A little down-time update...with news from the Beau Rivage

Well somethings DO never change.

Its always been said that Death and Taxes are the two things you can't avoid, right?

Add to that the Beau Rivage not being able to .... you know what? Screw it, why even give them the time of day?

This has been a very productive week so far. I came home from that brutal 7-week trip with a lot to get caught up on...and have been doing just that.

Spent all weekend watching March Madness and playing online poker. Got deep in some things...actually turned a small profit...but never took down anything major. Same 'ol crap on there. Just gotta learn to not let it getcha down.

The last two days I have been getting caught up with 'life shit.'  Paid my property taxes on the house in Pensacola finally. After finally getting a tenant in there. Then renewed the Homeowners Insurance on it. Didn't even know it had lapsed. Ooops. Then...these damn doctor bills? OMG. How confusing. You get a bill from the doctor. Then you get a statement from your insurance company telling you what they are covering. Then you get ANOTHER bill from the doctor AFTER the insurance has been paid. I took about 4 trips to the doctor in 3 months too....Kidney Stones ordeal, and a few MRI trips...that by the time they all got their cut...there was like 8 bills that I owed. Jeez. Well, they are all finally taken care of, I THINK!

Been working on adding up all my buyins for 2009...and getting ready to finally do my taxes. Might not have to do the HR Block fiasco again this year. One of our readers on here has tipped me off to someone who really knows whats up...so I am crossing my fingers!

Bout to get outside and get this damn yard mowed. Then I have to go buy about a pallet of sod, which Home Depot finally has again...and get this backyard fixed that Mollie has been destroying. That will be a major project.

Played good husband yesterday for Squirrel and did all the laundry and dishes. She had her girls over the night before for a ridiculously loud viewing of that movie NEW MOON. Now...whats funny, is when the guys are here and we are watching...well, anything...and its too loud, she freaks out. But man...it was like...ten times louder than a movie theatre in here Sunday night!

I've been looking at upcoming tourneys and schedules and what not. Some interesting things brewing. The only one I can see that has me REALLY excited, from a standpoint of structures and expected turnout, is New Orleans and the WSOP in Vegas. I got the ball rolling with Jack Effel of Harrah's before I left for Vegas two months ago...just to try and make sure this summer goes off without a hitch. I never heard back from him. But then Jimmy Somerfeld got in touch with him while I was in Reno...and was pretty supportive of my cause, I think. I emailed Jack this morning...and he responded right away...telling me there were just a couple things he needed to check on before he could give me any definitive answer. So I am hopeful that everything will be smooth sailing on the Harrah's highway from here on out. Sure hope so, because they are now putting out about the best structures out there...unless your at a Matt Savage-run tourney. It's really nice to see. I mean...the WSOP structures this summer are looking better than the Venetians even! And that is saying something.

I looked at the structure for this upcoming IP event...sheesh. Not very good. I was pretty disappointed, to be honest. For as much as they have been really trying to put out a good product lately, I was shocked when I downloaded the structures. There is no difference at all between the structure for their $220 tourney and their $1,000 tourney...and I find that mind boggling. I do know this, and I discussed it with Squirrel this morning...if they don't get a decent turnout...I will be getting on a plane and flying straight to Atlantic City to meet up with my boys at Borgata and play those events. Those fields will be HUGE and the structures up there are very nice as well. Sorry IP...I love ya guys...and wanted to help you guys succeed...but those structures are tough to swallow.

Yeah so...getting all kinds of pressure from the wife to stay home...so to be a good husband, and at least TRY to accomodate her, something I wasnt even going to entertain doing, I went ahead and texted the head guy at the Beau Rivage today to see if they would let me play this next event. Its either that or stick to my plan of going up to St. Louis to play up there. So what do they say? "The answer is the same as before."

The last time we talked, I was told there was some time that needed to pass to 'work on the relationship' however I was invited to go up to Tunica to play at the Goldstrike. So...I'm just curious...in the three months that have passed, in which I haven't even muttered their name...what exactly did I do to NOT improve the relationship? Ya know what? To hell with those guys. I am sick of trying. And big deal, what exactly am I missing out on? I looked at their lineup, and their structure. I was only making the attempt for my wife. I could honestly care less.

So it looks like a week here to get on top of everything and then we load up the 4-runner, pick up some movies to watch on the way there...and drive the 687 miles to St.Louis to see what goes on up there! Never been there. Should be interesting.

Got a safety deposit box yesterday at my bank. That felt kind of good. So...anyone thinking about robbing my house now? You have a few obstacles. (1) There is no money here to rob. (2) We now have a home security system. Enjoy.

Talked to the investigator yesterday who has been handling my case. Apparantly, the girl who set me up...who of course tried to convince me she was totally innocent, is refusing to roll over on the guy who did the deed. So its making it hard for them. But not impossible. They have a lot of evidence that directly ties her into the crime. And she is just sitting up in Birmingham rotting in jail...with no chance of ever getting out probably. I've been told not to give up hope...but...honestly, I pretty much have. If I can get a deduction for this on my taxes...which I've discovered is possible, that would be some semblance of a 'save' I guess. I just really wish when I found out who did this to me, I had never gone to the cops. I wish I had gotten three of my 'guys' together and made the drive up to Birmingham...found this guy...and went to work on him. Old school justice system. Whatever...the thing to do now is learn from my stupidity, not let it happen again, and just go make that money back.

Well, I would be pretty excited about my Washington Huskies being in the Sweet 16...if they werent facing such a brutal road to make the Final Four. It just doesnt look very likely. Having to face a tough West Virginia team..and then if they pull that out...most likely Kentucky...who has just looked ridiculously good. Still...it was nice to get this far after nobody had us even making the tournament! Should help a bit in recruiting anyway.

In all 16 of my March Madness brackets I thought I was dead...but alas! Today I find one that actually has a shot. I need Kentucky to beat either Mich St or Kansas St...and a couple of other things to happen, and I might just have a shot at winning! We had 418 entries this year...so 1st place would be SWEET! My Sweet 16 pool starts this Thursday. At $25 an entry I had 111 entries last year. I just submitted 10 brackets in that one! Man....I need to win SOMEthing! The pools right now are just blowing up...every day the mailbox is just jammed with checks/envelopes. Its a good thing I am home right now!

Thats about it I suppose. Time to go tackle this lawn! Yikes!

MONKEY