Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

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The Diet has commenced.

14st yesterday, so off we go.

I have been struggling with energy levels recently, & a bit under the weather, so I'm overdue my annual diet.

I'll update weekly.

For no other reason than I need a target weight & date to satisfy the psychological drive needed, I'm going for the date of the next SPT (Cardiff) on April 28th, & targeting 13st, a loss of exactly 1 stone.

Usual nonsense mind games are engaged. I keep a Snickers bar with me at all times when dieting, & some high calorie bisccuits at home, as a sort of tease, so I can show myself I can resist temptation. It's all about the mind games.

Nothing is more satisfying than overcoming temptation to eat "bad" stuff. I really adore dieting, the feel-good is immense. (note I am talking myself into this).

This week, I'll go buy another pair of jeans that are a size too small. On April 28th I will wear them for the first time.

fyp

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Loved those phone box photos Dai.;

The "classic" GPO phone box is the venerable K6, which started service about the time karabiner was born, mid thirties.

Lovely wiki page for GPO red phone boxes here.....

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

My brother Tracy & I bought all those.

We sold them to a man Called Alan Finman. When we took hin the first load (8 boxes) he was chuffed to bits. "I'll buy as many as you can get" he said.

Dozens of boxes later he came to regret it. "How many more for Christ's sake?" He stood on though, bless his heart.

[tikay]

There doesn't seem to be a huge amount in it - but this might vaguely be of interest

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/VirtualArchive/

Nice site, thanks, Jon.

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Presuming u have ESPN, u can watch Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks live tonight. They're playing away at Chicago, one of the top three teams in the league, who also have Derrick Rose at point guard, the MVP of the league last year, lining up in direct oppostition to Lin.

The Knicks have lost five straight and Lin, and to be fair all of them, are coming under pressure. Just saw a preview for the game online which said 'look for Rose to dominate the vastly-overrated Jeremy Lin, his defense is a joke'. Seems the honeymoon is over.

BTW teeks, note when talking hoopies u have to spell words like defense and center the way the Yankee doodles do

I don't have ESPN Jeff, meh.

Another defeat last night, I see......

BULLS 104, KNICKS 99: Derrick Rose erupted for 32 points as host Chicago improved its NBA-best record to 35-9 with its 10th win in 11 games.

Rose shot 5 for 15 in the first half, but turned it up in the final two quarters. He scored 19 points in the second half, including a one-hand flush off a give-and-go that brought the United Center to its feet with six minutes left.

The Bulls improved to 17-3 at home and defeated the Knicks for the second time this season, and for the seventh time in their last 11 meetings.

New York dropped its sixth game in a row and fell into an eighth-place tie with Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference.

All five New York starters scored in double figures, led by Carmelo Anthony's 21 points and Amar’e Stoudemire’s 20.

The Knicks had a chance to pull within three points in the final minute but missed three straight shots before turning the ball over.

Taj Gibson sparked an impressive effort on the boards by the Bulls with eight of the team’s 22 offensive rebounds. Gibson added 15 points, finishing with an emphatic two-hand dunk with 5.7 seconds to go.

Jeremy Lin continued to share point guard duties with Baron Davis. Lin scored 15 points but had some costly turnovers down the stretch. Davis added seven points off the bench to go along with four assists.

Correct terminology? Sorry, & noted. Defense. Center.

PS - Did you notice that last night, Arsenal achieved back to back to back to back wins from behind? (It was Newcastle AT Arsenal, note).

Arsenal's O-fence (phonetic) was a bit lively, that Oxlade chap is extraordinary.

See you @ Walsall on Friday. Hope you slam dunk it.

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It was 4am when the Friday night Tourney - the one I crushed - ended, so was not in bed until 5, up at 10, in the Casino for 11, & on my feet without a break until around 1.30am.

I was wrecked by the time it ended, really exhausted. We had another event up in Glasgow, so we were on "half staff" @ each, & it was a bit much. Not sure we will do that again, as we cannot give enough service to the players at either Venue, so we done two jobs half well, rather than one well, & no doubt the moaners will be on our case tomorrow. Glad we tried it though.

Thewy almost made it 2 on the bounce, he fits so well @ Sky Poker, & we are delighted to have him. There are no more free rides in sponsorship deals these days, & he more than pays his way with results, blogs, playing on the site almost every day, Forum posting, etc, & the regulars adore him. He doubled up on the first orbit of the day - A-A v K-K, mbn, & busted Aces with 9's, standard stuff. For him.  

On Final Tables, he uses his gears much better these days, & does not spew as he might have done a few years back. He made the Final in poor shape, maintained his mini-stack with well-timed shoves, then upped the aggro once it got 5 handed, & had a 5 or 6 to 1 chip lead heads up, but then it all went pete, & he finished 2nd eventually, for about £2,500 I think. Still, not a bad days work.

I was booked to play some Omaha & DC cash with Team Flushy, but it never happened, lack of time got in the way.

Today, I need to rest, I feel as flat as a pancake, so no poker, no nothing.

PS - Have just had a PM to say there is a DC game @ Luton tonight starting @ 6pm. They must be joking, wild horses could not drag me there tonight. In fact, I am almost not even having a dither about it.

I'd like to officially complain that the rhubarb crumble I was promised was in fact apple crumble.  I mean, who likes apple crumble?  However the roast chicken dinner instead of the usual curry more than made up for it.  So I withdraw my official complaint.

Great weekend, half staffed and everything still ran like clockwork.

Excellent job.

Thanks Aaron!

Seems to me you ate well. (Photo nicked from your fb page).

Click to see full-size image.

