Hangin’ in San Antone and Catchin’ Up

I got a bit of a night off tonight.  I’m visiting a customer in San Antonio all week.  When I’m out of Charlotte like this, I usually have a lot of research or writing to do.  But tonight, I’ve decided to take some time for myself.  I got in a good run in the hotel fitness center and then a nice meal at a nearby chinese  buffet. For the balance of the night I’ve enjoyed working on a special project that I’m not talking about much at the moment.  There’ll be no problem picking up work in the morning. 

I have been meaning to update some recent adventures on this blog.  I took a big chunk of September off from blogging.  I was always too busy or tired or just not in the mood to blog. 

So what happened while I was away?  Well, I was away.  After returning from Iraq I took Dr. K on a vacation down to Punta Cana.  We went there earlier this year and liked it so much we decided to try another resort on the same island.  We got a great deal that included airfare on US Airways.  That may not sound like a positive, but considering that I’m Platinum Preferred, it is a big plus.  See, we got bumped up the 1st class both ways on our $166 tickets.  We also like Punta Cana because it is a direct flight from the hometown of Charlotte.  We leave the house and arrive at the resort in just about 5 hours.

We had a great time swimming and sunning and eating and drinking and whatever else came to mind.  here are some of the very few pictures I took:

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That’s a pretty cool feature of Windows Live Writer that I just discovered (photo album).  Sweet.

Back to the story.  About a week after we got back, it was time for my next business trip.  This time Mannheim, Germany was the destination.  The weather was better this time than during my December trip.  It was still cloudy the whole time, but it was still a nice trip.  I got to hang with my buddy Trace as I trained him to present a class while I taught a bunch of Army contractors to use our database software a little better.  They had good things to say about the class and I had good things to say about them.  Can’t beat that.  I even got in some sightseeing before heading home.  Here are a few more pics:

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Now another week has gone by and I’m on the road again.  I’ll get to take a little break from traveling after next week (Pennsylvania) and I’m really looking forward to that.

Oh, yea.  Did I mention that Dr. K and I are swimming/biking/running a triathlon this weekend?  It’s true except in my case (out of shape) it will more of a try-athlon. It’s really is all fun and I have no complaints.  Chao.

Luecke, Texas

I had an early morning flight today.  Charlotte to Dulles to San Antonio.  It was bad that the flight left at 6:00 AM, but was very smooth otherwise.  I had a window seat on the DC to SA leg and I saw something that reminded me of why I still like window seats.  Now you can see it for yourself.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=austin,+tx&btnG=Search&t=k&ll=30.083058,-97.143688&spn=0.065951,0.173035&t=k

This is not a photoshop or any kind of fake.  This guy cut the trees on his property to form the pattern with .25 mile high letters.  Actually, it is just his name, but it well may be the biggest name in the world.

Poker Saturday Night

Saturday night saw the return of the Falstaff home game.  With all my travels, I’ve not played at this location since before going to Iraq.  T, the Knife, Nate the Elder, and Brian R joined us for the short-handed poker action.

It was a night of rivers.  I don’t remember seeing some many 2 and 3 outers on the river to reverse the flow of chips.  Nate built a huge stack early.  Jim went into his roll a few times but ended the night with a lot more than he came with.  My holdem hands were awful, but the Omaha hands made up for that late.  I ended the night with a small profit.

The Knife also paid off the football eliminator challenge that I won in just 2 weeks.  We had 3 misses and one no-pick to eliminate everyone but me.

A few of the conversation topics from the poker game:

• Jim took down $1k this past week
• What does an Asst. Principal do?
• Brian the Red’s rough job.
• Falstaff’s new sofa.
• Skip, the Canadian butt@^er.
• Shooting pool with your fly down.
• Vegas in December (at least 4 are going).

The next 2 weeks are going to be really busy, so there won’t be many opportunities.  Hopefully, with the cold weather setting in, we will be able play a bit more regularly, or at least more often. :)

Bad Poker Rules, Iraq Style

Being a guest in Iraq means doing without a few things that I enjoy. My wife and beer come immediately to mind. Being a short timer here at the Liberty/Victory Camp Complex means I’m a guest of those long-timers who are here for a year or more. This comes into play with things like bunk selection and transportation. I just can’t front someone who is putting up with this lifestyle when I’ll be home in under two weeks (9 days now, but who’s counting).

It also comes into play at the poker table. Most of us players have been in the situation where we are the new person in a group of regulars. We are the guest and we should act like it. That means not talking too much about things that no one else has any interest in. It means being extra observant and polite about the rules of the house. Is everyone taking off their shoes? Can I go in the fridge? That sort of thing.

It also means not being a jerk about the rules of the game. They play a certain way so that’s the way I’ll play tonight. I’m having to do a lot of that playing here in Baghdad. Our regular home games are pretty serious about the rules of the game. All of us have played a lot of casino poker and we try to fashion our rules after theirs. After all, they developed those rules over many years for various reasons. I like to say, “We learn from the mistakes of others because we don’t have enough time to make them all ourselves.”

