Yeah, so I played the show last Friday, and I have to admit that things went well for the most part. We had a decent crowd, the room sounded great. You have to love a venue that's combo rock hall, BBQ joint, and bowling alley. The Big Lebowski approves.
Anyway, I know we showed a bit of rust (especially that suck ass bass player), but the energy level was high, and people seemed genuinely pleased with the performance. I suppose when we're rocking the fuck out that most of those little mistakes may not really reach the ears of individual audience members, unless it's glaring.
I managed to make it through the first seven songs of the set just fine, but then we played "Boy". This is a song our guitar player wrote that is particularly haunting and sad, and about fear and death. Not to mention the bass carries the melody, and about 80% of the tune, musically. Well, I asked for us to play that song, because the lyrics hit home with particular impact these days. We rehearsed pre-show, and I started crying towards the end of the song.
Wouldn't you know it, about halfway through "Boy" on state, I pretty much began sobbing uncontrollably, thinking about my Good Doctor Mondo, now in the ICU bed for a full month. It hurts just typing that last bit. Anyway, it was pretty brutal, but I somehow got through it and only donked a couple notes of the melody. Of course, we still have three more songs to play after that point, and I was pretty ragged the rest of the night, but I (and we) got through it. Cathartic...yes, it was. I think I *need* to do this band thing during our difficult process right now.
The Good Doctor's mother is back in town and staying for...ever? Certainly through the next six weeks of so.
Okay, happier stuff...I made TWO final tables on the same day a couple days ago. One in a Bodog $30 NLHE, and one in a $5r LO8 tourney. Yep, you read that right...a Limit Omaha 8 that is also a rebuy. Head asplode. Naturally, I didn't finish better than 7th in either event, but a final table is a final table, especially when it feels like forever since you got there.
Carry on.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
What Does Go On
Here we are, seemingly where we were an eternity ago...in the ICU, the Good Doctor Mondo hooked up like nobody's business. Time, while it passes eternal, seems like both an instant and an eon, even at the same time.
Today is her 26th day in the hospital, 24rd day in intensive care, and 22nd on a ventilator in a coma. And in some ways, nothing has changed. But she's resting in peace under the same sedative that killed the wacked out gloved on. Amazing how that stuff works under proper medical supervision.
Tonight I rejoin the band for the first time in a month. I'm not sure if I feel like it, or if I'll even make it through the show without breaking down from emotion or exhaustion. But everyone, from our families, to the medical staff, have urged me to do it. So I'm going to try.
What does suck is this...my firm informed me that they're no longer paying me until I come back. On an intellectual level, I 100% completely understand this. I mean, I haven't worked in the last...three or so weeks, I guess. I can't remember my last billable hour. But it sucks just the same, especially as a couple of the lawyers suggested this wouldn't happen. But I can't really complain, it is what it is, even if it makes me think it's "just another law firm" and not the "award winning best place to work in Denver". I'm just venting, really. They already paid me 64 hours in the paid-time-off hole. Fortunately, we've got a bit put away so I don't think we'll have to put the house up for sale and max the credit cards any time real soon.
If I can share one piece of wisdom, it is this. Don't just not take each other for granted, but remember to not take for granted all of the little moments you share with your loved ones, from the most mundane to the most significant. Because, in the end, they are all significant and equally important.
Have a good weekend.
Today is her 26th day in the hospital, 24rd day in intensive care, and 22nd on a ventilator in a coma. And in some ways, nothing has changed. But she's resting in peace under the same sedative that killed the wacked out gloved on. Amazing how that stuff works under proper medical supervision.
Tonight I rejoin the band for the first time in a month. I'm not sure if I feel like it, or if I'll even make it through the show without breaking down from emotion or exhaustion. But everyone, from our families, to the medical staff, have urged me to do it. So I'm going to try.
What does suck is this...my firm informed me that they're no longer paying me until I come back. On an intellectual level, I 100% completely understand this. I mean, I haven't worked in the last...three or so weeks, I guess. I can't remember my last billable hour. But it sucks just the same, especially as a couple of the lawyers suggested this wouldn't happen. But I can't really complain, it is what it is, even if it makes me think it's "just another law firm" and not the "award winning best place to work in Denver". I'm just venting, really. They already paid me 64 hours in the paid-time-off hole. Fortunately, we've got a bit put away so I don't think we'll have to put the house up for sale and max the credit cards any time real soon.
If I can share one piece of wisdom, it is this. Don't just not take each other for granted, but remember to not take for granted all of the little moments you share with your loved ones, from the most mundane to the most significant. Because, in the end, they are all significant and equally important.
Have a good weekend.
Monday, July 13, 2009
And Now, Recovery?
The Good Doctor Mondo has finally had her tracheotomy this morning, and she is out of surgery and back in her room. Much like my only poker bankroll, she is deeply sedated but relatively comfortable.
And now, we wait.
I've been told that events, such as the pace of reducing levels of sedation will be directly proportional to her ability to improve her lungs and oxygen saturation. I've been told any real significant improvement will still be slow, and I have no expectation that she'll even be out of ICU for another week or two.
But I actually got to give her a wee kiss on her lips! I'll say this much...surgical tape residue tastes like crap.
But the Good Doctor Mondo has never looked more beautiful to me.
Oh, brief poker comment to make this blog relevant, and the most minor of brags. That JokerStars $4.40 LHE event I final tabled last week? I've now played it three times over the last week and cashed...three times. Sample size, I know, but I seem to be getting a handle on when to be aggressive, and who I can push around, at this level. We'll see...when the Good Doctor awakes, I'm likely to be off of poker for quite some time, so I may play more limit today.
And now, we wait.
