Bring On June

Toward the end of a jam-packed holiday weekend, I felt the full force of the sun's rays as I laid poolside at my sister's swank exurban homestead. A long winter of hermitude and abject depression had reduced my usual golden bronze pigmentation to a sickly yellow. And with a number of very exciting adventures looming, I wanted to "get a little color."

I got a little color alright. Red. I should should fit right in in Scotland. I was standing on a street corner outside a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in West Hollywood yesterday (tease) and traffic backed up for blocks because the Asian lady in the Audi thought I was a stop sign. I've been forced to lube up with aloe vera four or five times a day to reduce the itching. If I was seated next to you on a 10-hour flight from LAX to Heathrow, would you find it inconvenient if I disrobed and emulsified regularly?

I'm a dope. Though I am a dope who had a date last night in West Hollywood at the upper-crusty AOC, a "wine and tapas bar." French-infused and Italian-tinged morsels of splendid quality and a dusky Spanish red. Nice.

Oh, the date? I was pretty good, relatively-speaking, like a guy fresh off the 60-day DL who has a couple solid ABs, though ends up without a hit. I managed easy conversation, drew some laughter and kept from dribbling my pork cheeks with pesto and corn mash on my starched white shirt. And the few minutes I spent later at the Mexican dive bar with margarita salt inexplicably on the bridge of my nose? I think I survived it.

She's another Euro--born and bred in London--and my ability to attract women not born in this country is unCANny. She has an adorable english accent, coal black hair and a runner's physique. Very attractive. She's rather cultured, well-traveled and artistic, and our commmon interests are few, which we semi-decided was sort of interesting. She can teach me about gothic architecture and I can school her on the finer points of the 4-4-2. Preferably in various stages of undress.

I think we'll probably see each other again, though not any time soon, as she is heading to Europe for a month just a couple days after I return. Which is just as well because I'm going to be busy with the WPBT and the World Cup and spending more house profit like a sailor on shore leave.

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"So Speaker, how's the poker lately?"
"Poker is a rotten filthy whore."

Next.

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I don't think I'll be playing much upon my return. My online bankroll is still decimated thanks to all the withdrawls and May being a downswing of troubling proportions. My game is stale. I'm bored. I'll probably find a few excuses for some live action (and will be partaking of The Cincinnati Club with Div whilst in Glasgow) just to prepare for dominating the field at Caesar's on July 8th, but I'm definitely in one of those "online poker is no fun" ruts. Having my last two AAs cracked by KTo (good hand to call with out of position, sir) and 76s (way to chase that gutshot to the river, sir) surely is of no help in that regard.

THEN AGAIN, I will be spending a good three weeks watching TiVo'd soccer games alone late at night in my posh new digs (which will be posh once I get some furniture) and if there's a lull in the Angola-Iran fixture, I'll probably fire up an SnG or six.

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I've wanted to post my thoughts about the US's World Cup chances (not good), but it seems like too much work. Their chances of advancing out of the Group are pretty slim, but the best way to manage it is to get a result against the Czechs. the matchup is not horrible for the Americans, but they'll need to be hitting on all cylindars to pull this one out. With Reyna hobbling, O'Brian not fit for 90 minutes and Beasley in a terrible run of form, it will take some divine intervention for them to up their game to the level necessary. They should be able to get loose on the flanks (in fact, the Czech outside backs are mirror "offense first" images of Lewis and Cherundulo, so the battle will be to who can make the other defend more) and McBride is as lethal in the air as anyone in the tournament. Landon Donovan is the key. He can't take chunks of the game off. He can't disappear as he is wont to do on occasion. He needs to demand the ball. He needs to force the issue, be dangerous on and off the ball, create those flashes of brilliance that too often go missing. The US should be able to score in that game. But how they're going to deal with Nedved, Rosicky and Galasek, I couldn't begin to speculate.

How's that for low expectations?