I just gave my step-grandmother a goodbye hug as I’ve done for the last 28 Christmas Eve’s, except this time she said “I’ll probably never see you again.” She’s telling the truth. Before they were dropped off by her son, Mom told me that she’ll be lucky to make it to New Year’s Eve and that February is impossible.

For years I dreaded Christmas Eve because my Mother’s family is nuts and it’s their night. One uncle went to Alaska to be a fisherman, but sunk two boats in those endeavors. Another is on a lifelong marble hunt, currently homeless. I’m pretty sure the third is missing marbles too but isn’t trying to find them. My grandmother died before I was born, and I’ve only ever known my step-grandmother who was consistently bitching at my grandfather. That ruffled his feathers and he bitched back and I didn’t want to be around, finding solace in the Legend of Zelda played on Mom’s TV upstairs for the only night a year I was allowed to.

Several years ago my grandfather’s health started deteriorating as he developed Alzheimer’s. That first Christmas Eve when he started repeating himself was the best one we’d ever experienced. It seemed to me like they received a wake-up call that year, realizing that their time was running too short to be pissed off at each other. I thoroughly enjoyed the next few years with them and for the first time in my life really got to liking them.

My grandfather is an old Irish feller, thick glasses magnifying deep eyes roofed by bushy salt and pepper eyebrows. He’s completely lost his short term memory but can entertain for hours perfect monologues of Yeats or Weatherly with a rich, baritone voice that belongs in a Dublin pub. She’s been quite a sweetheart the last few years, really enjoying him and their time here, sharing stories of the adventures they’ve had together with smiles.

And this year she’s dying. She wanted things to be like normal and they were. She told a story about a 3 month long 14,000 mile road trip she took years ago. We had dinner and made fun of Mom’s jello dessert just like every other year. We skyped my sister Sarah, their heads exploded when she appeared on the computer screen, and then couldn’t wrap their minds around the fact that she could see them too. Grandpa asked her four times how the weather is. We called it a night and I escorted her through the muddy backyard thanks to the 13,472 inches of rain Southern California got this week. She was moving really slow. Getting up out of the chair looked like a mission. I heard her talking to herself, “I hate this,” and I can’t imagine how much being in that spot must suck. I gave her a hug, she said, “I’m probably never going to see you again.” I had no idea what to say; squeezed. “Take care of your mother, otherwise I’ll come down and haunt you.”

“Promise?” Is all I could come up with. “Yes!” Squeeze. Goodbye. Good night.

Walked inside and started writing.

Landed in Vegas Tuesday night, took a cab to my buddy’s place to get keys to my brother’s place because his mother’s house was in danger of being washed down Lytle Creek in Southern California’s San Gabriel Mountains and he was there throwing sandbags. I made it to my car parked in his garage, was jonesin for some live poker and food, called the Venetian and got on their 5-10 list, drove down, parked, walked in, and the game was breaking as I walked up. They looked at me, I recognized a couple of them, and the game still broke. Sad. Took it easy that night, finished a book based on Tom Clancy’s End War video game that was terrible and started Bill Bryson’s In a Sunburned Country which I’m pretty excited about so far.

Wednesday was Christmas shopping day, way ahead of schedule, and I started and finished that morning. Turns out Vegas is kinda nice before noon. I went home and put in a 4 hour session on UB, winning $800. The Half Shell staff party was that evening, like eight of us ended up coming back to Jared’s in a handicap accessible taxi that fit us all like clowns in a Cadillac. Turns out the river did indeed run through his Mom’s place with water lines on the walls just under the living room windows, the extent of the damage is yet to be determined, and the only way he himself made it out was with a Ford F-250 diesel, leaving the little white car he drove up there parked.

Thursday morning I woke up, packed my stuff, and drove to LA with the plan being to ride hydro-bikes with Cory and friends in Long Beach. I had no idea what to expect, but was stoked with what we ended up doing. We were on the Seal Beach side of Long Beach in that harbor and rented these bicycles for the water. They were essentially a bicycle with two floats attached like on a Cessna, the front tire exchanged for a rudder and the back tire traded for a paddle-wheel. They were bomb proof and you’d have to be an idiot to fall in the water off one. We paddled across the harbor and into the Naples canals, pedaling past gondolas and tourists in a christmas light wonderland. Carolers abounded, wishes of Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad were being exchanged between people everywhere, and it was a completely unexpected magical evening that I highly recommend to anybody in the area this week.

