Monday, March 20, 2006

back to the tables

Reading through my e-mails, I decided to take a look at my e-mails labeled "Poker" (I set my Gmail up to filter my e-mails, go ahead and archive any poker e-mails and label them as such). I found that Noble Poker gave me some bonus money to screw around with.

Yeah, perfect.

So I sit for about 1 1/2 hours in .10/.20 LHE, and play good (6-handed, as always, I love them shorthanded tables), and wind up ahead $11.

So, just shortly after that, I enter a $5.50 1000 Guaranteed tournament. A little short of $200, and I do so-so. I was up and down before the first break, but wound up doubling up and getting to a healthy $4000 stack at the break.

Unfortunately, this is Noble we're talking about. Their structure does not provide for deep play after the first break, as even on an average stack, I'm about 10 minutes away from having bad M, with the blinds 100/200 and soon to increase to 200/400.

Near the end of the first level after the break, I raise on the button with AJo, with the Ace of diamonds, making it 600, and the BB calls.

Flop comes QJ9, with the QJ of diamonds. He checks, and I bet, making it 700. He calls, announcing he has top set. Bogus. And I know it.

Turn comes the K of diamonds, giving me the royal flush draw. He instantly moves in on me. Now I'm positive that if I make any of my draws, I've got the hand on lock. Plus, the way this hand has played out, it's hard to believe that he played this hand any way except to steal the hand from me, so my 3rd pair may be good. So I call.

He turns up AT for the nut straight...yikes! Not at all what I expected. So I'm needing a diamond to win, or a ten to chop. Blank on the river, and I'm crippled.

I'm all-in later in the big-blind with 10-3, and don't improve and it's over.

So it's been humdrum in the games today.

Friday, March 17, 2006

The tank & my bass

Sorry it's been a while since I posted. Work's been exhausting me, I haven't really had a whole lot of energy to do much else.

Yeah, so I got out of training officially Friday...with a 96% average in the class (highest in the class). And this week is our time taking calls in the training bay (aka "the tank.")

90% of people told us that tank was Hell. 10% of people told us it was no sweat. Let's see, which odds are you going to bet on?

So needless to say, I had mixed emotions about going in there. I thought I knew enough, I'm a decent multitasker, so I'm not scared of messing up on the tools. Of course, what you aren't prepared for is people screaming in your ear because the internet's broke.

That was the part that scared me. I can handle stress and all that, but one thing I've never handled well was arguments. Even if it's one sided, someone yelling and blaming their entire life on you because they can't get online is still an argument. I was afraid of how I'd react, whether I'd get emotional over it, you know the drill.

So I've been praying all this week for the strength to handle this situation well, and in best case scenario, I won't have to deal with any (even though I'd rather get it over with in tank, so that way a supervisor's on hand to keep me calm).

So far, no angry customers. Only slightly peeved, but hey, it happens.

On the first day, I was just flustered for most of it, and had horrendous handle times...as expected.

Over Tues., Wed., and today, I have just been knocking it out of the box! I'm really getting the hang of this, and really starting to keep my call times low, and get resolutions on their issues done.

And in all truth, I'm enjoying it. I get to mess around with people's systems, it's pretty easy, and I can just pace around taking calls, and running over to my computer to type notes as needed. There's enough challenges to keep me interested, but enough reptitiveness that I don't have to frustrate myself.

Customer's reactions have been good too. People have given me mad compliments over my performance, and several people in my training class have basically jockeyed for position to get seats next to me in tank because they believe I know everything about what the job entails (think again).

So come Tuesday, I start my regular schedule, fully on the call floor. This should be interesting.

And on Tuesday, I got my six string bass. I freaking love this thing! I haven't played with it as much as I want, but comes this weekend...man, it's on. I'll also have pictures, and maybe even a video of me playing it up too.

Until then...

Friday, March 10, 2006

First paycheck...

And so starts the fun of the first paycheck. Now, I'm being responsible...and I definitely gotta watch myself, since I got myself in big trouble just writing checks, so have a debit card could kill me.

But so far so good. Today, got my check cashed, then I went to Old Navy to replace a pair of pants that got huge holes worn in them from the washer within 3 weeks! Well, that was no sweat. Then, on to get some food. That was all good, then Jake took me to this half-price bookstore in Castlteton, which sells used movies, books, games, cds, whatever.

Yeah, just point me to the CD section. And I picked that place clean. But, I only wound up with 3 CDs:

-Newsboys: Going Public
-Justifide: The Beauty of the Unknown
-Songs From the Penalty Box vol. 4

Now, Penalty Box wasn't my original intended purchase, that was:

-OC Supertones: The Adventures of the OC Supertones

Unfortunately, I got a glimpse of the bottom of the CD...it was so mangled up...wow. Yeah, that went back in a heartbeat, to which I found Penalty Box, and had the lot rang up:

The total damage: $6. Now how pimp is that?

