Duct Tape

Engineers LOVE duct tape.

Yes, we do.

And we aren't alone.

Everybody loves duct tape. 

I bet all y'all have some at home right now.

Today was a cold lunch day.  My kids are now old enough to make their own lunches.  Since we missed the first cold lunch day I made it a point to remind the boys this morning that they needed to fix a lunch to take to school or they would be stuck eating something they didn't like.

I purposely stayed out of the kitchen.  I didn't want to get sucked into helping them with their lunch business.  After about 10 minutes I wander into the kitchen trying to be all nonchalant but really I was spying on them.  The youngest was shoving his messy PB&J into a bag but the oldest, the oldest was working on his lunch BOX not his lunch.

I was forced to buy him a new lunch box sometime during the last school year because a friend of his had pulled the handle off the box.  By the time I got there he had already put several layers of duct tape on his old lunch box.  My not-so-little engi-nerd had fashioned a handle for his box out of duct tape. 

As soon as I got my camera out to take a picture of his masterpiece he knew I was going to put it on my blog, email, twitter and facebook.  I don't know who is prouder: him or me!

Netbook Lives!

After repeatedly watching that YouTube video of the guy removing the LCD in the previous post and downloading the manufacturer's service guide for the netbook I thought I was ready to install the replacement LCD myself.  Ok, maybe with a little help from a neighbor who volunteered to help me. 

I wasn't expecting the replacement LCD until tomorrow or even the day after that so imagine my surprise when I found it in my mailbox this afternoon.  I set the box on the counter planning to wait until tonight to install it when there was a chance the neighbor could come help me but then I got itchy fingers.  I was dying to get started.

I cleaned off the kitchen counter, gathered my tools and brought the ASUS over to watch the video while I was doing the installation.  The teardown went well.  I had to reference the service guide a couple of times and rerun the video but I got it done!  Only 6 screws to remove the bezel, disconnect the webcam and pull out the microphone, carefully remove the tape holding the connector to the LCD and then 4 more screws to remove the LCD from the frame.  Once that was all apart it was pretty easy to put it all back together. 

I put the battery back on and fired it up just to make sure everything worked BEFORE I put it all back together - just in case, you know, something didn't work.  I was tickled with myself when the whole screen lit right up!  So, here it is in all its glory!

It lives!

Netbook Down!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I bought my netbook last fall.  It was a deal that was just too good to pass up.  Turns out there was a reason it was such a good deal - many people were having serious issues with it locking up.  Knock on wood, I didn't have any of those issues.  I invested in a bigger RAM chip, a better wireless card, a car charger, an upgrade to Windows 7 and an extended life battery.  You might say I have a little invested in this bad boy.

I haul it around the house, around town, even around this country.  I take it just about everywhere that I can't or won't take my ASUS laptop.

I had one minor mishap when it fell off the side table on the front porch.  It survived with nothing more than a small dent in the corner and a missing cover for the front lights.  Phew.

Today, after spending some porch time with the dog,  I got up, grabbed my phone and netbook, then walked into the house.  I lost control of the netbook in the office and, splat, it was on the floor open like a book with the keyboard facing the floor.  It seemed to float gently down when compared to the last fall it took.  I flipped it over and snapped the keyboard back into place before I noticed the screen. 

It wasn't pretty.

Shit.  Shit.  Shit!!!!!!

I love this little netbook with its pathetic processor, bouncy keyboard and small screen. 

I found a replacement LCD on eBay for $76.  My local computer shop quoted $85 to install it.  After watching this YouTube video it is tempting to give it a try myself but, yeah, nevermind.  I'm totally paying somebody else to do it.

Yep, definitely paying somebody else to do it.

Quads

Dems Quads, Bitches!

For the second time during one of my home games I managed to come from VERY far behind to hit quads against a better hand.

The first time I had 77 v AA on an Ax7 flop.  We get it all in on the turn and I'm drawing to ONE out.  Yeah, I hit it.  Don't pretend you didn't know that.

I hosted my home game this past weekend - the first time in ages.  It was a small turnout, just ten of us, but we were having a great time catching up.

