Morning Walk Musings: Off to School, Part 1

This morning, while on my walk, I sent out the following twitter:

"Extra layer of warmth for walk today was a smart move. Still not as cold as when I would walk a mile in the snow, uphill, to school."

I'm not going to whine about how cold it is today because I'm from Maine and I know real cold.  I also know the second sentance of that tweet is actually the truth.  For 2 years I walked a mile to school every day, no matter what the weather, and there was a hill I had to trek up at the end.  Then, once I got to school, I'd have to wait outside with everyone else until the bell rang.  I usually didn't thaw out until second period.  I'm sure there are other people who can relate.  Most schools had a rule that if you lived less than 1 mile from the school, they would not provide bus service.  Here's the really crazy part.....I could have taken the bus.....my house was 1 mile from the school.

I lived in California during my elementary school years and, part way through my 4th grade year, we moved and I had to go to a new school.  The school I left behind was really nice.  There were small classes and everyone got along.  When I started the new school I discovered I was in a whole new world.  On my first day I was challanged to a fight after school.  The girl later backed down because she decided she liked me.  This school also became my first experience with "The Clique".  Back then I didn't know the term "clique" but I could see the kids would divide themselves into different groups during recess.  If you didn't know the secret "code" of the group, you weren't invited to join.  I found the whole thing rather strange but knew I wanted to belong somewhere, I just wasn't sure which group would accept my code.

Almost Time

In less than 12 hours I will be in the airport awaiting my flight to Vegas.  Although I'm somewhat excited, I'm also a little frustrated to be more limited in my spending than usual.  Let's face it, me not having much money for these trips isn't new.  One summer I left with just enough money for the cab ride to the airport after spending more than I had planned.  This time there will be no credit cards to go to and only one ATM stop allowed for a tiny bit of back-up cash I'll have available Friday.  The situation really has me less excited than normal.

I may make one exception to the dollar menu rule, however, for a trip to the Hofbraus,  provided the group doesn't try to ditch me again. ;) I had fun there and would really like to go again.  I'll just have to play it by ear and see how the money situation is when the time comes.  The hardest part of the whole thing is going to be getting myself out of this funk I'm in.  For four days I just want to forget about everything waiting for me when I return.  I really don't think that is too much to ask.

At the Airport

I'm sitting here, contemplating life.  That's what I do when I'm so tired that I can barely keep my head up.  I didn't get to sleep last night as early as I wanted because I remembered I hadn't checked in for my flight yet.  Southwest allows check-in 24 hours in advance and I'll be damned if I'm going to miss out on group A just because I need some sleep.

I had an overpriced CPK pizza and now I'm drinking an overpriced Starbucks hot chocolate wishing it was time to get on the plane.  I need to be away from everything for a few days though I probably won't get away from my family much.  At least I won't have to listen to angry creditors on my answering machine or receive warning letters from my credit card companies.  It will all be here when I get back but the week of peace will be nice. 

Mom's divorce should be final tomorrow.  I'm sure she'll be happy and want to celebrate.  She's already got someone to celebrate with, I just hope he doesn't become husband number four.  I can't watch her go through this crap again.  She swears that they are just friends and going to take things slow but that's what she said about the last one and look where that got her.  Oh well, I'm 3,000 miles away so I'm not going to worry about it.

I've still got an hour before my flight leaves for San Diego.  Not sure what I'm going to do to pass the time but I think it will require no thinking on my part.  I'll just try to veg until it's my turn to board.

Tired

I'm at work and could fall asleep at any moment, not that anyone would notice.  I have the office all to myself and there is a nice comfy gurney in the corner.  We also have a keypad entry to the department that beeps when the code is being entered, so I have ample warning before someone comes in to get up off my ass and look busy.  Of course I'm too tired to get up and walk over to the gurney so I'll probably just fall asleep on my laptop and send incoherent IM's to people.

Big Congrats to Iggy for making the final table in the Latin Series of Poker event in Costa Rica!  I wish there was somewhere I could go for live updates when the action starts but I'll be on a plane later this evening and won't be able to check anyway.  I'll just have to wait for Tweet updates.  Kick some ass Iggy!

Let me rephrase that...

