Samba_SamPa Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Why wait til January to make resolutions! Welcome all to my Fix My Life quest. My name's Peter and I'm a lazy bastard (I've never been [nor needed to go] to an 'anonymous' meeting, be it Alcohol, Gambling or the like - but you see things purporting to be such on the TV and I always think how stupid it is that people get up and introduce themself... it's supposed to be Anonymous ffs) Anyway, now the introductions are out of the way (this doesn't have to be anonymous!), more about 'me' and what I am (PMA :ok) going to achieve over the course of my diary. I'm not, or at least I don't see myself as being, depressed. Though having just wiki'd it to see the definition it states 'being of low mood and averse to activity' which seems pretty, well half, accurate. I'm naturally laid back and easy going, and wouldn't ever say I felt 'low'. I can't decide if this laid-backed-ness is the cause of, or a result of, my perfunctory approach to life, which has definitely bred an 'aversion to activity'. What came first - the relaxedness or the laziness? A different slant on the chicken/egg poser anyway. Whichever did come first, I have suffered, if that's the right word, for way too long. Precociously talented (not my words) both educationally and sportingly, I have managed to maintain a lifetime of 'above-averageness' instead of striving to be the best I can. I strolled through education unchallenged, always in the top sets, never fulfilling my potential, and can boast 10 GCSEs (ABBBCCCCDD), 4 A-levels (BBCE) and a degree (2:1) - straight away you can see, I think, what I mean. Similarly, sportingly, I captained my Junior School football team, and then my Comprehensive School football team and my 6th Form football team. I attended Sunderland's Centre Of Excellence from the age of 9, which eventually led to me signing schoolboy forms for them when I was 14. Promised 2 years Schoolboy terms, 2 years YT terms, and a year Pro terms, I immediately done what I done best and engaged 'relaxed mode'. I've developed an intense will to win during my mid- to late-20s (perhaps as a consequence of knowing my football wouldn't last forever) - unfortunately however I wasn't in possession of such a will back then when I needed it. Sunderland replaced the Youth Development Officer who had been sufficiently impressed to offer me a guaranteed 5 years at the club in the summer after I had signed the Schoolboy Forms. Now faced with needing to impress the new guy (Sunderland 'legend' Jimmy Montgomery) I found myself to shake off the lackadaisical mindset I so loved, and, combined with never ever liking the man, left the club to, I would claim (lie) to everyone, 'concentrate on my GCSEs' just 15 months after putting pen to paper. Back to the present and whilst not (admitting to?) feeling "low", I do feel desperately in need of changing my ways. The lethargy I exhibited as a teenager is still obvious now as a 31-yr old, and it needs to, and I am going to, stop! Family. Fitness. Health. Work. Poker. Football. My participation in all of those is going to improve, and I am going to strive to be the best I can at everything. I don't claim that I can be 'the best' at any, but I am definitely going to be 'the best I can!' ---------- Family Goals Spend less time on the internet and more time engaging in fun activities with them. Find more tolerance of Sam. For all I love him more than anything and wouldn't let anybody harm a hair on his head, he doesn't half annoy me when he is cheeky/rude/naughty etc etc. I spend half my day telling him off when, if I (as mentioned above) engaged him in more fun things instead of fecking about on the internet, he likely wouldn't be as cheeky/rude/naughty - or, as it will definitely be, seeking my attention. Go to bed at the same time as Toni more often.... more than never then. Fitness Goals I really did used to be one of the fittest people I knew, and now?! Well :$ ... To be able to jog for more than the length of my street before feeling like I am dying. In the mid-term, to be at a level of fitness where I can comfortably do the NECCR Childrens Cancer Run (5 miles) in May 2010. In the longer-term, to be at a level of fitness where I can do the Great North Run (13 miles) in Sept 2011. Ultimately, to run a marathon before I am 35 (Sept 2013) Health Goals Despite looking more 'podgy' than 'fat' (in my opinion :unsure) the fact of the matter is I am over 2 stones heavier than the upper limit of the ideal weight for my height. I am 5ft 9, and weigh 14st 12lbs. To be 13st 7lbs or under by Christmas 2009 To be 12st 7lbs (the upper limit of my ideal weight) by my 32nd birthday (26/09/2010) To be 12st by Christmas 2010 Work Goals My job, as it were, is a full time Daddy to the kiddytwinks. Whilst it is lovely to spend more time with them, I do miss working and would also like them to have the structured educational development that nursery would provide them. Nursery in itself is the main root of the problem really, as we would need to have a month's fees (£1180) in advance for them to start full-time, which unless I had a job we can't afford. Vicious. Circle. To have started (at least) a part-time job by January 1st 2010, enabling them each to at least spend half a day at nursery (Sam already does). Poker Goals I've made huge strides since joining the forum, but consistently handicap myself by withdrawing winnings for us to spend on luxuries, when I should be building my bankroll. For the next few weeks I will only play those tourneys I