2/07/2009

Rare weekend post....

Look at my Pebbles gooooo....

Bright eyed, wide awake and nicely tailed, (if I do say so myself!) my Peb's signed up for Kat's Donkament at the last minute. Naturally, that meant I got to sit at the keyboard for chat duties, and I'm OK with that. Peb's has actually never played in a blogger game, where I haven't been the one chatting in fact. I love to be the social butterfly, while she plays in the event she chooses. For the first 30 minutes or so, I only said my hellos and typed whatever she asked me too. I figured that way, she could really concentrate on her game.

So I sat and watched my Baby build a pretty substantial chip lead slowly, hand by hand, only to watch it dissolve away in typical Hold'Em fashion, where ATC can go runner-runner flush or straight, to take the pot away. She ran K-K into A-A twice and I'd type in my normal "natch" and she'd rebuy where needed, and onwards and upwards we'd go.

Then she did it! I mean, the BIG it!


YUP! Peb's threw "The Bammer" at Fred and Fishiswa!

Albeit the super cheating sooooooted Bammer and during the rebuy period, but "The Bammer" just the same. Makes a husband proud I tell you! But I did say, "you'll have to be careful with crap like that! Between my chat and plays like that, you know they'll think it's me playing." Peb's laughed it off and then gave me that beautiful smile. You know the one! That smile that always makes me melt.

When the game got to first break, my baby had the chip lead! I was so very, very proud of her.


As final table came around, Peb's was still one of the top stacks at the table, but something had dramatically changed. She had hands that dominated pre, post and turn, only to see them lose river, after river, after river. She asked me, "Why would they call me down with that hand?" I simply said, "Honey, I told you. They think it's me playing now, not you!"

I did my best to shut up in the chat box and she kicked it up to her EH-game.

It didn't really matter at first though, as her cards seemed to go fairly cold. Folding for a while, was probably a good thing anyways. As my baby seemed to be steaming around the edges. "How and why do you play, when they'll do that to you over and over and over again?" she asked. "I mean, I totally get it in the rebuy period, but now? With the game on the line? They play that? Just because they think it's you?"

There's no way I could answer her that would make any sense at all and since I don't really know the reason myself, I just let it go.

Despite the late hour, my baby stuck to it and ended up finishing second to Schaubsy.



I was proud of the way that she fought off the urge to quit and really stuck to her style of play. I know what was happening was very frustrating for her and something that she's really not that used to. But at least she got a little taste of what it's like to be Bam at a table of NLHE for a bit. I got a great big hug and kiss and the little whisper that said, "I'm sorry. I had no idea it was like that for you."

When the question was posed late in the game, "Bam, has it been you the whole game?" We thought it out together.

I was there the whole game and I was typing. The majority of opponents were convinced it was me playing the game so in essence, it was me the whole game I guess.

Together, we decided to go with......... of course!

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

2/05/2009

Frantic Friday : So do they, or don't they.... (sorry gang, this one is SFW)

When Peb's and I originally got hooked up, I was living in a spot we called The Loveshack. It got it's name from Wilma who said, "if you can live with him in that old shack, it must really be love." and it just stuck.

On 50 acres of property, the Loveshack was built back around the year 1717 to the best of my knowledge. I say that only because built into the last edge of the old 10" x 10" x 10' solid wood and hand carved beam wall at the back, was an axe handle with the date etched into it. By the design of the building itself, this definitely would have been the last feature added to complete the home. It makes some sense to me then, that the builder probably dated the handle of the axe he used and added it as part of the house, to give him that, 'it's really finished' feeling. The folks at the historical society seemed to agree so, I go with that date.

It was a small home, capable of having three bedrooms if desired, but the upper level was never used for anything but storage by the two of us. It had a small family room with a fireplace, a formal but small dining room complete with a 10" deep, full wall and floor to roof built in China Cabinet / Curio that was so period for the early 1700's and a kitchen and one bedroom on the main floor. There was also a bathroom on that level, but it had clearly been added way later than the dated construction of the main building itself. Read : The original house was basically a log cabin that had been framed around and had some siding added. The bathroom was actually framed in, similar to today's building habits. Definitely not to today's standards, but similar in style just the same.

