ah mercy me....I should be doing this blogging at work, but lately coworkers have gotten prone to just coming up behind me or turning around to see what I'm writing.....besides - lately I've been too busy doing work stuff - LOL

Got a note or two asking where I've been and why I don't log on to MSN anymore. Three reasons of late

1. - Just the plain ol' "Haven't been around" syndrome - been out of town for 3 of my last 4 weekends.

2. - the WIN98 box is showing serious signs of instability - I get in the habit of killing all unnecessary programs when that happens.

3. - When playing full screen video games, and someone logs on, that popup disrupts the game and sometimes causes it to crash - LOL

I'm debating taking paycheck money I haven't used to pay off credit card debt and using it to buy a good computer from Nanosystems - a gaming one with a P4 3gig chip and great soundcard - I'd keep this one for menial tasks (hosting mp3 collection, getting up to 20 gig...) - and maybe some other stuff, but I'd use the new one for the fun stuff like 50 FPS games and a real CPU that'll play Party Poker without crashing every time I open up 2 windows - so it's in the works

Ah hell, I'll probably use it to pay the CC. - I can suck another month out of this whore - also liberated a couple PC's from dumpster ville in the Apt. complex - I'd like to put together a TIVO like machine and one for MAME arcade emulation and I'm too lazy to actually buy PC's for the purpose - LOL

In poker land, I've finished 10th in 2 of my last three tourneys, and neither paid - one was a final table, one was a bubble for the final table - there is a high probability I will strangle someone soon over said events, esp. if I bang my head on something again (which I've also done twice recently)

on non-poker fronts, a couple inneresting things - Bruce Springsteen's new album (more Nebraska/Tom Joad stuff for the most part with some more rockin) is out - decent - I have also been reading Bob Dylan's Chronicles, and read one line about him talking about Sam Cooke's "A Change is gonna come"

it's astonishing - I go into the uptown bar and I can't remember the bartender's name or the waitress or her friend, though I've met them 20 times. I met a girl at a bar one night and turned her totally off by forgetting her bar name - LOL - her BAR name, not even the real one

but what scares me the most is reading that line, thinking "Change is gonna come" - and remembering the line from the movie Malcolm X - and remembering the song as playing during the scene where Malcolm goes to the ballroom where he was shot, and the vibe and thinking, "yah, I really liked that song" - and it wasn't on any soundtrack for that album

and then putting two and two together across the void and remembering who wrote it and what it was, and then coming home and finding it on Kazza - sometimes I scare myself with the music stuff I remember. Worse then that guy from High Fidelity.

But then I scare myself in other ways too - I still remember my ex-gf's cell number from 3 yrs ago....(only 4 digits off from another friend's number) - so some shit never goes away.

I may still postpone big poker for a week or two - the apt. is a mess, and I have no functional chair that I am comfortable with, and just general websurfing crap I haven't done for 3 weeks - plus I've only got $44 in a poker bankroll right now online and cashed the live one in when I went to Montana, so I gotta get that rebuilt. Maybe with SNG's

Gavin (WSOP2005 or 2005 as you know him from 2+2) is very close to making the TLB on Pokerstars this week - some great finishes in rebuy tourneys, lots of firsts, and still a few days to go to get the last 300 - gl, man.

ok...pizza is cooked - later

RB

well, made it back intact - actually started welling up on the plane - I have a good family - we just need more TV in it sometimes - I got thru 2/7th of the Winds of War up there

only 20 bucks in the Pokerstars account - not sure what to do tonight - gut instinct says go get a couple videos, some chicken fried rice, lo mein, and play a ridiculously high Full Tilt Poker tourney (like $100 bucks) - and chill -

well, tourney first, then food....good rule - good to be back - now I just gotta clean the shithole apt...LOL

RB

caught up on the Lasvegasvegas.com site on the WPT - sitting there reading their (and Wil Wheaton's) trip reports makes me homesick for poker and poker tournaments (is that possible? - is it pokersick?) -

So help me God, if I get done with this vacation I'm gonna play video games for two weeks straight - 20 poker tourneys - 6/12 Yellow Chip down at Canterbury - I feel like I'm in prison right now.