I've been told that events, such as the pace of reducing levels of sedation will be directly proportional to her ability to improve her lungs and oxygen saturation. I've been told any real significant improvement will still be slow, and I have no expectation that she'll even be out of ICU for another week or two.
But I actually got to give her a wee kiss on her lips! I'll say this much...surgical tape residue tastes like crap.
But the Good Doctor Mondo has never looked more beautiful to me.
Oh, brief poker comment to make this blog relevant, and the most minor of brags. That JokerStars $4.40 LHE event I final tabled last week? I've now played it three times over the last week and cashed...three times. Sample size, I know, but I seem to be getting a handle on when to be aggressive, and who I can push around, at this level. We'll see...when the Good Doctor awakes, I'm likely to be off of poker for quite some time, so I may play more limit today.
Friday, July 10, 2009
The Opposite of Awesomeness
Thanks, doc. Thanks to your unfathomably stoopid donkeyfucker absentmindedness, the Good Doctor Mondo's tracheotomy has had to been postponed to 8am Monday morning.
Why?
Because as her surgeon, it was your job to ocommunicate to the nurses to stop her blood thinners 24 hours prior to surgery.
At least you had the good sense to not actually go through with the operation today.
Why?
Because as her surgeon, it was your job to ocommunicate to the nurses to stop her blood thinners 24 hours prior to surgery.
At least you had the good sense to not actually go through with the operation today.
And Yet, A Diversion
Over the last week or so, the longer this medical drama has gone on, certain nurses and social workers here have been urging me to do the kinds of things I would normally do to reduce stress. I've already missed two gigs with New Ben Franklins thus far, and numerous rehearsals. And that's not about to change because I'm not going 35 miles down to Denver while my baby is up here in a medical coma. I'm just not.
The band's been wonderful about this, and after two shows sans bass, it appears one of my nearest and dearest friends is going to stand in for me at our next show or two, but I digress.
In order to relax while sitting in her room overnight, I've actually begun to play some poker again. Mostly to give myself some relief from all the constant phone calls and text messages to answer, and part because I can't sleep. Since she's under heavier sedation now, while I will never leave her...the immutable fact is, she probably isn't even aware of my presence.
Anyway, I've managed to play some, and for the most part there is nothing to report.
But I did make what I believe to be my first final table in a LHE event, a $4.40 $1k guarantee on Stars. Amazing. I won something like 22 of my first 24 showdowns. Then I lost when my flopped set of queens went down to runner runner aces, and from then, it was a case of hanging on. Went out 7th of about 970 runners. And then barely slept.
I have to admit it was a good distraction, and there may be a bit more of that to come.
I want to thank everyone in this poker bloggiverse for all of their thoughts, well wishes, healing vibes, prayers, what have you. It has to be helping, it just has to.
The band's been wonderful about this, and after two shows sans bass, it appears one of my nearest and dearest friends is going to stand in for me at our next show or two, but I digress.
In order to relax while sitting in her room overnight, I've actually begun to play some poker again. Mostly to give myself some relief from all the constant phone calls and text messages to answer, and part because I can't sleep. Since she's under heavier sedation now, while I will never leave her...the immutable fact is, she probably isn't even aware of my presence.
Anyway, I've managed to play some, and for the most part there is nothing to report.
But I did make what I believe to be my first final table in a LHE event, a $4.40 $1k guarantee on Stars. Amazing. I won something like 22 of my first 24 showdowns. Then I lost when my flopped set of queens went down to runner runner aces, and from then, it was a case of hanging on. Went out 7th of about 970 runners. And then barely slept.
I have to admit it was a good distraction, and there may be a bit more of that to come.
I want to thank everyone in this poker bloggiverse for all of their thoughts, well wishes, healing vibes, prayers, what have you. It has to be helping, it just has to.
Brief Update
It's now been just over two weeks since the Good Doctor Mondo was intubated, and to date, her progress has been interminably slow. In fact, she's pretty much as she was over a week ago. But there are some signs of improvement, and some signs that she may be beginning to give up some of this fluid in her lungs.
However, we're running into territory where keeping her on the ventilator risks possible serious, permanent damage to her mouth, throat, and vocal cords. As such, the doctors will be performing a tracheotomy in a few hours. The hope is that once they can lift her from the sedation she's been under all this time (because she'll no longer be on the vent), that she may actually be able to begin to recover.
Be well.
However, we're running into territory where keeping her on the ventilator risks possible serious, permanent damage to her mouth, throat, and vocal cords. As such, the doctors will be performing a tracheotomy in a few hours. The hope is that once they can lift her from the sedation she's been under all this time (because she'll no longer be on the vent), that she may actually be able to begin to recover.
Be well.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Just A Mere Side Story
The Good Doctor Mondo continues to battle and give it all she's got. Unfortunately, the end result of the last couple of days is that she's still pretty much where she was last Friday, which sucks. Hard. But I take comfort in knowing that's still a lot better than she was doing a week previous.
Anyway, I'd remembered I wanted to post a tiny bit about our Alaskan cruise, specifically, the casino action.
Yer boy Mondo won a tourney on the boat. Boy howdy, a single table tourney with $30 buy-in for a big pile of $175, woohoo! But for those itching to play on the boat, I offer one word of advice...don't.
Honestly, I've never seen a worse structure in my life. 2000 starting chips. Blinds start at 50/100 (that's right, you start with 20 BB). Blinds double. Every. Fifteen. Minutes. That's right, by 30 minutes in, you're at 200/400 with tourists who wouldn't know a fold button if it were glowing red in front of them.
Of course, that didn't stop me from playing almost every tournament on the boat. Played five of the six tourneys. Top two paid, and that was my only cash. Normally, I'd end up raise/folding to a highly uncoordinated flop and shove at some point in the first orbit or two, and then lose my push'n'pray flips. Got two outed at least once. But had a blast all the same on the trip overall.