But here in the desert, I get the feeling that most have not seen the inside of a casino and several kitchen table rules are in effect.

Two cards wins in Omaha. In every casino I’ve played in, if there is a showdown, the players must show all of their cards to win the hand. Not here. Actually they have started enforcing that rule for hold’em, but most of our hands are Omaha and winning players regularly show only the two cards they are playing. This has led to the comical grab for the face-down cards when the player realized he’s folded a winning low. Thankfully, those cards have been ruled dead and much laughter generally ensues.

String bets are out, but unannounced single-chip raises are fair game.

Announcing “there is a low” “there is a flush” “there is a straight”. Yep, talking about the hand when you are not involved is not only tolerated, it is encouraged. I cringe every time I hear it and I hear it on every hand. “There’s the low”, “There’s no low.” There’s the straight/flush/boat/whatever. Arrrrrrrggggggggggg. I just bite my lip and shake my head. It’s their game.

Dealing the turn and river after the flop. I saw and commented on this one last year. Usually, after the flop, the dealer will continue with a burn and the turn card face down and then another burn and the river face down. Some have even been known to deal the cards and then immediately deal the flop, turn and river, all face down. We almost had a hand killed when mucked cards hit the already dealt board. Do you think that put an end to the practice. Nope. I’ll admit that I’ve been able to pick up whether the down cards are face cards or not from time to time. If they are going to make it a part of the game, I’m playing.

There are apparently no cut cards in all of Iraq. I’ve seen the cards shuffled face up, turned over and sat in front of the cutter who just taps the deck. I generally know 3 or 4 cards on the bottom of the deck when the deal starts. If I miss it I just have to be patient because the bottom card will be flashed several times before all the cards are dealt. Since we are playing Omaha, those cards are likely hitting the board.

The worst one came last night. One fellow was having a really rough night. He was complaining about all of the bad play and suck-outs that he was enduring. We all know the drill. He had a really bad habit of holding his cards down on his lap under the table. This made me a bit nervous, but he was on my immediate right and I could see his cards so I doubt that anything dirty was going on. He finally sees a hand and a flop that he really likes and goes all-in. As play in the hand continues, he takes his cards with him to the fridge, to show the other table and all around the room. On the turn or river his high straight got counterfeited He got quartered and lost money again. I had no sympathy.

But like I said, I’m a guest and I don’t make many suggestions and they seem to respect the one’s I do make. Maybe I’ll try for cards on the table at all times tomorrow night. I’m afraid I’ll have to leave them with early dealing. I’ll call it a quaint local custom down at Huckleberry Farms.

And I lost $80 last night. So there.

The Boys are just Sick – Iraq Poker II

I played the local game again Wednesday night. It may have been the sickest game I’ve ever been involved in. It didn’t take any time at all (literally 2 or 3 hands) before guys were regularly pushing all-in preflop playing Omaha 8 or better. A-2-x-x Shove. That was the game. Most folks buy in for around $40. One guy got a little ill, stood up and threw $200 on the table stating “OK, if that’s the way you want to play, let’s go!” That just makes this rock smile from ear to ear. I got to say my favorite phrase 3 times this night - “I’ve got the nuts and there is no low.” Is that poetry, or what?

We also played so freaky games that I’m not sure I remember. We played 5 card double draw with 5s and 10 wild. I won one of those with K5K10 for quads. We played a couple of variations of stud with a chicago (low or high spade gets half). I took one pot when I got dealt the 2 of spades and pushed everyone off the pot. Cool. Before the night was over, I had dubbed this game “Huckleberry Farms” because there is ALWAYS a huckleberry around. I walked out a bit early with $202 more than I came with.

Here are a few random pictures from around the office:

Be careful what you put on your ‘Nilla Wafers:

Jeff is slaving away:

Our lifeline:

Let’s all learn some Microsoft stuff:

Later.

More Poker for Iraq

Last week, regular readers will recall, I took a pair of aces and drew three cards to get a full house (AAA55) on the only draw of the hand.  So what are the odds of that?  One of the two aces and two of the four 5s or three of the four 5s?  (4.3% * (8.7% * 6.7%)) + (8.5% * 6.5% * 4.4%) = .0493% or 1 in  2027.  I’m sure someone can get exact numbers.

Now what if I told you that we played another hand of draw tonight and the same thing happened.  This time it was KK and I drew K55.  That makes it twice in a row.  .0493% * .0493% = 1 in 4.1 million.  Live poker is so rigged.

The rest of the night was really dry.  The cards really ran against me and I still managed a profit of $36.  I love this game.

Otherwise, I’m learning a ton on this job and keeping things on track well enough.  That makes the time go quickly so all is good.  Thanks to my FB friends for their notes and well wishes.  That really helps, too.

Iraq – Poker and Pictures

Well wouldn’t you know it. I managed to find a juicy poker game here in Camp Victory. I suppose it is frowned upon by official sources, just like at home, but I think of it more as recreation. Besides, playing with some of these guys is not gambling at all.