Nephews are still great though (and my whole bro's family) - just some of the other drama I could do without - I wanna go back to my favorite watering hole and be rejected by beautiful women again - LOL - I am starting to think family should be visited for only 3 day blips - hard to say. - Love em, but couldn't live next to them -

getting thru Harrington on Holdem though - good stuff - gotta get that read and done -

RB

Ay carumba...nothing worse then free websurfing at the library -

I'm in Montana - no sweat - living large (hardly) - mostly minding my own business...hitched up some time in the library while relatives go to a funeral.

man, I miss poker and I miss my own apt. and I miss my own time - (as opposed to it being someone else's time or my obligation) - when I get back, I'm gonna use it for a few weeks -

more as it comes - I'll be back in Mpls and my beloved wreck of an apt. in 8 days - back to work, and then I'll finally have some of my own time to myself again.

Hope Felicia is doing well - 2+2 is real slow on the inet boards here in MT for some reason. Can't find an update - drop me a comment otherwise -

pax
RB

I'm about 30 hrs. from getting on a plane and going to Montana - I'll be up there for 10 days. Truth is, I doubt I'll get much poker in between now and then -

I can probably live with that -

I had a big thing about here about old girlfriends, and shit that has gone wrong lately, and shit that follows me like the plague....fuck it. - I deleted it - if I can't be sad, I'll just be bitter and angry instead. Going back to Montana, I'm gonna be doing a lot of that comfort stuff after a divorce someone I love is going thru, and while I don't mind doing it, I know it's going to amplify my loneliness just being around others who are the same way....I will be eager to get back, got to work, and spend 4 days on a good drunk binge in early May.

my good man Bill Mallonee has the title track off his new CD, Friendly Fire - when I heard it in WI, it brought tears to my eyes. It's apparently about a guy he met when working the psych ward at a hospital in Athens...The guy was a sweeper in Vietnam (translation...forced to fire on women and children who approached US airships that were landing) - and watching Full Metal Jacket sorta sent him over the edge. I got the disk today, and so I have lyrics, so this one is one of his new ones....
-----------------------------------

Friendly Fire, by Bill Mallonee

coming in for a few days, friend
yea, more than likely I'll be alone
Yeah I asked if she'd like to go
You know how she loves Chicago but she just said "No
Whatever she wants, Whatever she might need
Yeah I've got no more fight in me

I must admit my own helplessness
things got pretty weird inside right after the war
I got kinda quiet for a long, long, long spell
they say "WAR IS HELL" but it ain't nothing, nothing like this
she just slams the door when I try to hold her
like I held on for three nights at sea
Hey I got no more fight in me

Mad Dog Bombardier, hell, I was mad dog all the time
drop that payload on a Roosevelt dime
but where we are there's no more north star
and it's all dark and uncharted in our skies
kid the flak was so thick you could get out and walk on it
That's what I did right back to that little bride to be
I've got no more fight in me

She says I've changed (funny thing)
hey don't people change all the time
it's been twenty years or more Stan
since I've had a good cry
whatever she wants, whatever she might need
hey I got no more fight in me
whatever she wants, whatever she might need
hey I got no more fight in me

latest word from Glenn (Felicia Lee's Husband) is that she's doing fine (sans boobs, as he put it) and may be discharged tomorrow -

I missed my chance to see them in Vegas, but I'd consider making the road trip to Laughlin (not Vegas, but Laughlin) - just to say hi once Fall comes around.

RB

I'm not gonna post anymore Vegas trip reports - just not worth retyping and reprinting when most folks go to the 2+2 list anyways....you can read parts 1-3 here if you wish -

I did the damaging math. I'm gonna estimate I lost 300 in tourneys, 200 in NL, and won 250 in Limit games - I think it was a bit higher in limit games, but I didn't track every single buck tip (probably close to 40 bucks with all the drinks - alcohol or otherwise that I got. I'm not counting money spent on other extra activities like real gambling/hookers/drugs - that would increase the tally even higher....LOL - I did count $40 in transportation costs and $25 for food. (I seriously raided the comps at the Mirage and Imperial Palace where I had $23 from the last trip)

