, but the thought of basically smoking a hundred dollar bill kinda floored me.
I couldn't stop myself from saying with a smile, "Ninety-five dollars? What's the difference between those and the $15 ones? Are these ones rolled on the bellies of 12-year-old virgins?"
A very long, very drawn out pause while he just stares at me. Just as I think, oh shit, I've stepped in it now, he starts to laugh.
"No, not on their stomachs, you need a hard surface to roll a good cigar. But a lot are rolled by young women as they are more dexterous."
I learn something new every day.
And no, I didn't get the $95 cigars. Nor did I get the $15 either *grin.
Ipod is loaded and charged, camera is charged, phone is charged. All I need to do is convert some $ to USD and throw some clothes in a bag and I'm ready!
Actually, in my head I was ready about a month ago, but that's another story.
****
As a thank-you to some folks, I offered to pick up treats that one can only get here. Of course I left it to the last minute (quel surprise) and ran out at lunch to pick them up. I found the place with google, and luckily it wasn't far from the school. It's a busy part of town, but the joys of the bike is that I can park it anywhere.
I walked into the store still in full leathers with helmet in hand. The smell hit me as soon as I walked in, dark and smokey, and it reminded me of when I was a kid and Dad would treat himself. I was surprised at how busy it was; there were about 10 men in there.
"Can I help you?", the very attractive young man asked me.
"I hope so. I'm looking for something for some friends of mine. Something...Cuban."
He smiled, and opening the door to the large walk-in humidor, led me inside. The door shushed closed behind us and deadened the other conversations.
"So", he said. "how much do you like these friends?"
"Excuse me?"
"Do you like them $15? or $95?"
Thank god for having worked on my poker face. Otherwise my eyes would done this. I knew they could be pricey, but the thought of basically smoking a hundred dollar bill kinda floored me.
I couldn't stop myself from saying with a smile, "Ninety-five dollars? What's the difference between those and the $15 ones? Are these ones rolled on the bellies of 12-year-old virgins?"
A very long, very drawn out pause while he just stares at me. Just as I think, oh shit, I've stepped in it now, he starts to laugh.
"No, not on their stomachs, you need a hard surface to roll a good cigar. But a lot are rolled by young women as they are more dexterous."
I learn something new every day.
And no, I didn't get the $95 cigars. Nor did I get the $15 either *grin.
The glass half full experiment is now officially over.
What was I thinking? There are lots of things in my life that I appreciate, but enforced gratitude and making these kinds of lists apparently goes against my nature. This week's attempt to do otherwise is 1) too much like work and 2) apparently a migraine trigger.
We will now return to our regularly scheduled programming.
Oh and Astin, ty for the cocktail .... I'm going to give it a whirl very soon!
What was I thinking? There are lots of things in my life that I appreciate, but enforced gratitude and making these kinds of lists apparently goes against my nature. This week's attempt to do otherwise is 1) too much like work and 2) apparently a migraine trigger.
We will now return to our regularly scheduled programming.
Oh and Astin, ty for the cocktail .... I'm going to give it a whirl very soon!
Fuck x 20 , AKA glass half full takes a day off before my head explodes.
15 Comments Published by katitude on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 2:32 p.m..
Fuck defective alarm clocks.
Fuck drivers who pull out of their driveway without looking to the right. On the other hand, a big yay for good brakes.
Fuck people who give you the finger even when they're in the wrong.
Fuck the Blue Screen of Death.
Fuck the stupid @#&% at reception who keeps installing LimeWire to download music and spyware. And no, I'm not going to fix it again, call the tech guy and wait two days 'til he gets here. And no, I don't care that you can't do your work and you're inconvenienced. It now officially has an SEP field around it as far as I'm concerned.
Fuck the person who has been "sick" seven Mondays of the last twelve, causing me to lose my Monday prep period as I cover her class. Funny how she's never ill any other day of the week.
Fuck students who think I don't see the eye roll.
Fuck people who break in and steal technology from schools.
Fuck parents who think they can tell me what method of transportation to use. "My little Susie may be traumatised if you get in an accident on your motorcycle". AYFKM?
Fuck people who never do a backup, then complain to me when their data is lost.
Fuck people who come home, grab the remote and change the channel to a documentary, right in the middle of a movie I was watching. And then looks at me all innocent like and says "oh, were you watching that?" when I object.
