The Imperfect Storm

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone..." -Neale Donald Walsch-
(via Training Truths:  The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - facebook page)



Good evening everyone.  There's gonna be a lot less raiding of my friends' lives and a little more content from me in tonight's post (I can hear your collective sighs already)...  As the days count down closer to my return to the desert, you'll probably see more of this trend, because I suspect that once I do return to Las Vegas, I'll have plenty of sports, poker, and Strip-related content to write about.  With that being said, let me share a couple of photos from my friends before we get underway...

This is a photo that my friend Craig shared on facebook last night.  Craig is a member of The Shady Rest Band www.theshadyrestband.com - the band is an Americana group from San Marcos (big surprise).  I think that this is an awesome photo, and I believe that it has the potential to be a future album cover.  You can find several Shady Rest songs on YouTube.  I know that you're thinking between The Shady Rest, Blue October www.blueoctober.com/amiaalbum, and Halleyanna www.halleyanna.com/home, this has the potential to become a music blog, but I'm not even doing sports and poker right yet...  ;)  This second photo that I found was shared on facebook by my friend Valerie...

   

I just think that the expression on this baby's face is AMAZING (and I happen to get this a lot too)...  ;)

What is "the imperfect storm" you ask?  Glad you asked...  Well, as you might imagine, I've been looking forward to the NFL Draft for quite some time.  When I talk here about sports betting, football is the sport that I will be focusing on for the majority of the year.  In case you've joined this party late, when it comes to following sports, this is my current sports year:  football (studying during the August preseason and watching through the Super Bowl in early February); college basketball (early February through the title game in early April); the NBA and NHL (early April through the title games in mid-June); and baseball (mid-June through the start of football)...  The addict that I am, you already know that I watch bits and pieces of other sports (soccer, golf, tennis, auto racing, etc...), and that I will continue to do so in hopes of finding something of value to wager on.  Okay, we'll get back to this betting stuff in a minute...

"The imperfect storm," they ask impatiently...  Tonight I'll experience a minor, yet significant storm, while Thursday will be a major headache.  As I started to say, I've been anticipating the NFL Draft for a while now.  Well, last night I looked ahead to Thursday in my Time Warner Digital Cable T.V. Guide, and this is what I found:  Boston Bruins at Montreal Canadiens (6:30 - 9:00 p.m.); 2014 NFL Draft (7:00 - 10:30 p.m.); and Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio Spurs (8:30 - 11:00 p.m.). Have you ever met me?!  Yes, my favorite hockey team will be playing in a second round playoff game before and during the NFL Draft coverage, my favorite basketball team will be playing in a second round playoff game during and after the NFL Draft coverage, and ALL THREE will be taking place between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m. (and that's assuming that the hockey doesn't go to overtime, which would be JUST PERFECT)...  On the bright side, the Canadiens and Spurs are in the second round, but GEESH!!!  Now the NFL Draft coverage does continue on Friday and Saturday, but still..., it's the FIRST ROUND...  In case you're wondering, I passed on tonight's Texas State at Texas baseball game to watch hockey, basketball, and type this entry up for you, because I'm a team player...  ;)  By the way, I'm pretty happy at the moment, as Montreal is leading Boston 2-0 early in the 2nd period, and the Nets are only down 3 to the Heat at halftime.  P.S.  I'm rooting almost as hard for the Heat to lose as I am for the Spurs to win because I CANNOT STAND LeBron James (more to come in future posts, I'm sure)...  And yeah, get me started on the McDonald's commercial with James and Johnny Manziel, meeting in that place where the best players in their sports meet...  PFFFTTT...

Anyway, back to gambling (and to that quote at the top of the page).  First, I'll once again be leaving Texas, and everyone and everything that I'm very comfortable with to venture back out to the desert.  I'm very (persistent, tenacious, stubborn..., pick your word).  For those of you who think that I'm just a careless gambler, that's not the case.  Now I'm not saying that it's not possible that I'll lose every sports bet that I make, and every poker hand that I'm involved in.  What I am saying is that I study, and that I try to make informed sports bets, and that I play poker with a plan.  I'm also saying that I don't play slots, craps, roulette, blackjack, and the endless number of other table games with any regularity.  I might buy in for twenty bucks at the roulette wheel if a friend is in town - shoot me...  :)  Anyway, you can expect the sports and poker content to pick up here as I make my transition from the ATX to Las Vegas.  I also have to...  THREE NOTHING CANADIENS!!!  :D  ... revisit that post about the pros and cons of living in Las Vegas - so much to do...

Since I have so much to do, I better rest up (watch hockey and basketball)...  ;)  Have a great week and I'll see you again on Saturday!