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Living life on the Edge (Poker, challenges, betting and life) Another blooming diary !
TheEdge949
Member Posts: 5,684
in Poker Chat
Hi all and welcome to a poker challenge diary with a difference.
Firstly the challenge doesn't have a target, the only goal is to not go bust from our current £50 total. Secondly the diary is all about the challenges we face in life and how we embrace life and kiss it full on the mouth, despite knowing she is a fickle mistress.
My ambition for the next two weeks is to try and sat into the SPT Glasgow however as my record in sats is somewhere between awful and pathetic the initial aim of not going bust could be scuppered right there and that would be a very short diary indeed. Even taking that into account am I really that committed to it? The more observant will realise that yesterday was a rare no show although I do have a note from matron excusing me.
Yesterday the weather was good in North wales and so I embarked upon a third hike in a week but this one was a little more exacting than the previous two. Now bearing in mind that I have been told to keep the walking light and positively no climbing until after my MSK appointment I decided that scrambling is not technically climbing and light walking is all subjective.
The plan was to get into the Ogwen Valley ascend the Bochclywyd outflow, gain the Lyn, traverse into the saddle between Tryfan and Glyder Fawr, ascend Glyder Fawr with a scramble, top out then walk the ridge line over Glyder Fach, Bristly Ridge and Devils Kitchen and then descend via Y Garn.
Well that was dumb really, as I allowed my ego to write a cheque that my body was not capable of cashing, certainly not at the current levels of fitness. The problem however is I'm not very good at backing off once I've committed to something and consequently found myself looking for an escape route when my body physically was already back at the car park.
I found a path off via Crybbin, well I say path at about 65 degrees and requiring permanent 3 or 4 points of contact it was gnarly, hairy and completely un-neccessary. Fortunately many years of experience allowed me to attain easier ground which was good as my legs were no longer functioning. A combination of the downhill forces of a very overweight body through a malfunctioning back had caused the nerve roots to become well and truly trapped meaning the already trashed quads were useless.
An hours painful drive saw me back at the caravan where all I wanted to do was shower, eat and sleep, poker and the SPT could wait.
In other matters the Great wall challenge is at 1,813.6Km so over 51% completed and a second tree planted. I've given up on the schedule here as I find that riding every other day suits my current state of health and fitness and means that I'm not obsessed with it which is something I find I am prone to.
In fact that is something that I feel I need to control more in my life. I do become so focussed on one thing and forget the pleasure and enjoyment to be found in other things.
Anyway that's all for the moment, the plan for the day is to try and take a short stroll, if the legs work, read a book and then maybe some poker later.
Whatever you're doing enjoy it and be happy.
Mark.
Firstly the challenge doesn't have a target, the only goal is to not go bust from our current £50 total. Secondly the diary is all about the challenges we face in life and how we embrace life and kiss it full on the mouth, despite knowing she is a fickle mistress.
My ambition for the next two weeks is to try and sat into the SPT Glasgow however as my record in sats is somewhere between awful and pathetic the initial aim of not going bust could be scuppered right there and that would be a very short diary indeed. Even taking that into account am I really that committed to it? The more observant will realise that yesterday was a rare no show although I do have a note from matron excusing me.
Yesterday the weather was good in North wales and so I embarked upon a third hike in a week but this one was a little more exacting than the previous two. Now bearing in mind that I have been told to keep the walking light and positively no climbing until after my MSK appointment I decided that scrambling is not technically climbing and light walking is all subjective.
The plan was to get into the Ogwen Valley ascend the Bochclywyd outflow, gain the Lyn, traverse into the saddle between Tryfan and Glyder Fawr, ascend Glyder Fawr with a scramble, top out then walk the ridge line over Glyder Fach, Bristly Ridge and Devils Kitchen and then descend via Y Garn.
Well that was dumb really, as I allowed my ego to write a cheque that my body was not capable of cashing, certainly not at the current levels of fitness. The problem however is I'm not very good at backing off once I've committed to something and consequently found myself looking for an escape route when my body physically was already back at the car park.
