Bunch of Stuff

I can't believe almost a whole week went by without writing about anything. It was just an incredible busy week and I barely had time to read emails and other blogs but hopefully its a bit calmer now.

Where my son lives and where I just was two weeks ago for a wedding, a good portion of his part of the city has been evacuated. Fires have hit and with hot temperatures and wind its pretty bad. My son is on evacuation alert and has the van packed with all their keepsakes and has photographed everything in his house should he not have one when he comes back. Right now the winds are calm but on Saturday when the first fire started it was really windy which caused another fire to start. Total fire coverage is around 500 hectares and 3 houses lost so far. Its a repeat of 2003 when I was there only in a different part of the city. Its so dry there right now and forecast is for another week of 35-40 degree heat (that's in the nineties to hundreds). We can only hope that the winds don't pick up again.

I have had a couple people come look at our house and another one today. Nothing concrete yet but remembering what its like being super neat.. It gets to be a pain plus going out when someone wants to see the house. We are giving it 60 days if it doesn't sell we will stay because we still like living here.

Strangest sight I think I have seen in awhile was we were downtown yesterday and there was a guy (probably homeless) who was walking around downtown with his back pack on and a cat lying around his neck. Yes a cat. I couldn't believe it. I mean I see street people with dogs but that is the first cat. The cat was huge and looked perfectly happy. Boy was getting looks though. I wish I had my camera. Loved to have gotten a picture.

I went to the doctor last week and this is a reminder to wear sunscreen. I got to admit I quite often forget well she didn't like the looks of 2 tiny spots on my face so she used liquid nitrogen to burn them (I guess burn isn't the right word). It was like getting Popsicle on your face. Weird stuff that is. So now I have these 2 red spots on my head and people keep asking what happened. They will heal just looks funny for a bit.

The best news of the week is we had our season ending poker tournament and with 104 entrants I managed to finish second and win 500 dollar gift certificate. It was one of those days when all my high percentage favourite hands held. I didn't get sucked out on until the last hand.

Started off well when in just the first 30 minutes I had a lady who was short stacked already push with A9 preflop and everyone folded to me and I had AK suited. Thought for a bit but called and it held up. She was first out. Thats how my day went. I continued to build my stack with just hitting flops and betting. Two memorable hands before we hit final table. The first was I had pocket Kings In late position and with one raiser who I know likes to steal. I thought about just calling then I decided to put the pressure on and I pushed in my pretty significant stack. Every one folded back to him and he had me covered but took a long time so I knew he didn't have Aces. He finally called (I was surprised). He had AQ suited. My Kings held up. Then when we got down to 2 tables I got deal A9d. Can't remember exactly how the betting went(long day) but the board showed 9,10,J,Q,K. A straight on the board but 3 diamonds so I had the nut flush (almost a straight flush). Two of us left the pot and the other guy (young guy who is an excellent player) bet out. So I then said to him what you have the Ace for the high straight?? Trying a bit to get him off the diamond flush thought.Anyways I decided to push and I had him well covered (should have made a smaller bet). He thought and thought and finally folded. Too bad. It was a bad bet on my part. I could have got chips out of him if I had bet less. I showed him what I had. The relief was evident on his face that he hadn't called.

Finally down to the final table. First 3 hands people got eliminated. Down to 5. Then another got beat. As I had a huge stack(second biggest) I was mostly staying out of the chip leaders way and vice versa. Finally down to 4. I got dealt 8,9 in the big blind. Just the 2 of us in. Flop came 7,10 Q. I was open ended So I bet out which was about half his stack. He was the the short stack. He thought and decided to push. No brainer on my part as even if I lost I was okay. I called. He had KQ. I hit my 6 on the river (that kind of day and he was gone). That left 3 of us and they both were playing tight so I was able to steal a few pots with nothing. I just bet big, they folded. Then I got dealt 6,9 in the Small Blind. All 3 of us in. Flop comes 6,6,2. I checked hoping someone had something. Lady to my left immediatly went all in. The other person folded and I only took a second to call (hoping her kicker wasn't bigger). She flipped over 6 3 thinking she was good and I flipped over the 6,9 . She was shocked. Then she said you checked and I said yes I did with a smile. The turn and the river didn't help and we were down to the 2 of us.

First hand I got deal AJd. Flop comes 44A. I decided as I was now the chip leader to push. She insta called me with A8. Looking good but the turn was another Ace so it was a chop pot... Too bad. So close. Anyways we played for awhile and I lost a big pot when she had a higher kicker. She took the chip lead. Finally got dealt AQ suited and decided preflop to push. She said why not and called me with K,10. She hit her K on the flop and I didn't improve and that was it. I went in with the best and thats all I could do. I was happy the way I played for the most part and nice to get a payday.