Today marks my 9th anniversary at my current job. Officially, the longest time I have worked somewhere. I get the luxury of truly meaning it when I tell you that I love my job. Parts of it make me want to scream and shake people, but that happens in every day life too I guess! Ultimately, nothing can replace the feeling I get when I help a patient or a family through a life changing event, whether it is a trauma, an illness or a loss.
I have the best crew that I work with and it makes all the difference. I have traveled with coworkers (to the Caribbean, taken some to Vegas, to NY and DC) and often spend time away from work with them, hell even my slo pitch team stems from the hospital.
Here's a cheezy little OT rap...had some fun checking out youtube for all the OT vs PT and OT vs nursing videos...but I already argued with one nurse today so I thought I would put something non offensive! :)
Despite all this, I feel a change is coming...it would be too easy to just coast along for the next 10 years. I submitted a request to go part time for now, to see if with the extra time I can pursue a bit more poker travel or another adventure in Occupational Therapy...we'll see if that gets approved!! Fingers crossed!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Friday, 24 June 2011
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Trip Report - The Rest
I had better finish this epic blog before I head back to Vegas in less than two weeks!
In summary, the last 4 days of my trip included playing basketball at midnight at 24 hour fitness, manicure, pedicure, swimming, hot tubs, more gym time then finally out to dinner at Mesa and seeing Absinthe (outside Caesars) which was an excellent show until the end when I almost bailed down the ramp in my heels. Can't win them all I guess!
I am looking forward to the next couple weeks more for so many reasons, will be into the PLO8 tournaments, the ladies event for the first time, catching up with more friends and enjoying some heat!!!!
Will most definitely be at the 2+2 party at the Wynn on the 7th....so get there! :)
In summary, the last 4 days of my trip included playing basketball at midnight at 24 hour fitness, manicure, pedicure, swimming, hot tubs, more gym time then finally out to dinner at Mesa and seeing Absinthe (outside Caesars) which was an excellent show until the end when I almost bailed down the ramp in my heels. Can't win them all I guess!
I am looking forward to the next couple weeks more for so many reasons, will be into the PLO8 tournaments, the ladies event for the first time, catching up with more friends and enjoying some heat!!!!
Will most definitely be at the 2+2 party at the Wynn on the 7th....so get there! :)
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Trip Report - Day 3
Day 3 - Event day $1500 Limit Omaha 8/b - June 1, 2011
www.worldseriesofpoker.com/photostore check out Event 3 Table 47 if you wish.
I drove over to the Rio, with the last few minutes of my rental car and hurriedly returned it as I was running a bit late. Got to my table, and into seat 9, in time to fire up the event. While so many of my friends were tweeting about all the 'name pros' at their table, I was looking around and recognized nobody at mine. The forecast for this tourney was that it was going to be juicy as the first 'real' tourney (after the casino employees and the $25k HU) and lots of players would be looking to get their WSOP experience started. The numbers on the board seemed to be indicating the same thing, over 900 players.
Unfortunately, the field didn't appear to be as soft as expected.
The softest spot at my table was in seat 2, a Venezuelan, who was super excited and at his first WSOP, after every hand he provided a step by step instruction manual as to why he played his hand as he did. Needless to say, he was our first casualty in or around level 4.
A fun spot for me came at level 6 when I got into a short stack battle with someone even shorter, he held AAK7 and I held A24Q. We got all in pre-flop and the hands were turned up. I said to the dealer, "How about a 3, 5, 8 flop" and that was exactly what I got. I didn't want to ask to flop scoop him, but I did end up scooping that pot. My chip stack was on a roller coaster until the dinner break, where I ended with around two big blinds (or 1100 chips).
Dinner break we had some of the days earlier casualties go grab a big table at Buzios (amazing seafood restaurant at the Rio). During dinner, one of the guys at our table handed me his cell phone and told me to talk to his friend, surprize for me when it turns out it was a radio poker show...
I was not late getting back to my chips after the dinner break, couldn't afford to be! I believe I lasted about another 20 minutes, and then became one of the many level 7 bust outs.
Overall, I was pretty disappointed, this was the first LO8 WSOP tournament in three years that I hadn't cashed in; however, this year surely had the best play I had seen. I am most definitely looking forward to my next events!
www.worldseriesofpoker.com/photostore check out Event 3 Table 47 if you wish.
I drove over to the Rio, with the last few minutes of my rental car and hurriedly returned it as I was running a bit late. Got to my table, and into seat 9, in time to fire up the event. While so many of my friends were tweeting about all the 'name pros' at their table, I was looking around and recognized nobody at mine. The forecast for this tourney was that it was going to be juicy as the first 'real' tourney (after the casino employees and the $25k HU) and lots of players would be looking to get their WSOP experience started. The numbers on the board seemed to be indicating the same thing, over 900 players.