We lived entirely on the one level for the entire time we were there. Just the shack, 3 acres of livable land to play around on and 47 acres of farming property, usually seeded with corn, soy bean or something else that took very little care to grow. It was a piece of heaven for certain and we always referred to it that way between the two of us, "Heaven!"

We frequently laughed about the unevenness of the building itself. Visible slants everywhere the eye would wander. The floors in every room were so slanted in fact, that our second favorite pastime,.. :) .. was indoor mini-putt. We'd create holes, decide on par and off we'd go. Two idiot kids, trying to get a golf ball to roll around door jams, hardwood steps etc.. etc... but the slants were obviously in far more areas than just the floors.

For drinks planned to be set on the table, had to be considered as you poured. Just so that the placement of the glass on the table, did not allow the glasses contents to spill over top of the 'downhill' lip. In fact, items on the Dining Room table such as a vase with flowers or the butter dish forgotten at Dinner, would often, "migrate" to one end of the table. Of course, this only ever happened over night. We chalked it up to what we called, "The 8 hour angle." Meaning that it took about an 8 hour good sleep for whatever was left out, to make the trek down to the South end of the table.

One morning something just wasn't right however. The object was way up at what would be considered the North, or high point of the table. "I wonder why that didn't slide down to the other end?" I said to Peb's.

"I wonder why you took it out of the China Cabinet at all?" she responded.

And this is where this story really begins dear reader. For you see, neither one of us took that figurine out of the cabinet. In fact between the two of us, that figurine had only ever been moved once. It was the day when we first found it, as I was originally moving in. I picked it up, dusted it off and wondered why someone would leave it behind, when it was so beautiful and unique. After cleaning out that area of the cabinet, I put it right back in it's place and there it sat.

Well, for about three months that is.

I woke up one warm and still Summer evening, to what sounded very much like a fire crackling in the family room. There was no fire I know, but the sound seemed as real as the air I was breathing. It was as I rounded through the Kitchen and was about to enter the Dining Room area, that I could smell the sweet smoke of a pipe. There again I know there was no pipe, but my nose was full of oddly enough, what smelled exactly like my Grandfathers Amphora Red Pouch from day's gone by.

It was a sensory overload of sorts as I made my way into the Family Room. For there leaning on the fireplace mantle, pipe in one hand and fire poker in the other, stood a man I did not recognize at all. Beside him on the mantle was that figurine. I tried to take in what I was seeing but in moments, he appeared to be transforming into an opaque man of sorts. The pipe was becoming difficult to smell and the fire seemed to be losing it's heat and it's voice. This man gave a look in my direction and with a very subtle and gentle nod of his head, I was suddenly standing alone in the room.

Despite the temperature being well on the plus side of 23 Celsius, I had a chill. A chill that has re-created itself every time I have thought of that night since and yes, that includes right now.

I never saw this...... whatever it was, again. I actually am of the mindset that I'd really like to, just to confirm to myself that it really happened that night. Our minds are incredibly tricky tools. Perhaps like old Ebenezer himself, this was simply the result of a bit of un-digested pork from dinner that night. Perhaps I merely dreamt the entire thing up, only to find myself waking up from a sleep walk into the Family Room that night.

For the record, the figurine was found on the table in that same spot three more times that year. Oh, and once more on the fireplace mantle after that night as well. Each time it was found outside of that cabinet it was in desperate need of dusting. So dusted off it was, only to be put back away until it's next trip. By the time we'd found our current residence and moved out of the Loveshack, one of us had put that figurine back where it belonged, a total of 14 times.

When we left the Loveshack, I felt it only proper to dust it off one last time and leave it behind. It didn't seem right to separate it from it's rightful owner, after everything we'd seen over the years. We were curious of course, but never felt any pain or harm was ever intended upon us. And since whatever it was seemed to be trying to send us a message by taking the figurine out of the cabinet, I placed it right back in there, hoping he'd try and send the same message to the new home owners as well. I only hope they get the message too. I keep saying that one day, I'll get the nuts to drop by the old house and ask them about that figurine and anything suspicious about it. But I haven't done it yet. It's been 8 years since we've been moved into our new home.

