Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_Goose

Click to see full-size image.

Finally, at Luton Hoo (and the day had still not finished!) Tom Posted this lovely photo today, & it was almost as if he took this photo yesterday - but he did not.

Egyptian geese, of all things, in Luton Hoo, barely 2 miles from Luton Airport.

Look away now if you don't enjoy nature, as I've been up half the night reading up on them.

[RED-DOG]

Amazingly, Tom spotted TWO muntjacs, just as they scurried into the undergrowth, startled by us.

I have only ever soon one before, on a Golf Course in Peterborough, & though we only got a fleeting glance, it was a big thrill for me.

They are incredibly small, not even the size of a big dog, but very shy, & skittish.

A great moment, I can't tell you how excited I was by it.

I hit a muntjac at high speed in my car, about 10 years ago.

Made a right mess of the front of my car. Don't know how it was unfortunately, as it disappeared very quickly.

I thought that was a good sign that i couldn't see it, but then someone told me they go and hide, if they are going to die. Sigh.

That's horrible.

Was the damage to the car expensive to fix? You know, like, cheap? Or deer?

Only cost a buck.

[celtic]

Amazingly, Tom spotted TWO muntjacs, just as they scurried into the undergrowth, startled by us.

I have only ever soon one before, on a Golf Course in Peterborough, & though we only got a fleeting glance, it was a big thrill for me.

They are incredibly small, not even the size of a big dog, but very shy, & skittish.

A great moment, I can't tell you how excited I was by it.

I hit a muntjac at high speed in my car, about 10 years ago.

Made a right mess of the front of my car. Don't know how it was unfortunately, as it disappeared very quickly.

I thought that was a good sign that i couldn't see it, but then someone told me they go and hide, if they are going to die. Sigh.

That's horrible.

Was the damage to the car expensive to fix? You know, like, cheap? Or deer?

Only cost a buck.

I felt sika when I saw the bill.

[tikay]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_Goose

Click to see full-size image.

This was just wonderful, & it made my day.

Tom suddenly spots these geese - or were they ducks? - with their goslings, or ducklings. We could not decide if geese or ducks, but it was obvious, they were not "normal" in these parts, they stood out a mile.

I take Tom along to the adjacent lake (which feeds the weir) & it's teeming with swans, mallards, geese, coot (or is it "coots"?), water hen, all the usual.

Tom spots some local wrinklies, messing about with a boat, & tickles them a treat, it so reminded me of how he is "working" his "Also rans" thread, lol.

It's quickly established that they are egyptian geese, with 11 goslings. No, 10 Tom says. "Well the fox has had his dinner today" says the local. Sigh.

Made my day, seeing those Geese, & I spent half the night googling them.

Cliffs.

They are feral.

Quite common in East Anglia.

Mate for life.

Male & female almost identical - that's quite rare in ducks & geese I think.

They are OFFICIALLY a "pest". WTF?

See....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_Goose

A pest?

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/britains-naturalised-parrot-now-officially-a-pest-1795555.html

Includes......

Three other non-native birds joined it on the list today – the monk parakeet from South America, of which a few species breed in the northern home counties, the Canada goose and the Egyptian goose. All are considered to pose a threat in one way or another either to native wildlife, public health or public safety.

Their addition to the list does not mean it is open season on the birds, with a shooting free-for-all in prospect. But it does mean that if a landowner or any other “authorised person” has good reason to believe the birds are causing a specific problem, he is free to shoot them without seeking an individual licence to do so, as would have been necessary in the past.

Well that was about it for Luton Hoo. I've fallen in love with that place, & have been going there twice a week for a few weeks now, just to unwind, & nature spot.

It's just fantastic to have Tom with me when I do my little "nature" thing, as he has such keen senses, & a big up to Tracey, too, who has been telling me about Luton Hoo for years, but, as stubbornly usual, I ignored. What do women know about such things?

My day off was nearly done now, & I never wasted a second, & loved every moment. Maybe I need to do more of that sort of thing. The worry is - well not a worry, more a dilemma - is that I don't want to lose my focus on work, because I enjoy it so, & I don't have to long left to work given my age, so I don't want to waste it.

Then there's golf I want to play, Vegas a month away, & lots more besides. If only I had more time every day, & in my life. I only really discovered how to enjoy life so much too late in life.