The game is dealer’s choice. All games so far have been no limit and all players pay a quarter ante on every hand. There are no blinds. That is a first for me in hold’em and omaha, but it works. There is tons of action. I hesitate to say it, but I actually think it is looser than the Falstaff home game, even those nights when Nate the Elder and Jim the Knife are both attending. I’ve yet to find an amount that won’t draw 4 callers.

Last night in a hand of O8, there is very little action to the river when a third heart hits the board. I’m acting first and take a pot sized stab with 3 players to act behind. The first folds as does the second. The fish at the table calls me with a 4-3 as his low (no A or 2 on the board) and a pair of jacks for a high. Of course I got quartered because I was just making a play. I lost 3 or 4 bucks on that hand, but the information on that player made me 5 times that much before the night was done.

A big hand late in the evening had me catch a set of 8s to bust AKs with and K8x flop. Funny thing was that the flop was all diamonds. AK leads post-flop for $25. I’m 90% sure he didn’t hit his flush there and I’ve got a good shot at a boat so I go all in for the $36 more that he had. No improvement for either of us and I take the pot. That was one he could have gotten away from.

The we played one hand of 5 card draw (only one draw and two round of betting). I get a nice AAxxx hand. My bet only gets one call on my immediate left. I draw three and get A55 for a miracle boat. I bet $15 and my opponent calls and shows a high FLUSH. I still can’t believe he didn’t shove. If the cards are reversed, I go broke every time knowing that it is the right play.

We also played some Crazy Pineapple (called by the degen from NC). That was fun. I get a crap hand and keep 34. I really feel obligated to play since no one had ever played it before. The flop come J52. Now I’m interested. I bet and get two or three callers. Blank on the turn so I bet more and get called. The ace on the river gives me the nuts, a nice pot, and a rash of shit from my new ‘friends.’ Good stuff. I’m glad only one of them had a gun. (Hummm, just like the home game).

I’ve played two nights and netted about $180 so I’ll be back next week for sure.

We had a major dust storm yesterday, Here is a picture of the masque that I used as an air quality reference last year. This is what it didn’t look like yesterday.

See my posts from June 2008 to see what is supposed to be there. Dust gets on and in everything. Here are a couple expamples:

Here is a shot to give you an idea of how hot it get in Iraq in July/August. This is necessary for a south facing door:

Finally, a picture of my new wheels. I like having some personal transportation. It’s not a Boxster but this ain’t home:

Let me wrap this post up with a funny shirt that I saw in a store back in Kuwait. Take care, all. I know I’ll try.

Yea, what he said.

Thank you, Spaceman, for putting into words much of what I’ve been thinking about the health care debate. Your post titled “

A Few Reasoned Thoughts From An Outraged Retard

Really hit the spot this morning.  No matter which side you are on, you should read this for some independent, reasoned thinking.

What am I doing here?

I’ve got a week to go here in this hot, dusty, hard, boring place known at Camp Liberty/Victory near Baghdad, Iraq.  I feel the need to assess my attitude and begin the push toward a strong finish of this project.  So forgive the navel gazing for this post.  This is an exercise in attitude self-adjustment.

So here are my reasons in roughly ascending order:

Number one, there is money involved.  It’s not a great deal of money, but it’s not trivial either.  It’s gap money.  It makes the gap between what is in the bank and what is owed every month a little wider and that’s not a bad thing.  It will also pay for my post-trip rehab (vacation with Dr. K).  For many of the contractors here, that is the reason heard most but those folks are doubling, or more, the amount they would make or save working a normal job in the states.  But for me, for just one month, there has to be more to it than just a little financial boost to make this a bigger reason to be here.

Number two is the adventure.  I’m a sucker for a reasonably safe adventure.  Coming to a hellish part of the world and testing myself against the discomfort and long working hours, lack of transportation, bland meals, second or third rate working conditions, and more, is something I have to do to myself to feel that I still measure up.  The stark difference between the life I have in the states and life here makes me all the more respectful of our military men and women and all the more thankful for the life I lead back home.  The saying goes “you don’t appreciate things until they are gone,” I come here to make sure I appreciate all that my life is and to put perspective around my disappointments.  I also need to press my limits here and there to see where they are now.  I can imagine the great explorers like Byrd, Livingston, and Shackleton thinking the same way on a much larger scale.  My job just offers a war zone and army life as a small scale testing ground for me.

The economy has something to do with it.  This is not the kind of economy that I want to be out in looking for a job.  My heart goes out to my friends who have been forced into that situation.  It is much tougher than just not having a much money as before.  No one has threatened my job nor have I been told I need to “pick it up.”  My billable hours were down for the FY one month in and there is nothing like 5 84 hour weeks to get that back in line.  But I also show myself to be a team player by taking assignment that others might not.  I know that some folks have situations that prevent them from these assignments, but I have a wife that understands some sacrifice for a career and we have no kids, so I do this to put a bit of a gap between me and the headhunters.  I’m not married to my employer, so I want to leave in my own time for my own reasons (I’ve been saying that for 15 years now).  This helps.