When I said I shouldn't go to Vegas I meant to add that since the non-refundable tickets and room are paid for, I will still be going.  I'll just be eating off the dollar menu at McD's instead of Craft Steakhouse (someday I will eat there!).  I'll be ordering iced tap water from the bar and not playing a whole lot of poker.  Of course a big paying job could come up between now and then but right now it's not looking good so I'm going to try to save enough money for the tournament buy-in, some money to eat on the cheap, and money for the cab fare to and from the airport.  Anything else will just not be possible as I can no longer use my credit cards for anything.

Anyway, that is the much shorter and much less pathetic post I was going to put up earlier.  I'll try to make my next post a little more upbeat.  I'm in San Diego next week with the nephew so there should be something good to blog about.  

Stuck

This was going to be a post about how broke I am and how I shoudn't go to Vegas but it sounded way to whiney and pathetic so I deleted it.

How's that for my first post in over a month?

Drama, Part 2

Before I get into the ridiculous thing that happened next in the story let me set-up a little background.  My soon-to-be ex-step-father is a big man.  He is about 6 feet tall and over 300 pounds.  He was in the military and served in Iraq the first time around.  He had some sort of special forces training so he is good with a gun and knows how to make explosives.  Personally, I was never comfortable around him as he always carries a side arm and his mental state is questionable though it didn't always seem that way.  He is on permanent disability from some sort of accident that happened in 2003 while he was a truck driver and takes so many drugs it's a wonder he isn't in a stupor most of the time.  He claims he is always in pain yet he is able to unload huge bails of hay from his truck, take care of 5 horses, a bull, 3 pigs and a bunch of chickens (though "take care" is a relative terms considering the bull's stall didn't get mucked out at all last winter), and he has been building fences and chopping wood.  Not bad for someone being taken care of by the state!  He knows nothing about finances or budgets and got in trouble with some Internet money order scheme earlier in the year.  I think the picture has been drawn sufficiently so now for the ridiculous part.

The day after my mom's birthday I went to pay the retainer for the lawyer.  I had it on good authority that my step-dad had been seen going into the courthouse that day so I mentioned it to the lawyer.  She grabbed me and we walked next door to the courthouse to see if she could get some information.  It turned out the asshole had filed for a protective order against abuse by my mother.  This big man with special forces training was scared of my 5 foot 4 inch, never hurt a soul in her life, mother.  Some of you met my mom a couple years ago in Vegas and I don't recall any of you recoiling in fear that she was going to beat the crap out of you.  Seriously, how ridiculous and what a waste of the courts time.

Since it was a Friday the order was granted.  Apparently if you want a bogus protective order granted Friday is the day to do it.  Judges don't want to take the chance of something bad happening over the weekend so they grant just about all of them.  A hearing was set up for the following Friday.

In the meantime my mom got upset all over again.  She didn't, and still doesn't, understand why he was doing all of this.  I mean, we know it was a ploy for him to keep her out of the house but still, a protective order???  I was back in California by the time the hearing happened and the order was thrown out.  My step-father was told he could remain in the house and my mom had made up a list of the items she wanted from the house and the judge said she had until November 1st to set up a time to get the stuff.  Of course my step father interpreted the order to mean that he could pick the day and time regardless of whether it was convenient for my mother.  That day and time turned out to be 2pm EST today.  Wait until you hear what happened with that.

Drama, Part One

I've been back from Maine for 2 weeks and in that time I've had a sinus infection and a bad allergic reaction to not one, but 2 drugs.  This is all just part of the joy of being me I guess.

I went to Maine to deal with what I called a family emergency.  It was more like family drama but no one looks at you funny when you say "emergency" they just assume someone is dieing and leave you alone.  

It all started on September 12th when I got a text from my mom telling me to call her.  When I eventually got through she was extremely upset.  It seems my jackass of a step-father had her served with divorce papers while she was at work.  Let's forget about how humiliating that is for a second, she was completely blindsided.  I'm not exactly sure how the next few hours played out but she ended up going home to find that the bastard had changed the locks on the door.  She had been locked out of her own house.  He did let her in to get some clothes but he basically kicked her out with no money and no where to go.

I spent the next hour trying to talk my mom down off a ledge.  She was being hysterical and unreasonable and scaring the crap out of me.  The second she suggested disappearing I knew I had to get on a plane.  I set her up in a hotel for the night and got on the red eye to Portland.  