But unless something similar to this ever happens to me again, I don't think anyone can fully convince me that ghosts are actually among us. But I've thought about that night an awful lot more lately, since I've been running across stuff like the following. It's almost become an obsession with me.

All text in "quotes" is from a very well noted and respected expert on film and digital errors, and the faking or adjustment to any and all photography styles.


"This well known photo—and perhaps one of the oldest examples of a bonifide spirit photo—was taken in the Combermere Abbey Library in 1891 by Sybell Corbet. The exposure length was approximately one hour, and the figure of a man appears to be sitting in the armchair located in the foreground (it's difficult to make out, but a head and arm can just be discerned sitting in the chair). At the time this photograph was being taken, Lord Combermere (a top British cavalry commander) was being buried four miles away and the house was said to have been locked and empty at the time. One explanation frequently offered by skeptics is that during the lengthy exposure a servant inadvertently sat in the chair for a short time, noticed the camera, and hastily left, leaving what is effectively a fuzzy double exposure. What argues against this theory, however, aside from the fact that all members of the household were supposedly attending the funeral at the time, is the lack of lower torso. A servant caught in a timed photo should have left an image of the entire torso—particularly the waist and upper thigh—with only the arms and legs being subjected to motion blur. Additionally, those who knew Lord Combermere claim the figure looks exactly like the man, so we have to wonder if the old gentleman wasn't simply just visiting his old "haunt" one last time."


"This famous photo of a young girl looking out from a raging fire was taken during a 1995 structure fire at Wem town hall in Shropshire, England. Shot from across the street by a local photographer, nothing unusual was seen at the time but once the negative was developed he noticed what appeared to be a young girl standing in the doorway of the burning building."


"Firemen found the photo so disturbing that they sifted through the ashes afterwards searching for the remains of a body but found nothing, leaving everyone wondering who the girl may have been. Not surprisingly, there is a bit of local folklore which claims that a young girl named Jane Churm accidentally burned the town hall to the ground in 1677 when she dropped a candle, and her ghost has been reputed to haunt Wem town hall ever since. Once a firebug, always a firebug."


"Another classic and one of the better captures, this photograph from 1919, taken by retired RAF officer Sir Victor Goddard, shows his squadron from the Royal Navy vessel HMS Daedalus."


Notice the transparent face peering around the man in the upper left corner of the photo. Several men from this squadron identified the face as belonging to mechanic Freddy Jackson, who had been killed two days earlier when he accidentally walked into a spinning propeller blade. His funeral had taken place earlier that day. Apparently, Freddy didn't want to miss all the fun."


"My new favorite photo is this one, sent to me in November of 2008. The photo was taken by the little boy in the picture, who was snapping photos of himself when the face of the rather stern looking apparition of a woman appeared behind him in one shot. His mother wrote to tell me her son, who is four years old, claims that he has spoken with the woman as well as with the spirits of two other teens named Brian and Wolfie (one of whom apparently hung himself with a rope). The woman in the picture, then, may be a guardian spirit, or maybe just one of several spirits who inhabit the home (which has a history of paranormal activity). Picture was taken with a Kodiak EasyShare cx7430 on the afternoon of October 27th, 2008. There is no evidence of hoaxing, nor is it a double exposure. If authentic, it is certainly one of the most emotive ghosts I've ever seen!"

So though I'm not exactly a full believer, I think I have to call myself a serious considerer. What do you say? Do they, or don't they?

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

Stick with me on this....

One thing about commuting is a given. You will eventually wonder why you weren't the one that invented the "Bumper Sticker." Why couldn't I at least be related to the "king of the bumper sticker," Forest P. Gill, a silk screen printer from Kansas City. I mean they're everywhere! The guy's family has to be so filthy stinkin' rich !

For the most part, I find them to be pretty much crap. The likes of ;

-My kid is a, (insert random brag here)
-Don't wash this vehicle - Undergoing scientific dirt test.
-You must be from the shallow end of the gene pool.
-Jesus is coming, everyone look busy.

But I have to admit, there have been a few that have actually made me LOL on the way to or from work of late. Now I don't know who writes the material for bumper stickers but IMHO, there has been a little more thought put into it of late.

