SunFyre...words from a seated position

I came home with some of Donald Trump's money this week. Fortunately, he probably won't miss it much.

Kristen and I went to Atlantic City this week to visit my sister, whom recently moved there with her husband. As many of you know, I am an avid poker player, but haven't ever had the opportunity to play Texas Hold' em in a casino. To date I'd only played in charity poker tournaments locally and hadn't done extremely well.

We arrived in Atlantic City Sunday night. We stayed at the Resorts on the Boardwalk. The hotel is a great old hotel turned casino in the '70s. I'm a little bit of an architecture buff, and enjoyed the building more than most of the pieces of garbage in Atlantic City.

I remember a few years ago, shortly after 9/11, when every resort city in America was scrambling to get tourism re-fired. At that time, the casinos were offering dirt cheap rooms and relying on slot machines to generate profits. Well, times have changed. Weekend rooms average $200-$300 per night. There are cheaper casino hotel rooms, but every one was booked.

Weeknight rooms are another story. The price drops by half on Monday through Thursday. I knew I wanted to gamble a bit, so we took a couple days off and went Sunday through Tuesday. The Resorts was about $110 per night including all the taxes and valet parking.


I'd always wanted to play poker in a casino, particularly at the Trump Taj Mahal. I'm not sure why the Purple Casino has always intrigued me, but it does. I wanted to play in a Texas Hold'em tournament on Monday, so Sunday night we walked next door to check it out.

I'd remembered the poker room as being a large hall divided into three sections; Keno, Off-Track Betting, and Poker. Apparently, the poker craze has hit the East Coast as much as Las Vegas. Now the Keno section is about 30 chairs bolted to the floor under the number board. The Off-Track Betting section is about the same size, and I didn't see more than five or so people at either area.

The poker section is absolutely packed with dozens of tables seating 8-10 players each. The room is absolutely abuzz with activity. Poker completely dominates the huge room now.

The first night, I played well and was up about $100 when I called it a night. The tournament wasn't quite so lucky. I was up in chips early. We started with $5,000 in chips, and I reached about $13,000 by the first break. Of the 69 people who started, about 30 remained at the break. We were approaching the three hour mark when my luck had run dry. I'd gradually dwindled to about $7,000. I wasn't out, but my stack was small compared to many.

That's when I picked up two pair on the flop and a loose cannon caller. I threw everything in, and couldn't believe he called with only an inside straight draw. Another player called with a pair of sevens. I couldn't believe my luck, the inside straight needed a seven too! There were only two sevens left in the deck, and I was about to triple up!

You guessed it... F***ing River! A 4% chance is apparently still a chance.

I officially finished 20th. Only nine get paid, so I was down $165.00 Monday.

Tuesday I found my groove. I got at a table with quality players. We were playing $5/$10 limit. I played well, read well, and ended up around $300 to the good.

After subtracting my hotel bill and a couple meals, I figure my mini vacation with Kristen cost me about $50.00. Thanks, Donald.

Labels: Atlantic City, Donald Trump, poker

I read an interesting article the other day. It was about family values. Specifically it was disputing the rhetoric put forth by many groups that Americans values are actively deteriorating when it comes to family life.

In an era when the Ten Commandments, Nativity displays and menorahs are banned in every school or government building, church attendance is on the rise. In the era of Brittney Spears and Gangster Rap, album sales are plummeting and there are far more faith-based cable networks than music stations.

Okay, okay. My head isn’t buried in the sand completely. We live in a world that pummels us with messages that challenge us. What I’m suggesting is that we are living up to the task. Why? Well, my belief is that we owe some of our success to the fact that technology is shrinking our world faster than ever.

People perceived automobiles and airplanes as world shrinking, but that wasn’t true. In fact, those devices expanded our world. As little as 100 years ago, most families never ventured more than a few miles from their birthplace. The automobile became affordable and an industry was created in the air, suddenly children lived along different oceans than their parents. Environment played a larger role than families all too frequently.

In the past decade the world started shrinking. We can send messages instantly and virtually free. The concept of “long distance” telephone calls is virtually extinct. Telephones ring in our pockets, and family photos travel around the world in seconds.

My family is spread over four states from Kentucky to New Jersey. I’m in touch with my brother, sisters and mother at least weekly, far more often than when I was in college in the ‘80s, only an hour’s drive away. My father and I talk almost daily. He began consulting, and traveling extensively, while I was in high school. I am able to communicate with him more frequently today than when we lived in the same home.

The opportunity for families to communicate values is stronger than ever during the past fifty years or so, when Elvis’ pelvis started the destruction of society.

Labels: Family values, technology

... after a few months away. It's been crazy since November. I made one feeble attempt in January to resurrect my blog, but failed pretty miserably. I'll try to do better.

Anyhow, let us begin.

I've been experiencing a pretty intense case of "caregiver syndrome". It's very typical among severely disabled individuals who receive intimate levels of care. This situation is a little unique, however.

Generally, "caregiver syndrome" is characterized by amorous or sexual feelings toward a someone whom provides a fairly intimate level of personal care over a period of time. It's common among people with disabilities and individuals who have experienced traumatic injury.

Almost every disabled person I know has experienced it from time to time, although many deny that the emotions aren't genuine. I suspect this is because many disabled people lack legitimate romantic experiences, therefore sexual feelings towards caregivers seem extremely real.

I've always been pretty good about identifying real attraction versus "caregiver syndrome". When I start having feelings for someone, I always evaluate my current situation. Am I depressed? Do I currently have love in my life? Am I currently sexually active? If I'm not in a very good place, I'm more susceptible to attraction.

This current situation is a little unusual. Instead of providing care directly for me, she is our nanny. She's a very cute 23 year-old. Actually, today is her 23rd birthday. She's also taken a temp job with my marketing consulting firm.

I'm in a susceptible position. My relationship with my wife is currently under strain. I'm feeling pretty good, but I'm stressed. Those things increase my sexual anxiety.

She, however, isn't the standard object of my attraction. She's young. I've usually been attracted to women my age or older. She's got a boyfriend. While my attractions don't always focus on completely single women, generally I'm able to defray them when a woman is in a relationship.

Finally, while I find her physically appealing, my attraction isn't purely physical or sexual. She has a unique personality that intrigues me. She's not self-centered, although she's a confessed Princess. She is genuine and has high integrity, although there's a bad girl streak in her. She doesn't deny it either. She makes me laugh, and laughs genuinely at my jokes.

Typically when I have experience the "syndrome", most of my thoughts and feelings have been intimate or sexual in nature. With her, it's at a different level. I've fantasized about traveling with her, getting to know her better, making her experience joy and excitement.

I'm going to Atlantic City in a couple weeks. I asked her to do a little research for me to find a decent hotel at a decent price. Rather than find me super cheap lodging, she showed me all these romantic suites and luxury hotels. She actually found some decent deals, but they were on top-of-the-line accommodations.

I immediately started wishing she was traveling with me rather than Kristen. It wasn't that I want to get her away for some hotel sex. I wanted to enjoy myself, and entertain her, in a place that Kristen wouldn't enjoy. I'm going to Atlantic City for a poker tournament, and the only reason Kristen will go is because my sister just moved there.

Nikki would enjoy the poker, she'd love the hotel. She'd get a massage at the spa, and probably even get naked in the hot tub. I'd feel sexy being around her, even without any sexual contact.

My trip is only ten days away, and I haven't even made reservations. I'm feeling like two days away with my wife would be less enjoyable than working two days with Nikki in my office. It sounds ridiculous, and I wish it weren't true.

Labels: Atlantic City, caregiver, disabled sex, poker