Simon and garfunkel

Jammin out to Simon and Garfunkel with Sarah on the cross-Bronx expressway. She picked it and we're listening to her iPod which is kinda funny since I went through my Simon and garfunkel playlist on Friday on the way to ac.

My band used to sing a lot of s+g and we were known for our thee part harmony. I did the arranging and I usually put the standard 3rd below and then I would sing the rather unconventional 5th above which lent a very floaty, ethereal sound to a lot of the folk we sang. Rebecca and I used to do a really cool version of kathy's song with just the melody and the 5th above which sounded amazing.

Two observations: I can't hit the high 5th like I used to when I was 16, AND quite a few Simon and garfunkel songs are about relationships that have failed. Guess that's why three angsty teenage girls liked to sing their stuff.

Xmas wrap up

I'm currently headed down 95S with my sister, who was nice enough to drive me to my parents' house. I don't like taking the train for Christmas because you have to handle your own luggage and I always have a bunch of unwieldy stuff on my way back.

I got a lot of books off my wishlist this year; I'll be posting reviews soon.

I also got a lot of giftcards to various places like the Greene turtle, olive garden, iTunes, and starbucks, so I guess I will be eating well.

I also got a pair of awesome slipper socks which are excellent because I hate wearing shoes in the house and my feet are always cold. I'm actually wearing them right now in the car.

Santa also somehow knew I've redeveloped my affinity for bonne bel cheeses (which I used to LOVE as a snack when I was in elementary school).

Merry Christmas!

I have always loved this commercial; it makes me smile.  Merry Christmas, Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men (and Women) and all that good stuff...

"Here comes lady luck"

That's what a guy said to me when I first sat down at a table at the Trop. And then I was 40 bucks away from doubled within 30 minutes... Was liking my table, and then a funny thing happened: I found myself utg with kk.

I made it $12 and got 6 way action. Flop comes 6J4, rainbow. I bet 45 and most people fold,except 1 guy who pit out a quarter, and is then informed that I said 45, not 25...but since he put the 25 out it's a call. He looks unhappy until the turn us a jack and I have to puke fold... He shows qj.

Bulemic at the Borgata

At the Borgata, playing 1/2NL.  I have been card dead, in addition to bleeding some chips when I flopped a straight flush draw that left me with A high and another hand where I ran AQ into 72 (shout out to Kenny) on a 2Q2 flop.  I've been playing for about 1.5 hours though, and even with these hands I am only down around $100.  I've been playing well and not getting crazy. 

In MP, I look down and see pocket threes.  Several limpers ahead of me, so I limp too.  Rock in the cutoff raises to $12.  I'm all set to fold until everyone calls behind.  Oh look: flop is 7x3, all hearts.  I bet out at flop, about half the pot.  Rock thinks, then raises.  Fold, fold, fold...  I think.  Rock has not been raising AK or AQ type hands.  I put him on big pair with a heart.  I shove, he calls.  I'm happy to note that he does not look happy about calling.  Even happier when he turns over AdAh.  NO HEART!

I'm thrilled to see a black 7 on the turn, until the river is also a 7, and then I want to puke.  One guy at the table says: "What happened???  Why didn't you get that pot?  I thought you had a boat?"  Yessir, but 7's full of aces beats 3's full of sevens, according to Hoyle.

I have about $50 behind, and steal some calls of a small raise when I shove with AcQc a few hands later and everyone folds to me.  I'm up to around $75 when I look down about an orbit after the disastrous 3's full hand and see Ah7h...lots of limpers, so what the hell, I raise.  Get 4 callers.  Flop is Ac2h8h.  Guy in EP bets out, I shove for the rest of my small stack.  Everyone folds except for EP guy.  He turns over AQ of black.  I'm really liking the black 7 turn...until a black 8 rolls off on the river. 

"That's two hands you've been counterfitted right in a row," says a guy who means well but is annoying the crap out of me.  ORLY?  I didn't notice.  /sarcasm

Well, I set out to play good this trip, and I have, so far.  Hopefully I can turn it around.  Gonna finish submitting my students' grades and then head to Caesars or the Trop.  Hopefully I can turn my luck around...at least I can say I'm happy with my play. 

I assume my last paper was a good one...

I've been sweating my contemporary theory grade all semester.  I got a B- on my first paper, which is the worst grade I've gotten on anything since undergrad and in grad school is considered failing.  I'd actually put a lot of time in on this paper, so I was somewhat upset.

