Hey, I've Been Busy. So Sue Me.

I know it's been a while since updating this blog, but I don't care. I've been busy, you know. I admit I've been a little lazy for the past couple of weeks. I will attempt to do better.

To get back in the swing of things, how about some photos of the Balloon Fiesta that is going on this week. So far, it's been a dangerous event. For the first time in over a decade, there has been a death. A woman fell from the balloon when it became tangled in some guide wires. Then, yesterday, a group of riders were injured when high winds produced a bumpy landing. I think I'll wait a while before I try riding in one of these balloons.

The balloons have a "Mass Ascension" each morning at 7 a.m. By 10 a.m. or so, they have all landed at various places around town, finding a suitable vacant lot or parking lot to land on.

Here's my attempt at a self-portrait while hanging out at Starbucks after the Balloon show.

The Sandia Resort has been my home for the past few weeks. Here are some photos of the resort. I love the pool area, of course, that overlooks the golf course. The Sandia Mountains provide a nice setting for reading, writing, or just sunning yourself in the New Mexico warmth.

The lobby area of the resort is huge, with high ceilings and plenty of comfortable chairs to rest in. The casino is off limits to photos. Take my word for it, the place is very cool.

I’ve spent the last few days getting used to a new part-time job and learning my way around town. I’ve been in ABQ since Thursday, August 16. This is my 24th day in this beautiful city and I’m wondering if I will ever leave. Of course, if I do decide to move on West I can always return.

My plan is to stay here through at least the month of October. I’ve taken a part-time job to earn a few bucks and I want to be here for the Balloon Fiesta. After the weather turns colder I may move on to a warmer climate.

I’m thinking on my journey Westward I want to visit Santa Fe, then head west to the Chaco Canyon area, and Gallup. Once I’m through traveling around western New Mexico I’ll head toward Flagstaff, Arizona and then Las Vegas. The timing of these events are undecided, which is the point of this entire trip. All along my goal has been to take my time, work when necessary, stay in places I like for extended periods of time, play cards and check out the Indian casinos along the way, and write about it.

So hang with me.

I left Texas on Monday, August 13. While it seems like ages ago, I’ve spent barely one month on the road. I’ve learned that traveling distorts your sense of time and space. A few days may seem like a month. When settled in one place you develop points of reference to keep you grounded. Routines, schedules, familiar sites and sounds of the place you call “home.” On the road, these points of reference are missing. Time and space become blurry, inconsequential. Each day I’ve been on the road has been different, unique, unplanned, and downright fun.

And the people I’ve met along the way. There is the Starbucks manager who is overworked and unorganized and needs a vacation; Ed, a character at the Sandia Resort who has become a “pal” of mine (more on him later); Keith, my new boss who owns a number of businesses and likes to laugh (I like him a lot, although I’ve only talked with him twice); Bull, a poker dealer the size of Wisconsin; the lady I see each morning working at the concierge desk at the Sandia Resort when I pick up my daily newspaper (and who helped me find a local dry cleaner); the one-armed truck driver I played poker with in Norman; and the knuckle-headed service man at the Carmax who refused to give me a ride because “we just don’t do that."

I owe all of these characters, and many more, a big “thanks” for making my trip an interesting one.

I've been asked, "Why move to the Vegas area?" Well, I saw this clip.

Dumb as a Rock

She's beautiful, but I'm glad I didn't ask her to give me directions to Las Vegas.

On Luck: Life Is Not About Breaking Even

luck (luhk) a noun.
1. the force that seems to operate for good or ill in a person's life, as in shaping circumstances, events, or opportunities: With my luck I'll probably get pneumonia.
2. good fortune; advantage or success, considered as the result of chance: He had no luck finding work.
3. a combination of circumstances, events, etc., operating by chance to bring good or ill to a person: She's had nothing but bad luck all year. 4. some object on which good fortune is supposed to depend: This rabbit's foot is my luck.

“The mystery of poker, and so it’s infinite fascination, lies in the element of chance, otherwise known as luck. The art of the game lies in minimizing it.” Anthony Holden, Bigger Deal

“Life, after all, is not about breaking even.” see above.

I recently read an article in Poker News concerning luck. Luck is the most talked about topic in poker, and everyone has there own opinion of the subject. It seems to be an attempt to explain away the fortunes and misfortunes of a life filled with randomness. Is it possible for luck to be "good" and "bad", or is it nonsense to apply such adjectives to a word that really describes nothing?

Poker players love to talk about luck. Last night I was talking with Norm, a regular player at my table, and I had this conversation:

Me: "That river card was horrible. I've played nothing but premium hands and still can't win a pot. Poker is the one game where you can make no errors and still have your ass handed to you by some nitwit who makes nothing but mistakes."

Norm: "I know what you mean. It's because this game is all about luck."

