Fishman and I have our own betting traditions for Vegas. For at least one tournament game, we load up (at least 50 each) and usually watch Wake Forest or some similar team crush our dreams. This year, however, we went 2 for 3 on team big bets, winning an over/under and then Butler over Pitt (not money line, unfortunately).
We also have begun to bet on the steakhouse bet. Yes, betting on a bet may indicate some sort of "problem." I don't care. We draft steakhouse bet "teams", and if your shooter rolls, then you either win twenty if he wins or lose ten if he loses. Since the pass line is essentially a 50/50 bet, its a positive expected value proposition for one of your shooters to roll.
Now how on earth do you draft shooters for a steakhouse bet team? It all comes down to (1) will / heart & (2) experience. Those are critical skills for any steakhouse bet roller.
Warning - this entire blog post is written by Non-Stats Evan. He comes out every now and then, usually on the craps table. Stats-Evan recognizes Non-Stats Evan as an important component of the whole.
A simple analysis of the past steakhouse bet rollers only confirms these vital skills.
2010: Cracky - unreasonably high drunken confidence level equals WIN.
2009: Fishman - high experience on craps table equals WIN.
2008: Miller - very low experience level, combined with zero confidence and one billion percent fear, equals LOSS.
2007: Evan - high experience on craps table equals WIN.
2006: Cooper Med School Buddy - no idea, but WIN anyway.
2005: Drew - very low experience level equals LOSS.
2005: Allister - high experience level and high confidence equals WIN.
So our steakhouse bet draft pick order was as follows:
Team Evan
(1) Wes
(4) Miller
(5) Cracky
(8) Gibbs
Team Fishman
(2) Fudge
(3) Goozh
(6) Ben
(7) Taylor / Goozh random friend
So what made Gibbs the consensus last pick? While has some experience on the craps table, that experience is highlighted by the legendary "put hand out at wrong time, Allister throws dice into Gibbs arm, dice fall straight down, SEVEN OUT move". There just isn't a lot of good luck following him around on the table. And second, Gibbs generally knows it, which inspires low confidence.
Of course, the end of the RPS tournament was Gibbs v. Taylor. Gibbs dispatched him in a close matchup that involved a disputed "time-out." We also implemented a new rule - the second place finisher must keep track of the money, after there was some shenanigans last year where we were a little short going down to the table. So Taylor collected the money, handed it to Gibbs, and we were on our way down to the craps table.
We found a table, but had to wait for some putzo to finish shooting. Of course, he hit two points, killing our momentum. But when the inevitable seven out came, we surrounded the table and readied ourselves for another year of the most electrifying bet in all of casino betting.
Steak . . . or Wendys.
Bone in filet . . . or a spicy chicken sandwich.
A bottle of red wine . . . or a tall boy from the bathtub.
Gibbs took the dice and heaved them down. The first die came up 2. One day, someone will throw a front line loser. The 2 made this a very real possibility. We were saved by the slimmest of margins. The second die came up 2 as well, leaving Gibbs with only the hardest point to make on the table. There are 3 ways to make a 4 and 6 ways to make a 7. It feels much worse than that when there is this much on the line.
Given these steep odds against us, the group was more subdued than usual. People tried to get "Steak! Steak! Steak!" chants going, but it didn't really catch on. I think there was an air of inevitability on the table - why get all amped up for the seven out that is about to come?
Gibbs' first few rolls were awful. A 4 or 5 or 6 came up on the first die every time. There was an absolutely terrifying 5 . . . and then 3 (3 looks like 2 if you look quickly). There was also a spinner second die on one roll too - where the first die comes down, and the second one just spins for awhile, leaving the whole table in suspense. Suffice to say, none of these came close to the 4, but none hit the dreaded 7 either.
And then it happened. He chucked them down. I think the first die came up 1. And the second, improbably, impossibly, came up THREE.
FOUR! WINNER!!!!
There was a bit of a delayed reaction amongst the group. Did that just really happen? A FOUR POINT? OUT OF GIBBS? Unfrigginbelievable. STEAK! STEAK! STEAK! We unfortunately do not have a video of it this year, which I blame Miller for.
Due to some Fishman tomfoolery, we didn't have a reservation at Smith and Wollensky's, and they wouldn't seat a group of 12 on one hour notice. We tried to do a brazilian steakhouse at the Mirage, but that had a two hour wait as well. Luckily, BOA stepped in and saved us. And while it was bit more of a date-oriented place, there is no denying the flavor of the bone-in filet offered there. We ate and drank like the champions we were.
That's now 6 out of 7 years where we've eaten steak. Take that Vegas!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
It started in 2009, when we wandered over to the Gold Coast Casino. It was basically the opposite of the Palms. It was run down, full of older people, its centerpiece was a T.G.I.Fridays, and perhaps most importantly, it housed a 70 lane bowling alley on its second floor.
We drafted teams and bowled that trip. The penalty for the losing team? Not money. Something much worse than money:
You and your teammates have to go on the beer run for the two rooms. So basically, you have to go to the gas station that is probably 3/4 of a mile down the road, each one of you buys as much beer as you can carry (money comes from the beer fund which everyone contributes to), and then you have to bring it back to one of the rooms and ice it down.