I found a path off via Crybbin, well I say path at about 65 degrees and requiring permanent 3 or 4 points of contact it was gnarly, hairy and completely un-neccessary. Fortunately many years of experience allowed me to attain easier ground which was good as my legs were no longer functioning. A combination of the downhill forces of a very overweight body through a malfunctioning back had caused the nerve roots to become well and truly trapped meaning the already trashed quads were useless.
An hours painful drive saw me back at the caravan where all I wanted to do was shower, eat and sleep, poker and the SPT could wait.
In other matters the Great wall challenge is at 1,813.6Km so over 51% completed and a second tree planted. I've given up on the schedule here as I find that riding every other day suits my current state of health and fitness and means that I'm not obsessed with it which is something I find I am prone to.
In fact that is something that I feel I need to control more in my life. I do become so focussed on one thing and forget the pleasure and enjoyment to be found in other things.
Anyway that's all for the moment, the plan for the day is to try and take a short stroll, if the legs work, read a book and then maybe some poker later.
Whatever you're doing enjoy it and be happy.
Mark.
Comments
Love these challenges, will follow with interest.
I see you are going to read a book - what sort of books do you enjoy? Non-fiction, I hope. I've built up a pretty extensive little library, with overflowing bookcases all over the house, but I doubt there are 6 fiction books amongst the total of at least 2,000.
Currently have one of each on the go. Fiction is called Zero Day by David Baldacci and the other is The White Spider which is the account of Heinrich Harrers successful first ascent of The Eiger North Face.
Most of my non fiction are either biographies or stories of epic struggles, triumphs and tragedies or guide books to hikes and scrambles. Fiction is really anything that takes my fancy at a given moment.
On the way home from the caravan to Stoke A55 between j32 and j33 about 11.30 this morning. Myself and the missus just a bit banged up, the other party seemed similar.
Might be a little preoccupied for a couple of days so bear with me if the usual sparkling banter and witty repartee are in marked abeyance.
Take care and love to all.
Mark
Hope you all ok
David Baldacci is a bit like Di ck Francis for me.
In that I thoroughly enjoy reading his books. But as soon as I have finished one, I tend to remember very little of it.
GL with your quests Mark, hopefully see you in Glasgow
After a 4 hour wait on the verge the recovery vehicle arrived and transported the car to an approved assessment garage? Like durrr its a write off guys trust me. Leaving me and the missus outside their establishment 80 miles from home. So what do you do?
Lets examine the question of a courtesy car. Answer from insurers "Ring up on Monday morning" apparently. Like durrr we are stuck in Bodelwyddan at 5pm on a Sunday evening wtf.
I had an interesting conversation with a lady at nationwide recovery services who said she didn't have to put up with me speaking to her like I was and that if I persisted the call was over. I told her it's over when I say it's over and promptly hung up. Childish I know but hey what you gonna do. She was about as useful as patio doors on a submarine
Nobody seemed willing to make a sensible suggestion and we had to empty the vehicle of everything, Alisons wheelchair, the duffel bags the, my hiking gear, a suitcase, the box containing all the stuff for the car, tow rope, petrol can, jump leads, compressor, etc. So it's not like we can hop on a bus or walk the 8/9 miles or so to the nearest train station.
So fortunately having the caravan in Rhyl meant that a £20 taxi ride later we have a roof over our heads, with most of the comforts of home.
Just glad that everyone involved was ok and walking especially since a little earlier on the same road about 20 miles back at Conway there was a fatal RTA. Fine margins and variance eh?
I don't care about the vehicle, plastic and metal is always repairable or replaceable, people are NOT. If a courtesy car isn't available then its a train ride back home, pick up my Mothers car, come back to Rhyl and pick everything up then take it all back home.
Then I suppose it's back to the poker.
