Things You Learn

Time heals most wounds.

You aren't expected to forget. Or to forgive.
This doesn't make you a bad person.

Being positive does not mean not feeling pain, loss, heartbreak, terror or despair.
What it does mean is that you work your way through it and come out stronger for the experience.

There are wonderful people in the world who will hold you as you cry and stay beside you until you feel safe and loved again.

Another night of poker!

This week in poker we had two more new visitors! And what a treat it was!! I'll dive right into things...the regular players were: Guess-who-forgot-to-ante-up?, Resident-Advisor, Sweeten-the-pot, and me -- as well as Snacks-a-lot (and she was a princess again this week!) The new players are from here on out to be referred to as..."Big-Fish" and "But-I-haven't-won-yet!"
Just as a side note before I get into serious (haha!!) play breakdown...Big-Fish went through a bunch of name suggestions...and here they are for you to enjoy! We had "Puffy-pants" and "Hot-pants" and even pussy-pants....but I just couldn't do that to him! Sweeten-the-pot really wanted me too..but I held out! So Big-Fish...you owe me!!
As for But-I-haven't-won-yet! finding a name for her wasn't easy...the sad part is that she took a long time to win a pot, but good golly! when she decides to win, she WINS!! What was that...at least an $800 pot?? She had some braggin' rights with that one! Now, Big-Fish before you get your hot-pants in a knot, I went online and checked out the rules for a tie...and the directions were ambiguous at best! That's what you get for throwing in all those wild cards!!
Ok. Play time: We played rounds of Chicago (high and low), Texas Hold'em and some Fiery Cross, then Big-Fish got creative with some "Kings and little'ones" version. I think the most fun was had at Chicago...that's when the heavy betting breaks out...we had one and two hundred dollar betting rounds!
The wins were shifting nicely for the first lil'while (except for you know who!) and all of sudden Guess-who-forgot-to-ante-up? had this MASSIVE stack of chips...I mean chips were literally leaning over like mini towers of Pisa! She had stacks of $5's like she was collecting a stock pile! It was impressive to say the least! Big-Fish was doing alright as was Sweeten-the-pot. Every now and then a big win was to be had, but most pots were split. I do believe that I had a nice win with a huge donation from Resident-Advisor...now I'm not one to brag...(no laughing!) but that felt pretty damn good! Even better than when I get Sweeten-the-pots chips!!
If I wanted to tell a "reality-version" of poker night, I'd tell you that towards the end of the evening after a particularly heavy round of bettin' and an 'all in' on my part- I may have went bust.. But since this is poker as seen through my eyes...that most definitely did not happen! Luckily one player (not to mention any names...Guess-who-forgot-to-ante-up? !!) had a little too much alcohol and retired to the other room...and luckily I happened to be sitting beside her...and her very large pile of chips...so..I was able to continue play! And before all you haters jump on me...I gave away some of her chips to the less fortunate! So there! (stickin out my tongue!)
All in all...a fantastic night...and hopefully we've entertained the two new ones to stop by for another game sometime soon....I would love a re-match!!

Coincidence or God at work?

It's hard to be a believer these days. Everybody has an opinion and everybody wants facts. That leap of faith is easy to take, but hard to defend. A perfect example:
A pilot walks into a saloon in Alaska and the bartender says, "Oh Fred we haven't seen you at church lately. Where have you been?"
The pilot says "I don't go to church any longer, I have lost my faith."
The bartender says "But why?"
The pilot says "Last month I crashed my plane and I was trapped in the wreckage. I prayed to God to get me out but nothing happened. Day after day I prayed, but nothing. I decided that there is no God and I am going to die and there is nothing after death. This is how I lost my faith."
So the bartender says "But you DID escape from there. You are here and alive!"
The pilot says, "Oh, that had nothing to do with God. . . some damn Eskimo wandered by and pulled me out!! "
People attribute everything to something. God, Allah, Mother Earth- whatever you'd like to call him/her most of us agree that there is someone greater out there. Even an atheist believes in something.
Karma? Coincidence or God?

You have EVERYTHING you need.

You have a God who hears you, the power of love behind you, the Holy Spirit within you and all of Heaven ahead of you. If you have the shepherd, you have grace for every sin, direction for every turn. A candle for every corner, and an achor for every storm.

You have everything you need.

A Little Poker 101

Poker last night was a BLAST! Not only were we joined by some new players, we also had the night hosted! You-can't-take-my-pinkies threw the poker party this week, and because it was such a smash hit (and a little because she begged me) I've conceded and we are changing her name. From now on You-can't-take-my-pinkies will now be referred to as "Sweeten-the-pot". The change actually does make sense for two reasons: one, we no longer play with that first set of poker chips and the professional set doesn't carry pink! Two, she just loooves to drop the $50 and $100 chips.

