On second thought

After nearly 52 years on this planet I have come to the considered opinion that sometimes your first reaction is not necessarily the best course to take when you are posting something that could be around for quite awhile and read by those who know and don't know you.  Like your wife and family for instance.  Allow me to illustrate.

This is what I started to write about 1am today.

"Happy Fathers Day you Motherf****rs, because face it that's what you are or you wouldn't be celebrated on such a wondrous day as Fathers Day."

I was all prepared to go off on a rant about women and how I hate playing poker with those heartless witches because every time I do it seems I get hosed.   Sometimes by the PQ.  And then I fell asleep.  Good choice.

Today it all seems just not that important in the grand scheme of things.  There are better things to focus my time and energy on.  Like breakfast, which I made for the PQ and daughter along with my sis in law and my 2 nieces and my younger son, his girlfriend and her kids.  And dinner which I have in the crockpot as we speak and hope it turns out to taste as good as it smells. 

Had a bit of a food fiesta this morning but it wasn't without a couple of missteps along the way.  I burned some bacon (still getting used to the heat levels on this stove) and some biscuits as well.  The bacon made it kinda smoky in here too.  But it wasn't an epic fail and I did get my act together enough to make omelets with cheese, bacon, sausage, onions and mushrooms along with unburnt biscuits, home fries.  The burning occurred because my attention was so divided having a stove that actually cooked the way it was supposed to and even hotter than I expected that it only took a little inattention to turn something from well done to crispy critter.  But I managed to work my way around the issues and everyone seemed leave here satisfied after breakfast.   I then collapsed in my chair and took a nap while the gang went to plunder Costco. 

The great thing about crockpots is that you put the stuff together then you can set it and forget it.  I actually put together dinner and got it started before I got to work on breakfast.  I did get to use a present today as my son bought me an electric skillet.  So instead of tying up one of the burners on the stove, I made the homefries in the electric skillet instead.  Worked like a charm and the potatoes turned out great. 

This stove has some nice extras I made use of as well.  You can link the front and back burners together on one side and put down one of those long griddles and cook on the whole thing.  Makes it great for cooking things like a bunch of bacon (when you aren't burning it) and I can't wait to try it for some other stuff.  When you link the burners together there is a control that heats up the area between the burners.  I guess I expected it not to be as hot as cooking on regular burners but they were hotter if anything.  I started the burners out at 4-5 and took them down to about 3 after the first disaster.  Also the stove has a warming drawer at the bottome where you normally have a draw to store pans and such.  That was cool.  After the bacon and biscuits were done I put them in the drawer while making the omelets and everything stayed hot.  I do love this stove.

The nap was necessary because last night the PQ and I played a bit of poker at Derby Lane again.  We got into the 8pm tourney and everything started out pretty well.  Early on I was dealt 2 red aces in late position.  I raised and this loose aggressive guy in the big blind called.  I had a good read on him so I knew he could have just about anything.  Flop is Queen high and all diamonds.  He checks and I bet about 3/4 of the pot.  I thought he might dump it there but he called.  I was wondering if he was sitting on something like the K of diamonds, maybe K Q off so he had top pair and the flush draw.  I didn't think he hit 2 pair as the flop was pretty disjointed and my only worry was if he had the flush already.  Turn is a a 5 of clubs.  He surprised me by betting out 1500.  I stopped and looked at him while I thought.  He then announced he had about 3500 behind him.  I was thinking he seemed awfully confident about his hand which really got me thinking he might have the flush already but I just didn't think so.  I was still leaning toward KQ and putting me on AK.  River is a lovely J of diamonds.  He checks to me and I put out 2000 which he surprises me by calling.  I flipped over the nut flush and he seemed surprised I had AA in my hand the whole time.  He mucked so I don't know what he actually had but he had to have either the K or 10 of diamonds I think to call my river bet. 

I went from 10K to a bit over 15K in one fell swoop and I was pretty happy with that.  I lost some chips on an AQ that I raised preflop only to have 3 callers with A5 off, 57 off and 22.  The flop was 345.  Another hand  I flopped top pair on a KJJ board but I was able to avoid the carnage on both hands when the betting started going and I dumped them.  The 57 made a straight when a 6 turned and the KJJ hand got pretty hectic on the turn as the other 2 jacks were in the hands of my opponents.  But I was still sitting pretty good when the first hosing happened.

