Somewhere in New Mexico

It is 12:19pm. I am stopped at some gas station, about 60 miles from the Texas border. I decided to take I-40 home this time. Not sure why exactly. Maybe to avoid reminders of last summer's triumphant return home.

I've come to the conclusion that there must be as many SUBWAY's at 'along the highway' gas stations as there are McDonalds in most major cities. I am currently watching "The Bounty Hunter" which I rented at the REDBOX. I am finding it to be incredibly boring. I stopped for gas. Then was feeling tired, thought I would try to sleep, but just cant. Hate that.

Earlier in the trip...I watched "The Grand" on NetFlix...back when I had a solid connection on my Verizon Wireless and was still able to play online poker. Poker. Shit. I cashed a few times...but what I kept getting was two and three outed. Guy shoves with A3, I call with AK. Hits a 3. Guy shoves with K5. I call with AK. Why not hit a 5. I should be up about $500 on this drive. Instead I am stuck $150. Its pissing me off. But there is still nothing worse than being in 3 or 4 games with a decent stack...and BOOM...I lose my signal. Drive, and drive.....waiting for the damn signal to come back. Fortunately, I'm not playing in anything over $20.

Speaking of "The Grand," its a poker movie that was made a couple years ago. Never even heard of it. Hmmmm...or did I? Maybe I do recall that getting done around the time I was in the 2006 Main Event. At any rate....it was pretty funny. The typical bad poker references...but some funny ass characters.

I left Vegas last night around 10pm. Laid around the hotel all day sweating Christian Iacobellis and following the stacks of several other friends and acquaintances. Christian busted near the end of the night...when his 10's went up against A10...the guy rivered a damn ace. Allie Prescott took a pretty awful beat too....getting his KK in against AK and losing to a river ace as well. Such a bummer. Gabe survived and has a lot of chips. There are some fine players still remaining. But that little fucker Duy Le is still in the top 5. Ugh. Hate that guy.

Christian called Kaizen and ordered us a shit load of sushi...which I went and picked up and delivered to his kickass pad for the summer at Turnberry up by the Hilton. We wolfed it down while I watched him get heads up in the $109 nightly tourney on Full Tilt. He ended up getting 2nd for...something like 4k. That guy is pretty sick. He is a great guy too. Two nights ago, me, him..his buddy Matt and BJ McBrayer and I finally made a trip to the Spearmint Rhino. All summer...7 weeks, and I hadn't stepped foot in the place. Made sure to let the wife know we were going there. Well, Christian really treated us...paying for a table and multiple bottles to keep us entertained. And never once making me feel guilty about my limited contribution to the cause. I really wasnt looking forward to going there, but I actually had a really good time...and it was nice to just sit there and catch up with him and BJ and just talk about shit other than poker. And yes...as usual, the place was packed with beauties. But whatever, all I really did was think about how excited I was to get home and see my wife...who blows most of those girls away, anyway.

There are now, literally 4 guys in poker...who no matter how good I run, or how bad I slump, are always going to be the same guys. Its awfully nice to have guys like that in your life. Because this game is so depressing, and so humbling sometimes. Its funny how some people will just flee from you when your running bad. Taking this long drive cross country, it really gives me a lot of time to think about things. All kinds of things. Things like...what is really important in life. Things like...how lucky I am to have the people I have in my life. To have my health. To have a good marriage. To have a great family. I mean...its been an absolutely horrible year from a poker standpoint. And some of the people who control my ability to play at certain venues have brought a lot of anguish to my life...but you know what? Somethings, you just have to spend only a certain amount of time dwelling on things like that. And I think maybe this summer, I spent too much time worrying about things I have no control over.

I'm just really focused now on making the 2nd half of 2010 like the first half of 2009. I can't think of any reason why that would be impossible. I mean, honestly...I feel like I played exceptionally well this summer. I got deep in about 75% of the tourneys I played...and just couldnt get hands to hold up...or get people to fold when they were drawing tremendously thin. There is nothing I can do about that. I know the meds I got on before New Orleans in May are definitely helping me tremendously as far as dealing with the beats. I'm having a lot easier time keeping things in perspective. Trust me...if I suddenly go somewhere and snap off a $30 to $50k score...you won't see one ounce of cockiness out of me. Oh sure...I will be happy, and more than anything, relieved...and I will sure be happpy for my backer...who had a rough summer with me, similar to the one two years ago. But I'll say this: I am sure ready to experience that feeling again!

Well...since I don't seem to be able to sleep, this could turn out to be another marathon 'Cannonball Run-like' trip home...might as well pop and aderol, go get a Subway...pop in another movie...and keep it going.

Hey, thanks for all your comments. I love em. And thanks for all your guys' support this summer, both here and on my Facebook. Everytime I get close to giving up, it seems like one of you always brings me down off the ledge!

Monkey