Cause down at the shore everything's alright!  Yes it is....

Spent the weekend with my family putting the personal touches back into the new place.  Suddenly it's beginning to have that lived in look with a new facelift!   I still haven't figured out the intricate alarm system that came with the digs.  Being a non-tech geek I have Garden State Alarm paying me a personal visit to show me how to use the keypad.....yes I am an idiot. 

When I wasn't packing or lighting my money on fire buying everything in sight,  I was dining out at some of my old reliables at McLoones Pier House in Long Branch and Sunset Landing in Asbury Park.    I also went to Oceanfest for a nice stroll on the boardwalk in LB and it was GREAT to take in the sea air and sights...My parents have been with me for the past 5 weeks and have done an amazing job nursing me back to health and being by my side 24/7 since my little health crisis -- but I now that I am better, I am anxious to get back to Tina-mode and REALLY start enjoying the Jersey shore ;)

Steve Carbonara and Len G get a shout out for their funny email exhanges to me today....I can't wait for BARGE!!!!!!!! 

bukakke? holla!

Just got back from a nice relaxing day at the Taj.  I treated my Mom to a few hundred to light in the slots and she left me alone for most of the day which was good since I got to play some 1/2 NL, 5/10 O8 and later in the afternoon made my usual traverse to  the 15/30/45 2-way game and booked a nice win in all three games.  I saw several of friends I hadn't seen in a while come up to me and say hi and one guy who I guess recognized me from the New York Poker club scene came to shake my hand (lol) which was unusual,

So a great day all-around.

Romeo and Caesar are adjusting nicely to the new townhouse.  Major cat fights ensued yesterday when I brought them home from the kennel, but it seems they must have worked out their differences since I left them to their own devices today and they seemed to have mellowed out.

Tomorrow is Oceanfest and looking forward to a day at the Beach in Long Branch!

LOVING life my new digs. Furniture got delivered and it's all looking really goood.

Happy 4th to Everyone. 

*hugs*

Tina.

In Ocean safe and sound.

Thanks for the lovely well wishes.  It's been a very hectic day and I am BEAT. 

Now the fun part starts...Unpacking!!!!!!

Cats are getting picked up at 8:30am

Movers coming to pack me up at 9:30am

Walk thru at 11am

Closing on River Edge House at noon

Closing on Ocean Townhouse at 2pm

Hopefully I will be in my new place kicking my feet up at 5pm.

Just got a call from one of my friends/headhunters.  Apparantly she wanted me to interview for a spot to be Ted Forstmann's personal assistant  Job sounds great if I wasn't looking for life/balance.  She said I would be PERFECT for the job.

Basically its a $200,000 base with bonus.  Managing his personal life.  Travel with him to the West Coast for several weeks at a time (he has dual residences).  And I am sure hob nobbing with his current girlfriend. 

Padma Lakshmi




I'm quite happy where I am so I said thanks, but no thanks.....

If I was still at Sansar and in kill mode, I would have jumped all over it.  But times have changed and well....I like my job, and my life and my freedom and not having to be tied to a blackberry or a 24/7 work schedule :)

Went to see the movie The Hangover yesterday.  I didn't know much except Jeanne kept telling me I needed to go see it asap.   Very entertaining, but I have to say the best part of the movie was the ending credits when they found the camera with all the pictures of their *lost* night in Vegas. Zach Galifianakis was amazing.  I might have to go see it again so I can catch all the little details that I most likely missed the first time around!  This movie has a LOT of subplots.

I told Jeanne we need a night like that in Vegas...hmmmm 31 days :)


GREAT Article in the New York Times Magazine  about a young online player who quit college to play full time.  It was written by his mother.

Funny to see the reaction from most of the 2+2 community coming to the defense of this kid. 

Great excerpt from the article (all of the above very true)

Dan loses all his money; cannot quit playing; comes to me for funds; I tell him no; he borrows from the Mob and loses his kneecaps.

Dan makes millions; lives in a world of casinos, cocaine and one-night stands; wakes up one morning in middle age to discover his life is empty.

Dan is reduced to grinding online until it sets his teeth on edge; cannot bring himself to return to school or take a low-wage job; withdraws from human relationships.

Bought the Sullivan Espresso Ottoman for the new living room at Pottery Barn.   I just love this store.





Not much else to chime in about.  Tomorrow are my closings and I will be up to my neck in making sure everything goes smoothly.

Pass me a couple of shots of Jagermeister with some roofies please....

Went for a nice run through Van Saun Park.  Had to stop a few times to catch my breath since im still adjusting.  Felt good to work up a sweat.