Unfortunately, the field didn't appear to be as soft as expected.
The softest spot at my table was in seat 2, a Venezuelan, who was super excited and at his first WSOP, after every hand he provided a step by step instruction manual as to why he played his hand as he did. Needless to say, he was our first casualty in or around level 4.
A fun spot for me came at level 6 when I got into a short stack battle with someone even shorter, he held AAK7 and I held A24Q. We got all in pre-flop and the hands were turned up. I said to the dealer, "How about a 3, 5, 8 flop" and that was exactly what I got. I didn't want to ask to flop scoop him, but I did end up scooping that pot. My chip stack was on a roller coaster until the dinner break, where I ended with around two big blinds (or 1100 chips).
Dinner break we had some of the days earlier casualties go grab a big table at Buzios (amazing seafood restaurant at the Rio). During dinner, one of the guys at our table handed me his cell phone and told me to talk to his friend, surprize for me when it turns out it was a radio poker show...
I was not late getting back to my chips after the dinner break, couldn't afford to be! I believe I lasted about another 20 minutes, and then became one of the many level 7 bust outs.
Overall, I was pretty disappointed, this was the first LO8 WSOP tournament in three years that I hadn't cashed in; however, this year surely had the best play I had seen. I am most definitely looking forward to my next events!
Friday, 10 June 2011
Trip Report - as I remember it....
I was in Vegas for a week (May 30 - June 6) and cannot wait until my return. The WSOP tends to be a bit of a blur to me at the best of times, so this trip, I made use of the handy pen and paper to make notes about my trip. Hopefully whoever finds that paper can piece it all together and have a few good laughs.
Day 1 - Worked all day then took off early in the afternoon to finish up packing and got chauffeured to the airport by my friend. Whether it was the upcoming flight or the fact that I hadn't been to Vegas since last July, I was filled with excitement and nervousness. Skip the boring wait at the airport, flight and wait for my bag and fast forward to check in at Caesars.
Got loaded into my room and almost didn't leave because of the view: (excuse the blurry iPhone pic)
The room was pretty sweet also....they obviously missed my action over the year. Not to waste any time, I headed over to the Rio to check out the action. Not really all that much going on in the cash games, mostly talked to a few dealers who were talking about the Casino Employees event and how anyone could play in it (similar to the Ladies and Seniors Events). Too bad really, I always liked the idea of having a tournament specific to those who are going to take care of us for the rest of the Series.
I headed to the back of the room looking for one of my online friends (who was originally going to pick me up from the airport) that I was going to meet for the first time. It was great timing because he was just chopping the first WSOP payment of 2011, him and his buddy met in the heads up satellite to the 25k (event 2). Good for a laugh anyway, as they had just driven 26 hours across country to get to there. We met up with a couple more friends and had a few drinks to start off the WSOP, a fairly busy evening, seeing as I only got to LV at 8pm that night.
Day 2 - Bit of a housekeeping day really, planned the rest of my trip, rented a car, got my cell phone topped up then went out to a house party near South Point. We watched game 1 of the NBA finals (go Mavs for the record), played some Chinese poker (there's a first time for everything right?) and then went for a swim/hot tub. The house was beautiful and definitely makes me dream of the 'good life', just in time to get geared up for June 1rst and my first event.
Day 1 - Worked all day then took off early in the afternoon to finish up packing and got chauffeured to the airport by my friend. Whether it was the upcoming flight or the fact that I hadn't been to Vegas since last July, I was filled with excitement and nervousness. Skip the boring wait at the airport, flight and wait for my bag and fast forward to check in at Caesars.
Got loaded into my room and almost didn't leave because of the view: (excuse the blurry iPhone pic)
The room was pretty sweet also....they obviously missed my action over the year. Not to waste any time, I headed over to the Rio to check out the action. Not really all that much going on in the cash games, mostly talked to a few dealers who were talking about the Casino Employees event and how anyone could play in it (similar to the Ladies and Seniors Events). Too bad really, I always liked the idea of having a tournament specific to those who are going to take care of us for the rest of the Series.
I headed to the back of the room looking for one of my online friends (who was originally going to pick me up from the airport) that I was going to meet for the first time. It was great timing because he was just chopping the first WSOP payment of 2011, him and his buddy met in the heads up satellite to the 25k (event 2). Good for a laugh anyway, as they had just driven 26 hours across country to get to there. We met up with a couple more friends and had a few drinks to start off the WSOP, a fairly busy evening, seeing as I only got to LV at 8pm that night.
Day 2 - Bit of a housekeeping day really, planned the rest of my trip, rented a car, got my cell phone topped up then went out to a house party near South Point. We watched game 1 of the NBA finals (go Mavs for the record), played some Chinese poker (there's a first time for everything right?) and then went for a swim/hot tub. The house was beautiful and definitely makes me dream of the 'good life', just in time to get geared up for June 1rst and my first event.