Seen recently ;

-Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.
-A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory.
-I got this motor home for my wife. Best deal I ever made
-Would you drive any better if I shoved that cell phone up your ASS?
-If We Quit Voting Will They All Go Away?
-Nothing political is correct.

Then there's also the story behind the wheel.

In some cases, it's not necessarily just what the stickers say, as much as it is who's driving the vehicle they're on. The next three were on the same vehicle. A 2007 Mercedes 500 SL with the license plate INO DLAW, being driven by a fairly cute 30 something redhead.

-So you're a feminist...Isn't that cute.
-Women who seek to be equal to men, lack ambition.
-All men are idiots....I know. I married their king.

The driver of this next car, was an 80 something year old man!

-500,000 battered women and I'm still eating mine plain
-Contraceptives should be used on every conceivable occasion.
-Money Isn't Everything, But It Sure Keeps The Kids In Touch

Since these were all over the back of it, I'm guessing the guy in this van isn't a huge fan of Greenpeace or Broccoli!

-Ask me about microwaving cats for fun and profit.
-If we aren't supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?
-Save the whales. Collect the whole set.
-I love cats...they taste just like chicken
-Save the Dolphins? What did the cows do wrong?
-I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian.

I see the kid in this next truck almost everyday. One day I just have to stop him and check out his sense of humour. He seems to add one sticker every couple of months.

-Why be difficult - when you can be impossible.
-I wonder how much deeper would the ocean be, without sponges.
-Why is 'abbreviation' such a long word?
-Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how it remains so popular?
-Give me ambiguity or give me something else.
-I want to die in my sleep like grandpa. Not yelling and screaming like the passengers in his car!
-Smile, it's the second best thing you can do with your lips

And here's a few more randoms that just caught my fancy ;

-Life is a sexually transmitted disease.
-Beauty is often in the eye of the beer holder.
-Taxation WITH representation isn't so hot, either!
-My wife keeps complaining, "I never listen to her"...or something like that.
-Alcohol and calculus don't mix. Never drink and derive.
-If we are what we eat; I'm cheap, fast, and easy.
-Stop repeat offenders. Don't re-elect them!

I know, I know! Bumper Stickers, you're thinking to yourself.

But there's a lot of time to think about this shit when it's an hour or more each way, five day's a week! So I'll just leave you with a few stickers I've seen, that were clearly blatant theft from the great George Carlin. But they are every bit as appropriate now, as the day he first ever uttered the words.

-So far, this is the oldest I’ve been.
-You can’t argue with a good blowjob.

and finally,

-The planet is fine. The people are fucked.

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

2/04/2009

Just for a laugh....

Here's some stuff that made me LOL today.
It felt like good karma to share.

= = = = = =

The inventor of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle, Arthur
Davidson, died and went to heaven.

At the gates, St. Peter told Arthur. Since you've been such
a good man and your motorcycles have changed the world,
your reward is, you can hang out with anyone you want to in heaven.

Arthur thought about it for a minute and then said, I want
to hang out with God.

St. Peter took Arthur to the Throne Room, and introduced him to God.

God recognized Arthur and commented, Okay, so you were the one who invented the Harley-Davidson motorcycle?

Arthur said, Yeah, that's me...

God commented:
Well, what's the big deal in inventing something that's pretty unstable, makes lot's of noise and pollution and can't run without a road?

Arthur appeared a bit embarrassed at first, but finally spoke,
Excuse me, but aren't you the inventor of woman?

God said, Ah, yes.

Well, said Arthur, professional to professional, you have some major
design flaws in your invention!

1. There's too much inconsistency in the front-end suspension.

2. It chatters constantly at high speeds.

3. Most rear ends are too soft and wobble about too much.

4. The intake is placed way too close to the exhaust.

5. The maintenance costs are outrageous.

Hmmmmm, you may have some good points there, replied God, hold on just a sec.

God went to his Celestial supercomputer, typed in a few words and waited for the results. The computer printed out a slip of paper and God read it.

Well, it may be true that my invention is flawed, God said to Arthur, but
according to these numbers, more men are riding my invention than yours.