Mark
"Awake for morning in bowl of light hath cast the stone that puts the stars to flight"
Erm that should read. Awake and drag your stiff, aching, pained body out of your pit, but OMG everything hurts this morning. Must make coffee and phone the insurers.
Well no courtesy car as it transpired because they are only allocated whilst a vehicle is awaiting or undergoing repair and mine was declared an unsalvageable total loss at 8.10 this morning.
Within an hour I had agreed a figure with the insurers and money will be in my account within the week, and the search for another car is underway.
I then booked a train, took care of the wife's requirements, prep lunch, check leccy, sort her meds out etc, yomped to the station and sat in an overcrowded oven all the way to Crewe.
The train had unfortunately got into Crewe some 12 mins behind schedule and subsequently a mad dash across a footbridge and two more platforms resulted in me arriving for the Stoke train just as it started to pull away.
Oh clucking bell ! if anybody knows how to waste an hour in the toilet that is Crewe Station answers on a postcard and no, @Tikay10, I'm not standing on the end of a platform looking at engines and rolling stock
So at 4pm I eventually begin the final leg of the homeward journey, get met at the station, take Mum back home coz I'm borrowing her car for a few days.
The journey back to Rhyl is uneventful although passing the scene of yesterdays smash and seeing bits of my car still in the central reservation was somewhat disconcerting and not without a little emotion.
Also as I listened to the football on the radio I realised that I hadn't submitted my forum comp entry which actually pi55ed me off way more than it should have done. So much so in fact that I stopped at a Maccy Ds drive through and picked up a late tea for us because I couldn't be 4rsed to cook when I got back. Bad husband, bad carer.
Got back, ate food, well MacDonalds approximation of food, looked at some vehicles Alison had earmarked, turned on the laptop and thought Fk this, I really can't be bothered with poker tonight.
So I think its a wrap. Another day, another riveting tale of ordinary folk living mundane lives.
Maybe tomorrow it'll all be different.
Take care, stay safe, love to all.
Mark
Just one of those sessions where everything that could go wrong did go wrong and that I think is what they call Murphy's Law.
The only bright spot of the evening came courtesy of Pizza Huts side dish of sliced cabbage, carrot, lettuce and mayo and that is called Coles law.
Don't panic I'm not about to embark upon some epic rant for the ages, more a case of sigh, move on and refocus, run bads happen to us all and it's only a select few who can moan their way into a good result. Insert username of choice here.
It's going to take a gargantuan effort to salvage the no busto challenge from here as there's only about a tenner on the account, but still we live in hope.
Away from the poker the search for a replacement vehicle is "well under way" meaning that I've had a glance on the Autotrader site and visited a few car lots in the area. Actually going to look at a possible vehicle tomorrow and try and persuade the dealer that cash is king and worth knocking a few hundred off the asking price for.
In other news Musculoskeletal have decided that I need an actual examination as they are concerned that the symptoms I've described via video and telephone don't directly correlate to the scan results. I'm also fairly certain that a technical descent of a mountain and a car crash in the space of 4 days isn't going to improve the diagnosis any.
Ok that's all for now, stay safe and take care.
Live, love, laugh.
Mark
Oh clucking bell ! if anybody knows how to waste an hour in the toilet that is Crewe Station answers on a postcard and no, @Tikay10, I'm not standing on the end of a platform looking at engines and rolling stock
I used to love getting stuck on a train station. Gr8 excuse to go in the bar and play the bandits. Often eneded up getting messy tho
I'm extremely impressed that @TheEdge949 is familiar with the term "rolling stock" when discussing railways.
Very unusual for someone not a keen train geek or railway employee to know that term.
Pokernews starts us off today as I find out that the SPT Glasgow in a non starter as my long awaited musuloskeletal appointment is confirmed for Saturday the 28th. Yes I did consider blowing this off but these appointments are about as rare as rocking horse guanno, so it has to take priority.