When I got off the plane I took one look at my mom and thought for sure someone had died while I was in the air.  She looked devastated and when she hugged me I didn't think she was going to let go.  There was a lot of crying over the next few days as well as a visit to the house to pick up more stuff.  I resisted the urge to kill the bastard, since he carries a side arm with him at all times, and did my best to keep my mom from doing anything stupid.

I helped my mom hire a lawyer and set her up to live with my grandmother, her ex-mother in law.  My grandmother has always liked her better than my step-mother so she had no problem taking my mom in.  My mom also has her dog Toffee that she took from the bastard so I was comfortable with the set up.  My mom had a birthday while I was there and we had a small celebration for that.  Things were looking up when the asshole went and did the most ridiculous thing ever.....

How...

I'm supposed to head back to California next Thursday.  While I'm thrilled to get back to my life, I'm not sure it's the right time to leave.  The family drama isn't close to being over and in some ways has gotten worse while in others it is better.  I know I'm being cryptic but the details just don't need to be released on the Internet.  Anyway, my mom still needs me and I'm a little scared to leave her alone in her current situation.  So the question is, how do I leave someone who still desperately needs me?  

I can't stay here forever, I'm already going stir crazy and I'm very close to losing my job at the hospital.  What the hell am I supposed to do?  How good of a daughter do I have to be?  I've been a shoulder to cry on, a voice of reason, and I've loaned money that I don't have and probably won't see again....why do I still feel bad about leaving?

Not Much Time

It always amazes me how quickly things can change.  I've spent my morning getting my stuff together for a last minute flight to Maine.  There is some family drama going on that needs my personal attention.  All I'll say at the moment is my step-father is a bastard!

Look for twitter updates as I'm not sure how much Internet access I'm going to have.  I also don't know how long I'm going to be gone.  Luckily Jet Blue isn't screwing me too much for the ticket and they don't charge for the first checked bag.  I imagine I'll be flagged for extra screening though since I booked the ticket at the last minute, won't that just be an excellent start to a drama filled trip!

Until next time...whenever the hell that will be!

It's a Miracle

Yes, I'm actually blogging.  I hope my faithful reader doesn't bump her head when she faints from the shock.  I'm actually playing poker at the moment as well.  That's 2 miracles at once, you don't see that too often!

Here's a bullet form list of what has been happening in my life since the last blog post:

*The kitten has been named Milo.  No, not after the movie.  I've never even seen the movie.  I just liked the name and it seemed to fit.

*I've been incredibly busy with freelance projects.  Good thing because the hospital is either changing ownership or closing.  Both options could result in me losing my job there.

*I hurt my back over the weekend and have been on drugs ever since.  Luckily it was workers comp and I don't have to pay for the ER visit.  

*I've decided I will not be mentioning anything regarding politics on this blog.  My mind is made up regarding the election and no one is likely to change it.  I also doubt I will be able to change any other minds so I'm not going to bother.  I declare this blog a politics free zone!

*I'm going to Napa for a few days next week for some peace and quiet.  I can't wait!  No kitten biting my feet for 2 whole days!  I may play some poker at a nearby casino while I'm there, depends on how much wine tasting I do before I make a decision.

*I'm going to be in San Diego the week of Thanksgiving visiting with the nephew.  If anyone in the area wants to get together, drop me an e-mail.  I will need the break.  A whole week with a 2 year old is not my idea of a vacation.

*Finally, I will be in Vegas in December.  I'm actually staying at the IP for the first time in a couple of years.  I got a great package deal through Travelocity.  The first person who makes some snide remark about how I don't blog anymore is getting a punch in the nose and everyone after that who makes a comment will be required to buy me beer until I forgive them.  

Until next time....

Thank You Poker!

Poker, I just wanted to thank you for making my first SNG in over a month so memorable. Actually the last hand was really the only memorable part. I mean, 4 people all-in and I have the best hand pre-flop....it was looking so good. Then you teased me with a flop that hit none of us and you let me believe I might actually win the hand. Honestly, my kings should of held up against two AQ's and a pair of tens, at least in a perfect world.

I really could have done without that third ten on the turn. I knew I was going to need a miracle card on the river and I was really hoping I was going to see it. So why, after my beautiful apology yesterday, did you have to deal the case 10 on the river? You couldn't just stick the knife in, you had to twist it and throw some salt in the wound as well? Thanks alot you sadistic bitch! That was a welcome back that I won't soon be forgetting.