= = = = = =

Here's just a shorty but if you appreciate it as much as I do,


here's the link to a longer verson.

= = = = = =

And finally, because some days.... it really does feel like this!



My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

2/02/2009

Just Truckin'....

Yes........... it's that time of the month again!

Some incredible writing once again in the latest edition of Truckin'. I hope you enjoy it, every bit as much as I have.

Truckin' - February 2008, Vol. 8, Issue 2

Welcome back to the latest issue of Truckin'...

1. Kitchen Table by Paul McGuire
That's cool. You're a chick. And chicks are supposed to like sappy shit like Coldplay. I need something that I can play air guitar to. Not 'insert and remove tampons from my ass' kinda music... More

2. A Proper Bow-Tie by Betty Underground
I lay out the pieces of his tuxedo, he finishes the primping process. Gathering the necessary toiletries strewn across the bathroom floor one by one, as he needs them. The hair dryer goes off. I run my fingers through his dried, loose, locks and secure them in the back in a short ponytail while he tones, moisturizes and brushes. In that order... More

3. Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Joe Ely, and the Cotton Club by Johnny Hughes
Elvis bragged about his sexual conquests, using language you didn't hear around women. He said he'd been a truck driver six months earlier. Now he could have a new woman in each town. He told a story about being caught having sex in his back seat. An angry husband grabbed his wife by the ankles and pulled her out from under Elvis. I doubted that... More

4. First Impressions: Buenos Aires by Jonny Vincent
I tell him I'm from the Future, from the 21st century where people are used to paying for goods and services with this futuristic method of payment called credit cards. I apologise yet again and claim full responsibility for my own lack of research into his quaint and backwards and medieval system. I tell him I have no gold, no jewels, no currency and nothing to barter in exchange for the consumed food except these futuristic and useless credit cards... More

5. Pancakes by Paul McGuire
I just have to tell people the pancakes story and it perfectly explained Sabine. I sat through her bizarre routine every day for a year as she slipped into a trance and maniacally prepared her pancakes. She cared more about the pancakes than her own art. More than herself. Heck, more than me... More


What a Long Strange Trip It's Been...

From the Editor's Laptop:

Welcome back. I can't thank our devoted readers enough for returning. This issue features two stories from yours truly... a series of random fictional pieces inspired by some of my old days in New York City. Betty Underground returns with another flirtatious and salacious tale. Johnny Hughes contributed one monster of a story involving Buddy Holly, Elvis, and the thriving music industry his hometown of Lubbock, Texas. And lastly, we have a new scribe to add to the Truckin' roster. Jonny Vincent is known in most circles as a professional poker player, but I happen to think that the Aussie one of the most hysterical writers on the intertubes. You'll see why with his observations about moving to Argentina.

Truckin' needs your help with a wave grassroots promotion. Spread the word about Truckin' on your blogs and whatever social networking sites you are currently addicted to. Please tell your friends about your favorite Truckin' stories. The writers definitely appreciate your support, as do I.

And as always, please let me know if anyone is interested in being added to the mailing list or perhaps you are interested in writing for a future issue.

Before I go, I have to give a hearty and sincere thanks to the writers for writing for free. They expose their guts, blood, and soul to the universe. Their dedication inspires me and I hope it inspires you too.

Be good,
McG

"If you are innocent, you can get away with anything." - Hunter Thompson

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

Casino moneys is da' best kind....

Friday at Casino Rama was a blast! Course, anytime you leave with their cash you're going to say you had fun right!

Peb's and I managed to talk Fred into heading out for the day with us and all in all, I think he had a pretty good day. I know he didn't go bust and I didn't see him putting any huge amounts of cash away at the end of the day so, I'll say he probably came pretty close to breaking even.

Peb's on the other hand, had an unusually rough day by her normal standards. She could not get anything going at all, all day. I have her down about $210 for the day. It's so not like her to keep on plugging away after the first $100 is gone. Typically, she'd know when she's beat and be able to walk away at that point. But not Friday.

This might have been because of the huge stack of chips in front of me at the time!