Aside from that the challenge of not going busto has been greatly enhanced by firstly taking a 4th in a 23.15 deepstack and also by cheating and sticking a deposit into the account, so that's all looking good.
Also cashed £50 out of the Stars account following a top 20 finish in a $2.20 6hour gruelathon and guaranteed a cash in the $2.20 $125,00 gtnd SCOOP No1 by getting through phase 1.The 2nd phase is at the end of the month.
Also reloaded the betfair account and promptly scored a nice winner courtesy of Man City yesterday, backing them at 6 at half time then cashing out for 50% when it went 2-1 and the rest when it went 2-2 for a total 88% ROI. Yes laying West Ham gives me more options as the draw comes into play but I really don't like it from a liability POV and I was never holding the position past 70 minutes anyway.
On the forum comp really hoped that my last day max could drag me into a podium spot but alas bubble boy once again. Still 4th is better than erm, better than........oh who am I kidding, it sucks, congrats to
@7Wizard £21.12
@pompeynic £21.07
@Telmison74 £19.97
As usual massive rap to @Tikay10 for running it, much appreciated buddy.
In other news I have sourced a suitable vehicle and am just waiting on the dealer to inform me that the bits I requested be done, have been and hopefully I will be back on the road by mid week.
My Church has taken the decision to change our foodbank to a Thursday morning which I think is a great idea, I know that some of the clients felt intimidated by the presence of the rough sleepers and homeless who used our pop up free cafe which ran at the same time on a Wednesday Evening. Separating them also allows us to focus better on each group and therefore provide a better service.
The Great wall challenge has stagnated over the past week, mainly due to me struggling to walk properly let alone exercise in any meaningful way since that bluddy crash.
Also I keep having a looped 5 second dream of running into a red Hyundai which wakes me up a few times a night, I know tramadol and alcohol would put a stop to them but that's not somewhere I'm willing to go. I suppose they will fade over time.
Anyway life is good, there's a sun in the sky and a God in his acre so lets blooming live it to the full.
Mark
Well life just got completely in the way of everything else this week which meant very little poker although what little I managed merely confirmed the belief that when lady luck is against you she doesn't just kick you in the nuts, she takes a sander to the ****.
Elsewhere my attempts to get my online chess ranking up past 1000 is still not going well. Several good sessions led to a best 935 before consecutive defeats, one to a real player rated 1030 and a bot rated 1000 pushed it back down to 870.
The human player played some insane stuff that even the game analysis computer was calling mistakes with no identifiable gambits and taking almost no time. It was awesome and depressing in equal amounts he/she absolutely smashed me in 29 moves playing white.
The computer win was down to me missing 2 pins and its effective counter saw me resign black on move 42.
Betting wise, the Northampton no show, really just how bad were they, coupled with only 2 goals in the Rangers game was a blow although Port Vales victory over Swindon meant it all ended well on the wagering front.
Just a word on Port Vale. For decades they have portrayed their fans as well behaved, law abiding and a credit whilst painting Stoke supporters as knuckle dragging savages **** bent on violence and mayhem. I'd shut up and stay quiet if I was you after Thursdays episode.
Got a new (to us) motor, so no more squeezing into Mothers Citroen C1 as a deal was struck for a nice low mileage Grand Picasso C4. Seven seats are better than 3and1/2.
Friday night saw a sold out Grace Church comedy night featuring Andy Kind. These events always go well as the Churches bring your own drinks policy tends to get taken up and Andy Kind is a blisteringly funny, clean comedian. I've seen him 3 times yet he's always fresh, current, engaging and just a couple of hours of fun.
Ok, that's about it. Nothing major planned for the weekend, watch some sport, play some poker, play some chess and maybe put together another quiz. We will see. Whatever you're doing this weekend, have fun and stay safe.
Live, love and laugh.
Mark
Hardly played any poker this week, in fact I've not really been on the ball at all and have let everything slip.
There's been no Superleague preview for the last 2 weeks, I've hardly made a trade on Betfair and my chess rating has slipped to 600, which means most decent 10 year olds can beat me.