Oh yeah, played my first ever casino craps on the boat. Man, that game could lead to a bad end for me, even if I broke even there.
Now that I think about it, didn't I already tell this story? Fuck it, I needed the distraction given current events...
Be well all, and remember those that truly matter, because none of this side shit does.
Anyway, I'd remembered I wanted to post a tiny bit about our Alaskan cruise, specifically, the casino action.
Yer boy Mondo won a tourney on the boat. Boy howdy, a single table tourney with $30 buy-in for a big pile of $175, woohoo! But for those itching to play on the boat, I offer one word of advice...don't.
Honestly, I've never seen a worse structure in my life. 2000 starting chips. Blinds start at 50/100 (that's right, you start with 20 BB). Blinds double. Every. Fifteen. Minutes. That's right, by 30 minutes in, you're at 200/400 with tourists who wouldn't know a fold button if it were glowing red in front of them.
Of course, that didn't stop me from playing almost every tournament on the boat. Played five of the six tourneys. Top two paid, and that was my only cash. Normally, I'd end up raise/folding to a highly uncoordinated flop and shove at some point in the first orbit or two, and then lose my push'n'pray flips. Got two outed at least once. But had a blast all the same on the trip overall.
Oh yeah, played my first ever casino craps on the boat. Man, that game could lead to a bad end for me, even if I broke even there.
Now that I think about it, didn't I already tell this story? Fuck it, I needed the distraction given current events...
Be well all, and remember those that truly matter, because none of this side shit does.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
And Now Comes the Tough Part
Happy 4th of July to all, especially all you firecrackin-poppin' 'mericans out there. Try not to lose a couple of fingers this year, okay?
Today is the 4th of July...
...the Good Doctor Mondo's 11th day in intensive care...
...the Good Doctor Mondo's 13th day in the hospital...
...the Good Doctor Mondo's 9th day on intubation/ventilator, and...
...the Good Doctor Mondo's 2nd day of relative awareness.
This is truly where it becomes difficult, for her and for me. For her, under a lighter load of sedation, she no longer has the luxury of going back under and losing her ongoing memories of this terrible experience. This is something she's going to begin to carry with her, going forward. When the nurses come to futz with her positioning, suction her mouth and the vent tubes, etc., not only is she going to remain exceedingly uncomfortable...she is going to be cognizant of it happening, and quite possibly remembering significant parts of it, too.
For myself, this is the most difficult part to watch. In fact, seeing her at this level of physical anxiety and stress is pretty much the worst thing I've had to witness since the last minutes before they intubated her last Friday.
The pace of recovery of the human body can be a fascinating, and yet frustrating, thing. My wife was simply so close to dying, that her body is taking an extremely long time to recover. While the pneumonia takes up less of her lungs, it is still there. At the most base levels of exertion (e.g., the nurses adjusting her positioning in bed), her oxygenation levels drop pretty fast. The positive is that her recovery time after each such episode seems to be decreasing...and that is the most tangible sign that she is improving.
The positive upshot of this is what leads the doctors to want to back off the sedation. That is, she's doing better. Not much better, but better. It finally took until a couple days ago for me to reach the point where I just knew my wife was going to live through this ordeal. And she will. But her road remains unfathomably long and hard. By all accounts, she's really not close to being able to be removed from the ventilator, and not close at all to leaving intensive care. So the vigil continues. And after that, all the vague hints I get from the medical staff are that it may even be a matter of a couple of months before my darling can come home. There's talk of telemetry wards, assisted care rehab centers, etc., but nobody's really telling me anything.
Sometimes, I wonder how we're going to cope. Her university and my employer have been wonderful thus far. But then, she's largely on a summer break, and my cases have slowed down, so we're not really missed yet. However, I have no idea what the future holds.
All I can hope is that this is not a mirage, and that my baby *is* getting better. I will be here for her no matter how long it takes.
In other news, one of our favorite distaff lawyers appears to have survived Day 1A of the Main Event with a fair bit more than double starting chips (or at least was there with 90 minutes to go). Go LJ!!!
I bought a small piece of her ME action last year and sadly saw her get outdrawn on and roached. Unfortunately, I wasn't really focusing on things, given my wife's issues right now, and missed out on my chance to back a strong player whose already barely missed one final table this year. I hope you guys out there didn't miss your chance. This may be LJ's year, and I'll say this much...she'd make the November Nine a heckuva lot more fun than Kelly Kim.
Oh, and Go Rockies!
Today is the 4th of July...
...the Good Doctor Mondo's 11th day in intensive care...
...the Good Doctor Mondo's 13th day in the hospital...
...the Good Doctor Mondo's 9th day on intubation/ventilator, and...
...the Good Doctor Mondo's 2nd day of relative awareness.
This is truly where it becomes difficult, for her and for me. For her, under a lighter load of sedation, she no longer has the luxury of going back under and losing her ongoing memories of this terrible experience. This is something she's going to begin to carry with her, going forward. When the nurses come to futz with her positioning, suction her mouth and the vent tubes, etc., not only is she going to remain exceedingly uncomfortable...she is going to be cognizant of it happening, and quite possibly remembering significant parts of it, too.
For myself, this is the most difficult part to watch. In fact, seeing her at this level of physical anxiety and stress is pretty much the worst thing I've had to witness since the last minutes before they intubated her last Friday.
The pace of recovery of the human body can be a fascinating, and yet frustrating, thing. My wife was simply so close to dying, that her body is taking an extremely long time to recover. While the pneumonia takes up less of her lungs, it is still there. At the most base levels of exertion (e.g., the nurses adjusting her positioning in bed), her oxygenation levels drop pretty fast. The positive is that her recovery time after each such episode seems to be decreasing...and that is the most tangible sign that she is improving.
