December 17th - Lesson Learned

Today's Reverb Prompt is: What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward?

For me, during this past year, I figured out that I'm not Super Woman and that I can't do it all. I also learned that how I deal with stress of not being Super Woman is not so healthy. I tend to blow up, not rationalize, and just get really moody. I finally figured out how to deal with that stress a week ago. I was upset over going over budget for Christmas. I resorted to yelling at DH, blaming him for not helping me, etc. He then went to pick up dinner, I took a shower and mellowed out. I rationalized in my head while I was in the shower. When I came out, DH was home and I gave him a great big hug and apologized. I said we'd figure something out and that we don't spend any $ on ourselves throughout the year, so we 'splurge' during these holidays, so it's not a big deal. But I tend to make small deals into HUGE ordeals. I think I have tamed that best this year.

Reverb 10: I Appreciate My Husband

I've been following many blogs over the past 2 years, and one caught my eye today. Over at One Frugal Girl's blog, she's has been participating in Reverb 10 where you reflect on the past year and manifest what’s next. You sign the contract that you will blog or tweet each day on that day's topic. I've been meaning to get back into the swing of things on my blog, and what better way to do it!

Today's proverb is about what you appreciate the most during the past year. I'm normally a very independent woman, but after 3 and a half years of marriage, I've learned that it's all about give and take. I'm very controlling in our marriage, as I am the boss and it has to be my way or no way. But this year, I've learned that I can't always have my way, which was a hard pill to swallow. DH and I have had quite a number of 'talks' about everything from money, to vacation, to planning for children, etc. He was never the type to sit and talk about serious topics, but lately he has been. His persona was more or less the 'Party Animal' that could care less about anything, unless it had something to do with beer or a club. But he's changed a lot in the 7 years we have been together. Yes, this time of year marks the anniversary that we met, which wasn't in the typical type of way either. 7 years ago, my life changed and looking back, it changed for the best!

Over the past year, I have had my own issues with health, money, work, stress, family, you name it. But DH was always there to ease my stress. I automatically stress about the smallest of things, but he has learned how to calm me down and he has been on point with it this year. He knows when I'm in a 'mood' to just let me be, so he will go into a different room then i'm in. And if I switch rooms, he follows suit. He also knows when I just need a hug and a 'It'll be okay' pep talk. He also knows the best way to cheer me up, with either a trip to Atlantic City or a coupon that he found, or a sale on something that I've been wanting. I'm still getting used to our 'team' as in my past I always so it as me against the world. But now, it's him and I against the world and I have a pretty good teammate if I do say so myself.

WSOP Circuit - Harrah's Ladies Event 12/11/2010

I had originally planned on playing the tournament at the Borgata on Dec 11th since it was a two day event, and I really want to get my feet wet playing a multi day event. In the past with work, I wasn’t able to, and the ones that are on the weekends are over $1k buy in, which my bankroll can’t stomach. Then, on Friday, Dec. 10th, I checked the Borgata website to double check times, etc and it was changed to a 1 day event. Eh. So I switched back to wanting to play the ladies event.

We got to Harrah’s around 10, checked in, didn’t get a room, so we put our luggage at the Bellhop. I then went up to register for the tournament, no line. We then walked around for a little bit until the tournament started.

I started at a pretty good table…all the ladies were nice (as always). I wanted to try to suss out the ladies at my table to see how they played (tight, loose, aggressive, etc). I got a pretty good read on them all pretty quick (another reason I like the ladies event, easy to suss out). Many tight players, and 2 loose players at my table. The one was in every hand, she’d raise every other hand and so many times at the river, she’d be like ‘Ace high’ since she kept trying to win the pot by betting. Another girl was the same way, she’d always catch on the river. One girl flopped a set of nines and bet big, and raised, etc. Same on the turn, bet huge. With an ace and a queen (maybe a jack on board). The girl kept calling…10 on the river, she caught a higher set on the river, leaving the other woman with like 300 left. She was MAD! But this other woman that hit the set on the river could not get off ANY hands!

