41 Days

One of the three caregivers for my mother-in-law said that she was burned out and she took a month off.  After that, it was decided that the other two caregivers would each be given a month off.  My month off is the month of October.  The September schedule has me off from September 23-30, so I will have a total of 41 consecutive days off from my caregiver duties.

That presents me with a lot of interesting choices and decisions.  I have to consider my bankroll.  I have been able to put some money in to keep it level while I go through my downswing, but that was playing once a week.  I will now have to choose my spots carefully.

Playing every day is not an option,  We have one car and most of the time I won't be able to get it for an afternoon tournament out-of-town and the local room is only open four days a week..  Also, I'm behind on my administrative work and I want to get my records straightened out well before the end of the year.

I need to get online poker set up as a good option, but that will have to wait.  I really need a computer strictly for poker to make that work the way that I want it too.  But not now. Win or lose, during those 41 days there be no distribution of poker funds between my different poker accounts. Protecting and building my live bankroll will be my main task for every one of those 41 days, and to that end I will be working at least 50 hours every week.

I feel a lot of pressure right now.  I have been helping take care of my mother-in-law in one way or another for several years now.  Before I was a half-time caregiver we brought her meals and did other things for her.  Poker had to take second place.  I will have 41 days to study, practice, get my records in order and build my bankroll.  I want to hit the ground running when I can finally play full-time.  I'm about to turn 60.  The clock is ticking.

I can't control statistical variance, but when those 41 days are over, I have to at least know that I did everything possible to make some good things happen.