The positive upshot of this is what leads the doctors to want to back off the sedation. That is, she's doing better. Not much better, but better. It finally took until a couple days ago for me to reach the point where I just knew my wife was going to live through this ordeal. And she will. But her road remains unfathomably long and hard. By all accounts, she's really not close to being able to be removed from the ventilator, and not close at all to leaving intensive care. So the vigil continues. And after that, all the vague hints I get from the medical staff are that it may even be a matter of a couple of months before my darling can come home. There's talk of telemetry wards, assisted care rehab centers, etc., but nobody's really telling me anything.
Sometimes, I wonder how we're going to cope. Her university and my employer have been wonderful thus far. But then, she's largely on a summer break, and my cases have slowed down, so we're not really missed yet. However, I have no idea what the future holds.
All I can hope is that this is not a mirage, and that my baby *is* getting better. I will be here for her no matter how long it takes.
In other news, one of our favorite distaff lawyers appears to have survived Day 1A of the Main Event with a fair bit more than double starting chips (or at least was there with 90 minutes to go). Go LJ!!!
I bought a small piece of her ME action last year and sadly saw her get outdrawn on and roached. Unfortunately, I wasn't really focusing on things, given my wife's issues right now, and missed out on my chance to back a strong player whose already barely missed one final table this year. I hope you guys out there didn't miss your chance. This may be LJ's year, and I'll say this much...she'd make the November Nine a heckuva lot more fun than Kelly Kim.
Oh, and Go Rockies!
Monday, June 29, 2009
When Poker Just Does Not Matter
I've really been struggling for the last few days about how much, or even whether, to share certain parts of my life with this blog. After all, aside from CK, I've never actually met any of you, off of the virtual felt, that is.
But I just felt the need to briefly express here about one of the most frightening experiences you can possibly imagine...and that is seeing your spouse, the love of your life, and your entire world slipping into very severe illness.
My wife, the Good Doctor Mondo, did not return from our Alaskan cruise in good health, and while I know I can write as much as will spill from my brain here, I don't feel I can completely express all the details just yet, as they're too painful. Of course, most of my trip reports suck, too, because my blogging skills are weak.
At any rate, over the past week, my darling sank into an extremely serious pneumonia, the cause of which they have not been able to ascertain, even a week later. By Friday midday, I was starting to seriously doubt she would live through this past weekend, as the doctors placed her in a medically-induced coma. But she's as tough a cookie now as she is at the poker tables, and she has refused to succumb to anything.
Thankfully, I can report that she's making steps in the right direction. These are baby steps, truly, and I can't even fully grasp how far she has to go. But she feels the love and support of those around her, and by extension, those around me. Still, as of now, the doctors aren't even contemplating trying to bring her off the ventilator and awaking her from her coma until at least a few days from now. And, as is common when someone is befallen with life-threatening illness, complications arise now and then. It's almost a sick twisted game of Whack-a-Mole, where doctors give her steroids to help her lungs, but then the steroids raise her blood sugar to where she needs insulin, to where the insulin leads to needing something else.
But the medical staff here have been uniformly brilliant, and she's getting the best care anyone can imagine. And she's getting better, baby step after baby step after baby step. Right now, I only wish that baby would start running, rather than crawl.
But I just felt the need to briefly express here about one of the most frightening experiences you can possibly imagine...and that is seeing your spouse, the love of your life, and your entire world slipping into very severe illness.
My wife, the Good Doctor Mondo, did not return from our Alaskan cruise in good health, and while I know I can write as much as will spill from my brain here, I don't feel I can completely express all the details just yet, as they're too painful. Of course, most of my trip reports suck, too, because my blogging skills are weak.
At any rate, over the past week, my darling sank into an extremely serious pneumonia, the cause of which they have not been able to ascertain, even a week later. By Friday midday, I was starting to seriously doubt she would live through this past weekend, as the doctors placed her in a medically-induced coma. But she's as tough a cookie now as she is at the poker tables, and she has refused to succumb to anything.
Thankfully, I can report that she's making steps in the right direction. These are baby steps, truly, and I can't even fully grasp how far she has to go. But she feels the love and support of those around her, and by extension, those around me. Still, as of now, the doctors aren't even contemplating trying to bring her off the ventilator and awaking her from her coma until at least a few days from now. And, as is common when someone is befallen with life-threatening illness, complications arise now and then. It's almost a sick twisted game of Whack-a-Mole, where doctors give her steroids to help her lungs, but then the steroids raise her blood sugar to where she needs insulin, to where the insulin leads to needing something else.
But the medical staff here have been uniformly brilliant, and she's getting the best care anyone can imagine. And she's getting better, baby step after baby step after baby step. Right now, I only wish that baby would start running, rather than crawl.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Giddyup!
For the 2nd time in my life, I've bought a piece of the action of someone's upcoming WSOP event. Hopefully, the returns are greater this time than last time. By that, I mean any return would be greater than it was last time.
Okay, I only bought 2% of the action for 1% of the gross, so it's more of a pony than a horse. But I believe in this player's skill.
Fingers crossed for lots of "nut nut" held by my horse.
Okay, I only bought 2% of the action for 1% of the gross, so it's more of a pony than a horse. But I believe in this player's skill.
Fingers crossed for lots of "nut nut" held by my horse.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Felt Feels Good
In a virtual way, of course.
Finally got back to playing some online MTTs yesterday, with mixed results, but it felt good all the same. Managed to cash in three NLHE rebuy events, the huge $3r and a $5r on Stars, and a $12r on bodog. I don't know what attracts me to rebuys...perhaps is really a matter of being able to not have to exit after an early junk-kicking.
