Driving In Snow

We found ourselves on the road yesterday during a fairly heavy snowstorm. We had to go and sign paperwork for our new and temporary apartment. While driving there, we saw a few 4-wheel drive vehicles in the ditch. Here I was driving a 12-year old minivan with 2-wheel drive. Going down a small downgrade with a stoplight at the bottom, I did not brake early enough and I found myself spinning a little out of control. I must admit that it was a bit scary. I got out of the skid, and we got to the apartment complex safely.

Lisa and the kids went to the office while I stayed in the van to make sure that we didn't get stuck on the road. I asked Lisa to please hurry so that we could get back before the snow got really deep. She was rushing the leasing agent along and even offered to leave her a blank check so that we could leave. The agent asked, "Where are you guys from again?" When she found out it was Los Angeles, she replied, "Oh, that explains it, this really isn't that bad of a storm."

Driving back to our hotel, Lisa and I got into a discussion about the proper procedure when you are skidding on snow/ice. I thought that I did the correct thing by steering in the opposite direction of the skid, but she was sure that she had learned it was a counter-intuitive move, and to steer in the direction of the skid. According to the Weather.Com: Driving in Snow and Ice, I believe that I did the right thing. It says, "If your rear wheels skid...Take your foot off the accelerator. Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they're sliding right, steer right. If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control." Good things to know.

Our Journey to Colorado

I finally have some time to write an entry about our trek to Colorado Springs.

We were planning on starting our journey at some point early on Friday, December 22. While we were finishing up packing up our home, we noticed on the Weather Channel that a big winter storm hit Denver and the surrounding areas. We decided to postpone our departure until the next day so that we could avoid driving through snow. It was actually a good thing that we changed our plans, because we did not actually finish clearing out and cleaning our home until 1:00 PM on Saturday. We departed our home shortly thereafter. I drove the 24-foot diesel rental moving truck (maximum speed of about 30 MPH uphill) and Lisa drove our completely packed 1995 Honda Odyssey.

We got reinforcement that we made the correct decision to leave Los Angeles during the first four hours of our journey. The traffic was horrible (the worst that Lisa had ever seen). There was some kind of 'police activity' (a car chase and shootout) on the I-15 toward the I-40. What a fitting send-off the freeways of L.A. gave us. We were planning on making it to Flagstaff, Arizona, but we only made it to Kingman. Total drive time on day 1: 9 hours. We stayed at a Motel 6 there that just happened to have freight trains passing nearby seemingly every 15 minutes blaring their horns.

The next morning, Christmas Eve, we headed out at around 9:00 AM and planned on driving as far as possible. We obviously were not well rested. But we still had a small glimmer of hope that we could make it all the way to Colorado Springs before midnight. It was actually exciting for Alex to drive through Arizona. He had not been there since he was about 1 month old. He was born in Yuma (affectionately nicknamed the Hellhole). The scenery was great through Arizona and New Mexico. Lisa and I were fading fast, however. At every stop, we seemed to look at each other and realize that we were not going to make it. At about 5:00 PM while we were at a truck stop in New Mexico, we decided to find a place to stop for the night near Albuquerque. We checked into a Super 8 Motel at 7:00 PM. Total drive time on day 2: 10 hours.

Alex and Marisa wrote a couple of small messages to let Santa know where we were. They left the notes and a cereal bar on the chair in our room. Amazingly, Santa was able to find us. We celebrated Christmas a little while before we headed out for our final leg of our journey at 8:30 AM.

I thought that it was very symbolic that we first hit Colorado on Christmas Day. It is not only the birth of Jesus, but it is also the birth of our life as a family here. What great things can we accomplish here?

We made it to our hotel, La Quinta Inn, in Colorado Springs at 4:30 PM. Total drive time on day 3: 8 hours. According to Map Quest, the trip from Harbor City to Colorado Springs was supposed to take 19.5 hours. It took us 27 hours.

