Suitedjustice's Ongoing Mid-life Crisis
I woke up in the middle of choking to death again; though to be accurate, it was towards the end of the process--woke up
I've decided on a schedule for the rest of December: Thursday-Monday, with Tuesday and Wednesday off. The schedule hits all 4 football promo days until the playoffs begins.
It's best to have a schedule; makes it more difficult for me to talk myself out of going to work. I was using the ambiguity as an excuse to shirk.
I played live poker for a few hours on Monday and I did not win a single hand. I'll leave it at that, without complaint. I lost $240, but I hit the slots afterwards and won $170 of it back.
I'm going back tonight for Thursday Night Football, where I'll listen to a monotone Al Michaels barely conceal his ongoing regret at taking that Amazon paycheck, putting him in the same mindset as any number of Bezos employees. Along with the other announcer—Kirk something? Bless his heart.
In any case, I am sooooooooooo due for a promo payout. I know that's not how variance works—the arc of expected long term results is long, but it does eventually bend towards justice. Apologies to Dr. King for appropriating that.
How did Thursday Night Football go? Do they have any promos CFB on Saturdays?
I lost $300 on poker and another $150 on the slots.
On Saturday, I worked at my uncle's auction. I was supposed to be paid $500 for that, but there was a mix up, about which I won't elaborate, and now I'm waiting for those funds to come in.
The only thing I've been able maintain in my life, aside from staying on the wagon—and that being scheduled to end soon—is my exercise routine. I just hit 40 pushups, up from a start of 6 reps back in March. I also do 52 bicycle crunches, up from a start of 10 reps in March. I added a plank rep late this summer, starting at 30 seconds. On that, I am currently stuck on one minute and 50 seconds.
I'd like to do 2 minutes on the plank, but I've hit a plateau. And that has me wondering how many pushups I will ultimately be able to do before my age catches up to me and rolls me back.
There's a
There's only one way to find out.
Keep it up, sj! Also, if you're not already, do some stretching in there.
Thanks golddog! Yes, I do a fair amount of stretching.
I'd gotten my legs stretched far enough out that I was harboring illusions of eventually being able to do a full split, with the interest of keeping that unlikely feat in my back pocket as a prop bet, given my age and appearance, but since March I've only gotten about halfway to a split, and further progress has become a matter of a few centimeters per month, if that.
I've never done a split, even as a child, and my ligaments and sinews and whatnots grew in without ever being asked to perform anything remotely like that, other than a few tentative spread eagle ski jump flourishes in my extreme youth. Still, I persist.
I think the older sj will thank you for starting stretching and core strengthening exercises.
After watching the Paul Reubens' biography Being Pee-Wee, I put his show, Pee-Wee's Playhouse, on my media bucket list, and I'm glad that I did.
The character of Pee-Wee is a childlike teetotaler, but his creator Reubens was a serious stoner, and it shows in his good work.
I would recommend this show to anyone who is blazing on any given evening, or if you're not partaking but just in the mood for something outré yet unpretentious. The show is extremely creative and right-brained, and surreal without being alarming or draining.
As I mentioned before in this blog, I don't get high more than twice a month, but I did recognize the potential for a good time in Pee-Wee's Playhouse, and I took advantage of it for an episode, and I was not disappointed.
Here's my favorite episode so far, as it has all of the Season 1 gang in it, including Laurence Fishburne as Cowboy Curtis, Phil Hartman as Captain Carl, and a young Natasha Lyonne as Opal, one if the Playhouse Gang kids.
no matter classified large or small
the setting of goals with subsequent achievement is a fundamental element of human advancement
in summary, congrats bastard
ps - also thought you looked sharp at the award ceremony judging while wearing your justice suit
I don’t know why I never made the connection between Pee Wee and smoking pot but makes perfect sense. I guess since I was exposed to Pee Wee as I child it had something to do with not making the connection. Always wondered why before the Pee Wee movie and show why Pee Wee was in those Cheech and Chong movies I watched on VHS as a teenager in the 90s. Duh.