Came close to the final table in the bodog (there were only 131 runners), and took a terrible beat in the $3r which would have finally gotten me to average chips (60k or so), when my AK couldn't beat AQ. All in preflop, JT9 on the flop, I'm thinking "no K no K no K". The 3 on the turn was nice, but I couldn't fade the card I originally wanted on the flop.
Tried my hand at my first 8-game mixed tourney, and didn't play well. Will try again.
Ultimately, I managed to chip up my roll, but only a small bit, as my Stars cashes weren't much over my rebuys.
What truly jazzes me now, however, isn't poker. It's my Colorado Rockies. WTF, 15 wins in 16 games? That's a better run than our regular season ending in 2007. And the parallels are eerie:
In 2007, the Rox were 35-33 after 68 games.
In 2009, the Rox are 35-33 after 68 games.
In 2007, the Rox' longest winning streak was 11 games.
In 2009, the Rox' longest winning streak is 11 games.
The 2007 Rocktober run included a dramatic game ending HR by Todd Helton to cap a comeback.
The 2007 RockJuneber run now includes a dramatic game ending HR by the Toddfather to cap a comeback, his first walkoff home run since.....2007.
Anyway, the truth is that this team is actually a better team than that 2007 edition. They underperformed badly early, but some sabermetric numbers reveal some bad luck in there, too. They should end up with at least four (and possibly five) players at around 25 home runs, which is very respectable post-'roids. Overall, their starting pitching is a bit better.
Hopefully the run continues. Of course, there are still over 90 games to be played, but the upcoming trip against the Angels, Dodgers, and A's will go some way towards determining whether the 2009 Rockies are real or not.
Finally got back to playing some online MTTs yesterday, with mixed results, but it felt good all the same. Managed to cash in three NLHE rebuy events, the huge $3r and a $5r on Stars, and a $12r on bodog. I don't know what attracts me to rebuys...perhaps is really a matter of being able to not have to exit after an early junk-kicking.
Came close to the final table in the bodog (there were only 131 runners), and took a terrible beat in the $3r which would have finally gotten me to average chips (60k or so), when my AK couldn't beat AQ. All in preflop, JT9 on the flop, I'm thinking "no K no K no K". The 3 on the turn was nice, but I couldn't fade the card I originally wanted on the flop.
Tried my hand at my first 8-game mixed tourney, and didn't play well. Will try again.
Ultimately, I managed to chip up my roll, but only a small bit, as my Stars cashes weren't much over my rebuys.
What truly jazzes me now, however, isn't poker. It's my Colorado Rockies. WTF, 15 wins in 16 games? That's a better run than our regular season ending in 2007. And the parallels are eerie:
In 2007, the Rox were 35-33 after 68 games.
In 2009, the Rox are 35-33 after 68 games.
In 2007, the Rox' longest winning streak was 11 games.
In 2009, the Rox' longest winning streak is 11 games.
The 2007 Rocktober run included a dramatic game ending HR by Todd Helton to cap a comeback.
The 2007 RockJuneber run now includes a dramatic game ending HR by the Toddfather to cap a comeback, his first walkoff home run since.....2007.
Anyway, the truth is that this team is actually a better team than that 2007 edition. They underperformed badly early, but some sabermetric numbers reveal some bad luck in there, too. They should end up with at least four (and possibly five) players at around 25 home runs, which is very respectable post-'roids. Overall, their starting pitching is a bit better.
Hopefully the run continues. Of course, there are still over 90 games to be played, but the upcoming trip against the Angels, Dodgers, and A's will go some way towards determining whether the 2009 Rockies are real or not.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Slight Return
Back from Alaska, The Yukon and such and such. No, I could not see Russia from any part of Alaska, but I did see the Governor's Mansion. You know, the one Sarah Palin won't live in because it's in Juneau, not Wasilla. You know, the actual capital of Alaska.
Saw plenty of whales, but unfortunately, none on the cruise ship poker table. Wow, I knew cruise ship poker was a bit dodgy with their truly horrible tournament structures, but it didn't really hit me until I played. Played five NLHE tournies on board. Won one, bubbled another, and crashed the rest. These tables were single table, 10 player tournaments with 2000 in starting chips and blinds that double. Yeah, double. Every. Fifteen. Minutes. Starting level gave you 20 big blinds, and by the end of the first orbit, even if you havent' played a hand, you're down to roughly 8 BB. So of course I found myself where I'm shoving ATC from unopened cutoffs or buttons when I'm sitting on less than 4 BBs only 30 minutes into a tournament.
In truth, these tournaments are designed to be over within about 75 minutes from the start, and the last thing any of the casino staff is worried about is providing a good structure. The one basically unforgivable issue took place in the first tournament, where the dealer would not allow the BB to raise after a button SB call during heads up. Her understanding was that "the small blind had the option". I attempted to correct her of this, but she wasn't having it, and the first-time-in-a-casino donkfish who lasted to heads up actually didn't know any different, and didn't care, and his opponent (who seemed to know different) didn't seem to care.
Oh well, such is life, and I was cool with it. I did manage to take one down, which paid for the remainder of my tourney play. The one thing that bummed me about the play was that over the entire cruise, we managed only once to get a cash table going (3/6 LHE). Otherwise, played my first live casino craps (slight loss), Caribbean Stud (broke even, but what a terrible game), and donked around blackjack for a while.
And saw glaciers, humpback whales, sea lions, otters, a couple bears, and had a brilliant time. I highly recommend cruising the Inside Passage if you can.
Of course, given my virtual denial of net access, I was left in the dark during at the time, but found my blogger catch up reading most pleasant, indeed, thanks to the deep WSOP runs of a couple of our blogger queens. CK and LJ, I'm proud of you, and surely these are only the first of many deep runs and cashes for each of you in that lil' ol' WSOP thingy. Especially LJ in her first. ever. live. HORSE. tourney. Pretty stunning, actually.
