Guess who's back.

Home sweet Home (I wish)


It’s been awhile.
Not traveling seems like not much is happening but a few months have passed and its time to fill in a few gaps.
A couple of incidents at work today prompted me to begin writing again, its symmetrical I suppose that the last entry was a plea for readers to sign up for the biggest poker tournament ever to be held in Europe in the history of the planet and the problems I face now are that I can’t provide a seat for anyone (except of course you dear reader).
Anyway; work and office politics later, what’s been happening?

Vegas/Marty

In my position as poker manger of Boylepoker, one of my earliest decisions was to sign Marty Smyth as the Boylepoker professional. To be the face, image, culture and all round representative of what our firm stand for (he won a lucky dip between and a number of player’s who shall remain nameless).
His luck continued after winning the $10,000 entry World Championship Event in Las Vegas of Pot Limit Omaha, a game 99% of high stakes players considered to be ‘The game’.


Truth be told we didn’t even sponsor him into this tournament but being the guy he is he wore our brand anyway.

The day he won of course I was sat at my desk listening to the final on my mobile at work whilst the rest of the who’s who in Irish poker stood in aisles cheering Marty onto victory with the rest of our European competitors. Needless to say I was immediately dispatched to Vegas; never could a man have been so unprepared in so many ways.

I love Vegas but I hate her also I drank too much, ate to much, played to much poker, didn’t sleep and did all sorts of things I shouldn’t and that was only on the first night. Vegas is a place where one catches up with old friends and just as importantly the industry gossip. I came back jaded and looking forward even more so to my annual sojourn in Spain.

I miss Vegas when I’m not with her, I know Vegas better than London; but now I can’t to wait to leave her after 3 days, sign of ageing I guess.

Spain

After Vegas I got my head down, obsessed with work a bit more (one of the advantages and disadvantages of being single***) and am in the process of developing a team of staff that could prove to be my best achievement in management yet.
People that know me well know how much pride I take in the people that work for me; currently I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder.
Confident that the hard work I started wouldn’t fall apart I went back to the country I miss most when I’m not there, Spain. Ok it’s a bit of a cheat in that the area I love you can get away with only speaking English but Andalusia is the Spillanester’s idea of paradise on earth and a place I still feel that one day I will call home.
Sun, sea, swimming, golf, eating, drinking, clubbing, smoking, partying, chilling, laughing, lovin gossiping and football, ….magic.

Go on ya good ting ya.

Work

It’s a scandal to call it work really, I love what I do and get inspired by the people, mostly those around me. I love being a manager and of course I’m a fucking good one.

A manger needs to lead, be authoritative, earn respect, make decisions, analyse, build relations, strategize, advise, be cunning but most of all a manager needs to learn of the aforementioned words, then empower (another word for delegate) others to do it all for you.

The office has a great vibe at the moment. My boss seems happy; the IPO event is around the corner.
I thought I’d ruined that vibe today, part of the reason for picking up the quill again.

One of the new lads was having a bit of banter with me, I joked backed, I got joked upon, joked back by sending an email that if I had included my boss in would have been the triumphant payback I was expecting. Sadly as a technophobe I hadn’t copied him. You can guess the rest.
The non response by anyone on the mailing list soon made me aware something was up. It turned out if you read the email without seeing my boss included on it I looked a right tosser. Things were soon rectified and I had to suffer a few payback gags but it made me realise how important communication is, hence it was time for a blog entry.

The other reason for the blog entry is I want to make a solemn vow, not something I’ve ever done before on the blog.
I vow to wreak revenge on my best mate in the office, who today, during this moment of mild paranoia I was having with the email and in front of the office, starting calling me Grandpa and Grandpops. Not fucking quietly either but in front of everyone whilst falling over pissing himself laughing. Thank fuck he got sidetracked and I was able to run outside for a much needed cig. I know I shouldn’t have sent him youtube videos of plane crashes a day before his flight to the Isle of Mann (he’s terrified of flying) but he crossed a line today and by Jove he will know the meaning of the words crossed and line when he least expects it; tosser.

Do people really see me like this?

(one of the advantages and disadvantages of being single***)
The following is a paragraph from a message on Facebook I sent a mate of mine recently with regards to what I was doing about being single; she thought it was funny.

p.s.

Yeah i got bolloxed one night and joined match.com, about 10 minutes in i was bored, they had my age and the age range i was looking for (go on guess) what more did they want?

I looked and it woulda taken about an another hour or so to fill it in, they were aking questions like 'what is the favourite part of your body?'. Seriously, what girl can't guess the answer every man would give to that question?

Anyway,i gave up ( i wanted to cover all bases so i said 27-40 for age range).

Imagine my surprise when about 2 days later i got an email saying here are your first 100 matches! haha i hadnt even put a photo up! Happy days i thought. I opened the email and realised a few things,

1. Women of 40 in Ireland do not age gracefully.

2. Women in Ireland quite obviously lie about their age (gutted i told the truth!)

3. The one non 40 year old who was matched to me and was actually quite attractive (she was 27) must be as mad as a hatter or be the owner of a penis

4. Never again will i put age range up to 40.

5. I must finish off the form.Ok thats enough, speak soon! x.

Match.com’s latest matches.