I must say that my ace king was loving me that tournament! I lost 2 times with it and got it about 8 times. The first time I got it, I raised pre flop with 2 callers. Nothing on the flop, check to me so I continuation bet it, one caller. 10 on the turn, making 2 diamonds out there and 2 tens. She checked, I bet, she insta called again so I put her on a 10 since she was a tight player as well. She checks the river before it came out, Ace on the river, I check (since my pair of aces loses to a set of 10s) and I flip it over in disgust and she mucked…she said I got her on the river. Sweet!

Got ace king again a few hands later (suited) and I raised pre flop, 2 callers (both the loose girls too). Nothing hit on the flop and one girl bet out so I folded. Other girl raised (thinking ‘good fold’ to myself). They bet again on the turn and river. Ace rag won (ace high), the other girl had queen 7 off. Wow…I woulda won with ace king high. Oh well. But other then that and the hand that knocked me out, my ace king was unstoppable, which is RARE!

At the end of one of the rounds, I got pocket 8s or 9s. I hate getting a hand as we are going on a break. So I raised pre flop, got one caller (loose girl). I flopped a set, girl checked and I bet out (flush and straight possibilities) and she folded. Thank goodness!

Around 3 or 4 pm ( I can’t remember the timing), I got pocket nines and someone raised ahead of me. I call, looking to see a flop as I wasn’t going to repop her since she had a tight image. Girl to my left calls also, VERY tight. She played maybe 3 hands the whole time. Flop was 9 2 3 (two diamonds). Tight girl leads out and goes all in, I go all in on top and the tight girl to my left goes into the tank. I must note, that right before the hand was dealt, Hubby Mike came up to check on me. So he was standing behind me as the whole hand took place. As soon as I pushed all in, he moved back, thinking ‘Oh boy, if this goes bad, she’s going to blame me’. The girl to my left finally folds, and we flip over our cards. I forgot what the woman had, but the girl to my left was like ‘I put you on a set, that’s why I folded pocket jacks’. Turn was a blank, river was a jack! Good thing I pushed all in or the girl to my left would have called just the all in of the other girl and I woulda have most likely gone busto in that hand when she rivered her jack.

Right before the dinner break, our table got busted up, which was a good thing b/c two girls got into a heated argument when one rivered a one or two outer ( I wasn’t paying attention that hand, I’m just going by hearsay). I got moved to table one, with Ac_pokerchick. Soon after, we went on lunch.

I played tight at the new table to get some reads of the new people. At one point, I had pocket 7s and I raised pre flop. Pregnant girl to my right called. Flop was ace jack rag, she checked, I bet out, she called. Turn was a 9 I think, she bet I folded. At this point I went from over 30k in chips down to about 21k. I don’t remember if I got involved in many more hands as at 27 left, we redrew tables and seats.

We moved down to 3 tables from 4 and I was at seat 1 at my new table. I hate seat 1, I never know when it’s my turn lol. Hubby Mike and Hubby 2 were there watching and nicknamed seat 10 my arch nemesis. She won a few hands off me, but I won a few from her too, and when I counted we were about even stealing money from each other. One particular hand was when I had 10 jack of clubs in the big blind (arch nemesis in small blind). Flop came out two clubs, she checks, I bet out someone behind me folded, arch nemeis calls. Turn is nothing, she checks, I check, river is the ace of clubs. I just hit my flush! That hadn’t happened the WHOLE tourney! She bets out, I go all in (or I raised her a lot, I don’t recall). She thinks, thinks, thinks, etc. Then she folds. Here’s where I got ticked off, but didn’t let it show…Hubby Mike saw it too and wanted to say something, but kept quiet. After the hand, arch nemesis asked if I caught my flush b/c if I did, she had me beat the entire way to the river. I had in my headphones, but had paused it at some point or another. I just remember I had in my earphones but paused the song for whatever reason. So I pretended that I didn’t hear her. So the dealer (in between us), taps me and says that arch nemesis was asking me a question (as I’m racking in my chips). Thank goodness for Ac-pokerchick! She didn’t know that it was on pause, but knew that I had in my headphones and was like ‘she has her earphones in’ LOL. Now why in the heck would the dealer tap me and say ‘she asked you a question’ HELLO…deal the cards! Don’t talk and don’t get involved! Eesh!