Anyway, I'll put up a couple photos of the trip once the Good Doctor Mondo gets them from her vid camera to the laptop....
Saw plenty of whales, but unfortunately, none on the cruise ship poker table. Wow, I knew cruise ship poker was a bit dodgy with their truly horrible tournament structures, but it didn't really hit me until I played. Played five NLHE tournies on board. Won one, bubbled another, and crashed the rest. These tables were single table, 10 player tournaments with 2000 in starting chips and blinds that double. Yeah, double. Every. Fifteen. Minutes. Starting level gave you 20 big blinds, and by the end of the first orbit, even if you havent' played a hand, you're down to roughly 8 BB. So of course I found myself where I'm shoving ATC from unopened cutoffs or buttons when I'm sitting on less than 4 BBs only 30 minutes into a tournament.
In truth, these tournaments are designed to be over within about 75 minutes from the start, and the last thing any of the casino staff is worried about is providing a good structure. The one basically unforgivable issue took place in the first tournament, where the dealer would not allow the BB to raise after a button SB call during heads up. Her understanding was that "the small blind had the option". I attempted to correct her of this, but she wasn't having it, and the first-time-in-a-casino donkfish who lasted to heads up actually didn't know any different, and didn't care, and his opponent (who seemed to know different) didn't seem to care.
Oh well, such is life, and I was cool with it. I did manage to take one down, which paid for the remainder of my tourney play. The one thing that bummed me about the play was that over the entire cruise, we managed only once to get a cash table going (3/6 LHE). Otherwise, played my first live casino craps (slight loss), Caribbean Stud (broke even, but what a terrible game), and donked around blackjack for a while.
And saw glaciers, humpback whales, sea lions, otters, a couple bears, and had a brilliant time. I highly recommend cruising the Inside Passage if you can.
Of course, given my virtual denial of net access, I was left in the dark during at the time, but found my blogger catch up reading most pleasant, indeed, thanks to the deep WSOP runs of a couple of our blogger queens. CK and LJ, I'm proud of you, and surely these are only the first of many deep runs and cashes for each of you in that lil' ol' WSOP thingy. Especially LJ in her first. ever. live. HORSE. tourney. Pretty stunning, actually.
Anyway, I'll put up a couple photos of the trip once the Good Doctor Mondo gets them from her vid camera to the laptop....
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Taking Potpourri for $200, Alex
Today's the BBT4 finale, and the final finale of all BBTs. Obviously, I'm not taking part. Good luck all, but a huge thanks to Al for having worked so hard over the years getting such big prizes put together for these series. I only played three events myself, finishing in the points only once and ending up 160th of 333 on the roster of all who played. Time is not my friend, my friend. But good luck to all, and I hope the two who end up with Main Event packages actually use them to play, and not just take the cash.
There's very little in this world I'd like to see more than a blogger making the November Nine.
Oh, yeah, otherwise out in Vega$, this guy is headed to Day 3 of $2500 NLHE in solid shape...20 players left, over a half mil to the winner.
New Ben Franklins have been going gangbusters. Our recent show at the Bluebird Theater was an amazing experience, and at the same time, one of our best shows ever, musically. We're playing a show today at Denver's world semi-famous Larimer Lounge, and I'm greatly looking forward to it. It's our only gig for June, as various NBFers leave town this month.
Myself included. This week, the Good Doctor Mondo and I head to up the coast on an Alaskan cruise. Should be a blast, I'll try to get a couple cool pictures to post. Lots of whale-watching, and not just in the on boat casino.
There's very little in this world I'd like to see more than a blogger making the November Nine.
Oh, yeah, otherwise out in Vega$, this guy is headed to Day 3 of $2500 NLHE in solid shape...20 players left, over a half mil to the winner.
New Ben Franklins have been going gangbusters. Our recent show at the Bluebird Theater was an amazing experience, and at the same time, one of our best shows ever, musically. We're playing a show today at Denver's world semi-famous Larimer Lounge, and I'm greatly looking forward to it. It's our only gig for June, as various NBFers leave town this month.
Myself included. This week, the Good Doctor Mondo and I head to up the coast on an Alaskan cruise. Should be a blast, I'll try to get a couple cool pictures to post. Lots of whale-watching, and not just in the on boat casino.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
You Are Entering A World Of Pain
And here's Part 2 of...drumroll...the Swede Lebowski. Enjoy in it's no-budget low-fi splendor:
Too Good Not To Share
Some friends of mine, awesome movie buffs all (or at least, major buffs of a majorly awesome film), have remade The Big Lebowski, in two parts.
I now present, The Swede Lebowski:
Part Deux to follow.
I now present, The Swede Lebowski:
Part Deux to follow.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
So Tight, Yet Still So Far
I saw one piece of paint over the last 30 hands, and not a single pocket pair, yet managed to take a token fairly deep:
In all honesty, I never thought it was possible to play this tight and yet still make it to about the 9th payout level:
Of course, had I known it at the time, I would have played the hand 31 hands or so before my exit. Sitting on 55 on the button with about 16k (M of about 4), and a player with about 20k goes all in in middle position, and a stack of about 18k calls. I figure I've got to be way behind. So I fold. And it's an AK v AK battle, and my presto would have held on that board. If I'd have only known. Folding 55 there didn't really feel nitty, because I was either racing very slim, or way way behind.
So a few orbits later, when my BB was half my stack and it was raised, I called J9hh. The flop wasn't horrible, even when villian hit his set, when I saw two hearts and a gutshot. But no help came, and I go home. Still, I really needed this, as it was my only cash of the day of about a dozen tourneys, where I went out in a dozen pretty sick ways...and I still haven't hit another set in NLHE going on about 900 tourney hands now.
