Thursday, July 30, 2009
A nice surprise
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Battling ghosts
We interrupt the regularly scheduled juvenile humor and poker posts for something a bit more introspective...
Some readers might remember my posts about going to New York over Christmas, and my sister's battle with inflammatory breast cancer that ended the day after Christmas while we were there.
Obviously, it's been very difficulty for family members all around, most especially the immediate family members, her husband and two kids.
I found out last week that my nephew, who also pledged APO this past term, will not be returning to college for at least one term. I don't know yet if it will be longer or not.
I also found out last week that they are moving out of the house where they have lived for almost 25 years. They will be moving to Brewster, closer to other family members (another sister, my brother-in-law's family, and my stepmother) into a house which used to belong to my brother-in-law's parents but was passed on to him last year.
Over the next few weeks, the current house will probably be cleared out and renovated, sold, rented...I'm not sure if a course of action has been decided.
Herein lies the ghost part of the story.
Fifteen years ago, shortly after I started at Emory, my father got seriously ill and moved to Arizona to be with my uncle to take care of him. The remaining family members - including my sister who passed in December - and I helped clear out our old apartment of all our stuff so that it could be rented out. Since I had only completed one year of college and was not ready to return to New York yet, my sister took many of the items to keep at storage at her house.
Included in these items was an urn. My mother had passed shortly before, and was cremated. We had kept the ashes at home, as quite a few families choose to do. This was one of the items that went upstate.
I jumped around for the next three years, with the idea that I would return to New York eventually to live and move the items out. Long Island, New Jersey, Brooklyn, or elsewhere in Manahttan - winter breaks, summer, holidays, etc. Aside from one summer in Atlanta, working for BellSouth as an intern, I returned to New York for almost every break until it was almost time to graduate.
Up until the beginning through my senior year, that was the plan, when I started seriously thinking about staying in Atlanta.
Flash forward to the present - many items are still there, most notably my mother's ashes.
I found out Friday that the move was now definite. Knowing that we didn't have the certificates needed, I started making calls to get the needed paperwork so that, when I go up to New York (which will now probably happen in a couple of weeks) I will have what I need to bring the ashes back.
I've got a whole bunch of mixed emotions about this endeavor. My sister's kids are going through a very difficult time, with school uncertainty combined with moving and the other aftereffects of this loss. It's been difficult for them, and also difficult for the rest of us to see the pain they are going through.
For me, as well, it's dealing with some memories that I honestly haven't had to deal with in a while - not to mention the possibility of finally having to Do Something regarding my leftover life from New York from so long ago. I've spoken with some family members about the ashes, and hopefully we'll soon decide what is the best thing to do with them - bury, keep, scatter (and where?) - but it's not a decision that I feel should be made only by me. Miraculously, I was able to get the paperwork for the ashes in only a week and a half (thank you NYC DOH) so I can bring them back.
When I go to New York next month, I'll be trying to reconcile myself with more than one ghost and finish up some business which should have been done long ago.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Working and Blogging Can Mix
I try to keep work stuff (at least, current job stuff) out of this blog. I may post something occasionally on Facebook that pertains to Emerson, but normally I don't talk about any current company stuff.
Previous companies, of course, get the unvarnished treatment.
However, I want to link to something that was done recently within our company, which makes me extremely glad to be working here. I would NEVER have seen this sort of commitment, either way, at Bank of America - probably because we would have been too busy lobbying behind the scenes, in secret, for the latest TARP bailout.
I have to give kudos where kudos are due, and in this case I have to give kudos to Emerson's board and management for making their position and reasons extremely clear to their employees and to the public (which is why I don't feel bad posting this).
David Farr, chairman, chief executive and president of Emerson, said Congress and the Obama administration’s stimulus spending is “out of control” and blasted health-care and energy reform efforts as costly to business.
“Congress and President Obama are driving way too fast to pass into law a number of vastly complex and hugely expensive government programs,” Farr wrote in a letter to employees Monday. “With the multiple stimulus bills and bailout programs recently passed into law, the amount of government spending is already out of control. We would never manage our own households this way … It is time to say STOP all new spending!”
Farr said the House and Senate are pushing ahead with health-care legislation “at a furious pace with little or no serious discussion or analysis.”
“We agree there are significant issues to be addressed with our current healthcare system and Emerson is involved in the discussion on the various alternatives and solutions,” Farr wrote. “But why the sudden rush?”
Farr also blasted the cap and trade energy bill as costly to U.S. businesses.
“In this unprecedented global economic downturn, U.S. businesses and individuals are struggling to survive,” he wrote. “It is a mistake to think we can spend our way out of the recession with huge government programs, increased deficits and tax increases.”
Farr then urged any employees who agreed with him to contact senators and representatives.
This originally came out last week, so yes, I am a few days behind. Sorry.
Ken Lewis would never have taken such a stand for Bank of America.
I'm glad David Farr did take a stand. I'm not just saying that because he signs my paycheck, either - I'm glad that he would take a strong stand against these bills (and, of course, that for the most part I wholeheartedly agree with what he says).
It's very refreshing.
Yum Yum
H/t to Atlanta Metblogs. It's worth a post, especially for a foodie like me...
Central Atlanta Progress has coordinated what looks like an interesting week for Downtown restaurants. So CAP is the official business community booster organization for Downtown Atlanta, and contrary to how that may sound, they acutally do some interesting stuff.
One part of that interesting stuff Downtown Atlanta Restaurant Week. Go to Downtown’s swankiest restaurants, and get a three course meal for $25/person.
Also, it is a good time to mention a few other restaurant week events in other neighborhoods. Inman Park is having a special day on July 29th – up to 20% of restaurant sales (depending on the restaurant) will go to paying for the Inman Park Security Patrol fund.