I had a great day Friday! As most of you know, the Let it Ride / Three Card Poker table is where you'll usually find me in any Casino. Friday was no different. We started at one table and nothing really spectacular was going on. I'm kind of funny when it comes to table vibe, players vibe, dealer attitude and personality etc.. etc.. I figure if I'm using my cash to have some fun and get my gamble on, I want to have some fun doing it! This first table just wasn't cutting it for any of us. The original dealer had it going on, but his shift finished 30 minutes after we sat down. The new dealer did NOT want to be there, and it really showed. That was enough to get us to move on it's own but, throw in the 155 year old lady that just joined the table and had never played the game before, taking up to 5 minutes to make any decision every time action was on her and I'd just had it. Not meaning to be rude and knowing that someday I may be that old lady to someone else down the road, I grabbed the chips I had in front of me and headed for a new table. Soon Peb's and Fred both followed behind, as it was all just a bit much for them as well.

As I took my seat at the table the Dealer warmly welcomed me and then both Peb's and Fred in turn. Happy dealer = good start! The pit boss came over and let us know that she'd transferred all of our players card info. over to the new table already, so there'd be no need for us to get our cards out again. Nice touch! Then the guy in the seven seat starts to chat it up with the gal in the #2 spot. He's telling a joke and it's really, really on the dirty side. She laughs really hard and actually gets tears in her eyes. OK ! This table is going to be fun.

Now the lady in the two seat was making some serious cash at the time as well. She was hitting her pocket pairs, catching flush and straight draws and really making the bonus bucks in the three card game. She was actually dealt back-to-back straight flushes at one point. None of this changed how she talked or acted at the table in the least. Then I noticed a squeak in her voice as a King peeled off for the first flipped card. She already had her cards down and I figured hat her no-brainer must be K-K. A little squeak for the set and when the dealer flipped up another King, I thought she was going to go orgasmic on us. It was great to see! She pulled in just under $5000 for one hand. Now just how nice was she? She looks around the table and says, "Thank you! If you all weren't here, this never would've happened." and with that, she passed each player at the table a $25 chip. Very cool indeed.

About 20 minutes into the game at the new table, I get on a run of no-brainers that was about every second or third hand that was dealt. This gets me up a few dollars right off the bat. Then I was dealt trip 9's. I told the dealer that I had a dream about trip 9's and that I thought the fourth 9 was going to be the first card he'd flip over. It wasn't. It was a three instead. So I laughed and Peb's said something about the "stupid Bammer!" The second card flipped was also a three. Boat it up and I'm dragging in a little over $500 for my efforts. Quad's and the 3 or 4 grand that would have gone with them would've been sweet, but I'm far from greedy and was quite content with the cash I was paid for that hand. I took the $25 chip that was given to me by the #2 seat and passed it on to the dealer. "I'll spread the karma around," I said, as I thanked her for the nice thought. With a smile and a nod she simply said, "nice" as we started to play the next hand.

Seeing Peb's stack slowly reducing down to nothing but a little bit of green felt, I threw the amount of our original buy-in back in my pocket. No matter what, the day wasn't going to cost us anything. I ran hot for a little bit longer but as things tend to go in Let it Ride, the real luck and big hands had moved it's way to a new seat at the table. A funny guy in the six seat hadn't hit a hand the whole time he was there. When the seven spot became available, he asked for a change in seats. What a great move that ended up being for him! He hit and hit and hit and hit! Over and over again, he was stuffing no-brainers under his last bet on the table. He enjoyed the ride too, by doubling and re-doubling his bet sizes as he won. He went from his last 8 or 9 $5 chips in his hand, to several stacks of red, green and black chips in front of him in a matter of 20 or 30 minutes. Very cool to see!

When the wealth is spread around like that, the table takes on this great vibe and it's just so much more fun to be there for the day. What a blast we had. Well, at least the atmosphere was fun for Peb's. I know she's really disappointed that she didn't take any of the big pots down herself. But some days are just like that. I have no doubt in my mind that the next time we head over for some more action, it will probably be yours truly sitting on a short stack, as my baby rakes in another monster win from our favorite version of Poker at the Casino.

At the end of the day we took Fred out for some Dinner. It was on me and I still have a great profit to show for the day. All in all, another great day at Rama.

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....