Peace and good luck,

Devo

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My last weekend in Vegas a couple of old friends from Forest Home were in town to run a half marathon and wanted to hang out Friday evening. Of course, I’ve known y’all forever and would be happy to go play. Friday night lasted until Saturday night, not because anything happened or interests sparked but because Vegas happened. I drank too much to drive, so I slept in that bed, they slept in the other. Good morning, lets get breakfast. I’ve gotta get work done on the truck because I’m leaving town tomorrow, my favorite breakfast place is in Boulder City we can drop the truck off on the way. Lets go look at Hoover Dam, perhaps take the damn tour. I need to get my motorcycle to Jared’s place, will y’all help please? Hang out there for a bit, well I got shit to do so lemme take y’all back, thanks for hanging nice to see you have a good run tomorrow.

Cory I’ve known longer, and have always been interested in her one way or another. She’s known that and made it clear over the last decade that she’s not interested, so that’s water under a bridge long since past. Joy and I only worked one summer together and not very closely, so I got to know her better in those 24 hours than I did the entire summer of 2002. Apparently they did a bit of talking about me over the next day, with Joy basically telling Cory that she didn’t understand why we weren’t dating and Cory not having an answer. We like the same things, have the same dreams, and like living life the same way. So she passed this on to me, mentioned that she thinks maybe she should cash in on an opportunity, and I responded with sweet. Do it. Not a woman alive besides her that I would have responded that way to, less than a month after a pretty intense relationship and less than two hours after moving to the mountains for the winter.

Do I want a relationship now? No. Do I want a long distance relationship? Hell no.

I do want a woman that I am proud of. One that makes me want to be a better man without saying a word. I want somebody that I can have kids with, that doesn’t think children means no more camping until they’re old enough. I want somebody easy going, smiley, and affectionate. I want somebody who is happy without me and happier with me. I want somebody who is headed the same direction that I am and will make a helluva teammate. I don’t want dumb dates anymore, one night stands, or anything of that sort. So, resigned to growing a big ass beard and covering it with 300 inches of powder this winter whilst working my ass off in the meantime, Cory shows up and says I like beards. She fits the list and always has and now wants to give things a shot.

I’m not saying no. I think it’s idiotic to pass on something because the world says that you’re supposed to. Don’t start a relationship shortly after another because it’s a rebound. Why? Cause you’re not over the other person yet. What if I am? You’re not. No, really, when you are looking long term and a relationship won’t work long term, it’s not hard to get over. Well you still need time to get to know the other person. But I already do. What if there’s somebody better that I won’t meet because I’m seeing somebody a thousand miles away? What if the sun doesn’t come up tomorrow?

So bring it. Come to Colorado lets hang out. We’ve been friends for ten years, things will be fine, worst case we have a mildly awkward weekend together. Best case we start something that we’re really excited about. I picked her up at the airport on Saturday. Spent a few days playing in the snow that didn’t stop until this morning, and drove her back today on Tuesday. Now I’m writing this on an airplane to Vegas. Truck’s parked in Denver. She’s on a plane somewhere in front of me heading for Long Beach. I’ll see her again on Thursday, and she’s flying back out with me after Christmas.

Turns out I’m really excited and the chemistry we were investigating exists. I had no idea what to expect last week, and am still blinking my eyes in shock wondering if that really just happened, wondering what the future’s going to look like, but not caring because it’ll be here when it is. I can’t make tomorrow get here any faster by sweating it, I can only control the decisions that I make now. I don’t want to see other people. I do want to pursue you. So we are. And it feels really, really, good.

Peace and good luck,

Devo

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As the mornings have come earlier and the muscles are being used more I’m slowly getting back into a morning schedule. I love mornings when there’s something to do, and heading to the slopes is about as good as it gets.

I made it up to Keystone on a snowy Wednesday morning after finally signing my lease and getting a PO box. There’s no mail delivery service here in Summit county. It was snowing big fluffy flakes like the ones kids make out of paper. I’ve only skied Keystone on a Saturday night so didn’t know anything apart from the front side. I was thoroughly stoked with the South peak, tons of blacks through the trees with excellent snow.

