Trip to Puerto Viejo

Puerto Viejo 2006

Oct. 1, 2006 - 20 Photos

Kerri and I just returned from our trip to Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica for the weekend. We got a late start on Friday and didn't get in to town until after dark, but just in time for the beach town's festivities to begin.

As we sat down to eat at Cafe Viejo right in the middle of town, a band struck up and a parade started coming down the street complete with fire dancers, drummers, and dancers. All the kids and adults were dressed in all white and playing and dancing in sync as they made their way through town. After the band had passed and we'd finished our dinner, we headed across the street to an art gallery that had just opened that was displaying local artists' works.

After wrapping up things in town, we headed a few kilometers (we speak in kilometers, kilograms, and celsius now...gotta fit in!) to check into our bungalow at Cariblue. It was a little more "rugged" than we thought it would be, but the hammock hanging on our porch made it just fine!

On Saturday, we jumped in the car and drove up the coast about 50 kilometers to Limon and down the coast about 20 kilometers to Manzanilla to see all of the drivable Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. We made on big stop at a local furniture maker where we bought 2 adirondack chairs and a matching table for the backyard of our house. We came back in the afternoon and laid in the hammock reading books all afternoon.

On Saturday night, we went to dinner at a small Italian restaurant only to find that a finalist from Latin American idol and a guy referred to as Costa Rica's "Ambassador of Tango" were performing. Seriously, I have got to get me a title like that. And then I'll make everyone refer to me as "Ambassador" or "Your Ambassadorship". They were both quite good and we were happy to enjoy the evening's free entertainment!

We took Sunday to rest and relax. We had breakfast in town, laid on the beach, got massages in the afternoon, and hit the hammock again to get caught up on some reading (currently reading "Angels and Demons", the prequel to "The Davinci Code").

On Sunday night, we recreated our Friday night dinner at Cafe Viejo--the stone-baked oven pizzas were just too good. On the walk back from dinner, we hear, "Scott and Kerri?" We turn around and find ourselves standing in front of some friends of ours from our Denver book club who were on their honeymoon. Thousands of miles from the US, in a foreign country, at a small little beach town—and we run into our friends. Small world.

On Monday morning, we woke up early to do a photo shoot. We hit the pool, jungle, and beach. No edited photos yet, but I will post them when they are done. Then we checked out of the hotel and hit the road back to Santa Ana!

Other Highlights: Kerri saw two monkeys. I saw none. We ran out of gas at one point during the trip. Not completely out of gas, but enough to not be able to get to Limon. So we had to go see "Tony" in town. Tony sold us 2 gallons of gas. For $10. Probably not a bad deal considering our other option was to walk 50 kilometers to Limon. Kerri stepped in a fire ant hill. Ouch. Not a highlight. Oh, and we bought our own hammock for the house.

Trip to Vancouver

Vancouver 2006

Sep 17, 2006 - 33 Photos

Kerri and I just got back from our trip to Vancouver BC this weekend. We stayed at the Sutton Place Hotel in downtown Vancouver. I spent the first two days in meetings for work and then come the weekend we were able to get out and explore.

On Friday night, we had dinner at Blue Water Cafe in Yaletown, a great steak and seafood restaurant. About an hour into our meal, I noticed we were sitting next to Jason Priestly from Beverly Hills 90210. I wanted to sneak a picture for the blog, but Kerri wouldn't let me. :-)

On Saturday morning, we walked through Stanley Park which provides an amazing view of Vancouver from across the bay. We saw the totem poles in the park, teams playing cricket, and horse-drawn carriages giving people rides around the park.

On Saturday afternoon, we took a cab over to Gastown, had lunch at Old Spaghetti Factory (no, we don't have Old Spaghetti Factory in Costa Rica), and caught a show at Storyeum called, "The History of Vancouver". On the streets of Gastown, we met a fantastic artist named Gastown Sam who we bought an amazing piece of art from.

On Saturday night, Kerri's dad Dan and her brother Steven drove up from Bellingham to meet us for dinner. We had another great steak and seafood meal and had a great time catching up with them.

On Sunday morning, we were up bright and early to catch our flight back to Costa Rica! On the way to the airport, we were in an accident in our cab. Thankfully it was just a small fender-bender, no one was hurt, and we hailed another taxi that got us to the airport with plenty of time to make our flight.

Trip to Toronto

Toronto 2006

Sep 4, 2006 - 20 Photos

I just returned from our trip to Toronto. We got in late on Thursday evening, took a quick shower, and headed downstairs to meet the folks from Media Profile who I was in town to meet with. We stayed at the Suites at One King West which I would definitely recommend. The first night, Media Profile took us to an amazing restaurant called Ultra Supper Club. Great atmosphere, great wine, and great food.

The second night, Kerri and I laid low and ordered room service after I got out of a long meeting all day. On Saturday, we explored Toronto checking out St. Lawrence Market and Eaton Centre (the largest mall in Toronto and the third-largest mall in Canada). On Saturday night, we had a great dinner at a place called MoDo's which had a quaint atmosphere and showed old black-and-white Charlie Chaplin movies on a brick wall.