Thanks golddog! Yes, I do a fair amount of stretching.I'd gotten my legs stretched far enough out that I was harboring illusions of eventually being able to do a full split, with the interest of keeping that unlikely feat in my back pocket as a prop bet, given my age and appearance, but since March I've only gotten about halfway to a split, and further progress has become a mat
Congrats nonetheless ; I struggle immensely at getting to anything close resembling a half-split and it is not for lack of trying, ffs 😡😡😡 Because I practice Muay Thai, my goal was to be able to kick to the face and have been stretching for 3+ years in order to do so. But alas, my flexibility would make a Van Damme scowl, as only my (forward) teep kick is capable of reaching the face/head area, while my round kicks do not go higher than a liver kick and this after 5 minutes of daily stretches 🙄
Is there a way you could find a new dream and use it to stay on the wagon? I'm not second-guessing your decision, I'm a combat veteran and understand these decisions pretty well, but I also understand how much you've accomplished and how much you'd be throwing away.
I think the older sj will thank you for starting stretching and core strengthening exercises.
Like too many people—especially men—I throw my back out 2-3 times a year. Simian bipedalism is an engineering problem that evolution hasn't fully solved for us. Since I've been doing the core stuff, though, I haven't thrown it out. Correlation isn't causation, but I'm keeping my hopes up.
no matter classified large or small
the setting of goals with subsequent achievement is a fundamental element of human advancement
in summary, congrats bastard
ps - also thought you looked sharp at the award ceremony judging while wearing your justice suit
Yes, after we got out of the trees there was no stopping us, unfortunately. Speaking of suitedness, this is all too true for me...
Spoiler
If I ever hit the big score, I will go bespoke on at least one formal getup. That's on the bucket list.
I don’t know why I never made the connection between Pee Wee and smoking pot but makes perfect sense. I guess since I was exposed to Pee Wee as I child it had something to do with not making the connection. Always wondered why before the Pee Wee movie and show why Pee Wee was in those Cheech and Chong movies I watched on VHS as a teenager in the 90s. Duh.
Yes, Pee-Wee's appearance with Cheech and Chong always baffled me, until I watched his biography.
Congrats nonetheless ; I struggle immensely at getting to anything close resembling a half-split and it is not for lack of trying, ffs 😡😡😡 Because I practice Muay Thai, my goal was to be able to kick to the face and have been stretching for 3+ years in order to do so. But alas, my flexibility would make a Van Damme scowl, as only my (forward) teep kick is capable of reaching the
From a standing start, I stretch out the legs at 3 o'clock and 9'oclock to the point of discomfort, then I hold that for 35 seconds (up from 5 seconds in March), then I bitch and moan and do one more 35-second rep. It's a slog for me, and I'm always on the edge of talking myself out of doing it, and just going forward with the more normal stretches in my routine, but the daydream of winning a prop bet with it some day keeps me going.
Is there a way you could find a new dream and use it to stay on the wagon? I'm not second-guessing your decision, I'm a combat veteran and understand these decisions pretty well, but I also understand how much you've accomplished and how much you'd be throwing away.
Thank you for your service, Phat Mack. The new dream is alternate season drinking; I can drink, then I can not drink, and I can give my liver a break for half the year.
I made it to two years without the level of difficulty that I'd anticipated, but I think I only made it because I knew there'd be an endpoint. If I'm going to end the wagon ride—and I am—I want to do it on my own terms.
You know Mr. suited, humans are funny beings. One of the things about us is, we tend to glorify the past. In the case of the issue discussed here, alcohol, just fyi this applies much more broadly but let's just stay with that for simplicity, like the longer we have not done it the more we tend to remember just the good things. All the fun and the dares and coincidences and the thoughts and the dreams and whatnot. For some reason all the bad, all the brainfarts, hangovers, poor physical conditions, bad decisions etc. we tend to forget the longer it is away.
But if you go back, trust me the bad and the ugly will return too, you can be absolutely sure about that.
You know Mr. suited, humans are funny beings. One of the things about us is, we tend to glorify the past. In the case of the issue discussed here, alcohol, just fyi this applies much more broadly but let's just stay with that for simplicity, like the longer we have not done it the more we tend to remember just the good things. All the fun and the dares and coincidences and the
Like remembering the tasty wiener schnitzel and Paulaner beers and the fun that I had hanging out with you at Hofbrauhaus and forgetting that I had to go back to the restaurant the next day to pick up my misplaced backpack? Yeah, you're right about that.
A more chilling example would be my op in this thread, when I almost choked to death on my own stomach contents. Unfortunately, my acid reflux has progressed over the years to where I no longer need to drink in order to set it off, but that's neither here nor there.