have been staked for (Deadly Staking, and Stake Me For... staking) and magazine freerolls for big packages. From 2010 I have goals... To accumulate the bankroll to play in all of the APAT tournaments, online and live. To build the bankroll to be 'able' to play larger buy-in added value tourneys - eg. Betfair $18k. To play more live tourneys in Newcastle. To satellite into a GUKPT by end of 2010. To satellite into a WSOP/WSOPE by end of 2011. Football Goals I played every Sunday until I got injured in Jan 2008, put weight on, and have never got back playing. :spank Linked to my fitness goals I guess, but to be back playing every week in January 2010. ---------- So why am I spilling my guts on here? I am happy to be a part of the PL Community, and I know that messages of support, advice, tips etc, will help me in my quest for fulfilling this potential I've neglected so far :ok If you've made it this, thanks for reading :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartd14 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Best of luck Samba ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeordieGaz Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Nice read samba.... fancy joining our footy team? :unsure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopDonk Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Good Luck mate I hope you achieve all your goals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaF Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Awesome challenge :clap :clap :clap I look forward to following your progress, and reading of your successes :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jquik Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Wish you the best of luck with this mate! Having just completed all my studies finishing with uni (and coasting through them for the majority...), I'm also feeling pretty lazy and unmotivated right now when I should be out and about sorting the rest of my life out! :rollin So I know how you feel ;) Something like this is a top drawer idea as now it's posted you can't just worm your way out of it like most people do when they try and set their own 'future' goals! :lol Hope you achieve everything you've set out to do :hope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samba_SamPa Posted October 5, 2009 Author Share Posted October 5, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Cheers guys. Dug out the Wii Fit board tonight (who made the software so fkin cheeky though :eek - "Welcome back SambaPete, I haven't forgotten you although it is 168 days since your last visit! :$ :$). Unfortunately Sam wandered through as he couldn't sleep and upon seeing it had to have a go :eyes. By the time I got him back to bed I had missed the 7.30pm start poker I was supposed to be playing :wall So - Fitness received a 10 minute Wii Fit boost, but led to Poker missing out. I guess that then leads on to Family receiving a boost as it means I'll tootle off to bed like a good husband when the boss goes. She's going to think I have done something bad and am trying to get in her good books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samba_SamPa Posted October 6, 2009 Author Share Posted October 6, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary This certainly isn't going to be a thread diarising (sp?) nightly bad beats, but there is definitely one thing that being so laid-back is good for anyway - dealing with sickening 2-outers for big pots playing poker - I'll make sure I preserve that whilst shooing it from other aspects of life. My son Sam's so bright and clever and when that is teamed with being 3 it makes for him coming out with some cracking quotes - he's had me chuckling a couple of times the last couple of days. He's got a bit of a cold, a little cough and an occasional sneeze - and this morning at breakfast I told him I thought maybe I shouldn't take him to nursery today as Daddy will get wrong if I take him when he could pass his little germs on to his friends. His response - "Daddy, don't be silly - I won't tell anybody I've got a cold!" ... and there was me worrying his coughing and sneezing would give the game away. At the weekend Toni and I took the kids to the park. After an aborted game of cricket when Mammy broke Sam's bat, which to be fair he took extremely well - I expected tears (he is a bloody teary bugger) but instead we got "Mammy, you should have left the cricket to the boys!" :D With cricket off the itinerary, I decided I was going to jog around the park and leave the kids with Toni. Sam, immediately, objected - he wanted to jog with me! Hmm. So serious jog was abandoned, and we plumped for a fun jog where I would call out a number and we would do the action for that number; eg. 1 - touch the floor with right hand, 2 - touch floor with left hand, 3 - jump in air etc. He soon tired of me saying the numbers and decided he would say them. We had 30 seconds of the 1-5 I had told him the actions for, then things changed. I must have looked very silly to passers-by when I was flapping my arms like a bird (number 9), hopping whilst rubbing my tummy (number 18), and spinning round on one leg whilst pretending I'm a lion (number 72)!