A new addiction

Well, the time has finally come for me to hang up my sword and retire from EQ. I haven't played in three weeks, so today I cancelled the billing on my account. After five years, and some 250+ days of actual playtime, I think I'm finally done. I won't even comment on how sad that sounds in retrospect...I'll let my readership hit that pitch out of the park.

After three weeks of actually sleeping, I asked my wife today if she thought I was losing any weight. I know that sleep deprivation can cause you to get fat, so I'm kinda hoping that my newfound rest will have some positive effects. My wife came through with that loving spousal support most of us can only aspire to:

Jenn: I don't know, did you step on a scale? We don't even have a scale. Do you want me to buy a scale?

Uhhh...no thanks, honey. I was just wondering if you noticed anything.

Jenn: You have a really high caloric intake.

Now here's where it gets funny...and no, I'm not making this up...later the very same day, Jenn says:

You're looking thinner.

Priceless.

Now before my wife reads this and I end up on the couch, let me point out that this is good-natured ribbing, and she's a wonderful wife, and I'm easily ten times more insensitive than she is on her worst day.

Anyway, since three weeks of sleep haven't produced six-pack abs, I've decided to fuel a new addiction - online poker. I started tonight, and after six hours of wanting to vomit from the stress, I finished down $11. I'm more than halfway to a $95 bonus however, so chances are good I may still finish the black. Once I get the bonus, I'll empty that account and move on to the next site to get the bonus there.

I played against a huge collection of knuckleheads tonight...people who think nothing of throwing money at a 10% chance (or worse) to win...every table I sat down at, I was easily the best player. The problem is...when six people stay in the hand, chasing their 10% chance...the good player is suddenly a 60/40 dog. So you've got to overcome the knucklehead factor, and the house rake, to make any money. Bottom line: you've got to be really really good to win consistently at this game. I don't think I'm that good, but maybe I'll be disciplined enough to stick to low stakes games instead of mortgaging the kids' college funds. Don't expect to see me on ESPN anytime soon.

Hockey update: We lost our first playoff game, 6-4 (last goal was an empty net.) The other team played very well defensively, holding our leading scorer to no points, and that was the difference.