B-l-u-e M-o-n-d-a-y! Tomorrow’s “D” day. Deal Day for those of you that don’t get it! I’m going back to the battle of the green felt after three blissful weeks of total escape from the real world. Real World? Umnnhhhh….

It never ceases to amaze me how often I run into a poker player in the least likely place…200 miles out of Vegas, on my way home, around 5 p.m., I pulled over for gas and a pit stop in a little spot that isn’t even on the map. Walked into the establishment and ran into Lyle Berman…he was just leaving Vegas. He told me I sure looked different when I dealt.

Well, no kidding! I was in the veg and grunge mode and had been out camping for two weeks. We went our separate ways and I couldn’t help but chuckle and wonder what the odds were that I would run into him there, where I never expected to be and I’m sure it wasn’t a destination point for him either.

My camping trip was great except for two things; no campfires and my Uncle Lee didn’t make it.

The whole Northwest and possibly the whole USA is on fire alert, extreme fire warnings. Yes, we still could cook using a propane stove or barbecue…if we hadn’t been able to, how could we have shared all the wonderful food and time together creating it?

Lee had to make the trip from Amarillo by himself if he came. We argued with him that he should fly into Spokane and we’d pick him up but he wanted to drive his truck with a small camper behind it. He searched everywhere for someone that would make the trip with him, he would’ve paid them to drive, but he couldn’t find anyone. The rest of us even tried to brainstorm someone in our group that could fly to Amarillo and drive him up, spend the time at the reunion, drive Lee back and then fly back home but no one could do it.

He’s 76 and having a few health problems and decided that he’d better not make the drive alone. His campsite was reserved and right by mine, it was sad to see it setting there empty after spending the last reunion with him.

We played poker, briefly, on the last two nights that most of the family was there and it just wasn’t the same without Uncle Lee…maybe next year.

Anyway time to think about work. WORK!!!! ARGHHHHH!!! Choke and gasp. I’ve decided I would make a great retired person, just can’t get there from here.
More news coming….