Sunday, March 1, 2009

The Itch








Welcome to the big show...It happened. It happens like once every three months to me.I don't why but I can't help my self. The itch to go to AC hit me at 245 today
Once this itch hits (and once I got permission from my wife) you need to scratch it.So here is a running diary from my blackberry (thank you pwc) of the totally spontaneous, random trip to AC.

845pm: My buddy picks me up. He doesn't want to be mentioned by name so for the purposes of this story we will call him Octavian. The excitement is palpable. We seem to have forgotten about the last four times we went. It reminds me of going to a bar with friends. You know you will regret drinking in the morning but when you get there you are ecstatic.
850: We stop at the pizza store to pick up pizza. I am sure I will regret the decision to eat pizza before a two hour drive. Stay tuned

900: We pick up Joe D. Props to Joe D for making the last second decision to just come. Its not like he has a wife and kid or anything ..The spontaneous trips are always the best.... or the worst.

905: Stop at the ATM machine. I have always had this major fear that someone will come up behind me and just knife me and take my cash. I have never felt safe in an ATM vestibule. I wish I could explain.

940 We just had one of those moments that happen during all long drives. All three of us start singing Flo Rida right round at the same time. I know what your thinking and no we are not gay. Its perfectly normal for three white heterosexual men to sing Flo rida like a barbershop quartet.

955 Stopping for gas. This really should take two minutes but it feels like an eternity. I am officially in support of the electric car. Octavian just got into an argument with the gas attendant.In his defense the gas dude looks like he dropped out of school in seventh grade.I just sat there awkwardly.

1015 Paying the toll. Here is one thing I have never understood. Why do people not have EZpass?Its cheaper and quicker. If you were in the supermarket and someone said to you "here you can go on this empty line and we will give you some money back". Would you say, Noah ill pass I would rather wait. Thanks anyway. NO !! Don't get it... never will

It starting to hit me how long this drive is. Wouldn't it be just easier to get the itch to go to the movies. Stay positive Big Show stay positive. Lady Gaga just came on the radio with poker face. Good sign...I think.

1055 The moment has finally arrived. My favorite moment of the trip. From the highway we can see the lights of all those hotels in the distance. There is hope.We are going to make it. This is like the first day of spring or the first day of the NFL season. Anything seems possible. Tonight I will actually win money. This time it will be different This is what it must feel like to be a Met fan.

1109 Parking at the Trop. I feel like Buckner walking back into Shea .. I already feel defeated. I wonder if the people can smell the fresh meat. I feel like everyone here except me is scummy ..Wait ...Maybe I am scummy too??..can't be

1113: Tropicana bathroom ... Shouldn't have had that pizza.. Back to battle

1120: O My GOD !!!!!!! (7 exclamation points) I just put twenty bucks into a poker slot machine. Sort of a casino first pitch tradition like Vincent Chase in Entourage . 5 6 7 8 9 of diamonds . What ??? straight flush??? I just got paid 377 I am now up 350. Dollars in two minutes.. I can not believe it ...It is my night.

1122: I cash in the 377 (still in shock) and take twenty bucks and put it back in that machine. Sort of like an NBA player who hits three threes in a row and comes down on the break and throws up another three just to see how hot they are. Well much like that NBA player, I missed badly. I blew that twenty in what felt like ten seconds on to the poker table..up 337

1145: Sitting at the poker table I can't help but notice how sad and gloomy this place is. Everyone is so serious and pissy. They all act like they play poker for a living. When I play basketball I don't pretend to be a professional so what are these morons so pissed about. This one poor girl is sitting there with her friends and she shows her friend her hand and some old guy just goes nuts. Dude relax !!! I don't know this guys name but for Blog purposes we will call him Joe the Nazi.

1202 I am minding my own business mostly folding because I am still in shock about what just happened at the slot machine. So I take out my blackberry to blog and Nazi Joe goes off again. " No phones at the table. They won't pay us the bad beat bonus." "It's for my blog" I tell him jokingly," I am doing a running diary of my night in AC. " " I don't care ..if our table gets the bad beat we won't get paid." Now the odds of the bad beat happening are slim to none but I just won three hundred fifty dollars at the slots so as KG would say " anythings possible." if we win the bad beat I am gonna give Nazi Joe a kiss on the forehead

1215: " raise to ten" says Joe the Nazi I look down and I see 4 5. I would normally fold but for Joe I will make an exception. The flop 2 3 6 ... Wow I feel like Aaron Boone I swung with my eyes closed and hit one out of the park. Nazi Joe goes all in and I took his money. He said " good hand " I said its "going in my blog" he was not amused.. Up 450

1232: It just happaned... That moment where you know your luck is gonna change . Kind of like after game 5 of the 2004 ALCS when you knew that after Ortiz did it again the Yanks were not gonna win that series. ( What am I doing this is a good night ..No red sox talk) I look down at my phone and I see a text from Octavian that says my dealers name is ATM No joke. I don't why but that can't be a good sign..

1234. Look up at the TV and see highlights of D Wade torching the kinicks for 46 this night gets better and better. BTW D Wade is not getting enough credit for how well he is playing. In my book he is third in the MVP voting as of today. O wait I got jacks..

1235: what a moron. This dude just rivered me. I moved all in with three jacks and he made a flush on the river.. just lost like 200 Bucks on that hand. He is dancing . I want to grab my chair and nail him with it. .. That moment has come the momentum has shifted . Up 250

125: I don't know why I am back at the same slot machine. Maybe she
will remember me. We had a special connection earlier.

4 of kind. Up 350

200: Up 275 don't ask

215: done for the night. UP 275. The curse is broken. For the first
time ever I have made money at a casino. Gonna go check on Joe D and
Octavian I don't wanna lose any more of my winnings..

230: Should have gone home. I went to check on Joe D and he convinced
me to sit back down at the table . I feel like Jordan coming back to
play for the wizards this is not gonna end well. I quickly drop
another hundred. I am still up 150. That's still a successful night.

315 Octavian finally tells me he is ready to go. Thank god. I survived the evening. I am still up , still a winner and most importantly still not a met fan.

330 We get to the elevator and there are like ten people getting in with us they are all totally hammered. As we get out the drunkest one says drive safe. Ironic

345 Octavian makes a U turn right in front of a cop .. The cop pulls
in to Dunkin Donuts instead of pulling us over ..so many clichés blog
overload...

445: While driving home in the snow I think to my self, I hope this itch doesn't come back for a while.. I survived tonight but how much more can I take..

708: Finished posting the blog.. Time for bed.

We are all followers...

5 comments:

  1. thanks for the play by play big show made me feel like i was right there with you

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  2. thanks big show sounds like a good night for you but ever get the "itch" for a house game? we gotta make it happen

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  3. An excellent night. You know what cheers me up when I'm feeling down?

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  4. Big Show, Big Show, Big Show. "You have to be in it to win it" TM, that's right I've trademarked the line (Sue me!) but I would've taken the 350 you won from the first slot play ans sat down at a 1-2 limit table. Would've made the night go better. Are you still the best there ever was?!?!? Great blog man, Keep em coming!

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  5. Big Show!!! You are the man....your blogesphere is unmatched by other mortals. Now that your curse is broken (for now) take on your biggest arch enemy, the HARD ROCK. D-WADE for MVP. This was an awful post, mad tired from weekend..check back in later...Go F**K yourself San Diego

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