This is around the time where I started the roller coaster again. In the past, I’ve done this, but would go down, then up, then down and out. This time, I rode the coaster for awhile, I’ve never gone down and up so many times and lasted.

One girl did comment that I was very patient and knew the exact time to shove.

Although a kick from Ac_pokerchick from down at the end of the table woulda been nice lol. She had raised pre flop, I was in the big blind and I had ace king, so I had to call…I was very short stacked…less then 10k and the blinds were 1500/3k. She had aces…woops! So that was it, I was out in 16th around 11pm and we started at 11am. It was a LONG day and I was exhausted and hungry. I went to eat and came back over an hour later to see who was at the final table. Kim finished in 7th, (congrats!) and the final table was playing. I went to bed shortly after. I’m still trying to see who won, but worldseriesofpoker.com hasn’t updated the ladies event yet 

Congrats to Ac_pockerchick! I checked out pokerpages.com and she has her own page!

A & P 12/10/10

4 Scott Naturals Wipes - $1.89 * 4 = $7.56

4 Blistex - $1.00 * 4 = $4.00 - 4 $.25 off coupons (Qs) doubled to $.50 $2.00

Total = $9.56 +$.21 tax = $9.77

Used $5 CAT from the brownie deal = $4.77. Got back $5 CAT for buying 4 Scott Wipes = $.23 profit!

Ladies Event at Borgata 9-12-2010

I went down this past weekend for my annual bday weekend. I knew I was going to play the ladies event. However, during our trip, my friend Jerry kept saying that he was going to bet $500 on black and if he hit, he'd buy me in to the tourney. As a girl, YEE HAW if he it and BOOO if he didn't hit. I was too scared (yes, ME scared) to play cash as I'm on the losing end of the stick for a few months in cash, so him and I played Blackjack while Hubby Mike played poker. He told me at the table he was buying me in. I cashed out of BJ even, him down about $200 and we go to register upstairs on Saturday night. Table 9 seat 1. I think 'Not bad....beginning of the tables and a good seat!'. We go find Hubby Mike and he's at a table at 1/2. He's involved in a pot, so I just stand behind him and watch, and don't let him know I'm there. He raised pre flop and a guy called. All low cards on the flop (9 high I believe) and Hubby Mike bets out, guy re-raises him all in for the dude's remaining like $60. Hubby Mike thinks and calls. Rag on turn, Jack on river. Nobody moves. Hubby Mike flips over his pocket 10s. Guy (sitting right to his left) looks at Hubby Mike's cards, looks around at the table (ppl are all in suspense). Looks at his own cards, looks at Hubby Mike, looks around the table (you get the jist), then flips over pocket jacks. He had Hubby Mike the whole way, and then hit a set on the river. And freaking slow rolls like that? That IRKS me to no end. Everyone at the table just sat there like 'what a 'curse word' Well, I speak my mind, I grab Hubby Mike's arm and I'm like 'Let's go, get off the table...you don't wanna be sitting next to a slow rolling douchebag all night'. To which the guy turns to me (an older guy, maybe mid 50s') says 'Eff off'. Hubby Mike then responds 'What did you just say to her?' and I'm like 'Honey, get off the table, I can handle my own' The guy starts ripping into me, I rip back into him. I told him I wasn't talking to him, I was talking to my husband and to apologize for saying 'eff off' to a lady. (he didn't). I had to hold my friend Jerry back b/c he was about to kill the guy. Once again, I can handle my own. I told the guy he'd lose all his money and he's a jerk. Funny note on that...with all the commotion going on, the dealer never took Hubby Mike's chips to match the guys all in...so he's $60 light on his chips....idiot.

