New year's Eve

Iratating morning, yesterday went to chemist to collect my prescription. ( They did not answer the phone to confirm that they had it) waited outside in the cold (0 Deg) as only 2 people allowed in the shop at a time. Hylo Forte was there but the other 2 items weren't. Walked to Doctors who said could not talk to me (because of covid) please ring. Went outside and rang, after listening to recorded message for about 4 mins got thro' to the receptionist sorry I mean one of the trained care navigators (I think the one who told me to ring up). Told to use the web site "which is very good" after I told her I had used the app they tell you to used which tells you to download another app and on which I left a message for a prescription because the button to re order prescription said doctor needed to ok it. She then sent a prescription to the chemist, but it would take a couple of hours to go through the system. (Don't computers work at the speed of light?). "Would I like to go back to the chemist this afternoon". Today we t to the chemist to collect said prescription, no pharmacist turned in so couldn't issue the prescription to me!

Went to Yummy Yorkshire this pm, very busy so gave it a miss. We round the corner and walked round the lake, then off to Dobbies garden centre to buy a present for H best friend. Mission accomplished, came home via golden arches for the kids tea. Mrs Shed and I had nibbles / anti-pasta when we got home, her ladyship put on a sparkling top, which made her look hot. Had Skype call with sis, discussed Dad and what to do, then kids joined in. Made a fire. The gorgeous one decided we needed to have a disco, knackered, 2:30 going to sleep.

attorney

Down loaded attorney forms today for Mum and Dad. Looks easy to fill in . May even so one for myself!

Just ordered on just-eat. Got a £20 gift card from work (which was nice). Then a zoom call with the Umps, which will be very nice. 

Watched Dunkirk last night, enjoyed it, but not as good as the hype. Must watch 1917 to see if that is.

Zoom lasted till gone 11.

Chilled Day - boring post

Chilled day at home. E managed to get her hair tangled in the drones propellers! Now it bumps into things! Arranged Skype for her and best friend tomorrow plus one on Wed and Thursday nights for us all. Didn't get up till lunch time, still knackered. Dad a bit better apparently, but still can't stand, his key nurse doesn't speak very good English so communication is difficult. Wondering if should go and see Mum later in week to do any shopping etc.

Tigers, birds, and Mr Darcy

 

Well big thing today was going to the Yorkshire wildlife park. tiger Thought would be a dead loss when arrived as baboons were all indoors, but because cold big cats more active. Going back in a week for the Illuminations. E really liked the sausage roll we had there.

Got home E decided to watch Mama Mia 2 (dvd in stocking). Mrs Shed wondered if there was a bottle of Cava loitering at the back of the drinks cupboard, wasn't so put a bottle of champagne in fridge, decided wasn't a champagne night, so had g and t.

Had another fire in the log burner with the free wood from H's friends M&D. 

The gorgeous one got concerned that H hadn't had a proper meal for 24 hours, she is my daughter so not surprised. However i'm not 13 which apparently makes a big difference. Really loving Mrs Shed at the moment, looking amazing on this keto diet thing, but then she always looks a top bird to me.

Watched end of Pride and prejudice ( Kira knightly looks hot in it even for someone who needs a crash course in pie eating). Funny watching Mrs Shed try (in vain) to explain whey Mr Darcy would be better for her than yours truly (and for virtually every woman born after 1813.) To E. Didn't go down well, Mr Shed ended up with big hug from E and snog from Mrs Shed. Almost called this blog The new Mr Bennett, as I perceive we are very similar in character. 

Then went in to watching I hate Susie. Liked it. Carrying on the theme, quite hot, but not for me. (Susie, not the show which we will complete).

Dad a bit better apparently, sis going home tomorrow.

Christmas days

Collected Dad's car from the rugby ground, surprising how you miss the near stde mirror. Not the best of Birthdays, but at least spending time with my mother!

Dad got acute Kidney infection amongst other things.

Sis came down to look after Mum, so I could go home.

Works Christmas do relegated to takeaway and a drink at work.

Smaller than usual Christmas Day. Went to pick up Uncle D, and Bro In Law cane down. Everyone had a really good time. H almost finished Lego Trafalgar Square. R took Uncle D home. Leisurely boxing day.

Finished something tonight I started in 1977 (I think). Star wars IX. Remember queuing round the block outside the Gaumont in Sheffield to see the original. In fact had to que twice as didn't get in first time. Wasn't very impressed, not worth waiting 43 years!

Dad got out of bed apparently in hosp, but still very weak.

Knackered, going to bed

nice or not nice.

Great night on zoom with the West End lads, won the hold'em tournament. Which was nice.

Got to work and got an email from one of our suppliers with a £50 just eats voucher for us all, firstday back after the holidays will be good at lunchtime. Which will be nice.

Chimney swept sat morning while Memsaab had flu jab a be d went to physio ( more about this in later posts). Had a fire while watching H

Noelle, which was nice.

