In Oregon, Car Exploded, CatCat has moved out, Sister Goin' To War

I feel less and less like a new dealer and more like someone who actually knows what they're doing.  Which is silly really, but the transition from floor to dealer, or player to dealer was pretty profound.  It's entirely different having to only be aware of YOUR cards, or one ruling.. and being accountable for 10 people. Of which, at any given time, half of them think they're playing blackjack.

WildHorse casino: Significantly lacking in actual wild horses, but otherwise, very nice.

Pendleton is a far different type of event than Reno was. Reno was such an excellent event to break in at.  The floor people there are some of the nicest people I've ever worked with, not to mention.. they collectively had lifetimes of experience in the business.  They were patient and took their time to point out things I could do to make my downs run smoother. When I screwed up, which fortunately wasn't too often, it was never treated like a life or death situation and I never felt pressured to deal anything I wasn't comfortable with.  It helped me get acclimated.

Pendleton has a set of rules unlike anything I've ever experienced or seen anywhere else in poker. But I dig it. I like it a lot.. their rules are foreign, something new to learn and do properly, but the pace is a lot different from Reno and so far.. I like them both equally for different reasons.

Not relevant to the topic at hand, but the Oregon Coast is quite beautiful. You should visit. I am no where near the coast now, but my car is a lot closer than I am.  More on that later.

The vibe of this crew is different too, but not in a bad way.  I think dealing here will make me a better dealer. Even if the rules won't apply anywhere else, the high expectations and more demanding pace will make me a better asset to other events I deal in the future. I've been told to expect 12 to 14 hour days, events with 500 or 600 people in them, and potentially being locked in for hours at a time (For non-poker enthusiasts, being locked in means staying at the same table for long periods of time without moving or a break).  I'm looking forward to all of this. It sounds like a challenge, and I love the idea of coming "home" absolutely exhausted.

The Dealer Coordinator reminds me of Teresa Sommerfeld.  I like her already, because of this. She's funny and warm. I don't know if she's a Mom, but she has a cool-mom vibe, and I want to go out of my way to not cause her stress.

Things outside of work aren't ideal right now.  Driving into Pendleton, about five hours out, my engine LITERALLY fell out of my car. The engine mount broke, and took out an axle and a few other critical components with it. My warranty is fighting me on this, but I have a mechanic who is quickly becoming a friend, taking care of the situation.  We spent over an hour this morning on the phone together, talking about video games and computer repair.  All sorts of geeky stuff.  I'm confident that even if this doesn't work out with the warranty paying it, that my car will be better off having been fixed by this guy. So I'm not stressing about it too much.

You can't really tell from the picture, but this is NOT where an engine is supposed to be. Not even close.

Leaving the car behind unexpectedly, left us with just 12 hours to figure out how to cross a 5 hour drive.. with no vehicle.  We ended up in a high-speed hour long shuttle ride, driven by a middle eastern man with "Masha Allah" written on the back of his van (to which Josh commented "I'd wear a turban right now if it'd get us to Pendleton faster".. cracks me up), to the Portland airport, where we ended up on a plane a little larger than a crop duster enroute to work. Essentially, we had a private flight to work.. I'd just rather my jet-setting experiences not come at the expense of my car in the future.

CatCat likes a private flight, with a window seat.
Spoiled Kitty.

This experience was a lot less "Rock Star" and a lot more "Stressful" than it looks.

I had arrangements before I got to this event to room with Josh in a pet-friendly hotel.  Somewhere in the last two weeks, this all changed.  Josh's long time friend, Rocco signed up to do the event too.  They usually room together, and I kinda figured they'd want to this time as well.  I reluctantly offered to room with someone else that I don't know very well, but upon arrival.. when it became evident that the rooms only had one bed in each (the two-bed rooms were unavailable), and we'd be limited to one bed plus one air mattress.. things were a little awkward.  The air mattresses were literally flush with the beds, making it almost like one large bed.. albeit, at different heights.

My home for the next two weeks. A lot nicer than it looks. Thank God.