Oh yeah, the bankroll drops...
In all honesty, I never thought it was possible to play this tight and yet still make it to about the 9th payout level:
Of course, had I known it at the time, I would have played the hand 31 hands or so before my exit. Sitting on 55 on the button with about 16k (M of about 4), and a player with about 20k goes all in in middle position, and a stack of about 18k calls. I figure I've got to be way behind. So I fold. And it's an AK v AK battle, and my presto would have held on that board. If I'd have only known. Folding 55 there didn't really feel nitty, because I was either racing very slim, or way way behind.
So a few orbits later, when my BB was half my stack and it was raised, I called J9hh. The flop wasn't horrible, even when villian hit his set, when I saw two hearts and a gutshot. But no help came, and I go home. Still, I really needed this, as it was my only cash of the day of about a dozen tourneys, where I went out in a dozen pretty sick ways...and I still haven't hit another set in NLHE going on about 900 tourney hands now.
Oh yeah, the bankroll drops...
Running Stupid Cold
I have flopped one set in my last 500 tournament hands. I can't fathom the odds of that happening. I've had my share of PP to be certain, but ONE flopped set (of kings).
Did win two Tier 1 tokens last night, but already wasted one. Won my way into the Double Deuce for about $8. And final tabled a Bodog.
But still, ONE flopped set in 500 tourney hands? Unfathomable.
GL on the felt, ya'll.
Did win two Tier 1 tokens last night, but already wasted one. Won my way into the Double Deuce for about $8. And final tabled a Bodog.
But still, ONE flopped set in 500 tourney hands? Unfathomable.
GL on the felt, ya'll.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Never Thought I'd See the Day
Okay, so I'm watching the DVR of tonight's American Idol finale...so sue me. Wifey's leaving town for a few days tomorrow, so we're hanging out. Anyway, all the final 12 contestants are doing their customary duets with famous folk, and Adam Lambert's doing it with KISS. And...get this...KISS isn't even fucking playing. I mean, they're playing...in that sorta lip syncing style. At least the bass.
The bass notes being played were NOT coming from Gene "We won't play it, but we'll license it for a Fistful of Shekels" Simmons. He wasn't playing the same strings and frets the notes were coming from, and it seems obvious that the bass part that you and I heard was coming from Rickey Minor, who's not only the musical director of the American Idol in house band, but also a hell of a bass player in his own right.
Wow. Not that KISS has ever been anything but a cheeseball sorta sometimes hard-ish running joke rock band, but tonight, they were more of a Rock Band, Playstation 3 version. I don't think I'll ever be able to listen to them again. Real bands don't faux-play their instruments on a show when lesser lights are actually performing. Seriously, I don't doubt Ashlee Simpson will put in a cameo on their next album.
The bass notes being played were NOT coming from Gene "We won't play it, but we'll license it for a Fistful of Shekels" Simmons. He wasn't playing the same strings and frets the notes were coming from, and it seems obvious that the bass part that you and I heard was coming from Rickey Minor, who's not only the musical director of the American Idol in house band, but also a hell of a bass player in his own right.
Wow. Not that KISS has ever been anything but a cheeseball sorta sometimes hard-ish running joke rock band, but tonight, they were more of a Rock Band, Playstation 3 version. I don't think I'll ever be able to listen to them again. Real bands don't faux-play their instruments on a show when lesser lights are actually performing. Seriously, I don't doubt Ashlee Simpson will put in a cameo on their next album.
Friday, May 15, 2009
And So It Goes
Yeah...all that non-poker stuff.
Well, the Good Doctor Mondo and I are breathing sighs of relief today. Our lil' all star doggie, Yorvie, ended up having a mass of some type, that a biopsy was not able to draw any conclusions from. So a few days ago, the docs shaved his shoulder, cut him open, and yanked it out. He looks a real mess right now with a big incision, but we found out in the last hour that the tumor was benign. He's already got his spunk back, but now we can breathe a lot easier.
New Ben Franklins just keeps on keepin' on. We had our first "get shafted by a club" experience, when we lost the gig we had tomorrow night because the club double booked the venue. 'Tis a real shame, because we were really looking forward to getting to play with bluebelle, one of our favorite bands (any of you Billy Childish fans out there would LOVE bluebelle). And we always dig doin' it with Dario Rosa. And our frontman made such a cool simple poster for the show, too, such a shame to waste it.
Frankly, I can't say I'm surprised, given the debacle that was our last show at that venue. I mean, we were negatively affected, but the bar threw two more bands on the bill at the last minute, and one of the bands that was booked with us didn't get to play. So I'm not shocked that we'd get the short end of it, and we didn't deal directly with the venue on this gig. Oh well. But it's hard to get overly worked up about it when...drumroll...we're booked to play the Bluebird Theater! WOOHOO!
That means absolutely fuckall to a poker blogger, but it's a real bloody venue, capacity about 400 or so, balcony, the works. Heck, in the last year, bands like Daughtry and Vampire Weekend have graced that stage. It won't be the biggest room I've played, but it will certainly be the nicest to date. Here's a few pics of the joint:
What?!?!? I have TWO monitor wedges, just for lil' ol' me?
Nice view from the balcony.
Just a few of our fans. Yeah, right. But one can hope. Maybe someday. But the Bluebird looks pretty cool when it's packed to the gills, no?
Oh yeah, and we've started recording, too....
Well, the Good Doctor Mondo and I are breathing sighs of relief today. Our lil' all star doggie, Yorvie, ended up having a mass of some type, that a biopsy was not able to draw any conclusions from. So a few days ago, the docs shaved his shoulder, cut him open, and yanked it out. He looks a real mess right now with a big incision, but we found out in the last hour that the tumor was benign. He's already got his spunk back, but now we can breathe a lot easier.
