Interesting hand

Wow now that was a hand I have to talk about. I am playing in the WWdN europe tourney... Ok I am not in Europe but it is at a good time for me ;-) Anyway On one hand three of us went all in CW21 and I BOTH had AA and Chomper had KK, Luckily No Kings came up and I split the Pot with CW... But with no room to improve it was a bit scary.

Well I am out my KK came up against A7o with an A on the flop. I went out in 19th. But I beat Wil lol. He had a bad Hammer that dropped on his foot. That happen to me last time and I now have an aversion to the HAMMER. At least when I am not comfortably on top.

Oh well, My experiment is not going to well. I have used Half of my Stake up and Only landed in the money twice. Of course two of those games were $10+1 games but they are just so fun... It is hard to pass them up when I have the time. But for now I suppose I will have to. Back to the $1+.20 games lol

Poker has got me

I have been playing cards, for many many years. I am an only child and me and my mom used to play forever. I started when I was like 5. Can you imagine a 5 year old playing 500 rum... And really winning? We did play some poker so I knew the rules but it wasn't that much fun with only two people. Fast forward about 30 years.... Now we can play online with others. Humm... All those years spent with other kinds of games may have paid off.

Last summer I started reading Wil Wheaton's blog. I had read his book Just a Geek and liked it so I started reading. If you read his stuff you know he is big into poker. So he got me started playing on pokerstars.com. Well so far I have only done the play money rooms... No money yet to make a stake. But I seem to be doing pretty well. 75% of the time I make the money... My stake has gone from $1000 to $28,000... Of course this is all play money, and really means nothing lol. But I am thinking about putting up a really stake with my christmas money and see how I do. I will pay $50 for a concert that lasts one night, so $50 for something that will give me at least 50 hours of fun... Not a bad price. And hey Maybe I can make something with it. Wouldn't that be cool?

Vegas 1999 Part 2

So Saturday in Vegas... Well first of all we had a great fan party called Styxfest. About 100 fans got together had a blast and raised some money for Charity. Lot's of Fun!

As for the show... Well First I need to explain something. Chuck Panozzo the origanal Bassest for Styx had decided at the beginning of 1999 to retire. We didn't really know why, Lots of rumours, but nothing concret. At the sound check on Friday we spotted Chuck going in so we were all thrilled that he was there. On Saturday we ended up eating at the same resturrant as him and paid for his check to show him how glad we were to see him. We heard later he was moved to tears... We LOVE you Chuck!! Anyway, He didn't come on stage on Friday but there were rumours he would on Sat.

So at the start of the show I again went to the Willcall.... Guess what? Again no pass Uggghhh!!! Now you know why no one knew Styx was putting out new records ;-) So I again found their Manager explained that tonight I had 10th row tickets and wouldn't be able to get up front to get the pictures unlesss I had the pass. So he got me one.. Finally!! Although I would have to follow the rules of only taking pictures the first three songs. I asked if I could take anything relating to Tommy's B-day and he said ok. So I was set.

Remember how lax the security was on Friday? Not so this night. Something hit the fan and security was everywhere Good thing I had that pass. The show was great! And fun! I got some really good pictures and a Movie of the Birthday. During 'Foolin' Yourself' Chuck came on stage! We gave him a Standing O and I just had to take some more pictures ;-) I got this great one of his reaction to our ovation..

Little did I know this picture would mean so much to so many. When I got home I amazed at how many good shots I had gotten. Remember this was actually my first real time taking pictures at a show. I sent the best ones over to the Record Company and put them on my site. Guess who saw them again... Yup Tommy!! He kept popping in the chat room just to tell me how much he loved this or that and that he fell over laughing at the movie... Ah Sigh!!

Back to the Chuck picture... I had a couple of other shows within a week so I decided to print up some of the pictures Just in Case I "ran" into them. The Chuck pic was one of them. Well as Luck would have it I did end up running into them. When I started asking for the guys to sign my pictures for me they started asking for copies... Umm Ok!!! So I took some orders and then Tommy showed up. I showed him the Picture up at the top of this entry and ask him to sign it for me. He was impressed with the quality and ended up getting his own Sony Digital hehehehe. Then I gave him the pic of Chuck and he just got really quiet with a strange look in his eyes... I didn't understand then but I was asked to include a copy of the picture for Chuck in the other pictures I would be sending.