In other news though, I saw musculoskeletal this morning and have been given the old double edged advice, regarding physical activity. I'll give it to you verbatim.
"Train to pain, but not total pain. Aim for between 4 and 5 on your personal pain scale"
Wow. Just for the record I have a high tolerance for pain so that's maybe not the best advice he could have given me, however I'm taking that as a medical ok to start getting a bit intense. Also I have to see orthopedics to determine whether its injections, surgery or something else to help the problem.
Must admit I'm intrigued by the something else option. Personally I'd like to suggest 3 months sitting on a beach in Goa, smoking ganja with Salman Rushdie, Lord Lucan and Richie from the Manics.
Put together a cryptic quiz but obviously made it too easy as the quiz regs are already crushing it. These usually take me about an hour to construct but obviously I need to spend a little more time making them fiendishly difficult.
Got a really early start Saturday as my Port Fail supporting mate wants a lift to Ghetto Park to catch his coach to Wembley for the Div 2 play off final. He says he's going to knock me up at 7. I replied I'd knock him out at 7.01 and we settled on 7.30, it's a 10 minute drive and the coaches leave at 9 ??
So the plan over the next few days is Poker, watch football, gym, chess and then down the Van on Monday with Son, Dau in Law and 3 of the Grandkids. Oh Joy, my cup overfloweth.
Whatever your plans are, have a brilliant weekend. Stay safe and take care.
Oh I almost forgot. Good luck to all the forum members playing SPT Glasgow.
Live, love, laugh
Poker news first and a top 350 spot in the Pokerstars SCOOP 01 $2.20 $125k Gntd bagged me a cool 1000% ROI. Shudda been more really but I just lost heart after a couple of beats and shoved my last 6 bb with A 9 suited and ran into K K.
Despite very little play on the site Sky Poker has been a nightmare with precisely sod all cashes and plenty of bad play by me resulting in an almost zero balance. However don't fear a reload is imminent it would appear, so your regular source of income is still here.
Chess wise I'm currently playing my first tournament on Chess.com which is an easy paced multi table affair. I'm playing 4 opponents on 8 boards so we each have white and black and you have 3 days to make each move.
Some haven't made a move yet after 2 days and other games are in the mid game stage.
The tourney is for players rated 999 or lower and they have given me a rating of 800 to begin with.
My other rating (blitz rating) has moved upward slightly and currently sits on 653.
The Great Wall Challenge is still progressing and the current distance is now 2159.6 Km meaning that the third tree has been planted and there is now 1353.5 Km remaining.
It's disappointing that the pace has fallen off and that the completion date is now undetermined but getting to the end is all that matters now. I firmly believe that had I not had the health problems then the initial target and pace was achievable but at the moment it's three steps forward and two steps back.
Actually I need a real kick up the 4rse because I'm letting stuff slip. June is a bad month for me emotionally and there's always the lure of the universal specific to just blank it all out. Also I tend to revert to self destruction mode, binning exercise, upping the eating of cr4p, and generally just not giving a **** about myself.
I don't usually allow myself to wallow in woe is me but I guess this time it's different as instead of heading into June all guns blazing and having it slowly bring me down I'm already at 50% and desperate to get out of this funk.
So I may not play any poker for a few days and concentrate on chess and the gym and maybe spend more time in my faith.
There will be a quiz next weekend so that's going to tax the brain a little on Thursday as I put the clues together and there will be a poll in The Rail section as to the subject matter.
Oh I almost forgot, well actually I did forget hence the edit. I'm toying with writing a book of short stories based around my 30 plus years in the "security" sector, but have absolutely no idea about the best way to go about it so any advice would be appreciated, especially from anybody who has succeeded into print.
Whatever you do this weekend have a great one and stay safe and take care.
Live, Love, Laugh.
Mark
That book would make a great read Mark.
Chin up bud, have a great June.