Something Manly

So, I was watching the World Series of Poker last night and it struck me how the commentators...Lon McEachern and Norman Chad...make the professionals look like they are better than they actually are. There was a hand where it was obvious that neither player had a clue what their opponent had. For the entire hand, Chad tried to convince the audience that Harrington was "setting up" Varkoni because Harrington "knew" he had the better hand and was trying to maximize his win. However, it was completely obvious that Harrington had no idea what Varkoni had and ended up checking the river to be surprised that he won the hand. I am convinced I can play with these guys...they're nothing special.

Maybe it is the amount of online poker that I have been playing, but I feel luck plays more a part of the game than professionals try to portray. I need to get into some live games (if the wife allows) because I am positive that online play (no matter if it is Pokerstars, Party Poker or Facebook) favors the longshot rivers. Countless times, I have the best hand going into the final card and my opponent "miraculously" pulls his fifth club or completes his straight or finds the one in two cards left in the deck to make his trips. Playing online is killing my buzz.

I guess the moral of the story is that I can only trust a deck of cards and computers lie.

Lauren...can I go play poker?

Julie and Julia

Ya, so we watched Julie and Julia last night...I know, I know...it was the wife's pick. But, the movie struck me in two ways...

The first and most obvious way is that we need to cook more at home. I'm not sure if the movie is supposed to make you a fan of Julia Child, but I found myself becoming less of a fan afterwards. Nothing in the way the movie portrays her...well sort of the moment at the end, but more of the idea that I really don't care too much for French food. Maybe I haven't eaten the right type or amount of the delicacies, but when I'm thinking of something to cook in the kitchen, France does not come to mind.

So, I decided to buy the cookbook that the movie tries to debunk, "The Joy of Cooking". I texted Lauren and she immediately tells me that she already has it...only it's in storage. So, I might spend this weekend trying to locate the "Bible of all cookbooks" in the bro's garage.

The second way the movie struck me was that it was mostly about blogging and writing. Julie (Amy Adams) is not sure of herself and her writing and needs to be pushed back into the writing scene by her husband in the way of blogging. Now, in no way do I consider myself a writer and I really do not think I have much to say that is interesting to anyone but me. However, the movie made me realize that I need to put entries in this blog more often. It was not really a realization because I have always known that I do not write enough, but is was more of a push to do it...another push.

I have been reading a blog of a friend that I will not mention, however the blog is everything I wanted this blog to be, the only difference is that the writer is actually writing it. It is a mostly-daily account of all the stuff they and their kids go through and the thoughts, wishes, feelings, prayers and anxieties that the chaos brings. All of this will, no doubt, be held until the memory fades and they need to be reminded of the wonderful times they went through.

My problem is stage fright. The increasing nervousness that I devulge too much of myself or the fact that what I say is not interesting. However, last night I realized that it only matters to me. Twenty years from now, I will laugh at myself for being so stupid back in my thirties, but I will also be glad that I CAN laugh at myself.