I'm Home Again...

I think one of the reasons I was drawn to travel was because I was always looking for somewhere to call home. I would've been very happy if that had been Australia. Or Milwaukee. But last night I really came home—to the BootsBoyz. Being in Portland with Sean and Chris is terribly soul satisfying.

And that's all I really have to say about that. We're doing work, planning our 2006 for Written Road and VivaLasVegasBlog, and like usual, I will not want to leave them today. But for the first time ever, I'll probably be leaving early. I know that might not make sense, but sometimes, homes aren't made in places as much as they are in people. And I'm looking forward to heading back to my newest home.

Vancouver - Seaschelt - Bellingham - Seattle

I'm alive and well. I fell instantly in love with Vancouver, and that was unexpected. But loving a new city has a different meaning now. Before I always thought of new great cities in terms of living there. And now, I pretty much know whether or not it would eventuate. The weather in Vancouver is not appealing to the BBE, even if it is one of his favorite places. It is highly unlikely we would ever live there, but still I asked him anyways...twice.

So, now I'm onto visits. Vancouver is on the list of places to visit again. But not before Milwaukee.

Colleen Friesen, a contributor to Panties and Thong, took me to her home in Seaschelt, a ferry ride away. She lives right on the Pacific Ocean, with a back yard of patio chairs, portable fireplaces, and one blue canoe. The inside of her house is half glass facing the ocean, and the view is stunning. John will be happy to know that I'm slowly coming round to the idea of living on the beach. Slowly.

All the events have gone well up here, and that is refreshing. With Village Books in Fairhaven, WA being the biggest turn out. 50 some people. But I'll have to blog about that separately. Last night I tied one on with some new poker friends and played Pai Gow and $4-$8 at a local casino. It was good fun, and now I'm working. Another event in two hours.

Cheers to the Northwest!

Seattle Seattle Seattle

I've been to Seattle several times, mostly for tour. But today she's really shining. Last night I was a bit sad to leave my new home and had to mentally gear up for all the energy it would take to make this week of events fly. But this morning I woke up in a pretty good mood, and that only got better as I heard my latest favorite song on the radio driving to the airport. "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier," by the Killers. John was laughing at me that I got so excited when it came on, but I just kept singing and told him you KNOW you're going to have a great day when you hear your fave song first thing in the morning.

Everything is shaping up. Last night I heard from my friend Andy who opened up his home to me at the very last hour. This is a good thing because I was lax in letting him know I was coming up, and I told him I'd cut off my right pinky if we couldn't see each other because of my negligence. But I get to keep my finger, YEAH! He and his wife Wendy are good fun, live in a neat co-op, and I'm lucky to have friends like them in this port.

But it just keeps getting better. AVIS rules and I got my rental car (a minivan) without hassle. I cruised into town, found my way to Wallingford (where Wide World Books and Maps is), and drove over to the Fremont Bridge where there is a cool community of shops and restaurants. I could start to love it and think about living here if it was warm enough for the BBE, but I don't even let myself think that way. It's still a bit too big, and Milwuakee, for me, is still a better fit.

A friend rec'd a superb sushi restaurant for lunch, Chiso, but they weren't open so I chose Dad Watson's Brewery across the street instead. Guess what? It was a McMenamin's! Nice booths, cool Pan Asian interior with a hint of Latin and Dutch décor. It's so cool to recognize the menu, and I'm sipping on one of my fave beers ever—McMenamin's Hammerhead.

Tonight the events is at Wide World Books and Maps, and afterwards I'll catch up on life with Andy and Wendy. Tomorrow I'm having lunch with some friends of the BBE. They've got a fresh Dungenous crab lunch waiting for me on my way to Vancouver, CANADA.

For all you writers out there, this is the fun part of the tour. Meeting up with friends in towns on your route. For me, this trip to Seattle has become an annual event. I know exactly where I'm going to sleep at Andy's and the familiarity is comforting. Same as accidentally wandering into a McMenamins.

So, get your butt on over to Wide World tonight. Katie McClaine will be there, and we guarantee you'll be cracking up at stories from The Thong Also Rises!

What's to Love About LA?

I haven't been in the same bed for more than two nights at a time in weeks now. And that's ok, this is the season. It's book tour season. I got back to Burbank late Saturday night and have spent the last two days catching up on a multitude of things. The alone time was necessary as I head back onto the road for the next week.

I don't think it's too early to mention that I'll be making the LA area my home with the BBE after the first of the year. (with lots of bouncing back to Las Vegas to work on VivaLasVegasBlog).