The point is that I made a deal with myself that there would be an end point after a year, and then I put that point off for an extra year. The reciprocal stipulation of the bargain is that I will be more responsible with my drinking, and that I will intersperse in regular long periods without it. I intend to keep up that end of it.
Yesterday I dragged myself out to the casino and on to the tables, fighting myself the entire time. Inactivity has become such a habit with me that it's achieved its own momentum that I have to reverse every time I want to do anything resembling work.
At the table, I had a nice long talk with a young Las Vegas-based grinder who was visiting family here for the holidays. He's a good TAG, and he also dabbles in card counting, but he's been trespassed already from a major property for being stubborn and trying to count after being backed off.
I gave him as much advice on counting as I had in me, and I also recommended that he look into advantage slots to round out his portfolio. It was nice being back at the tables and shooting the shite.
It was even nicer winning. A lot of unrequited promo dollars that I've raked away for so long finally came back home, and I hit the football promo nicely for a total of $875, leading to a $940 poker win for the day on 3 1/2 hours of play.
Add another $140 for 4 1/2 hours of slot grinding, and it turned out to be an encouraging night.
Yesterday I dragged myself out to the casino and on to the tables, fighting myself the entire time. Inactivity has become such a habit with me that it's achieved its own momentum that I have to reverse every time I want to do anything resembling work.At the table, I had a nice long talk with a young Las Vegas-based grinder who was visiting family here for the holidays. He's a g
Damn nice hit much needed. Was going to state that if not getting an expected $500 payday meant you couldn’t work that you’re unquestionably way under-rolled. However just keep have 4 figure win days and you’ll be fine.
Hell yes! And marry Xmas to you and everyone following the thread!
I know we are not allowed to be “due” for the football promo but if anyone was “due” and “deserved” that hit, it was this man. Congrats and keep pressing your luck b/c the ish comes in waves. Heat check it until you run dry
happy new year sj, and thank you for sharing your journey with us
Damn nice hit much needed. Was going to state that if not getting an expected $500 payday meant you couldn’t work that you’re unquestionably way under-rolled. However just keep have 4 figure win days and you’ll be fine.
Thanks guys! I did get paid the $500 as well, but have since lost about $350 of it back.
Hell yes! And marry Xmas to you and everyone following the thread!
I know we are not allowed to be “due” for the football promo but if anyone was “due” and “deserved” that hit, it was this man. Congrats and keep pressing your luck b/c the ish comes in waves. Heat check it until you run dry
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and the family, Natamus! Enjoy the mild winter.
Thanks REDeYeS00! Thank you for reading and contributing.
The Dry 2024-2025 Challenge Update
2024
January: ✓
February: ✓
March: ✓
April: ✓
May: ✓
June: ✓
July: ✓
August: ✓
September: ✓
October: ✓
November: ✓
December: ✓
2025
January: ✓
February: ✓
March:✓
April: ✓
May: ✓
June: ✓
July: ✓
August: ✓
September: ✓
October: ✓
November: ✓
December: ✓
Challenge successfully concluded.
Today I took a field trip to Arcpoint, a Western Massachusetts brewery, and I picked up two 32 ounce (1 liter) "crowlers", one a light Kölsch style, and one a dark coffee stout type.
Spoiler
Arcpoint is a fairly new brewery, and I'd heard good things about them, but I'd never tried their stuff. They don't sell their beer in stores; you have to drive out to the brewery. While I was there deciding what I wanted to get, the bar staff offered me a free taste of some of their brews, but I declined, preferring to wait until midnight in order to pass my challenge.
So now, let's talk about what has really been holding me back from fulfilling my dreams, and that's been my video game addiction.
Until now, I've been too embarrassed to talk about it with anyone; I'm far too old to be a video game addict, but yet I am. Drinking never kept me at home for 12 days in a row until my food ran out and my voice grew hesitant from not speaking to anyone, but video games have seen me do that, more than once.
My challenge for 2026 is to put away the controller and to shut down the PlayStation, and to keep it shut down for the entire year, and to get out of the apartment and make some money gambling, enough that I can do things like take a trip to Las Vegas to play the WSOP, or maybe go on a poker cruise, or head out to the Midwest to visit my friend Gambelina; stuff like that.
Meanwhile, I will keep an eye on my drinking, and I will keep to the alternating seasons scheme. If that doesn't work out, then I will stop for good.
Thank you for being gentle readers. I wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year.
Happy New Year SJ and gl beating the video game addiction! Are there support groups for this?