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samba_SamPa Posted October 8, 2009 Author Share Posted October 8, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Wow, poker tilt :puke Sod poker though, had a great afternoon at the park this afternoon with Sam and Evie. We arranged at nursery this morning to meet up with 2 of Sam's friends from nursery along with their Dads and their littler siblings. So Sam and the other 2 his age had a great time running around causing havoc, whilst us Dads engaged in bloke chatter ;) (football, cars and more football :ok) and ran round after the 15-18 month olds to stop them breaking themselves. All the kids had a great time. Genuinely the first time since Sam started Nursery back in January that we've arranged to do this. My self-imposed kick up the arse is definitely paying dividends :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avongirl Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Wow' date=' poker tilt :puke[/quote'] Of all the goals you've set yourself, this is the least important and it sounds like you're doing brilliantly at the most important one. :clap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhornet Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Of all the goals you've set yourself' date=' this is the least important and it sounds like you're doing brilliantly at the most important one. :clap[/quote'] Agree 100%:ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samba_SamPa Posted October 8, 2009 Author Share Posted October 8, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Just wanted to share a couple of pics of my babes with those who are reading the thread :ok Sam - 4 next month. Resident terror. Evie - 15 months. Very much showing the potential to out-terrorise Sam :lol Nothing else to add :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avongirl Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Shouldn't you be in bed now? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samba_SamPa Posted October 8, 2009 Author Share Posted October 8, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Shouldn't you be in bed now? ;) :$ Room for improvement there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samba_SamPa Posted October 12, 2009 Author Share Posted October 12, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Admittedly I haven't done much towards losing weight, other than a couple of walks to the park, and not eating chocolate/crisps etc, but I have lost 2lbs in the week. I need to do more exercise. I've cut out eating rubbish, but need to eat more fruit/veg - never do '5 a day'. I need to get looking on some job sites. I need to stop playing poker every night and make good on my resolve to have more earlier nights. Earlier nights would (ok - could!) see me able to get up earlier and get a jog in before the little'uns wake up. There's more, I'm sure, but I'm actually really worn out and think a pre-11pm bedtime would make a nice change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuSimmy Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary I am one for staying up late at night as well, trying to get out the system a bit, I am talking 4-6am bed time most nights, have been going to bed 12-3am the past week which is getting better and have been getting up slightly earlier as well, just takes the body getting used to it again I guess. Keep it up though :ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy the punter Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary :clap Good luck with the lot mate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samba_SamPa Posted October 15, 2009 Author Share Posted October 15, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary And on the first day God read my diary and thought "so you want earlier nights and spending less time on the PC eh?", and so he killed my PC. And on the second day God read my diary and thought "so you want to use the car less, walk Sam to and from nursery eh?", and so he killed my car. But wait, God has an awesome sense of humour too, no, really - he's such a card!! Why just break things when I could, hehe wouldn't this be funny..... kill your computer WHILST you're trying to register for a poker tournament! Wait, wait, the next one's even better - why don't I kill your car AT SAM'S NURSERY! :rollin :rollin Cheers pal :cry:cry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samba_SamPa Posted October 27, 2009 Author Share Posted October 27, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary My previous post to this one was posted at my local library, I went back there last Monday to see what i had missed over the weekend, and the site was blocked by their filter - quick work Mr Gateshead Council IT peeps, well played :eyes 30 months of having a car without servicing it caught up with me then, £373. Nice. It's in for tomorrow so that's one thing sorted. A new PC will have to wait until the car is sorted (priorities apparently, pfft - women!) so a (early) xmas present it will be. You (or at least, I) don't appreciate how many posts are made in poker when you're on it every day and keeping on top of them. My first time on in nearly a fortnight, I thought I'd read all the threads and see how people are doing... :loon no chance. As for the important challenges in this thread that were set out I am doing well on losing weight (8lbs in roughly 4 weeks, which according to Mrs Wii Fit is a healthy rate), but that is entirely down to not eating rubbish - I still need to brush up on the exercising part :$ and I am pretty much failing on the going to bed earlier part, instead just swapping night-time poker for night-time tv and dvds :$ Anyway, just at a mate's, so not got long, Hope everyone is doing well and making serious inroads into their 2m2k challenges and the like. Speak soon :hope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samba_SamPa