WSOP

I've been spectating at the World Series Of Poker the last couple of days.  Interesting crowd, both playing and watching.  One guy was cheering every time his chosen pro won a hand; yesterday's table assignments put that pro as far from the gallery as possible.  Personally, I think it was deliberate, he was quiet the whole afternoon.

Ashley Judd, attention whore

I have NEVER seen any Indy winner's wife work so hard to be in front of the cameras.  Come to think of it, I don't remember ever seeing one in Winner's Circle.

Autoflush FTL

Can't take a photo when the toilet flushes as sion as I move...  That said, with the demise of "Star Trek The Experience" at the LV Hilton, the space-themed bathrooms are a non-sequitor.

Change in hotel name

Travelsuites Inn vice Travelodge Suites.  My apologies to the fine folks at Travelodge.

Distinctly downmarket

I'm far from being a high roller, and unless I hit Powerball (which I never play, so not likely) I never will be.  I usually stay in lower cost hotels when travelling, because it's really just a place to sleep and shower. 

That said, I really can't recommend the Travelodge Suites on Las Vegas Blvd and Circus Circus.  The room is clean and the bed OK, but that's about all I can say is good.  It's definitely not worth the $165 I'm paying for the 3-day weekend, even though that was the lowest I could find online for the weekend.  In hindsight, I should have gone up a level or two...

Vegas

In Vegas now.  Here to spread my uncle's cremains where he wanted them spread.

Off to the airport again

I'll be in Las Vegas in a few hours.  Combination sad family stuff and vacation.

More on the Austin USGP

It looks like all that has been done is a deal between Tavo Hellmund, Full Throttle Productions, and Formula 1 management.  No track design, no land purchased for the track, no tenative dates.  It would have to be early or late in the season or we end up with Dallas in 1984 again where the track was disintegrating because of the heat and Mansell collapsed while trying to push his out-of-fuel car across the finish line (not that I see any of the current prima-donna drivers doing that...)

 

We'll see how it turns out; a boon or a bust.

US GP to return!

F1 revives US Grand Prix in 2012 in Austin, Texas http://bit.ly/9kb0e6

Looks like the travel has finally caught up with me

Felt good though...

Verizon FTL

When I left for my trip, the OTA rollout of Android 2.1 hit my phone.  Took pretty much the entire drive to the airport was spent downloading the update.  I got my coffee and sat down to install it.  First attempt failed, had to delete some apps to make room in the on-board memory; that was OK, I needed to trash some stuff I triend and never used.  Second attempt worked, but I immediately started getting "Android.pprocess.media has unexpectedly quit" eror messages.  When I got to y friend's house I went online and found that this was a known issue and the solution was to reformat the SD card.  Hooked the phone up to her Mac (yes, I converted her), copied everything over, formatted the card and copied everthing back.  Sweet!  It works again.

 

Then the other fun started.  Now at random times all sound fromt he phone will stop.  The way I usually find it is when I call someone and they can't hear me and I can't hear them.  The only solution has been to power off and back on.  Last night I hard-reset the phone, so I'm appless today.  I'll see if it happens again, if it does I'm off to the Verizon store for a replacement.  If it doesn't happen today I'll start reinstalling apps and see what happens.

On the road again

Off to the airport, home by 7

Ah, Tucson

How I've missed you.  A desert city that understands that it's on a desert.

Friday!

It doesn't have quite the same kind of impact as OT does in a normal workweek, but it's still nice that the week is over.  Long, intense conversation last.night with a couple of colleagues about workplace stuff; I'm lucky in my situation and intend to keep that in mind when I'm having one of those days.

Another desert day

Yesterday barely got into the 90s and today looks to be more of the same.  CAVU, the mountains look so close from my hotel high rise, but I know how far away they are.  So different from the northwest mountains I've grown used to.  Stark and Sharp and cactus-studded.

Heavy drinking

Last evening was the first evening reception at the workshop.  Not enough food, several raided the much larger and fancier one next door for gnoshes.  But the liquor was good and plentiful.

Now, off to the sessions!

Traveling

I'm in Phoenix today.  I'll be here until Friday, then Tucson for a couple of days. 

New operating system on the phone, trying to figure out how to use portrait format.  Until I do, looks like landscape.

Red Bull FTW

Another 1-2 finish for a team.  Webber lead pole to pole and Vettel was second.  Grats to Alonso for a run from last to seventh (pending what the stewards have to say about Schumacher's last second pass.)

Today is my birthday!

Celebrating another lap around the Daystar.

Now, off to watch Monaco GP.

Great qualifying!

The qualifying sessions in Monaco were great.  Too bad Alonso wasn't able to drive.  Red Bull on pole again; I wonder what the line on them for the championship will be in Vegas.  Good result for Renault and Ferrari.  Should be a good race tomorrow.

The granddaddy of them all

Formula 1 is at Monaco this weekend.  I'm watching recorded qualifying right now.   The tightest corner in pavement motorsports on a track with almost no runoff areas.  Let's see how Vettel puts it together this week.