I’ve really enjoyed gaining and regaining new skills in the SQL Server product family.  I found out that I already know more than I give myself credit for, but I’ve not had a month of consistently working with Integration Services, Analysis Services and SharePoint as well as building servers and putting them into production.  I wanted to come here and hone my skills and I’ve gotten just that.

The biggest reason I’m here is that I support what is going on over here and I get a sense of pride out of giving of myself toward that end.  Now before you make any political assumptions about the meaning behind '’what is going on over here', please hear me out.  What I see here is a people with a chance at freedom.  They have a chance to make for themselves a place that is safe and strong.  A place that loads less of a burden of worry about the life of loved ones on their shoulders.

The debate about how this country got to this point has merit on both sides and I really don’t know if the ends have anything to do with the means.  But I can see what IS right now.  I can see what not finishing this job correctly will mean for this place.  I’d say the chances of this place finding anything close to the peace I describe as very slim (due as much from our political friends as our enemies), but that’s a far better situation than they had 2 years, 5 years, or 10 years ago.

I’m also very proud to be from the place that has produced the men and women that I’m working with, namely the officers and soldiers of the US Army.  These are not people who are interested in killing anyone.   They are committed to ending this thing the right way for the people of Iraq.  They talk of freedom often.  They understand the difference between a lawful and unlawful order and they have a cause and are committed to it.  Sure, there are outliers, those who don’t fit the above description for one reason or another.  But the average soldier here is smart and strong and noble.  This is a historic place and a historic event.  The boots on the ground here are the best ever.  It is what I believe our country is and should be – Smart and Strong, and Noble.  There are still patriots and some of them are here.  I’ll return home proud to have served their mission.

This is already a bit long, but I want to pass on a story that I received in email this morning that I really enjoyed.  I hope you do, too.

From a Chaplain in Iraq :

“I recently attended a showing of 'Superman 3' here at LSA Anaconda.  We have a large auditorium we use for movies, as well as memorial services and other large gatherings.

As is the custom back in the States, we stood and snapped to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way through the National Anthem the music stopped.
Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments; and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.

Here, the 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again. The Soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped.

What would you expect to happen? Even here I would imagine laughter, as everyone finally sat down and expected the movie to start. But here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every Soldier continued to stand at attention.
Suddenly there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers, finishing where the recording left off:

   "And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that Star Spangled Banner
    yet wave, o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave."

It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq . I wanted you to know what kind of Soldiers are serving you here. Remember them as they fight for you!
Pass this along as a reminder to others to be ever in prayer for all our soldiers serving us here at home and abroad. For many have already paid the ultimate price.

Written by Chaplain Jim Higgins
LSA Anaconda was at the Ballad Airport in Iraq, north of Baghdad”

Publishers Note

I've taken a few posts down for a little while. I decided that there might be some risk to keeping them up, so I scheduled them for republishing upon my departure from Iraq.

SK

Oh the Noise, Noise, Noise!

Apologies to Ted Geisel, but that is what I’m noticing about Iraq today.  This is one really loud place.  Sure, my bed is hard and a bit too short and every meal is in one of three mess halls nearby, and work is 12 hours a day, every day.  All of that adds to the grind, but noise never cuts a break.

We get a few low flying helicopters over our house back home.  The hospital is very close and sometimes the pilots take a bit of a shortcut overhead.  Those are little toys compared to the Blackhawk helicopters that are flying here day and night.  Those suckers fly low and loud and in noisy pairs.  When they come in over the trailer where I work, everything on the walls either rattles or flaps.  I feel it very clearly in my chest.  Is it bothersome?  Yes, but I still want to run outside and watch them fly by every time.

All of our power comes from generators on base.  Each one looks just like the kind shipping containers that you see unloading from cargo ships.  In fact, guess they are shipping containers.  They had to get here somehow.  Those monsters run on diesel and make a humming sound when you are indoors.  When outdoors, it sounds like you are riding on the front bumper of a tractor trailer truck.   Of course, they point the fumes sideways instead of straight up so we can enjoy the smell as well as the full effects of the sound.  The one that I hear the most is running the electricity in my workspace.  I know this because several times an hour, I’ll hear the generator engine slow down.  Two seconds later every computers battery backup will give off a single “BEEP”.  It’s like they are talking to each other.

Then there is the mess hall, or DFAC (Dee-Fak).  I know they had a competition in Spivey’s Corner, NC (home of the hollern’ world championships) to design a chair/floor combination that would maximize noise and irritation.  I hope no animals were harmed in the testing because if so, there are so mighty irritated swine in Eastern NC these days.  Those heavy metal chairs have a seat that percusses like rock drummer’s tom-tom.  Soldiers must be drilled in the methods of moving chairs without the chair ever leaving the floor.  I can see Lou Gossett yelling at Richard Gere now, “HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SIT IN THAT CHAIR WITH IT IN THE AIR BOY?  YOU GET THAT CHAIR OUT AND GIVE ME 20, MAY-O-NAISE, AND i DON’T WANT TO BE ABLE TO HEAR NOTHIN WHEN YOU ARE DONE!”  I promise you, Lou would be deaf as a stump after 20 reps.