Monday, 30 May 2011
NEGLECT
Gosh I have sure been neglecting the blog. No time now either....off to Vegas in a few hours in pursuit of a bracelet....only one event planned for this week long stint, but that will do for now.
Will update trip when I return!
Will update trip when I return!
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Delayed Gratification
I have been thinking a fair amount about delayed gratification of late. It is a concept that my mum used to talk to my sister and me. It mostly had to do with how we spent our allowance, and saving for items that we wanted. As much as I wanted to have Guess jeans or Nike pumps...I knew I would have to work for them and that may have meant giving up other things. Even now, with regards to money, I save in some places (no cable, take the bus to work, cut coupons) so I can live extravagantly when I want to. I told my dad once that "I don't like to shop, but I really like nice things"....it's probably a learned behavior of mine to not like to shop, otherwise my credit card bills could be disastrous!
The reason I have been thinking about this, is that with WSOP coming up in less than three weeks, I have been trying to finalize which tournaments I want to play and if I want to sell % of my action. For the most part, I have always had all my own action but am usually willing to trade % with other players in the same tournament. That is usually as far as I go to reduce variance and have some fun in the meantime. I have never been backed, because I think that gives up equity for me and when I win a tournament I want to win it all. I feamel confident enough in my abilities that I want to be the first person to put me in a tournament. It is still tempting for some of the bigger tournaments.
As a rule, I don't think long term backing agreements are good for poker. I am not worried that these arrangements will wreck the game or cause the game to disappear, but I do think that the players who are backed will have a shorter livelihood in poker, largely due to the burden of makeup. In my opinion, there is something so valuable about working and grinding your way up the limits. You learn patience, bankroll management, the value of a dollar and how to grind out a living. It is hard to keep things in perspective when you play 4 and 5 figure tournaments on a regular basis. You stay strung along because you only ever one good day away from a big score.
I guess ultimately it just depends on the individual as to what path they want to take, but if the focus can be on delayed gratification, the individual will be better off in the end.
The reason I have been thinking about this, is that with WSOP coming up in less than three weeks, I have been trying to finalize which tournaments I want to play and if I want to sell % of my action. For the most part, I have always had all my own action but am usually willing to trade % with other players in the same tournament. That is usually as far as I go to reduce variance and have some fun in the meantime. I have never been backed, because I think that gives up equity for me and when I win a tournament I want to win it all. I feamel confident enough in my abilities that I want to be the first person to put me in a tournament. It is still tempting for some of the bigger tournaments.
As a rule, I don't think long term backing agreements are good for poker. I am not worried that these arrangements will wreck the game or cause the game to disappear, but I do think that the players who are backed will have a shorter livelihood in poker, largely due to the burden of makeup. In my opinion, there is something so valuable about working and grinding your way up the limits. You learn patience, bankroll management, the value of a dollar and how to grind out a living. It is hard to keep things in perspective when you play 4 and 5 figure tournaments on a regular basis. You stay strung along because you only ever one good day away from a big score.
I guess ultimately it just depends on the individual as to what path they want to take, but if the focus can be on delayed gratification, the individual will be better off in the end.
Sunday, 1 May 2011
April Review...
May 1rst already....what a busy month.
Yoga
I completed my 30 day challenge. I did 30 classes in April, had to double up a few times to make up for the days where work/life got in the way. Overall, I am really happy I did it, but I know that without a doubt I need a break. That being said, I signed up for a one month pass to another studio...maybe soon I will be doing handstands and wheels, but probably will just be content with being comfortable in a down dog.
Poker
I already briefly touched on "Black Friday" but now have a better idea as to what the impact is on me. As a person, I don't like that the US government is preventing the citizens from playing online, but as a poker player, I think it may have been better for me than originally anticipated. While it is a bit tougher to get an omaha 8/b game going, it is definitely better when it finally comes together. I have had better tournament results also, including finishing 101rst in the Sunday Million on PokerStars tonight. Maybe it is variance, or maybe I underestimated the poker prowess of our neighbours to the South.
I am really happy that PokerStars has been able to process cashouts for the US players, that will help and maybe even improve the flow of money during WSOP (less than a month away now...) because some players will have their whole roll in cash rather than keeping the majority of their cash online.
SCOOP starts on the 8th of May. I hope I get to play some of the events, but it isn't looking likely because with the absence of the US players, PokerStars decided to move the events 3 hours earlier. In the past, I was able to catch some of the evening events after work if I wanted to, or take an afternoon away from work if the event warranted it. It will be tough this year to take the time....will have a look this week to see what I want to do.
Personally, "Black Friday" has impacted some of me and some of my relationships with American friends. We don't have a normal banter about how our days have gone, or hands to talk about, or tournaments to review. Some have dealt with the situation really well, and things are normal, but it is evident that others begrudge that I can still play where they used to.
