Michael Craig's Journal

The tournament starts in 71 minutes from when I’m writing this.

I admit it: the butterflies are starting to flutter.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Rumble, young man. Rumble.

I spent a fair amount of time packing for the tournament today. It will probably bother me admitting this if I bust out early, but I packed for a seige. iPod Nano, iPod 30G. Noise-cancelling headphones, ear buds. 4 Slim Jims, 4 packs of fruit bits. 6 AAA batteries. 2 notebooks, 4 pens (plus a refill for two of the pens). 3 $10-off Rio food coupons. Enough ritallin to rouse Howard Hughes into focusing on the tournament. 1 Full Tilt sweatshirt (hooded), 1 other kind of Full Tilt sweatshirt (pullover), 1 Mike Matusow Full Tilt baseball jersey. 1 appointment book, 1 address book. The dealer copy of my seating card (which I grabbed when the fire alarm sounded a couple of days ago). 1 voice recorder. 1 pair of reading glasses. 1 pad of Post-It notes (lined).

I’ve been living here at the Smoke & Disinfectant Inn since almost the beginning of the World Series. I stayed at the Rio for the first four days, then went home for almost a week. I returned with my family to Mandalay Bay for three days, then saw them off and checked into the SDI. Since then I have made three return trips home, never for as long as 72 hours. I have two computers with me, a printer, a book case … [take that list of what I'm taking to the Amazon Room and multiply it by 35].

I’ve been driving all this time, as my blog has (frequently) stated. It’s 303 miles from the Convention Center parking lot to my home. With a stop for gas, it’s about 5 hours. I’ve made the round trip 60-80 times in the last 2 1/2 years. I bought a sand-colored Mercedes ML 350 last December 10. In 7 2/3 months, I’ve put 22,000 miles on it. Other than being a mass grave to road insects that I don’t wipe clean with sufficient frequency, it is a perfect as a vehicle could be.

What kind of family would put up with someone like me? I can only say that it reflects awfully well on me that they do; I must have some kind of great qualities most people don’t notice for Jo Anne, Barry, Ellie, and Valerie to deal with me and this lifestyle during the World Series. (It periodicially goes beyond the Series. I lived like this in February when I spent 21 days at Wynn Las Vegas chasing the Andy Beal game, and throughout this year while I’ve rushed/raced to research and write THE FULL TILT POKER STRATEGY GUIDE - TOURNAMENT EDITION.)

Jo Anne is somewhat occupied preparing to teach middle school social studies this fall. She starts working at the school tomorrow. She has also been able to keep busy in my absence driving the kids all over the place, since I’m not around to help out. She is just superhuman in her tolerance; I can’t describe it any other way. She told me weekends are the hardest when I’m away so much.

Barry, 16, is a counselor at a computer camp in New York this summer. We’ve been in touch some by e-mail but not nearly enough. He’s handling the separation from me better than I am from him, but that serves me right.

Ellie, 14, is a counselor-in-training at a theatre camp in Scottsdale. She is having a very good summer, doing the social things teenagers get into at that age. Maybe I better get back more to supervise that.

Valerie, 9, is in a couple different local day camps. When we talk on the phone, she finishes by saying, “Good-bye. I love you. I miss you. I’m hugging the phone.” Then she makes a kiss into the phone. “Good-bye again. I love you again. I miss you again. I’m hugging the phone again.” Then she makes the kissing sound and says “again.”

Now I think I’m ready to go play. Thanks for reading along.

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 30th, 2006 at 1:10 pm and is filed under My favourites:.