Downtown Atlanta Restaurant Week
When: July 27 – August 9
Where: All the best places
Inman Park Dine Out
When: July 29
Where: All your favorite Inman Park restaurants
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Old-School Thingamabobs
100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About
(Geek alert)
I find it funny that there are several items on this list that I still have the kids do from time to time, but I often remark how they do things now technically that I would have never dreamed of doing when I was younger, whether it involves the digital camera, DVD player, a cellphone, computer, or other high-falutin technogadgetry.
Of course, there are still some old school things they do - just last week was an exercise in cash and currency which I was doing to help Alex with some math exercises. It's a lot more tangible than trying to explain Online Banking.
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Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Karma payback
You're going to get hurt calling raises with garbage like this.
Dumbass.
Don't call preflop raises with any two cards, even if they are suited.Don't call big raises on the flop with a baby flush draw and a gutshot when you're priced out.
DQB, mofo.
This came in a knockout MTT, and I had him covered as well, so the bounty helped after getting one of my ten outs on the suck/resuck.
I made sure to wait on posting this until after the cash bubble broke, to avoid completely jinxing myself. I'm sure I'll bust now in five minutes, now that this post is up.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Vegas Photo Dump
Caesar's Palace fountains, while walking about and enjoying a cigar.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Vegas Recap II
It was my first time heading downtown, despite three previous trips to Las Vegas. I hopped in a cab and headed up after finding out that the monorail only goes to the Sahara, stopping a couple miles short of downtown.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Vegas Recap I
This trip, unlike previous Vegas sojourns, begins with me rolling out of bed and going to work. Exciting, huh?
I was scheduled to leave Atlanta at 9:15 PM on a Delta flight. I was trying to see if flights were available to go standby on an earlier flight, but it was not to be. I spent the day slugging through work, running one meeting and sending off several proposals, before heading home for dinner. Since my flight was not until 9, I had time to go home and enjoy dinner with the family before heading to the airport.
We got to Hartsfield around 7:45, which would normally be more than enough time to make it to the gate. I kissed everyone goodbye and headed to the plane.
As soon as I made it through security - in record time - I got a text from Delta indicating a delay for my flight.
Booooooo.
I wasn't able to connect via wireless, so I hung out in the sports bar to watch the NBA draft. I managed to catch the first Hawks pick before finally boarding my plane at 10:30 PM.
We made up some time and got to Las Vegas in just under four hours. I got off the plane around 11:30, and made it to the Imperial Palace around midnight. Really, it was about 3 AM Eastern time.
In most cases, that's bedtime.
Not in Vegas, baby.
Time to go to the Rio. I got there at 1 AM after I was not able to connect to the group which was heading for the Gold Coast for bowling.
I was, though, able to book a good live cash session at the Rio for the next two hours.
After standing up, in the black for about $100, I started walking out to the cab stand. I was "fortunate" to walk past a hooker twice who kept trying to flag me down. The first time, I was walking the wrong way, so I guess when I went by the second time she thought I was a potential mark - I think I walked so fast to the cab stand that I left skid marks.
I hopped in a cab back to the IP and went upstairs. I looked at the clock - 3:40 AM - and decided I really wasn't that tired yet.
I wasn't sure at this point if I was going to play in WSOP #51, so I decided to walk to the Venetian and get some information about their Deep Stack Extravaganza which was taking place simultaneously.
I got my Club Grazie card, the DSE information, and decided I would sit for a little while. I sat at a 1-2 NLHE table for a little bit before switching to the 4-8 Mixed Game populated mostly of dealers from other casinos.
Yep, 4-8 of Omaha 8/b, Razz, Stud, Stud 8/b, 2-7 Triple Draw, and Crazy Pineapple at what is now 7 AM Eastern time.
I left up another $100 after about two more hours. By this point, the sun was starting to break, and I finally grabbed dinner (!) at the McDonald's on the strip with a Sausage McMuffin. I finally hit the hay around 7 AM Pacific time for a few hours, before the bulk of the trip was to begin and, hopefully, it would all go as well as the first two sessions at the Rio and Venetian.
To be continued...
Thursday, July 02, 2009
More Blogger Wub
Give Drizz and CK some props today for coming in 5th and 7th in Binions' Poker Classic Limit Omaha-8 Tourney.
Double blogger final table - nice job.
Even if limit in a hi/lo game is second in torture only to Razz.
Of course, the biggest shout has to go to Hoy for chopping for second in the Venetian Deep-Stack $560 (which I played) and taking down $51,000.
That should buy plenty of hookers and blow.
Evian Roller Babies
You know, I never saw this whenever I was skating in Central Park.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Vegas by numbers
A better recap to follow, but here's some interesting numbers from the recently completed trip.
Hours outbound flight was delayed: 4
Minutes from McCarran touchdown to sitting at a poker table: 90
Poker rooms played in: 6
Tournaments played: 3
Tournaments cashed: 0
Types of poker games played for cash: 8
Dealer tilts me: 2
Player tilts me: 2
Aces Cracked: 4
Aces Held: 1
Fights Witnessed in Tournaments: 1
Poker Pros sighted: 9
Poker Pros playing Poker: 3
Poker Pros playing Chinese Poker: 4
Hookers that tried to chase me down: 4
Hookers I managed to outrun: 4 (just so we're clear on that)
Bloggers/friends seen: 5
Pictures of "Michael Jackson": 3
Pictures each of "Dolly Parton", the "Blues Brothers", "Elvis" and "Mariah Carey" at the Imperial Palace: 1
Sunrises seen: 3
Drinks ingested: Infinite
Cigars smoked: 1
Cigars that will be smoked by me for the rest of my life: 0 (probably)