Fuck a fingernail broken below the quick.
Fuck rain when they said it would be clearing.
Fuck Timothy's for their inability to know the difference between a double espresso long and a Cafe Americano.
Fuck whoever stole my new stainless steel water bottle.
Fuck Firefox updates that wipe your preferences.
Fuck officious parking lot attendants who think that the way to job satisfaction is to be bitchy to customers.
Fuck being mother-less on Mother's Day.
DAMMIT! Fuck Blue Screen of Death. Again.
Fuck new clothes that are clearly labeled as bing machine wash- and dry-able, and yet clearly aren't.
Edit: and one more. Fuck feeling like a fool.
Fuck drivers who pull out of their driveway without looking to the right. On the other hand, a big yay for good brakes.
Fuck people who give you the finger even when they're in the wrong.
Fuck the Blue Screen of Death.
Fuck the stupid @#&% at reception who keeps installing LimeWire to download music and spyware. And no, I'm not going to fix it again, call the tech guy and wait two days 'til he gets here. And no, I don't care that you can't do your work and you're inconvenienced. It now officially has an SEP field around it as far as I'm concerned.
Fuck the person who has been "sick" seven Mondays of the last twelve, causing me to lose my Monday prep period as I cover her class. Funny how she's never ill any other day of the week.
Fuck students who think I don't see the eye roll.
Fuck people who break in and steal technology from schools.
Fuck parents who think they can tell me what method of transportation to use. "My little Susie may be traumatised if you get in an accident on your motorcycle". AYFKM?
Fuck people who never do a backup, then complain to me when their data is lost.
Fuck people who come home, grab the remote and change the channel to a documentary, right in the middle of a movie I was watching. And then looks at me all innocent like and says "oh, were you watching that?" when I object.
Fuck a fingernail broken below the quick.
Fuck rain when they said it would be clearing.
Fuck Timothy's for their inability to know the difference between a double espresso long and a Cafe Americano.
Fuck whoever stole my new stainless steel water bottle.
Fuck Firefox updates that wipe your preferences.
Fuck officious parking lot attendants who think that the way to job satisfaction is to be bitchy to customers.
Fuck being mother-less on Mother's Day.
DAMMIT! Fuck Blue Screen of Death. Again.
Fuck new clothes that are clearly labeled as bing machine wash- and dry-able, and yet clearly aren't.
Edit: and one more. Fuck feeling like a fool.
The plan on Saturday was to ride up to Rama, goof off a bit, then ride over to the Carson residence for some Tuckfard goodness.
The weather cooperated, and the ride up was 2 hours of back road perfection. Granted, there's not a lot of swervily roads in this part of the world, but I found a few. It was an ideal temperature, warm enough for the Joe Rocket perforated leather jacket I love so much, and cool enough to keep me sharp and alert.
I was seated at a $1/$2 table within 20 minutes of getting there, and within the first hour had almost triple my buyin in front of me.
The first hand was the absolute best. As much I want to layout the hand for you as it was played or even make a clever story about it, I just can't. I really need to bring a notebook with me, as my memory is proving less than satisfactory.
All I really remember is I had pocket 8's, and the flop was K, 8, T rainbow. There were three other players who hung on right to the end, betting/calling through the the turn of a 5, and another 5 on the river. The other players had KA off, K3 s00ted and KT would lose, and I made a profit of $275 with my loverly boat.
It was an awesome first hour... my pocket aces held up, a flopped straight didn't crash and burn, and pocket twos on the BB paid me off big time - Dems Quads Bitches!
I played for about 4 hours, with no more really good pots, some minor losses, some minor wins. The table was good, and one guy who sat down was very amusing. You know the kind; sits down with a Poker Stars hat and a Full Tilt shirt and proceeds to tell us about how great he is as he donks off a buyin on his third hand. Total tool.
I'll admit, it was the confidence booster I needed vis a vis my poker game. But just in case I got too cocky, the seagulls left me a little present to remind me that there's a little shit in every day:
Yep. Dead fucking center. Couldn't help but laugh, as I went back inside for paper towels.
Unfortunately, I had to bail on joining the Tuckfards; not enough liquids and no lunch = nagging headache, the kind that won't go away without major drugs and will turn into a migraine if not looked after. Sorry guys...I will definitely be there next time!