And in tourneys, I made one final table, but no money....ah well - no one can bat 1000 all the time. Most of my NL losses were cemented when I nailed a nut flush on the turn to a guy with trips and he boated up on the river. (In fact, that happened to me twice, but the 2nd time, one other guy also made quads....argggh, but it was less costly in a 4/8 game) - I will say I did like the Aladdin structure a LOT better then what IP had to offer - Slower - a bit more time to breathe -

And I took some hideous beats in the Mirage and still came out ahead - Lots of times I'd have the best hand most of the way and lose to that last card, but it sorta worked out anyways. I made some money - I'm happy with that part of the game. (and I've been working on it more then tourneys lately anyways)- starting to think that's where the money is.

speaking of limit games, I gotta gripe for a bit. I bought pokertracker to track my stats. Fine...super. But what's going on now with Playerview/Pokertracker isn't poker to me. Playing 8 tables and having a computer give you real time stats on the players isn't poker to me. You'll never beat a live game this way without improving your observational skills, and you'll never be anything but a hold-em Party Poker one trick pony if that's how you have learned to play.

I want to start a new profile on Party or an affilate, and just start over and not let anyone know Whiskeytown, but I think if I'm gonna start building a BR, I'm better off at UB or Paradise or Doyle's room - but not at Party Poker - they can't control the 3rd party tools being used, they can barely control the bots, and just not worth my effort.

Anyways, my next major poker trip (which I have to schedule with the airlines) is NYC in July - heard it's hotter then hell, but eh, what can you do.

and as supsected, yes, I dropped 5 pounds in Vegas. I'd say it might have averaged me about $100 a pound....LOL - I think just not eating is cheaper. Still I did better this trip then I did the previous one, thanks to staying out of the $540 tourneys.

allrighty...I gotta find out how to trim a beard....Later

RB

heh heh....

my blog is blocked by an adult website finder....puresight - hilarious.

I have no idea if this is my first night/morning in Vegas or what....no friggen clue what to call it - as planned, I flew in at 11pm and stayed up real late (as I would have done anyways on my graveyard shift) but I was in hideous shape by 2pm (23 hrs by MN time) - I had drank quite a few shots at MGM (including one the waitress cooked up for me that had about 4 times the normal shots in it - good god, I think she's either trying to seduce me or kill me) - Only thing that saved me from a massive hangover is that I stopped at 9am and was still up for a few more hrs...

Hangovers are primarily the effects of alcohol and a lack of decent sleep. If you can outlast the booze, the sleep gets more peaceful and a lot more tolerable. I got lucky...I dunno - dinking around - living it large in Vegas...I dunno - but tonight I behaved.

At first, I was really, REALLY screwed - dropped $450 in 1/2 NL and tourneys and stuff that first night at MGM and the Imperial Palace till I went to sleep at 3pm. 4 hrs later, I woke up and at 8pm I hooked up with Al Capone Jr. and his gf at the MGM - took $100 from the 4/8 game and Al did at least as well...not bad. He had to go to work though and I wanted to monorail over to IP for food and then hit the Mirage so I left at midnight.

But then I went to Mirage and the 6/12 game, and turned $200 into $540 - so I'm VIRTUALLY even again - probably will hit the Aladdin tomorrow on Al's recommendation of the tourney.

Very strange - leaving the Mirage and walking the strip at 4:30AM -this thing I'm so used to seeing packed full is nearly dead. Floor polishers EVERYWHERE - and while the city technically never sleeps, it does close it's eyes for a bit at 4:30am

There was a very drunk strange old black man at Mirage - he sat around for a couple hrs, got a free drink or two, and is apparently waiting for the sandwiches - but at 5 handed, it was apparent all the easy fish were cleaned, so I took my leave and am now seeking fortune elsewhere, and perhaps a nap...I dunno -

I can never tell if women who smile at me at 4:30am in the Imperial Palace are hookers or not....most of them ARE pretty nasty....ach. - better forget that crap fast - I just got my dough back...LOL

More as it comes - I have almost 36 hrs still to go - LOL

RB

ok....ok - oh fucking ow.