On Sunday, we jumped in a car and drove south to visit Niagara Falls which neither Kerri nor I had ever been to. We took quite a few pictures and took in the sights. We didn't realize that there was a little "mini-Vegas" in Niagara Falls. On the way back, we cut off the highway to check out a little town that was recommended to us—Niagara-on-the-Lake. It was a cute, old, little town that Kerri absolutely fell in love with and decided that we had to return to some fall when the leaves were changing color.

We got back into town just in time to meet up with our friends John and Bettina for a fantastic dinner at the Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar. No, not that Jamie Kennedy.

Then it was up at 4:00 AM on Monday morning to head to the airport—Kerri to California to visit her mom and me back to Costa Rica.

Trip to Aspen

Aspen 2006

Aug 27, 2006 - 24 Photos

It is Sunday and Kerri and I just finished three days in Aspen for Casey and Katie's wedding. We drove up on Friday with our friends Pat and Brooke after spending a few days in Denver. On the way up, we stopped in Idaho Springs for lunch at a local Colorado microbrewery called Tommyknocker's. Not being beer drinkers, Kerri and I knocked back a couple of cold root beers. And I had a bowl of the best chili I've ever had in my life. If you ever find yourself in Idaho Springs, Colorado, order the chili. :-)

In Aspen, Brooke and Pat's friend Jeremy was nice enough to let us stay at his house. Well, it wasn't his house exactly. It was the $35 million dollar vacation home next to Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn's place that he is the caretaker for. Wow—what an amazing place this house was. It must have been 8-10 thousand square feet, on 300 acres, pool, 2 hot tubs, bocce ball court, motor bikes, a 60" plasma screen TV, and 3 server racks to run the entire house. The best feature of the entire place was the Indonesian Tea House that Jeremy built right outside that sits on the pond. What a relaxing place to sit and—well—relax.

On Friday night, we went out to dinner in downtown Aspen. I've been really lucky to go to a lot of amazing places in the last 10 years (New York, San Francisco, Miami, Paris, St. Tropez, etc.), but I have never seen money like there is in Aspen. It just oozes money. But not in a good way. We had a fantastic dinner at Campo De Fiori, hit the hot tub back at our borrowed mansion, and then called it a night in preparation for the big wedding the next day.

The next morning, Kerri (wedding planner) and Brooke (maid of honor) left the house early to begin the wedding preparations. Pat, Jeremy, and I took the opportunity to have some guy time.

• 10:26 AM: Huge omelet breakfast at one of the cafes from the movie "Aspen Extreme". Yum.
  
• 11:46 AM: Go in hot tub.
  
• 12:33 AM: Jump on the trampoline. No broken bones.
  
• 1:16 PM: Play soccer—the three of us against the two dogs that live at the house. Dogs win.
  
• 2:04 PM: Ride dirt bikes around property. Avoided broken bones again. OK to show up for wedding.
  
• 3:34 PM: Shoot guns at cans on the fence. Miss.
  
• 3:53 PM: Jump in shower.
  
• 4:00 PM: Leave for wedding.

We arrived at the wedding right on time to catch the gondola at Little Nell up to the top of the mountain for the ceremony which was held on an outcropping overlooking an amazing mountain view. Then inside for dinner, some wine, and some dancing.

All in all, a fantastic Aspen weekend.

Trip to Denver

Denver 2006

Aug 25, 2006 - 1 Photo

Kerri and I just finished up our trip to Denver. It was great to be back "home". Drive our old streets. See our old friends. Eat at our old restaurants. Kerri and I really love Denver and—had it not been for this job—would not have moved away from there. But perhaps some day we'll be back!

The first night, we had dinner with our good friends Toby and Angie and Pat and Brooke at one of our favorite restaurants—Cuba Cuba. Brooke had planned a "Girls Night Out" with Kerri and the girls from Premier Image, so it was "bye bye" to the boys. The second night, we went out with a big group of people to the Rio Grande and paid tribute to their famous margaritas. As I've mentioned many times on this blog, it was so great to have good Mexican food again!

Then it was off to Aspen for the wedding we were in town for...

The 2006 World Series of Poker

Kerri and I just returned from 3 weeks in Las Vegas for the 2006 World Series of Poker. 3 days can be a long time in Vegas, so you can only imagine what 3 weeks was like. :-) We stayed at the Rio the whole time because that is where the World Series is held and it was actually quite nice. All of the rooms are "suites" so they are a little bigger than normal which made a real difference given the amount of time we were there.

2006 World Series of Poker

We spent most of our time working at the Paradise Poker booth at the Gaming Expo, watching the Main Event, or helping run the Roller Girls, the street marketing team that was promoting Paradise throughout Vegas during the tournament.

Dinner at Batista's

Ladies at Hard Rock

We had a lot of visitors. Marsha and Ken. Michael and Alyssa. Brooke and Pat. Allyson. We always make sure to get two queens wherever we go so that friends and family can come and stay with us!

