Limpin' into the New Year

Spc. Scroggins is a brother from the streets of Baltimore, Maryland, who just had a little baby girl.
In his old unit, back in Korea, he was also on a gun team, and he's been extremely helpful to me as a mentor ever since I've known him. He's taught me a lot about the machine gun. He'll break it down for me, without all the military jargon and textbook shit, and tell me exactly how it is, on the real. He told me that memorizing the training manuals is all a bunch of useless bullshit and doesn't mean a damn thing when it comes to pulling the trigger and throwing lead down range. He taught me that all I gotta do is just get behind that muthafucka and just fire it.
-My War, by Colby Buzzell.

I feel like New Year's is already here. I only have one more day of work before my vacation, and well, I'm glad for it.

Poker has been good so far. I've made about two grand this month to today and am pretty close to my old highs. I've just been playing the easy games, limit and no-limit, against people who really shouldn't be playing poker. When you're helping tilt a 6-max table to 75 percent sees-the-flop, then you may want to ask yourself why you're really playing.

I got a lot done at work today, although this co-worker kept telling me when her favorite commercials appeared on the banks of televisions we have up in the bureau. How the fuck would I know what that commercial is about? I rarely watch TV. You should be reading more books, I thought but didn't tell her.

Colby Buzzell's book, "My War" finally arrived today. He's the warblogger who wrote about his experiences in Iraq and the reason why the Poker Cats blog originally was in Minima Black, the same style as his blog. But I recently changed it, since I thought the black background was too hard to read. I also wanted to link posts of blogs that I do read as well.

I spent most of the evening reading it, although I spent a little time on Eurobet (about 800 more points to go to clear the $600 bonus) and Full Tilt. At the end of the session, I told myself I'd at least get out and run. My grandmother's condition is like a wake-up call for me. I have to tell myself there will always be good games online. That 75 percent table will be back.

It's been warm in the evenings (it's 51 degrees right now, after midnight) and all I needed was a pair of shorts and a windbreaker. I didn't go too far, about a mile, but it's a good start. Hopefully my legs won't be sore as they were earlier this week after I ran, my first time in about seven weeks.

During that time I've biked to and from work, but my sore legs really told me that it had been a while since I'd done any significant impact activity. I just need to make the time, jump out and run. Lots more often for this next year. The games will still be there.

Mark, Matt, Drew and I saw Cool Hand Luke on Tuesday night. It was quite decent and didn't seem like a movie made years ago. Loved the "50 eggs" prop bet. Every time Paul Newman's character would get caught from his escape attempt and get the shit beat out of him, Mark and I would say, "It's just variance."

I feel bad I'll be out of town on Monday when Mark has his going away bash, but it also doesn't feel like that'll be my last chance to see him. There's the L.A. trip and I'll likely be in Hawaii early in 2006 to help my dad with anything he needs to take care of his mom and to introduce Mark to the possible sources and expertise of the kurokitty clan.

I'm still thinking of getting out to Biloxi first chance I get, but I think I'll have to do more research on it first. Would be nice to know which hotels are available.

I hope in a few days' time, me and the cats will be sipping champagne, toasting the poker successes of 2005. Then Kuro and Clonie and I will shake it off and get down to business. A whole new year is ready for the taking.

Cats say play. And raise.