I can be prepared for Vegas on a Sat. night

I can even be prepared for Vegas drunk and stil drinking/hung over

but I could NEVER be prepared for both of the above at the MGM RIGHT after the Jimmy Buffett concert....holy moly....

as Hunter S. Thompson used to say....as a substance abuser, you get used to things like your dead grandmother crawling up your pant leg with a knife between her teeth, but no one should have to deal with this trip....LOL

but there you go...second Vegas trip...first blog update...

all cause the fuckers won't let me in my hotel before noon...

pax
RB

wow.....I just realized I've had the blog up for a yr... - that's a lot of pissy moaning and whining -

SO, here's a few greatest hits of the first yr - poker and otherwise - (note that there were virtually no entries between 5/2004 and 9/2004 that qualified - apparently those were drunk months - LOL)

POKER

My best performance in a large MTT - 2nd out of 1200
Why I was not there to beat Fossilman at the 2004 WSOP
poker dreams
Winning Doyle's Super System 2
The First Vegas Trip report
My best comeback of the year
Why young dumbass kids who can't play poker deserve to die
an analysis of one of the best poker songs ever

and the post of the year for poker - Full Tilt Poker

a detailed analysis of the site and a stern suggestion they implement HORSE/Razz tourneys. (which they did a very short time later - someone way up there reads this site)

NON-POKER

Whiskeytown turns down the drunk bar slut
A sermon on losing faith
Thinking about songs and memories and crap
Why I didn't vote Republican as I did four years before

and for the hell of it -
the post with my fav. Kate Rusby song in it - Sleepless Sailor -

I'd put the Madison trip in here as one of the best for the year as well - it's down there in Monday the 3rd's entry....LOL

Long strange trip -

RB

aborted a couple posts on here - they were those "what kind of color are you" or "what 19th century horror monster are you"? - Typical responses anyways "Jekyll and Hyde" -

last night at work was really rough - tonight should be easier....I almost feel like resting and then staying up tomorrow and playing video games before my Vegas trip. - I've been digging Star Wars "Knights of the Old Republic" - even if those fucking dark jedi are real bastards to kill.

I feel ill in the head - like I'm drifting - you know when you're in a boat on a lake (or a raft) and all you do is lie there and drift? - I feel like i've been doing that for weeks.

I suppose part of my behavior as of late (sudden impulses to book trips to other locations) is part of a reaction to that - trying to paddle somewhere else - or maybe I just don't want to deal with life in apts. right now - Or maybe this or maybe that...fuck it.

Maybe I'll be more profound at 3am

RB

one of the first signs of spring -

the ice on the lakes in Minnesota melts - my lake (Lake Calhoun) melted yesterday.

fuck you old man winter....LOL

RB

finishing up a $20 PL Pokerstars tourney. I'm 25th out of 30, but only 18 pays, so I gotta get a couple hands.

First tourney in a week - I needed a break and with gigs/recovery from testing/going to gigs it's been a quiet week. Plus I knew I'd be in Vegas this weekend again so I figured, what the hell - take a breather.

But not for long, baby....back in action this weekend.

I got some snippets, but I'll save them for when I have nothing to do.

pax
RB

this is something I wrote for the VOL-List - road trip to Madison appropriately entitled "Fear and Loathing in Madison, WI"

has nothing to do with poker however....for your amusement.

WT

---------------------------

On Saturday, Steve "Too Tall" Dunn and Whiskeytown  met up at Station 4 to watch his band play a burned out gig to an empty St. Paul bar. Halfway thru the set, a bevy of some of the most beautiful women in the world (about 50 of them) -came into the bar and took the show to new glorious heights as they burned off steam before College graduation. This has almost nothing to do with the story that follows.

Too Tall and Whiskey took the road trip to catch Bill Mallonee, AKA the slayer of Major Label deals and general all around windmall jouster of music play a gig at the Portal Music Cafe, which is a sleepy little coffee shop in Downtown Madison. After meeting an hr. later then originally planned (stupid Daylight Savings time - kill that idea now) - the boys were on their way from the illegimate Twin Cities to that town named after James Madison, Madison WI. (there's a Jessica Simpson Moment for you) - The boys were dressed for the occasion, with Too Tall wearing his best Hunter S. Thompson shirt, and Whiskey wearing his exceptionally rare "Creed Sucks" T-shirt.