I rode up my third chair with a girl named Naomi going to CU Boulder. She looked cute but after distance and darkness, ski attire is a woman’s next best friend. You never know really. I asked if she wanted to do a run and she accepted, we did a black bump run through trees that was awesome. At the bottom the run flattened off into a long catwalk, so I came off the run with a stong head of steam. I saw a sign that said, “Caution: Ice Flow.” I’m unsure how I’m supposed to be cautious for ice flows, but I didn’t want to get stuck on it so I continued full speed down the hill. In the middle of the tracks were a few whoop-de-doo’s and I hit the first one pinned. It bounced me ass over teacup, and then it was sky-snow-sky-snow a few times until I came to a rest laying on my back and laughing. My hand hurt.

I’m sure she got a good show as she pulled up carrying a ski that fell off, made sure that I was okay, and then laughed at me. She didn’t want to go for another run, but I did cause even with that crash I was feeling great, just ripping down the bump runs. I spent a while out, eventually had lunch in the Village, and then headed back home. I stopped at Wal-Mart on the way and bought Fallout: New Vegas, spent some time playing that, and then went out for the evening.

Had a delish dinner of BBQ trout at the sister place to the sushi joint and then headed to Johnny’s for ladies’ night. There’s like this ladies’ night circuit in Summit, a different place every night gives the booze away to the women and thus crowds are attracted. Johnny’s gives away PBR and well’s from 9-midnight. I didn’t know anybody besides staff and wasn’t feeling overly social so called it a night somewhat early and went to sleep.

Woke up early the next day to blue skies and seven fresh inches of powder. I decided to head to Breck since I was shooting a PokerVT video that afternoon and wanted to make sure I made it. More excellent snow conditions, another fine day on the mountain. I found this little bistro near the gondola parking lot that serves a sandwich, salad, and a pint for $9. It was fantastic stuff too I’ll be going there more.

The game was .20-.40 8-game, and I got crushed. I’ve never knowingly played against somebody who’s seen my videos or read my articles and I don’t want to anymore after that beating. I mean I guess it coulda been variance but I just wasn’t winning pots. Should be a fun video though, I recorded it live and will do another going over everybody’s hand histories to review the session.

Today’s Friday and I again woke up early. My hand that I hurt Wednesday thankfully didn’t hurt anymore. I was like 40% that it was broke yesterday and intended on going to have it checked out today if it hurt, but I totally forgot about until I had made coffee and put in a morning session. I won about $400, went to the toilet and somehow remembered my hand, was stoked that it didn’t hurt, and heard a snap when I attempted to flush the toilet. Turns out the twist-ties used to repair the chingadero between the lever and plug in the back pot last time it broke failed themselves today. That sent me on a mission to find one of those chingaderos which took me to Wal-Mart, and I bought a replacement plug with a chain figuring that I could make that work. I did, but now the flushing power is significant decreased. I need to call a plumber or eat healthier from now.

My friend Cory is coming out to visit tomorrow, so I guess it’s the official grand opening of Chalet de Devo, our friend that lives in a ski town with vacant couches. We’ll both head back to the airport on Tuesday when she’ll head to LA and I’ll go to Vegas to get my car to drive to LA.

Peace and good luck,

Devo

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Things have settled down a bit around here, and even though I still don’t have a mailing address I’m starting to get into a routine. Jared went home last week and Steve left yesterday, so I’m all by myself and free to work. Good thing too because I’ve lost over a dime three days in a row now.

Sunday I woke up early enough to catch the morning tournament schedule. Since Weezer was playing for free that night in Vail, the plan was to play just those and if I made a deep run I play the late schedule too, if not i go see Weezer. I ran deep in the 100r, reg’d for the late schedule, and busted like 5 mins after all the new tournies popped up. Too bad, I’ve always wanted to see them, maybe should have just not played knowing that they were doing the show and I wanted to be there.

Monday I skied Vail and it was fantastic. The weather cleared after 3 days of snow, the crowds left, and the mountain was empty and beautiful with excellent conditions, especially for this early in the season. I made it over to Shangri’la for one of my last runs. It’s a run through the trees in one of Vail’s back bowls that is just a ton of fun. There’s this line under the wire that is zipping through a glade of Aspens, and I was ripping through that when I apparently lost track of the wire and ended up on top of a cliff with no easy way down.

My choices were to jump off a 10′ cliff or hike back uphill in powder somewhere. Easy decision without a recovering knee, but the first time I tried jumping this season my knee didn’t like it. The bulky brace under my snow pants reminded me of the significance of the decision I was about to make. If I was in the back country I probably would have hiked out. But since I was not too far above a catwalk with plenty of traffic, I decided to hit the thing. I stuck it, continued ripping down the hill, and looked like a badass instead of the dumbass that got himself in the spot in the first place.