Almost got assaulted by some Canadian Geese with their brood.  Usually I detour around them, but they are all over the place at the duck pond.

I'm so pale and in need of a tan.  I wish i was at the Jersey Shore......wait.....I'll be LIVING there in 3 days.   LOL


Fourth of July Weekend is already packed

Taj / Atlantic City Friday
Oceanfest in Long Branch Saturday
Sunday I'm going to take a nice long nap :)

I lent my convertible to my Dad so he could tool around in it up at Cape Cod while I was recuperating.  He drove it back down last night.  I'm out the door with the top down. 

Have a great weekend!!!!!!  I'm already enjoying it from my front yard :)

Well I am really bummed to hear about Farah Fawcett's death.  I used to have the Farah hairstyle back in the 70s in grade school and if I can dig out some photos, I'll put one here for a good laugh.  And I looooooved her in Cannonball Run and Burning Bed.  I also liked that fact that she hooked up with Ryan O'Neal who was in one of my all time favorite movies, What's Up Doc. 

I chat incessantly with Jeanne on MSN and of course she is distraught over the death of Michael Jackson.  I guess she had tickets to go see one of the shows before BARGE.   I remember back in the summer of 1984 when I saw the Jackson's Victory Tour at Giant Stadium.  I think that was also the year MJs hair went up in flames during that Pepsi commercial.  He was so popular back then and it's kind of tragic to see his life come to an end when he was broke and trying to make a comeback.

I'm going to be heading down to the Taj for a much needed session of live poker next Friday.  I keep in touch with the guys I used to play  with in the Harmon Cove Home game and they are all caravaning down to  play in the 5/10 O8 game.  They bring ALOT of dead money to this game, so I am going to follow the money trail down the Garden State Parkway :)  I can't wait to play live.

Speaking of online...if Jaeger is reading this...I played some O8 with CRAM a while back.  Remember him from our PLO days????


My realtor took a few pics of my new home since I will not be able to make it down there for the walkthru....jeez I can't wait to decorate!!!!!

Loft which I am going to convert to an office/den. 


Opposite view of the loft with the 2-story entrance.  There is a TV stand in the wall and that's where my stairmaster is going :)
I'm sure the cats will be walking that ledge once they figure out how to get over there!



Partial View of my bedroom.  Too bad you can't see the vaulted cielings or the nice master bath.  I'm just glad to have my sunken tub / separate shower and 2 sinks!. 



Kitchen with wet bar :)




Partial view of living room / dining room.

So.....

I got a call from my attorney late yesterday.  Closing date set for Tues, June 30.  Hopefully it will stick and I can exhale from this EXHAUSTING month finally.  I was able to reschedule all the vendors/services accordingly.

How ironic the last day of  the worst month for me on record.  

I hope July and the rest of 2009 will be better for me.  I'm hedging all my bets.....

So Jeanne AKAjacksnfive  is doing a tremendous job coordinating a CHORSE team for BARGE.  I am very fortunate to be part of the PokerStars team.  It will be great to put the names with the faces in less than 6 weeks!

My closing date has come and went.  Spoke with my attorney at length yesterday and he is drafting a time of the essence letter to my buyers to get there butts in gear to get their mortgage out of underwriting.

So frustrating that I am in this state of uncertainty.  Hopefully I will have a date mapped out in the next 7-10 days.  Until that time I am walking on pins and needles.  

I went back to work yesterday after a 2-week hiatus and it actually felt great to resume a "normal" schedule.  I am very lucky to have a great job and work with really, really cool people. 

I bumped into my college rommate from Arizona in Rockefeller Plaza on my way to work.  We exhanged business cards and air kissed.  Of course the first thing she asked me if I still talk to Dave (the love of my life from college days).  Its strange whenever I meet up with someone from College the first thing they ask me is if I talk to Dave.  I guess everyone thought we would have settled down, spawned some kids and live the domesticated life.  Never happened.....

Ifsabyl is reading this entry.  I need your addy to ship u some $$$$.   Or I hope you are at BARGE so I can give u in person.  So ping me at cgonzo368@hotmail.com

Thanks!

I really really like Flagels with Hummus.  It's become my new favorite snack.   Flagels with everything on them are the nutz.

What is exactly a Flagel?  It's a flattened out bagel.  Not doughy, but more chewy and very firm texture with that "bagel" taste.  The ones I buy at Fairway Market are like hubcaps.