My game is a 1x rebuy before the end of the fourth level.  The blinds are very low to start to encourage play.  This hand started with about 28 limpers to a 458 flop.  I was delighted to have flopped bottom set with my 44.  I check called hoping that I wasn't already a mile behind a made hand.  Yeah, yeah, Monsters Under the Bed, etc.  The turn gave me that warm fuzzy feeling that you don't bother to hide when you play online.  This is when online players do the happy dance while trying to figure out it they are going to get paid off.  I check called again.  The river was another 5 making for a board of 45845.  I think we are about to find out where all the 5s and 8s are.  I go ahead and lead out only to hear those sweet, sweet words, "I raise."  Squeeeeeeeeeeee!  I waited to hear the amount of the raise ..........

"I'm all in." 

OMG it doesn't get any better than this. 

"I call.  I have quads."  Poor Jon had flopped top set with 88 only to have me hit my one outer.  He, of course, rebought.  He got me back later when he sucked out a better hand on me but I could hardly be bitter about it. 

Jon's bad beats weren't over.  When it got down to four handed (top 3 get paid) he ran AA into KK only to have a K flop.  Don't feel too sorry for him though.  He and I ended up getting heads up.  That's right.  This guy took horrible beats and still ended up in the final two.  I had about 2/3 of the chips to his 1/3 and my sleep deprived brain offer to just let him have second place money.  He didn't take it and rightfully so.  We played some more and when we got to even stacks we settled on an even chop.  Considering I was in for only one buyin AND collected FOUR bounties I was justifiably thrilled.   

I have to apologize to Lightning36!  He drove 100 miles to play my game and I took him out when I completed my small blind with Q8 sooooooooooted versus his Ax big blind.  He shipped his short stack and I spite called.  I blame my addled brain and the fact that it was soooooooooted.  I sucked out to take him out of the game and scored his bounty.

Summer Pokering

Summer pokering has been pretty much nonexistent.  But, it has been profitable.  Since I took a vast majority on my bankroll offline I have been relegated to my old stomping grounds: 25NL. 

Back in the day (said in my best old person voice and, NO, that is not my everyday voice), the 25NL tables were just loaded with donkeys.  Good ole 'merican donkeys.  Now they are full of Eurodonks.  Well, ok, not so much donks but definitely not the rock garden it used to be before poker became big across the pond.

Check out my graph for this month:

Not too shabby. 

Even better is my graph since May:

Now don't go being that person that speaks of things such as "statistically insignificant" and "totally (un)sustainable".  Don't be that guy.  Just don't.

My kids are going back to school soon and I plan to hit my local boat more than I did last year - they just started spreading 1/2 PLO!  I also plan to play more online.  I have friends that are poker coaches and one offered me an hour of coaching in exchange for all the computer tech support I have given him.  Sounds like a win/win to me.

So look for me at the 25NL tables and then find a different table to play, damnit!  These are my eurodonks.  Go find your own.  :)

P.S.  The PokerSlut Tour will resume the Sunday after Labor Day weekend!  Be there!

Joseph

Joseph, Oregon

Joseph is a small town at the foot of the Wallowa mountains.  Joseph hosts a few events every year but probably the most famous it Chief Joseph Days Rodeo.  My dad had suggested a visit to Joseph during last year's visit that just happened to coincide with the rodeo but we ended up not going.

This year the boys and I went to Enterprise with Red in order to pick up our new kayak and then on to Joseph just 6 miles away to see the sites and shop.  We parked at the edge of the downtown shopping area right in front of the sporting goods store.  After lunch at a nice outdoor cafe we wandered around to see the sites and do some shopping keeping an eye out for the storm that was brewing over the mountains. 

After the lumber mill closed down a bronze foundry took over as the only real local industry aside from tourism and farming.  At every corner of the downtown district you will find the most amazing bronze statues.

It didn't take the storm long to hit but what was most surprising about it was the HAIL!  Yes, I said HAIL! We hid away in a store until the storm passed by and we could continue our tour.  The temperature dropped at least 10 degrees and the street and highway were littered with hail for many hours afterward.

Our final stop was the Sporting Goods store where we picked up some cheap fishing rods, a tshirt and a nice hat.  Zooks99 and I fell in love with the olive caps at an earlier store while Zooks97 would not leave the sporting goods store without his straw hat - he later embellished it with a rattlesnake rattler donated by Grandpa!  I'll be rocking my new hat at my next poker game.  Count on it!

Joseph reminds me a lot of a smaller and less upscale version of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  All in all, a very pleasant place to spend an afternoon.  We missed out on Wallowa Lake and the Tram this trip.  I guess we will just have to save those for next year. 

Living the Wild Life

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