We met Lisa's parents at the hotel. They had come out from Topeka, Kansas to visit with us. We had a Christmas Day feast at that old time traditional holiday standby...Denny's. We made it! Merry Christmas.

Green Belts in Hapkido Karate

Official test results are in. Lisa and Marisa passed their tests and are now the rank of green belt (the 5th one up). Now they have caught up to Alex, who took the test last month. Hopefully we will be able to find a comparble martial arts studio in Colorado Springs.

Marisa and Lisa's test result
Alex's test result

December Poker Winnings

I had another very efficient this month. I only played about 31 hours compared to my overall average of about 87 hours per month. I made a little over $14/hour this month compared to my average of about $6.80. As per the updated resolution that I made on my June 26, 2006 post, I have withdrawn my goal of $500 from my poker bankroll this month. YTD=+$6,900. '05-YTD=+$4,800. My next withdrawal of $500 is due by January 31, 2007. I don't know if I'll be able to play as much in the next few months due to our move and questionable internet access capabilities. Please continue to wish me luck and keep me accountable.

All I Want For Christmas Is My 18 Front Teeth

OK, it is only four front teeth. Too bad those are not the only things that she really wants for Christmas.

Christmas, Christians, and Christ

I 'borrowed' this from Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life:

Some years ago, a class of students was asked to write about the meaning of Christmas. One student wrote, "Christmas is when Christians celebrate Christ." The teacher liked the paper, but asked the student to change that one line to "Christmas is when people celebrate love."

What, some may wonder, is the difference? After all, Christians are people and Christ is love.

Yet there is a difference - and the difference is so profound that if we miss it, we have missed the meaning of Christmas and Christ.

Of course, Christians are people. But not all people are Christians. To be a Christian is much more than to be a good person. It's about becoming a new person, sharing a new kind of life - the life of God himself. Christmas is not just about the birth of a child; it's about the birth of a whole new humanity. In Adam, all die; in Christ, all come to life again. We are made sharers, by faith and baptism, in the Divine Nature. At every Mass, as he pours a few drops of water into the wine, the priest prays, "By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the Divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity." That's what Christmas is all about. St. Augustine put it this way: "God became man that man might become God."

Preaching today too often loses sight of this fundamental dimension of the Gospel. And people therefore risk seeing Christmas as being just about good cheer, giving, family, and peace on earth. It is about those things, but only because it is first about God reconciling humanity to himself in Christ and opening the way for humanity to share divine life. Christmas is a Christian feast.

And then there's the meaning of "love." Yes, people celebrate love at Christmas, but it is only in Christ that we fully learn the nature of love and find the power to practice it. "Love one another as I have loved you," he commanded us. The love we are called to live is a love that is revealed in the Christ who gives himself on the cross, and a love that requires us to give our lives for one another. It is a love shaped by the first and greatest commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Without the love of God, we cannot find the strength to love one another. And without Christ, we do not see the full revelation of God.

Love has a content, and that content is defined by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Love is not simply the good intention, or the context, in which we do whatever we think is best. Love always requires certain actions and always prohibits certain actions.

At Christmas, God calls all people to celebrate the love that took flesh in Christ, by believing in him and following him in the new, eternal life he brings.

November Poker Winnings

I was very efficient this month. I only played about 28 hours compared to my overall average of about 87 hours per month. I made close to $20/hour this month compared to my average of about $6.80. As per the updated resolution that I made on my June 26, 2006 post, I have withdrawn my goal of $500 from my poker bankroll this month. YTD=+$6,400. '05-YTD=+$3,800. My next withdrawal of $500 is due by December 31, 2006. Please continue to wish me luck and keep me accountable.

Shocking!

I recently went to EZ LUBE for my scheduled oil change.

At the bottom of my invoice read the following, "Recommend next service on February 13, 2007 or 126,483 miles. Thank You and God Bless......."

Notice anything a little out of the ordinary?

