Welcome Back, MrsC!

I'm tired, happy, and a little sad that tomorrow is back to the grind. And I don't mean the poker grind. I mean the commuting, child-raising, bill-paying reality. No more late nights, turn-down service, sleeping in, running around casinos in a pair of tight jeans and a low cut shirt.

Tomorrow it's suits, and accounting, and homework, and family weddings . . .

Pauly did the first post, but for being the first gathering that I was a part of (and not just the accompaniment to the husband), I have to share my few highlights:

• Meeting invisible friends face to face and hugging them all.
• Seeing how a massive collective of loosely related people can all come together into something so organized that lasts SOOOOO long.
• Lasting 4 hours in this crazy thing when I don't play nearly as much poker as the rest of you. When it got time to do some pushing, Rooster took about half of my chip stack when he called my 5x raise (ok, I admit, it was a blind steal with a little suited paint), and then the flop gave him the nut straight. He was nice enough to show me. He checked it, but so did I, so the next bet had me mucking and the dealer sliding him my chips. At least he put the chips to good use. Congratulations are in order, dear. Oh, yeah, he kissed me too.
• Blinders took the last of my chips from me in a race - he'd built a nice stack and decided to push me with his KQ offsuit. I had AJ offsuit. King hit him, and I waved goodbye. But can't complain. At least he moneyed. If you have to lose, it somehow feels better to lose to someone who can make it to the money, than to just any random donkey.
• Tragedy made an excellent chaperone. Next time, hon, just remember if I have a chance to sleep late, I will ALWAYS take it. So if I'm not answering the phone, chances are I have a date with my pillow.
• I got to hug Otis. Who took second to the Rooster. Its funny to read Rooster's blog from a few days ago or so - its makes it sound like they'd be at the final table together. But best part was hugging this sweet soul who was so thoughtful to my hubby. Bless you, sweet man. And you're WAY cuter than your blog picture.
• Thanks to all for DrChako's guitar - he will love all my pictures, love all the stories, read your blogs voraciously, and wish he could have been there a hundred times, but he'll always have this guitar to commemorate.

Will post pictures another day.

To those still out there, enjoy. To the rest of you arriving back in reality, it was good to be part of it all.

Respectfully submitted,

The Wife