Headed out

Out the door far a meeting.  Sunny,  70 and beautiful outside.

Vacation: as in, I need one

I really need a vacation.  While my trip to sunny AZ for a workshop isn't really a vacation, I'm going to treat it as such.  And no one can stop me!  Going down a day early to visit with a friend, then staying a couple of days over to see friends I've had since high school.

Only worry about things you can control

That may be the single most important thing I leaed during the three years of therapy I went through.  There were many things going on in my life at that time and I saw a therapist for my reactions to them.  Since I finished up about 15 years ago my life has been much calmer and more under control.

Responsibility

If you say you are going to do something, do it.  I don't care how drunk you got last night, how late you slept, how busy you were; be a fucking adult and do what you said you were going to do.

Sun!

Days of sunshine and 70ish temperatures predicted.  It's going to be nice.  I love the gray and gloom, but this will be a nice change of pace.

Long day yesterday

Had to work yesterday morning, then to Seattle for a doctor appointment, then finishing up some yardwork, then a scheduled raid with the WoW guild.

 

And I slept like crap last night.  Maybe because I was full of it from not taking one yesterday.  :-(

Old photos

Found a stack of old photos where I have dark hair.  Scary...

Hamilton

Even though he's not my favorite driver, it sucks to see Hamilton go out of the Spanish GP the way he did.  Other than that, it was a pretty good race.  

Lawn done

With the recent weather of alternating rain and sun the lawn has gone nuts.  It was a struggle to get through some of the stuff in the back yard because I didn't get it last time.  My own fault,  but still a pain.

Sometimes I'm an idiot

I have been so busy in real life that I completely forgot that the Spanish Grand Prix is this weekend.   :(  I didn't record the practice or qualifying; I hope it wasn't all that exciting.

Another trip set

Lots of travel coming soon.  In a 17 day period, I'll be home 3. 

 

Much as I love travel, as I've said before, it messes with my digestion.

More trip planning

Now planning work trip to AZ.  Last half of May is pretty much shot.

Vegas, Part Duex

I'm currently planning a week in Las Vegas, so it's sorta on my mind.

 

One thing I didn't mention in the previous Vegas post is Las Vegas Advisor.  This newsletter with a membership deal has the big advantage of a coupon booklet they call the Members Reward Booklet (used to be Pocketbook Of Values.)  The coupons range from a free hat and funbook up to a 50% discount on pretty much anything at Palms (up to $50 discount.)  That one coupon pays for a year's membership; more than pays for it if you don't get the paper newsletter.  Membership is $37/year online and $50/year for a printed newsletter mailed to you every month.  If you want the coupons delivered to you instead of picking them up at their office, that's an extra $3.50.

 

The newsletter was started by Anthony Curtis in 1983 and evolved over time to what it is now, it's continuing to evolve as technology, and Vegas, changes.

 

While you are visiting their site make sure you take a look at the forums.  Most are members-only, but the Vegas Free-For-All is, well, free for all.  Sadly it isn't the most information packed one, but I've seen a lot worse open forums.  One of their other offerings is their bookstore.  If you are frugal, check out the Frugal series by Jean Scott, the Queen of Comps.  Other notable authors that are available there are Stanford Wong, Ken Van Vecht, and of course Anthony Curtis.

 

I'm going to Vegas over Memorial Day weekend and will be there for almost a week, leaving Thursday and returning the following Wednesday.  By using a couple of coupons from the MRB and shopping for a room on Friday-Monday (most of the coupons are only valid Sunday-Thursday) on Travelaxe my total cost for lodging for that week will be <$225.  Allegiant had fares from Bellingham starting at $18.88 for the days I wanted to fly, so my rental car and airfare are ~$360.  That's less than I'd spend on gas driving there and back - and I save 40 hours of driving time.

 

I enjoy my time in Vegas, but I do it on my terms, not on the terms of the Las Vegas Tourist Bureau.  If you party like they show in the TV commercials, you are going to spend thousands of dollars a day, even with eating well, I'm not going to spend a thousand dollars for a week.  More than anywhere else I've been, Las Vegas is THE place to people watch; they let their guards down, they get stressed, they have fun.

Cleanliness

You know, it worries me a bit when I'm in a hospital restroom and I see obvious bacterial colonies.  Look around the drain fitting on a sink where water collects.  If you see any color there, usually orangish or pinkish, that's a bacterial colony that is thriving.  Not necessarily a dangerous one, but that's what it is.  And I would hope that hospitals are cleaner than that...

Hungry!

I haven't had breakfast,  nor have I had any coffee yet.  I have an ultrasound scheduled later this morning and an not allowed anything to eat or drink until after.  So I'm a bit cranky too.

Out the door

Time to go grocery shopping.  I pretty much do all the shopping and cooking.  It just works better that way...

Lab results

The labs from my physical came in yesterday; all looks good.  Lipid panel still a bit out if whack, but still trending in the right direction.