Had lunch in the Village, drove home over Vail pass and decided to head up to Blackhawk to check out the 30-60 game they have that I’ve heard good things about. It took me 2.5 hours as 4th on the list to get a seat with two running games. In the meantime I played in a 2-5-100 spread limit game, was lagging it up, and then fell for the ol over-limp-reraise aces trick. Fold, call, utg+2 calls, I’m in the hijack and make it $25, folds to the 2nd limper who makes it $125 with like $460 total, and I have two sixes. I’m like, there’s no way he has JJ+ here, take about a minute of thinking and decide that I’m against 22-TT and whatever other BS he can come up with it so I re-raise to $225 and we get it in. He watches the board run out disgustedly, its T high, I feel like I’m winning and he shows me aces. I’d love to describe to you the conversation that followed, but there’s no way I could do it justice. He explained to me why he didn’t like the board, was convinced that I had KK or QQ as was the rest of the table and they talked about it.

It was a weird game with a really strange texture. It was full of Asians and nobody ever bluffed. Big bets meant air and little bets meant the nuts. Before my head exploded trying to figure the thing out I was moved to the 30 game. I played I can’t win for most of the night but staged a last hour comeback to only lose $1200. The game was fantastic, reminds me of the good ol Canterbury days.

Since I skied yesterday, I’m sore today and getting work done. Laundry, cleaning and organizing, work, etc. Going to pick up my laundry by the pound now, then shoot a Poker VT video with my horse, and then I’m hosting the $25k Sniper on UB tonight in lieu of Hollywood Dan. Feeling good.

Peace and good luck,

Devo

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It’s tough getting out of this bed on a Saturday morning and therefore I haven’t. My apartment is basically the basement of a house that’s all finished, but it’s got it’s own private entry. It took less than 48 hours for the door to the stairs to the rest of the house that Steve is renting to be opened, so now we basically have a huge house nestled beneath two majestic peaks in the corner of Summit County.

I spent about an hour in that spot, watching shadows dance through snow covered Ponderosas as the sun played peek-a-boo through the swirling clouds. Steve finally got moving so we’re motivated and on the road now to Arapahoe Basin. Breck got 14 inches and Vail got 10, but A-Basin is a local’s hill and it’s Saturday. Since we live here, skiing at major resorts on the weekend is just plain dumb because it’s packed.

I wasn’t able to write last night because we got snowed in after a Dwight Yoakum concert. Vail is holding it’s annual Snow Daze festival, highlighted by free concerts outside. I read that they were outside, but I assumed that it meant in some tent outside and I was wrong. We made it just as the opening act started, The Harters, and we were in a blizzard. The venue looked like it was a summer concert venue, but it was December and blizzarding. Sideways snow and piercing wind, it was pretty amazing. The lead singer said that the show started miserable but quickly turned into her favorite one ever. There was a pleasing visual quality I’ve never seen before, the colored stage lights illuminating the already prismic snowflakes. It was like being immersed in a rainbow strobe light and the beams were cold when they hit your nose.

We took over a vacant vendor’s tent and turned it into our Busto Tent and offered it to all the people who weren’t in the VIP tent. Then the VIP tent blew over and the Harters came to our tent. It was pretty gnarly, we were thinking of calling it and getting back home, and then Edwin McCain started playing. We obviously couldn’t just leave now. It stopped blizzarding about halfway though and just snowed peacefully the rest of the night. Ed was good but I don’t think he can be fully appreciated without a woman to hold against you. I wasn’t interested in the teenagers on my right nor the crazy cougars on my left and went back to the Busto Tent to await Dwight Yoakum.

Just before he came on Captain Morgan showed up. I filed through the crowd and materialized in front of him, he remembered me from the Sports Illustrated charity event at the Hard Rock a while back and we had a sweet small world reunion. He then made a cougar hump my leg screaming “I love Captain Morgan!” to earn swag. Thanks buddy.

Yoakum was fantastic. It was just such a sweet epic show with the crowd and the snow and his fabulous hair blowing in the breeze. We walked back to the car in Vail Village, left the parking structure, and drove to a closed on ramp. Vail pass is closed. Back to the village, park, and go to find food. Pass is still closed. Go to the Red Lion, there’s a line, go to Whiskey Jacks. It’s a club and I’m wearing my ranch hat and shit kickers. Steve was drunker than thirty-seven Indians a fun wingman to have. I was just about to resign myself to being stuck and snowed in and start shooting the Jack when they opened the pass.

