One week

I can't imagine what it's like for somone, such as one of my predecessors, Ed Watkins, to leave a job after spending more than 50 years doing it. As I began cleaning out my desk this week in preparation for my last day next Friday, memories of five years of news reporting in Tuscaloosa and the friends I've made came flickering into my mind. An article here, a note there, these artifiacts made it seem like yesterday I was new on the job. Human emotion is a curse. We get bored with working a job for awhile, but we feel sad when we leave that job to try something else. I'll probably be an emotional wreck next week.

As I took my soon-to-be replacement around West Alabama to introduce her to people in the region earlier this week, I explained to many for the first time that I was leaving and the reasons why.

"You see, I'm...uh....working on a book about...um.....poker," I stammered to the salt of the Earth types.

I got at least a couple of blank stares. Had I been writing about the state Baptist convention more than a few ears would have undoubtedly perked up.


I've been reading more and more Vegas trip reports lately as my own trip draws closer. (Now 10 days and counting....) It sounds like folks are having a great time and I can't wait to meet some people I chat with online. I hate that I was unable to attend the bloggers trip, though there may still be a few hangers on in Sin City, trying to beg for enough money to buy a Greyhound bus ticket back home.

Still no publisher yet. My agent, Sheree, sent the proposal to Kensington a couple of weeks ago, but it seems they will probably pass on it. Two strikes so far, but considering they were HarperCollins and Kensington I shouldn't feel too bad. There are a few hundred publishers out there so I'm not terribly worried. You only need to hook one fish to have a meal, or one publisher to write a book. The fact that I have a successful agent taking interest in my work should be a sign in itself I'm doing something right. Right?

I bought into the June 22 $1,500 NLHE through PokerStars. The great thing about that site doing this for you is that you can buy the W$ from one of those sites that exchange them (or another player) for less than the dollar value. I was able to get $1,500W for $1,410, saving me $90 on the entry. Anyone planning to play any events that PS will buy you into and who already has the money for the entry should definitely go this route. It's a money saver.

I hope to play at least one more WSOP event, a $2K or $2,500 one perhaps. As of now, no main event entry yet. Other than playing around with those Party Poker steps I haven't tried all that hard. I may play one of those $1,000 supers the two days before the main event begins, but I wonder if they will even have any of the 6,600 seats left by then?!? You'd think they will have all been gobbled up by online qualifiers before July 5.