Pat and Brooke

Ladies Eating Cotton Candy

Kerri had quite the luck with the pokerati. She ran into Chris "Jesus" Ferguson (2001 World Series Champion) several times (he was staying on our floor) and talked to him for 20 minutes one day. The next night we were up at the Voodoo Lounge in the Rio and she met Steve Dannenmann (2005 World Series Runner up and winner of $4+ million).

Ladies and Steve Dannenmann

Jamie Gold walked away as the 2006 Champion and winner of $12 million. Not too shabby for two weeks' worth of work. Although he may not be able to keep it all.

And Sadie is "All-In"

Back from Cancun

Kerri and I just returned from 5 days in Cancun for Sportingbet's annual company trip. It was quite an adventure starting with a chartered jet to take all of the employees from Costa Rica to Cancun. We stayed at a beautiful Melia resort right on the water. I had to work quite a bit during the day because the World Series is right around the corner, but I made sure to take a break in the afternoons and join Kerri at the pool. We also were very good on this trip and worked out at the hotel's fantastic gym every day.

At the Beach Party

Loading Up in Miami

Kerri and I have just returned to Costa Rica after 4 days in Miami. I needed to be in Miami for a strategy meeting for work on Tuesday, so we decided to go out on Friday and spend the weekend there. First, it's always nice to get a little "US fix".

Palm Trees Reflected

But more importantly, we needed to do some shopping. There are just certain things we can't find in Costa Rica. Or they have it, but its really expensive. Or they have it, but it's not the brand/size/flavor/etc. we like. So we arrived in Miami with two suitcases each--one of our clothes and an empty one to fill and take back to Costa Rica!

We stayed at the Sheraton Bal Harbour Friday through Monday. We "pricelined" it. Is that a word now also--like I "googled" it? Anyways, we got lucky as it was a fantastic hotel, huge modern room, and a resort-like pool. We hit Dunkin' Donuts, Chevy's, Old Navy--all the classics. And even caught the movie "Click". Also recommended--will give you a new perspective on life.

On Monday, we moved to the Raleigh Hotel in Miami Beach for my work meeting. Also a fantastic hotel and highly recommended. They were shooting a swimsuit calendar at the pool with NFL players so a bunch of the players were staying in our hotel. We had a fantastic dinner at Smith and Wollensky's our last night and finished the evening off ankle-deep in the "walk-in" pool bar at the Hotel Delano.

Kerri Poolside

Dessert at Barton G

Full Album of Photos from Europe Trip

I have uploaded all of the photos from our Europe trip. Click on the image below to view the full album.

Europe Trip 2006

Jun 11, 2006 - 59 Photos

Europe Trip: Back Home

We're back home. What a trip. 15 day, 6 cities, 7 flights, 3 trains, and 1 Tom Clancy book later (give me a break, it was 987 pages...front and back!), we've landed back in Costa Rica. I'm here, Kerri's here, Kerri's suitcase is here, but American Airlines decided that my suitcase needed some time off and sent it to the Dominican Republic. No joke.

¡Bienvenidos a Costa Rica!

Does that strike anyone else as odd? The airline has enough intelligence and technical sophistication to be able to tell me with 100% accuracy that yes, my suitcase is at this moment on AA Flight #453 to the Dominican Republic but not the intelligence and technical sophistication to make sure that two bags given to them at exactly the same moment in time do not remain together as they travel 500 feet from the check-in counter to the tarmac. Weird.

Europe Trip: Paris...Again

To wrap up the trip, we flew back to France for one last night in Paris. Kerri and i had dinner at a wonderful little place called L'escargot where the specialty was--you guessed it--snails (Kerri's favorite). Then we walked along the Seine where the entire city seemed to be picnicking and ended up for a final drink in Paris at the Hotel Ritz.

Dinner at L'escargot

Europe Trip: Nuremberg

After being on the Mediterranean in the South of France, we hopped on a train to Charles de Gaulle where we caught a flight to Nuremberg--home of my brother Jeff, his wife Blythe, and several World Cup games this year.

Nuremberg Bridge

Though we didn't plan far enough in advance to actually attend any of the games, we were lucky to go with Jeff and Blythe to the Adidas World Cup Kickoff Party at the Adidas world headquarters campus where Jeff works. Jeff and Blythe on the other hand had tickets to USA vs. Italy. We also toured the city of Nuremberg and hit the second largest festival in Germany (second only to Oktoberfest).

Oktoberfest...Cheers!

Adidas Party

Europe Trip: La Cadiere

After Barcelona, we jumped on the train and headed east through the beautiful countryside of the South of France to La Cadiere--home of Kristin, David, Chloe, and Chloe's new little brother who will be joining us in November!

The Csorba Family

We visited the local French markets, toured the villages around Kristin and David's house, and ate lunch along the coast overlooking the beach. At night, we opened the doors to warm summer nights on the patio and had more French apertifs. And what a doll Chloe was the entire time we were there--we didn't hear her cry once!