I can't stress how annoying this task is. It is usually hot outside, you're hung over, and the beer is heavy. And not only that, but the winning team gets to do whatever the heck they want to do (usually take a nap or go to the pool) while you are trudging back and forth from the gas station. The stakes have only increased as we have moved back to the strip for the last two years, meaning that the trip is even longer. I'd estimate its 1.5 hours of your time when you add up the bitching, moaning, actual acquisition of beer, flagging down a cab, etc.
It has become a tradition, much like the Steakhouse Bet and the (wait a minute) Gibbs / Fishman chugoff (that did not happen this year).
The last two years has been me and Goozh as captains. Team Goozh has lost the last two years. He wanted things to change. He argued that me, Ben, and himself are the best three bowlers of the group. So why is it that its always me and Ben versus him and the first pick? His argument made some sense, so we RPSed for first pick with me starting with a 1-0 lead. It didn't matter. He went 3-0 on me and immediately first picked Ben. Things were looking grim:
Team Evan
2) James
3) Gibbs
6) Miller
7) Taylor
10) Fishman
Team Goozh
1) Ben
4) Steve
5) Wes
8) Matt
9) Fudge
The critical pick actually was pick 9. Fishman is famous for his 6 mph bowling ball roll. It emasculates your entire team every time he does it. But it generally goes pretty straight and where he wants it. It just... doesn't knock over many pins due to the laws of physics. Fudge, on the other hand, bowls it pretty fast but usually in the gutter. Goozh went with Fudge. It would haunt him throughout the match.
Things started out slowly for both teams. The first mark didn't even come until the second frame I think. But Team Goozh slowly but surely wrestled control from a struggling Team Evan. Especially struggling was myself, who ended up with a 105 or something pathetic like that in the first game.
I don't really know what was wrong with me all day. I was hungover, but thats not the first time I've been hungover and bowling. The lane was a bit slippery for me, so I was always concerned with falling. And of course, I didn't have my own ball, but even with alley balls I can usually put up a 130-140. Regardless, most everyone said that this was the worst they've ever seen me bowl. After I hit one of my few spares on the day, I followed with a ONE and then a ZERO. That will hurt your score a bit.
On the other hand, Fishman was bowling like a man possessed. Every time his 6 mph slow ball zeroed in on the pocket. He even got a couple strikes, which seems like it would be impossible. It didn't balance out the rest of us though.
While Team Evan was down probably 60 or 70 at some point during the first game, there was a bit of a rally at the end. That rally is 100% attributed to Miller's ordering of white russians for the team.
Game 1
Team Goozh: Whatever
Team Evan: Whatever -34
The beer run was looming. Team Goozh was confident. I had zero confidence. We were rattled. And literally, the first 7 frames of game 2 did nothing to change the status quo. We were always on the brink of destruction, but managed to keep it doable. The near-deathblow? Fudge with the only double of the match coming in the 7th frame. It was a shock and had us basically concede right there. But we fought on. I'd estimate that we were down between 40 and 50 heading into the final 1/3 of game 2.
Slowly and surely, we made up ground. An extra spare here. A 9 off a spare there. A choke-miss on Team Goozh. By the time the tenth frame came around, it was doable. We would probably just need a mark or two more than them and some big fills behind them. I think only one person on each team was working off a mark.
James started things off well, and honestly I don't recall much else about our bowling that frame other than Miller's shot. He was next to last on our team (I was anchor). He rolled a 9 on his first shot, leaving a 5 pin. We NEEDED the spare in the worst way. He let it go. It did not look like it was going to get there. But it just BARELY grazed the five pin, sliding it over and making it fall. It was about as close to missing as you can get while still hitting it. He then finished the 10th with a 7, leaving it up to me (Team Goozh had already finished).
I readied myself to bowl. We knew it was close. But how close? There was a lot of noise going on. Tensions were high. I put the ball down. I demanded a count. What did I need for our team to win?
Goozh ran some numbers. He said the one thing I did not want to hear.
Goozh: Ten. You need ten pins to tie. Eleven to win.
Since I wasn't working off a mark...
Goozh: You must mark or your team is going on the beer run!
That sent everyone into hysterics. Normally a mark is not an issue for me. I'll probably mark 70 percent of the time in an average game. But today? I think I had like 5 marks total, none of which were strikes. I mean, I had a 91 in the 9th frame at this point! My legs were jello.
I picked up my ball and approached the line. Team Evan locked arms and chanted... something. Team Goozh was much louder. They were chanting "GOAT! GOAT! GOAT!!!!" I tried to block it all out. I started down the lane and let it go. It was the best shot I've thrown all day. Wrong side of the head pin, pretty much dead pocket. You show me that shot before it hits the pins, I'd put money on strike.
Instead, it left a 7 pin for 9. I basically collapsed in dismay. Team Goozh went crazy, knowing how much trouble I've had all day with spares. Team Evan... tried to stay positive.
The chanting began. I did not want to be the goat. I did not want the beer run. I could barely feel my legs. I picked up the ball and approached. I let it go. It was too far left. At that point, I would have wagered a lot of money it would end up in the gutter two feet before the pin.
BUT IT SOMEHOW HELD ON AND NAILED IT!!!!
I sort of blacked out at this point. I think I turned around, started screaming, ran back, and jumped into the arms of my equally exuberant teammates. We went crazy. Whoever was in the alley must have thought we had just won the World Series. I wish we had a video of it. I would make it my imaginary WWE entrance video.
