What was I thinking of?
I love a hand of poker in the pub now and then. I especially like it when we’re away in some remote place in Scotland or Cornwall and it feels like you’re gone back in time, sitting around, bottle of whiskey, maybe a hunk of good cheese and some of those fab Fumbles biscuits.
I even like a little go now and then on the computer if I’m home alone for a while.
But last night it all went a bit silly.
I played Texas Hold ‘em Poker from about nine through to a time I’m not about to put into print, and ok I had fun, and the rush came (and went) and while I lost money it wasn’t that much. But a grown man. Spending all night alone playing poker oinline. It just doesn’t seem right.
But it wasn’t so much the hours and the poker, it was the whiskey that was the big problem.
Trying to recreate that Scottish island croft feel I made my way through far too much Tobermoray.
Feeling grim now. Silly arse.
Last night I downloaded Mansion Casino intending to just mess around on the slots, but then remembered the Murakami.
Mrs G was out for the evening which gave me a great opportunity to either properly listen to the new Tom Waits album at volume and idly blow a few quid on the slots, or get into the new book. In the end I did both and what a simple, but enjoyable evening it gave me.
The Murakami doesn’t mess around and gets straight into the plot, that’s unusual for him as you generally have quite a long period of getting to know the characters and their whereabouts. The two main folk both seem interesting and fitting to his strange and slightly twisted Japanese world. I hammered through 100 pages in what seemed like no time last night, though it was late when I finally turned in to bed and the dog had a bit of a late walk this morning.
She still seems tired after the Welsh trip, although it was only on Sunday that we did any decent distance, walking up Cadir Idris. It was stunning on the way up looking out to the sea in one direction and Snowdonia in the other, but it made me feel old yesterday, I’m sure I once pretty much ran up it with the old dog and an old girlfriend… but that’s another story.
I was checking my bank account earlier when I saw that a tiny shopping trip to Morrisons had been debited at about £20 more than it should have done. Trouble is I didn’t keep the receipt.
I just picked up a few bits that came to £5.98, but I’ve been charged over £26.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens. I’ve written to them via their web site. I’ll be well impressed if they actually sort it out as I have no way of proving what I’ve said.
Funny how I’m worried about that £20, yet worry though I might, I can’t do a thing about the thousands wiped off my pension and any shares I own today. The stock market roller coaster is leaving me dizzy – and how strange it is.
Tomorrow I’ll give you an update on the car. I finally have the thing, but haven’t driven more than a couple of miles yet.
What on earth is this all about?
We’re all in my mate’s cottage in Cornwall, fabulous place, a few minutes from the sea, a decent sobering walk from the pub. The sun has been shining, we take big walks, eat fab food, swim in the sea – and gamble!
I’ve never been to a casino, hardly ever even put money on a horse (though plenty on dogs in the past) and yet suddenly Phil gets us onto a bit of gaming. A bit of gaming that starts just before we were due to go down to the pub for the evening, and doesn’t stop for hours.
Phil has us playing in some online poker game where we’re chatting and playing with these guys in Southampton, but they could just as well have been on the other side of the world. I resent losing money and was playing for as low a stakes as I could get away with, but it was fun and we kept at it until after three in the morning.
Then this morning I find myself back on the site just playing solitaire. That’s for free, but I can’t believe I’m even up for it. I didn’t even play Farmville, or Doom or any of those empire building games in the past, yet here I am effectively in a casino.
I put down a hundred as a deposit last night – and that was matched by the site, so £200 to play with. I did fairly well last night and only came out £30 down, so I guess I’ll be playing for a bit yet before I have the moment of dread when I try to decide whether to play again. I sort of hope I don’t, but then again… I’ll let you know.