1/02/2010

Best recipe of the decade....

I know, I know!

It's still a little early to claim to have found "the best" anything going into a new decade....

BUT!

Here's the deal. This IS something that you just may want to try at home.

Take 12 to 20 parts friends and neighbours, mix gently with 1 part large hard water.



This particular step is critical to the success of this recipe so please, pay attention!

On the side mix one generous portion of humility and laughter, with one part mini-neighbour reminding you why the water is called "hard."


Since it is Winter after all, it's also critical to this recipe to mix in a blend of snow.


Now this is where most, would probably abandon what looks like a recipe headed for disaster.

Not this kid!

As the final touch to make everything absoloutely perfect for this concoction, combine a few parts Zamboni with a whole heap of fun and mix it as vigorously as you can.


What a great recipe to start a new decade!

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

12/31/2009

Sowing the seeds of hope....

Perhaps starting this past decade off with the threat of worldwide electronic failure, was just the right way to go. I mean, it totally makes sense now that we look back at these past 10 years that just flew right by us no?

Starting with all of the clocks in the world hitting 00:00 00 and probably bringing everything we know to a crashing halt, then finishing with the completely senseless deaths of the 135th - 138th Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan, the 'ought' decade has been the least favorite of the ones this kid has managed to live through. In fact rather than lived through, I actually feel more like I survived 2000 to 2009. Maybe I should've gotten a tee-shirt deal going or something?

I think 9/11 then set the remainder of the tone, for this decade of loss and meaningless tragedy.

During this decade, my Father made the call that sent my world on life tilt. An instant before he said the word, my mind had already processed the meaning of Cancer to my Dad. But as a glimmer of hope shone through not only did my Father survive Cancer, he kicked the damming diseases ass! Hope had again been sown and for this kids family, we were intent on reaping our rewards.

Our struggles with Peb's Father Fred and the Cancerous creatures within him, have stretched out to two full years through this decade. It's only now with the clocks again about to change over into a new decade, that we potentially see a small and glimmering light near what looks to us, like the end of the tunnel. The seeds of hope are once again, firmly sown within the soil of our lives.

"Corporate espionage" reared it's ugly head as well, through this 'ought' decade. All the while cleverly disguising the true situation at hand. A back-stabbing and self promotional asshole, that was terminated just a short year after having me removed from my position within the organization. But being the conglomerate that is corporate Bedrock, they can't and won't admit to their failure at the time. Time passes and with that, the moment that was must have never actually been. The seed of hope couldn't be sown in this situation but rest assured, knowing that I was right and just at the time is a small comfort I do take to heart from this debacle.

With head up and heart full, I brought out benevolent Bam-Bam. His mission, to fight the good fight and bring a struggling organization to the forefront within it's industry. A much smaller company for certain, but one with the promise of gold at the end of the rainbow. Forgive me for channelling my inner Yoda but struggle on I did, make profit did they. As apparently is want to happen in these economically challenging times and a smaller family based operation, the profit is all gone and now.... so am I. The owners two new vehicles, new home and cottage by the lake and all of the memories he may store from dozens of trips across the globe, all that remain of my efforts over this past decade. I'd sown the seeds alright, only to watch his reaping damn near destroy the company.

And so I sit here at the end of a decade, I honestly can't wait to see go. Forgive me the half empty glass view of the 'ought' decade and what it's really meant to me, for there are still other difficulties too delicate to place in print across these pages. Things that my life as an open book, will just have to keep to itself.

All is not tragic though! I can maintain my half full glass going into the next decade, with just a few simple thoughts to keep me sane and satisfied.

The love of my life and the best thing that has ever happened to me, my Peb's is still by my side. For that I am eternally grateful. With each rise of the sun finding her by my side, I grow a love stronger than one could ever dream imaginable or real. But it is real and it really is happening to me. I shall always love you Peb's, with ALL that I am!

Along the way through these last few years, I've also sown a few seeds of hope going forward. Through you, my mostly invisible but occasionally huggable and touchable friends of Bedrock. I'm afraid that I'm not clever enough of a writer to properly put the words together to express my feelings for the friendships we've developed along the way but hopefully, they are conveyed in person when ever we do get together.

Friends and loved ones give me hope going into this next decade, hope that we'll all manage to enjoy and be prosperous throughout it. Hope that each one of us can sow the many seeds of love, joy and happiness as we go. Putting the bad behind and planning for nothing but good as we move along our chosen paths. May those paths bring me to you or you to me, as often as humanly possible. I hope that together, we can all reap the seeds of hope that we have sown in our friendships.

Happy New Year Bedrock! All the best to you and yours for this new year and hopefully, the entire decade to come.

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

12/29/2009

I'm on both sides....

Right off the top, I hope Santa was good to all you good little boys and girls! I must have been really, REALLY good! I know I was spoiled rotten. :)

I played a fair amount of SNG's over the holidays, all culminating with a very small profit for my efforts. Nothing too fascinating to discuss really, as my weak/tight ways simply got me to the payoff positions for the most part.

But there were two hands of note that I would like to discuss, as I was on both ends of the spectrum when it came to hands I just don't know that anyone could have gotten away from.

This first hand lead to a pretty big win for yours truly.

On my BB with the level being $25 ANTE and $100/$200 for the blinds, UTG jammed his last $400 and change into the pot pre-flop. After seeing many of his plays to get down to that few chips in his stack, there was no way I wasn't going to call with my Asian-Jew. It folded around to the button who took a fair amount of time before finally making the call and for a moment, I considered letting it go instead. But for the amount to call, I think getting about $250 in to win $1540 is always the right way to go.

The flop came J-A-6 with two spades and the button bet out pot immediately. I decided to simply call, with the plan to make a move on a non-spade turn card. In the back of my mind, I was nervous about the possibility of being up against pocket Aces on the button. A slow played call pre, might have been the right play to get me to stay in the hand for a bit. I know it's not that likely, but it was a possibility based on the way previous hands had gone. The button player had lost and gained a couple of pretty substantial pots, all by slow playing hands like flopped sets.

The turn gave me the mortal nuts with the Ace of Hearts and after the button checked to me, it seemed appropriate to check behind as well. Hopefully, they'd make a hand on the river. The river card flushed to the Hearts with a 4 and after tanking for a fair amount of time, the button sent his entire stack into the middle.


The comment from the button was simply,

DJAYAND1: GG and NH. No way I could get away from that one :)

That stack and one other significant hand where my pocket Astins managed to hold on all in pre, propelled my weak-tight ass to a third place finish and some cash.

Then in another game, I happened to get myself into the other side of the same situation.

Holding A-4 pre-flop from the button at the exact same $25 ANTE and $100/$200 blind level, I limped in after UTG had also done so. I saw what I thought was a pretty solid flop for my hand. It came 4-9-4 with two diamonds. I made a bet of about 1/2 the pot and was only called down by the player that limped UTG. The third diamond on the turn, had me thinking I was done with the hand right there and then. I decided to check to see what would happen and if UTG did bet, I thought I'd take one stab at a re-raise to see if I could tell where I stood in the hand. UTG checked it from behind. Hmmmmmmmmm.....?

The two of clubs on the river gave me a boat, fours over twos. I bet out the pot hoping that UTG did in fact have the flush and in what was no surprise to me, he came over the top to put me all in. To me, that was one of the best sights I could have ever imagined!


*sigh

BamBamCan: GG and NH. Don't know how I could get away from that one

Obviously it seems that what goes around, does in fact come around as well.

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....