I still had to get one pin to seal the deal, so I just kind of chucked it down and stopped watching once I knew it would hit pins. It ended up getting 9. Victory. Team Evan, still undefeated. Team Goozh, again getting beer.
Final
Team Goozh: Whatever
Team Evan: Whatever +9
We drafted teams and bowled that trip. The penalty for the losing team? Not money. Something much worse than money:
You and your teammates have to go on the beer run for the two rooms. So basically, you have to go to the gas station that is probably 3/4 of a mile down the road, each one of you buys as much beer as you can carry (money comes from the beer fund which everyone contributes to), and then you have to bring it back to one of the rooms and ice it down.
I can't stress how annoying this task is. It is usually hot outside, you're hung over, and the beer is heavy. And not only that, but the winning team gets to do whatever the heck they want to do (usually take a nap or go to the pool) while you are trudging back and forth from the gas station. The stakes have only increased as we have moved back to the strip for the last two years, meaning that the trip is even longer. I'd estimate its 1.5 hours of your time when you add up the bitching, moaning, actual acquisition of beer, flagging down a cab, etc.
It has become a tradition, much like the Steakhouse Bet and the (wait a minute) Gibbs / Fishman chugoff (that did not happen this year).
The last two years has been me and Goozh as captains. Team Goozh has lost the last two years. He wanted things to change. He argued that me, Ben, and himself are the best three bowlers of the group. So why is it that its always me and Ben versus him and the first pick? His argument made some sense, so we RPSed for first pick with me starting with a 1-0 lead. It didn't matter. He went 3-0 on me and immediately first picked Ben. Things were looking grim:
Team Evan
2) James
3) Gibbs
6) Miller
7) Taylor
10) Fishman
Team Goozh
1) Ben
4) Steve
5) Wes
8) Matt
9) Fudge
The critical pick actually was pick 9. Fishman is famous for his 6 mph bowling ball roll. It emasculates your entire team every time he does it. But it generally goes pretty straight and where he wants it. It just... doesn't knock over many pins due to the laws of physics. Fudge, on the other hand, bowls it pretty fast but usually in the gutter. Goozh went with Fudge. It would haunt him throughout the match.
Things started out slowly for both teams. The first mark didn't even come until the second frame I think. But Team Goozh slowly but surely wrestled control from a struggling Team Evan. Especially struggling was myself, who ended up with a 105 or something pathetic like that in the first game.
I don't really know what was wrong with me all day. I was hungover, but thats not the first time I've been hungover and bowling. The lane was a bit slippery for me, so I was always concerned with falling. And of course, I didn't have my own ball, but even with alley balls I can usually put up a 130-140. Regardless, most everyone said that this was the worst they've ever seen me bowl. After I hit one of my few spares on the day, I followed with a ONE and then a ZERO. That will hurt your score a bit.
On the other hand, Fishman was bowling like a man possessed. Every time his 6 mph slow ball zeroed in on the pocket. He even got a couple strikes, which seems like it would be impossible. It didn't balance out the rest of us though.
While Team Evan was down probably 60 or 70 at some point during the first game, there was a bit of a rally at the end. That rally is 100% attributed to Miller's ordering of white russians for the team.
Game 1
Team Goozh: Whatever
Team Evan: Whatever -34
The beer run was looming. Team Goozh was confident. I had zero confidence. We were rattled. And literally, the first 7 frames of game 2 did nothing to change the status quo. We were always on the brink of destruction, but managed to keep it doable. The near-deathblow? Fudge with the only double of the match coming in the 7th frame. It was a shock and had us basically concede right there. But we fought on. I'd estimate that we were down between 40 and 50 heading into the final 1/3 of game 2.
Slowly and surely, we made up ground. An extra spare here. A 9 off a spare there. A choke-miss on Team Goozh. By the time the tenth frame came around, it was doable. We would probably just need a mark or two more than them and some big fills behind them. I think only one person on each team was working off a mark.
James started things off well, and honestly I don't recall much else about our bowling that frame other than Miller's shot. He was next to last on our team (I was anchor). He rolled a 9 on his first shot, leaving a 5 pin. We NEEDED the spare in the worst way. He let it go. It did not look like it was going to get there. But it just BARELY grazed the five pin, sliding it over and making it fall. It was about as close to missing as you can get while still hitting it. He then finished the 10th with a 7, leaving it up to me (Team Goozh had already finished).
I readied myself to bowl. We knew it was close. But how close? There was a lot of noise going on. Tensions were high. I put the ball down. I demanded a count. What did I need for our team to win?
Goozh ran some numbers. He said the one thing I did not want to hear.
Goozh: Ten. You need ten pins to tie. Eleven to win.
Since I wasn't working off a mark...
Goozh: You must mark or your team is going on the beer run!
That sent everyone into hysterics. Normally a mark is not an issue for me. I'll probably mark 70 percent of the time in an average game. But today? I think I had like 5 marks total, none of which were strikes. I mean, I had a 91 in the 9th frame at this point! My legs were jello.
I picked up my ball and approached the line. Team Evan locked arms and chanted... something. Team Goozh was much louder. They were chanting "GOAT! GOAT! GOAT!!!!" I tried to block it all out. I started down the lane and let it go. It was the best shot I've thrown all day. Wrong side of the head pin, pretty much dead pocket. You show me that shot before it hits the pins, I'd put money on strike.