Ok, so now for the players. First and foremost Snacks-a-lot was a princess. She just hung out. We hardly knew she was in the house. But I digress, usual players were: Guess-who-forgot-to-ante-up? (who actually did a good job of it this week!), Sweeten-the-pot, and You-should-be-a-dealer. We had an old favourite return with I-don't-know-how-to-play! and some new players. . .
First up are the sisters. One shall be known as "What-do-you-think?" for in her naivete she asked her Aunt Louise for help!! Bad news any day of the week!! And the other is "I-got-a-straight!" but the joke was on her because her straight was a J-Q-K-A-2!! And we weren't playing 'around the bend straights' ! Then we had "But-I-just-bet-five-bucks" who just never caught on to the actual concept of ROUNDS of betting :) and who never actually learned any of the spreads, she just flashed her cards to Sweeten-the-pot who convientely sat beside her and then relied on her expertise. And last but not least we have "Quiet-storm". Now he went through a variety of name changes as the night wore on- most of them from Sweeten-the-pot and none of them attractive! But before anybody noticed, she had the HUGEST stack of chips ever in front of her. It was a good strategy.

I'd just like to mention before we get into any detail, that cosmos were poured quite freely before the cards were dealt, as well as during the game, and then Jamaican Breezes joined the beverages later in the evening. Feelin' good was definitely the theme of the night! On the plus side Sweeten-the-pot used her oven (shock!) and made some very yummy treats for us to nibble on, plus chips and crackers with cheese and fruit...we had the finger foods available and we were using them!
And now for the actual play time! First few rounds were a bit choppy as everybody got used to the flow of the game. We played both Texas Hold'em and Chicago. Then the action started to pick up. With 8 players and a five buck ante, let me tell you the opening pot alone was worth staying in the game.We had the usual one dollar rounds courtesy of you know who but thankfully the rest of us used our 'raise' option liberally. After a few hands of each type of game, we decided on Chicago as the format for the evening.
Now, somebody please remind me to bring LARGE OVERHEAD CARDBOARD SIGNS that read High/Low and the suit that was called out. It's actually embarrassing how often we have to repeat what was called out. And let me tell you...Sweeten-the-pot was the worst perpetrator! I used to think she could retain information- it must have been the drink *wink wink* As usual winnings were split evenly around the table and chips flowed back and forth between players. Now if I wanted to be brutally honest I'd tell you that I actually went bust, but, since this is my blog I will also say that I'd been passsing chips to What-do-you-think? for a few hands on the sly...so there! The next hand the pot went all in for alot of players, and that's when we noticed that Quiet-Storm could actually put in the pot and still have chips...and not just have chips, I mean have chips! So the uncontested winner of the night was definitly Quiet-Storm.

Theatrical Hightlights: At one point of the evening when But-I-just-bet-five-bucks! so graciously decided to help Sweeten-the-pot (they were sitting side by side remember) pick up her chips, she would stack the chips and place them in front of Sweeten-the-pot. But when she sat down she noticed that Sweeten-the-pot had not only taken the piles she passed to her, Sweeten-the-pot actually helped herself to her chips! Can you believe that! So actually- Sweeten-the-pot should be called CHEATER but then she'd just sulk and not play with us anymore! So we let her go under the assumption that she "thought all the chips were mine!" Now if I was But-I-just-bet-five-bucks! I'd be keeping a close watch on my chips from that point on!
Then there was the hand that was a completley new version direct from the mind of Guess-who-forgot-to-ante-up?- she just started makin up rules and using one set of chips for three players then proceeded to switch up the cards delt to the three individual players as a universal card swap! Of course all the normal players folded, but I couldn't just let them win...so I rifled through the folded hands of the two players beside me to pick up some extra cards! Didn't matter, I still lost- but WHO can beat two sets of four of a kind!!
All in all laughter ruled the night, and fun was free flowing. I left the crowd with the standing reservation at my place Friday's at 7 for whom ever wants to join no need to RSVP there's lots of space! And one day- we're going to play Dominoes too!!

Rules For Non-Pet Owners Who Visit And Like To Complain About Our Pets!

To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door.

Rules for Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:
1 They live here. You don't.
2 If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it "fur"niture.)
3 I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4 To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.

Also please note: Dogs and cats are better than kids. They eat less, don't ask for money all the time, are easier to train, usually come when called, never drive your car, don't hang out with drug-using friends, don't smoke or drink, don't sass back, don't worry about having to buy the latest fashions, don't wear your clothes, and don't need a gazillion dollars for college - and if they get pregnant, you can sell the children!

*Now I know you pet lovers/owners have read this before...but I thought one more time can't hurt! Again this is copied from an email.