Scott and Chloe

Time to Explore!

Europe Trip: Barcelona

After Dublin, it was off to the one "wild card" destination of the trip--not a destination that we either knew someone at, had to go to for work, or to attend an event. Kerri found an amazing hotel called B Hotel--extremely modern and highly recommended. We walked Las Ramblas, checked out the street performers, and bought some artwork for our new house in Costa Rica. Then we went to the famous Las Ramblas Market and and bought fresh fruit for the hotel room. We decided to pass on the skinned goat heads (no joke). The next day we hit the coast for our one day at the beach and to get caught up on our reading.

The Fruit Market

At the B Hotel

Drinks at the Bar

Barcelona Fountain

Europe Trip: Dublin

Kerri and I were in Dublin for our good friend's John and Janna's wedding. We became friends with John and Janna when we first moved to Costa Rica. They were so helpful getting us aquainted to a foreign country! In May, they moved back to their home country of Ireland and we were sad to see them go. But so happy to see them again in Dublin for their wedding.

At the Reception

The night before the wedding, we met up with the Paradise Poker crew for dinner at a Thai restaurant in downtown Dublin, then off to a traditional Irish pub for drinks late into the night. The wedding the next day was fantastic and the weather amazing. In fact, the locals told us it was the best weather they'd seen in 6 months! After dancing late into the night at the wedding with the dancers from Lord of the Dance (no joke!), we headed to bed to catch an early flight the next morning.

The Wedding Dinner

John and Janna's Exit

Europe Trip: London

After a couple of key meetings in London for work, Kerri and I hit Smith's at Smith Market for dinner. Smith Market is the distribution center for all of the butchers in London. Some of the best steaks, wine, and dessert on the trip. Then the next night, we caught "Mama Mia" in the London Theater District with Marsha. A great show--highly recommended! Then it was time for Marsha to head back to the States and for Kerri and I to head to the airport to catch a flight to Dublin.

The London Phone Booth

Kerri and Marsha at Tower Bridge

Europe Trip: Paris

After getting over the jet lag, Kerri, Marsha, and I set out to explore Paris. Kerri and Marsha had already been in Europe exploring the sights for a week when I got there, so we did fewer of the churces and museums in Paris and, instead, spent most of our time there with my sister Kendra and her boyfriend Florent. They were nice enough to show us the town, enjoy apertifs at their apartment, and then hit the city for dinner at night.

At The Eiffel Tower

After three days, it was time to hit the Chunnel to head to London. By the time we were done, we were not the only ones saying goodbye to Paris. Kendra and Florent are moving to New York in July!

Kerri Relaxing in Paris

Europe Trip: Arrival in Paris

I've arrived in Paris. I jumped in a cab and joined Kerri and Marsha at our hotel in downtown Paris. They are ready to hit the town. I'm jet-lagged. Very jet-lagged. But they say the best way to get through it is to stay awake the entire first day until bedtime. To just push through that... first... day. Don't... let........ yourself........... fall.............. zzzzzzzzzzz..............

Paris from the Sky

Off to Europe

I'm off to Europe for 2 weeks. I leave Saturday and fly into Paris to meet Kerri and her mom (who have already been in France for a week driving the Mediterranean Coast). We'll see my sister Kendra and Florent in Paris, then take the train up to London.

¡Hasta La Vista Costa Rica!

In London, Kerri and Marsha will check out the sites while I spend a couple of days in the office at Sportingbet PLC (parent company of Paradise Poker). Then Kerri and I fly to Dublin for me to visit another of my company's offices and to attend our friends John and Janna's wedding on Thursday and Friday.

After Dublin, I'll move into vacation mode as Kerri and I head to Barcelona. After a few days on the Spanish coast, we'll take the train east to La Cadiere to visit my sister Kristin, David, and Chloe in the South of France.

After some sunning on the Mediterranean, we head up to Nurmberg, Germany to visit Jeff and Blythe and attend Adidas' World Cup kickoff party. Then back to Paris for our flight back to Costa Rica. A whirlwind trip!

Poker, Pina Coladas, Dolphins, and Yachts!

Kerri and I have just arrived back in Costa Rica after our trip to the Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. We were there for Paradise Poker's Conquest of Paradise Island poker tournament. The tournament went great and winner Brian Malczewski walked away with a cool $500,000.

The Atlantis Hotel

View from Our Room

Ten days at the resort were wonderful, though I didn't have nearly as much time for "vacationing" as I thought I would. Trying to do my "day job" while helping run the tournament was a double-time job. But Kerri and I definitely enjoyed ourselves while we were there!

Along the Village Marina

"The Dig" Aquarium

We had dinner at Nobu, walked the maze of aquariums, strolled along the Marina Village and ogled the multi-million dollar yachts. I even snuck away on the last day we were there for a day by the pool and hitting the Atlantis water slides.

