Saturday, December 31, 2005
Here is the official Galactic Hero year-end wrap up. It comes to you in two forms this year. Because music has played a big part in my year, and because lyrics have played a big part in my posts, the first form I submit to you today is musical. I have gathered the vast majority of tunes I have quoted throughout the year for your listening pleasure. (And wow... do I quote a lot of songs!) When posting lyrics I had often wished you could hear the songs so you could appreciate them like I do. Now you can!
Some, I couldn't find, so they aren't included. Some seem so irrelevant to me now, even silly, so I almost cut them. But I realized this post isn't about now, it's about then. Some songs you've heard way too much on the radio, but I'm guessing most you haven't even heard at all.
If you're feeling really brave, feel free to surf through my archives and find my original posts, but I recommend you just hit play and enjoy the tunes while you read what comes next.
And because my witty insight into my life and the lives of others also plays a large role in my posting... I submit form number two for your reading pleasure:
Things I am Learning and Hope to Continue to Learn During the Coming Year (Not all inclusive):
Pot Odds, Sunk Costs and When to Fold a Losing Hand
It's easy to get excited when you're dealt a hand with so much potential. It's easy to invest yourself and throw a lot of chips in the pot. It's hard to realize after the flop that maybe it isn't going to happen. Maybe if I just invest a little more, you say... The turn comes. You know you're busted. Do you have it in you to give up? You've invested so much, there's still a tiny, tiny, tiny chance... dare you throw that all away?
It doesn't matter how much I've invested in anything; that's all gone now. The only thing that matters is how much I stand to gain if I wait to see another card. Is it even worth it? Just because something starts out looking ok, doesn't mean it's worth anything now. In fact, I should cash out all together and go buy some new shoes.
Patience and Slow Playing the Nuts
Sometimes you get dealt a hand that doesn't only have potential, it's the fucking nuts. More often than not, even though you know it just doesn't get better than this, you need to just calm down, be patient, and let the other players play at their own pace. If you're too intense, you scare everyone off, the monster pot you imagined fizzles, the hand ends much sooner than you had hoped, and you just don't get everything you were sure you were capable of getting out of it.
My notorius intensity may intrigue people at first, but it ends up getting me a few small pots and then no one wants to play me at all. Next time I flop the nuts, you can bet I won't push so hard.
The Art of Letting Go and Avoiding Tilt.
Poker players tilt for all kinds of reasons. Good hands, bad beats, obnoxious smartmouth players picking away at them, etc. When they tilt they start making bad decisions. They do things that may seem harmless, but end up costing them even more. They do desperate things. Things that they wouldn't consider if they were playing at the top of their game.
Since I've now learned to get out of a losing hand with grace (right? ok, in theory.), next is just letting go and forgetting the hand even happened. It's harder with those bad beats that come out of nowhere... those times when I really thought I had a chance, when I was playing just the way I should, then I get blindsided. Out of the blue. I'm learning to take a deep breath, smile graciously and say "Nice Hand", exhale, and move on. I don't want my judgement clouded because I'm on tilt when the next hand comes around.
Other things that I just don't have it in me to turn into poker metaphors:
Have learned:
I'm pretty good at what I do.
I have a lot of room for improvement.
I can make really sweet origami stars.
I'm more and less tolerant than I give myself credit for.
I am capable of making really horrible decisions.
I am capable of admitting that.
I am capable of learning from my mistakes.
Am learning:
The difference between love and infatuation; between a future and a prize.
How to use all the sweet equipment at the Y.
How to remain perky, perky, perky when I'm running on fumes.
Not everyone I hang out with is a friend. Some of them are "people I hang out with".
Hope to learn:
To knit hats and mittens.
Ways to avoid feeling like I've been on the receiving end of the World's Longest April Fool's Joke. (ha!)
To excel in poker when I'm no longer hiding behind a computer.
To turn 30 more gracefully than my mentor, and with any luck as just one of a herd of hotties in naughty schoolgirl outfits!
