catnip and coffee

So I had to drop off the boy at t-ball this evening and then I had to go to a meeting. I didn’t have time to go home and get dinner, nor did I even have time to buy a decent meal. But there was no way I was going to a freaking town council meeting with an empty stomach. (Don’t even ask why I was there, but I’m pretty sure me and my cohort were prominently displayed on the local cable access channel. Yikes.)

Anyway, my solution was to stop at a convenience store, grab a bag of chips and a soda, (and a powerball ticket, but shhh, don’t tell dh!) and eat it in the parking lot. Now, if I ate said chips and drank said soda WHILE reading Bon Appetit magazine, is that true irony, or is it Alanis Morissette not really irony kind of irony?

I just realized, I really hate that song. Why did I write a post with that in it? Now that’s ironic. Right?

[edited to add: HELP ME. NOW THAT FRIGGING SONG IS STUCK IN MY HEAD. and I'm very sorry if it's stuck in yours now too.]

I know you’re just dying to know what happened! It was more fun than I expected, and totally worth putting myself out there. Although some of the players take themselves much more seriously than I expected! Scary! Anyway, I actually did quite well. Out of 18 people I was 7th. And I don’t mean 7th to go out!!

I also wasn’t the only newbie. That was unexpected and very welcome news. Yay! Not the only clueless one! One fear down!

My only biggest problem of the night was, I had the biggest frigging headache. All day really. Ever have one of those 3 day headaches, that although it doesn’t hurt that bad, it just lasts so long you think your eyeballs are going to explode? Yes? Well, now try learning poker at the tail end of one. ugh.

About the learning, I didn’t find it that difficult to decide what to bet or if I had good cards or not, but I thought the hardest part of the game was when it’s your turn to deal. You have to remember how to do that on top of handling your own cards! I guess I’ll get used to it, but geez, I think my blood pressure spiked 20 points everytime I dealt!

Anyway, by 10:30, my glasses felt like bricks weighing on my face, and I really wanted out of the game. I had pretty good luck so far and way too many chips as far as I was concerned! I kept betting big and calling bluffs and kept freaking winning! At one point I held on to a 3 and a 6 thinking, eh, I’m sure to lose this one. Yeah. I ended the hand with a straight. That just about killed the rest of the table: “why did you play a 3 and a 6?” they said. Hell if I know but it still beat’em. I do admit the highlight of the night was calling the “president’s” bluff and beating her with a pair of 9’s. heh. (She’s the president of the women’s club I’m in.)

By the time I lost all my chips, it was 11:45. I know. I never stay out that late. It was a joy to go home and put my poor head on a cool pillow. I’ll definitely go back again, but probably not every month. I can see myself getting addicted! But next time, I’ll be glad to know what to expect And next time, I’ll try harder to get dh to go with me! You hear that? That’s him laughing.

There are some things that you’re supposed to learn as a kid, some things as a teenager, some as a college student, and on. Somewhere along the line there’s a few important life skills I never caught on to.

I can’t go underwater without holding my nose. I know. I probably should take swimming lessons right along with my kid. All my older siblings learned at a Y in NY State many moons ago, but when my turn came, that was about the time we moved, to the backwoods of Maine, where there are no Ys. No really, there wasn’t a public pool with 50 miles. My oldest sister tried to teach me in a pond but I didn’t want her to boss me around so I didn’t listen. Heh. Imagine that. Now don’t get me wrong, I love the water, I’m not afraid of the water. I just don’t really go underwater all that much. Cause you know, drowning and all.

I never learned to ride a bike. <GASP> Really. We had a terribly steep, gravel driveway when I was growing up and the skinny, winding road we lived on was full of mack trucks double timing it to the nearby mill. I was scared to death. The first and only time I tried to ride a two wheeler in our driveway, I fell off, scraped up my elbow, ripped my favorite pants, and forswore it forever. I have no idea why my father let me give up so quickly but knowing my personality, I’m sure he knew once I’d made up my mind, it was a lost cause.

Now, somewhere around college age, correct me if I’m wrong, but most people learn how to play poker. Maybe only once, probably drunk, but you usually get the basics down. Now I know it’s not a truly necessary life skill, however if you can’t participate in poker games, it severely limits the possibilities for social events. And when you’re a mommy, you take your Ladies Night Out when you can get it.

I’ve never been much of a gambler. Winning money in a poker game does not hold any appeal to me. I only buy a lottery ticket maybe once or twice a year - mostly because it doesn’t occur to me. The one and only time I went to Vegas the highlight of my trip was the Star Trek Experience. (I’d go again in a second!) I played a few nickel slots but it only felt like flushing a toilet. Flushing my money down a toilet specifically.

For the last two years I’ve managed to avoid the Texas Hold’em game that my local circle of friends plays monthly. From what I’ve heard, they have a great time, and they don’t take themselves too seriously. They’ve all said “you should come!” many times. Last month, I got it in my head that I might actually go. Then it was unexpectedly canceled. Off the hook for March!

Now it’s April. The game is tonight. I’m committed to go. I’m excited to go. I’m trying something new! Woohoo! Yeah, right. I know for certain, with this group of women, I will have a blast. Oh, but I do hate to be they only one in the room who’s clueless. Hate it. But clueless I will be, for I know nothing. I had to print a cheat sheet of what hand beats what. Seriously, I had never heard of a flop was until I was scrambling about on poker sites late last night, trying to learn the lingo. To me, a flop is falling off my bike and never getting back on.

Wish me luck.

I got a surprise package yesterday!

Darling Beaglemum knows I shall soon be closer to 40 than to 30, and sent me an early gift. She picked it out based on my blog name:

Isn’t it pretty! I can’t wait to have a cup of coffee in it

Thank you beaglemum!

Now look closer, no, up a little, yes, that’s my other boy. Meet George.

George snubbed me and wouldn’t look up for the next 10 or so photos:

:

George is in fact his real name. It’s from the Bugs Bunny episode with the abominable snowman. If you understand that reference, I love you. Because you’re old like me.

I made a new friend today. If you know me in real life it will probably surprise you to know that I don’t make new friends very easily. I make lots of friendly acquaintances but going deeper is so very hard. Anyway, one of the other preschool moms and I have been trying to get our kids together for a playdate for months now, and it just never worked out. Well, today she invited us for an inpromptu lunch. And we actually went.

Our lunchdate turned into a playdate and we ended up having a four hour conversation about serious and amazing things. However, our bond was not truly sealed until one of us (I can’t remember who) first admitted an addiction to a certain soap opera recorded daily on our tivos. I know this is quite a confession, but it is a terrible yet life long addiction. Both of us have watched since we were little girls sneaking a peek at it, me with my mother and she with her grandmother. Both of us could remember the characters, the supercouples, and the plotlines from the early 80’s. We even had the same crushes on those oh-so-cute dark haired actors. Silly? Yes. Embarassing? Also yes. But I don’t care - it was totally awesome to find a kindred Guiding Light fan - if not a little freaky. 

Are you gonna spill your secret TV addiction? You know you have one and you might just make a new friend if you tell it