Instead, it left a 7 pin for 9. I basically collapsed in dismay. Team Goozh went crazy, knowing how much trouble I've had all day with spares. Team Evan... tried to stay positive.
The chanting began. I did not want to be the goat. I did not want the beer run. I could barely feel my legs. I picked up the ball and approached. I let it go. It was too far left. At that point, I would have wagered a lot of money it would end up in the gutter two feet before the pin.
BUT IT SOMEHOW HELD ON AND NAILED IT!!!!
I sort of blacked out at this point. I think I turned around, started screaming, ran back, and jumped into the arms of my equally exuberant teammates. We went crazy. Whoever was in the alley must have thought we had just won the World Series. I wish we had a video of it. I would make it my imaginary WWE entrance video.
I still had to get one pin to seal the deal, so I just kind of chucked it down and stopped watching once I knew it would hit pins. It ended up getting 9. Victory. Team Evan, still undefeated. Team Goozh, again getting beer.
Final
Team Goozh: Whatever
Team Evan: Whatever +9
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Vegas started off on an odd, but not necessarily bad, note.
Ben had procured a comped room for himself at the Imperial Palace. But James and I were arriving 4 or 5 hours before him on Wednesday. So we had to check in before he arrived, which generally isn't that big of an issue. As long as your name is on the room, you just have to put down a credit card, and then they'll reverse the room charges when the main person arrives.
After a cripping one hour wait to get through the check-in line, I explained the situation to the hotel person. After a little back and forth, she gave us a room and we were on our way. James decided to take a shower, and I tried to mentally prepare myself for the ninth year of Vegas. But I was interrupted by a phone call. It was the hotel person, telling me that we had to switch rooms. I asked why. She said that Ben had already checked in, so she just needed to give me cards for that room. I said that seems weird since Ben is on a plane right now, but she seemed to feel pretty strongly that Ben had checked in. She also mentioned something about a "Jesse" being on the room as well. As James and I are not well versed in the intricacies of hotel check-in policies, we just went with it.
In the new room, James and I immediately noticed a suitcase and bookbag on a bed, and a couple shirts hanging up in the closet. We were... intrigued. But after 12 hours of travel, I felt disgusting. I told James I was going to take a shower, and that he should do his best to figure out what was going on.
After my shower, I was thinking a bit more clearly. We were either in the wrong room, or that "Jesse" character had already checked in and Ben had just neglected to tell us about him. I called the front desk and asked someone if they could give me any more information about this shady situation. I also asked if there were any other Ben Elliotts in the hotel. Nope, just the one. She didn't seem interested in continuing the conversation.
It was time to do a little bit more investigation. I checked out the baggage check tag on the luggage. It read "Elliott / Corey" and was coming from Texas. This was the break in the case we needed. I called downstairs again and said, "Hey its me again, I know we just talked, but I just found some luggage info that says Corey Elliott. Is that guy checked in?" The woman replied that there was someone by that name with a reservation, but they hadn't checked in yet.
I connected the dots fairly quickly. The woman did not. I did not want to explain to her on the phone. And I also wanted us to get out of the room as quickly as possible. I told her we were coming down.
We were now faced with rectifying the situation. I refused to wait in that one hour check in line again. So I stood off to the side and sort of waved to the person who served me before. She recognized me and waved me in, which must have infuriated the mass of humanity in front of her. I told her what I found in the room, and my conclusion as to how they must have checked in the wrong person under Ben's reservation. A more senior agent heard this and concluded management needed to get involved. The two workers left the desk, and I awkwardly stood there for 5-10 minutes.
When they returned, they agreed with my assessment of what probably happened. They put us in a new room, told me that I did not have to put a credit card down for charges to be reversed, that Ben did not have to check in himself later, and also gave us 2 free passes to the buffet. In short, they wanted this all to go away as quickly as possible. I took the passes, thanked them, and finally we were on our way.
Of course, there is the issue of old Corey. I wonder if he realizes that we were in his room. I did shower, and to do that I had to (1) unwrap the soap and shampoo and (2) leave a wet towel. Our conclusion was that if the "Jesse" person named on the room arrived while Corey was out, then Jesse would simply think that Corey left that stuff in the shower, and Corey would think Jesse did the same. But if he realized that someone else was in the room and investigated any further downstairs, he probably would be told about the mixup. And I know if it happened to me, I would be absolutely livid and looking for some sort of compensation.
It was a strange start for us, but Vegas still turned out pretty darn good this year.
Ben had procured a comped room for himself at the Imperial Palace. But James and I were arriving 4 or 5 hours before him on Wednesday. So we had to check in before he arrived, which generally isn't that big of an issue. As long as your name is on the room, you just have to put down a credit card, and then they'll reverse the room charges when the main person arrives.
After a cripping one hour wait to get through the check-in line, I explained the situation to the hotel person. After a little back and forth, she gave us a room and we were on our way. James decided to take a shower, and I tried to mentally prepare myself for the ninth year of Vegas. But I was interrupted by a phone call. It was the hotel person, telling me that we had to switch rooms. I asked why. She said that Ben had already checked in, so she just needed to give me cards for that room. I said that seems weird since Ben is on a plane right now, but she seemed to feel pretty strongly that Ben had checked in. She also mentioned something about a "Jesse" being on the room as well. As James and I are not well versed in the intricacies of hotel check-in policies, we just went with it.