In this one, the chap behind - one Mr Dempsey - can but watch & admire as I take down another pot. He was out by then, of course.

Click to see full-size image.

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Meanwhile, I'd like a quid for every Thewy Bink I have commentated on. Here was yet another.

 

Click to see full-size image.

[Machka]

Loved those phone box photos Dai.;

The "classic" GPO phone box is the venerable K6, which started service about the time karabiner was born, mid thirties.

Lovely wiki page for GPO red phone boxes here.....

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

Did you ever see a movie called "La Cabina" or The Telephone Box?  It's an odd little Spanish film from 1972. 

Hardly any dialogue but I still have memories of it from when I watched it maybe 30 years ago as a kid.

The summary is: A man gets trapped inside a telephone box and nobody is able to free him.



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065513/

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Er No...  I have been denied that pleasure.

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Sir David Frost was interviewed on the wireless yesterday.

What a life he has had!

Back in the days, he was a bit of a flirt, & was seen with a whole bevvy of beautiful women. Eventually he married the daughter of the Duke of Norfolk, & as far as I know, the union was happy, & permanent.

He was a ground breaker in so many ways, but his time is past now, sadly.

He seemed to have lost the sharpness of both speech & mind we so usually associate with him, & his speech has definitely degraded a good few notches. I am not aware that he has been unwell, I guess it is just an age thing - he is 72.

I wonder if there is any reason that his Wiki page drops the "Sir" from it's title?

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

[tikay]

Loved those phone box photos Dai.;

The "classic" GPO phone box is the venerable K6, which started service about the time karabiner was born, mid thirties.

Lovely wiki page for GPO red phone boxes here.....

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

Did you ever see a movie called "La Cabina" or The Telephone Box?  It's an odd little Spanish film from 1972.  

Hardly any dialogue but I still have memories of it from when I watched it maybe 30 years ago as a kid.

The summary is: A man gets trapped inside a telephone box and nobody is able to free him.



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065513/

Sigh, Aaron, you'll start Hartigan off now, & he's such a crashing bore with his film talk.

[Machka]

Did you ever see a movie called "La Cabina" or The Telephone Box?  It's an odd little Spanish film from 1972.  

Hardly any dialogue but I still have memories of it from when I watched it maybe 30 years ago as a kid.

The summary is: A man gets trapped inside a telephone box and nobody is able to free him.

Sigh, Aaron, you'll start Hartigan off now, & he's such a crashing bore with his film talk.

On reflection that was a rather Hartiganesque statement.  I'm sure James will be along shortly to show how it's really done.

[david3103]

The Hollinwell Halt use to be a little stop off station for the members of our golf club at the back of the first green. Trains Still use the same line now to go from worksop to nottingham on the robin hood line. The original signage for the hollinwell halt sits proudly now on the ninth tee and lends its name to the halfway house. More a halt for a bacon buttty and a coffee half way round than a train station

Nice Post, Greg.

Pity you reminded me of Hollinwell GC though. Such bad memories for me, that place was WAY too tough for me.

I note you discussing bird photos on a lesser diary yesterday. You do know that I am the resident bird photo expert round here, right?

Click to see full-size image.

Beautiful course and justifiably in the top half of the Top 100 in the UK. But somewhat snooty about it's 'standards' we found.

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The Hollinwell Halt use to be a little stop off station for the members of our golf club at the back of the first green. Trains Still use the same line now to go from worksop to nottingham on the robin hood line. The original signage for the hollinwell halt sits proudly now on the ninth tee and lends its name to the halfway house. More a halt for a bacon buttty and a coffee half way round than a train station

Nice Post, Greg.

Pity you reminded me of Hollinwell GC though. Such bad memories for me, that place was WAY too tough for me.

I note you discussing bird photos on a lesser diary yesterday. You do know that I am the resident bird photo expert round here, right?

Click to see full-size image.

Beautiful course and justifiably in the top half of the Top 100 in the UK. But somewhat snooty about it's 'standards' we found.

44th, no less.

http://www.nottsgolfclub.co.uk/

And yes, a bit up their own arse, but better that than allow members with shirts outside their trousers, or heaven forbid, allowing golf shorts to be worn with short socks, ffs. 

When wearing golf shorts - duly ironed, with a nice sharp crease - socks should be white, & knee length.

Don't want Argos type players, dressed in panto gear, do we?

Click to see full-size image.

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Before leaving golf, I was well pissed off on Sunday.

I posted a wonderful picture of a rubbish cart, & other than a thread-winning jibe from young Galloway, not a soul - NOBODY - commented.

And yet a photo of some girlie singer - Rihanna? - cavorting in a field got quoted 23 times.

So, I must tip my hat - just this once - to Team Perv (Golfing Dept).

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HUGE excitement in the office today.

Cheltenham week is just as big a deal to bookies as to punters. A good or bad week can sway the figures north or south of forecast, & everyone is revved up for it.

During major betting events – such as this week’s Cheltenham Festival – all the staff get e-Mails before each race, telling us what results we want, or to avoid, & roughly what the liabilities are, & then that is followed up by an e-Mail after the race telling us how “we” done.

Turnover this week will be massive, but more important than that, it is a very special week for acquisition. Online Gaming sites have to get acquisition right – it is fundamental to success of the site. 

We have TV’s on every single desk @ Sky, & plasmas on every wall, so we watch all the races as they happen, with oohing & aahing galore.  As a staff bonding exercise, it’s really quite something. Very odd to be on the other side of the bookmakers counter, too.

Sadly, I will miss this afternoon’s racing – sleep required before tonight’s Show – as well as missing Thursday (travelling up to Walsall) & Friday (working).

Better enjoy Wednesday then.