Then later on, I go and play 2 5. I didn't want to play, and I hate playing 1/2 NL on a Saturday night, but I felt the itch. Wasn't getting many hands and I bought in for like $455 or something (whatever chips I had in my wallet at the time). I picked up a few smaller pots, nothing big. Then I get ace queen diamonds. I raise to $20, guy to my left calls, and I think 1 or 2 others call. Flop is Ace clubs 6diamonds and 7diamonds. Top pair, decent kicker and nut flush draw. I bet out 50, guy raises me to 150 or so, I push all in. He's thinking, he's thinking. Oh, one of my fave dealers was dealing too. Finally, he calls. Turn is ablank, then a diamond on the river. I flip over my nut flush as he flips over a flush as well...he was on the straight flush draw, but hit a flush on river. So I pretty much doubled up there, and he had to re-buy. By this time, Jerry and Hubby Mike were standing behind me, waiting for me to get off the table. I waited until my dealer left, then cashed out up a few hunge...my streak was over! And to celebrate I treated myself to some Ben and Jerry's :)

Sunday comes, and we keep Jerry buying me in a secret. He said I've been doing bad with my money and wanted to see if I'd do better with someone else's money. NOTE: I've NEVER been backed before and it's not the good of a feeling if you lose someone else's money. So I go into it hoping my friend made a good investment in me. We are seated by the door, where they normally do satellites as the deep stack was going on as well. Us ladies ALWAYS get the shaft! There was only 17 table set up for the girls, then the last two tables a bunch of guys sat down so we got shafted to 15 tables. Oh well. Only 154 entries....it keeps going down...there was about 400 and some about 4 or 5 years ago when I started playing...and each year it goes down and down. So we start playing and I'm doing okay. I keep getting decent starting hands and call a preflop raise and NOTHING on the flop...people were playing fairly tight and showing every hand as well. We had a guy at our table at one point, and he raises and I look at ace king suited...I just call. Lady reraises to 2500, he calls, and I stick around for the flop. Nothing on the flop so I check, she bets, he shoves all in she calls and takes him out with aces. The whole crowd cheered!

At this point, I was down to like 6k from 10k starting stack in the 2nd or 3rd level, so I was not happy. Then a miracle happened. I got lucky so much! I would hit a set, flush, straight, etc. I took 3 girls out at my first table! Within a round or two, I was up to about 22-25k ( I kept miscounting my chips). Then we get moved.....yay. I hate moving ,but got seated next to a girl I sat next to at the last ladies event...the girl that kept going off on the younger guy that played in our event. She's really cool. I got seated at the table with the girl that placed in 10th place. Apparently the girls on my end of the table didn't like her b/c she was a bully. She had a TON of chips. So I'm up at this table, which is good. I get ace king suited AGAIN (I need to just muck them, never call just muck). I call the $1200 blind as I'm the button, small blind call, big blind (chip girl) looks at my me and asks how much I have left. That irks me. There's someone else in the hand, HELLO! So I just lift my arms up. She has a lot of little denomination chips, and I have a mix of them. She raises to 5k, I call. Little blind folds. Flop is nothing and she bets out like 20k...ugh, fold. Dammit, I shoulda popped it pre flop...all well...stupid ace king.

Another hand I'm involved with her I'm the big blind and I check..I have 10 jack off. flop is 10 rag rag. I couldn't see the 10, thought it was a nine and checked. she checks..turn is a king, she bets out huge and I have to fold. Hubby Mike and Jerry are behind me and I freak out b/c it's late in the game and I totally misplayed that hand...ugh!

Then I get moved again. I'm at table 1. Okay not so bad...I still have some chips. Then I get card dead and everyone around me is getting awesome hands. I get blinded/anted down to about 15k before dinner break, and I'm UTG after dinner break, where blinds are 2k 4k. LOVELY! So I don't eat much on dinner break figuring I'm just gonna play 1 or 2 hands after dinner break b/c I'm severly short stacked. I tell Hubby Mike and Jerry we'll do dinner after I bust out. I was tempted not to go back to the table after dinner and hope my blinds would make me survive to the money. I think it was like 12 or so to the money.