The Village Marina

Village Marina Shopping

The Straw Market

Dancing Bahamian Style

And we were particularly lucky to have our good friends Pat and Brooke from Denver join us at the resort for a week.

Pat and Brook in the Ocean

Brooke and Her Coconuts

Kerri spent time with them at the pool and beach during the day and then I joined up with them for dinners and hitting the casino at night. They even went swimming with the dolphins and on a shark-feeding trip. It was great to see them having not seen them since I left Denver 4 months ago!

Kerri and Brook in "The Dig"

Pat and Brooke at the Beach

Getting home was a bit rough. We were deplaned in the Bahamas due to "weather in Miami", re-boarded and took off, told mid-way to Miami that they were experiencing a Level 4 storm in Miami and tornados (tornados in Miami?), circled Miami for 2 hours, were redirected to Key West, sat on the ground in Key West for 2 hours, flown back to Miami after the storm subsided, and then caught our connection back to Costa Rica. All in all a 5 hour journey turned into a 12 hour journey! But we are home safe and sound now.

Dinner at Nobu

Atlantis Paradise Island

After a quick stop in Miami, Kerri and I have arrived at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, Bahamas! We are here for Paradise Poker's Conquest of Paradise Island tournament--our first tournament played completely offline. We are expecting 350+ players with a $5,000 buy-in and a total prize pool nearing $2,000,000. Tonight is the big welcome party for all of the staff and players. More photos and details to come.

King Neptune

Skyline on the Sea

This past weekend, Kerri and I flew to Panama City for the weekend with our friends John and Janna and Bruce and Rebecca. We were there to celebrate (or mourn, depending on how you look at it) our good friends John and Janna's last weekend living in Costa Rica. Panama is quite a skyline right on the sea! We stayed at the Real Intercontinental downtown, had dinners out in the city, and hit the big casino at night. Quite a weekend and only a 1 1/2 hour flight away!

Panama Skyline

Dinner in Panama

John and Janna

At Italian Dinner

Bruce and Rebecca

John and the Mariachi Band

Miami Heat Game

Kerri and I just got back to Denver from Costa Rica. On the way back, we swung through Miami. Now, normally our flights into the US would go through Miami anyways, but this time we had a special reason. Paradise Poker is a sponsor of the Miami Heat and we had to represent the company at a Suite Night for the players of Paradise Poker.

We had a Sky Box for the event for the Paradise Poker players, but also had 4 seats down on the floor which we took turns sitting in which put us right down on the action. To give you a sense for how nice the Heat staff was in getting us good seats, we didn't zoom the camera at all for this photo of Shaq.

At halftime, our great reps from the Miami Heat gave us a tour of the stadium, including the Heat locker room. Well, "locker room" isn't the right word. "Gentlemen's Club" is more like it! There was a fitness center the size of a 24-Hour Fitness, a lounge with pool tables and big screen TVs, a training room that looked like something out of Rocky IV (the one with Ivan Drago), and the locker room itself was all dark wood, huge spaces for the players, and big screen TVs on the wall to watch game footage.

We were in the locker room during half time just after the team went back out onto the floor to warm up for the second half so we snuck a pic with Shaq's shoe from the first half! At a size of 22, his shoe was a tad bigger than Kerri's.



I even got a picture of Mike Dunleavy in front of the Paradise Poker signage. Dunleavy went to my high school, led the team to a State Championship, went on to Duke, won the 2001 National Championship, and now plays for the Golden State Warriors. I don't know him though, and he certainly doesn't know me.

On Saturday, we ate breakfast/lunch at Jerry's Famous Deli on Collins Avenue in South Beach which--based on the proof of this photo--has the world's largest menu. For those of you that grew up in the 80s, Collins Avenue is also the same "A1A, Beachfront Avenue" referenced in an ever so popular Vanilla Ice song.

On Saturday night, we had dinner at Wish at "The Hotel" before meeting up with some friends for drinks. No relation to "The Hotel" in Vegas. But Kerri did have a drink that glowed like a neon sign in Vegas. Seriously.

Jaco (Pronounced "Hako")

Kerri and I have just returned to Santa Ana from our first weekend trip to Jaco, Costa Rica (near Punta Renas and Manuel Antonio). I was interviewing a few candidates for Paradise Poker and we brought them down to Costa Rica to interview and show them the country.

We stayed the first night at the White House, a boutique hotel up in the hills of Escazu and owned by an American here in Costa Rica. Yes, it really does look like the White House. Kerri and I stayed in the Grover Cleveland room. No, I can't tell you anything Grover Cleveland did during his presidency.

After a night at the White House, we hit the road for the 2-hour drive to the beach in our rented Toyota 4Runner. The road to Jaco is a curvy one, but it's not the curves that will get you. It's the cows. This Tico was kind enough to yield the road to us.


We spent Friday night at the Los Suenos resort in Jaco, had an amazing dinner at the restaurant Nuevo Latino, and then played poker into the wee hours of the morning. The next day, we lounged by the pool and in the hammocks by the beach.

On the way back, we saw an interesting sign...



