And so the WSOP begins

I am waiting right now in the Full Tilt Poker room at the WSOP. There are not letting people in to watch yet but Mike just text messaged me to say he is up to 14000 chips. Not bad at all for the 1st level. :)

Me...so far I have about a 1/2 dozen t-shirts, 3 deck of cards, assorted bags, a baseball and some sun screen. OH !! Plus I won a $375 Black Video ipod. Yes, you read right. :) I was playing at the Pokerstars.net free battleship game (which is heads-up poker) and I won against a guy who is playimg in the WSOP tomorrow. After I won I got to pick out of a huge deck of cards to what prise I won and I was lucky enough to pick the video ipod. I think the guy I won it front was more excitied than me...it was the first one won of the day. Everyone else had goten teddy bears, cards, hats.

I have so say so far not a bad vacation. Even though I worked remotley Thursday and Friday (and are working some today) winning a few things in the evening and during time off has been really fun. :)

MGM Cash game rocks!

Tonight we went and played a cash game (1/2 no limit) at MGM Grand.

I got to the table and usually I am very conservative about playing because hey..I don't want to lose any money. But last night it was like..you know...it not my real money. Thi sis money I won so what do I care.

So, within the hour of playing I more than double what I have by playing very, very aggressive...I used the devil duck as a card protector and at the end the guys at the table were saying "fear the devil duck".

Mike was at another table so after I cashed out I walked over to see how he was doing. He was down about $20 so I lent him the devil duck for the next hand. He ended up with a pair of kings and total for the night was up a bit more than we started with. :)

After that we went for dinner at a great Irish bar at New York, New York. Great beer, food and music...what more could a Scott-Irish-Italian red-headed girl ask for ?

Not only did we get our picture taken at the bar......

but our card protectors -- Donkey and Devil Duck had a bonding moment over a good Irish beer.

NEWS ALERT -- Just confirmed --

Mike is really Harry Potter's older, cooler, 1/2 Asian brother :) Maybe when we get back to NOVA we go shopping for new glasses.

Boring, boring poker play

Tonight we decided to go old school and visit downtown Las Vegas and Fremont Street.

according to one Vegas site "Fremont Street Experience is five blocks of thrills in the heart of Las Vegas. Ten casinos. 10,000 slots. More than sixty restaurants. Uncountable bars and lounges. All under Viva Vision - the biggest big screen on the planet, 90 feet overhead, blasting state-of-the-art light and sound shows every night, always for FREE. "

It has some of the most boring, run-down casinos I have every seen. Lots of country singing, and cheap t-shirt shops. I can see why the World Series of Poker moved from Binion's to the Rio.

And you can buy exciting gifts such as this to bring home to loved ones.....

High tech snacks fight war on terror

Forget the CIA, FBI and other covert operations going after terrorists around the world.....what we really need is Steve Wynn on the job. Anybody that can have a hi-tech mini bar/mini snacks unit that can sense within 60 sec if you remove an item and then charge your room for it -- should be fighting the war on terror...not building more hotels.

Also is you wanted to buy the very comfy bed we slept on ( with
pillow-top beds and 320-count bedding) you could have the whole thing for a mere ($2,400).
Not only were the bathrobes and slippers available for purchase, but according to a price brochure in the room, we could also buy the TV ($1,700), the Andy Warhol prints ($175), and a Ferreri downstairs in the showroom (which cost $10 to enter).

It has been a lovely vacation spot -- it is everything you'd expect of a 4 to 5 star hotel. The rooms are nicely built with floor to ceiling windows, the bed is comfortable, and the views are spectacular. Turndown service at night is really nice but no doormen when you walk into the hotel.

Today we move on to our home away from home for the next week (hopefully longer) to an extended stay hotel. I am sure it wil not be as nice as the Wynn bit it will have free internet access, free workout room, 24 pool and hot tub and a kitchen. All the comforts of home. :)
.