Right, what was next on my day off?

[RED-DOG]

My day off was nearly done now,

I'm knackered just reading about it.

[tikay]

The day off ended at Luton, for the £100, which made it's £7,000 Guarantee - just.

I'm very comfy at Luton playing £100 & £200 Tourneys, it is tremendously relaxing, & I enjoy it enormously, the atmo is quite intimate, really, though the blend of Angry Greg Raymer & Claire, or Chemical Ali & HoldyFoldy is quite eclectic, to say the least.

Tom ran badly, & was out very early by his standards.

I sat quite - very quite - early, never played a hand for 2 or 3 levels, then suddenly shot up from 15k to 30k in 3 hands, all on the bounce. It's amazing that I don't play a hand for 2 hours, & yet I still get plenty of action when I do.

The first 2 hands were Q-Q & A-Q, & I flopped good both times, thouigh the K high flop with the A-Q was a bit scary, but my man showed, after passing, 5-3.

But then I got in a mess with my first steal of the night, when I button-raised with 10-6.

Mt Smirky-Smug - Vinni's chum - in the BB flats my raise.

A-high, 2 clubs, checked to me, I c-bet, he calls. Bugger. Flushing, maybe?

Blank turn, rinse repeat. Bugger bugger.

Blank river, checked to me again. Dare I bet, can I find one more bet? OK, let's do it, I make it 2k.

He snap min-raises me! Bollox.

I stare at the Board, can I rep anything here? Is he good enough to fold if I do?

Suddenly, I realise that the river has delivered me a straight, I have gutterballed unknowingly.  Happy days.

I was in OK shape from then on, until we broke from 3 tables to 2, & then, every time I tried to do something, I got snapped off in several places, & I began to bleed chips.

Eventually I found a spot with A-Q, but was brutally outdrawn, so that was that. 4 Live Comps in a row now without a cash, I need to ask Jason what I'm doing wrong. He has Hendon Mob flags, you know. Loved his expression for variance yesterday - "between rolls", !!!

Back home by 2am, then up for 3 hours, googling & wiki-ing Egyptian Geese porn, can't beat it. Maybe there are better things to do at night, but I guess I can't have everything.

And that was how I spent my day off, not quite perfect, but not far off. I really ought to try & relax more, & do more stuff like that. Wonder if I will?

[Sheriff Fatman]

Still not finished with Luton Hoo.....

But, before I continue, I'm playing Day 1e (Friday) of the DTD Grand Prix.

Anyway of finding out who else is playing that day?

They're listed in the lobby on the DTD site, although online user names only.

I'm in though, to save you looking

[tikay]

Still not finished with Luton Hoo.....

But, before I continue, I'm playing Day 1e (Friday) of the DTD Grand Prix.

Anyway of finding out who else is playing that day?

They're listed in the lobby on the DTD site, although online user names only.

I'm in though, to save you looking

What, here - bottom of this page? I can only see 1 name......

http://www.dusktilldawnpokerclub.com/result-info.php?id=1956

[Sheriff Fatman]

Still not finished with Luton Hoo.....

But, before I continue, I'm playing Day 1e (Friday) of the DTD Grand Prix.

Anyway of finding out who else is playing that day?

They're listed in the lobby on the DTD site, although online user names only.

I'm in though, to save you looking

What, here - bottom of this page? I can only see 1 name......

http://www.dusktilldawnpokerclub.com/result-info.php?id=1956

No, the online client, as this is how most people have bought in.

[tikay]

OK, my mini-holiday is over, back to work I go.

6pm, Make-Up & wardrobe, 6.10pm, get "sounded up", 6.15, mini-rehearsal, 6.30pm, 30 minute pre-recorded Show for Challenge TV.

Bizarrely, we then record EXACTLY the same 30 minute Show again, this time for 865, but there are legal/licence/regulatory differences between Challenge TV & Ch 865, so they have to be recorded seperately. It's quite hard to do it "fresh" the 2nd time round. (I have exactly the same schedule tomorrow, too, 3 more Shows).

Then we get a 45 minute break, then rehearsal for the Main Show, and at 9pm, off we go, for 4 hours straight. My partner tonight is Rich Orford, he may have to carry me tonight, as I've not prepped for the Show. I ALWAYS prep well & at great length, now I'm conscience stricken. Dilemmas every day.