If you don't know me, I detest LA. So, I'm trying hard to see the upsides to this land of smog, traffic, and anonyminity. It's a roller coaster of meltdowns as well as pure good times. By far the best part about being here is the closeness to some very good friends I haven't been able to spend time with the past few years. For example, tonight we're going over to Leigh and Seth's for dinner and to play with their new (1yr old) baby girl. And we planned it an hour ago. I love that. Thursday night we have a semi regular poker home game with John's friends and that is always a really fun night out. And on Friday, I had lunch with a travel pal, Sean, at King's Road Cafe. More of a LA hipster hangout than I would normally choose, but it was perfect.

One of my favorite things in life is to have really good conversations filled with dream talk, travel talk, laughs, and good food. And while I can say that I can't stand the dirty over populated side to this city, there is nowhere else where I could've had that kind of quality company over a pesto-shitake mushroom-tomato-basil-carmelized oninons omelette. With perfect roasted potatoes. I'm hoping to meet Sean there again when I return next month, and maybe we'll even grab a few rags off the adjacent newstand. I don't buy much, but show me a newstand and I'll do some damage.

Life is great. I'll find a way to be happy here.

PS-and the other reason why I wanted to write this. I love my desk. It's not a great piece of furniture, but I love working from a desk as opposed to lettting my ass fall asleep in a WiFi cafe after sitting there for four hours. And I have a big window and a phone with limitless free long distance calls. I can't wait to get back...

Today: Burbank
Tomorrow: Seattle
This week: Seattle, Birmingham, Vancouver
The tour....

Poker Sunday

I made it back from Vegas fine last last night. Susan was a gem and let me call her when I got really tired. And even if none of you believe me, I didn't gamble a cent while I was there. Shocking really, but no, I was good. Did my duty, had lunch at my new fave casino, the Silverton, and got out of there. BJ Nemeth from CardPlayer was a HUGE help. Really, a true hero for the day. Was my chauffeur, personal assistant, and benefactor. Yes, I tried to treat BJ to lunch after all his help getting me to the event and then the mechanic, but it turned out he had a bucket load of comps and we had a feast. The steak house was closed so we ordered everything we wanted and it still only came to $40. We'll try it again next time when more friends are in town.

OK, so the poker. John is rubbing off on me because even though he's not here, it's still Poker Sunday in Burbank. I got an account on Poker Stars and am combining a little Raise and Fold with my work. Here's the cool thing...I've taken over his desk. So I'm playing online NL Texas Hold'Em on his big screen monitor, and doing my work on my laptop right next to it. Two computers is the coolest thing ever!!!

I played my first 18 person SNG ($5.00 + .50) this morning. I made it to fourth for $9.00. It was pretty nervewracking before the bubble and I was happy to get through that. To my surprise, John had been watching and he said I played right for the most part. Though how he can tell when I'm bluffing when he can't see my cards, I just don't know. But since the BBE is building me a Vacation Fund with a portion of his poker winnings, my newbie poker skills are building him a Nobu Fund. So, as of that tourney the Nobu Fund has $3.00. Lets see how long it takes me to earn him a nice dinner at the best sushi restaurant in Vegas.

After that game I went out pretty quickly in a $5 SNG. Don't worry, it doesn't affect the Nobu Fund. That's not how funds work. But I'm taking a break to do other chores and tasks while I wait for the big game of the day.

Innauural PokerStars Blogger Championship (starts at 1:oo PM PST)
There are 1472 players registered. Yikes!

I think you can watch me play without paying any money. Just download the PokerStars software and go to the "Private Tournament" tab and look for the "PokerStars Blogger Championship" which will be in green font. My handle is "riceball9". The winner of this tournament gets a free trip to the Bahamas to play in the WPT in January. Worth a shot!

Wish me luck!!

You Know You're On the Road to Vegas When....