Finally, the heat in this oasis has a noisy side-effect that is oh so American – the air conditioner.  They are everywhere and they are loud.  That make’s a lot of sense as they don’t get much of a break.  The heat here is just incredible.  First thing in the morning is just a little hot.  I’ll break a little sweat walking the 50 yards from the showers to my trailer.  When the sun finally comes up, then it’s really on.  A temperature of 110 (which happens often) means over 140 in the sunshine and boy houdy does the sun shine.  It’s a hot that you don’t get used to.  It just keeps coming and coming.  All you can do is get out of the way.  When you feel it, you really understand that this is dangerous heat.  Not taking it seriously means trouble, big trouble.  So the air conditioners are always under a heavy load.  I don’t even think a few of them have thermostats.  No need since they never catch up.

To top it all off, I got a real audio treat last night.  It was just short of midnight and I had a dream about riding in a car that had slammed on the breaks but wasn’t stopping and then I imagined that I was in my bed and a car was coming through the wall.  About then I woke up enough to realize that my AC unit had decided to throw a bearing and start the most awful metal-on-metal screeching sound I’ve heard in many years.  I little testing showed that the unit was on it’s last legs.  I turned it off and by 3 am the heat was too much.  I turned it back on and it did fine for about 10 degrees and 15 minutes and then Screeeeeeeech!  I made it through till morning with that.  If it’s not fixed tonight, I may be wishing for a bit more noise while I try to sweat and sleep.

The monkey tells it better

I admit, this is just down-right stupid.  I just can’t help myself.

No monkeys were injured in the posting of this clip.  More stories of Poker and/or Iraq in the works.

A Thousand Words About Our President

Can you pick which two are friends?  Can you pick the racist?  Can you pick the one who is looking forward to the photo shoot?

 

Thanks StB.

Iraq – Nothing Spectacular Thank Goodness

I’ve been on this journey for a week now and there’s not been a lot of blog-worthy post material.  It’s been busy and that is a blessing.  boredom and loneliness are the enemies.  As long as I can avoid them the time will pass quickly, I’ll get a good amount of work done and I’ll leave feeling it was all worth it.

My roommate and replacee left yesterday leaving me in my own CHU (hut, bunk, whatever).  It’s not home, but it’s better.  The days here are 12 hours of work and meals, a few hours of recreation and/or relaxation, and sleep, rinse, repeat.  It is a grind but like I said, it helps to make the days go by quickly.

Unlike last year, I’ve got wireless internet.  That means that I have connectivity in the office and the bunk with a wide open connection.  It gives me enough bandwidth to make a Skype call and slow web pages.  And posting to the blog, of course.  Most everything else is just how I remembered it – Hot, dusty, dry, and hot.  Did I mention hot?  Most days are running 110 to 115 in the shade.  Thankfully the air at work and the bunk works pretty well so comfort isn’t a big deal

I made a poker contact yesterday.  Come to fine out there are games 3 nights a week.  I’ll check out my first real action tomorrow night.  I’m not sure how much poker I’ll be able to handle with the compressed sleep schedule.  I’m thinking 2 nights might be doable.  I’ll know by Wednesday.

Time to get back to work.  Thanks for stopping by.

The President Comments

So the President admits that he knows none of the details about the arrest of H.L. Gates, Jr.,  but comments about the actions of the police officer anyway.  Just how often does he make decisions without knowing what he is talking about.  Do you really want this guy running your car company?  Health care plan? You son’s military unit?

Stalled in Transit

If you were reading this blog last year, you might remember that I arrived in Baghdad on time, but my luggage didn’t make it until 3 days later.  Well this time neither me nor my luggage has made it to Baghdad as yet.

My trip started off well enough.  Dr. K dropped me off at the Charlotte airport in plenty of time to get something to eat before my flight.  While there, I ran into T from our poker home game.  She was on her way to a “professional conference” in Las Vegas.  That’s lucky right there.  I hope she is doing well at the tables.

My flights from CLT and Dullas both departed on time and arrived early.  Due to problems with my paperwork, I knew that I would spend a day at the hotel airport until the issue got resolved.  In talking to the gate agent for my Kuwait to Baghdad airline, he pointed out that the passport number on my paperwork didn’t match the number on my passport.  Great, a second problem.

They called the hotel and get me an escort and bus ride over to the hotel. The two advantages to this hotel are that I don’t have to officially enter Kuwait to stay there and it is cheap.  My first shock came when I learned that I would not be getting my bags at the hotel.  They would have to stay at the airport.  I had meds, a t-shirt and change of underware, so I could handle this for one night. Next was the size of the room.  I’ve owned bigger closets.  I knew right then that I’d only be in this hotel one night.  I’d be one my way to somewhere else the next day, whether that was Baghdad or a better hotel or the streets of Kuwait City.

