One Life to Give

I work with wounded soldiers every day. You could say I've dedicated my life to it. Well, I don't often get involved in the personal side of things, but when I received a request from my buddy KenP, I figured the least I could do was pass this along:

http://onelifetogive.blogspot.com/2009/05/urgent-request.html

Happy Anniversary!

It's anniversary season, and today is ours. Back in 1995 we were just two kids with a dream. I was finishing medical school and she was making her mark on the public accounting world. Who could have predicted all the goings-on over the last 14 years? It's been one helluva ride.

Tonight we celebrate this special occasion just the way you'd expect - by rushing home to get the kids to Tae Kwan Do, only to turn right around and go to our oldest son's concert.

It may not be the most romantic celebration, but I get to do it with the girl of my dreams. I may not be the best husband in the world, but I guess I'm doing something right.

Happy Anniversary, babe. It will all work out.

Edit: Once again, she outdoes me. Check it out here.

Pic Dump - Whale Watching

Orca!

Despite being near death, The Wife booked us on a whale watching excursion out of Anacortes, WA, which is only about 2 hours north of here:

Island Adventures

We had gone on one other tour with my dad, but we didn't see any whales. We sure did this time.

"I see a whale, Mommy! Oh wait. It's just dad."

Even from the relative shelter of the cabin, she still looks good.

Killer whales going off into the sunset

And one cool short video of the whale they call "Deadhead."

Dr. Chako is on You Tube

I'm a sick, sick man. I'm also off today and had a little too much time on my hands. I apologize in advance.

Pic Dump

Just back from a beautiful day at the Seattle Arboretum and the Dash Pointe Beach:

At the beach with Kipper. The kids are in the Sound (of course)

Host Mom and Au Pair

Smile!

Mom is SO BRAVE!

Now we're off to see Star Trek again!

The Coolest Thing You Will Do Today

http://www.aip.org/isns/reports/2009/051309visualillusion.html

Thank me later.

The Wedding

I've just come from a wonderful wedding in Georgia. Our 2nd Au Pair married her sweetheart on a Sunday in May during a break in the rain. Other than my bride, she may be the most beautiful bride I've ever seen in person.

Here she is being given away by her brother.

And here she is with her new husband and the wedding party.
These kids actually have a chance.

Contest Follow Up

For some reason (read: probably operator error), my last post went to RSS readers prematurely. For the full text, click here:

http://pokerdoctor.blogspot.com/2009/05/contest-is-over.html

Thanks to Otis for rubbing it in. This is crazy, eh?

To Justme - I DID change the name of the file. You just outsmarted me. Not hard to do when it comes to this internet thingy.

For those too lazy to do the math, the price per square foot is $752.19

Contest is Over!

Me thinks someone cheated and looked it up on SF Bay Craigslist, but I'd just call it being resourceful.

That's right folks. The little house from my last post is listed at $1,287,000.

Don't believe me? Check it out yourself:

4BR/2BA Single Family House (Palo Alto)

Justme - send me your email and an interesting pic is headed your way!

With an Aching... in My Heart

That's right, folks. Everyone's 2nd favorite poker doctor (I'll never beat #1) is headed to California. I'm still trying to swallow the cost-of-living thing. Seriously, have you seen home prices in Silicon Valley?


This home is available RIGHT NOW (or so says the ad). This is roughly equivalent to the home I grew up in in upstate NY. Anyone have a guess at the cost? Leave your guess in the comments. Closest gets a prize.

The Wife has followed me around the world (thanks to Uncle Sam) and now it's my turn to follow her. Besides, we've lived in the Seattle area for almost 5 years - longer than any place else in our relationship. It's time for a change.

Now the only question is - do they play poker in California?

Edit: Since we are mortgaging our souls to pay for a new home (NOT the one above, mind you), your "prize" will likely be either an as-yet unpublished pic of The Wife's new shoes or something equally exotic from my collection. If I were you, I'd choose the shoes.

OMG

The Wife got some news today that will change our lives forever. As many of you know, she was another victim of the economy. The new job search began in earnest just a few weeks ago. We were prepared for anything. Years ago, I made her a promise that regardless of my situation, if her career brought us a change, then I would do whatever was necessary to make sure she could pursue it fully.

When the possibility of this new job popped up, it seemed too good to be true. They still hadn't discussed compensation or title, but I told her to be prepared to accept a salary similar to what she is making now. By my way of thinking, as long as it was at least the same, I'd be willing to leave my current job to let her follow her dream.

I'm not going to spoil her surprise. I imagine she's crafting a post right now. My only question is if I have to salute her now.

This is just unbelievable.