I'm sitting on my sofa bsing online and watching the Food Network.  Rachel Ray really bothers the shit out of me.  I find her to be completely annoying.  She talks to her audience as if they were all bunch a 6-year-olds.  I want to clock her with a bottle of EVOO.

Drowned my house buying/selling sorrows by lighting my money on fire at the Riverside Square Mall. 

My pit stop was Bloomingdales and my new best friend is Ralph Lauren for home.  I am doing my bedroom in the Palm Harbor pattern and well here's what my bed will look like once it's all outfitted.





Next stop was Cheesecake Factory for lunch.  I had only gone to the one in the Forum Shops in Las Vegas and I have to say the food was terrific.  I ordered their soup of the day which was Chicken Tortilla and a caesar salad.  The salad was enough to feed an army!  My Mom's Chicken enchiladas were the bomb and I was very impresed with the food.  Deffinately will go back.


Lit some money at Pottery Barn buying odds and ends for the Ocean townhouse.  I am planning on doing the living room in a country shabby chic motif with distressed coffee table and end tables.

Lit another $3K + at Jennifers Convertibles.  I bought a killer slipcover sofa and chair with ottoman.

Need to light some money on a Plasma 42" TV.  I plan on having that wall mounted and getting those theatre speakers for the living room. Not sure which manufacturer is better, so if anyone has any ideas I would greatly appreciate it.

OK I feel better I dropped almost 5 dimes in 2 hours :)

My Attorney called late yesterday afternoon to tell me that my buyers mortgage company informed them that they will not be out of underwriting by monday, hence my closing is going to be delayed.  WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! 

What does that mean?

Lost my mortgage rate (lock in date expires Monday)

I need to cancel the furniture delivery

I need to cancel the movers

I need to cancel the locksmith

I need to cancel the kennel

I need to cancel the cleaners

I need to cancel cable & internet

All my mail is going down to Ocean starting Monday

All my utilities have been set up for Monday



I am a fucking WRECK.   I got off the phone with my attorney and almost put a hole in the living room wall.

1 week ago I was getting my sorry ass ready to get cut open. 

I never thought in a million years I would have been in that spot, and looking back it really was a wake up call.  I went to my surgeon who took off the bandages and I have to say I'm glad I have incision scars to remind me of the abuse and neglect  I had put on myself.  The scars will fade, but I will never forget.

I feel really good today and can now jump out of bed and resume a somewhat normal schedule with minimal pain.  I've also been eating a vegetarian diet and haven't missed eating meat too much and have slowly begun to exercise by walking briskly each morning. 

The house is almost packed up (thanks to my parents who have been with me since I went into the hospital) and I now just have odds and ends to look after.

I played the FARGO weekly tourney last night on Stars, came in third (blech) but I just went card dead at the end.  Nice to see  LJ Buddies  tom_bayes , mjosephb , stevecohen last night.  You guys rock.


Oh..no percocets last night.  I'm weaning myself off those fuckers...

BARGE registration is done.  Looking so forward to Vegas this year since I will be almost 80lbs lighter ;)  I should have made some weight loss bets!

OMFG..

Know I know why people get addicted to Percocet.  Because it is sooooo addicting.  My Doctor prescribed a HUGE bottle of Oxycodone to help me with the pain and well.....it works sooooooo good. 

I don't take it during the day or else I would be in a perpetual purple haze, but at nighttime, I take 2 before bed and well...put on the strobe lights and I can drift off!

Yea!!!!

I'm home and the cats are goin crazy!

Still very sore from the incisions, but I'll deal with that.  I have a post-op follow up on Tues with my surgeon. 

Stay tuned.

There really is no place like home.

Recovering from Laparoscopic surgery.  Everything went well and just dealing with the post-surgery pain from the incisions.  They took the gallbladder out through my bellybutton.  My surgeon stopped by to see how I was doing and he said I should be able to go home tomorrow.  He said I still have a higher than normal white cell blood count (from the inflamed pancreas) but my tests are coming back good.  He did mention that my gallbladder was "nasty".  LOL.

So I am now eating solid foods and off my IV. Today I had some applesauce, jello, cherrios and chicken soup with crackers!  Yummmmmm......

I'm able to walk now on my own without the use of walker and almost back to breathing normal.

I can't wait to sleep in my own bed.  Needless to say you dont not get much rest and relaxation when you stay at a hospital!  

Took a shower, put on the Chanel No 5, and I am ready to go into surgery!

Thank you to everyone who left replies, emails and phone calls. It gives me great comfort to know that people really care :)

I can't wait to see most of you at BARGE and I will be registering when I get out of the hospital.

*hugs*

Tina.