I just maintained my monthly quota to remain a Supernova on PokerStars this month...
Fun
April bring basketball playoffs for us every year, we sailed through the semis, with a couple games this month and are headed to the finals for our division this year, have a solid chance of shipping it too! Needless to say.....
Mid-month, a group of friends went out to a rural community hall for the 2nd annual curling extravaganza, it was entirely too much fun. An evening of curling (really everyone should try it) interspersed with a Ukrainian feast of pyrogies, cabbage rolls and skor cake....what else could you ask for? The rum slush definitely helped to keep us warmer on the ice!
Finally, this week, I went to Riverdance. I never saw it on it's first run through after the boom of the Celtic Tiger in the early 2000s. It was an awesome experience that I thoroughly loved, I do still wish I had seen it with a huge full cast. For those of you who are wondering, I only cried a small amount at the beginning, something about Irish hard shoe dance makes me super emotional! My favorite clips from Riverdance....I could watch them over and over! Michael Flately is so haughty and arrogant, but I love it!
I also read a couple books during April...I read Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jillian Lauren and Still Alice by Lisa Genova. The latter was an incredible book that was told from the perspective of a well educated woman as she became increasingly affected by Alzheimer's Disease. If you read it (and you should), I recommend you avoid reading on the train/bus or other public arenas, as there are some intense moments that really take your breath away (and may bring a tear to your eye). It is what I consider a very human book, with situations that you can feel yourself in.
My basement also flooded around Good Friday...thankfully I have people in my life (my mum and step-father) who are proficient at dealing with such emergencies. I didn't have the time to put a diving board in my basement, it was dried up in no time! (Thanks)
All in all, it has been a crazy month, periodically I think about things I should blog and am sure that I have forgotten a number of things tonight....not to worry, I'll be back!
Yoga
I completed my 30 day challenge. I did 30 classes in April, had to double up a few times to make up for the days where work/life got in the way. Overall, I am really happy I did it, but I know that without a doubt I need a break. That being said, I signed up for a one month pass to another studio...maybe soon I will be doing handstands and wheels, but probably will just be content with being comfortable in a down dog.
Poker
I already briefly touched on "Black Friday" but now have a better idea as to what the impact is on me. As a person, I don't like that the US government is preventing the citizens from playing online, but as a poker player, I think it may have been better for me than originally anticipated. While it is a bit tougher to get an omaha 8/b game going, it is definitely better when it finally comes together. I have had better tournament results also, including finishing 101rst in the Sunday Million on PokerStars tonight. Maybe it is variance, or maybe I underestimated the poker prowess of our neighbours to the South.
I am really happy that PokerStars has been able to process cashouts for the US players, that will help and maybe even improve the flow of money during WSOP (less than a month away now...) because some players will have their whole roll in cash rather than keeping the majority of their cash online.
SCOOP starts on the 8th of May. I hope I get to play some of the events, but it isn't looking likely because with the absence of the US players, PokerStars decided to move the events 3 hours earlier. In the past, I was able to catch some of the evening events after work if I wanted to, or take an afternoon away from work if the event warranted it. It will be tough this year to take the time....will have a look this week to see what I want to do.
Personally, "Black Friday" has impacted some of me and some of my relationships with American friends. We don't have a normal banter about how our days have gone, or hands to talk about, or tournaments to review. Some have dealt with the situation really well, and things are normal, but it is evident that others begrudge that I can still play where they used to.
I just maintained my monthly quota to remain a Supernova on PokerStars this month...
Fun
April bring basketball playoffs for us every year, we sailed through the semis, with a couple games this month and are headed to the finals for our division this year, have a solid chance of shipping it too! Needless to say.....
Mid-month, a group of friends went out to a rural community hall for the 2nd annual curling extravaganza, it was entirely too much fun. An evening of curling (really everyone should try it) interspersed with a Ukrainian feast of pyrogies, cabbage rolls and skor cake....what else could you ask for? The rum slush definitely helped to keep us warmer on the ice!
 | ||
| Yoga kept me flexible I guess.... |
I also read a couple books during April...I read Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jillian Lauren and Still Alice by Lisa Genova. The latter was an incredible book that was told from the perspective of a well educated woman as she became increasingly affected by Alzheimer's Disease. If you read it (and you should), I recommend you avoid reading on the train/bus or other public arenas, as there are some intense moments that really take your breath away (and may bring a tear to your eye). It is what I consider a very human book, with situations that you can feel yourself in.
My basement also flooded around Good Friday...thankfully I have people in my life (my mum and step-father) who are proficient at dealing with such emergencies. I didn't have the time to put a diving board in my basement, it was dried up in no time! (Thanks)
All in all, it has been a crazy month, periodically I think about things I should blog and am sure that I have forgotten a number of things tonight....not to worry, I'll be back!
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