My Sixth Royal Flush

I hit my sixth royal flush today on Absolute Poker. It was on a $2/4 Omaha Hi/Lo table. Unfortunately, it did not pay off with a large pot. I was in the big blind with [Ks Jh 5c Ah]. Only the small blind called before the flop. The flop was [Qh Kh 7c]. SB Bets $2, I call. TURN [Qh Kh 7c] [2c]. SB Bets $4, I call. RIVER [Qh Kh 7c 2c] [10h]. SB Bets $4, I raise to $8, SB calls. I take a $30.50 pot.

6/22/05-My First Royal Flush
12/01/05-My Second Royal Flush
12/22/05-My Third Royal Flush
3/14/06-My Fourth Royal Flush
4/30/06-My Fifth Royal Flush

Julie's Baptism

Julie Dougalas was baptised into the church tonight by Fr. Ray Mallett during the 5:00 Mass. It was a great ceremony. It was also the first time that Lisa and I have become Godparents (collectively). Hugh is currently on leave from Iraq for two weeks. He was dressed in his Army dress uniform. Very classy.

To me, the most moving thing that happened tonight had nothing to do with Julie's baptism. It was nice to see the many people who came up to Hugh & Jan and sincerely thanked them for their service and sacrifice for all of us.

Sweet Nothings Bakery

A few buddies of mine from Hawaii just opened up a bakery in Honolulu. They had their Grand Opening on October 25, 2006. I love their entrepreneurial spirit. I can really see them succeeding with their niche, perfect name, and excellent location (about one block from the Ala Moana Shopping Center). They've opened a sugar-free bakery called Sweet Nothings. You can read their first great write-up/review in MidWeek. Perhaps when they begin their mass expansion across the nation, I can do my part in Colorado Springs. Good Luck!

Sweet Nothings
1218 Waimanu St., Suite 102
Honolulu, HI 96814-4304
Open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
808-593-1234

Our First Listing

We have put our first home on the market. This is a very exciting and scary time for us. Hopefully we will be able to sell quickly. Click here for the link to the listing of our home.

Troops Respond to Kerry

CLASSIC!

He Was Almost President?

Senator John Kerry attended a pep rally for Phil Angelides yesterday at Pasadena City College. See coverage in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

"Kerry...told the students that if they were able to navigate the education system, they could get comfortable jobs - "If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq," he said to a mixture of laughter and gasps."

My buddy Hugh has a Masters degree and would probably have a few choice words back at Kerry.

See the video and more reaction at this entry on the Michelle Malkin blog.

(update)-Senator John McCain: "Senator Kerry owes an apology to the many thousands of Americans serving in Iraq, who answered their country's call because they are patriots and not because of any deficiencies in their education. Americans from all backgrounds, well off and less fortunate, with high school diplomas and graduate degrees, take seriously their duty to our country, and risk their lives today to defend the rest of us in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.

They all deserve our respect and deepest gratitude for their service. The suggestion that only the least educated Americans would agree to serve in the military and fight in Iraq, is an insult to every soldier serving in combat, and should deeply offend any American with an ounce of appreciation for what they suffer and risk so that the rest of us can sleep more comfortably at night. Without them, we wouldn't live in a country where people securely possess all their God-given rights, including the right to express insensitive, ill-considered and uninformed remarks."

Anyway

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends
and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
Give the world your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.


--attributed to Blessed Mother Teresa

We Are Moving Here!

A freak blizzard hit Colorado Springs and the surrounding areas today, virtually shutting down the city, dropping over 14 inches of snow with winds over 30 miles per hour. See this story on the CNN website for more details and pictures. Looks like a lot of fun.

Julie Anne

The Dougalas family has a new addition to their family. Congratulations! A 7 lb 14 oz girl was born on October 19, 2006 at 9:28 PM. Hugh was given a 15-day leave and will be home approximately November 1-15.