Due to the time zone and timing of the flights, it was pie-in-the-sky thinking that this paperwork would come through on time for me to fly on Monday.  Luckily, my contact in Baghdad got me in touch with Mandy, a local employee of the company we are working for.  She told me that they have apartments set up like dorms that are used for just this type of layover.  I got myself back to the airport, got a visa to enter Kuwait, tracked down my bags and escaped the airport. 

I had to hang out at the Caribou Coffee just outside of the official airport for about 90 minutes until Mandy could come pick me up.   I must say this apartment is really nice.  I have access to food, a big screen TV, Internet, and a pool table.  There are a couple other guys staying here right now.  It is nice to have someone to chat with and just be around.  Loneliness is my mortal enemy for the next 4 weeks.  This place really helps on that score.

The apartment in in a high-rise right on the Persian Gulf.  Attached are a few views from the windows.

I’m still waiting to hear from my project manager on my paperwork, but I have to believe that it will come through today (Tuesday).  I’m currently schedule to fly to Baghdad on Wednesday evening.  If I don’t get it by 11 pm or so, I’m going to miss the guy I’m replacing and not get any real introduction to the project.  It will be a big disadvantage to my start on this project.  It could also mean that I’ll take a military flight into camp.  That sounds like a bit more adventurous though maybe not Dr. K approved.

There isn’t anything I can do about any of this.  It is all in the hands of the project management and the Army.  My attitude is to be patient, do what I need to do first and what else I can do second and to keep my cool at all times.  So far I’m good on those points.

Steve Streater

Steve Streater was a star on the UNC football team when I arrived on campus in 1979.  Two images of Steve will always be with me. 

The first was on the field when he was the punter.  Steve was All-ACC when he kicked the ball.  He was even better when he ran with it.  I remember Steve taking a snap, bolting around the line, through the defense and into the end zone as 45,000 fans cheered wildly.

The second image was probably on the same day.  I lived in Ehringhaus dorm where most of the football team also lived.  The walkways on each floor face each other.  When Steve arrived back at the dorm after the game, the walkways were full of students cheering and chanting “Streat, Streat, Streat.”  he just waved his appreciation and went into his room.

The rest of the story is a sad one if looked at from a perspective of what could have been.  On the way back to Chapel Hill after signing a contract to play for the Washington Redskins, Steve’s car hit some standing water, flipped and broke his spine.

I met Steve a few years later while working in Wilmington for a local TV station.  Steve spoke to high school kids about wearing seatbelts.  I produced an interview with him after the speech.  He was nice and easy to talk to.  He seemed as happy with his lot as about anyone.  I heard no regrets.

Steve passed last month.  I just read about it here.  My condolences to his family and friends.  Thanks for the memories, Steve.

An Accident That May Save a Life

The Iraq 2009 adventure has begun and not on the best of notes.  I’m currently in Kuwait trying to get the proper paperwork to allow me to get to Baghdad.  It might happen by tonight, but I’m not counting on it.  I’ll post more details about that later.

This post is about an incident that happened last week and will continue to play out over the next two.  While I was in Texas, Dr. K’s car got side-swiped while it sat parked on the street in front of our house.  We have a house in a very old part of the Queen City and ours does not have a driveway or garage.  We’ve been parking on the street without anything worse than an occasional break-in for over a decade now.

That changed on Wednesday morning when my wife saw the damage to her car.  She did the right thing and called the police.  While the police were there, the couple from next door came out and the woman said that she had seen the accident around 8:30 the evening before (still light in NC).  She gave a description of the car and how the driver had stopped briefly after the impact and then sped away.  Dr. K was a little dumbfounded that this neighbor failed to call the police or call our house or at least knock on the door but we weren't there and don’t know what may have distracted her.  The police estimated the bent sheet metal, scratches, broken mirror and ruined molding would cost about $1200 to fix.  In other words, the damage was significant but wasn’t horrible.

Dr. K left me a message explaining what had happened so that I didn’t worry when I saw the damage.  When I did get home that night we talked about all that had happened, but we knew that there was probably no way to catch the person at this point.

Fast forward to the next afternoon as I arrive home from work.  Another neighbor, this one is the nice lady from down the street, calls my name and hurries up to my house.  What she had to tell me was almost unbelievable.  She had seen and heard enough to know who hit my wife’s car.  It was the friend of a teenager that lived at the end of our block.  Nice lady remembered the car from the girl’s birthday when the friends decorated it with condoms among other things. Kids these days!

A few minutes later, Dr. K and I are headed down to the house on our block just in time to see the girl get into her car preparing to leave.  We stop her and have a chat with her.  The poor little girl starts shaking like a leaf and basically spills the beans on her friend giving up her name and cell phone number.  The last name is very uncommon so we take that back and before I can warm my seat back up, I’ve got her father Googled, identified, and on the phone.  The girl does not live with her father so he didn’t know anything about an accident.  I was about to finish my conversation with him when there came a knock on our door. 