...Friday rush hour traffic to Vegas takes 6 hours to get there from LA
...you get hit on in line for the bathroom at a gas station mid way
...the epiphany of the trip is that Del Taco is better road food than Taco Bell
...someone calls you pretending to be Phil Gordon
...your car breaks down as soon as you see the city lights (24 miles out)
...your empty cell phone has enough juice to call AAA and someone to whine to
...you get hit on by the AAA guy
...you tell the AAA guy how to get to your hotel before he takes you to his house
...the only channel on the TV that works is porn, and after the ordeal, it's pretty relaxing to watch

What it all means:
...I'm going to bleed myself dry in paying for taxis today
...I can't gamble because I'm either not lucky at all right now, or I used all my luck on the cell phone juice
...I might have to fly home, or take the AAA guy up on staying at his house
...I'm hungry


Current: Vegas, duh.
Next: Burbank by tonight, hopefully
Tomorrow: Tons of work to do
Tues: Seattle

The VEGAS Valley Bookfest

I'm getting ready to go back to Vegas. I've been in Burbank this week, taking a breather from the tour, and revving up to head back into it. I'm participating in two events this weekend for the Vegas Valley Bookfest.

SATURDAY Oct 22, 2005
Las Vegas Library
10:30 -11:45 Poker on TV? Gambling as a Spectator Sport
Panel discussion with Peter Alson, Nolan Dalla, David Schwartz
Moderator: Jen Leo

Reed Whipple Cultural Center – A
1:30 – 2:30 Strange Things are Afoot at the Circle K
Pop Culture Commentary with Chris Epting, Glenn Gaslin, Jen Leo
Moderator: TBA

My friend Gavin Smith made the final table at the WPT Festa al Lago IV last night so I might head over to the Bellagio tonight and cheer him on! (If I make it all the way into Vegas) Something is going on this weekend and prices are nuts. Everything is either SOLD OUT, or at more than $200/night. I might stay in Henderson or Stateline tonight in an effort to get a room under $100 and then drive back tomorrow night to save some cash.

Apparently another poker media friend, Steve Hall, blogged that I was in town for this last week and BJ actually went. Here's hoping that the Festa al Lago converage wasn't too painful and he can make it tomorrow. John is in New York and thrilled to get to watch his Denver Broncos from the sidelines.

Current: Leaving Burbank for Vegas
Tomorrow: Vegas
Next: Seattle on Tuesday

Phil Gordon for Prez!

One of my favorite poker blogs is called Wicked Chops Poker. Here's one of their recent posts...

Phil Gordon for Prez

and if I do say so myself, it's brilliant. Well written, well researched, a full primer to Phil Gordon. I've gotta meet these guys!

Back in California, Priceline Epiphany

The Litcrawl in SF was a smash hit. John came up and had a little bit of a debut. Some of it went well, but the forces weren't really working for us. Our hotel experience at the Harbor Court Hotel was barely forgiveable and I'm going to encourage John to write it up for the Hotel Hell section of HotelChatter.com. We were both extremely tired both days.

The best part about not being comfortable in your bed is that we were up before dawn and got to watch the Ferry Building open and see the vendors setting up for the Farmer's Market. It was the second sunrise I saw this week.

But back to the issue at hand, no need to use Priceline again, that's for damn sure. We found out that our hotel used their worst rooms for those that book on Priceline.

So, yesterday we got back to Burbank in time for two birthday parties.

How am I? I'm exhausted. A bit on edge. And trying to save all my energy and positivity for event time. This week is a BIG catch up week for me workwise. And then I go to Vegas for the Vegas Valley Bookfest and to get my Glitter Gulch fix.

Tonight: Distant Lands at Pasadena
Location: Burbank all week
Next week: Seattle - Vancouver, BC

JenLeoLIVE! already rockin the charts

Erik Olsen at Gadling is just too sweet to me. Last year he called me Blogalicious and I still haven't made a shirt that says that! This year, just before celebrating their first anniversary, he gave my new blogs some props. Thanks, Erik!!! I did this simple blog for my family and friends because they never know where I am, but the more the merrier. Come on in!

"One of our favorite bloggers and Tipping Point “connectors” Jen Leo has launched a new blog that we urge you to bookmark and read with rapturous glee. Called JenLeoLIVE! (yes, exclamation point required), the blog will take the prolific Ms. Leo boldly where no woman has gone before: into the mysterious netherworld of poker and travel.

Leo, you might remember, is the force behind the blog Written Road, the Thong Also Rises (a book she edited..among others), and also a passionate poker player/follower, whose dispatches on poker and Vegas can be read here. How Ms. Leo will manage to keep all these blogs fresh and full of Jennerific insight is beyond us, but perhaps we should not dare ask such questions, for we are mere mortals." ——Gadling, Sept. 30, 2005

Current: Memphis, TN
Tonight: San Francisco for the Litquake Litcrawl tomorrow at the Casanova Lounge, 5pm. (John will be there!)
Sunday: Burbank, CA

Is She Hitch-hiking?

The scenery on my way to Memphis this afternoon....