Is poker a game of luck, skill, or a combination of both? As Phil Hellmuth famously said, "If it weren't for luck, I'd win every hand." The luck/skill debate is at the center of many late night discussions, home game arguments, and court cases. The IRS sees poker as a game of skill for their purposes, allowing players to write off their loses and be taxed on their winnings as income. On the other hand, many states classify poker as a game of luck and is thus gambling, and therefore illegal in their jurisdiction.

The article made this point: play your best game by making the best choices you can; make the right decisions, and never consider luck a part of your game. You cannot control luck, either good or bad. Just make the right decisions and improve your skill. These are things you can control.

Luck is also involved, naturally, in almost every area of life. Is it luck you were hired for that great job, or was is it skill? Is it bad luck when someone gets cancer? We've all heard about the 100-year-old three-pack-a-day cigarette smoker. Is it good luck they beat the odds? Why do some people seem to always win in contests, drawings, the lotto? Maybe life itself is all luck.

What good is having a skill if you die in a traffic accident? Maybe it takes skill to survive a life of random events that can either kill you or bless you. Maybe the skill of looking both ways before crossing the street is a metaphor for making it through each day unscathed by forces out of our control, forces for both good and evil, the great unseen events that randomly effect our future. We look both ways before we cross the street hoping to cheat fate and put the odds in our favor for a long life.

I like the idea the article writer set forth: never consider luck a part of your game. This is good advice for poker players, both at the table and away from it.


Some famous quotes:

"The only sure thing about luck is that it will change." Bret Harte (1836-1902)

"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it." Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

"Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect." Ralph Waldo Emerson, US essayist & poet (1803 - 1882)

"Luck is what you have left over after you give 100 percent." Langston Coleman

"Luck, bad if not good, will always be with us. But it has a way of favoring the intelligent and showing its back to the stupid." John Dewey, US educator, Pragmatist philosopher, & psychologist (1859 - 1952)

"There is no such thing as luck. There is only adequate or inadequate preparation to cope with a statistical universe." Robert Heinlein, "Time Enough for Love", US science fiction author (1907 - 1988)

"Successful people are very lucky. Just ask any failure." Michael Levine, Lessons at the Halfway Point

"Finger of the Week": August 27, 2007

From the beginning of this 1,100 mile journey I was prepared to stop along the way and work. I'll make a few bucks and experience what it’s like having a part-time job. I’ve not had a part-time job this century.

You must understand, I’ve been working for myself since 1997. I’ve had no boss. I’ve had no regular work schedule. I’ve been an independent contractor making a living from commission sales in real estate. So, when I say I’ve not had a part-time job this century, you’ll know what I mean.

I began looking for part-time work soon after arriving in Albuquerque, having decided to stay here for a few weeks. Here is what I’ve learned so far: looking for a job really sucks.

Job-hunting is not like it was in the “good old days.” Now, you’re expected to fill out an application online, wait a week or two until it’s handled, then maybe in a few days they will call you if they want to hire you.

I’ve applied at two bookstores, a coffee joint, a car dealership, a real estate corporate office, and a jewelry store. They all were advertising, “We are Hiring.” I wasn’t just dropping in uninvited. The approach they all had in common, and I’m paraphrasing here, is this: “Fill out an application and in a few days, maybe a week or two, we’ll contact you. Should we contact you, we’ll then set up a time for a formal interview. If we move ahead from there, you may need to have a drug test, be pre-screened, and we’ll have to do a background check to make sure you’re not a terrorist or anything.”

You would think I was applying for a job at the Pentagon.

I remember my first job. It was selling sporting goods at a discount store. I walked in, filled out an application, spoke with a lady who did the hiring, and was hired on the spot. I began work the next day. The whole process took less than hour.

It’s not like that in this century. Now, to find an ordinary part-time job you’ve got to be persistent. And above all else, you have to wait.

I walk into a coffee joint. A sign on the door says, "We are hiring!" Hey, the exclamation point. They must really need help. I fill out the application and turn it in that day. Three days later I've not a heard anything, so I ask to see the manager.

"I just wanted to make sure you got my application." I'm smiling.

"Yes, I did. But I do my office work only on Mondays. Are you available for an interview on Monday?" says the manager.

"Well, I guess. It's Wednesday now. I guess we can't meet any sooner?"

"Not really. I'm backed up with so much work, I really can't meet until Monday." I'm starting to think this whole process is going to take a while.

So, four days later, on Monday, I show up for the interview.

The manager: "Did you not get my voice mail? I called you last night. I'm sick. Can we postpone the interview until Wednesday?"

"Well, I know what it's like to be sick. But I do want to begin work as soon as I can."

"It won't matter. If you are hired, you won't be able to start until the next two week schedule comes out. So you won't be able to start any sooner. We might as well wait until Wednesday."

If I'm lucky enough to get hired, I may get a paycheck by Thanksgiving.