A Walk Through 2009: January thru March

I wasn't going to do this, but 2009 was a good year in the frozen white north. Maybe not for most, but this year saw my marriage repaired, and possibly my soul. It's not with light words that my push toward bettering myself knocked the final domino onto my wife who in turn wanted more as well. The recession sucks indeed, but this blogger made a couple decisions for the betterment of self and those lives who I touch each day and sometimes those who I get to see only on a yearly basis. Also, to remember as scrolling thru the posts I had a few font-filled moments that were forgotten and other moments I'll always keep tighter than my daughter's wrap around her favorite rainbow Care Bear.

January:

Started out with a trip to my 2nd favorite place on earth. Ely, MN. No, not the bone breaking cold temps but the pureness of the night’s skies and proximity to degenerate activities. I also won a small live Omaha tournament while visiting Fortune Bay’s Casino, sadly monumental victory over 20 players was not covered by PokerNews, PokerStarsBlog, or Dr. Pauly chatting with the Ice Fishermen at the Kwazy Wabbit about their 5:37am walleye rush before the first thermos of Baileys and Coffee was finished. Maybe next time.


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- Wrote out another list as a milestone birthday approached and the Buzzsaw known as the Arizona Cardinals made their improbable run to being one play from Super Bowl champs (be the Vikes this year please, please, please) and sweated a river card of employment

- Also took the first steps towards a life-changing decision. No, I got the snip sometime ago and still remain blissfully blank in the sperm department, although my wife questions if they snipped out my remaining brain cells sometimes. That first trip to the ear specialist took a lot of introspection and now with retrospect I can’t see why it ever took me so long.

February:

- Received a couple of big somethings in the mail and email from friends that gave me the last push towards auditory freedom. Their generosity blindsided me as I spent a few nights wondering what I did to deserve such friends. I still ponder on this from time to time.

But, the wait kinda sucked.

March:

- More waiting for the hearing aids.

- And bad predictions of wanting horrible quarterbacks for my favorite team (good thing we held out for that other guy).
Then came the first sounds after inserting the puck-shaped batteries into my bionic ears. And more would pour in afterwards

I also penned a short story for Truckin which was very therapeutic to release as the pang of survivor guilt doesn’t ring as much after getting the story out. My many thanks again to those who helped. There's another Truckin story that I'd like to get out soon, and according to the Dr's orders I'll need a good drink and comfty couch with zero distractions except maybe some Steel Panther raging thru my new ears.

April thru June coming up tomorrow.

That's Not Cold, THIS Is Cold!

A couple of quick hits for now as I'm still fighting off a head cold that won't go away.

- Ely. Beautiful. Cold. Temperature negative too much to write out. Everything I want to do, did.

- No Limit Omaha Tourney at Fortune Bay. 18 Players. Won it. Book it. Who wants my book? Drizz Playz Omahaz.

- Snowshoeing. First time. Loved it. Purchasing a pair this week most likely.

- Drank too much. Pissed off the wife. Too little time. Can't wait to go again.

I'll expound on frozen things later this week, but I'm sure the Obama-mania that is cresting over the horizion for Tuesday's UberBash at our nation's captial is a tad more important then ice fishing stories. Americans are try to find the rope to get us out of this recessionary period of our nation's economy, will the new administration throw the lifejacket out to the people or sit on it so their asses don't get wet? Will the campaign promises come to fruitation?

Stranger things have happen like the Buzzsaw Who Is The Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl?!?!?! The Steelers, while not favorites, are no surprise to be playing a couple of weeks due to their shut-down defense and Choco-taco loving quarterback, but anyone out there taking a flyer on the Cards?

Flannel Hugs

(image from PokerPlayerNewspaper.com)

Since I woke up at 2am this morning with the wife snoring and a head cold my brain is pretty much pretzel dough for the remainder of the day but I did want to pass along a story about Schecky retiring from PokerNews as said by Pauly.

As a poker fanboi, PokerNews has been great for following up-to-date tournament action from around the globe and not just getting the AKo vs. 99 all-in coin flips at the final table via TV coverage, but how those nine (or six or eight) players got there. Well-written, funny, and accurate information flowing thanks to the editor-in-chief. Good luck sir on your future endeavors.

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Tomorrow I'll be visiting a place I once called "Utopia wrapped in flannel". Ely, MN may be one of the coldest places in the continental US (next to the neighboring towns of Tower and Embarrass and currently showing -36 as the temp), but many warm memories of late-night card games, countless bottle bass out on the lakes, and drunken arguments about the economy/sports/life that last as long as the chips are being slung across the table (or until the booze runs out for that evening).

Oh, there might be a side trip to the Fortune Bay casino (Bikini Ice Fishing team showing up in February? Oh my.) as well. They have a poker room which I have not had the chance to hit up yet, but I've heard the main game there is spread limit hold em'. Bleh. The page does mention an Omaha tourney at 6:30pm on Fridays. Should I hit up the cash games though, I haven't played spread limit since I dusted off my very first live poker buy-in at the Excal back in aught one (should have stayed at the $1-$5 Stud table).

And with just an "adult" weekend, there will be no need to run downstairs to see which kid is running around in the dark crying for mommy and daddy.