Grumble Grumble
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Grumble grumble. I'm tired. Very tired. But there is poker to be had, so let's get to it.
I feel like I'm burning myself out this week. Monday, I played the Hoy rather late (but bearable). Even so, I was sluggish yesterday as I dragged my ass out of bed. After work, I was exhausted, but I made plans to meet some buddies uptown for dinner. We decided on J.G. Mellon, a bar/restaurant known for its burgers. According to my cohorts, J.G. had some of the best burgers in the city. The reviews online were split 50/50. While most agreed that the burgers were great, a lot of people complained about long waits for a seat and subpar service.
By the time I arrived with el Jefe, our good buddy Dutch was already hanging out. Scary Eric wasn't there yet, so we waited outside under an awning as it rained. The restaurant looked uncharacteristically vacant, with a few empty tables, but the place was so small that I was praying that Scary Eric arrived in time to get us seated quickly. Once he did arrive, we were told that the wait was ten minutes. Ten minutes later, we were seated in the backroom, at the largest 4-person table in the joint. It was still a tight squeeze, and I barely could fit between the chair, which was backed against a wall, and the table. Dutch and Scary Eric are sizeable guys, both tipping 250lbs. That probably was what earned us the best table, even if it still left me tiny room.
We ordered some food. Jefe and I decided to share an appetizer mozzarella in carozza. We also both ordered the burger, mine cooked medium-rare with cheddar. Finally, we opted to share an order of the crinkle cut, round fries. Dutch and Scary Eric opted for starter chilis, followed by burgers and fries. We all washed it down with surprisingly small $4 beers.
I'm not a food snob, but I just don't get what people are talking about when they praise food that is mediocre. I can only imagine that, with reference to JG Melon, it's all about the hype. This place is "known" to have the best burgers and is on every NYC best burger top ten list. Ergo, its good. People ignore the fact that the burger itself was really merely adequate. No doubt, it was good, but it didn't have that extra something to make it great. The mozzarella in carozza on the other hand was a complete disaster. It tasted like a grilled cheese made with french toast and mozzarella. The fries were mere adequate. At least the beer was good (albeit small, but good).
After dinner, I caught a ride home with Dutch, who was stopping by a friend's apartment in my hood. Back at home, I signed up for the Skillz series and the Bodonkey, knowing full well that I would sit out the first few rounds of one or both tourneys.
Frankly, I don't know why I played the Skillz HOE (limit Hold'em, O8 and Stud8) tourney. Limit tournaments, with the exception of HORSE, are usually boring and slow. The slowness is as bad if not worse than the boring part. I finally realized that I did not have the wherewithall to play proper limit poker, so I opted to play uber agressive until I chipped up or busted out. The latter happened sooner than the former. It didn't help that I was dealt several strong hands only to land in brick city. A five card low draw and flush draw with a pair turned into a weak two pair after sixth and seventh streets. Things like that. Blah blah blah. It's poker. Let's move on.
The Bodonkey was an assload of fun. I don't know why, but I really like this tournament. Maybe it is the fact that I have had some decent success in the past. Sadly, I made the final two tables, only to be knocked out 18th or so. Still, I rather go out 18th than on the bubble, so I guess I have that going for me.
When I logged off, I watched the penultimate episode of the inaugurral season of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. If you are a fan of the movies, check this series out. If you are not, move along. There is nothing for you here. On a related note, I caught T2 on the TV a couple of nights ago and immediately hit the DVR Record button. I then sat and watched a good 40 minutes of the movie. All I can say is that it has it all: one of the best chase scenes ever filmed, an amazing villain, an even better cast of heroes, and a fantastic mythology. Big thumbs up to the cast, including the often overlooked Edward Furlong, who in my estimation is the best John Connor ever, although his only competition is the ever ugly Nick Stahl, the creepy goth kid from Heroes, and the T4 unreleased Christian Bale (sorry, Mr. Bale, but you cannot be Bruce Wayne, Patrick Bateman, and John Connor...save some roles for the Americans) (I'm sorry, Mr. Bale, you know I can't stay mad at you).
Wow! How did I get off on a Terminator tangent?
As we were waiting for a table at JG Melon, I received a telephone call from bro-in-law Marc. Marc wanted to see when we were meeting up for poker tonight (Wednesday). To tell you the truth, I had totally forgot about our plans. Early last week, I received an email from Lee, the host of the Financial Game I played in midtown a while ago (thanks to Matty Ebs). Since then, I had never returned to his game, but I did get an invite for b-i-l Marc, who cleaned up when I wasn't there. Now we are returning to the game tonight, only it was moved to the West Side...the far West Side. Any more West, and we'd need swimming trunks. For you non-NYers, that means that the location is not easily accessible by subway (crosstown is a bitch by subway and the shoreline is usually subway free for a good several long avenues). Still, I committed to attend, so we arranged plans to meet up beforehand.
The thing is, I just don't feel like poker this morning. I want to finish my workday and go home. Wifey Kim won't even be around (America's Next Top Model weekly gathering with her friends), so I'm not running home to anything other than comfort and quiet. Man up, I thought to myself this morning. I grabbed a backpack, loaded up a change of clothes for comfort, and then hit the road.
It wasn't until midtown when I realized that I forgot my poker wallet and card cap. This sucks for a few reasons, most notably the fact that I now have to go to the bank to take out a wad of bills to play. I hate mixing real world funds with poker funds, even temporarily.
Ultimately, though, the game should be juicy. I just know that it's going to be a long night.
Until next time, make mine poker!
posted by Jordan @ 10:47 AM,
4 Comments:
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At 2:44 PM,
jremotigue said...
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Sarah Connor Chronicles is fantastic. Even with Brian Austin Green. I'm waiting for him kill someone and then do his crazy-ass David Silver dance.
I need to re-watch T2. -
At 5:22 PM,
Gnome said...
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I'm liking the Sarah Connor Chronicles, but some scenes are jarring to me.
The un-flesh-covered machine head from Cromardie should not have been able to travel through time in the first episode.
I'm also bothered by the developing theme of Summer Glau starting to behave like a human. Come on. Let's leave that plotline to Battlestar Galactica. -
At 6:24 PM,
Jordan said...
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Interesting points, Gnome. Your point about the Terminator head traveling in time is a good one, but if only organic matter can travel in time, then any Terminator would be unable to travel. A mere outer coating of fake skin should not, in and of itself, make the machine "organic" through and through. I think we need to suspend belief, and I liked the gimmick of the head finding its body and then seeking out a way to repair itself to appear human. It was a clever angle.
I think you need to give Glau a little more time. First off, I think she's a TERRIBLE Terminator, but I'm hoping that they will flesh her out a bit. I have a feeling there is more than meets the eye. She's clearly a very new model, since she can eat, and she also has some role with the resistance in the future which may involve some historical entanglements. Don't know what yet, but I do think it needs more time.
Oh, and she is not acting entirely human. When she got the info and then left the couple to die, that was all Terminator, baby. -
At 9:10 PM,
Gnome said...
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Here's a new post from a Battlestar Galactica blog discussing the most recent ep of Sarah Connor Chronicles: http://galacticasitrep.blogspot.com/2008/02/cylons-vs-terminators-reimagined.html
