Frantic Friday : Spring Cleaning Edition (NSFW)

It's hard to describe to those that aren't familiar with living in a climate with four unique seasons but around these parts, Spring is still for cleaning.

We clean up almost everything to do with four months of Winter and at an average temperature of -18C, (about 0 Fahrenheit) that can mean a lot of work.

There's inside cleaning to be done like furnace vents, the mudroom floor and of course everyones favourite, the windows. But there's also outside cleaning that's needed. That side of the windows will need to be done, all the crap that's collected in the yard needs to be picked up or raked away and once you start doing that one, you'll start to realize what may be hiding all over your vehicles.

Up here for those four months you see, the only defence against old man Winter for our roads is tons and tons of Salt & Sand. Products that once you combine them with the melted snow and slush, become one of the best corrosives known to steel.

If the car is going to be preserved, that can only mean one thing!

It's time for


That's right!

It's time to focus all


on making sure I give all the vehicles a good


Now normally, I'd just throw on an old


grab the hose and bucket and do the job myself out in the driveway.

But the last several years or so I've found a much, MUCH better way to get this done. It's a combination of getting a good wash, a bit of entertainment and charity work, all rolled up into one.

Yes kids, I'm talking about the local


Almost every weekend and on nearly every corner around these parts, someone is holding a


fundraiser of some sort.

Now of course this is just my opinion but since it is for charity and all, I highly recommend that you consider


Maybe you don't think you need to or maybe, you just don't see the value in spending those extra few bucks. Of course, that's your decision.

But in my case I totally think it's worth it, since I drive a


Every weekend during the Spring and Summer, I see those kids busting their


while


and to me, that effort alone is worth a few extra bucks!

Of course, it doesn't hurt that they're also exceptionally good at


and when it comes right down to it, they get the job done properly


Oh and did I mention that this is all


Oh sorry, I must have forgot that part.

Anywho.... may I recommend that you start to think about getting your


in gear and helping out one charity or another.

They say that charity begins at home and in my eyes, that's so true!

Well, that's it for me.
It's time to head back down to


and see what they're going to charge me for the



I'm sure what ever it is, it'll be worth it!

Until next time kiddies,

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

MTT's.... the debate

So yesterday's post about getting it in good repeatedly, only to be continually sucked out on, raised a fun little debate amongst a few friends. The debate focused only on the two sides of this vicious coin.

So which would you prefer to sit through?
*remembering that we are talking strictly about large field MTT play.

A) You keep getting dealt monsters that improve, only to watch the pot be pushed to someone else that got there on a draw.

or

B) You never get dealt a playable hand and are forced to constantly decide when to make a move, or when to fold for hours.

I'd value your opinions AND the reasoning behind them.

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

All that work....

For NOTHING!

That pretty much sums up what it felt like, to come home with a second place finish last night. I'm too competitive to take losses so lightly that I don't let them eat away at me for a bit first, before I can look back and try to learn from them. My problem is, what can I learn from the play of last nights winner?

Exhibit A - She gets it in pretty bad pre, against A-A while holding A-2. Natch, she hits all three of her outs for Quads.

Exhibit B - She gets it in bad pre once again, against A-A while holding 4-4. The natch four flush goes her way.

Exhibit C - She makes final table by jamming all-in pre with the Acey-Duecey once again and her flopped boat, was good enough to take out two players. Both of whom where probably double digit favorites before the flop.

So we get down to heads up eventually and as we do, I see that I'm out chipped by about 2-1. The blinds are 200/2000/4000 and in my stack, I hold about 10 BB's or there abouts.

Pretty easy Poker right there!

Hand #1 - She limps into my BB and I see 7c-9h in the hole. I check. Together we see 8c-6h-5d come out on the flop and when all is said and done, we have about half of my stack in the middle. A meaningless 2 of diamonds comes on the turn and when I get the rest of my stack in, she simply folds.

Hand #2 - I make the limp this time, holding a sooted 9-10. She'll "put you all-in." and I let it go.

Hand #3 - she limps once again, as I hold Qh-2s. Check. The flop is 2-3-Q rainbow and before I can get anything out of my mouth, she'd once again like to, "put you all in."

Needless to say, I'm calling in that spot every single time I play the game. "If you hit your set, there's nothing I can do about it with my hand. I call." I said.

"From what I've seen so far tonight though, I'd put you on a draw of some sort."

"Oh wow, you're right. I have an open ended straight draw." she replied.

"See, I just need a 5."

And with that, she flips up A-4 for her, "OESD."

You already know I finished second, so I'm pretty sure you can figure out how the rest of that hand played out. I know I'm supposed to learn from everything I do and every hand I play but sometimes when it's been one of those nights, when you've done nothing wrong and always got it in with the best of it, the lesson doesn't seem to present itself too clearly.

I had to rebuild my stack four times during the night last night, each time more painful than the last. But I stuck to it and every single time I did get the stack in, I was comfortably enough ahead to know I was doing the right thing. I guess that's what I'll take away from this mess.

I got it in good every single time, before having my balls handed to me by another suck out.

Me bitter? Noooooooo.

But I am learning!

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....