First off, 70 miles/hr speed limit is not necessarily the law, not even a suggestion....it's a dare - and the nice thing about Whiskey's piece of crap is that when the radar gun goes off, and the Cop has to decide who to pull over, he'll usually skip over the rust covered rig with flecks of paint. So we arrived at Madison surprisingly earlier then usual - about 3 hrs before the gig surprisingly cop incident free. (Bill discovered apparently that out of state cars from GA work the exact opposite, and as any good Minnesotan will tell you, those sons of bitches in WI only target out of state cars....bastards.) -

Just remember what Steven Wright used to say....when the cop asks if you know the speed limit is 70 miles an hour, say "yes, but I wasn't going that far."

As we drove thru Madison, various comments and observations were made as our heroes explored a new and wonderous place.

"Hey, dude...is this the Capitol of WI? - There's a big ass dome ahead - Is that where the gig is?"
"That building is boarded up? - and to think we were gonna get a hotel - get the crowbar"
"What...Beer is brewed in Milwaukee? - of all the rotten luck"
"Is that a cat outside the pet food store? - cool!"
"Thai food? - is that like Steak and Potatoes? - I like that - hey...where did that cat go?"

Upon locating said venue 3 hrs. before the gig, grumbling and discontent soon gave way to hallejuah's and cries of joy as it was discovered that the little coffee shop actually was a full service cafe containing a full service bar, complete with Jameson whiskey, a new bar top, and friendly bar staff. (clearly they had never seen Whiskey drink Jameson before or he'd already be 86'd) It took only two drinks for talk to drift to chicken wings and chinese food which set our heroes off on a quest for Chinese - (stopping only at the chalkboard to add an extra "l" and "e" to Bill Malone's name on the marquee) -

Our quest for Chinese was painful and our heroes almost despaired, said screw it, and drove back to the Village Wok in Minnesota, but rather then go all the way back to Minneapolis, we settled instead for the nastiest KFC in the city of Madison, which when you think about it, is kinda the opposite of chinese food. 6 bucks for a plate of Crisco....jeez...

Arriving back, Whiskey swerved to hit Burr Settles (the opening act) to give Bill more time to play, but alas it wasn't meant to be. Imagine Burr's surprise when he realized said hit and run punk was actually acquainted with him and had met him before. But they got inside anyways and sound check commenced without further incident or threat of legal action.

It was at this point that Whiskey got to meet Brenda for the first time. Dear Brenda...Guardian of the DVD/CD's, and inspiration for approx. 19 albums of material. Did Helen of Troy ever get that much ink? - maybe, but she probably didn't deserve it the way Brenda does. Whiskey bought a DVD of VOL right there under the false pretenses of wanting to beat the rush, but truth is many a time Whiskey has gone to the gig only to blow all his money on the booze. This time we've allocated the money early and now he can drink in peace.

Burr starts as a true musician - 20 minutes late after the time listed on the website, and gets all the technical difficulties ironed out with his guitar by the 4th song. Burr has a website at http://www.burrsettles.com - and he also has a lovely wife who was surprisingly not very annoyed that Whiskey had tried to run her and her husband down an hr. before - talk about a forgiving Christian Spirit. Burr got thru some great tunes including a Victoria Williams Cover, and then Bill came up.

First off, the meat and potatoes -

Nothing Like a Train
After All this Burr Settles Down (er, Dust settles down, sorry)
High and Lonesome
In Time with Yours - NEW SONG - UNRELEASED
The Kid's on Drugz
Friendly Fire - TITLE TRACK OFF THE NEW ALBUM
I'll Never Be Normal
With any luck at all - ANOTHER ONE OFF FRIENDLY FIRE
Respelendent
Desert Bloom - NEW SONG - UNRELEASED
Apple of your Eye - ONE MORE FRIENDLY FIRE

encore - some lovely lady shouted out a request for

Sweetness and Light

basic observations....
----------------------------------
Friendly Fire (the title track) almost made whiskey cry....no bs...my eyes watered up. If by any chance in hell someone has a bootleg of this gig, (which they shouldn't - not allowed anymore) email me anyways... - it's on the FF CD, but Bill's version that night just blew me off the barstool. For reasons only other writers may understand, it's exceptionally gratifying when you see a songwriter reach past his own "personal demons" and experience and try to bring someone else's story up front instead, which I understand Bill did with this song about a Vietnam Vet in the psych ward. - incredible song - and the CD version is good, but this live version trancended it tonight.