The guys driving her blew me some kisses, took a picture of me with their phone, gave me the peace sign, and took off...

Update: She was hitch-hiking! The drivers posted comments on Written Road. Apparently, they were laughing, but the boss wasn't!

I Love Milwaukee

I can't say enough about Milwaukee. And Especially the East side. Big houses with porches on wide tree-lined streets. A few blocks off the lake. Five-ten minutes north of downtown where a river runs through the center. There is a theatre district, big giant buildings that are so old you feel like they were built with an intent and care we know nothing about in this day and age. People that have lived here drop names of architect-designed buildings right and left. There are restaurants everywhere and neighborhoods with indie owned shops and boutiques. The chain stores must be somewhere, but even the Starbucks feels less offensive than they do in the west when you see them every mile. Bars and pubs for everyday people, not just the young or degenerate. Universties, too! I just LOVE MILWAUKEE and haven't been drawn to a place like this since Australia, or the Bay Area (in the early 90s). Milwaukee is a town that woulda been born if Chicago made it with Seattle. Only the people here are friendlier than those from either parent.

Some of my married friends say that the hardest part about being married is getting used to all the compromise. So, here's how it went for me and my heat-needing John today....

4:00pm - 1st call
Jen: I'm in Milwaukee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John: Do you want me to set a chiropractor appointment for you on Monday?

4:10pm - 2nd call
Jen:I HAVE to live here. Can you look up a hotel for me?
John: Here's one that's $60...wah wa wah wah wah

5:30pm - 3rd call
Jen: I splurged. I'm staying at the Ambassador Hotel, a hotel from 1928 that was just refurbished. My friend rec'd it. It's great and has the original iron work. And I was upgraded for free because they sent me to a room that wasn't made.
John: The workers are here I have to go.
Jen: Ok, but we HAVE to summer here. We can summer here. Maybe I can teach a class at the university. Did I tell you I found an authentic Australian meat pie shop? This place was meant for me I tell you.

11:36pm - 4th call.
Jen: Ok, here's the deal. We have to come here every year on my birthday for four days.
John: Jen, have you ever lived in the cold?
Jen: Yes. I lived in Tahoe and shoveled snow off my drive way.
John: But that's not cold like Chicago or New York, it's different.
Jen: Four days every year for my birthday, I was considering a week, but I can do four days, Monday is a holiday so all you have to take off is Friday. And it's May. It'll be warm enough.
John: Laughing, I can do that. I can do a week. But the difference is you'll be excited if I say we need to go to Charleston for a week every year.
Jen: Yes I will. Done. What's wrong with that?

So there. I want to live here, but instead I *negotiated* an annual tradition of the best birthday present ever.

Current: Milwaukee, WI
Tonight: I don't know (on the way to Memphis)
Tomorrow: Memphis, TN
Friday: San Francisco, CA

Jen in the Midwest

I do love it here. But being landlocked has an odd feeling even if only passing through. There is an unbelievable peace that comes over you when driving through the small towns like I did in St Charles, yesterday. I felt safe. This part of the country is definitely more patriotic than where I've lived before and in that I find strength in unity. But as quickly as I felt at peace here, there was also a slight unease. As much as I can see the strength and sense of community, as an outsider I saw a bit of helplessness because of the isolation. These towns away from everything that is big might be safer if terrorists came, but would they also be too far from protection? It's no wonder they seem more self-sufficient than the rest of us. What do I know about how to take care of myself if there was no system to rely on? I don't know how to grow my own food, or sew. I think I can make tamales and enchiladas if I have a recipe, but I couldn't make a decent tortilla from scratch or hunt a rabbit.

On the flipside of the bigger towns, I fell immediately in love with Andersonville in Chicago. I've always loved Chicago and was seriously considering moving there before Vegas. As you know, where I'm going to live has haunted me for some time. But Andersonville was an immediate draw. It is an old town and a downtown in a larger city. Brick buildings, and Swedish delicatessens. Nuveau Mediterranean restaurants, boutique clothing stores, indie bookstores, WiFi gym's with juice bars, and an upscale sandwhich shop/ice cream parlor. The street was clean, the clientele a touch more worldly than other parts of the town, and the mix between old school and new school suited me. Oh yeah, and housing was still in the $250s.

Ah but the BBE (Best Boyfriend Ever) has his climate issues and this would never be a good fit. So maybe someday I'll just visit, or rent something for a few weeks or a month and write.

