Poker Night with Kelly

            Kelly and I try to get out of the house at least once a week, just by ourselves. I realize this is not always possible but it is good to try. There is something about going out and doing stuff together just as a couple, not as a mom and dad, which seems to keep our relationship fresh. We both like to play Texas hold’em so the idea of playing poker together appeals to both of us. We used to play on the occasional Friday night at the Jukebox where they hosted the free poker tour. We always had tons of fun doing that but recently; due to an increase in the popularity of the bar they decided that the poker tour was using up tables that their patrons could be using, as a result the poker tour is no longer hosted there and has yet to find a new home on Friday nights.

     Kelly and I knew this was the situation but we both wanted to play some cards. We decided to try our luck at Downstream Casino Saturday night last weekend. We both took the time to dress nice for a night out. As we were getting ready Kelly’s sister texted her suggesting we should do something together that weekend. Kelly messaged Jamie telling her what we had planned and that she could join us there if she liked. Jamie agreed to this. So I bathed Dylan getting him ready for bed and also tucked the girls in their beds for the night while Kelly applied her makeup. Once she was finished with that she kissed all the kids, left the sitter our number and instructions, and headed out the door.

     Once we met up with Jamie, we headed to the poker room. The attendant behind the counter put our name on the list for the $3 small blind/$6 big blind table which had a maximum bid of $6 opposed to the all in tables. We then took our vibrating beepers to the bar to have a drink while we waited for a table to open up for us. We hadn’t even finished our first drink when we were all called back to the poker room. Enough players were put on the waiting list to open up a new table. After heading to the cashier and purchasing our $40 minimum by in we all sat next to each other and settled in for a nice game of Texas hold’em.

     Kelly and I both won a couple of hands early on giving us both some more chips to play with. I seemed to be on a role from the very beginning. I didn’t play every hand but during the few that I did the cards were kind to me. I won a good sized pot from Jamie and Kelly, both on one hand, taking a good amount of their chips. Shortly after that Kelly won back some of her chips from me but in the mean time I had won another big pot from two other players. Jamie just wasn’t having the same luck that we were and soon she was separated from all of her chips. About thirty minutes after Jamie was busted Kelly said she was getting tired and that we should cash out and call it a night, and I agreed. I gathered up chips while Kelly did the same and we both headed to the cashier. After figuring the cost of drinks and chips we left the casino with $65 more than we brought. I call that a good night out.

World of Warcraft

There are many of us that enjoy playing video games. I remember that when I was a kid it was mostly unheard of for an adult to be playing video games, but in today’s society we find people of all ages on their computers, WIIs, Xboxes, and other systems playing games. I am just as guilty of that as anyone. There are many different types of games to choose from depending on your gaming style and what you prefer. If you want to play something by yourself that doesn’t require a lot of gaming skill then you would be happy with solitaire, tetras, mahjong, or Farmville. I myself prefer to play online games with or against other players. MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) are my games of choice, but there are other multiplayer games out there to choose from. World of Warcraft is my favorite game, and my system of choice would be my computer. My cousin though, tells me there is no other online game as fun as Call of Duty: Black Ops, on his Xbox 360.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is a fun multiplayer online game but it is not a MMORPG it is a first person shooter. There are subtle differences between a first person shooter and an role playing game. In role-playing games you gain experience from killing monsters and completing quests, the experience gained will add up until it reaches the amount needed by the player to reach the next level. As your character levels up it will increase in power and abilities making the character stronger and more difficult to beat. First person shooters are a bit different, because they don’t level up. You already start out being able to do everything. As you go through the game you obtain more weapons and ammunition. As a normal rule, first person shooters usually are of a faster playing style and require more gaming skills than role-playing games.

The reasons that I like WOW better than other games is I have a character I can create, nurture, and customize to be somewhat unique to me. There are also quite a few choices right off the bat. First I get to choose alliance or horde which decides what side of the war I fight for and the races I’ll get to choose from. The next choice is what race will I like to use, there are six different races to choose from for both alliance and horde. After deciding my race I get to choose from ten classes which is probably the most important choice of all because this will determine what type of playing style I’m going to use during the life of this character. Playing style could differ between up close and personal melee fighting, using shields and hand held weapons to deal damage with, to range attacks such as bows, guns, or fireballs to deal damage from a safe distance. There are still other options like healing and stealth to complete objectives. There is so much you can do on this game that you could play it for years without doing everything.

The Warrior Dash

I was working on my homework, at the kitchen table, last week when Kelly, who was sitting at her computer looking over her facebook, says “We should do this”. Curious, I asked her what she was suggesting we do. She told me she was talking about the Warrior Dash which would be hosted by Old Monroe, Missouri October 15, 2011. From the few pictures I could make out from across the room it looked fun. She then went on to tell me that it was a race with obstacles that covers a little over three miles. Well, I can’t run that far right now without stopping for a breather. By the time October comes around I should be able to do it, if I train hard enough. So I told her we would start training for it.