And then we realized what the sign meant when we looked over the side of the road and saw this!

World Poker Tour Shooting Stars

You never think your first live poker tournament is going to be a $10,000 buy-in.

Kerri and I flew to San Jose for the $10,000 buy-in World Poker Tour Shooting Stars event at the Bay 101. Paradise Poker had sent 108 players to the event through satellites and super-satellites online so we were there to represent the company.

The format of the Shooting Stars event is a bit unique. One "star" is assigned to every table. The player that eliminates each star gets $5,000 so each star ends up with a "bounty" on their head the length of the tournament.

All of the stars were out in force, both poker and Hollywood:

• Phil Ivey
  
• Doyle Brunson
  
• Phil Hellmuth
  
• James Woods
  
• Jennifer Tilly
  
• Shannon Elizabeth
  
• Phil Laak
  
• Mike Matusow
  
• TJ Cloutier
  
• Chip Reese
  
• John Juanda
  
• Layne Flack
  
• Eric Seidel
  
• Allen Cunningham
  
• David Williams

On the second day of the tournament, two players from Paradise didn't show up. Rather than let the seats go empty...

...I got the call to play.

The "star" at my table was Gavin Smith who has won multiple World Poker Tour events and over $2,000,000 in career winnings. I played very tight for about 3 hours, pretty much only entering pots where I had AAs, KKs, QQs, or AK/AQ suited. I won a couple of hands--just enough to keep from getting blinded away. Eventually a few of us at the table started to get short-stacked and started looking for a solid hand to push on pre-flop.

I looked down and saw AAs. Since everyone at the table knew I was playing tight having watched me play for the last 3 hours, I limped. I hit the jackpot when Kristy Gazes went all-in. I called, she flipped over her AK suited, and I flipped over my AAs a bit half-heartedly (considering that it was my first live tournament and she has won tournaments and over $350,000 in lifetime winnings). No Ks or diamonds hit the board and I doubled up to $5,000.

A few hands later, I got lucky going all-in with AQ only to see the other guy flip over AK (seriously dominated) when a Q hit on the flop. So then I was back up to around $10,000 (where I started) and probably not too far off the tournament average at that point. And then I played stupid. Got too pot-committed on an A-high spade flush draw, called an all-in after the flop, only to see runner-runner red. I thanked my table and made my way for the rail, 150th or so out of 600, my first WPT event behind me.

My Favorite Moments from the Tournament

• I sat down at the table about an hour late and my seat happened to be right next to Gavin Smith. He offered me a "last longer" bonus for our watches (e.g. whomever lasts longer in the tournament gets the others' watch), but I quickly turned him down considering that my watch was a wedding gift from Kerri. Oh, it had nothing to do at all with the fact that he is 100 times better than me.
  
  
• I'm sitting at the table and someone I don't recognize walks up to the table. He looks at Gavin Smith and says, "Gavin, do you want this now?" and reaches into his pocket and pulls out $30,000. IN CASH. Poker players...
  
  
• Though I didn't make it far in the tournament of even close to cashing (Top 45), I did knock out three other players!
  
  
• Sitting in the bar having lunch at the table next to Nam Lee--who went on to win the whole tournament.

Home, Sweet Home

Kerri and I are back home in Denver for a couple of weeks! Due to booking our tickets separately, I took off an hour and a half before she did from the Juan Santamaria Aiport in Costa Rica and went through Phoenix, she went through Dallas, and amazingly we arrived in Denver 5 minutes apart from one another.

Man, does it feel good to be home and sleep in your own bed after 6 weeks in a foreign country. And a week of that in a foreign hospital!

Weekend at the Beach

Kerri and I spent the weekend in Tamarindo, Costa Rica for Paradise Poker's $1,000,000 Masters IV final table. Our upgrade to the Daihatsu Terios didn't work out so well--it was basically the equivalent of a Suzuki Samurai (if you remember that car from the 90s). So we took it back and upgraded to the Toyota Prado--the international version of the Toyota 4Runner. It made the drive to the coast about 5 times smoother.

Enough about cars. We arrived on Friday evening and had a great cocktail party and dinner with the 10 players that had made the final table. 9 men and 1 woman. About par for the course for poker these days. We were all secretly rooting for the woman during play on Saturday, but unfortunately she was short-stacked going into the final table. Toby Stubbs took down the top prize.

We had a great dinner on the beach afterwards to celebrate with the Paradise Poker team. And then off to the Jazz Casino in town for a little poker both nights. We played from about 8-2 on Friday night and I was dealt AAs, KKs, QQs, JJs, AK, AQ, and AJ and went home the big winner. Anybody can play when they get the cards though. On Saturday night, I wasn't so lucky and gave back a bit of my winnings to the locals. But just a bit.

The drive back from Tamarindo was a long one after getting stuck behind a sugar cane truck for about 50 kilometers. That's 30 miles for all of you in the States. Have to think in 6/10 when I'm in Costa Rica! But it was made much more enjoyable with some lively conversation with our good friends John and Janna. Great to spend the weekend with them as they are headed back to Ireland in March.