I drove back through a winter wonderland to Johnny G’s, making me five for five nights in a row ending up there. I like the place. They play Phish all the time, Johnny is always there and awesome, and the people are good. We stayed for one beer then went home, intent on charging it hard today.

We didn’t cause it’s noon and we’re about to arrive at A-Basin, but oh well, we can. We have passes. It woulda been sweet to catch first tracks this morning with the fresh stuff, but, again. We will.

Worked a bit this week, like 8 hours. Made a couple dimes. TMay made me a dime while I was driving out. It’s been a good week. Life is good.

Peace and good luck,

Devo

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Friday night I met a couple of friends that I worked with at Forest home down on the strip. That lasted until 7pm when I had to go to my friend’s Christmas party and they had to go to sleep because they were running a half marathon in the morning. I left the party late and woke up to the movers at the door. I didn’t get anything done in the past two days that I needed to besides getting the trailer and that’s okay. We started moving at noon (WE DID IT!!!) and we were on the road around 6pm.

It’s a funny string of circumstances that have lead me here and I’m stoked to arrive. There was still a strong chance that I would have come even if Karri and I didn’t break up. We talked about it and she was fine with it. It certainly turned it from a maybe to a certainty in a hurry. The whole flood thing, and them deciding to hose me, me deciding respond with my thirty days. Kings losing to eight deuce. If I finished in the top 3 in that thing I was going to pay cash for a house in Vegas. I would have been settling in there not moving here for sure. Instead my intentions are to buy a house in Vegas this spring and have it ready to live in by the Series.

First impressions of living here are well above expectations, and I’ve wanted to live here here for seven years. Checked out options last January, confirmed this is the place, and so far so good. I’m basically in the basement of a 3 level house in a nice neighborhood less than a mile from main street, saddled between two majestic peaks and walking distance to the lake and creek. The dude renting the top half is doing the same thing I’m doing. He’s 34 and a trader, can work online. Lived in Del Mar the last ten years wants to give this a shot. He helped Jared and I move in and then we met him downtown for dinner and drinking. It was a fantastic time.

Spent all day today moving in. Finally got it all done except for organizing my desk but I need a chair first. My old one sucked so I left it home. We got 10″ at Breck last night but we were up pretty late and wanted to sleep and settle. Jared pushed his flight back so we can go tomorrow. Off to downtown now for night two.

Peace and good luck,

Devo

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I booked the moving company for Sunday at noon. She asked me what time I wanted the movers to be there and I said noon.

“Okay, they’ll be there at eleven.”
“No, that’s too early. Have them there at noon please.”
“Noon? What do you mean by noon?”

!

I’ll let you know how that turns out. It’s motivated me to have my first great purge and go through the shit I’ve accumulated over the last ten years. It was a fun few days in the garage. I found utility bills still sealed from 2004. In that same pile I found the title to my truck, which I assumed I had lost in the 8 different places I’ve lived since then. It was in a sealed envelope too. I found and organized all my gear. Four big tubs divided between climbing, water, snow, and general outdoors. I found a bunch of sweet old pictures. A CD rom full of pictures from the summer of 2003. I posted some on Facebook, my first attempt at uploading and tagging pictures. Then my account got hacked the next morning, sorry about that if you got chatted to. I went through the box that I put all my stuff in when I left the church office in 2005. I found my first Black Diamond headlamp, long since broken due to use. I couldn’t part with it and started a sentimental box. My mangled ice saw went in there too. They’ll decorate a cabin someday.

I filled the bed of my truck with junk and drove to The Salvation Army. It was a little emotional, watching the stereo and alarm clock from my dorm room being given away. There were a lot of memories in those boxes and they just took them quickly and handed me a blank receipt. So cold.

I whittled my baggage down to a small enough load that I don’t need to get a storage unit. It’ll fit mostly in my car that I’m parking in my brother’s garage with the motorcycle. Not sure if I’m going to bring the dirt bike. I am bringing my office, living room, bedroom, and all my outdoor gear. Rented a 6×12 U-Haul trailer should be plenty of space. Last time I made this move Jared helped me unload the trailer and the first box he picked up was a case of clay pigeons. He accused me of being redneck. I’m not bringing them this time, if I had some I probably would though.

It was a fun few days. Feels good to be mobile again.

Peace and good luck,

Devo

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