Two years later I and the rest of the world found out why that night and that picture were so important to Chuck and the band. Evidently In 91 Chuck had contracted HIV and in 98 it became full blown AIDS. It was so bad at one point they thought he would never play with them again... WOW... In the posts Tommy put up on Styxworld and his own Site Crystal Ball he talked about that night and the picture I took of it. Check out the August 6 post on His site.

That I was a small part of this moment is probably the most meaningful thing that has ever happen to me with Styx. I have had a lot of fun, met some great people, took some wonderful pictures... but to be able to give something back to the guys who helped me through so much in my life... Man I still tear up thinking about it. This happen 6 years ago and even after 30 odd more shows and many trips I still have to say this was the best Weekend I ever had with Styx... even though much of it I didn't really appreciate till later.

WWdN in StyxWorld

Over the past few months I have been reading Wil Wheaton's Blog... It actually inspired me to do this one. If you will remember Wil was Wesley on Star Trek: TNG. That is where I know him from anyway. I had seen his book, Just a Geek, in the book store and started reading it and through that found his Website WWdN. Although he is having a few problems right now so he is in Exile ;-)

Well yesterday he made a post about Mr. Roboto... OMG Hillarious lol. So I must post about it here: i am the modren man

Enjoy!

Vegas 1999 Part 1

So I had had a great couple of days in Styxland. I was riding high. I was trying to think of something more I could do. I noticed on Styx's record company's site that they had a "backstage" area with nothing in it. So I thought Why not offer to fill it. I knew that the company was open to the fans from others so I called them with a Proposal. Since I had 4 shows I would be going to in the next month, I would take pictures for them to use on their site and all I would need from them was a Photo pass.

When I called, the guy I talked to actually remember the photos from Branson (remember Tommy sent them to everyone). He was impressed with them and the buttons and decided it was a good idea but I needed to pick 2 shows to do this at. I decided the Vegas shows would be the best location. They were playing at the Hilton, the place Elvis used play at. The stage was about Thigh high with no barrier. So prime picture taking opportunity. It was also Tommy's b-day weekend.


So I was all set, or so I thought. The usual place for things like Photo Passes to be was at the will call desk. Well the night of the first show I went to the desk... No Passes... Great now what. Well I saw Styx's Manager in the lobby and explained what was going on. Since I had a front row seat that night he was like OK np Just take the pictures and if anyone has a Problem with it Tell them to find me. OK... Sounds a little lame but it actually worked lol. During the show a Guard came over was was Like You can't take pictures... Blah blah blah... I confidently told them I was taking Pictures for the Record company and to ask So and so about it. Never heard from them again (hehehehehehe). It was a crazy show and I got some great pictures. The crowd was way out of control though. Even trying to pull band members out into the crowd and at the end 5 people jumped on stage. Not good things.


End part one...

1999 the Start of it all

I had seen Styx in '96 and '97 (5 times total) even met them a couple of times. In '98 I saw Tommy in a solo show and ended up backstage and he knew my Screen name which was way cool. But in '99 when the new incarnation of Styx started (sans Dennis adding Gowan) was when I started getting known by the band.

I was at the opening show of that tour in Branson. Beautiful venue. Weird place to see a Rock show lol. I had decided to make buttons promoting the new album (Brave New World) Something the fans could give out to help promote the band, the album, and their website. It turned out the band didn't have any merchandise out yet (that was how fast all the changes came about that year) So my Buttons were the only thing people had to remember the show. They went over very well lol. Everyone was wearing them including the Styx crew and the band ;-)


I had also just gotten my first Digital camera, a Sony Makiva. My hubby took some photos of the show. I had brought my entire computer system with me to Branson (no laptop then lol) so the next morning I posted the pictures to my website, I didn't think anything of it, and headed out to see the show that night in Farmington. You see Tommy Shaw (the computer geek of the band) had not brought his computer with him on the tour. We all knew this because he would come in chats all the time and tell us stuff and a week before he told us he wasn't going to have access anymore :( So I never thought Tommy or the rest of the band would see them for a while. Little did I know that that same day Tommy had the bus stop at a Best Buy because he just couldn't stand it anymore and he Bought a laptop lol. Evidently right before the show that night Tommy jumped into the chat and everyone there told him about my pictures and the whole band looked at them. Of course I was Blissfully unaware of this fact. During the show Tommy pointed at me... At the time I had no idea why lol Now I do ;-)