(Photos to come! We bought a disposable camera for the trip--as we had our digital camera stolen on New Year's--only to have me leave the disposable by the pool. Thankfully, someone turned it in and the hotel is mailling it to us in the States.)

Destination: Tamarindo...Take 2

Kerri and I are headed back to Tamarindo this weekend for Paradise Poker's $1,000,000 Masters IV final table. The event will be played live on Saturday, February 11 at the Hotel Diria Tamarindo. Here is the breakdown of the chip count and the players going into the final table.

After last weekend's adventure on Costa Rica's roads (read below) and the fact that we'll be driving up with our Irish friends John and Janna, we've upgraded from the Toyota Yaris to the Daihatsu Terios. Car names in Costa Rica are just as weird as in the US.

Then on Monday, we're headed back to Denver for a couple of weeks!

Lightning, Italians, and Guayanas...Oh My!

Kerri and I are back from our weekend trip to Tamarindo. It was quite an eventful weekend! Over the course of three days, we:

• Drove 6 hours in a tropical rainstorm (lightning included).
• Arrived at our hotel only to discover that the hotel had messed up our reservation and was overbooked. Negotiated a free night for Saturday night.
• Ate banana macadamia nut pancakes. Twice.
• Ate steak and lobster. Twice. For $20!
• Played poker with a Frenchman, three Italians, two Americans, and two Costa Ricans. Saw quad Qs twice in 3 hours. Neither was mine. Walked out slightly richer. Slightly.
• Took our Yaris through Costa Rican's worst pot holes. Think Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland.
• Found Mexican food. Finally.
• Almost drove over 2 iguanas. Iguana disaster averted.
• Passed 2,341 fruit stands from Tamarindo to San Jose. Hypothesized that "guayana" means "guava". Have not confirmed.
• Had "Texas BBQ Ribs" on the way home. Yes, in Costa Rica.
• Forgot to take any pictures of ourselves on the trip.
  

And we're headed back this coming weekend for Paradise Poker's Masters IV $1,000,000 Final Table.

Destination: Tamarindo

Kerri and I are off to Tamarindo this weekend to explore the beaches of Costa Rica for the first time. Tamarindo is in Guanacaste near Liberia on the West Coast of Costa Rica. We are staying at the Jardin del Eden.

I'm hoping we can find some Mexican food there.

Where I've Lived

The following are all of the places that I have lived in my life:

2006 - Present
Place: Santa Ana, Costa Rica
House: Casa Mango

2005 - 2006
Place: Denver, Colorado
House: Washington Street

2004 - 2005
Place: Napa, Californa
House: Hemlock Street

2004
Place: Dallas, Texas
Houses: Love Drive, Aristocrat Street

2003 - 2004
Place: Salt Lake City, Utah
Houses: I Street

2002 - 2003
Place: Denver, Colorado
Houses: Washington Center Parkway

2001 - 2002
Place: San Francisco, California
Houses: Mission Street

2000 - 2001
Place: Pleasanton, California
Houses: Stanley Boulevard

1995 - 2000
Place: Santa Clara, California
Houses: El Camino Real, Lincoln Avenue, Alameda Avenue

1982 - 1995
Place: Portland, Oregon
Houses: Miller Road, Laundau Street, 61st Court, Ash Street

1976 - 1982
Place: Missoula, Montana
Houses: Timberlane Street

Trips I've Taken

The following is a list of the trips I've taken in my life.

Note
1) Most of the details of the trips below are accurate. Because some of them happened when I was very little, I may have a few of the details wrong. If you see something that is correct, please tell me.
2) If any of the comments below don't make sense, then you weren't on the trip.

2006

September
Vancouver, Canada
Work trip to meet with Media Profile with Kerri.

August
Toronto, Canada
Work trip with Kerri. Toured Toronto and visited Niagara Falls.

August
Aspen, Colorado
Vacation with Kerri for Katie and Casey's wedding. Kerri pulled off an amazing wedding. I got to stand back and enjoy.

July
Las Vegas, Nevada
Work trip with Kerri for the World Series of Poker. Three straight weeks of poker. Ready to go home at the end.

July
Cancun, Mexico
Sportingbet's annual company meeting with Kerri. Worked too much and played too little.

June
Europe (Paris, London, Dublin, Barcelona, La Cadiere, Nuremberg, Paris)
Vacation with Kerri, John and Janna's wedding, visiting Kendra and Florent, visiting Kristin, David and Chloe, visiting Jeff and Blythe. 7 cities in 14 days.

May
Miami, Florida
Work trip with Kerri. Stayed at The Raleigh. Found new world's favorite restaurant--Barton G.

May
Paradise Island, Bahamas
Work trip for Paradise Poker's Conquest of Paradise Island with Kerri and our friend's Pat and Brooke. Worked too much and played too little.

April
Panama City, Panama
Going away trip with our friends John and Janna and Bruce and Rebecca. Promptly miss John and Janna.