Then, to Best Buy just to look around.

Then to work.

As soon as I got home, I placed my order for my bass. So that should be arriving in 2-5 days. There's always an air of excitement when your new instrument is on its way. It's absolutely incredible. You just sit until that truck arrives with that instrument, and you don't care what was on the docket for the day...screw that, and strap that sucker on.

That reminds me, I need to buy a strap for it.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Man I can call them?

So, today not only has Hyunsil told me that she won't be able to come this summer (which, as you know from reading my stupid blog, I predicted), but has also gotten back with her stupid stoner boyfriend (which, I hadn't muttered aloud, but had pretty much guessed it would happen).

And surprisingly, I'm not shocked or pissed about any of this. Nor am I let down. Quite frankly, I gave up on caring and hanging on everything she says or does two weeks ago. And I haven't went back. I don't see this fully killing our friendship, but it could. Right now, I just feel like putting her on my block list right now, just because I don't want to hear anymore right now. I'd end up taking her off soon...but I just don't want to hear from her right now.

The good thing is that I'm through this. I was through this before I even really knew there was something to get through.

I'm smart. I've realized that it's her own mistake, not mine. Maybe I could've cared a little less and saved myself some hurt, but that's just not the kind of person I am.

Whatever, I just see about a 2.5% probability that we would ever get together. And that's ok with me. There will be something better.

So today, I get to go get my paycheck, and tonight, I put in the order for my bass. I'm psyched about playing that thing...and showing it off.

I'll post pics of it in my hands...most likely on my Myspace (link's on the right side of the page).

Also, yeah, I felt stupid maintaining 3 blogs, so I condensed them all. Once again, my attempt to combat multi-blogging.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

I can take a joke but...

Oh, come on this has gotta be the lowest low I've ever seen in advertising.

MTV2 (& probably even MTV) are now showing new advertising for Wonder Showzen. I had already deemed this show the end of TV...period. The show is probably the worst show ever. By that, I mean, blind people would be giving their TV's the finger over it. Honestly, I have taken dumps that resemble better Television programming than Wonder Showzen.

But just when I think this show can't stoop any farther down, here comes the advertising for their new season.

They start off with a home video someone, then start out in one of those anti-drunk driving campaign commercial...where they say "this person was killed by a drunk driver, on Friday, March 31st...

"the same night as WONDER SHOWZEN!" And all of a sudden it goes into this giddy stoner comedy.

ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC! HONESTLY! How in the world has this not been pulled off the air yet?

Seriously, someone should've actually had figured out that this was crossing the line. But oh wait, I forgot, this is MTV we're talking about.

Honestly, whoever made this commercial: I doubt you'd see the sick twisted comedy in this spot if someone YOU cared about was killed by a drunk driver. If you did, you need to be shot.

I hope to God I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

I should be a negotiator

Seriously, I feel clever as of right now.

So here's the thing, my trip to Korea in April is just not going happen. Just simply put, not going happen. I'll now explain what the crap is going on:

Well, as several people now know, I got employed by CallTech, a company that handles telecommunications for companies. In short, I'm tech support now.

Now, that's all good, but that still was going to put me on a very tight budget on my trip. I really needed a second job.

In January, Meijer called me, and after looking over my application, they wanted to interview me. Well, I went in, and all they did was have me sign a background check form. That's all I heard. I wound up calling back soon after, and the department that wanted me had its funding cut, and therefore my application was put back at the top of the pile.

Again, that's all I hear.

I kid you not, THE Friday of the week I got on with Calltech, I was getting ready to leave, and got a phone call from Meijer wanted me for a job as a stockboy on their morning shift. Since I work nights at Calltech, that sounds great. I'm gonna be hurting for sleep until the weekend, but whatever.

That night, after I got home from work, I call Hyunsil to lay on the good news. And man, is she happy. She gushed over this info for quite a lot of the phone call. And...so was I. It was big news. I was finally going to get to go to Korea to see her.

Saturday. I'm online at about 9PM, and she jumps online, and tells me she's filling out her visa application to come over here to visit (forgot to say this, and it's important: she told me on the phone Friday night that she wants to come here in July). Well, that's dandy! Then comes the shocker. "My place may be too small, I don't know if you can come in April....blah blah blah...I'm going to go meet some friends, I have to go."

WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Seriously, she has known about this place for one month. And all last night, she was ecstatic about me coming. Now she's not so sure that I can come?

Well, working two jobs, I'm going to be safe on money. So I write her off an e-mail later saying, "Look, if you still want me to come in April, I should have enough money to stay in a hotel if I have to. Just let me know."

MONDAY: I get home from work, and she's online. So we start talking, she asks me how work was, then hits me with this: "You can't come in April. My place is definitely too small. All my friends agree. Call me Saturday afternoon (her time, not mine)."

