Well I’m in L. A. for the start of the L. A. Poker Classic. Drove in four hours of rain from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. We have so little rain in the desert I don’t even know where the windshield wipers (Hayden called them wish wipers when he was little so I always have to think of the proper name) are on the car.

I had a great run over here last year and am hoping to best last year’s 21st place finish in the $10k Main Event. Today’s event is a million dollar guarantee and starts at 1 p.m. Played some cash last night and am hopeful that got all the bad beats out in one fell swoop .. I beat some odds to get beat three consistent times so am going to think positive and that they’re all gone .. a new day today.

My sister has been in the hospital since Tuesday so I flew over on Friday, picked up the new family/school car and stayed with her Friday and Saturday nights. Drove the 795 miles – door to door – back today. Long trip but love those clearing the mind road trips and the car is smooth too. Will be a good family/travel vehicle for us.

Time to recharge my batteries. Night.

Lincoln told me he knew God had made him. I start to pat myself on the back thinking all those Sunday School classes I’ve drug him to are paying off until he further states “If God hadn’t made me I would have been made in a factory and out of all steel .. ” Oh well, all I can do is try.

Got word this morning my baby sister is in the hospital, with high liver enzymes. So sad as there’s so much pain. They were to take their first vacation in several years on Saturday… seems to always happen that way.

Going to play the mega tonight at Red Rock for their Main Event on Saturday. Not sure yet if I’ll play the Main Event no matter what, going to check the crowd out tonight and get a feel.

Just a normal day in the office, trying to get some things done. Head to L A next week to start the L. A. Poker Classic and much to be done before then.

We’ve been having fun at home, me and those little gators. I just love the way children look at things. Yesterday on the way to school a favorite song from the 60’s came on and I was singing away … Lincoln told me he thought it was Illegal (a new favorite word of his) to sing and drive at the same time. Have to figure he views my singing as wailing. Too funny.

Have friends in from Canada and we had a blast. Met at Olives, had a good meal then headed to the cash games for a session at the low limits at Bellagio. Usually I dont like to play at the same table with friends, but this was fun. Small limit and a fun, gambling table. We did nothing more than shift a few hundred dollars around the table for few hours but a lot of good laughter in between. Getting all this fun poker out of the way before I settle into the grind of big stakes tournament play.