West of the Mind

When I was asked recently what I wanted for Christmas, it struck me that the answer was “nothing”. I’ ve said for years that I have enough stuff, so I don’t need anything. This was usually a lie, because there was always something I wanted. This year is certainly different though. I simply couldn ’t be more serious when I say I don’t want anything. You can blame it on the motorcycle accident, mostly. There’s nothing like coming within an inch of dying to make you realize that all the things around your house are just that….’things’. They really aren ’t important. In fact, the house itself isn ’t important. I’ ve lived in a house for the last five years that I can’t stand. It is too big, too remote, and sits on five acres of grass that I have no desire to mow. Mowing my “lawn” takes me nearly three evenings. During the summer, it has to be cut every week. Add that time up when you are bored. So the house can go too. So I look around the house, and realize that anything I might possibl

I have received numerous emails from regular readers asking me why I don’t write about poker anymore. To tell you the truth, it has nothing to do with poker. I simply haven’t been able to write about anything lately. But I wanted to post this and let you take from it what you wished. In the end, I simply wanted you to understand what happened, and what the future holds. It’s taken me nearly two and a half months to write this, but I’m going to give it a go. The delay has been for many reasons. To begin with, it was because of pure pain. I couldn’t type with a shattered shoulder and dislocated fingers. But even more than that, there was the mental aspect. Simply thinking about what happened was difficult enough. Actually discussing it was out of the question. But here we are, well into December, and it is time to stop worrying and start writing. On September 23rd, at around 11:30 at night, I was riding my motorcycle home after a wonderful evening out. I had spent the evening out with so