No Mas

Greatful it's over. No more posting, no more reading, no more blogs. Thanks be to Zeus!!

Not Surviving

Some twenty plus years ago I met a man who was destined to become one of my best friends in the world. He was very outgoing, talented, generous and humble. He got dealt a somewhat difficult hand in that he had an illness that affected his digestive system. The treatment twenty-five years ago was to cut his esophagus and shorten it. This also cut the portion of the Vagus nerve in half that controlled his stomach digestion. Ever since, the basic eating and digesting that we take for granted, was the source of disabling pain and discomfort for Tony.

At first, the bad days were limited to a couple of days a month. While keeping weight on was a struggle that would never go away, he was still able to remain active in life. Tennis, Golf, Bowling, Poker. . .he enjoyed all and he was better than most.

Over the course of the years there were lots and lots of doctor visits, hospital stays, specialists, MUSC digestive center, Mayo Clinic as things got worse. The last few years the tables completely turned. The good days became the exception to the rule. He was always in a lot of pain. Bowling, Golf, Poker, Tennis fell by the wayside. . .all afterthoughts. Leaving home was almost impossible.

We spoke on the phone often-he rarely complained. I wondered many times if I could live with the pain I saw him live with daily. I am afraid I don't have that much courage. Well, Tony doesn't have to fight that battle any more. Last night he died. He was 54 years old and he put a gun to his head.

I think my words are quite powerless to express the sorrow in my heart. I lay no blame, but this kind of stuff always screws up my head and hurts my heart. I know if anyone ever had a good reason, it was Tony. . . still it hits me in a tender spot.

I hope his family can come together and remember what a really good soul he was. I have a lot of grief today, but I know there will come a time where the grief will be able to share space with the somber joy of having been fortunate to have known such a fine friend. Rest in peace my friend, you are loved and missed.

I don't know if I will leave this up or not. ..I feel kind of selfish posting it. It does help to type it out though. Thanks for indulging me.

Lite imitates obscurity

Surviving

I feel have done everything for poker blogging that Marv Thornberry has done for Baseball. For those of you who do not know, or do not remember Marv Thornberry, he appeared in several star laden Miller light commercials where jocks, comedians, actors, etc. would be pitted against each other debating whether Miller Light were less filling or tasted great. meh. . . Marv Thornberry, who loosely fit in the category of former jock, was no star, but he was probably brought in for the ordinary man appeal. Anyhow, at the end of one commercial showing the typical mele that generally ensued in these commercials, he makes the comment from the side: "I still don't know why they wanted me to make this commercial." At that point, 999 people out of 999 people probably had no idea either. Eventually he explained who he was, thus the below commercial.

I sit alive in a Survivor tourney, where I have been asking myself from the beginning, "What am I doing here?" My poker skills, if I dare call them that, are marginal. My blogging (I dare not even use the word skill) has become an afterthought of an after thought. I have never seen an episode of survivor, but I gather that this is about making allies.. . friends might not be the right word, but what the hey, lets say making friends. I have spoken to people and made friends with some people I would not have made friends with before or without this. Yet, it is the very nature of this game, that those same friends will turn and put the vote in your back if it gives them the opportunity to make it one more tourney, one more week, with fantasies of a final four or three or two. Me, each tourney I make it without being voted off, I am like Marv.-- I don't know why I am still here. But I am kind of having fun watching the mele.

Publish Post

A Big Thank You to All for the pot sweetener earlier. And Thanks to Goat, Buddy Dank and the crew, too.

Amazing

I have yet to watch an episode of Survivor, and I often have made fun of the Survivor geek that works in my office. However, survivor poker has been fun. It definitely brings out the donk in people. I was knocked out Sunday by a K4 v. AQ, when the 4 made a straight on the river., knocked out on Wednesday by a K7 v. my pocket Q's, and the Sunday before KJs hit a flush v. my pocket K's. Get your money in bad. . .you'll go a long way, eh Rakewell? Turtle? High on Poker? Rakewell actually cashed, and Jordan won, but Turtle faded--better luck next time my friend. Not that I am in anyway half these poker playing masters are, but getting your chips in the middle ahead is a sure suicidal act. Oh well, I suck, but I survived. and two out of three people who knock me out--win.

And remember--Go team Donkey, I can ride coattails like the best. Thanks to High on Poker and Heffmike!!

A Fish is a Fish is a Fish. . .or is it?

I was talking to a friend the other day who was showing me some magnificent pictures of the Sea Bass and Trout he has been reeling in lately off shore and in the waterways around Charleston. I started telling him about my total lack of hand selection discipline and general poor play and the predictable results therefrom, and this led me to query as to whether some one was showing off pictures of me. My friend pointed out that people do not generally show off pictures of fish that they shot in a barrel.. . Very astute of him.

Merry Xmas

I love the term merry "xmas." Anything that gets the religious "right" up in arms can't be all bad. OK, I admit it is a character defect, but I get a perverse pleasure at making people feel uncomfortable by challenging the arbitrary lines of myth and truth, right and wrong, black and white. There is a local group of so called Christians who are taking a perverse joy in calling a local atheist group and harassing them with christian greetings--you know. . ."Merry Christmas, it is my constitutional right to brow beat you with my religious beliefs, so don't hang up on me." One of the local yocal right wing radio hooligans was giving out phone numbers to the "Freedom from religion" group. The so called Christians were bombarding the number and pridefully telling of the guerrilla tactics--basically proving the point for the group--of calling the group and hassling them because they do not wish to be hassled by religious groups. I find it kind of humorous when "Christians" become the persecutors. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson seemed to be extremely well versed at this type of activity. They must be very proud!