The weather cooperated, and the ride up was 2 hours of back road perfection. Granted, there's not a lot of swervily roads in this part of the world, but I found a few. It was an ideal temperature, warm enough for the Joe Rocket perforated leather jacket I love so much, and cool enough to keep me sharp and alert.
I was seated at a $1/$2 table within 20 minutes of getting there, and within the first hour had almost triple my buyin in front of me.
The first hand was the absolute best. As much I want to layout the hand for you as it was played or even make a clever story about it, I just can't. I really need to bring a notebook with me, as my memory is proving less than satisfactory.
All I really remember is I had pocket 8's, and the flop was K, 8, T rainbow. There were three other players who hung on right to the end, betting/calling through the the turn of a 5, and another 5 on the river. The other players had KA off, K3 s00ted and KT would lose, and I made a profit of $275 with my loverly boat.
It was an awesome first hour... my pocket aces held up, a flopped straight didn't crash and burn, and pocket twos on the BB paid me off big time - Dems Quads Bitches!
I played for about 4 hours, with no more really good pots, some minor losses, some minor wins. The table was good, and one guy who sat down was very amusing. You know the kind; sits down with a Poker Stars hat and a Full Tilt shirt and proceeds to tell us about how great he is as he donks off a buyin on his third hand. Total tool.
I'll admit, it was the confidence booster I needed vis a vis my poker game. But just in case I got too cocky, the seagulls left me a little present to remind me that there's a little shit in every day:
Yep. Dead fucking center. Couldn't help but laugh, as I went back inside for paper towels.
Unfortunately, I had to bail on joining the Tuckfards; not enough liquids and no lunch = nagging headache, the kind that won't go away without major drugs and will turn into a migraine if not looked after. Sorry guys...I will definitely be there next time!
Well technically, this is just about Day 6 (Saturday). Day 7 (today) was spent turning things over in my mind while I watched it rain and play meh poker.
Saturday was awesome. The bike ride to the casino was incredible, but the one back was better. It was about....
Saturday was awesome. The bike ride to the casino was incredible, but the one back was better. It was about....
- some enlightenment. Sometimes it creeps up on you slowly, and sometimes it's like a whack on the side of the head.
- some validation. Everyone needs it now and again. Even kickass biker chicks.
- my friends. Goddamn, you guys rock. Whenever I feel particularly doubt-ridden and insecure, I look at these people and think, if these chicks think I'm ok, then who am I to argue?
- my motorcycle. Or rather what my bike enables me to experience. Those of you that ride know what I'm talking about.
It's Friday, so that means it's donkament night. I have a at least $20 worth of poker and technology tilt to work off, so join me for therapy and take advantage of me.
A week from right now, I'll be sitting at this desk in the computer lab, feeling like a high strung racehorse at the gate; fidgety and eager to be off.
A week and two hours from right now, I'll be bolting out the door and beginning an 8-hour drive so I can spend the Victoria Day Weekend hanging out with IFF's who are no longer so invisible.
This weekend is like a beacon. I know I'm indulging in escapism, and that the things preying on my mind will still be there upon my return, but fuck it. That's what vacations are for.
****
And speaking of IFF's it looks like a planned trip to a casino is morphing into a spontaneous last minute plan to hook up with the northern Tuckfards for a game. AND it's supposed to be a nice day, which means getting there on the bike will be a huge bonus.
Pokertart, Bankwell...what are you guys up to tomorrow?
****
Glass half full experiment, day 5.
I'm a bit disconcerted at how hard it is to for me to come up with 5 positive things a day versus the usual 500 negative things a day. This is already a whack on the side of the head for me and has given me much to ponder about my outlook on life. Thank you Annie..... I think *grin.
Today I am thankful for where I live. I love Toronto; it's been Home with a capital H since I moved here 25 years ago. I am thankful for
A week and two hours from right now, I'll be bolting out the door and beginning an 8-hour drive so I can spend the Victoria Day Weekend hanging out with IFF's who are no longer so invisible.
This weekend is like a beacon. I know I'm indulging in escapism, and that the things preying on my mind will still be there upon my return, but fuck it. That's what vacations are for.
****
And speaking of IFF's it looks like a planned trip to a casino is morphing into a spontaneous last minute plan to hook up with the northern Tuckfards for a game. AND it's supposed to be a nice day, which means getting there on the bike will be a huge bonus.