In the new room, James and I immediately noticed a suitcase and bookbag on a bed, and a couple shirts hanging up in the closet. We were... intrigued. But after 12 hours of travel, I felt disgusting. I told James I was going to take a shower, and that he should do his best to figure out what was going on.
After my shower, I was thinking a bit more clearly. We were either in the wrong room, or that "Jesse" character had already checked in and Ben had just neglected to tell us about him. I called the front desk and asked someone if they could give me any more information about this shady situation. I also asked if there were any other Ben Elliotts in the hotel. Nope, just the one. She didn't seem interested in continuing the conversation.
It was time to do a little bit more investigation. I checked out the baggage check tag on the luggage. It read "Elliott / Corey" and was coming from Texas. This was the break in the case we needed. I called downstairs again and said, "Hey its me again, I know we just talked, but I just found some luggage info that says Corey Elliott. Is that guy checked in?" The woman replied that there was someone by that name with a reservation, but they hadn't checked in yet.
I connected the dots fairly quickly. The woman did not. I did not want to explain to her on the phone. And I also wanted us to get out of the room as quickly as possible. I told her we were coming down.
We were now faced with rectifying the situation. I refused to wait in that one hour check in line again. So I stood off to the side and sort of waved to the person who served me before. She recognized me and waved me in, which must have infuriated the mass of humanity in front of her. I told her what I found in the room, and my conclusion as to how they must have checked in the wrong person under Ben's reservation. A more senior agent heard this and concluded management needed to get involved. The two workers left the desk, and I awkwardly stood there for 5-10 minutes.
When they returned, they agreed with my assessment of what probably happened. They put us in a new room, told me that I did not have to put a credit card down for charges to be reversed, that Ben did not have to check in himself later, and also gave us 2 free passes to the buffet. In short, they wanted this all to go away as quickly as possible. I took the passes, thanked them, and finally we were on our way.
Of course, there is the issue of old Corey. I wonder if he realizes that we were in his room. I did shower, and to do that I had to (1) unwrap the soap and shampoo and (2) leave a wet towel. Our conclusion was that if the "Jesse" person named on the room arrived while Corey was out, then Jesse would simply think that Corey left that stuff in the shower, and Corey would think Jesse did the same. But if he realized that someone else was in the room and investigated any further downstairs, he probably would be told about the mixup. And I know if it happened to me, I would be absolutely livid and looking for some sort of compensation.
It was a strange start for us, but Vegas still turned out pretty darn good this year.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Steakhouse Bet History
2010: James. Front line winner.
2009: Fishman. Five point. Winner.
2008: Miller. Six point. Seven out.
2007: Evan. Nine point. Winner.
2006: Cooper Med School Buddy. Front line winner.
2005: Drew. Nine point. Seven out. But... Al goes for the replay and ... front line winner!
We're five for six on steak. Who will step up this year????
2010: James. Front line winner.
2009: Fishman. Five point. Winner.
2008: Miller. Six point. Seven out.
2007: Evan. Nine point. Winner.
2006: Cooper Med School Buddy. Front line winner.
2005: Drew. Nine point. Seven out. But... Al goes for the replay and ... front line winner!
We're five for six on steak. Who will step up this year????
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The earthquake and resulting near nuclear meltdown in Japan has coerced me into doing something I should have done a long time ago - I've finally started to put together an emergency pack for us.
Living in NYC alone should have compelled us to do so. Even at my old firm we were given emergency packs to velcro under our desks. That pack provided a good start for a real one:
1) a debris mask
2) a flashlight
3) a pack of water
4) a glowstick
5) a whistle
6) a small first aid kit
7) an emergency blanket
Kim also was given a somewhat bulkier pack. It had much of the above items (giving us multiple glowsticks, emergency blankets, etc.), although it added:
8) a poncho
9) a battery operated radio
There were a couple glaring deficiencies in the items we had. Notably, (1) water and (2) food. One pack of water? That's not going to cut it. I got us a couple bottles of water to go in (I imagine that will be most of the weight of the bag). As for food, Kim and I are debating what the best food item would be. I suggested power bars, as they are probably pretty dense and look like they would keep for a long time. Kim suggested nutri-grain bars, which I put the kabosh on because they are the exact opposite. I will need to do some research on this.
Kim suggested we put some money in there as well. I threw in the 40 dollars I had in my wallet at the time, but Kim argued that we should put in more. 100? 200? Probably should be smaller bills too.
I also bought these nifty little items from amazon.com:
1) A hand crank radio / flashlight / usb charger. It also can charge some cell phones (not sure if it can charge either of ours, but whatever). Only 20 bucks, seems too good to be true.
2) An emergency water filter system. Can't get enough water, right? This is good for 20 gallons worth. I assume there are a lot of shady water sources in NYC, should the need arise. Only 7 bucks.
I wanted to also get us a bookbag to carry this all in, but we already have a free bag that Kim had lying around. Its more of a large messenger pack than bookbag. I suppose it does the job well enough.
I'm not sure what else needs to go in there. I actually just threw a travel-sized floss into the bag. My thought process? While we probably won't care so much about oral hygiene in an emergency, it can double as a form of rope. Also, its pretty compact. I don't want the bag to become a mish-mosh of random stuff though...