They had asked us to be the Godparents of this child about six months ago. This was long before there was any hint of us moving away. As soon as it became a possibility that we may be moving, we suggested that they ask others. But they still want us to be the Godparents. Jan & Hugh actually met in Colorado. So (in a way) this is a closure of a circle. Alex & Marisa and Lilly & Glenn are excited to be 'Godcousins' with each other.

Lisa Has Accepted

Lisa has accepted the job in Colorado Springs. It looks like she will be taking about a 20-25% pay cut. The cost of living is about 20% less than here. She will be on a teacher's schedule, so she will have a couple of months off in the summer and spring break, Christmas break, and all of the holidays. Plus, we will be able to get a bigger house and actually have a yard! Wish us luck.

October Poker Winnings

As per the updated resolution that I made on my June 26, 2006 post, I have withdrawn my goal of $500 from my poker bankroll this month. YTD=+$5,900. '05-YTD=+$3,300. My next withdrawal of $500 is due by November 30, 2006. Please continue to wish me luck and keep me accountable.

Colorado Springs Job Interview

Lisa is in Colorado Springs for a job interview right now. It seems that the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind has an interest in Lisa. Now we will soon find out if Lisa has an interest in them. If yes, then I anticipate that our lives will become very hectic. If not, then can things go back to the way they were? Pray for us.

The Barber

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said, "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.

"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving a God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and un-kept.

The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber, "You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"

"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me."

"Exactly!"- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him."

It Has Begun

I could lose my ability to play poker online soon. We will be losing out on about $500 per month in extra income. Hopefully things will work itself out in the end. Here is an email that I received from one of the online poker rooms that I have played at in the past:

Donn,

I'm not sure if you're aware of the recent developments in US online gaming industry. In short, the US government has passed a law that would prohibit banks, credit card companies, and other financial institutions from processing gambling funds. This controversial act was attached to a popular and completely unrelated bill regarding Port Security (HR4954) early Saturday morning. In this way, the act was passed because representatives were more concerned with the major bill being made law and knew only in the final minutes of the attachment.

It does NOT make it illegal for US citizens to play online, however drastically affects your ability to enjoy your favorite poker and casino games by making it difficult to send and receive your deposits and winnings.

In light of these events, our software and ECash provider for SunPoker.com, CryptoLogic and ECashDirect, have made the decision to no longer service US registered accounts.

Consequently, all accounts with US based addresses will no longer be able to play in the casino or poker room as of 12PM EST today October 3rd.

Your account will however be available for you to log into and request a withdrawal of your available balance.

All other accounts with non US based addresses will remain unaffected.

Currently it is unclear as to the longer term ramifications of these events at CryptoLogic and should the position change, we will notify you.

In the meantime, we are hoping to make provisions so that you are able to continue to enjoy playing and enjoy the same levels of service and bonuses you've come to expect from us. We will keep you updated.

Thanks for your time, and we do sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Regards,

Adam
Poker Room Manager
Sun Poker

September Poker Winnings

I thought that this would be the first time that I would not reach my monthly goal. Thanks to a third place ($461.76) finish in a $5 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo w/Rebuys tournament that I played last night, I reached my goal. Whew!

As per the updated resolution that I made on my June 26, 2006 post, I have withdrawn my goal of $500 from my poker bankroll this month. YTD=+$5,400. '05-YTD=+$2,800. My next withdrawal of $500 is due by October 31, 2006. Please continue to wish me luck and keep me accountable.

Until The End Of The World

I found out something interesting about one of the songs of the coolest band ever, U2. The song "Until the End of the World" is about Judas' betrayal of Jesus. I never thought about it that way, but now that I have listened to it again, it is very obvious. Especially when you see it performed live, you will see Bono put his 2 index fingers on his head (to represent the devil) and in some performances, you see Bono give The Edge THE kiss. Also, on the album, Achtung Baby, where the song first appeared, the lyric is, "We ate the food." But in subsequent live performances, this line is changed to a more familiar, "We broke the bread." The water in the third verse could be interpreted as a symbol for baptism or redemption/forgiveness? Give it a listen if you have it. Of course, this is not the only one of U2's Christian themed songs. See Drawing Their Fish in the Sand or U2 Sermons.