Pokertart, Bankwell...what are you guys up to tomorrow?
****
Glass half full experiment, day 5.
I'm a bit disconcerted at how hard it is to for me to come up with 5 positive things a day versus the usual 500 negative things a day. This is already a whack on the side of the head for me and has given me much to ponder about my outlook on life. Thank you Annie..... I think *grin.
Today I am thankful for where I live. I love Toronto; it's been Home with a capital H since I moved here 25 years ago. I am thankful for
- Kensington Market
- the islands
- innovative architecture like the ROM's Crystal and the OCAD addition, that make you thing and bring new textures to the visual city.
- a downtown that stays vibrant even after the commuters go home
- Discovery Walks and trails
- the Distillery District and Perigee resturant
- being by the lake
- Merchants of Green Coffee
- Evergreen and the summer market
- the multiculturalism that mostly works
- Lee's Palace
- Joe the bartender, his martinis, and the view at the Rooftop Bar of the Park Hyatt
- the chip trucks at City Hall
- Eh-Vegas and poker degenerates
Today's list is brought to you by my favourite colour.
I am grateful for the following because they always give my soul a boost on a bad day (or any day for that matter):
I am grateful for the following because they always give my soul a boost on a bad day (or any day for that matter):
- dark red nailpolish, like Royal Rajah Ruby by OPI
- the sight of a red cardinal
- my watch with the animated red flames that lick up the face
- MAC's Viva Glam lipstick
- My new red top that hugs my slightly-more-svelte curves and makes me feel very delicious.
Mookie: KK < 9Th
Dookie: 2 pair < rivered flush
I'm just going to leave it there - you're all clever enough to read between the lines.
Dookie: 2 pair < rivered flush
I'm just going to leave it there - you're all clever enough to read between the lines.
What $600 worth of bike gear looks like
2 Comments Published by katitude on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 3:28 p.m..
to paraphrase Quentin Tarantino:
Sigh.
Tonight is my favourite, the Mookie, and if I can stay awake, I'm in!
****
Today was worth getting out of bed because (aka experiment day 3):
~ You didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you?Played the Razz installment of the BBT3 Skillz game last night. Why? I have no reason to report other than the fact I am a deeply disturbed little donkey.
~ You know, for a second there, yeah, I kinda did.
~ Silly donkey. Razz is not for you.
Sigh.
Tonight is my favourite, the Mookie, and if I can stay awake, I'm in!
****
Today was worth getting out of bed because (aka experiment day 3):
- of the unexpected and unsolicited "I love you" text message.
- of the taste of a Kraft caramel, which brought me back to the first summer I spent away from parental control and reminded me of all the things I learned then.
- the new hair conditioner leaves my hair feeling like it has not been coloured every month for the last 29 years.
- after 7 years, I still love where I work, who I work with and what I do. The previous record was 10 months.
- my grade 12 class wanted to watch this, which sparked a really interesting conversation about animation techniques, Disney, the Disnification of imagination, and racial stereotyping in North American cinema. Me, all I could remember was being a kid and the treat of seeing a real movie with my family.
Freebie:
The new Nine Inch Nails release, The Slip, is out and available as a free download under a Creative Commons attribution non-commercial share alike license.
****
I am not a huge video game person, never have been. Don't get me wrong, I'll play them sometimes and have a blast, but I'm not so into them that I'll buy one. However, I am SUCH a techno weenie that this has convinced me that maybe I should look into buying some Wii bits. Holy fuck, is that cool!
****
You'll never guess what happened last night.
I ITM'ed in the MATH. Admittedly, it was by the skin of my teeth; while I know I need to loosen up and be more aggressive in the late stage, I still went the other way and tightened up to the point of near paralysis as I watched my stack be blinded away.
And that's one of the things I love about poker...it always changes as there's always some new aspect to learn and master.
****
Today (day 2 of my experiment), I am deeply appreciative of:
The new Nine Inch Nails release, The Slip, is out and available as a free download under a Creative Commons attribution non-commercial share alike license.
****
I am not a huge video game person, never have been. Don't get me wrong, I'll play them sometimes and have a blast, but I'm not so into them that I'll buy one. However, I am SUCH a techno weenie that this has convinced me that maybe I should look into buying some Wii bits. Holy fuck, is that cool!