All 3 places to my left had women in them.  The one right next to me I had played with before and she didn't concern me too much.  The next gal was paying more attention to her sudoku book than the game.  I knew she was playing ABC poker and I just avoided her whenever she put a decent bet out.  The third girl was pretty aggressive and had lucked into one hand when she floated a guy post flop who had a pocket pair then turned her ace to win the hand.  She had built up a bit of a stack but I wasn't overly worried.  I was sitting in mid position and we were just in second blind level (50-100) when the shortie in seat 10 went all in for 825.   I looked down at 99 and decided to just call and see what developed.  Unfortunately or maybe fortunately a couple of others called including the gal next to me.  Flop was pretty with K95 with 2 spades.  It's checked to me and I checked as well.  Gal next to me puts out 2000.  Folded around back to me and I decided to either get her out or get her chips right there.  She had about 4K left so I raised to 5500.  That stopped her for a second but she pushed all in with K-10 of spades.  I called and flipped up my set of 9s.  Turn was a diamond 5 but river was the 4 of spades and I lose.  That hurt but I still had a bit over 6K which was 60 big blinds still.  I was a little pissed because I felt I had played it right and gotten unlucky but she did have a number of outs and unfortunately one of them hit. 

So I shook it off and buckled down.  A bit later I tangled with the guy I had taken that chunk off with AA.  He was the one who had tripled up with 5-7 after I crippled him.  He had a bit more in chips than I did now.  I was in the small blind with A9 and he called in early position.  One other guy called and I debated raising but hated being first to act after that so I just called as did the big blind.  Flop was A88.  I check as does the big blind and he bets out 800.  Folded to me and I just opt to call.  Turn is a 7.  I check again.  I doubt he has an 8 and I'm not afraid if he has an ace as my read is an A10 or better would have been a raise out of him even in early position.  He checks behind me.  River is a queen.  Since I still think I'm ahead I check again.  I think if I bet he folds it but if I check he'll take another stab at getting me out of the pot.  It works when he bets out 2000.  I debate raising him but figure he will only call if he does have a set so I call.  He asks if I have a pair and flashes up his hand but I don't see it.  So I decide to make him show because my view is if I call your bet, I have the right to see your cards as I paid for it.  I motion to him and say "Lets see em" and he flips over J10 with a disgusted look.  Sorry dude but you don't get to not show me.  I flip over my ace and collect a nice pot which gets me back to just over my starting stack of 10K. 

My final hand came on the next go round.  Blinds at 75-150 and I get AA in the big blind.  Gal 3 places to my left has about 20K now and she raises to 750 preflop.  It gets folded to me and I decide to disguise the aces and try to get a big double up off of her.  Flop is 10-6-3.  She bets out 1000 and I pause for a second then call her.  Turn is another 6.  Well I think I'm pretty safe here, I doubt she raised A6.  She bets out 3000.  And I start thinking.  I figure she has either JJ or QQ or possibly KK as it looks like she wants me out of this hand before a draw hits and thinks she's ahead of me pretty well.  I look at my stack and a call will only leave me 4500 or so.  So I push all in.  Now she starts thinking but she calls after a few seconds and asks if I have 10s.  I flip over aces which really surprised her and she shows queens.  And the bastard dealer turns over a queen on the river.

Did I mention how much I hate women poker players?  It's Fathers Day and I can rant about women if I want to.  I wished everyone luck and went off to the bar and had a couple of beers to cool off for a bit while the PQ kept playing.  She went out 11th,  just before the final table and I quit playing 1-1 no limt then so we could head home down just a little (no hands to speak of there but at least no major suckouts against me) and that brings us to here.  Well enough ranting. 

Happy Fathers Day to all you dads.  If your father is still living, I hope you connect with him today.  I often wish my parents were still alive as I'd love for them to have met the PQ and our kids.  My dad had struggles in his life but he did well to get over it and I really enjoyed the time we spent together after my mother died.  He was one of the smartest guys I've known too.  It would be nice to call him today and wish him a Happy Fathers Day.  Well I'm off to take a shower and start preparing the rest of dinner.   I hope everyone was luckier than me this weekend.  Monday is coming all too fast.