Now, I know this will surprise a lot of you, but I wasn't too keen on literally crawling in bed with someone I barely know. Plus my new roommate wasn't in love with the idea of CatCat. The whole situation made me uncomfortable, so I went with a different friend.. Dayan, to his hotel and booked a room there.  It's only a block away, but I feel like I've kinda been ousted from everyone I know. The upside is.. I don't have a roommate, which isn't all bad.  I'm alone for the first time in months.  The downside, aside from having my feelings hurt (regardless of how justified that is), is I had arrangements for a roommate and a place where I could have my cat.. and now I'm footing the bill for something completely on my own and my cat is staying with Josh and Rocco.  CatCat is my one constant source of comfort.  He's my buddy, he goes everywhere with me.  I woke up at least four times last night looking for him. I know he's being well taken care of, and well loved.  I know I can walk over there and see him, but right now.. the whole situation has me so frustrated that going over there at all stresses me out.

I'm not going to be in a living situation that makes me uncomfortable.  I realize that by not having a car, I'm no longer that useful to any roommate, but I'm not happy with how this has all gone down. As ridiculous as this is.. I'm in a room with two beds alone, there are two guys in the pet friendly hotel shackin' up on a bed and an air mattress.  It makes no sense to me, but I didn't plan this trip or arrange anything, so I'm not going to make any demands or inconvenience anyone.  I know that I'll be planning my trips and making my own accommodations for future gigs. 

My newfound independence has an upside though!
I walked many blocks, after midnight, in Pendleton at risk of getting mugged just to
get this tonight. Peach Arizona Tea.
A flavor I just haven't had luck finding anywhere. <3
If I'd been rooming with someone else, I would have been talked out of such a task.
But with my prize in hand, I am victorious!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not mad at any of the guys over this rooming fiasco.  I'm a woman in a male dominate field, and what works for them or makes them comfortable.. isn't always going to work for me. I'm also very prone to keeping my mouth shut (believe it or not) when something is really bothering me, rather than pushing it off on others to deal with. Josh has been an excellent friend and traveling companion to me.  Rocco is great, and the other guy seems cool.  I think the stress of my car, some family issues and not having CatCat is just wearing me down.  It'll pass, and hell.. it's only two weeks.  I can survive anything for two weeks, right?

Josh even went as far as to say "whatever you need or want me to do, so you'll be happy, I'll do".  But seriously, I'm not going to cramp everyone elses' arrangements.  So I'll be here in my surprisingly nicer hotel room, alone, missing my cat.. and looking forward to November 16th. :)

My sister texted today and said she's going to Afghanistan in a few months.  She's in the Air Force.  I'm so proud of my baby sister for what she does, but I am not thrilled about her going off to the sand box and being shot at. I love her so much, and I know my sentiments are no different from anyone else who sends a loved one over there, but this breaks my heart.  This isn't the first person I've loved to go over there.  I've attended the funerals of more than a couple as well.  I know Bex is smart, and she'll come home none the worse for wear, but it's such a different emotion when it's your sibling..rather than a husband, friend or acquaintance.

My beautiful sister. If you're in Afghanistan, please watch out for her. Unless you're a creeper with a gun.
And then, stay far far away.

My Mom was in a small accident, in a WalMart parking lot.  She's mostly okay, but being so far away was like being kicked in the stomach.  I hate not being able to cheer her up when she's going through a rough time. My family isn't big, but the way I feel about her and Bex is the same as if I had dozens of aunts, uncles and cousins.  They're my whole heart.  Add CatCat, and it's pretty much all I need in the world. Well, plus a few of you too of course.  When you have a small family, your friends kinda become your extended family.  I can't tell you how many times my connections with you all through facebook and texting have kept me optimistic.

I have to be up super early (Well, by dealer standards. Anything before noon is super early), so I'm going to jump off here.  I'll update more about my trip, and this event out here in the next post.

Even if it sounds like I'm bitching, I'm still feeling rather lucky.  I am exactly where I want to be, doing exactly what I want to do. There are things I would change, but I wouldn't exchange my situation for someone else's, even if it were shinier and prettier on the outside.

He always looks so innocent and sweet in photos. LIES.

I don't think he reads the blog, because.. well, anything longer than two sentences that isn't mostly in pictures, and he tunes it out altogether.. but I miss Scott a lot more than I thought I would.  I really undervalued our friendship.  Which is saying a lot, considering how much I valued him. There have been plenty of long phone conversations since I've been on the road, and aside from Mom, he's probably the person I'm looking forward to seeing most over the holidays. I heart that guy.  Even if he is a total pain in the ass.

<3,
J