Sincerely (you fucking nutjob),
April98

Dear Poker,

I know you miss me, I miss you too but if you knew about all the crap I went through last month I think you'd understand.

It all started with a trip to the emergency room. I was having chest pain and it wasn't going away. After 10 hours, 6 needle sticks, an echocardiogram, and a chest CT, I was sent home with no real explanation other than it didn't appear to be my heart. I did get the weekend off so it wasn't a total loss but I was in no mood to play.

Things were starting to look up when July 4th rolled around. My dad was in a lot of pain with what we thought were pneumonia related problems. I mean, his doctor said he had pneumonia and she couldn't be wrong, could she? After a lot of back and forth we finally got him to go to the hospital. Luckily the doctor wasn't buying pneumonia even though that's what it looked like on the x-ray. My dad was admitted and we found out the next day that he had a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung). We still have no idea where the clot came from but, after 4 days in the hospital he was released and has been steadily improving ever since. We got lucky on that one!

In the midst of all this I was getting awarded freelance jobs that I had to delay until my dad got out of the hospital. Luckily all the clients were great and had no issue with the delay. People are willing to wait for good workers to become available, nice to know. Once I got started on the projects there really wasn't any time left for you or anything else really. I was really starting to miss you by then.

The next issue in my life was my attempt to trap some feral kittens. I got one and the next night I got careless. He bit the crap out of my finger. For an animal with such tiny teeth, he did a lot of damage. The next morning brought another trip to the emergency room where I was stuck with an IV and given antibiotics. Since the alternative was a raging infection and probable amputation, I was more than willing to let the nurse dig around to find a good spot for the IV. The bruise that followed actually looked worse than the cat bite.

Since then I've been working and playing with the new, and still nameless, member of the family. It's hard to play poker with a kitten walking across the keyboard. I'm afraid he's going to fold quads or something! I think we can both agree that would be bad!

Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I haven't been ignoring you and I'm not mad at you, even when my aces keep getting cracked on the river by some moron with 8, 2 unsuited. I know that's not your fault, I should just fold my aces pre-flop and it wouldn't be an issue. I'm hoping to have some time this weekend to get re-acquainted. Maybe you can throw some winning hands my way? Either way I know we'll have fun.

Take care and I'll see you soon.

Your BFF,
April

One Ends, Another Begins

I am ending the "name my business contest" and announcing that no one has won. While there was one suggestion that stood out, it still wasn't quite right. Last night I finally decided on A.M.H. Research Solutions so we'll see where that takes me. Since only 4 people entered I am offering you each a consolation prize, see me in Vegas and I'll buy you a beer or shot. Thanks again to Gracie, Easycure, STB, and Maura for the suggestions.

Now for the new contest. If you read my last post you know there is a new member of my family. We were calling him Opie but that just isn't working so I'm looking for suggestions. Names I've already tried but don't like include, Puck, Toby, Tiger, Tigger, Elmo, and every San Jose Sharks player. They just weren't right and I'm stumped. He's a crazy kitten with long legs and a very slight overbite. He loves to play with anything, moving or not as he will attack my feet in the middle of the night. He's still scared of new people and hasn't warmed up to my dad or step-mom yet but he purrs for me all the time. He's clumsy and a bit awkward but the most adorable kitten I've seen in awhile.

So, there you go. Feel free to send me your suggestions via my e-mail, April9807 @ yahoo . com

Prize will be the drink of your choice next time I see you so long as it isn't the most expensive shot at the bar. I do plan to be in Vegas in December so, if you win and are there, I'll pay up at that time.

Newest

I would like to introduce you all to the newest member of my family. His name is Opie.

We have a feral cat problem in my mobile home park which has led to a feral kitten problem. I got it in my head that I was going to trap the kittens and rehabilitate them then find them homes. I trapped one about a week ago and the rest scattered. After one bout of carelessness on my part that required a trip to the ER for antibiotics, he is now the sweetest little thing in the world. He still needs to get used to other people but he doesn't run and hide or hiss at me anymore.

His first trip to the vet is tomorrow where I'll find out exactly how old he is and if he's as healthy as he looks. I'm guessing he's 7 weeks but I could be off by a couple. I do know he's old enough to have some sharp teeth though. I have the hospital bill to prove it!

Hilarious

No time to write. I came across this while doing a research project. It was labled the Evolution of Dance. It's 6 minutes of hilarity!