It was the girl, the hit-and-run driver, come to confess to the crime of which she had already been caught.  To her credit, she didn’t try to explain it away except to say that she was on her cell phone and wasn’t paying attention to driving.  She took responsibility and offered to do what she could to make it right.  She too was shaking and about to cry a couple of times but she held it together and Dr. K and I did our best to keep her calm.  We told her how impressed we were that she had come forward.  She’s just a kid and we had nothing to gain by chastising her.

After she left, I told Dr. K that I’m not upset with her in the least as I probably would have done the same thing back in my youth.  The Dr. told me that she was a little angry and that leaving the scene would never have crossed her mind.  I believe her.  That’s still how she is.  What would you have done?  It’s an interesting question that require some personal honesty.

Well, the estimates look more like $1600 and there will be charges for a rental car for a week or more, so the total damage to this young lady’s bank account will be somewhere around $2000.  It won’t feel like it to her, but that is still pretty cheap for such a big lesson.  If it causes her to put down the phone while she drives, this accident may have just saved her life.

Okie Vegas 2009

The only bad part about the great weekend I just had is the let-down when it is all over.  Really, that was the only negative.

It all started with an insanely early departure from my hotel in DC.  Believe it or not, there is a good bit of traffic on the highways around DC at 4 o’clock in the morning.  I got upgraded to first class for both legs of my flight.  My flight departed about five minutes early and we were wheels up for Charlotte before 6 am.

For the first time ever, Charlotte’s Douglas International Regional Airport and Car Wash (the pilot’s description) was not the destination, it was a connection on the way to Dallas-Fort Worth.  Flight number two was also right on time taking off so we landed at DFW about 15 minutes early.  Just like clockwork, I breezed past the rental counter, jumped in the Ford Fusion that I was assigned and headed north.  That Fusion now has a lot more than the 128 miles that were showing when I turned the key.

Two and a half hours later I was pulling up to the home of GCox25 in OKC.  I got and quick hug from the man himself, the wife DD, and Katitude (who still blames me for introducing her to BC Powder)  We did a quick turn-around and headed for lunch.

We dined, if eating with your hands off sheets of paper is dining, at Eischen's Bar, the oldest bar in Oklahoma.  Fired chicken as good as what Mom used to make, fried okra and pitchers of lite beer fueled us for the rest of the afternoon.  Though I’ve met up with these folks no more than 5 times in my life I felt like I was among the oldest and best friends I’ve ever had.  Let the good times roll.

The next stop was the just less than fabulous Lucky Star Casino in El Reno 911,  OK.  Four of us sat at a new 1-2NL table and proceeded to harass the local rocks.  They were actually a fun group save one jerk who didn’t know how to play nor play nice with others.  There was an unnatural amount of 9-2-Face flops.  Greg on my right seemed to get a hand of 9-2 every time that 9-2-x did not flop.  It really got comical after about the dozenth time.

Eventually Greg decided to take a break.  The very next hand I get 9s-2s on the button and I decide it couldn’t miss.  Sure enough, 9-2-J hit on the flop.  The jerk that is 2 seats to my left bets out.  I’m not worried about the rainbow flop so I just call.  The turn puts a second spade on the board and Jerk bets $30.  I push for $46 more and he eventually calls.  I don’t turn over as the table speculates about my hand.  I ask “What works at this table?” and then answer “NINE_DOOOOCH”.  The board does not pair.   Jerk flashes his Kings and mucks.  OK, for that hand there were two jerks at the table but all of the Okie Vegas folk loved it.

Dinner time was approaching so we hopped in the cars (OSU hopped on his Harley) and we headed for Lake Okie Vegas (Ft. Cobb Lake 51 weeks a year).  The temperature was a warm 108, so OSU’s ride felt like a blast furnace.  It was also warm enough that Greg’s ragtop and AC in his BMW decided to make an appearance.

Dinner of cold fried chicken and cold Foster’s over a friendly cash game rounded out the day and evening.  The arrival of Tragedy and the Mrs. Tragedy the Sequel arrived shortly before bed. (Sequels are better than the original).

Day 2 started with doughnuts and Coke for breakfast (of Champions) and a four-wheeler ride to the lake shore.  OSU’s lady friend joined to party.  We were to find out later that she was part native american and that she claimed that her indian name was Sure-Thing-on-a-Blanket. “ Welcome to Okie Vegas.  You’ll fit right in.”  The party really got going with the arrival of the Smoke-on-the-Water Party Boat.  Capt. KK took us out to the middle of the lake for some swimming and the worst diving exhibitions in the history of Okie Vegas.  This all caused a late start to the Annual OKV Poker Tournament, but no one seemed to mind.

I started the tourney hot as a firecracker.  Actually everyone started out hot.  We were on the porch and the temp was well over 100.  The shade and breeze helped some.  No one busted before the first break.  We took the opportunity to move the table indoors where the AC helped moods but not the quality of play.