Also, what is a good year-in-review if you don't look all the way back to the challenges you set for yourself at the beginnging of that year:
Monday, January 10, 2005
Challenges for the new year:
1. Move out of my mother's basement. (no, and new goal date is only a month away!)
2. Get a full time job with benefits. (YES!!!)
3. Drink more wine if it means having more really honest, and long overdue conversations. (let's face it. that was not a good idea!)
4. Learn to be able to have those conversations without a bottle of wine. (let's face it, those conversations never needed to be had anyway. that hand should have been folded a long time ago.)
5. Refrain from eating nachos every day. (YES!!! I mean, I still ate a lot of nachos...)
6.
7. Set realistic goals. (goals? what are goals?)
8. Make out with Jake Gyllenhall. (*swooooon*)
So... what? 2/8? nice.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
So, bwil was right. This was an entertaining experiment. Below are my results of a google search for "unfortunately stephanie". Try it yourself and see what tragedies you have suffered."Unfortunately Stephanie was already engaged to the finest shot in all of France,
and he challenged Galois to a duel at dawn."
"Unfortunately Stephanie's story isn't uncommon, actually it is very typical of many letters we have received."
"Jake doesn't want a committed relationship, but unfortunately Stephanie starts
to subconsciously think that he really loves her."
"Unfortunately, Stephanie does not like being ordered around, feels things are
getting too serious, and so moves out."
"Unfortunately for Stephanie, she found out she was pregnant by a boyfriend who
had run from Gotham after an earthquake." (yeah, you read it right, Gotham)
"Unfortunately, in Stephanie he had not found the partner to share his visions
and hopes, to comfort and support him."
"Unfortunately Stephanie's last shot took the opposition's rock out, but
did not stay to tie the game and force another end." (we all know I'm a curling champ!)
"Unfortunately marketing genius Stephanie has a long history of overselling on
the truth."
All very funny, but I prefer my somewhat more optimistic version of the game:
Fortunately, Stephanie's story has a happy ending.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
"Merry Whatever Non-Practicing Jews Celebrate" to all of you! I hope you enjoy rocking out to a few of *my* favorite holiday tunes. Enjoy!(And a very special thank you to my musical yoda for pointing me toward this means of sharing holiday joy with you all!)
Friday, December 16, 2005
I've been trying to avoid the fast food, but I have stopped at the local Wendy's a few times in the last few days because a girl's got to eat, and because they are currently supporting the YMCA of Lansing's Invest In Youth campaign which is very near and dear to my heart and to which I will happily toss a couple bucks when the friendly Wendy's drive-thru kid asks.You should maybe do that also.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Stop looking for perfect, because then you'll overlook me.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
For crying out loud....Happy Holidays, everyone!
Afterall, even Christians celebrate the New Year, right? Right.
(Brian, you should have seen The Daily Show the other night. Mr. Stewart went off in a fashion far to funny not to be quoted out there in internetland somewhere. Maybe try a google search "homo-bortion")
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Oh we all knew it was coming. Line up, gentlemen... For you, kissing is about all about following your urges If someone's hot, you'll go in for the kiss - end of story You can keep any relationship hot with your steamy kisses A total spark plug - your kisses are bound to get you in trouble |
Friday, December 02, 2005
Apparently these are the keys to my heart.You are attracted to good manners and elegance.
In love, you feel the most alive when things are straight-forward, and you're told that you're loved.
You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring.
You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please.
Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets.
Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.
You think of marriage something you've always wanted... though you haven't really thought about it.
In this moment, you think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted.
I don't know... it was a pretty highly biased test. I mean, it didn't even ask if I had either a Mensa membership card OR a pocket-sized Periodic Table in my wallet. I may not be a total computer geek, but how many people do you know who have taught roller coaster physics to high school students? I mean, lightly nerdy? Can YOU explain non-neutonian fluids to a herd of middle schoolers? Have YOU been to a Star Trek convention? *sigh*
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