School Tilt + Welcome Madalyn Alexis

Sigh. School's starting to suck. I had two huge tests this week and therefore spent like 15 hours in the library. I'm probably spending 60 hours per week on campus and it's really starting to tilt me. I've been putting an incredible amount of work in but the first wave of tests, I think, will yield very average results :( It's especially hard watching all the business, economics, etc. students who don't have to do anything and can make A's easily. I've flirted with the idea of switching majors, but I think I'd have to make up too much time. I'm still trying to get the feel for doing engineering problems since I was 29 months removed from the classroom prior to January. Hopefully my confidence doesn't continue to waver about finishing my degree. I have a feeling that it might though. The time I'm spending pursuing this degree that I won't use is leaving me with feelings bordering on depression. I'm getting to do absolutely nothing that I enjoy in my life due to this curriculum. It's a never ending fucking cycle, too. I have two more major tests tomorrow as well as some labs to turn in next week, so I can't even enjoy the weekend. Maybe this working hard is just something I've got to get used to. The thing I'm wrestling with right now is how I want to spend the next (and some of the last) 2 years of my youth? Do I spend it in college finishing up a degree that's important to me, or do I go back to what I've been doing, traveling the tournament circuit. I will certainly finish this semester and will just make a decision after the WSOP whether I'll continue. As long as I pass all of my classes, I still think I could be motivated. Ok enough of the boring stuff.

Obviously, I haven't played much poker. I did play some heads up against a fish yesterday. He bought in for like 30BB and we got it AIPF on the second hand of the match with my 88 vs his A2. He doubled and managed to take me for a buy-in and a half, fun. The heads up action at 10/20 and up kind of sucks. I've been denying a lot of action, so its rare to get a good game. I will be playing the 2500 dollar FTOPs tournament tomorrow. It will be the first FTOPs tournament I've played this series. It's not really how I want to spend my offday, but it's silly to pass up the free, like, 500 bucks per hour to play in value in this tournament. Maybe I'll win.

This weekend I'm going up to Huntsville. I'm happy to announce that Stephanie's sister, Gemma brought a 7 lb 9 ounce baby girl named Madalyn Alexis into the world yesterday. Pretty cool to have a Saint Valentine's Day baby, I suppose. I'm excited to meet the little rat. I spent my Valentine's day sleeping in Tuscaloosa after my tests yesterday, so Stephanie and I will celebrate tonight at a restaurant called Dolce in Huntsville. It is supposed to be the nut.

I guess there isn't much else going on in my life right now. I have continued to eat very healthy; however, I've slacked on exercising due to my lack of free time. I am down to 212 lbs which is a fun 18 lbs of weight loss in the last 5 weeks. If I could get down to 190 and hover there I'd be stoked.

Thanks to everyone who emailed me about my "Ten Things" list in my previous post. I have read all of the emails and there was some fantastic advice. It turns out I have a really bright, diverse group of blog readers. It will take me eternity to return all of these emails, but I assure you I read them and took the advice to heart.

Finally, I'm saddened over the Valentine's day massacre at Northern Illinois University. This kind of shit makes me so sick to my stomach.

Thanks for reading.

SS