Contest!

As my regular readers know I have been working from home on freelance projects for a few months now. I am at a point where I feel I need to be a bit more professional and come up with a business name. At the moment I go by CaApril which isn't exactly a businessy sounding name. I am looking for a name that will say something about me and something for which a logo may be designed for at some point in time. It could also become an official business name if I decide to go that route.

This is where the contest comes in....send me your suggestions and you may win a $50 gift certificate to any retailer listed on GiftCertificates.com.

Basically I do online research, data entry and other administrative tasks. I am focusing on the research though as there is less offshore competition.

Send your suggestions to April9807 - @ - yahoo DOT com

I reserve the right to not select any if they all suck but I somehow doubt that will happen. If I like more than one suggestion, it may be put to a vote or the winner may be selected from a hat...whatever strikes me at the time. You may submit more than one suggestion if you wish. The more original and unique the suggestion, the better chance you have of winning. Contest will end when I feel like ending it which could be at any time so don't wait.

Only suggestions sent to my e-mail will be considered as I don't check my comments here very often.

Mistakes

If you have been following me on Twitter (CaApril) then you know I am in Vegas and played in the 5pm MGM tournament. If you don't follow me (or anyone else) on Twitter then you must be named Steve.

During the tournament I made 3 mistakes that probably would have kept me alive to the final table. My first and second mistake were the same which makes the second one much dumber than the first. Basically I should have bet the river but I chickened out and checked it. I was last to act and I got scared. There really is no room in poker for fear and that is my biggest weakness. I don't know that betting the river would have got me any more money but I should have taken the shot.

My third mistake was folding pocket 7's pre-flop with a large raise and an all-in in front of me. It was right after the break and the structure had turned the tournament into a push fest. Really, any pocket pair should have been a push and I balked. The worst part was when a 7 came out on the flop. Talk about a sinking heart.

Anyway, for my first live non-blogger tournament I think I did okay since I did make it to the final 2 tables despite playing like a wuss. The fact that I can recognize my mistakes means I can only go up from here and I will hopefully not make the same mistakes again.

One more day in Vegas and I'm not sure what I plan to do. More poker, another tournament, or something unrelated to poker. Any suggestions?

I'm a Follower

I can now be found on Twitter! Look for CaApril and follow my mis-adventures this weekend in Vegas.

Speaking of Vegas, thanks to the Federal Government, I will have 600 extra dollars to spend while I am there. I got my economy stimulating check yesterday just in time for my trip. Good thing to because it's been a slow week on the freelance front. One week I get 5 jobs, the next I get a whole lot of nothing. I did get caught up on some of my Tivo though so it wasn't a total loss.

Also wanted to make a quick mention of a movie I watched a week or so ago. It's called The Orphanage. It's a Spanish movie so if you don't like reading, stay away. I found to be very haunting and just really good. I don't really want to say much else as I'm not into spoiling it for everyone else but I do recommend it.

I leave for Vegas in the morning, pick up my rental car and then I'm heading to the MGM until around 4pm when I can officially check into my condo. My cell number is on the spreadsheet or you can e-mail me at April9807 AT Yahoo DOT COM and I'll send it to you. I have no specific plans other than meeting up with bloggers at the bars and such. I'm also considering a couple of shows. So if anything interesting is happening give me a call or send a text and I'll be there.

Poker?

Yes, I actually played some poker this week. I played in the $15,000 guarantee midnight madness and actually finished in the money. I think I made a whole 3 bucks! Considering I haven't played a poker tournament since I was in Vegas last December, I'll take it. There really weren't any memorable hands, I just happened to get some good pocket pairs at the right time and got all my chips in the middle. I expected someone to suck out but my cards actually held up and I stayed alive.

Speaking of poker, I can't believe I am going to be in Vegas again in just a couple of weeks. I'm excited of course but also nervous. I think this is the first time I'm going to be there with no "security blanket". No Maura, mom, dad or Shelly sharing space with me and helping me keep my insecurities at bay. I will be all by myself. It's not that I've never been to Vegas alone before, I went on a short trip a couple of months after 9/11, but I'm going with expectations to hang out with my friends and wondering if anyone really wants to hang out with me or if I'm just going to be humored for a while and then abandoned. See, I told you I have insecurities.