Now granted, I'm talking too, but WHAT IN THE WORLD?! In 72 hours, she's gone from not being able to wait for me to be there, to now she doesn't want me to come? This makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.

So I had of course chalked this up into the whatever file and put it away, moved on, and just thought, "whatever happens, happens." I also quit Meijer, because, quite frankly, what's the point? If I'm not going to get to go to Korea, which was the reason I needed that job in the first place, why should I exhaust myself at both these jobs?

So then last night I write up that blog about the bass to cheer me up (which, considering I'm not going in April, is going to be purchased). Also that night, I was talking to a friend, who has heard the whole scenario since the beginning of last summer, and told her the entire thing. And she couldn't make any sense out of, either. Thank God I wasn't the only one.

But I said this to her, and this is very memorable: "I guarantee you, she'll have changed her mind when I call her."

I shut down my computer and go to bed. I wake up to find that she didn't even wait until Saturday to tell me so.

I log into my Gmail, and there sits an e-mail from her, telling me to come in April, only a shorter period of time, and I'm staying somewhere else, like a motel or something. Where have I heard this before?

NOW I'm frustrated! This is worse than Ross Perot's 1992 Presidential Campaign! So I'm frustrated, and my mind thinks up all these messed up scenarios like:

1. What if I book the ticket, and then the week before I'm supposed to get there, she cancels again, and I'm now stuck with a worthless $1200 ticket?
2. What if I make it there, and she never shows up to pick me up from the airport, and I'm then stuck in a country where I know very little of the language, know really no one other than her, and am just miserable the whole trip because what I've waited for 5 years for got flushed down the toilet?
3. What if she just wants me there to see "what it's like to be with a white guy," and then shafts me afterward? (Yes, my mind thinks this stuff up, and other people say "this is a valid reasoning.")

Oh, but don't worry. I wasn't planning on actually doing it. I mean, come on, man! First off, I had already said it would be a pinch if I was going on just one job's salary STAYING WITH HER. So there's no possible way I could book even a cheapo motel for 15 days.

But, I'm supposed to call her Saturday. I told her I would. So at midnight here, I pick up the phone and call, knowing it'd be around 2PM there. First thing out of her mouth was, "Did you get my e-mail?" I fibbed and said no. So then she explained the whole thing to me. So I dropped the bomb about quitting Meijer.

"Why?"

Um...duh? You told me not to come. What's the point of working two jobs for the sole purpose of guaranteeing I'd be there if I'm not going to, you know, be there?

So then she asks about my passport, which is the money I'm going to be using to buy my bass. So I told her I bought a bass with it. Yeah, still fibbing, but hey, I'm still buying it, so what's the point?

Again, she asks why. So I explain it again. And then I make mention of how confusing she's made it, since sometimes she wants me there, sometimes she doesn't.

So then I asked, "Do you really want me to come?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Well....um, I really want to see you, and try to figure us out."

So then I thought of something. The visa.

So I bring up the fact that as far as I remembered, she was still planning on coming here this summer. Which she confirms. So I bring up a new idea:

She comes here, then after her trip is done, we can go back together. Which she thinks is a wonderful idea.

So thus ends the problem. This is open-ended. Do I, at the present moment, believe that she will seriously come here? No, I don't. Am I prepared to keep up my end of the bargain if she does? Yeah. If she proves this, then yeah, I'm ready to do it.

But right, now, I have no clue what's going on with her. I just know I defused this entire situation.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

My big splurge...what to do...

So, I'm no longer going on vacation in April. Yeah, that sucks. Whatever, that's a topic for ANOTHER But, I now have some spare money to pamper myself a little bit and make me feel better about not going. So, my dilemma is now this: What to get.

And for about 4 years, I have been salivating over the thought of playing a 6-string bass (Thank you very much, Tye Zamora of Alien Ant Farm). Of course, I had to build myself up to 5 strings in 2003, and then instantly, I began to desire the 6-string even more.

I also have history with Rogue basses. A good one, actually. Some say they're cheap, but I have enjoyed my Rogue basses. I've had two of their 5-strings, one I sent back because the nut broke on it, and it was under warranty. The one I got back was its replacement. And I love it.

So, when you see a 6-string bass from Rogue for $200, you kind of just stand up and take notice. I sure have. Plus, reviews from Musician's Friend have been good.

So now, this bass just taunts me. BUY ME! BUY ME! I so want to. Tell me what you think guys (Click the pictures to see larger images, all images courtesy of Musician's Friend):













Don't those pictures make you as happy as me? Come on! Active Jazz pickups, 4-channel EQ knobs, string-thru body...just wow. And this is about the one out of only two times where I've really wanted a guitar with a natural finish (the other time was a Warwick, so that's definitely understandable, although completely currently out of my price range).

If you want to read reviews, and more about this pretty little thing, go here.