After the show we were able to see and talk to the guys as they went to the bus. As I was trying to get a Picture with Todd (drummer), my Friend Fran comes up and Pulls me over to Glen (bass player) saying 'They are talking about your pictures!' Huh??? So I go over to Glen and he tells me how cool it was to see the pictures up so fast of their first show with the new lineup... Huh? How? I am thinking... Then he goes on to tell me how. Of course I am dying now. Glen says I hope you don't mind but I sent the link to everyone... Um No That's cool lol. Then the band's Manager comes out and says, "Who took those pictures?" Kind of meanly.. I am like Uh oh Busted..."Um Me?" I say in a smallish voice. He looks at me and says "Cool good job!" LOL and here I thought I was in trouble. Some Bands HATE to have unauthorized photos taken and posted. Not Styx though lol. They love it. Unfortunately I missed seeing Tommy that night so I didn't get his reaction... Till Later.

Man I was on Cloud nine that night (go fig) What a weekend, the Buttons, the pictures, the shows...Great time. But it wasn't over yet. The next day I am online and Tommy jumps in the chat. So of course I go too... duh! He sees me in there and is like Hey Susan Loved the pictures! Um.... He said my NAME... Not my SN. That was the first time he had done that lol. I am getting IM"s from people... Breath Susan Breath... I think I needed the advise lol. Anyway he goes on to tell me He sent the link to everyone, including the Head of the record company(that fact becomes important later)... and is using one of the Pictures as the Background on the new laptop. hehehehe I was in Styx fan heaven lol.

So that was how the band started to know me after all the years I had known them lol. Although my Big claim to fame was what happen a couple of months later in Vegas... But we will leave that for next time.

SCA - Esperanza

Well our Esperanza event went well this weekend. All of the retinue showed up and did a Great job (Thanks Guys) We even surprised Their Excellencies with Birthday stuff hehehe. We have new Captains for the guard as well Congrats Natasha and Bear. I did Music and Dancing also, making it a pretty full day. Man was I tired when I got home lol.

Next up Queen's Prize in Fontaine.

My First Styx Concert

I was one of those fans who never got a chance to see Styx in concert because they broke up about the time I was old enough to go to a concert. But in 1996 my dream of seeing Styx LIVE in concert came true. I entered the Styx quiz drawing and WON!! You should have seen me I was shaking so much reading the e-mail that I almost fell out of chair. You see it wasn't just tickets I won, I won BACKSTAGE passes!!! So on July 4th 1996, I got not only to see Styx Live for the first time, I got to MEET them!! What a day. I meet all of the guys plus Keith. Got lots of Autographs. And Didn't make a fool of myself, Amazing. Well that wasn't the end of my amazing summer. The next night some friends (that I had meet though the internet) and I went on to Houston to see that show. Well I had pretty good seats. At least so I thought. When all was said and done I ended up in the FRONT row Right in front of Tommy. No Barrier, so close I could hear him sing without the mic. In some ways I think that was better then going backstage. Two hours of the boys up close and personal. Well I ended up going to two more shows that summer and was front row again at one and went backstage at the other. I have to say that Summer was the best I have had in a long time and It would take a lot to top. I met so many wonderful people and had so many memories that I will never forget.

That was the start of it all. To look back on it now it is strange to think Before 1996 I had never seen them live...Now I have seen them all over the country 43 times and they even know who I am... So weird.

Welcome

Hey everyone... or no one... Welcome to my blog. Not sure yet what I am going to do with it... Since I wasn't expecting to have it...But hey why not. I have a variety of hobbies perhaps I will tell about them here.

First of all I am a fan of the band Styx. Yes they are still touring lol. In fact they have been touring non-stop since 1999. At this time I have since them live 43 times... Since 1996... Yeah just a bit of a fan ;-) So I will probably write about them at times. Maybe tell some of my stories.

Second I am in a Group called the SCA. No not Satanic cults of America lol It is the Society for Creative anachronism. We recreate the Middle ages from 600 ad to 1600 ad. In Society I am named Lady Melodia Shaw. I live in the Kingdom of the Outlands in the Baronary of al-Barran. Let me know if you figure out where in mundanity (real world) that is.

Well that is a start. Maybe I will actually keep up with this... We shall see ;-)

Susan