Perhaps I could waffle on, or do a Quiz, on the Live Show, about Egyptian Geese? Yes, that's the answer.

Take care, have a peaceful Saturday evening.

xx

[tikay]

Still not finished with Luton Hoo.....

But, before I continue, I'm playing Day 1e (Friday) of the DTD Grand Prix.

Anyway of finding out who else is playing that day?

They're listed in the lobby on the DTD site, although online user names only.

I'm in though, to save you looking

What, here - bottom of this page? I can only see 1 name......

http://www.dusktilldawnpokerclub.com/result-info.php?id=1956

No, the online client, as this is how most people have bought in.

Damn, I got so owned there.

[Dingdell]

Next up?

Three buckets of balls at a driving range.

Disaster-ville, totally.

My hand-eye co-ordination has always been dreadful but now my eyes have totally "gone", it's bad beyond words.

I'd pay a lot of money - & I mean that - to be able to get some lessons to play well enough to hack it round such that I can regularly shoot under 100. For non-golfers, that's a very modest target, but I've just totally lost it.

I adore the "nature" aspect of golf, & that's why I really want to get back to golf, so, whilst hacking a ball round in a manner which is not an embarrassment, I can absorb nature, trees, plants, & wildlife better. That's the main reason I want to get back to golf, but I think I'm doomed.

Squawky, I'll come down to the West Country if you really think you can sort me out, & I'd pay good money, but I think I'm a golf basket-case.

I've played on over 300 different golf-courses, by the bye. I'm a little scared that if I could get my golf swing fixed, that'd be bye-bye poker, & hello retirement, attempt # 2. Maybe best to defer for a while.

That really wasn't the golf story I was expecting. Got any more?

[byronkincaid]

So, I had a sort of half-day on Thursday, not full on work, just dealing with e-Mails, sorting Vegas, & then a full blown proper days holiday yesterday. Now I'm knacker

Worn your plurals out too.

Not to mention his apostrophes and past participles.

Unpunctiliousness ITT

[Claw75]

Next up?

Three buckets of balls at a driving range.

Disaster-ville, totally.

My hand-eye co-ordination has always been dreadful but now my eyes have totally "gone", it's bad beyond words.

I'd pay a lot of money - & I mean that - to be able to get some lessons to play well enough to hack it round such that I can regularly shoot under 100. For non-golfers, that's a very modest target, but I've just totally lost it.

I adore the "nature" aspect of golf, & that's why I really want to get back to golf, so, whilst hacking a ball round in a manner which is not an embarrassment, I can absorb nature, trees, plants, & wildlife better. That's the main reason I want to get back to golf, but I think I'm doomed.

Squawky, I'll come down to the West Country if you really think you can sort me out, & I'd pay good money, but I think I'm a golf basket-case.

I've played on over 300 different golf-courses, by the bye. I'm a little scared that if I could get my golf swing fixed, that'd be bye-bye poker, & hello retirement, attempt # 2. Maybe best to defer for a while.

That really wasn't the golf story I was expecting. Got any more?

ooh good post Trace.  I've still never heard THAT story and had forgotten about it. 

[Hawk]

Next up?

Three buckets of balls at a driving range.

Disaster-ville, totally.

My hand-eye co-ordination has always been dreadful but now my eyes have totally "gone", it's bad beyond words.

I'd pay a lot of money - & I mean that - to be able to get some lessons to play well enough to hack it round such that I can regularly shoot under 100. For non-golfers, that's a very modest target, but I've just totally lost it.

I adore the "nature" aspect of golf, & that's why I really want to get back to golf, so, whilst hacking a ball round in a manner which is not an embarrassment, I can absorb nature, trees, plants, & wildlife better. That's the main reason I want to get back to golf, but I think I'm doomed.

Squawky, I'll come down to the West Country if you really think you can sort me out, & I'd pay good money, but I think I'm a golf basket-case.

I've played on over 300 different golf-courses, by the bye. I'm a little scared that if I could get my golf swing fixed, that'd be bye-bye poker, & hello retirement, attempt # 2. Maybe best to defer for a while.

As I have said before it will cost you nil, nada, zich, zero maybe even free. But don't tell anyone