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...

I don’t like cats. Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you the same thing. Never have, and probably never will. There is just something about their attitude that turns me off. We had one for a little while when I was growing up, but I never cared for it and wasn’t upset in the slightest the night he decided he had better places to be than our house. With that being known by everyone, including my wife, I got the surprise of my life at my front door a few months ago with one simple knock. I opened the door to find my neighbor standing there holding a little gray kitten. “Here is your new kitty”, were the words I was greeted with. I just laughed and said “You must have the wrong house.” She laughed right back and informed me that my wife had agreed to take one of the newborn barn kittens off of another friend’s hands. I just called my wife down from upstairs, and walked away. I was fairly sure there was about to be a discussion, but I was willing to wait for the neighbor to l...

A recent event in Denver, Colorado highlights the critical need for every poker player to join the Pokers Player Alliance ( www.theppa.org ) and ensure your voice is heard in Congress. Last week the Colorado Bureau of Investigations, along with the Denver Police Department, raided a local bar that was holding a $10 buy in poker game. The game was a long tradition at the bar and in no way could be considered anything more than a fun little diversion for the bar patrons. If a whopping 30 people participated, then a bank busting $300 was on the line. If the actions of the CBI and DPD weren’t bad enough to start with, their actions after the raid are what really stress the problems poker players are having in this country. The Poker Players Alliance contacted the owners of the bar and offered their services, free of charge, in defending the game in court. The owners declined, because they were threatened by the CBI and DPD if they took such assistance. In a nutshell, the owners of t...