Major cell phone tilt

Ok...after been in such a great mood after winning we decided to go out later and check out the buffet at the Bellagio. And it looked like everyone in Vegas had the same idea so we said the hell with that and went to see the famous fountains. If you even want to see them the view from the Fontana Bar at the Bellagio is a great place to go. Of course the worst horrible part is that they go off to Celine Dion singing the theme song from the Titanic...ugh! Couldn't it be something more interesting than that ?


So we finally find a place that is serving dinner in the Bellagio. We sit down, get seated and I realize I don't have my cell phone. Which is a very bad thing. I jump up and start retracing my steps ...Hoping and praying that it is at lost and found. Just on a whim I go back to where we were standing to see the fountains and by some miracle my phone is still there on the ground under a table. SHOCK that it was still there !!!

I won a tourney in Vegas....really ;)

Today Mike and I played in the noon tournament at Ceasar's. Mike was out in 80th but me, little ole me, made it to the final table and cashed out in 7th place. WHEE ! After 6 1/2 hours of play it felt good to make it that far. I was the only woman at the table so that felt kinda cool.

Don't think I will quit the day job yet..... :)

Jennifer Tilly wipes out my toe

Real quick...here is the view from the Wynn at night....you can see the fountain in the bottom of the photo



...and Mike blogging on AOL with the Strip behind him. We went to eat at this great place at the Venetian called The Bouchon. Great, great French food. We played some 1/2 no limit in the room before that. Nice room with lots of tables.

Before we got on a table, I had a run in with Jennifer Tilly, yes the Jennifer Tilly. As we were waiting for a table in the poker room she runs in with her boyfriend, Phil Laak.

Before I know it my big toe is crushed by Jennifer's big stiletto heel. Ouch !! A small part of the toenail is now missing in action. She was very nice about it though...even said she was sorry.

We are here and yes it is HOT as in really HOT

We have finally made it to the Wynn Hotel. I understand now why people like being rich. This hotel rocks. When we got here I asked for the upgrade to a panoramic Suite and they gave us a free upgrade to a panoramic Corner Suite. Very, very nice. The bathroom really is wonderful...HUGE soaking tub with a TV built into the wall in the bathroom.

Awesome bathroom

The Wynn below from the 38th floor

Off to Vegas we go

Mike and Jenn...off to Vegas

Tomorrow we leave bright and early out of Dulles to Las Vegas. First, order of business...getting checked into the very wonderful Wyn Hotel...which for the next three days will be vacation time.

Then over to the Rio so Mike can register for his World Series of Poker Main event seat...whee!

If you want to learn more about the WSOP or how Mike is doing here are a couple of links...

ESPN WSOP

World Series of Poker 2006

Mike's Blog

Of course..it is not going to be all poker. Monday night we are going to eat at the very fancy Bouchon at The Venetian. And the following Monday we are getting really dressed up and going to the Picasso to eat...where ..if you can believe this..the walls are lined with real Picassos'.

Hopefully, next Sunday we are going to take a bus tour to Grand Canyon. I also want to see the Hoover Dam, visit a nice spa , go to the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum at The Venetian..be silly and ride go-karts at the Motor Speedway.

There are a few other items on my agenda but I'll keep those close to the vest for now.

Wish us luck and stay tuned for Vegas adventures....

Garden, garden...how do you grow

"A fierce garden gnome stands guard over Gabriel's cucumbers"

Ok..first ...who knew a garden could but so much work...even a small one. But, hey, by some miracle everything me and the kids planted is growing like mad. We now have tiny little tomatoes and cucumbers. And the rosemary and basil are looking good.

Even the seeds Gabriel planted are growing. Now I just have to get out there and tackle the weeds before I leave.

Waj made it back safe

Waj's Blog

Waj posted to her blog today that she made it back safe and sound. To read her adventures hit the above link. Welcome back Waj !