Living in NYC alone should have compelled us to do so. Even at my old firm we were given emergency packs to velcro under our desks. That pack provided a good start for a real one:
1) a debris mask
2) a flashlight
3) a pack of water
4) a glowstick
5) a whistle
6) a small first aid kit
7) an emergency blanket
Kim also was given a somewhat bulkier pack. It had much of the above items (giving us multiple glowsticks, emergency blankets, etc.), although it added:
8) a poncho
9) a battery operated radio
There were a couple glaring deficiencies in the items we had. Notably, (1) water and (2) food. One pack of water? That's not going to cut it. I got us a couple bottles of water to go in (I imagine that will be most of the weight of the bag). As for food, Kim and I are debating what the best food item would be. I suggested power bars, as they are probably pretty dense and look like they would keep for a long time. Kim suggested nutri-grain bars, which I put the kabosh on because they are the exact opposite. I will need to do some research on this.
Kim suggested we put some money in there as well. I threw in the 40 dollars I had in my wallet at the time, but Kim argued that we should put in more. 100? 200? Probably should be smaller bills too.
I also bought these nifty little items from amazon.com:
1) A hand crank radio / flashlight / usb charger. It also can charge some cell phones (not sure if it can charge either of ours, but whatever). Only 20 bucks, seems too good to be true.
2) An emergency water filter system. Can't get enough water, right? This is good for 20 gallons worth. I assume there are a lot of shady water sources in NYC, should the need arise. Only 7 bucks.
I wanted to also get us a bookbag to carry this all in, but we already have a free bag that Kim had lying around. Its more of a large messenger pack than bookbag. I suppose it does the job well enough.
I'm not sure what else needs to go in there. I actually just threw a travel-sized floss into the bag. My thought process? While we probably won't care so much about oral hygiene in an emergency, it can double as a form of rope. Also, its pretty compact. I don't want the bag to become a mish-mosh of random stuff though...
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Kim rented "Life as we Know It," a romantic comedy starring Katherine Heigl and some guy who is apparently attractive. Of course, it is an obnoxiously terrible movie.
The one saving grace? I actually have work to do tonight! Never has doing a little document review and research felt so good. Maybe thats the trick for me to bill a TON of hours - Kim has to rent terrible movies from the Blockbuster Express machine 24/7. I would probably bill 3500 hours a year.
The one saving grace? I actually have work to do tonight! Never has doing a little document review and research felt so good. Maybe thats the trick for me to bill a TON of hours - Kim has to rent terrible movies from the Blockbuster Express machine 24/7. I would probably bill 3500 hours a year.
A very weird thing happened this past weekend. We were coming back to our apartment after a gift card shopping spree (we ended up using 6, but 5 of them were to Best Buy). We came in the back door to the building. As we got in the elevator, this random old man started talking to us.
Old man: Someone just jumped out the window.
Us: Huh?
Old man: Someone from the 7th floor jumped out their window.
Us: [disbelieving old man due to likely senility] Hmm, that's weird.
We dropped off our bags upstairs and decided to investigate further. As we stepped off the elevator on the ground floor, two maintenance guys were coming out of the other elevator.
Us: What's going on?
Maintenance guy: [shaking head] The old guy in [random apartment number] jumped out his window.
Us: What?!? Is he dead?
Maintenance guy: Yes. You don't really want to be walking in this direction...
So of course we continued to walk in that direction. The building had put boards up against the windows to the mini-courtyard area in an attempt to prevent gawkers. But if you looked hard enough you could see a police officer hanging out and a white sheet on the ground. It was . . . very strange. Still is.
Old man: Someone just jumped out the window.
Us: Huh?
Old man: Someone from the 7th floor jumped out their window.
Us: [disbelieving old man due to likely senility] Hmm, that's weird.
We dropped off our bags upstairs and decided to investigate further. As we stepped off the elevator on the ground floor, two maintenance guys were coming out of the other elevator.
Us: What's going on?
Maintenance guy: [shaking head] The old guy in [random apartment number] jumped out his window.
Us: What?!? Is he dead?
Maintenance guy: Yes. You don't really want to be walking in this direction...
So of course we continued to walk in that direction. The building had put boards up against the windows to the mini-courtyard area in an attempt to prevent gawkers. But if you looked hard enough you could see a police officer hanging out and a white sheet on the ground. It was . . . very strange. Still is.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Continuing the Irritable Bowl Syndrome v. Hebrew Hammers rivalry, IBS managed to outright win last night in the first match of the new bowling season. In two very tense and high scoring affairs, IBS won by a measley 8 pins in each game.
IBS received solid contributions from all involved. Perhaps most surprising was super-sub Cracky McNamara, who averaged a 160 or so, highlighted by a clutch turkey in game 2. In game 1, Kim busted out a 144, while I rolled a clean (no open frames) 198. Game 2 was a more defensive minded affair, but IBS fought through, hit clutch shots, and carried the day.
Unfortunately, the handicap that helped us so much last season will probably bite us in this match. The league proclaimed that there will be "retroactive" handicaps for week 1. Taking a quick look at the other scores in the league, we determined that we were likely the top scoring team in the league. Thus, other teams handicaps will be based on our score. For our purposes, that will result in a tie for our match. Regardless, we'll take the moral victory as that is probably the only victory we're going to have all season.