Bill is two timing behind his Gibson's back with a new Martin hussy. I expect one of them to be filing papers any day now for seperation - .

It's also my understanding that the warehouse Friendly Fire is being stored in was mysteriously broken into by some yahoo screaming "Free Music for EVERYONE - Music HAS to be FREE!!! and FREE the Dalai Lama!!!!" - in a slight GA accent - Bill had some pre-release copies to sell as well, which I have been assured is unrelated but an investigation is pending.

I had to check the list twice - couldn't believe we were done after only 12 songs, but well, it had gone almost 80 min...so I guess that's ok - but if Bill were to emulate Bruce Springsteen and do 4 hr. shows, he coulda kept a few of us around. But you know....work and all that the next day...yeesh.

Bill holds up pretty well for a 50 yr. old geezer. If we could get him in parachute pants, we might have a hit artist on our hands. Better do it soon before the gut fills in. - But if he's gonna be an entertainer, he's gotta quit taking jokes from Whiskey - those'll kill your career.

A lot of couples in the audience - funny how songs about pain and heartbreak and seperation somehow can bring two people closer together....

and last....good show...damn good show. Worth a 4 hr. drive - though I dunno if it was worth it for the poor guy who got the tkt...hope so - :)
----------------------------------

After the show, we hung out at the bar while the new fans bought the CD's and caught up and so forth... - finally, the owners asked if Too Tall and I could just settle our bar tab (translation, get the hell out of here) - so we signed the dotted line with the name "Homer J. Simpson" and off we were - we interrupted Bill in mid spaghetti slurp (seriously...mid slurp) to say goodbye. After getting out of downtown, Whiskey decided to let the guy who had only had two beers drive for a couple hrs, and we made good time across WI with our copies of Friendly Fire and the DVD from the UK until arriving at 4am and not being able to sleep...

Hence the update you see here. For your warning, Whiskey will be in Las Vegas next week and Kalispell, MT the week afterwards, (travel broadens the mind, so I've heard and I wanted to spend some time in two places the exact opposite of each other) - so stay off the sidewalks and lock up your daughters.

Bill will be in Chicago and so forth - yada yada...read the blasted tour iterinery, and Friendly fire should be in your mailboxes soon - I recommend the title track. -

And by all means - become a fan of Bill - www.billmallonee.net - 2 out of 3 poker players recommend his stuff.

Too Tall is still recovering from being cooped up with Whiskey for 8 hrs. in a car, but after the electrodes are taken off and the shock therapy done, he should be about ready for another road trip to the Crawfish thingy in Athens...or so I've heard.

Whiskeytown out -

let's rewind 2 weeks ago - to the Uptown bar gig - I had invited a bartender there to come by on Tues. - Bob - he didn't show up - I check a couple weeks later, and he got a last minute flight to NYC to see Doves and some other band at the Bowery. - it was cheap too - $240 - how did he get such a great last min. low rate?

So we're talking - and he got a cheap fare by skipping that expedia crap and just checking individual airlines (we get a great deal being the NWA hub) - so a seed is planted.

I've scheduled my trip to Montana the third week of April - this week will be a gig on Sat, Madison, WI. on Sun, and get to work Wed/Fri - nothing on the agenda the 2nd week -

I have 4 days....so in unrealted news I've been running searches on Vegas trips again - Not only do I find a great rate - I run a search on poker for a friend on the Star Trib. website, and I see mega low rates to Vegas in the end of the NCAA tourneys - the town gets quiet again. - more so then I ever thought for this time of yr.

I do the math - I have 4 days off, I can time my trip in such a way as to maximize my time playing cards and only book two nights at the cheapo IP again - it'll be work/sleep - then plane to Vegas - 3 nights/2 days and fly back, sleep/work - LOL - with a bit of sleep in those crummy 63 buck motel rooms.

fuck it - I'm going back to Vegas next week for a hundred bucks cheaper (and a night less) without using my vacation time or anything. I'm just going to go - maybe I'll hardly play - I heard the "O" show is great - so is the Star Trek Experience - the trip is booked and room reserved - gotta love the internet.