I decided that if I was going to train for something, I would have to know more about it. The next day I looked it up. It was described as America’s most insane race. Apparently this thing is pretty popular for an event I’ve never heard before.  It is held it over twenty two states and Canada and Australia. How could I not have heard of the Warrior Dash? What I’ve discovered was that there would be twelve obstacles varying from jumping over cars and crawling through pipes to crawling through the mud and jumping over burning logs. Costumes are also a big part of this race’s allure. Also there will be a live band playing most of the day and lots of beer and turkey legs after the race.

I was so excited about it that I called my youngest sister Leah, and asked her to come down and race it with us. I told her that if she came, I would pay her entry into the event. She said that she would try. This race is really huge. I read an article about the Warrior Dash held in Forney, Texas had approximately 30,000 participants, this doesn’t count the spectators. I am really stoked about this. I just know that I don’t want to fall flat on my face from exhaustion so I will need to train seriously for it.

Kelly and I have been training for a week now. We have been switching from running on the tread mill to running on the elliptical. I told her today that I think we need to find the time to run on a track and later we should find some rough terrain to practice on because that will be expected. I’m not really concerned about the obstacles they seem fairly mild, just enough to add some flavor to the run. We have not decided if we are going to dress up yet. I think we probably will in some way. I just know I won’t want to wear anything so bulky or hot it will impede my running ability. Kelly is already a better runner than I am but she insists that she won’t leave me behind. Isn’t she sweet?

P90X vs YMCA

A question that has been tossed around my home, ever since Kelly and I began to diet and exercise, was what would be better, a membership at the local gym or buying the P90X workout system. Well, I’ve seen the infomercials on the P90X and I’ve also seen pictures on the local radio stations’ website of the results of using that system (very impressive). The question is which is right for me. Both require self motivation. If I’m not motivated I won’t get up and go to the gym or play the DVD everyday that you’re supposed to. The two major differences are that the P90X claims to have major results in 90 days and I just need to work out one hour a day in the privacy of my own home, and the gym allows me to interact with other people and they also have a daycare so that my children won’t be underfoot while I’m trying to work out.

The P90X costs around one hundred and twenty dollars but a family memberships at the YMCA will cost more that. There are a lot of people who just don’t want to be seen struggling in front of a bunch of strangers when they first start working out. Instead of using the P90X whenever I have the time, day or night; I would have to schedule all of my workouts during YMCA’s operating hours. Sometimes this could be a real issue.

The YMCA offers several classes such as yoga, zumba, pilates, cardio kickboxing, and abs, butt, and gut. They also have daycare for our younger kids so that Kelly and I will be able to get away from being mommy and daddy for a little bit, while working our cardio and exercising our muscles. They also have several different cardio machines such as tread mills, stationary bikes, elliptical machines, and more. They also have an Olympic size pool (for doing laps), a heated physical therapy pool (loosen up your sore muscles), and a sauna.

The YMCA also offers a lot of things for my kids such as basketball, indoor soccer, racket ball, and they also have a game room for my two oldest girls to hang out while we are in the fitness room. We love to use the pool in the summer and since it is in doors, we don’t have to worry about what the weather is doing.  I realize that the P90X system is probably a great choice for many people, but the local YMCA just offers me more for my entire family. I will still be able to get the same results either way, but it may take a little longer by going to the gym. Even though the gym hours are a bit of a hassle I like seeing the same people every day and I also enjoy working out along with the class. It helps to motivate me to do the exercises correctly and to keep up with the instructor.

Responsible Pet Owners Neuter Their Animals

My wife, Kelly, and I are both animal lovers. She also helps out a few dog rescue groups. Kelly has already fostered one dog and transported several others. The both of us realize that the shelters just don’t have enough room due to overcrowding.  I believe that one of the major causes of the overcrowding is because many pet owners aren’t getting their pets neutered or spayed.  Neutering or spaying of your pet will eliminate the chance of unwanted puppies and kittens. Cats especially need to be spayed because they are more difficult to contain in your yard. For this reason and a few others, you’ll find that in shelters, that house both cats and dogs, cats out number dogs at a ratio reaching up to 10 to 1. On the average though, the ratio of cats over dogs is closer to 4 to 1.

I have read a few blogs from people opposing spaying and neutering of cats and dogs. Apparently they are concerned about where the next generation of pets will come from if all of the pets are neutered. To even assume that every pet will be spayed or neutered is unrealistic. The reality is that no matter what happens there will be owners who simply refuse to spay or neuter their pets just because they don’t want anyone telling what they should do. I find this attitude very irresponsible and responsibility is something every pet owner should have.

There has been talk about mandatory spaying and neutering of pets, but I am not so sure if this is a good idea. I’ve read some facts showing that this didn’t work in other areas. I believe the idea was that as a pet is registered the owner will be required to either have this pet spayed or neutered or buy a no spay registration which is considerably more expensive than the normal one. The money collected from dog registrations go to the shelters and other programs. The problem with mandatory spay laws are that many pet owners that don’t want to have their pet spayed just don’t have them registered. This would result in lower funding for animal shelters and programs that rely on money coming from pet registration.