That said, today I'm going to go to my favorite city, Milwaukee (which everyone laughs at me for). Today I'm going to chuckle at Andersonville because I will be more in love with Downer Street and I'll get ideas in my head that maybe we can summer here. At least once. Someday....

Interesting Stuff I Forgot to Mention

The back is better. Not great, and I still need a chiropractor, but I can walk and sort of bend over to tie my shoes. Regardless, I'm moving on today... But as I was catching up on work this weekend, I remembered a few things that happened this week that I haven't told you about.

• I'm the new gossip columnist for BLUFF Magazine
  
• An agent approached me about future books, but I told her that I was a bit skeptical because she had several typos in her email and didn't have a website. It's clear I need an agent on my same wavelength with all my new media publicity interest
  
• As of yesterday, I'm hooked on Philadelphia Garden and Vegetable Cream Cheese
  

Current: Chicago
Next: Sycamore area on the way to Milwaukee
Tomorrow: Milwaukee --My FAVORITE!!!! It's really too bad I can't show John the Downer hood I love so much. If there was any place for him to surprise me, I wish it was here even just for one day :-)

Back Trouble

This is weird. I could've sworn I wrote up a post yesterday and it's vanished. I'm sorry.

I'm in Chicago, and am down with a heating pad. Something happened while I was in Indiana. I didn't lift anything heavy, but might've lunged for a post card that was flying away in the wind. Whatever happened, I got a sharp pain in my back on the lower left side. It made the drive to Madison, pretty uncomfortable if not painful. It was at it's worst at the event, and so I didn't drive all the way back to Chicago in the middle of the night. Instead I stayed at a hotel in Janesville and tried to let it relax. Then I drove to Chicago where I'm staying with Dan Buczaczer (my best friend from high school), and his wife Jen. They have one of the best guest beds I've ever slept in. Neck and neck with Andrea and Dale's in Portland.

They had a heating pad for me, and that's about what I did yesterday.

This morning it still hurts, but I have to do a bunch of work today and go to the Savvy Traveller in the afternoon. I'll be here tonight, then I go to another friend's tomorrow night on the way to Milwaukee. Then Milwaukke for Tuesday night. Then I drive to Memphis on Wed and here's hoping that my back is better because that will be a very long drive. If I'm not cured by then, surely the fried bologna and seeing my dear friends will do the trick.

Don't Know Where to Go

My event was cancelled tonight. I have some radio interviews in the morning and will be working till 11:00 a.m. at the Best Western in Florence, KY. Then I'll head down the street to the Panera to finish up. I'm going to call ahead to a store in Dayton and see if I can swing by there. Then I'm not really sure where I'm going or where I'll stay tonight.

Don't worry though. I'll be fine. I have money and Susan and John have a fairly tight hold on my all time whereabouts.

You can read about last night's event on Written Road.

Next: Madison on Friday, Oct 7, 2005
Tour schedule....

Brilliant Idea of the Day: Book Tour Diaries

Was I procrastinating, or was this my latest attempt to get some buzz for the book? I'll let you decide, but I feel like it's a more interesting spin on my tour than the usual gab.

It starts with "The Book Tour Diaries, Ohio"

You can continue to follow along on Written Road, or The Thong Also Rises.

If there's one thing I've learned from reading other bloggers, is that incorporating hookers into your writing, creates interest. Good thing I found one last night.

I'm Not Sleeping in My Car

Believe it or not, I have slept in my car on previous book tours, but it's not really an option anymore. John would give me the boot if I tried it now and losing him isn't worth the $60. That said, it would've been safer to sleep in my car last night than it was to stay at the hotel I reserved on Expedia. When I got to the Budget Host Town Center Hotel, a drugged out hooker was chasing after a car, and then walking in my direction, her hands blaring birds at me like some wannabe rebel teenager trying to act cool.

I left and drove around for an hour before ponying up for a Best Western. Decidedly the most expensive night I've had on a tour before ($62), but I aint getting any younger so it feels kinda like the new standard. Which leads me to the two companies I want to be a spokesperson for:

AVIS saved me. I was already researching Greyhound and calculating how much I should offer a craigslist ride share to take me from Cinci to Indianapolis when Sandy at the CVG Avis told me they take debit cards. I can't even begin to tell you how grouchy I would've been if I didn't have this rental car. Now, my black Toyotal Corrola feels like a limo.