For Animal Lovers

Dear Dogs and Cats,
The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest. The hallway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the other end is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run. I cannot buy anything bigger than a queen-sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also think that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm. For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom alone for years - canine or feline attendance is not mandatory. The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!

Thanks, Your owner!

*copied from an email.

Heaven and Hell

“Hell is other people” quoting Jean Paul Sartre I'm intrigued by how true that is. Just look at our world today! What we humans do to eachother is amazing. Even from the beginning with school-yard bullys. Get'em young, teach'em young. It's not like we're good role models! Ask any woman who her worst enemy is and she will say another woman. It's not bad enough the world is against us, we have to fight amongst ourselves as well. The same can be said for many things, we witness the atrocities every day. We see it with our own eyes, we hear it on the news. The things that we are capable of never cease to amaze me.
In new york it's a running joke that when somebody in your building is sick, you call them, not to see how they are, but to find out if their apartment will be up for rent. It's a dog eat dog world. And everybody wants to be the top dog.
But yesterday I saw something special. Yesterday I saw a college student buy food and bring it outside to the man on the street. He's been sitting there for weeks, on a torn black garbage bag, out in the snow, asking for change. A broke college kid became a symbol of hope for him. A bowl of soup and a warm bun elicted tears. That guy Sarte, he was only half right, sometimes heaven is other people.

Happy Valentine's Day

Here's how to say "I love you" in some fancy tongues....Yes, I looked them up!

Afrikaans - Ek het jou lief
Arabic - Ana behibak (to male) Ana behibek (to female)
Armenian - Yes kez sirumen
Bambara - M'bi fe
Belarusian - Ya tabe kahayu
Bulgarian - Obicham te
Cambodian - Bung Srorlagn Oun (to female) Oun Srorlagn Bung (to male)
Cantonese/Chinese - Ngo oiy ney a
Catalan - T'estimo
Cheyenne - Ne mohotatse
Corsican - Ti tengu caru (to male)
Creol - Mi aime jou
Croatian - Volim te
Czech - Miluji te
Danish - Jeg Elsker Dig
Dutch - Ik hou van jou
English - I love you
Farsi - Doset daram
Filipino - Mahal kita
Finnish - Mina rakastan sinua
French - Je t'aime, Je t'adore
Gaelic - Ta gra agam ort
Georgian - Mikvarhar
German - Ich liebe dich
Greek - S'agapo
Hawaiian - Aloha wau ia oi
Hungarian - Szeretlek
Icelandic - Eg elska tig
Indonesian - Saya cinta padamu
Inuit - Negligevapse
Irish - Taim i' ngra leat
Italian - Ti amo
Japanese - Aishiteru
Kiswahili - Nakupenda
Korean - Sarang Heyo
Latin - Te amo
Lebanese - Bahibak
Lithuanian - Tave myliu
Moroccan - Ana moajaba bik
Navaho - Ayor anosh'ni
Norwegian - Jeg Elsker Deg
Pig Latin - Iay ovlay ouyay
Polish - Kocham Cie
Portuguese - Eu te amo
Romanian - Te ubesc
Sioux - Techihhila
Spanish - Te quiero / Te amo
Surinam - Mi lobi joe
Swahili - Ninapenda wewe
Swedish - Jag alskar dig
Turkish - Seni Seviyorum
Ukrainian - Ya tebe kahayu
Yiddish - Ikh hob dikh
Yoruba - Mo ni fe
Zimbabwe - Ndinokuda

Technology or Magic?

A hundred thousand years ago, people with the same sort of brains we all have, speaking languages no less complex, lived, worked, loved and died. Recorded history, however, begins between eight and six thousand years ago- coincident with the development of agriculture in several regions of the Old World. Before that, a great silence. Some ninety thousand years of silence.
And so I wonder, what were those pople doing with those excellent brains and those endless days and nights? Not working all the time. Hunter-gatherers in warm climates do not work very hard. their tools are made simply as are their shelters. Most hunter-gatherer tribes work fewer hours a week than most Frenchman, far fewer than the average American. So what do they do?
So I ask you, what would you do with your marvelous brain? No books, no writing, no man-made things, little pressure from the environment, no television or radio.. only the same hundred or so people to talk to?
I think you would play with the environment. You would invent art to symbolize this. You would develop a love for your environment so deep that we children of the industrial civilization can scarcely imagine it. They would be participants in an environment that was alive in the same way that they themselves were alive, whereas we are merely observers of an environment that is dead.
Another thing we would play with would be our own minds, and those of others. And with this, very slowly (centuries and centuries remember!) a technology develops.
This technology is based not on the manipulation of the objective world, as our own is, but rather on the mainpulation of the subjective world. Stay with me now- trust me, I'm on to something here. Now you may (or may not!) be familiar with this quote by Arthur C. Clarke which he says: "Any sufficiently advanced technology will appear to be magic". And what I am proposing is that among traditional cultures there is an advanced technology of which we know very little, and what little we do know of it we dismiss and for want of better term, we call this magic.
Now us industrialized kids, we refer to a wide spectrum of things as magic: slight of hand, levitation, any professional illusionist, spoon-bender with his mind guy to voodoo and tarot cards. Anything that can't easily be explained- or explained at all. But if you think about it, making a phone ring across a vast ocean was magic too. Turning on a light. Magic. Horseless-carriages or cars as well like to call them, all magic. That's not even touching on microwaves or cell phones or palm pilots or computers!
Take any of these items back to the man who lived six thousand years ago and you'd be ousted from the tribe. Come to think of it, it wasn't too long ago that we were burning witches at the stake. So why is it so hard for us to take the leap and believe that after centuries of practise that people really can move things with their mind? They've had lots of practise! You remember that guy with the key and his kite out in the lightening storm? He zapped himself many times before he successfully develped a way to harness electricity- and you know what he's famous for saying? "I didn't fail two thousand times, I found two thousand ways how not to make a light bulb."
So you tell me, is what we are doing today technology? or magic? I guess it just depends on what side of the fence you happen to be standing on.