Wow and Double Wow...Mike won a seat in the World Series of Poker

Wow! Can I say that again ? Mike won a seat last night to the World Series of Poker main event. In case any of you does not know what that means.....trust me..it is a big deal. Of the thousands, and thousands of poker player (both amature and professional) that play very few make it to this.

It makes my little poker winning in the local free tournaments look like well...not much.

Mike is a very smart and skilled player. He beat around 3000 players online to win spot in this.

He has to play with more than 7000 players to make it to the final table in the WSOP. But, we all have to have a little dreamer in us some times. And it is better odds than the lottery.

Just so happens we were going to be on vacation during that time so it works out ok. And the wonderl, wonderful people I work for are going to allow me to work remotely so I can stay out there and cheer him on..and be the social planner and goofer. :)

Mike has started a blog on AOL so if you want to read more....

DonkeysAlwaysDraw

A date with a swingset

WOW! Mike and I finally moved the HUGE swingset I bought from Alex and Steve. Talk about a day.

First, we go pick up the uhaul from a place in Leesburg called Bargin Buddies. This is no Avis. The cars and uhauls they had for rent look liked they had been in a Friday night stockcar race. The women/man (who could tell) that rent it to us said that homeless lives in the uhauls at night.

So, Mike drives the uhaul. Alex and Steve live in Lucketts . Which is very beautiful but way, far away from DC. The road they live on is a very, very country road with many bumps and hairpin turns. On the way back I kept have visions of the uhaul turning over while driving down that road.

Anyway...all and all it was a pretty ok day. Steve had several of his friends come out and help us. Alex made wonderful burgers and veggies for lunch. She and Steve have the most amazing house. Wide front porch, lots of open space. I would love to clone it and have one for myself.

For now... the swingset lives in pieces in the side of the yard until I move out to Herndon/Chantilly area next summer.

My cat...with shaved tummy

Mike thought it was a really great idea to have Wooley go to the pet spa for the day to get groomed. Wooley is such a hairy cat that they had to SHAVE his tummy to get him back to normal because he had so much hair tangled underenth. Burke, his naughty cat brother, hissed at him for about 4 hours after the Wooley got back home. Mike, of course, thought all of this was really, really funny.

Tada...the (old) new Jeep

Here is Adam's car...a 1996 Jeep Cheerkee Country -- He worked hard to earn his own money for it so I am sure he will take care of it.

Adam's New Car

Leap forward 17 years from MAY 1989 and now instead of a new baby boy I am about to give birth to a teenage driver. I am excited and scared out of my mind all at the same time.

Tomorrow Adam, Mike and I drive to Charlottesville, Va to pick up Adam's Jeep Cheerkee. And I have to say I am very proud of my son because he has worked his ass off at Starbucks to pay for this car. It is a 1996 Jeep Cheerkee Country -- dark green, 4 door with a 4 wheel drive. It has had one owner (my next door neighbors daughter) and has been very well maintained.

Adam leaves for Mississippi on Sunday so he only get to drive it one day but hey that's ok because he wil not get his DL until the middle of August. He has more than 50 hours of driving with me or another adult plus he is taking Behind the Wheel right now so i feel good that he will be a safe driver. Plus since he paid for the car and he is paying his insurance I feel pretty good that he will be a excellent driver.

Since Adam has no DL yet I am driving with him back to VA while the other Mike drives my car back.

The good news in all of this is Erica (who we are buying from) lives right near three great VA wineries I have been wanting to try out. So, we drive down, grab some sandwiches, try some wine (Adam get cokes) and make a day of it.

I talked to Katy and Gabe last night..they seem to be bored but having an OK time in Mississippi. I miss them so much !! I can't wait until they get back.

Last -- I crossed out two items on my summer to do list that i got done. 28 more to go. :)

Sniff....Sam and Amy off to NYC

We had dinner tonight with Sam and Amy. They both finally sold their condos so they are off to live the good life in NYC. Both Mike and I will missing seeing them...even though Sam will be down to AOL a good bit it is not the same as them being right her in good ole NOVA.

Good luck guys!