The first bust out almost took out OOSSUUU.  I don’t remember all of the details,  but the action put OSU all-in preflop with a typical race (A-J vs 44 is what I remember).  The board hit Greg and OSU’s stack slid across the table.  Then Yesbay, who had dealt the flop, turn and river says “wait a minute.”  He looks closer at the board as if we had misread it, flips a card to it’s back and explains that he was not the dealer for that hand and the wrong deck had been used. Sure-thing-on-a-blanket was supposed to be dealing.  A misdeal was declared, chips were distributed back to the original owners and OSU was still alive.  Sure-thing became the Gigli shortly thereafter.

I made it to the cash bubble before I ever had to show a hand.  My QQ all-in went up against Yestbay’s A-K and two A's hit the board.  Congrats to Greg, Yestbay, and Kat for cashing.  The rest of  the day and evening was spent just sitting and talking with a lot of laughing – a LOT   of laughing.

Random Memories

• “No, it’s Special K, not Circle K.  I’m a breakfast cereal, not a damn convenience store.”
• Wall, chest, chin – That’s all I’m saying about that.  You figure it out.
• LED shot glasses
• Dial-a-shots to TripJax, Jordan, Joannada, and several others. Too many went unanswered.
• “You just let me know what you need and it will get done.”  Tragedy, you are the best.
• I swear, I did not know!
• What is in the NASCAR gas pump dispenser, Rum or Whisky?  Who cares, pour me some.
• Deer steak and rice
• Sunning in the Okie Vegas pool (Picture to be inserted below)

Sunday meant packing up and moving on to my next stop.  All that were left at the lake were GCox, Kat, and TC.  I said my goodbyes and pointed the Fusion south toward Killeen, TX and Fort Hood.  To each of you who make Okie Vegas 2009 a special time as we toasted Saturday, “May all of our thoughts of you turn into your good fortune.”  Hope to see you all in the real Vegas in December.

Back on the Road = Back on the Blog

It was a nice week at home.  I made time to spend with the wife, the dogs, the poker friends and to just relax.  There will not be much of those for the next 7 weeks or so.

I spent the best part of this past week getting ready for the big road trip that has now arrived.  There are a million and one things to do, and all of them never go smoothly.  This time it was only 5 sets of training that I no longer have permissions for.  When I contact the person who needs to help me clear this up, there is no reply.  It almost always works out, but waiting for that to happens is not my strongest skill.

There was plenty of poker to partake in.  We had a special HORSE tourney at Casa de Falstaff.  I wasn’t able to play in the tourney, but I showed up in time to play a few hours of cash game.  It was mostly short-handed.  I started out strong and then my cards dried up like spit on a sham-wow.  I really couldn’t do a thing for about 2.5 hours but watch my chip stack shrink on the blinds and cheap calls.  I made up some ground during the O8 portion of the night, but I still ended the night down 50.

Friday night was the return of Poker at the Warehouse.  We had a full table with The Knife, Little Nick, Falstaff, Brian the Red (from sunburn this night), T, Nate, and TomTom.  A few good hands early followed by hours of crap made this night feel exactly like the night before.  However, when the cards turned, they really turned in my favor. KK gave me a big pot against Nate just one hand before NLH ended.  I had one or two other good scoops in the O8 rounds and a huge scoop late to seal a profit for the night.  That hand had me flop an open-ended straight draw and a decent low with a board of 348 rainbow with me holding 5h6hA???.  A good bet from me (button) drove out a few of the 5 remaining players leaving me, Nate, and the Knife.  The turn was a beautiful 7 giving me the nuts.  I bet something like 20 and get two calls.  The river was a J (no pair and no 3-suit on the board) and I fired 120 since I still had the nuts.  We had discussed that move earlier in the night so I tried it.  It was about this time that I saw that I didn’t have the nuts.  9ine-Ten now made a higher straight.  If anyone had drawn to a top straight, it would have been Nate or Jim.  Jim called with with what I don’t remember, but not 9T and I scooped that pot. (I feel about 60% sure I messed up something about that hand, but you get the picture).

July 4 was Saturday.  Dr. K and I returned to Mama C’s place for a party/picnic that was excellent.  The evening was quiet with a drink or two and the NASCAR race.  Great finish with K-Y Bush spinning and Tony the Tiger taking the win.  Any race that ends with bush spinning is a good race.

Now it is time to get back to work and a lot of work there is to do.  I’m in DC through Thursday.  Before the the sun rises on Friday I will be on my way to DFW via CLT where I will drive up to OKC and Oki-Vegas.  Poker, drinking, and fun will ensue.  On Sunday I drive down to the Ft. Hood area where I spend the week getting final approval to go back to Baghdad, Iraq where, if successful, I will work from mid-July to mid-August.

The prospect of being away from home for so long makes me nervous and a bit depressed.  I’m happy to serve and hope that I can make a valuable contribution to the troops, but it’s not fun.  It will be hot and dusty.  Living conditions will be cramped.  I’ll have to travel walk or ride for most of my meals and the toilet and showers are more than 100 yards away (really sucks in the middle of the night).  So it’s one day at a time from me.  I’ll do my best to do my job.  I’ll enjoy what there is to enjoy and get back safe and sound when the time comes.  I’ll be keeping this space updated with stories and pictures as I can.

Time to get started.  See ya.