Writing this from Mums spare room. Mum and Dad went for covid jab this morning. Dad taken to Hospital as been poorly all week, think he is dihydrated. My in a mess earlier to Sis on phone, cane across this pm, waiting for info from hosp. Which is not nice.

Knackered going to sleep.

Ivor Vs Jessie.

Ivor the Engine is making a comeback! Don't know if Noggin the Nogg will do likewise. Takes me back to my childhood, think they may have to spice it up abit for today's 6 year olds. No match for Jessie or bunk'd in our house.

Lost out on my / our acting job on Gentleman Jack

We didn't get picked 😟

H's tennis started again tonight, think she is starting to get better. Mrs Shed gone to the garden centre to get some last minute Christmas presents from Uncle D and her bro. Need to sort out 2 birthday cards this weekend.

Poker later 😀, looking forward to it.

Thoughghbreds and the dead man's hand

 Copied part of this post from my other blog "poker games from the shed"  Alternative poker games

All modern Thoroughbred race hoses trace back to three stallions imported into England from the Middle East in the late 17th and early 18th centuries: the Byerley Turk (1680s), the Darley Arabian (1704), and the Godolphin Arabian (1729).

The current Mrs Shed and myself have been lucky enough to go to the Irish National Stud and a racing stables in Louisville (Kentucky). What have Kentucky and Ireland got in common?  The weather. Both have very long spring's and Autumn's which apparently is ideal for training race horses. Both great places to go.  Also recommend going to the Louisville slugger museum where you see them make baseball bats. We gave the world's biggest machine gun fest a miss, but did enjoy going round Jim Beam. (Probably not a good idea doing both the above on the same day.) Couldn't find Colonel Sanders, or a tourist attraction about the worlds biggest purveyor of cooked poultry though. (Coke does further south, again worth a visit)

 

Now as you know I blog about poker on "the other blog" as parliament would say. These are all games we play at my local hostelry. We play "dealer choice" games, ie the dealer picks the next game, which vary enormously in style and complexity. To make a good and playable new dealers choice game, (in my opinion)  it needs a known base game with probably just one change. My new games are colloquially known as games from the Shed, as it is suspected I spend far too long their "developing" them.

Now the majority of poker games are based on 3 styles of games:

 

Hold'em esq (community card games). Dealt "hole" cards to players with community cards in the centre. Texas hold'em being the most obvious example. These games have proved very good raw material in which to take into the shed and modify.

 

Another "style" of poker is "Draw" poker. Which basically has NO community cards and each player makes the best hand from what is in front of them. Five card draw is one of the most common types of poker. Each player is dealt five cards, then a round of betting follows. Then each player may discard up to 3 cards and get back (from the deck) as many cards as he/she discarded. Round of betting then show. This game has flirted with the shed and has potential for more Shedisatuion.

 

The final and I believe oldest style of poker game is Stud Poker. 

Like draw there is no community cards. The number of cards and how many are shown face up that define the game. Each time players get more cards, usually in ones or twos, there is a round of betting with the the show after the final round.

 

We will discuss conventional and "Shedded" modification at a later date.

 

This was popular in the "wild west" It is believed Wild Bill Hickok was playing Stud (Some say draw) poker. He usually sat with his back to a wall so he could see the entrance, but the only seat available when he joined the game was a chair facing away from the door. He twice asked another man at the table, Charles Rich, to change seats with him, but Rich refused. Jack McCall entered the saloon, walked up behind Hickok, drew his Colt revolver, and shouted, "Damn you! Take that!" before shooting Hickok in the back of the head at point-blank range.

Hickok died instantly. Hickok may have told his friend Charlie Utter and others who were travelling with them that he thought he would be killed while in Deadwood. As an aside you need to watch Deadwood the TV series which has this scene in it.

Hickok was playing five-card stud or five-card draw when he was shot. He was holding two pairs: black aces and black eights (although there is some dispute as to the suit of one of the aces, diamond vs. spade) as his "up cards", which has since become widely known as the "dead man's hand". The identity of the fifth card (his "hole card") is also the subject of debate. 

 

Again we will mine this rich vain in the future.

As this is a general ( why not lieutenant) ramble around poker styles we won't discuss bastard brag which is a relatively new game to me (thanks to a visit to a Redtooth Poker pub in Stoke on Trent) and has numerous potential opportunities for shed makeovers.

 

Crash is another imported game to the West End, which has had a little development and may be the subject of a future post.

 

"The game with no name" not sure how wide spread it is, but we will discuss for completeness and is probably underdeveloped. It is however a frightening game and is probably best kept for poker clubs Christmas party's. One might say it is the Jumanji of card games, that once started you have to finish to survive.

 

Hope I haven't bored you too much, don't really care if I have to be honest, as the blog is my own satirical diary. Tata (that's bye bye, not an invite to buy some steel or an Indian car).