****
You'll never guess what happened last night.
I ITM'ed in the MATH. Admittedly, it was by the skin of my teeth; while I know I need to loosen up and be more aggressive in the late stage, I still went the other way and tightened up to the point of near paralysis as I watched my stack be blinded away.
And that's one of the things I love about poker...it always changes as there's always some new aspect to learn and master.
****
Today (day 2 of my experiment), I am deeply appreciative of:
- Nick Cave
- TED talks
- spontaneous hugs from small children
- being raised with spirituality rather than Religion
- Spring after a long Winter
- friends that can cut through the crap to the heart of things
- red winged blackbirds
Lets review....
- my record for online cashes speaks for itself
- I go off on a total tilty rant at the drop of a hat
- I have a secret, unidentified back for some BBT3 events.
Huge props to Riggstad, Perticelli, Instant Tragedy, Buddy Dank, and all those behind Live Poker Radio.
I couldn't listen to all the day's coverage of the Borgata's $500k Deep Stack tournament (Action Man made me go outside on a warm sunny day and go for a walk), but what I heard was funny, interesting and professional.
Well done!
It's been a bit of a mess inside my head the last few months. Hormones and situations have had me oscillating wildly between glass half full and glass half empty. Sometimes within the space of a few seconds. It's exhausting. I can only imagine how tiresome it is to be around me.
So I'm adopting a strategy from another blog I read, Jesus' Favourite. I found her blog through Wil Wheaton, and immediately added her to my bloglines as her writing is snappy and very funny.
Jesus' Favourite, in an effort to rid her head of "vomit and Smith's songs", is running a 30 day experiment to post something she's grateful for every day, no matter how big or small. She's encouraging her readers to share their I'm-grateful-for items, but I'll leave that up to you if you want to toss something in the comments or not.
Here goes. 5 things a day for 30 days. Surely I can come up with 150 things, both big and small, that make it worth getting out bed in the morning.
Day 1:
So I'm adopting a strategy from another blog I read, Jesus' Favourite. I found her blog through Wil Wheaton, and immediately added her to my bloglines as her writing is snappy and very funny.
Jesus' Favourite, in an effort to rid her head of "vomit and Smith's songs", is running a 30 day experiment to post something she's grateful for every day, no matter how big or small. She's encouraging her readers to share their I'm-grateful-for items, but I'll leave that up to you if you want to toss something in the comments or not.
Here goes. 5 things a day for 30 days. Surely I can come up with 150 things, both big and small, that make it worth getting out bed in the morning.
Day 1:
- The morning coffee ritual with Hunny Bunny. He brings me coffee in bed on the mornings that he is home, and we look out over the city and talk. I honestly think it's these conversations that truly cement us together. Plus it helps me get my ass out of bed almost cheerfully.
- Living in a big city that has wild spaces.
- The feel of well-worn bike leathers. Especially well-work bike leathers that are now a size too big.
- Smart ass girls. The world needs more of them.
- Burt's Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm.
- The blogger degenerates at Weekend at Mookies - have a blast, make notes for the trip report so the rest of us can live viariously. Oh, and operators will be standing by for Dial-A-Shots!
- LJ and Lucko in the Borgata 500,000 game tomorrow.
- The boys behind Live Poker Radio and their inaugural episode as they cover the Borgata game.
So in a bid to restore some balance, I did non-technology things last night. I checked email once, but other than unregistering for the Riverchaseres game, nada.
I took a nap, went out for dinner with Hunny Bunny, had a bubble bath, watched some TV, knitted, read some of my book, and went to bed before 2 am for a change.
The result of this nice relaxing evening?
A sore throat, the beginnings of a cold, and an even deeper mental fatigue.
Going to be a loooong day.
****
But that doesn't mean I won't be playing tonight. I think I'll be ready to mash the All In button in the Donkament over and over and over and over.
****
And to all those going to Weekend at Mookies - have fun!
Bitches. Operators will be standing by for dial a shots,
I took a nap, went out for dinner with Hunny Bunny, had a bubble bath, watched some TV, knitted, read some of my book, and went to bed before 2 am for a change.
The result of this nice relaxing evening?
A sore throat, the beginnings of a cold, and an even deeper mental fatigue.
Going to be a loooong day.
****
But that doesn't mean I won't be playing tonight. I think I'll be ready to mash the All In button in the Donkament over and over and over and over.