And also, because of our [disappointing] second place finish for last season, our charity of choice, The Susan G Komen Cancer Research Foundation, gets a donation! I've now done my part for cancer research. Have you?
IBS received solid contributions from all involved. Perhaps most surprising was super-sub Cracky McNamara, who averaged a 160 or so, highlighted by a clutch turkey in game 2. In game 1, Kim busted out a 144, while I rolled a clean (no open frames) 198. Game 2 was a more defensive minded affair, but IBS fought through, hit clutch shots, and carried the day.
Unfortunately, the handicap that helped us so much last season will probably bite us in this match. The league proclaimed that there will be "retroactive" handicaps for week 1. Taking a quick look at the other scores in the league, we determined that we were likely the top scoring team in the league. Thus, other teams handicaps will be based on our score. For our purposes, that will result in a tie for our match. Regardless, we'll take the moral victory as that is probably the only victory we're going to have all season.
And also, because of our [disappointing] second place finish for last season, our charity of choice, The Susan G Komen Cancer Research Foundation, gets a donation! I've now done my part for cancer research. Have you?
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Devastating. There is simply no other word for it.
Irritable Bowl Syndrome entered the playoffs as the two seed, but was probably an underdog to Hebrew Hammers, the three seed. Sure, IBS would get a handicap, but IBS's full roster was not present. And our bowling performances of late have been fairly terrible. We were not particularly hopeful.
We showed up at the alley at 7:45. A gaggle of young girls were in our lane. They had 7 minutes left of bowling. Ugh. We looked down the alley, and saw the Hammers on a different lane. Did we read the schedule wrong?
No. While we were eating cheesesteaks and pounding beers at Shorty's, they rented a lane to practice beforehand. They also were wearing new custom jerseys. They were here to play.
Things started off slow for both teams. But as we had a 58 pin handicap, that was just fine for us. We had heard numerous complaints from them before about the handicap. One of them asked me if I agreed that handicaps should be thrown out for the playoffs. I replied, "No, although from your end I would certainly argue for that."
And then I made it a point to say, "You know, we start two girls." Lost in this handicap debate is the fact that every other team starts 3 guys and 1 girl. We are more . . . egalitarian.
Regardless, we squeaked by with a 20 pin or so win in the first game, and the Hammers never really threatened in the second. I think we outright won the second game (even without the handicap), thanks to nice games from pretty much everyone except me. So we would advance to the finals... which started fifteen minutes later.
Four games in one night. With a lot of beer being consumed. This would be a challenge.
We faced the #1 seed, Pin Pals. We got swept by them in the regular season, thanks to their one girl who averages what must be 140, and the rest of her flunkies who average around 130. As we strolled up to the alley, one of them asked me "How do you have a handicap when three of you have your own balls?" I replied, again, that we start two girls. He inquired as to the quality of our girls and I muttered some gibberish because I was getting both annoyed and tipsy.
They bowled terribly. We did too. Advantage us! We won the first game by 20 or so.
Unfortunately, we completely imploded in the first three frames of game 2. We had maybe 2 marks. They couldn't miss. And by the start of frame 4, the had made up both the game's handicap and our lead from game 1. Things were gloomy.
But IBS rallied. Big time. I capped our seventh frame with a double, and it looked like we had things pretty much in hand. My mind actually considered the possibility that we were going to win.
Too soon.
We fell apart again. They did not. And when their anchor got a double in the ninth that he one hundred percent did not deserve, things were all but lost. We put up little resistance in the tenth, although things were still somewhat in question with just myself and their anchor to go (again, he was working off a double). I would need to start the tenth with two strikes to put any sort of pressure on him. He motioned for me to go. I said fine, and promptly rolled one of the worst first shots I threw all night. 6. I didn't even hit the head pin. Just . . . terrible. I also missed the spare, which didn't matter at that point anyway. We lost by 18. I think it was 1114-1096.
So close to a championship it hurts. Kim said, and I somewhat agree, that it would have been better to just get crushed in the semifinals. We drowned our sorrows with lunchboxes and then more beer at Shorty's. I felt terrible today, which I attribute to being at 70% physical condition and 20% mental condition.
And the schedule was released for next season. Our first matchup? Hebrew Hammers. Since its the first match, there won't be any handicaps - it'll be straight up. We're going to get annihilated.
Bowling is a cruel mistress.
Irritable Bowl Syndrome entered the playoffs as the two seed, but was probably an underdog to Hebrew Hammers, the three seed. Sure, IBS would get a handicap, but IBS's full roster was not present. And our bowling performances of late have been fairly terrible. We were not particularly hopeful.
We showed up at the alley at 7:45. A gaggle of young girls were in our lane. They had 7 minutes left of bowling. Ugh. We looked down the alley, and saw the Hammers on a different lane. Did we read the schedule wrong?
No. While we were eating cheesesteaks and pounding beers at Shorty's, they rented a lane to practice beforehand. They also were wearing new custom jerseys. They were here to play.
Things started off slow for both teams. But as we had a 58 pin handicap, that was just fine for us. We had heard numerous complaints from them before about the handicap. One of them asked me if I agreed that handicaps should be thrown out for the playoffs. I replied, "No, although from your end I would certainly argue for that."
