Playing poker....

I remember two different times in my life of playing poker.  First, I'm not a serious Vegas or Texan Hold Em pot limit kind of player...  but I like playing serious poker for fun.  Years and years ago, I use to play every Friday night at the VFW in Plainville, CT.  It was a funny game that was a long standing staple on Friday nights.  For months and months, it was the same guys every week (before I started playing).  I seem to remember the game being mostly quarter-half, pretty much straight poker games, 7 card stud, five card draw or if they wanted to build a pot, jacks or better, trips to win and of course, 7 card high-low was very popular.  Over time, the stakes rose a little, especially when the newbies started playing.

It got to a point that you had to be at the post by 6:00 or you were on the waiting list of players.  It was amazing over the number of people that wanted to play.  The games stayed about the same, the stakes were raised to quarter-half-$2.00 on the last card.  Pots could be healthy.  I held my own, often played all night, some times seeing the sun rise and peek through the back room door.

I remember Peggy, nice lady, donated a lot week after week; Kathy (sometimes called "Red" for the red hair - she was a good player I think normally did OK for herself; Eddie, not as good as he thought; Dick - he was fun to play with, could read him like a book....  story about the 4 kings hand in a minute; Jimmy the pizza guy and his brother - Jimmy was the better of the two.  I wish I could remember all the names.  Another lady, mother of a girl close to my age but younger - fun, but she donated a lot too.  A guy who always kept him bills in an envelope in his shirt pocket...  oh my, I think he lost his pay check every week, terrible player that had a neon sign on his forehead.

I ended up divorced.  I played cards...  others just played.  Perhaps mistakes on both sides.

In Arizona, we started playing with friends too, it was pretty good, fun poker, but not the serious poker of the VFW and wow, did we play crazy games....  typical home poker games.  Baseball - 3's and 9's are wild, 4's you pay extra into the pot and get extra down cards and 7-27 - this was the pot builder, hard to explain.  Bob would bring a case of beer - all for him and drink it all.  Shauna, Troy, Robbie, Butch, Bridget...  those were good time, lots of laughter...  everyone really liked each other and we had fun.

Today, I rarely play...  in fact, I don't remember the last time I played.  Life has changed.

Oldies... all a matter of perspective

When you think of the "oldies" what do you think of?  I had a quick reminder just last week of how different that perspective that thought might be.  I always think of the radio or music.  Remember Richard Simmons and "Sweatin to the Oldies"?  Most of you probably will not.

My teenage years were in the 60's...  Mama's and Papa's; Bobby Vinton; Elvis; Rolling Stones; The Supreme's....  the best music ever.  Now, I think of all that as the oldies.  I understand others may think of the 70's and maybe even the 80's...  then I got the wake up call.

When riding in the car, there have been many times when I would select a station much to my childrens grief.  All the kids, since the time Tina was old enough to usnderstand what we are talking about all the way to last week, normally hate what I select.  Whether it be talk radio (one of my favorites from time to time; NPR (they do like Click and Clack, the tap it brothers, from time to time; to Red Sox games (too bad that Tina and Becca are Yankees fans - I grew out of that years ago) and heaven forbid if I select the music.

Last week, we're riding along and reasonably recent, at least that's my take on it, songs from....  in the 2000's are playing and Travis starts complaining.  He says "Why do we have to listen to these "oldies"?  Oldies? I think, from the year 2000 and newer?  I guess it is all perspective.

It is hard to imagine one of these poor children having to live in the "old days" without iPod, iPhones, the Internet and OMG (lingo), what about having to talk on the phone and not being able to text.

Shut the front door! (if you don't get that, you're an oldie like me).

I remember when I had dark hair

Well, perhaps I really don't remember the dark hair, but I am reminded of it with the old pictures....  haha, in fact, I remember when all the people in this picture had hard hair!

My sister Debbie could probably tell me the exact date of this picture, my guess it is about 1971, the year my daughter Tina was born....   she was only a baby bump in this picture.  This was Debbie's graduation from Casanova College in New York.  She was a mere 20ish...  as my son is today, about to start college.

My mom would have been about 48ish, me about 22 and Betsy about 23 (she will always be older than I am even though her hair may still be darker than mine.

I think I just look like a completely different person then...  I guess I was...  sure was a lot less drama.