So we go back and I'm like whatever, any face card or ace and I'm pushing...sure enough ace 8 UTG. I go all in....EVERYONE FOLDS! What? okay. So I picked up a few bucks there. When I'm in the small blind, another ace, I shove all in, EVERYONE FOLDS again! And there were BIG stacks at my table. Wow! I kept picking up smaller sized pots here and there, and before I knew it, I was up to 70k! From just about busting out to a force to be reckoned with! Then we kept inching close to the money and I was just folding unless I was in the blinds...wasn't getting hands anyways. Then we made it to the final 18 and we were in the money! Then nobody was busting out for awhile, and I see my chips dwindling, AGAIN. But hey, at least I cashed! I'm UTG again, and I say it's now or next hand (blinds were 5k 10k and I had about 16k. I see a queen and shove. Girl to my left goes all in too (chip leader at the table, maybe the tourney), girl at the end of the table shoves too for less. Girl to my left had king 10, girl at other end of the table has aces. I had an 8 under my queen. I flop an 8, girl to my left turns a king and girl at other end of the table hits an ace on the river for a set of aces. Blogger guy was around and we chatted for a bit, then I got my lucky 13 card and got my winnings.

I told my friend that now he had to follow me around and pay my buy ins from now on :)

I did make a shout out to Gorilla, the blogger. I told him I blog for the B on here, and he said he checks the site on occassion. Mentioned the name Ray Stevenson, but I only know our Fred :)

Rite Aid 9-16-2010

Not like I needed any more toothbrushes, I found a deal at Rite Aid and wanted to try it out. Here goes:

11 Reach Toothbrushes - normally $4.49, on sale for $2.99 and then $2 Wellness Reward for EACH one. When I did it, they all came up the right price, BUT I only got 3 $2 Up Rewards ($6). I also got a $10 Up Reward for buying certain Johnson and Johnson products (Listerine, J and J baby stuff is also in that deal). So all in all, I still MADE $3.11 on the deal, so it's still a profit, AND I have $16 to spend on more deals :)

I Keep It Rolling! 8/20/2010 Shop Rite and Rite Aid

So, after reading Frugalsuz's post about free binders at Rite Aid, well, I just HAD to go. DH makes fun of me because I'm a frequent shopper at Staples each week (LOVE REBATES and FREE stuff!) and I buy stuff because it's pennies or free, even though I have nowhere to put it :) So, off to pick up my best friend and off we go. He is also on the same page as DH but since he's not my DH, he can't stop me from shopping (evil grin). Here's what I got at Rite Aid AND Shop Rite:


I wanted to get 10 binders, but only had 6 left. I was also uneasy about the $2 off each one when they were BOGO (I figured they would say, it's already free so you can't use a coupon) but here's how it all broke down:

--6 Mead Binders $4.99 each and BOGO equals $29.94 - 14.97 (BOGO) = $14.97-6 $2 off qs = 2.97
--4 packs of Stride gum $1 each = $4. Used BOGO Qs so $2 for all 4
--Used $3 off Up reward and $1 off $10 of school supplies.
--4.97-4= .97, tax was 1.19 so I paid OOP $3 and change. Not too shabby!

SO, I had some blinkie Qs from SR for the Right Guard deodarant that I wanted to use up, so I dragged my friend with me. I grabbed 3 more blinkies and 3 Right Guard Total Defense 5. Here's what I did:
--3 Right Guard at 1.99 on sale = 5.97- $3 ($1/1 times 3) = 2.97 plus tax. Used $3CAT OOP is .39 (tax).
Went to the car, and did it again. I also did it once more Saturday with DH (not pictured) and got 3 more....they are PAYING me to take it out of the store, so I will just donate the ones DH doesn't like. I pay OOP .39 and get $3 CAT, I'm MAKING money! And the blinkies were right there, with a BIG sign about the CAT deal!