And then I made it a point to say, "You know, we start two girls." Lost in this handicap debate is the fact that every other team starts 3 guys and 1 girl. We are more . . . egalitarian.
Regardless, we squeaked by with a 20 pin or so win in the first game, and the Hammers never really threatened in the second. I think we outright won the second game (even without the handicap), thanks to nice games from pretty much everyone except me. So we would advance to the finals... which started fifteen minutes later.
Four games in one night. With a lot of beer being consumed. This would be a challenge.
We faced the #1 seed, Pin Pals. We got swept by them in the regular season, thanks to their one girl who averages what must be 140, and the rest of her flunkies who average around 130. As we strolled up to the alley, one of them asked me "How do you have a handicap when three of you have your own balls?" I replied, again, that we start two girls. He inquired as to the quality of our girls and I muttered some gibberish because I was getting both annoyed and tipsy.
They bowled terribly. We did too. Advantage us! We won the first game by 20 or so.
Unfortunately, we completely imploded in the first three frames of game 2. We had maybe 2 marks. They couldn't miss. And by the start of frame 4, the had made up both the game's handicap and our lead from game 1. Things were gloomy.
But IBS rallied. Big time. I capped our seventh frame with a double, and it looked like we had things pretty much in hand. My mind actually considered the possibility that we were going to win.
Too soon.
We fell apart again. They did not. And when their anchor got a double in the ninth that he one hundred percent did not deserve, things were all but lost. We put up little resistance in the tenth, although things were still somewhat in question with just myself and their anchor to go (again, he was working off a double). I would need to start the tenth with two strikes to put any sort of pressure on him. He motioned for me to go. I said fine, and promptly rolled one of the worst first shots I threw all night. 6. I didn't even hit the head pin. Just . . . terrible. I also missed the spare, which didn't matter at that point anyway. We lost by 18. I think it was 1114-1096.
So close to a championship it hurts. Kim said, and I somewhat agree, that it would have been better to just get crushed in the semifinals. We drowned our sorrows with lunchboxes and then more beer at Shorty's. I felt terrible today, which I attribute to being at 70% physical condition and 20% mental condition.
And the schedule was released for next season. Our first matchup? Hebrew Hammers. Since its the first match, there won't be any handicaps - it'll be straight up. We're going to get annihilated.
Bowling is a cruel mistress.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Our playoffs are tonight, and we square off in the first round with the Hebrew Hammers, the team we squeaked by the first time around. Of course, that took personal best league scores out of me and Kim, and its unlikely we'll pull that off again.
Somewhat in preparation for the playoffs, I watched some bowling on ESPN this weekend. I got Kim to watch too (we actually switched from the Duke / Virginia Tech game to watch).
ESPN was televising the US Open Championship, and it certainly was intriguing. They actually bowl for like 11 hours in one day. Then the top 6 people advance to a step-ladder format championship, meaning 5 plays 6, then the winner of that plays 4, then the winner of that plays 3, etc. So for the 5 or 6 seed to win the whole thing, they must beat everyone ahead of them. The number 1 seed, however, only has to win once. I like the format, greatly rewarding the highest average for the week.
In the first match we saw (the 5 v. 6), one of the guys was rolling a TERRIBLE game. After his second or third open frame, he made a comment - "I'm coming for you Tom!"
The announcers noted that this referred to an already legendary televised match from two weeks ago, where a guy rolled a 100. He has SEVEN splits to go with two strikes and a random missed spare.
And on the other side of that match, his opponent started the game with 11 strikes, only to get a crushing 9 on his last shot for a 299.
But what was also amazing was how the US Open ended. A guy needed simply to fill 18 pins in his final frame to win the championship. He got a 9 on his first shot, leaving a 10 pin. Pros don't miss this shot - the televised conversion rate is like 96 percent. But miss it he did, handing the championship to the other guy. It was choketacular.
Maybe the Hammers will choke tonight? Apparently even the pros do it. I guess anything can happen when the pressure is on.
Somewhat in preparation for the playoffs, I watched some bowling on ESPN this weekend. I got Kim to watch too (we actually switched from the Duke / Virginia Tech game to watch).
ESPN was televising the US Open Championship, and it certainly was intriguing. They actually bowl for like 11 hours in one day. Then the top 6 people advance to a step-ladder format championship, meaning 5 plays 6, then the winner of that plays 4, then the winner of that plays 3, etc. So for the 5 or 6 seed to win the whole thing, they must beat everyone ahead of them. The number 1 seed, however, only has to win once. I like the format, greatly rewarding the highest average for the week.
In the first match we saw (the 5 v. 6), one of the guys was rolling a TERRIBLE game. After his second or third open frame, he made a comment - "I'm coming for you Tom!"
The announcers noted that this referred to an already legendary televised match from two weeks ago, where a guy rolled a 100. He has SEVEN splits to go with two strikes and a random missed spare.
And on the other side of that match, his opponent started the game with 11 strikes, only to get a crushing 9 on his last shot for a 299.
But what was also amazing was how the US Open ended. A guy needed simply to fill 18 pins in his final frame to win the championship. He got a 9 on his first shot, leaving a 10 pin. Pros don't miss this shot - the televised conversion rate is like 96 percent. But miss it he did, handing the championship to the other guy. It was choketacular.
Maybe the Hammers will choke tonight? Apparently even the pros do it. I guess anything can happen when the pressure is on.
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