****
And to all those going to Weekend at Mookies - have fun!
Bitches. Operators will be standing by for dial a shots,
This *is* a poker blog, right?
0 Comments Published by katitude on Thursday, May 01, 2008 at 8:51 a.m..
Oh BBT3, how I love and hate you at the same time. Like a man I knew in my past, you are so attractive, so appealing, so magnetic that I cannot stay away, even though I know you will use me up and leave nothing but an exhausted shell of a woman who is barely capable of forming a complete sentence.
In the other BBT's, I did so abysmally that I had no problem bailing halfway when it became apparent that there was no way I was going to come close to even a whiff of a TOC game, and that I wasn't even getting $11 worth of fun from a Mookie. The buh-bye was a no brainer.
But this BBT is very different. From the kickoff Big Game where I place fourth to todayI have been in the top 25-ish of the leaderboard. This makes me happy...this means my game has improved. Old holes have been plugged, and as I get closer to the final tables new ones have appeared to challenge me.
AND with the advent of BDR, top picks, and poooooooooosh fests, the poker nights are just about the most fun you can have while sitting home alone, without having to stock up on batteries.
Which means I am totally hooked on the BBT3 now.
But sweet jesus on a stick - FOUR nights a week, sometimes five, of BBT is killing me. By the end of the week, I'm giving the students work periods and self-learning exercises because I am too tired to teach. The don't mind, but sooner or later the administration here might catch on.
Like the day after my birthday (working hungover in this job is not recommended), I am plodding through each minute today, with 2:50 PM glowing like a beacon. And am coming to the realization that a decision must be made, as there is no way I can sustain this for another month.
Point 1: this is some kinda fun. But I am sacrificing sleep for fun, and trust me when say a sleep deprived kitty is really no fun in the long run. Ask anyone who's been in a girlie chat when I've gone off on some hare-brained rant or another.
Point 2: I want to be able to look back on the BBT and say that I played to the best of my ability and even beyond. And I am not playing my best by the time Thursday's Riverchasers rolls around after late nights on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
So here's what's going through my head (not that it makes a whole of sense to anyone but me).
Maybe later. After I nap.
****
And a huge congrats to Waffles for getting the April 2k WSOP package.
It gives me hope *grin.
In the other BBT's, I did so abysmally that I had no problem bailing halfway when it became apparent that there was no way I was going to come close to even a whiff of a TOC game, and that I wasn't even getting $11 worth of fun from a Mookie. The buh-bye was a no brainer.
But this BBT is very different. From the kickoff Big Game where I place fourth to todayI have been in the top 25-ish of the leaderboard. This makes me happy...this means my game has improved. Old holes have been plugged, and as I get closer to the final tables new ones have appeared to challenge me.
AND with the advent of BDR, top picks, and poooooooooosh fests, the poker nights are just about the most fun you can have while sitting home alone, without having to stock up on batteries.
Which means I am totally hooked on the BBT3 now.
But sweet jesus on a stick - FOUR nights a week, sometimes five, of BBT is killing me. By the end of the week, I'm giving the students work periods and self-learning exercises because I am too tired to teach. The don't mind, but sooner or later the administration here might catch on.
Like the day after my birthday (working hungover in this job is not recommended), I am plodding through each minute today, with 2:50 PM glowing like a beacon. And am coming to the realization that a decision must be made, as there is no way I can sustain this for another month.
Point 1: this is some kinda fun. But I am sacrificing sleep for fun, and trust me when say a sleep deprived kitty is really no fun in the long run. Ask anyone who's been in a girlie chat when I've gone off on some hare-brained rant or another.
Point 2: I want to be able to look back on the BBT and say that I played to the best of my ability and even beyond. And I am not playing my best by the time Thursday's Riverchasers rolls around after late nights on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
So here's what's going through my head (not that it makes a whole of sense to anyone but me).
- Less impulse; more thoughtfulness. Ask why am I doing this before doing it.
- Play less, play better
- While fun AND success in the BBT are not necessarily mutually exclusive, they are if taken to extreme. Have big fun, but don't expect a big win the same night. And if I want a big win, then dial back on the silliness and get some damn sleep.
Maybe later. After I nap.
****
And a huge congrats to Waffles for getting the April 2k WSOP package.
It gives me hope *grin.