Instead of a mandatory spay law, pet owners just need to be more responsible about their animals. If you don’t want to have them spayed or neutered then at least keep them out of reach from any other animal that could breed with them. I do realize this is so much more difficult for cat owners which is why cats should be fixed, simple as that. Not only will it keep your female cats from getting pregnant but it will help keep your male cats from roaming the streets knocking up every female he can find. Each time the male cats wonder around they run the risk of being picked up and taken to the shelter and added to the masses that are there. So I tell all my friends that own pets to please have their animals fixed.

Too fat for summer

If you have been reading my blogs you will know that my wife, Kelly, and I are planning a family vacation to Anaheim, California. While we are there we plan on going to Disneyland, Huntington Beach, and try to see an Angel’s game. Since we are going to see Kelly’s family and friends we both want to look our best, not to mention we will be wearing bathing suits at the beach. Kelly already had one of her tattoos worked on. Now we have both been hitting the gym for the last week. I have gone three times with Kelly. She has gone an addition three times to both a zumba and an abs butt and gut classes.

Tonight, I will join her at her zumba class then go to the abs butt and gut class after. All this exercise is tough on this old fat man but it’s not nearly as tough as sticking to the diet. We don’t have an actual scientific diet, we are just watching what we eat and are avoiding all the good foods like: fried foods, salty foods, and sugary foods. The worst part about this is that I am no longer going to drink soda. This is tough for me. I don’t smoke or do drugs and I only drink a couple beers one day a week, but I drink two or three 52ounce sodas a day. I just love sitting at my desk at work and drinking a wonderfully delicious ice cold coke while eating a bag of sunflower seeds, heaven.

Just writing this blog makes me want to run to Casey’s and get a fountain drink. I should probably avoid Casey’s all together, because it is just a den of evil to this dieter. I love the pizza, breakfast sandwiches, sunflower seeds, and cokes I buy there on a regular basis. I probably go to Casey’s, on average, twice a day. I guess once I start seeing progress with my weight loss I’ll be more receptive to the diet and exercise. I’ve been hanging around between 235-240 pounds.

I still get to bring snacks and drinks with me to work, but instead of coke and sunflower seeds I get to bring baby carrots and low carb Gatorade. I can no longer bring in frozen pizza, instead that has been replaced with baked chicken. I also get to eat lean cuisine instead of corn dogs. My breakfast of either powdered donuts or egg sausage and cheese biscuits has been replaced with special k meal bars or oat meal. Don’t get me wrong, I like oat meal and the meal bars but I just need to retrain myself to not crave the wrong foods.

Kelly is much more motivated than I am. She is such a beauty but she feels like she has let her body get away from her since she got pregnant. I find her incredibly attractive, but I’m not able to convince her of that. She is very hard on herself about her weight, even though she looks great. I tell her over and over that she is gaining muscle as she works out and since muscle is heavier than fat she isn’t seeing the weight loss that she is expecting. I try to remind her that it’s the inches that matter not the weight but she doesn’t listen. I'll keep readers of this  blog updated on our progress.

                                                                 
                                                              BEFORE PICS:

Should I Have My Penis Pierced

(Links may contain nudity.)

My wife and the tattoo artist that was working on her back both decided to take a smoke break. While I waited for them to come back in, I looked at the prices of different piercings they offered. I wanted to shock my wife with feigned interest in a body piercing for a man’s genitals. I walked outside where she was finishing up her cigarette and said, “A Prince Albert is only 100 bucks.” Instead of getting the shocked expression I was expecting, she looked both excited and intrigued. She then asked me if I was going to get one. Well, I would do just about anything to turn my wife on, but I wasn’t sure about getting my junk pierced. Though I would enjoy the sexual benefits, I had to consider the pain factor, healing time, and health risks that went hand in hand with this type of procedure. Some of the health risks would be minimal since this shop is very clean and so am I.

I asked Kelly if she would like it if I got a piercing, and she said that she would. So when they went back inside to finish up her back, I got the attention of the piercer and asked her more about the different types of piercings. I was interested in what would stimulate my wife the most and would give us the least amount of problems. Jade (our piercer) told me the healing time for most genital piercings could be from four to eight weeks with no intercourse, four to six months to be completely healed. She also informed me of possible health risks involved with such an endeavor such as: infections, allergies, nerve damage, keloids, rejection, and desensitization. Jade made sure I knew what I was getting myself into with no surprises. I truly appreciated that.

Kelly soon joined me in the piercing room where I was perusing the pictures and reading material offered on each type. Chico (the tattoo artist) told us he had been pierced with two types, first was a Jacob’s Ladder ( a series of rings or barbells on the underneath of the penis looking like the rungs of a ladder) then some time after that he was pierced again with a Dydoe. (A curved barbell passing through the ridge of the penis glans centered on the head of the penis) He then went on to offer that he and his spouse enjoyed the Dydoe so much that if he had gotten it first he would not have gotten the ladder. Hearing his testimony and the fact that the Dydoe looked less obtrusive than all of the others sold me and Kelly on the Dydoe. Jade then explained to us that since she would have to pierce me freehand and that the ridge around the helmet where the piercing needle exits is muscle that is tough like cartilage, it is considered the most painful penis piercing. Awesome!