Truth is, even though I'm going to MT in two weeks, I need a fucking change from Minneapolis - I just don't wanna be in this town, in that apt. in those stupid broken chairs right now. Nothing, not even a 60 inch TV can fix it - I'd rather be in Vegas with a laptop writing a travel essay ON vegas then anything else -

I have been trapped for many yrs. in medium wage jobs with no vacation. My hiring at a better wage coupled with vacation time and those 4 day weekends were really making me think I needed to keep going, seeing what was around the next corner - so to hell with it - and the NYC trip is in motion too as soon as my vacation time is confirmed -

This is the year that I don't plan on being here for anything - LOL

RB

My friend Jer. has pointed out to me it's national poetry month.

I've had this running in my head ever since coming back, and I wanna make it a song, but right now I'm feeling uninspired without my guitar -

but here's the poem - RB

------------------------------------------
Vegas Valentine

I caught the morning plane to Las Vegas
Trying to outrun Valentine’s Day -
My first date with my first true love was 3 years ago
And if I’m still here when it comes, I’ll feel it for a month

It’s my first time going, but I’ve heard from friends
That whoever you are, you’re someone else when you’re there
And I could use the change, and probably the money too
I’m not the worst chump to ever hit a poker table

I’ve been up for days, and I should go to sleep
But going to bed early feels like sacrilege here
Like turning down kinky sex from Jessica Alba
Or quitting the marathon 10 strides before the finish line.

The cocktail waitress serves you 7x24 in Vegas
And I’ve been up since six the night before,
So 9am is the right time for whiskey
But they don’t have Jameson, so I drink Bushmills

I ask her how much is the drink, she says it’s free
I know, but I just like to hear her say sweet things to me
Playing cards in Vegas on Valentine’s Day, winning money
While beautiful women with big smiles bring me free alcohol

It gets no better then this without being R rated -
Except for one time, three years ago
On a first date, at the coffee shop and bookstore
On Feburary 14

But I won't think about her today -
push the chips my way and bring me another whiskey
and congratulations on your impending nuptials
on Valentine's day, in Las Vegas

Whiskeytown
April 2005

I'm off early tonight....had some time to spare from going in at 11:30am and don't gotta be back till 7pm tomorrow...

turned on the TV - Britney Spears is on TV - dancing in the bikini - I'm playing two SNG's - (10 and 16 bucks - and I should make money cause I got 3 whiskeys in me)

UPDATE: - won 1 and lost 1, but I won the 16 buck one, so 40 bucks up -

but in place of Britney's suggestive vocals gyrating in time to her hips and boobs, - her pablum puke, I have Steve Earle coming thru the speakers - (mute + volume on Aux. is a wonderful thing.)

and here's what I hear thru the speakers....

pax
RB

------------------------
Christmas In Washington
(Steve Earle)

It's Christmastime in Washington
The Democrats rehearsed
Gettin' into gear for four more years
Things not gettin' worse
The Republicans drink whiskey neat
And thanked their lucky stars
They said, 'He cannot seek another term
They'll be no more FDRs'
I sat home in Tennessee
Staring at the screen
With an uneasy feeling in my chest
And I'm wonderin' what it means

So come back Woody Guthrie
Come back to us now
Tear your eyes from paradise
And rise again somehow
If you run into Jesus
Maybe he can help you out
Come back Woody Guthrie to us now

I followed in your footsteps once
Back in my travelin' days
Somewhere I failed to find your trail
Now I'm stumblin' through the haze
But there's killers on the highway now
And a man can't get around
So I sold my soul for wheels that roll
Now I'm stuck here in this town

So come back Woody Guthrie
Come back to us now
Tear your eyes from paradise
And rise again somehow
If you run into Jesus
Maybe he can help you out
Come back Woody Guthrie to us now

There's foxes in the hen house
Cows out in the corn
The unions have been busted
Their proud red banners torn
To listen to the radio
You'd think that all was well
But you and me and Cisco know
It's going straight to hell

So come back, Emma Goldman
Rise up, old Joe Hill
The barracades are goin' up
They cannot break our will
Come back to us, Malcolm X
And Martin Luther King
We're marching into Selma
As the bells of freedom ring

So come back Woody Guthrie
Come back to us now
Tear your eyes from paradise
And rise again somehow