Click here for Day One, Part 1
As I hung up the phone, I started to fish around for the spreadsheet so I could begin calling others, but true to my absentminded idiot ways, I realized it was still lying in the hotel room. Dammit. We decided at that point to just wander around the various properties and soak it all in just a bit and we would likely run into someone during the trek.
After cruising through Binions and The Plaza and not finding anyone, I began cursing myself for not asking Joe where he was playing at, but at that moment he called back and told me of their group heading outside. This was it, I was to meet my first group of bloggers. As we strolled up, Felicia was the first to speak.
“I don’t need to ask who that is. Look at that huge head!”
Yup, I had officially met Felicia, and that is completely her in a nutshell. If it’s in her head it will likely be spoken. Those with a fragile emotional constitution should steel themselves or just stay away. I tried to think of something snappy to say in return, but I had nothing. I was still kind of stunned by the fact that I was actually getting to meet the people that I had been reading for so long, and I was quite happy to see Felicia doing so well, so I just stood there and grinned like an idiot.
I got to shake hands with Bad Blood and his lovely wife. No joke, kids, that dude is packin’ some Howitzers and I immediately ruled out any arm wrestling challenges. Bill Rini was there and looking quite chipper even though he was passed out in Pauly’s room only hours earlier.
(Hereabouts, I’m still grinning like an idiot and haven’t said very much other than introducing the Mrs.)
Maudie reached out her hand in introduction, and in that split second I decided a handshake just wouldn’t do, so I hugged “The Pit bull of Poker Bloggers”. Honestly, how could you not hug Maudie? She rules.
Last, and certainly not least, there was JoeSpeaker. There’s not really much that needs to be said if you’ve read his blog for any length of time, and if you haven’t, get to clickin’, buddy. I will say that the first thing running through my head when we shook hands was, “This guy doesn’t look like a homo at all, am I missing something?”
Before I had time to think much else, another easily recognizable figure sauntered up. That’s right, sauntered. It’s really the only word that I think can be used here, since the word itself pretty well captures TheFatGuy, Scott. I’m not joking or being facetious when I say this; TheFatGuy exudes all that is easygoing and I immediately relaxed. I hadn’t really realized how keyed up I was until he arrived. All was well and getting progressively better.
(Face Update: Still grinning like an idiot)
Sushi was happening in a few hours, so most of the folks wanted to rest or wander around beforehand. The Mrs. and I needed alcohol, so after some deft persuasion on our part (ok, forget deft and for that matter, the persuasion part), Joe headed over to the Plaza with us for some cocktails. After a few stories about AJ (the cards and the kid), Joe had us half convinced that maybe breeding wasn’t such an awful idea after all. We also got to sit around and talk with Felicia a while longer while everyone was preparing to leave, something I was glad for since I had a feeling I wouldn’t get much of a chance to later on. I was right.
Pulling up to Yama Sushi, things just kept building. Waiting for us was PokerProf and Flipchipro, and I was again in awe of the fact that I was about to meet some more staples of the blogging community. BigPirate Wes was also in attendance with his friend Tim, and Wes promptly usurped my claim to the title of “Largest Head in the Blogsphere”. I think he was cheating, though, since he had lots of hair, which I plan on convincing him to shave at WPBT III so we can really see.
Sometime during the consumption of almost nine giant sushi rolls between the Mrs. and I, Gracie and Heather walked in with their posse. More introductions, more drinks, more sushi. There were also some 2+2 folks there along with Tanya (Miss T74) but I didn’t get to really speak to any of them since they were about three tables down.
Cigarette Break.
More drinks and sushi.
Repeat.
I shouldn’t have eaten so goddamn much and made myself completely miserable. You must understand, however, just how difficult it is to find sushi in Kansas that doesn’t have some sort of ham in it or isn’t deep-fried. Good sushi is a rare opportunity for us and we took serious advantage. We found out while paying that Al was held up and wouldn’t be making it, so everyone decided we would head out to the MGM. Once the decision was made, there was only one small problem; after scoping the taxi less landscape, we all just kind of stood there, everyone with the same thought….
“How the hell are we going to get there?”
[stay tuned….]
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