New Ben Franklins just keeps on keepin' on. We had our first "get shafted by a club" experience, when we lost the gig we had tomorrow night because the club double booked the venue. 'Tis a real shame, because we were really looking forward to getting to play with bluebelle, one of our favorite bands (any of you Billy Childish fans out there would LOVE bluebelle). And we always dig doin' it with Dario Rosa. And our frontman made such a cool simple poster for the show, too, such a shame to waste it.
Frankly, I can't say I'm surprised, given the debacle that was our last show at that venue. I mean, we were negatively affected, but the bar threw two more bands on the bill at the last minute, and one of the bands that was booked with us didn't get to play. So I'm not shocked that we'd get the short end of it, and we didn't deal directly with the venue on this gig. Oh well. But it's hard to get overly worked up about it when...drumroll...we're booked to play the Bluebird Theater! WOOHOO!
That means absolutely fuckall to a poker blogger, but it's a real bloody venue, capacity about 400 or so, balcony, the works. Heck, in the last year, bands like Daughtry and Vampire Weekend have graced that stage. It won't be the biggest room I've played, but it will certainly be the nicest to date. Here's a few pics of the joint:
What?!?!? I have TWO monitor wedges, just for lil' ol' me?
Nice view from the balcony.
Just a few of our fans. Yeah, right. But one can hope. Maybe someday. But the Bluebird looks pretty cool when it's packed to the gills, no?
Oh yeah, and we've started recording, too....
Bless Me Donkeys, For I Have Sinned
It has been over 500 hours since my last poker-related post.
I've actually been playing a bit more poker lately, but between being really really busy at work, and not having any real poker accomplishments to speak of, ye olde blog's been lagging behind.
I did manage to chop 1st place in a PL Badugi tournament. Ummm, yeah. At $2.20 a buy-in, the 1st place chop was worth about $35, but still, I'm finding PL Badugi to be fun. I've played that event twice since, and aggro'd my way out.
In the past, I've been a pretty tight but standard player, and I must say I've been working really hard at opening up my game. Widening my range in late position, three-betting more often, all that jazz. So far, it hasn't altered my results, and to a small extent I suspect it has made me more trappable. But not really, because I'm not finding myself in situations where I'm three-betting light and then folding to a 4-bet shove, or anything like that. But it has made my game more swongy.
I did catch one break last night when I cracked AA with TT with my very own one outer. I'd made a standard raise from EP, and cutoff (or button, I forget) with a good stack 3-bet. I was relatively short and shoved, duh. Someone else folded case T so I was terribly lucky.
Of course, I was equally unlucky on my Bodog nemesis site when I shoved 4-bet KK into AA, and the K on the flop didn't help one bit, given the A that showed in the door. Even when I bubbled the final table of a Bodog $30+3 $3k the other week, that beat was pretty bad...fortunately, the Bodogbeast at least let me recover my buy-in.
For the most part, I'm still only playing poker online on Thursday nights, so the bloggerments just don't fit my schedule these days. I'm not sweating it, but much as I've never managed to play an FTOPS event, I tend to miss all the good stuff, so my poker horizons could use some broadening. I find myself playing the same events every time I sit down to play, and none of them are really intriguing to me at the moment. I'm not rolled to play stuff like the 50/50, and the $10+1 on Bodog and the $11+1 on Stars...well, I'm just not feelin' it. But given the time I get home, they're the best events available to me.
The other aspects of my life are much more.......more. But a subject for another post, I suppose.
To cleanse your sins, you are to recite four Hail Mary Bad Beats and suffer three one-outers.
I've actually been playing a bit more poker lately, but between being really really busy at work, and not having any real poker accomplishments to speak of, ye olde blog's been lagging behind.
I did manage to chop 1st place in a PL Badugi tournament. Ummm, yeah. At $2.20 a buy-in, the 1st place chop was worth about $35, but still, I'm finding PL Badugi to be fun. I've played that event twice since, and aggro'd my way out.
In the past, I've been a pretty tight but standard player, and I must say I've been working really hard at opening up my game. Widening my range in late position, three-betting more often, all that jazz. So far, it hasn't altered my results, and to a small extent I suspect it has made me more trappable. But not really, because I'm not finding myself in situations where I'm three-betting light and then folding to a 4-bet shove, or anything like that. But it has made my game more swongy.
I did catch one break last night when I cracked AA with TT with my very own one outer. I'd made a standard raise from EP, and cutoff (or button, I forget) with a good stack 3-bet. I was relatively short and shoved, duh. Someone else folded case T so I was terribly lucky.
Of course, I was equally unlucky on my Bodog nemesis site when I shoved 4-bet KK into AA, and the K on the flop didn't help one bit, given the A that showed in the door. Even when I bubbled the final table of a Bodog $30+3 $3k the other week, that beat was pretty bad...fortunately, the Bodogbeast at least let me recover my buy-in.
For the most part, I'm still only playing poker online on Thursday nights, so the bloggerments just don't fit my schedule these days. I'm not sweating it, but much as I've never managed to play an FTOPS event, I tend to miss all the good stuff, so my poker horizons could use some broadening. I find myself playing the same events every time I sit down to play, and none of them are really intriguing to me at the moment. I'm not rolled to play stuff like the 50/50, and the $10+1 on Bodog and the $11+1 on Stars...well, I'm just not feelin' it. But given the time I get home, they're the best events available to me.
The other aspects of my life are much more.......more. But a subject for another post, I suppose.
To cleanse your sins, you are to recite four Hail Mary Bad Beats and suffer three one-outers.
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