"Until The End Of The World"

Haven't seen you in quite a while
I was down the hold just passing time
Last time we met was a low-lit room
We were as close together as a bride and groom
We broke the bread, we drank the wine
Everybody having a good time
Except you, you were talking about
The end of the world

I took the money
I spiked your drink
You miss too much these days if you stop to think
You led me on with those innocent eyes
You know I love the element of surprise
In the garden I was playing the tart
I kissed your lips and broke your heart
You, you were acting like it was
The end of the world

(LOVE)

In my dream I was drowning my sorrows
But my sorrows, they learned to swim
Surrounding me, going down on me
Spilling over the brim
Waves of regret and waves of joy
I reached out for the one I tried to destroy
You, you said you'd wait
'Til the end of the world

Next Stop, Colorado Springs?

A line from Fr. Ray's homily on Sunday promted me to write the following. He said something to the effect, "God is full of surprises for us, and they are all good."

For a week this past August, we took a little trip to Colorado. The first half of the week we spent in Denver, visiting with my brother and his family. The second half, we spent in Colorado Springs, visiting Lisa's friend from high school and her family.

The Holy Spirit did something to us in Colorado Springs. We were there for only three days. We fell in love with the place. It was a very spiritual (and life changing) experience, though those exact words were never spoken between us. For some reason, unknown to us at the moment, the Spirit is drawing us there.

The bottom line is we are VERY, VERY seriously thinking about moving there to raise our family.

Things are already in motion, seemingly without much effort on our part. Which is another reason why we feel like this is what we are supposed to do.

It may or may not happen.

We have no time table, we have no deadline, and we have no idea when this will happen. But we do ask for your prayers: that what we are doing is all part of God's plan, and we ask for God to give us the strength, courage, and faith in this transition period of our lives.

Thank you and God Bless!

-Colorado Springs
-Colorado Springs Government
-Colorado Springs Visitors Bureau
-El Paso County, CO
-Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs
-Home Listings
-Money Magazine: Best Places to Live, Best Big City (#1)
-Cleanest U.S. Cities For Pollution (#18)
-Men's Fitness Magazine: Fittest City (#6)
-Most Literate City in America (#19)
-Inspiration for 'America the Beautiful'

It Made Me Seethe With Rage

(An article reprinted from the front page, of the September 10, 2006 edition of The Daily Breeze about Hugh Dougalas' reaction to September 11, 2001. Also, see Hugh's blog: Defending Purple Mountain Majesties for his explaination on how the article came about.)

Both had thriving careers when engineers Hugh and Jan Dougalas made a deal. She would go to the office, and he would work from their Redondo Beach home, where he could care for their two small children. But when Hugh turned on the radio to catch the latest sports news that morning, everything changed. Within hours, after dropping 5-year-old Lilly off at school, he headed to a recruiter's office. With his 1-year-old son, Glenn, on his lap, he joined the Army Reserves. Called up for service earlier this year, he is now stationed in Iraq. Dougalas is 44 years old.

At first, I thought what I was hearing was some kind of Orson Welles "War of the Worlds" radio drama. But when I switched to several news stations, I realized what was going on. It was no radio drama, and it made me seethe with rage. Think of the first lines of Homer's Iliad: "Rage. Sing, Goddess, of the rage of Achilles." Like that, only angrier.

I was 40 at the time and everyone told me I was too old to enlist -- the Marines, the Navy, the Air Force, the Coast Guard. The Army recruiter also told me that I was too old but said that he would keep my resume on file and talk to a few people.

I called and wrote letters for more than two years, just to let him know that I was still interested.

