for me anyway. My schedule is bizarre and I have a very difficult time dealing with life when I don’t log around 7 to 8 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period. Today will be one of those sleep deprived, weirdtard days of delirium. I’m on my way out to Pahrump in about two hours to do a walk through of the house and property that Vickie and I are waiting to claim as our own. Of course it takes forever to settle a real estate deal and this one is right there…forever. It’s still not closed but it’s time for the final walk through. Darian and Riot are going to make the trip with me, at least I will be entertained and have company as I make the hour drive out and back.

Several thoughts have come to mind with the cost of fuel skyrocketing and probably not going to go down…EVER. One is a scooter for short trips around town (and even in Pahrump the new digs are about 7 miles from what is considered the hub of Pahrump shopping), a small economy car (hate the thought of even riding in one anymore), and installing the Banks Air Flow system in the Steed (expensive but not more than a decent scooter or economy car). While kicking around different ideas, doing some research, talking it over with family and friends, I believe the route I will go is the Banks system. I really didn’t buy the Steed just to leave it parked at home and I may still get to plan some of those trips that germinated the original idea of the coach and the Steed.  According to the reports I’ve read and speaking to a Bank’s rep, I can expect to gain between 3-5 miles per gallon in fuel and that is regular driving and towing. That’s huge in a year’s time, especially since Pahrump is an hour out of Vegas.

On the poker side of life, I’m getting my head kicked in – all I’m playing is low limit tourneys. I won’t even begin to say that I’m not making mistakes in my game, I will say they are very few and far between because I’m rarely picking up a playable hand – that means I’m playing like a rock and waiting like the vulture circling in the desert…waiting…pitching…waiting. I never throw away a winner.

I managed to outdraw someone in one hand yesterday, it was a strange feeling…me drawing out. I was the button with six players in front of me and I called the $20 BB with j-7 of diamonds. The flop was J-6-5 rainbow with one diamond. Everyone checked to me, I bet $200 and got check raised all-in by the BB. I had him covered and I admit to having a difficult time giving credibility in these small buy-in tourneys to any player unless I’ve been in the game with them for awhile. I called, he showed J-6 off for 2 pair and I back doored a flush.

I was out of the tournament within the next blind level with J-J in the BB. A player went all-in for $800 or so, another player that had us both covered called, I raised all-in, around $2K more. The player with all the chips appeared to think about it – I doubt that most of them think anything really, I think the stall is just for effect – and called showing Q-8 of diamonds, the original all-in had A-7 offsuit. They both beat me. A Queen on the flop, an Ace on the river. See ya!

I’m on a long dry run from hell right now. But I can’t quit. No, seriously, I can’t quit. I have poker hands embedded in my brain, my hands are built with auto chip slingers in them, my programming software is POKERWORKS, and my donkey ears are tuned to the ‘DOINK’ that signals it’s my turn to act on a hand.

On the really wonderful side of life, tomorrow is the day I get to lose these damn braces on my front teeth. What a huge, wonderful, incredible relief.

Off to the shower and out into the desert heat. See ya!