No worries though. I can always go back to my condo and curl up in the fetal position under the kitchen table if I feel like a reject. Actually, I'll probably just go play poker or something and take my anger out on some young asshole who thinks he's God's gift to the poker table.

Anyway, I'm not asking for anyone to hold my hand and make sure I feel included in whatever happens to be going on. I'm a big girl and just need to get over myself and have a good time. Seriously, I'll be in Vegas. If I can't manage to have a good time there, I'm even more screwed up than I thought.

See you in Vegas!

Couldn't Wait?

I think I may have been a little harsh at the end of that last post. Then again, I wasn't actually serious, well I was serious about the puking part. If you start puking, I'm running in the other direction. You'd think working in a hospital I would become accustomed to things like that but when bodily fluids and vomit start coming out of a person, I leave the room. If I didn't, the patient wouldn't be the only one spilling their guts on the floor.

Now that I've given you a nice visual, how about some bitching about work? As I mentioned before, I work on a per diem basis at the hospital which means I fill in if I'm available. I've been less and less available lately because all my co-workers do is bitch and whine about everything under the sun. I really can't stand to work with any of them and certainly don't want to work for any of them. I mean, they freak out so much about who's going to cover a shift when someone goes on vacation that they felt the need to call me while I was on vacation to ask if I could work two days at the end of June. AT THE END OF FUCKING JUNE, and it was the middle of April. Seriously, this couldn't wait until I got back? I politely told them I would let them know when I got back if I was available and then I waited 2 more weeks to tell them, just to watch them squirm.

As if that wasn't bad enough, when I got back to work after my vacation I arrived to find that the door to our department had a new coded lock on it and no one had bothered to call me with the code. They called me to ask me to work 2 days at the end of fucking June but they couldn't call to tell me the damn code to unlock the door? A lock on a door that hasn't been locked for the past 26 years! Now, all of a sudden we're concerned with patient confidentiality? The only good thing is now I don't have to worry about someone walking in on me while I'm playing on my laptop. I get a nice little warning whenever someone types the code into the key pad and can hide the evidence.

Yes, I take my laptop to work on the weekends, I get bored when it's not busy and what's the worse thing that can happen, I get fired? I'm the only person they have who works the weekend shift and there really is no one else to take my place. My chances of getting fired are slim but it won't stop me from trying. I may have to fire up some poker this weekend. Gambling at work must be against some rule and if not, there is always porn.

Not enough time!

How the hell did the whole month of April go by without me making one post? It's not like I didn't have stuff going on that I could write about. For example:

• I had another birthday.
• My great grandmother had her 100th birthday and I went back to Maine to celebrate.
• I had a beer shower at a hockey game and no matter what some of you may think, it was not enjoyable.
• Speaking of hockey......The Sharks are driving me insane!
• I've been trying to catch up on my TiVo but the shows just keep piling up. I think I watch too much TV. Really, aside from BSG, what's the point?

Going back to the beer shower, it may not have been so bad if it had been a decent beer. You know, a Guinness or Sam Adams, but no, it was Bud and I can't stand Bud. I hate the color, the smell, and the taste. The only time I drank one was because it was free, my sinuses were clogged due to allergies so I couldn't smell it, and it was so cold that my taste buds froze so I couldn't actually taste it. Of course I may not have been all that upset about the beer shower if the Sharks had actually won the game!

And last, but not least, I will be in Vegas in June. Once again I will have an extra bed at a secret, off-strip location. I will also have a rental car but, should anyone decide to room with me, please understand, I will not be your personal driver. I will also not help you if you drink so much you puke and if you pass out somewhere, I will leave you there. If I suspect alcohol poisoning I may call an ambulance for you but I will not do CPR if you stop breathing, even if you are good looking and single. If you're rich I may be willing but you'd have to show me a bank statement first. Anyway, if those terms work for you let me know and I will think about it. This is not first come, first serve. I have the right to refuse anyone for any reason or no reason at all. That said, I can be bribed.

Try Again

My phone interview did not happen yesterday. Apparently the woman who was supposed to call me had to leave the office for some unspecified reason and would not be able to conduct the interview. It has been rescheduled for next Friday since they only do phone interviews on Fridays. For those who are wondering about the interview, it is with Best Friends Animal Society in Utah. They do great things there and I have always wanted to be a part of it. I'm just not sure about the whole moving to the middle of nowhere thing. Plus, I'm not sure they are going to pay enough for me to be able to keep up with my bills and be able to rent a place to live. I've already decided I will probably have to cut out food in order to make ends meet. My dad is convinced they are a cult but he is being as supportive as he can be. I think he is scared I may actually move and leave him alone with my step-mother.