In 2004, I received a call from the Reserve Component of the Army Medical Corps. The recruiter tried to explain a complex formula that I still don't understand which allowed him to count my time as an undergrad in ROTC as prior service and stated something to the effect that the fact that I had an advanced degree allowed him to waive the age regulations and that because he's dealing with the Reserve side of the house, the regulations are different.

Bottom line: I was in. I was commissioned as an officer in the Medical Service Corps and sent to Fort Sam Houston near San Antonio for training.

I began serving as a typical reservist would, one weekend a month, in February 2005.

In January 2006, I received orders to active duty. I would be deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom for 18 months.

In April 2006, I reported to McGregor Range near Fort Bliss, Texas, with the rest of the 310 Military Police Battalion for predeployment training.

We left Texas on July 6, spent some time in Kuwait for additional training and arrived in Iraq on July 19.

An MP unit, our mission is detainee ops, running a large internment/resettlement facility at Camp Bucca in southern Iraq, near the port city of Umm Qasr. We are southwest of Basra, the biggest city in the area.

Most of the MPs are New York Police Department and corrections officers in the civilian world. Being from New York, as you might expect, this unit is filled with guys who knew someone who died in the attacks of Sept. 11. In fact, this place is named after a New York City firefighter who lost his life in the World Trade Center -- Ron Bucca. All of this is very personal to them.

Though I'm not from New York, it is to me as well. I am proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with these men and every one of us supports the president in his decision to invade.

My job here is to provide preventive medicine services -- clean drinking water, safe food, proper sanitation, to monitor air quality, to take care of any pests (ants, mice, rats, we have jackals running around here!), etc. I firmly believe that in doing this job and serving in the Army, no American will ever again feel the rage that I felt that morning -- September 11, 2001.

Our Visit With Bupa

We went to Sacramento to visit my 94 year-old grandfather (we call him Bupa) who was in the hospital after taking a bad fall at home. Before Bupa went to the hospital this last time, he had a "do not resusitate" order on his living will. Well, before the hospital staff knew this, they resusitated him when his heart stopped. He had a temporary pacemaker attached. However, because of his advanced age, they thought that a permanent pacemaker was out of the question and the temporary may have been putting too much strain on his heart. So my parents decided to have the temporary removed. But they wanted to keep it on so that we could go up to see him, which we did this past week.

Miraculously (in my opinion), Bupa seemed to get stronger when the pacemaker was removed. We visited him every day. Because of the amount of care he needed, my parents had to find a nursing home for him, which they did. However, Bupa had always said that people are put in nursing homes to die. So while he may be physically getting better, he has been a little depressed since being placed in the nursing home. If he can accept the fact that he is in the nursing home for his benefit, I believe he could live to see 100.

Your continued prayers for Bupa and my parents would be appreciated.

Focus On The Family Address

I was looking through Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family website and thought it was fairly amusing that their mailing address is:

Focus on the Family
Colorado Springs, CO 80095

Notice anything strange? I suppose that they have a big presence there in Colorado Springs.

Colorado Vacation

We went to Colorado for a week. We visited and stayed with my brother in Denver and with Lisa's friend from high school in Colorado Springs. The thing that stuck out the most from our vacation was the incredible 'draw' we felt while in Colorado Springs. You can view some photos here.

All cities have their positive and negative qualities. Lisa and I agreed that there were considerably more positives in Colorado Springs than any other place we have lived. The scenery reminded me a lot like Kauai, especially the mountains. The air and water was very clean and clear. The homes were beautiful and reasonably priced (compared to the crazy real estate market of southern California). There are seemingly unlimited number of things to do outdoors. Great weather. No traffic. A very family-friendly community. Perhaps one day...

August Poker Winnings

As per the updated resolution that I made on my June 26, 2006 post, I have withdrawn my goal of $500 from my poker bankroll this month. I have also taken out an extra $100. YTD=+$4,900. '05-YTD=+$2,400. My next withdrawal of $500 is due by September 30, 2006. Please continue to wish me luck and keep me accountable.