The next day

It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust.
-Samuel Johnson

Right now I'm sitting on the floor, in a corner, waiting to be seen so I can get a duplicate drivers license. For anyone who's had to get one in Georgia, it's pure hell. My butt hurts on the cold floor.

Thank God for broadband wireless cards. :) In the past, I've read entire books while waiting for my license in this building.

I feel indifferent to the money stolen. It wasn't a whole lot, but Mark and I agreed that we both would have felt much worse had we busted out of the game. Having money stolen just gives you that feeling like it's disappeared, like a dream where you amassed a bunch of poker chips and it's suddenly disappeared.

I hate the fact that I likely won't be seeing a lot of the players again. They were great personalities, many really young guys getting into the game. The game host had a wonderful personality that made it great to support his game. He was a terribly loose player, nearly indifferent to money.

I haven't played a single hand yet, I think my mind is still thinking about everything that happened, busy running through the hoops for Day 2: Cancellation of cell phone. Purchase of new cell phone ($200) and now waiting for an ID.

I have three hours before I have to meet my landlord and locksmith at my apartment and seriously, it might not be enough time. I'll gamble on this, I'll see a flop.

Found out from Doug today that the poker robbery has already made the gossip circuit at work. I sort of hate it because I think of people who don't understand poker and risk. I won't let it bother me, however.

Without a wallet, it's like coming off of a bender. My credit cards and cash are in all sorts of different pockets. I've had a little bit of sleep here or there but I'm still exhausted. My T-shirt, the middle reliever Junior League Spring Cleaning 10K -- which pulled off a technical win with last night's 1-outer -- looks yellowed in the government office lights.

All said, I'm looking forward to heading to Las Vegas tomorrow night. I really didn't want to go during the downturn, but it will be good to get away, to be sleeping anonymnously in one of a million hotel rooms, to play poker deep in the heart of a casino, in a city where all of the police cars carry shotguns.

I feel defiant. Even in a downturn and despite stolen money, i'm like -- bring it. I've made more money playing poker than variance and thieves have been able to take away -- for now.

If it's a war of attrition, I'm still winning as I approach the river.

I'm up. Gotta go.