Next paper, I put in considerably less time but managed to get an A-.  I don't know what I got on my third paper, but...

My grade just posted on testudo, and somehow I got an A- in the class.  Three cheers for me, I am very pleased.

I also found out that I got an A- on my last paper for my Survey class, so assuming I didn't tank the take home final (which I don't think I did), I have an A- in that class too.

Now just got to keep my fingers crossed for game theory.

Know Someone Who Needs...Anything?

I have the next six weeks completely free and besides needing something to fill my time, I could really use some money.  I've been looking and applying for retail part time jobs for the past month or so with no success.  Next semester I have a very flexible schedule, so if you need to hire someone for more than a month and a half, we could work something out.

But in the short term, I can really do anything.  I used to babysit a lot and was Red Cross certified.  I can dogsit.  I can clean.  I can do receptionist type stuff.  Two years ago I was the receptionist for a state Senator.  I also used to have to deal with federal government clients, and before that I did IT help desk work, so I'm confident that I can interact with people positively and professionally. 

I'm easily trainable and I have plenty of references.  My most current resume can be found here.

Feedburner = the awesome

I've had google analytics enabled on my blog for quite some time.  A little over a year ago, google bought out feedburner and then made many of their services free.  So, I've been sprucing up the old blog and set up a feedburner account...and I can't rave about it enough.  If you have a blog and you are interested in more than just posting your latest diatribes, you might want to check it out.

Slumdog Millionaire

Go see it.  Some of the parts are somewhat contrived and Bollywood isn't for everyone, but I thought it was a really good movie.  I liked the flashback style they used and I'm generally a fan of Danny Boyle's work.  Plus, who doesn't love Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Looking for recommendations

I have the next six weeks to do whatever I want to do, no strings attached.  I'm getting ready to go to bed in a bit and it feels so great to know this is the first Monday in forever I don't have to set an alarm to be up by 9am.  Nope, I can sleep as late or as early as I want.  If I don't want to get out of bed...don't have to.

Anyways, I'm looking for some good fiction.  I have a bunch of non-fiction to catch up on already. 

I like Dan Brown/Steve Berry type books, as well as historical fiction.  I've read all Harry Potter books upon their release.  Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle trilogy is probably the best bunch of books I've read in the past 5 years.  James Michener is probably my all time favorite author, and I have a soft spot for Kurt Vonnegut.  This is starting to sound like a personals write up so I'll stop.

Please leave recommendations in the comments.

WBCOOP

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!

This PokerStars tournament is a No Limit Texas Hold’em event exclusive to Bloggers.

Registration code: 975779

Remembering Vietnam: The Wall at 25

When I lived downtown, I used to frequently visit museums, memorials, and parks.  Jogging or walking to a lot of these places, with my trustee walkman (this was in the days before ipods) was my thinking time.  One of my favorite places to go on these jaunts was to the Vietnam Wall, not just because it was a straight shot down 23rd street, but because it was so moving to see other people in their experience interacting with the wall, and a moving monument in its own right.  My favorite time of the day has always been dawn and that was definitely my favorite time to jog down to the wall...POW/MIA vendors just setting up their stalls, but mostly empty, peaceful, and quiet.

I was reminded of one of my favorite thinking spots again tonight while I watched this show on the Wall on the Smithsonian channel (one of my favorite tv channels these days).  I knew most of the stuff on the show, but it was well done, and worth checking out if you get a chance.

maybe i should read my horoscope at the beginning of the day instead of the end...

"Suppressed feelings can be transformed into compulsive actions all
around, so it may be a good time to question motives, both your own and
others'. If you just have to do or say it, perhaps you shouldn't."

ha ha ha

Bolt

I watch a lot of animated films that most "adults" probably wouldn't.  I have every Disney movie available (the classics, not the ones like Cinderella 2) on DVD, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I like most of them. 

I really wanted to go see Bolt when I was home for Thanksgiving, but I don't think my Mom and Dad were on board with it.  ;)  So, I went yesterday, and even with relatively high expectations, I was pleasantly surprised.  Bolt is a great movie...  It's renewed my faith in Disney post-Pixar.  I would really recommend it to just about everyone I know.  I would even say it's the best Disney animated feature since Nemo (5+ years ago). 

Plus, for music lovers, Jenny Lewis (one of my favorite currently recording singers) does a song for the movie that was really pretty good. 

Oh yeah, it also made me get on Petfinder again and look at doggies.  :)

Anyways, go see it.