"A Mountain" and the Tucson Visitors Center

The locals call it "A Mountain" and when you see it you know the reason. It has huge letter "A", the logo of the University of Arizona, embedded on it so large that you can see it from throughout the city.

Actually, the small mountain (large hill?) is a volcanic mound thousands of years old that is in the heart of the city's west side. It's referred to by historians as the place the city of Tucson was founded.

I drove to the top of Sentinel Peak, it's real name, and looked at the gorgeous panoramic views from on high. I had a 360-degree view of the Tucson area from high above the city. The drive up was a little scary, with only a narrow two-lane road leading the way.

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I took these photos from the top of Sentinel Peak.

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The Tucson Visitors Center

In downtown, the Visitors Center is a funky looking place located off a shady park area in the heart of the city. I was happy to see "Visitors Center" signs posted from the highway showing me the way.

This is Mickie (right) and friend, volunteers at the Visitors Center. Mickie was helpful in pointing out local attractions and gave me some Halloween candy (candy corn). She took a map of the city, and armed with a highlighter, marked it up with all kinds of suggestions for me as a newcomer. I took her picture and told her I was going to post it on my blog. "We're going to be famous," she said.

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Much is being written locally about the revitalization plans for downtown Tucson. The downtown area is nothing to brag about, yet. They hope to bring life back to it through residential development, an entertainment and retail district, plus improving their art and museum sites. So far, according to local papers, the business community has failed to get on board with the city to make things happen. Like many cities around the country, the major growth of the city is occurring in the surrounding suburbs and developers have abandoned the downtown area.

Canyon Street Art Galleries, Santa Fe

Canyon Street is the center of the art district near downtown Santa Fe. The narrow street is home to numerous art galleries. Parking on the street is limited, so arrive early or be prepared to walk.

Shidoni Gallery, Teseque

Teseque is a small indian pueblo north of Santa Fe. I visited the Shidoni Gallery located there the first day I was in the area. The Shidoni has a foundry, artist studio, gallery, and two sculpture gardens with large bronzes and iron sculptures.

Slideshow of Santa Fe Trip

Before leaving the ABQ area I took an overnight trip to Santa Fe. These photos were taken during the trip.

Slideshow of Scenic Beauty from ABQ to Silver City

Here are a few photos I took while traveling to Tucson from ABQ. I took the scenic route, traveling seven hours on New Mexico's state highway system. I spent the night in Silver City, then drove on to Tucson.

(Hint: move your mouse over the picture to activate the control for pausing, forwarding, and reversing the slides.)

How about them Cowboys? Beating the Philadelphia Eagles is always a pleasure. Now the Pokes are in position to wrap up the NFC East if they'll take care of the Giants. Tony Romo's new contract for $67 million appears to be a good investment. He's playing really well.

I watched the game at a sports bar near the Parks Place Mall, east of downtown Tucson. The place is appropriately called "Touchdown Restaurant and Bar." I first ate lunch, however, at Marie Callender's Brunch buffet located next door. After lunch I made it to the Border's Bookstore at the mall to do some work prior to the game. I made it to Touchdowns Bar in the middle of the Patriots/Colts game. It appears the Patriots are heading for the Super Bowl to play against the Cowboys!

I was updating my monthly tracking sheets last night and I'm still trying to get a handle on my game: am I getting better or worse? Part of the fun for me is tracking my sessions. I log the time, place, wins, losses, winning rate per hour, etc. on a spreadsheet.

I'm beginning to wonder if there is a legitimate way to track my progress as a player in this game. The amount of money I win and add to my bankroll is not a very accurate judge of my skill. One lucky tournament, one big cash payoff, and my numbers are all skewed. If I track my cash game wins only, this too can be deceiving in the short term. I suppose if I can look back over a five year period and show that I've made money each of those years, that would be an indication I am playing well. But even the best of professionals have off years. Does having an "off year" mean I am less skillful, less of a player?

If earnings are not an accurate guage, then what is? The best I can come up with is an hourly win rate. At least if I track my win rate per hour over time it will be analogous to having a regular paying job. For example, if I can check my win rate per hour during a month and see how it compares to a regular job's salary, then maybe I can judge how I'm doing as a player. If I'm losing money each hour, then what I have is a hobby. I'm being entertained, but it's costing me money. If I begin to make money each hour consistently over time, however, then my hobby is beginning to pay off and it may become a source of regular income.

Is earning a regular income from playing poker a sign of my skill? I suppose it is, especially if I can show I've earned money consistently over a long period of time. And the key phrase here is "over a long period of time." It's not particularly relevant to track my win rate per hour for a month and convince myself I am making money. More than likely, the next month I will lose money. It seems to me a year's time is the minimum requirement. I need to track my hourly win rate for a solid year, then see where I am.

Another idea: log 1,000 hours of playing time, then check my win rate per hour. I heard a professional say that a cash game player needs to put in at least 3,000 hours of play before they can judge their skill level. That seems reasonable. Poker is a game, a gamble, with edges and variances that play themselves out over time. Thousands of hours need to be tracked before these variances begin to reveal themselves. This is one reason online players develop their skill far quicker than live game players. An online player will play many more hands per hour, and will also play more hours per day, than live game players. Online poker is live poker on steroids.

So, I guess what I'm suggesting is that:

1. I consider the long term, not the short term, when I'm tracking my progress as a player,
2. I track my win rate per hour, over time, and look for signs of improvement
3. I set a goal to play 1,000 hours at the felt before I assess my skill level and try to determine how well I'm doing.

So far this year, with two months remaining, I've played 510 hours. I suppose this is why I'm a little frustrated in defining my skill level as a player: I've just not played enough to determine where I am as a player.