Emerging From The Fog

Hello...

Anyone still out there? Do I still have readers? Re-clickers?

I'm back--I survived the Madness, and although I am worn out, I'll try to put together some stories over the course of the next couple of days.

First of all--this March Madness was much different than any of the other ones. It was completely mellow, and even though there were lots and lots of people around, I didn't do half the stuff I normally do, nor do I feel like I hung out with everyone as much as I wanted to. It wasn't a bad week--far from it--I had an absolute blast and I didn't come home broke (which is usually the case every year), but it seemed that something was 'missing'.

Eddie B never made it, which sucked, nor did LV Terry. Those two absences probably cut down on the laugh-out-loud moments by about 50%. Also, as much of a heater as I've been on at the poker tables, I didn't play any poker at all for the entire weekend, except for the Saturday tournament. I don't think that we ever got a private cash game going at any point either, which really sucks--that's where some of the best laughs and most famous stories come from.

On the other hand, it was wonderful to spend time with the family and see my little sis get herself married. Her and Scottie make a perfect couple, and the weekend with the Tennessee crowd is always a great time. Also, goofing off with Doc Al and Dougie is always a highlight of the Madness, and this weekend did not disappoint--it seems that every time we get in the car together or sit down to a meal together, we laugh so much that getting to our destination or actually eating a meal becomes a secondary distraction.

Angy's party on the patio was excellent, as usual, and the view from the Terrace Suites at MGM was worth every penny. I don't know if she can afford to do it again, but damn, that was one *nice* place to party. It sure put the Imperial Palace penthouse balcony suites to shame.

As far as the gambling went, I didn't play any poker, but I played a lot more dice (ouch) than usual, a bunch more blackjack--where I actually won, and a bit of pai gow and video poker. Also, I should've never left the El Cortez or the Nugget--I never lost at either place. Binion's, on the other hand, gave me the smackdown.

And just as soon as it ended last night, I had to go to work. So I was exhausted! I got home sometime after six this morning, and I've managed to get a few hours of sleep. I'm going back to bed as soon as I post this, but I still have a couple of friends in town, so I'm going to head back down towards the neon glow on the horizon again later this afternoon and squeeze a little more Madness out of the week.

In the meantime--it's good to be back. Once I detox the system, I'll probably start back onto my regular writing schedule. By Thursday or so, it'll be like I never left. Oh, and the batteries in my camera died on Saturday afternoon, and since I was stubborn and refused to pay giftshop prices to replace them, well, I just stopped taking pictures, so there is no photographic evidence of anything that happened after the wedding.

Mikey