How about a poker update since this is supposed to at least partially be a poker blog? I haven't played any poker in over a month. There is your update!

I am still doing freelance work. One of my clients renewed his contract with me and plans to continue to do so for awhile. He has a lot of work for me. It's boring and tedious but it pays well. I also just got awarded another job so things are definitely looking up. If this can become more regular, I will quit the hospital for good. I just wasn't cut out to work with people I guess.

I am planning to be in Vegas in June so, if you are going, I'll see you then. I'm thinking about hosting a Stanley Cup party at a sportsbook but that isn't set in stone yet. Let's just say if the Sharks are still in it, there will be a party of some kind!

Next Time, Slap Me!

I don't know what I was thinking last year when I agreed to go back to work at the hospital. I guess it was the money talking or something. I have to give credit to Maura and TxApril for their concern about my decision to go back. Between the two of them they must of asked if I was sure at least 20 times. I replied that, since it was only on the weekends, it would be fine. I thought the drama wouldn't seep into the the weekend shift since I would be by myself but it has and it's even worse when I fill in during the week. Apparently, even though I am per diem, I am taking too many weekends off. I never signed an agreement saying I would work every weekend and I'm not getting paid any extra for working weekends even though there is a program that does pay more for giving up your weekend. So, let's evaluate these vacations.

In December I missed one weekend due to the blogger gathering. There was plenty of notice and no one seemed to mind.

Then I had the chance to go to Australia and I missed 2 weekends. Apparently all my co-workers did while I was gone was bitch about having to work weekends but I doubt if any one of them would have passed up the opportunity I had to do something I have always wanted to do.

My next trip is in a couple of weeks. My great-grandmother is going to be 100 years old and I am NOT going to miss it. I scheduled the trip so I would only miss one weekend even though I usually go back east for at least 2 weeks.

After that is June in Vegas with bloggers. I got a great price on airfare and will probably stay at the secret location again. Plus, I need to see and hang out with all my crazy blogger friends. I feel good about myself when I am around everyone and I just feel refreshed when I leave because I don't have to pretend to be someone else for a few days. The trip is one fucking weekend in June, my co-workers need to get over it.

Now for the kicker, my mom is visiting in July. She wants to go to Disneyland and I've been promising for years to get her there. This summer I am going to do it. She's my mom, she's getting older and she deserves a trip to see Mickey before she gets to old to enjoy it. I may miss one weekend though I haven't completely figured it out yet. I did notify my co-workers though because I'm too fucking nice and figured they wouldn't get angry if they knew far enough in advance. Apparently someone in the department isn't happy as my manager mentioned that if someone else wanted that time off in July, I would probably have to work. Um.....I'm per diem, I'm supposed to be able to say no whenever I want. I guess what per diem really means is that I'm everyone's bitch. I work weekends and whenever they want time off or are sick or need to wash their hair. Seriously, every other department has more than one per diem to fill in, why don't we?

None of this may matter in a few days anyway. I have a phone interview for a job in another state. If the interview goes well I will be spending two weeks at the location on a try-out basis to see if I like the job and area. If I completely fall in love with it, I'm moving the hell out of Dodge. If it turns out to not be for me, I may still leave the hospital. I obviously have no friends in this department and feel I owe them nothing. I've always tried to think of them in the past when planning my life but I give up, I can't please them. Besides, no one should be made to feel guilty about spending time with family whether they are related by blood or the Internet. I've made due without this job before and I can certainly do it again. And please, once I do leave, make sure I never, ever go back....even if it means slapping me upside the head!

Outsourcing = Frustration

I'm working from home again. Well, let me rephrase that, I'm trying to work from home. I signed up with and created a profile on a couple of different freelance websites. The type of jobs offered are right up my alley and I like that I can pick and choose what I want to work on. Unfortunately, those buying my services make it very difficult to make a living as they will often decline my perfectly reasonable bid to accept the bid of someone in a foreign country who will do the job at a fraction of the price. To say that I get pissed off every time this happens would be an understatement.