Posted November 8, 2009 Author Share Posted November 8, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Sundays are going to be the only time I get on to write, but there's definitely 'life' action to update here this evening!! Tuesday night I had to be 'rescued' by the RAC. Despite being a member, because I was only 3.5 miles from home I had to pay for them to attend :spank - if the car had stopped working 1.51 miles earlier they'd have attended for free :\ On Friday I had to visit A&E. I had just got Evie ready for bed and was carrying her back through to the living room to give her her bottle. I'd been messing around and making her giggle (best sound in the world? I think so). She tilted her head back and I blurted her neck. First twice went off fine, until she pre-empted the blurt on the third occasion and swung her head back up... JUST as I was about to blurt. Result - a really rather painful hairline fracture of my eye socket :cry Decked by a 1 yr old Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweetypie05 Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Great thread Samba... seems like the MOST important things are going OK even with the head-butting! Ouch! Admire the thread, as alot of what you are trying to do has been my aim for while but never got really started! I do play less now, go to the gymn and spend more time with the kids only playing poker for an hour Sat morning whilst they watch TV and a couple of nights when they have gone to bed... but still stay up late :eyes much to the missus annoyance! Keep going, your'e doing great so far! And try not to break anything for a week or 2! :ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starshine Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary I had contact to Samba today, and he asked me to update his diary and explain why he wasnt online for a while. Which I do now, but is not the easiest thing. His PC was broken, so he could not go online. Besides that there wasnt hardly time for him going online as his dad is in hospital and something very sad happened as well. He sends best wishes to everyone and will get online again when things are bit better. Hope I said it right now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Quiet Man Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary I had contact to Samba today' date=' and he asked me to update his diary and explain why he wasnt online for a while. Which I do now, but is not the easiest thing. His PC was broken, so he could not go online. Besides that there wasnt hardly time for him going online as his dad is in hospital and something very sad happened as well. He sends best wishes to everyone and will get online again when things are bit better. Hope I said it right now[/quote'] Cheers for the update, Starshine!:ok Hope to see you back on the Forum soon, Samba!:hope Take care TQM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartd14 Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Pass my best wishes on :ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avongirl Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary All the best Pete, take care and hope to see you soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeordieGaz Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Best wishes Pete. Take Care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samba_SamPa Posted November 29, 2009 Author Share Posted November 29, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Thanks for the well wishes, it's appreciated. When I started this thread I had aspirations for many things, being a pall bearer at my 25 yr old brother-in-law's funeral wasn't one that sprung immediately to mind. For those who allow themselves to be affected by bad beats on the poker table, remember to stop yourself and tell yourself it's only a game. My wife has lost her baby brother, and her Aunty is in hospital tomorrow for a 10-hour operation to hopefully remove the part of her oesophagus (and intestine, I think) that has a tumour attached to it - she is being absolutely amazing at holding herself together and helping to make funeral arrangements whilst being the fun Mummy that our kids demand.... a juggling act that should make people realise exactly how important being flushed on the river actually is. Luckily, touch wood, my Dad should be out of hospital at the end of the coming week with a diagnosis no more serious than having to look after himself better, fingers crossed. Anyway, enough of my woes, I have lost nearly a stone since I started this thread, and with having no PC have been a much a better husband and daddy, so there are some bright points to report. Take care, run good, and I'll be on as soon as I can, Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy the punter Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Hi Pete I read your PM before I read the above. Sorry to hear all this. Hoping for some better news for you all. Take care Bill :ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaF Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Thoughts are with you and your family Pete :sad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGremlin Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 Re: Samba's FML Challenge Diary Pete, Tough times, but I see you've got your priorities straight. Health and family are more important then poker or money. Come back to poker when you're ready for it :ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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