BEST WESTERN rules. Their new slogan should be, "We take care of you." I'm serious when I tell you that in previous tours, Motel Six was the splurge and I was always driving around the outskirts of town looking for the cheap indie. But for $15 more you can get a newer room, FREE WiFi (or high speed internet), a frige, FREE cheapie breakfast (but don't knock the fresh fruit and cereal), a treadmill and excercise bike, and a hair dryer and coffee maker in the room.

I seriously need to talk to both of these companies, so if you have contacts, bring 'em here.

OK, back to work on my FREE WiFi. Not that I didn't just buy Boingo for the tour, too.

Current: Cincinnati, OH for "Girls Night Out!" at Joseph-Beths -- Oct 5 at 7:00 p.m.
Next after that: Indianapolis, IN -- Oct 6
The tour schedule....

Back on the Book Tour

I'm in Atlanta on a layover. London was too short, but it's cool I can do my thing from anywhere. Good news and bad news...

Good news: I cut my flight short to Cincinnati. Previously I was supposed to fly all the way back to LAX, then catch a red-eye the same night going the opposite direction back to Cinci. But I managed to cut off the extra. My event is tomorrow so I'll have time to find a laundromat and get organized.

Bad news: I don't have a car rental for my Midwest section of the tour. Mostly because I don't have access to a credit card. Not sure if I'll be able to find someone who'll take a debit card, or if I'll have to do a combo of Craigslist and Greyhound.

Current: Atlanta Airport on a layover
Next: Cincinnati, OH for "Girls Night Out!" at Joseph-Beths -- Oct 5 at 7:00 p.m.
Next after that: Indianapolis, IN -- Oct 6
The tour schedule....

John cashed!

He made it to the money last night and was one of 12 players to end the night. So, the 12 from the previous night, and the 12 from his day, will go on to play this afternoon all the way to the final winner. It was really scary there at the end.

In poker, the term bubble is referred to as the person who goes out just before making the money. John had bubbled in France earlier this year when he was playing the previous European Poker Tour. It's the worse to make it all that way, but not cash. He was low in chips, so he and a few other short stacks had to fight to stay in. At this point they were down to two tables and I was in the actual room watching.

I had made some poker media friends and was having fun. Steve from GutShot, and Brad from thePoker Stars Blog, were updating me nearly ever play with John's stack and how he was holding up. It was so exciting.

You can read his write up, "Slithering Into the Money," on his blog, but I'm warning you, it's in the language of poker.

Finally the guy on his left, who had less chips than John, went all in, and the guy across from him called. Bingo, the other guy was wiped out and we could go home.

Living the poker life, we were asleep by 4am, and didn't wake up till after noon. Then it was time to get back to the casino. We were there a half an hour or so, just long enough for John to take 23rd place and cash out 4,000 British pounds. Now I'm back to work, with dinner tonight and visiting some dear friends tomorrow.

Fast London Poker Coverage

Uncle Jon, Susan, and whomever else is following John's play at the EPT:

I found new and faster coverage. It's on BlondePoker.com. You have to read their forum boards. The most recent updates are at the bottom of the last page. Pics are included.

This is a lot faster than the Poker Stars coverage.

BlondePoker Tournament Coverage at the Vic in London

Ahhhh, I can't wait to get over there. Not till dinner, though...

The European Poker Tour: London

So, John just left for the Vic. They broke down the opening group into two fields. Yesterday's half got down to 12 players, as will today's. Each player gets 10k in chips to start, and play will begin at 3:00 p.m. Then they will run till about 4:00a.m. or until they have it down to 12 players. Then, tomorrow, they'll start with 24 players. All will get paid something, but it's the final table everyone is shooting for.

I ironed his shirt and wished him luck, but that's about all I can do for now. I'd like to be with him on the dinner break, but he says that there's no need for me to come over until 10:00 p.m. I know he's going to play his best, but I'm still nervous anyway. It's just like it is at home when he plays online, I'm more of a wreck than he is. Hopefully in time it'll wear off, but it amuses him and takes the stress off him, so maybe it's a good thing for now.

If you're reading this today. Saturday morning Pacific Standard Time, think positive thoughts for John. Drink some mineral water, eat some jelly beans or peanut M&Ms, I don't know. Just think FINAL TABLE FINAL TABLE FINAL TABLE FINAL TABLE. And hopefully Lady Luck will smile his way.

Two places to look for updates:
Brad Willis is blogging about the tourney on the Poker Stars Blog
John will blog about his play tomorrow on his new blog, EuroSchecky

Current Location: London
Next up: Cincinnati, OH (Oct 4)
My tour schedule...