Now, I understand the reason for outsourcing to foreign countries, its cheaper and usually the work quality is excellent, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with it or like it. Personally I think every US corporation that outsources to another country should be ashamed of themselves. The bottom line should never be more important than the people you employ. Of course a lot of the people who post jobs on these websites aren't big corporations. They are just regular people who need some help so I can't blame them for wanting to go with the cheaper provider. All I ask is that they state in the job description that they don't want to pay a reasonable United States wage. I'll take my services elsewhere and not waste my time or energy.

All that said, I have been offered, and I accepted, two jobs that I have been working on for the past week. One is a tedious, boring job that pays well so I forgive it for being boring. I've already been asked to stay on and complete more work for this client. The other job is performing research and the client was so impressed that she doubled what she was paying me. I'm glad that these people were willing to overlook the cheaper bids and go with mine. I appreciate them giving me this chance to get established. I'm sure I will get more jobs because of them so I will stay the course and keep submitting proposals. Hopefully, I will eventually stop caring so much when a job goes to someone willing to be paid $2 an hour. Then again, is complacency ever a good thing?

Go Play!

Bodog Poker has been hosting a tournament series every Tuesday night exclusively for poker bloggers. If you haven't played yet, you should! Here are the details:

Bodog's Blogger Poker Tournament Series - Tuesday Nights

Next Tournament: Tuesday March 4, 2008
Start Time: 9:05pm EST

For more information and to register please visit the following link: Poker Blogger Tournament Series

What are you waiting for? Go sign up!

Cough

The title pretty much sums up my life for the last few weeks. I developed a cough in Australia and it just kept lingering. Last week the coughing started to get bad. Shoot me and put me out of my misery bad. Luckily for me, I work at a hospital and I can be "seen" by a doctor without actually going through the formal check-in and pay a co-pay routine. After a quick listen to my lungs and a summary of my symptoms, I was given a prescription for Antibiotics. He also threw around words like "Atypical Pneumonia" and "Pertussis" but assured me that the drugs would kill any bacteria that may be associated with my coughing. As long as it isn't the Hudson River Virus, I'll probably live. (Bonus points if you get the reference.)

I can say that I do feel somewhat better but the cough still lingers and I still prefer to be in bed most of the day. How that is different from any normal day I don't really know except I haven't even gotten up to watch much TV and those who know me know that I usually watch a lot of TV. Speaking of which, I would like to know what rock the producers of Big Brother 9 looked under to find the current cast. I want to make sure I never come across that rock.....ever!

Now I must go take more cough medicine before I cough up a lung.

Thank You Full Tilt Poker

I did make it back from Australia and I just want to take a moment to thank Full Tilt Poker for allowing me to fly on their dime. I have always wanted to go to Australia but never really thought it would happen, of course I never saw myself graduating from high school either so maybe I shouldn't be that surprised. It was a great trip and hopefully I will have time to do a write up of some sort and post some pictures. Right now I am just trying to get reaclimated to my life. While I was away, things were good and, now that I'm back, I'm my regular chaotic overwhelmed self. I'm discovering that a change may be in order so I can get back that semblence of sanity I felt in Aussie land. So, something big may be on the horizon.....the planets aligned once and I got to take the trip of a lifetime, maybe, just maybe, they will be aligning again soon for another journey.

Stay tuned....

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie....you know the rest!

The rumors are true, I am going to Australia on Monday! I gave it careful consideration and decided it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. There was only one problem, I didn't have a passport. After some investigating I found a local travel agency that, for a price, would get me a passport in 24 hours. I also spoke with Maura to see if she wanted to go with me. She is a more seasoned traveler than I and I thought having her along would be helpful as well as a lot of fun. Once she got the okay to take the time off from work things got really hectic. Seriously, try planning a two week stay in a foreign country, when you have no passport, in one week. It's not easy. Text messages and e-mails were flying back and forth for days. We were also communicating with Dawn Summers and Bacon Bikini Mary trying to coordinate some accommodations. Saying it was a stressful week would be an understatement but I am nearly ready to go. Well, except for the packing, copying of all my important documents, getting some cash from the bank, and any other little thing that pops up between now and our flight to LAX.

I am really, really excited and want to thank Al and Full Tilt for making this possible, though mostly Al. He has been the go-between all week, making sure we were all booked on the plane and putting up with some of my general craziness when things were stressful. I really appreciate the opportunity to do something that I never thought I would get to do and I can never thank Al enough!