Purple Ribbon

Purple ribbons are for sexual assault and domestic violence and you're supposed to tie a knot in it for every person you know who has been a victim/survivor of SA/DV.

How to stop rape
If a woman is drunk, don't rape her.
If a woman is walking alone at night, don't rape her.
If a women is drugged and unconscious, don't rape her.
If a woman is wearing a short skirt, don't rape her.
If a woman is jogging in a park at 5 am, don't rape her.
If a woman looks like your ex-girlfriend you're still hung up on, don't rape her.
If a woman is asleep in her bed, don't rape her.
If a woman is doing her laundry, don't rape her.
If a woman is in a coma, don't rape her.
If a woman changes her mind in the middle of or about a particular activity, don't rape her.
If a woman is not yet a woman, but a child, don't rape her.
If your girlfriend or wife is not in the mood, don't rape her.
If your step-daughter is watching tv, don't rape her.
If you break into a house and find a woman there, don't rape her.
If your friend thinks it's okay to rape someone, tell him it's not, and that he's not your friend.
If your "friend" tells you he raped someone, report him to the police.
If your frat-brother or another guy at the party tells you there's an unconscious woman upstairs and it's your turn, don't rape her, call the police and tell the guy he's a rapist.

Tell your sons, god-sons, nephews, grandsons, sons of friends it's not okay to rape someone. Now I realize there are tons of un-reported male rapes perpetrated by females - so ladies- the same goes for you.

Random Quotes

Unfortunatley, I'm not sure who the authors are, but enjoy them anyways :)

* Until you have lost your reputation, you never really realize what a burden it was or what a freedom it really actually is to lose.

* Be bold in what you stand for, and careful what you fall for.

* Making a "living"... is not the same thing as ...Making a "life".

* Sciene is so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.

* Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!

* I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter!!!

and my personal favourite:

* I believe we are spiritual beings having a human experience, not human beings having a spiritual one. *

466 Days ago. . .

466 Days Ago . . .
George W. Bush was first elected president. One year later, Iraq remains in ruins, one member of his administration has been indicted and another is under investigation, the deficit is larger than ever before in recorded human history, Osama bin Laden remains at large, and I've never paid more for gas in my life.Keep voting Republican, people. After all, at least there will be no more abortions, right?

Oh, wait . . . they still haven't overturned Roe vs. Wade. I'm sure there's a valid excuse for that. They've been so busy, you know.

The Poker Update

This week for poker we had two unexpected visitors to the game. Catching some easterly wind from Kitchener Closet-Poker-Shark was down for some bonus rounds and she brought along her man -as yet un-named so I will call him Mr.Man! Now, he's pretty good. I'm guessing since he had Closet-poker-shark as his teacher he should be good....but I wonder if they ever round up poor unsuspecting rich college kids acting as secret partners in crime whilst grinding the kids into dust? Hmmm....maybe?!
He came out with a good showing of the poker lingo 'one-eyed-jacks' and 'suicide kings' wild. I think he rented the movie Rounders afew times too many! Thankfully he toned it down a bit when Guess-who-forgot-to-ante-up? decided to play. She just likes plain ol'poker and she is comfortable with the different versions we play now :)
We only played for a few rounds inbetween stuffing our faces with some yummies. Closet-poker-shark and I were starting to look worried- Mr. Man's chips were beginning to pile up! But as Mr. Man would lay out his "pair of aces" while I showed my 'three of a kind queens' and then after the cards were swept up 'oh wait..I had a flush". He stole the pot right out from under me!! But it's just a friendly game of poker right?!?!

We shall see what next week brings. . .