April
Miami, Florida
Work trip with Kerri. Went to Miami Heat Game. Toured locker room and took pictures with Shaq's shoes.

April
Jaco, Costa Rica
Work trip with Kerri for candidates down interviewing at Sportingbet. Saw the crocodiles under the bridge.

February
San Jose, California
Work trip with Kerri for the WPT's Bay 101 Shooting Stars tournament. Got to play in tournament. Lasted 6 hours and longer than Phil Ivey and Phil Hellmuth. Ego stroked.

February
Tamarindo, Costa Rica
Work trip for Paradise Poker's Masters Tournament. Went to the world's smallest casino. Played poker with two Italians, a Canadian, two Americans, and a Costa Rican. Learned how to say "call" in Spanish. Promptly forgot.

2005

December
Portland, Oregon
Vacation home for Christmas.

November
Santa Ana, Costa Rica
Interview with Sportingbet. Got the job!

October
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Vacation with Kerri. Relaxed by the pool and on the beach. Shot Kerri.

July
Kuaui, Hawaii
Vacation with Kerri where I suprised her with vow renewal ceremony on the beach for our 5-year anniversary. Got her good.

February
San Francisco, California
Valentine's Day weekend in San Francisco with Kerri. Shopping, spa treatments, and tea at the Ritz. Major points.

February
Miami, Florida
Work trip with Kerri. Spoke at iDate conference.

2004

November
New York, New York
Work trip with Kerri. Visited WTC site.

October
Redfish Lake, Idaho
Vacation with Kerri and Mom and Dad for Patrick and Suzanne Chetwood's wedding. Truly relaxed by the lake. Decided that the mountains are just as good a vacation as the beach if done right.

August
Croatia (Split, Vis, Dubrovnik)
Vacation with Kerri, Marsha, Ken, Margaret, and Sandy. Ate chocolate croissants for breakfast for 14 straight days. Loved every one of them.

July
San Antonio, Texas
Vacation with Kerri and our friends Ryan and Kristen. Visited the Alamo. It was suprisingly small. Went to a waterpark. It was suprisingly big.

May
Boston, Massachusetts
Work trip with Kerri. Spoke at MIT conference.

February
Miami, Florida
Work trip with Kerri. Spoke at iDate conference.

2003

December
Portland, Oregon
Vacation home for Christmas.

October
New York, Boston, and Martha's Vineyard
Vacation with Kerri to all three places for the first time. Saw Rent for first time. Have seen it three times now.

September
Alpine Loop, Utah
Tour with Kerri to see leaves changing color. Wow.

May
Mazatlan, Mexico
Vacation with Kerri and our friends Brian and Noelle. Stayed in the most amazing villa. Thanks Mr. Frick!

January
Heber, Utah
Vacation with Kerri. Stayed on a ranch bed and breakfast. Stayed in bed and watched 8 straight movies back to back.

2002

October
Mount Timpanogas, Utah
Hiked mountain with friends Craig and Verl. Didn't get to the top.

May
Lassen National Park, California
Camping trip with Kerri, our friends Brian and Noelle, Mike and Michelle, and Megan and Jon. Went to a sulfur springs. It smelled. Fished for hours. Didn't catch anything.

March
Maui, Hawaii
Vacation with Kerri, her dad Dan, her brothers Joey and Steven, and her sister Danielle. "Don't worry Dad, it's a rental!"

February
Portland, Oregon
Vacation with Kerri for our friends' Zach and Amada's wedding. I was honored to be asked to be Zach's best man for the ceremony.

2001

December
Portland, Oregon
Vacation home for Christmas.

September
Durango, Colorado
Vacation with Kerri. Stayed at Bluelake Ranch. At the world's best granola.

August
Sunriver, Oregon
Vacation with entire Bulter Family. Played golf, tennis, layed by the pool, and generally relaxed.

July
Denver, Colorado
Trip to Denver to decide if we wanted to move there or not. Were originally supposed to move to Boulder, but liked Denver better.

June
Lake Tahoe
Vacation with Kerri to see our friends Mike and Keri and to attend our friend's Randy and Jen's wedding.

2000

July
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Honeymoon with Kerri. Stayed at the Sandals resort, went river rafting, horseback riding (in the ocean!), played golf, played tennis, shopping at the local markets, and otherwise relaxed.

April
Hollywood, California
Attended Mission Impossible II premier with my sister Kristin.

1999

December
Portland, Oregon
Vacation home for Christmas.

July
Europe (Paris, Marseille, Corte d'Azur, Nice, Amsterdam, London)
College graduation trip with Zach. Saw everything. Bought a water pitcher for the hotelier.

March
Maui, Hawaii
Vacation with Kerri where we got engaged. Went to the top of Haleakala, ate macadamia nut pancakes at Kula Lodge, went snorkeling.

1998

November
Reno, Nevada
Thanksgiving at Grandma's house. Won $250 at Wheel of Fortune my first time gambling.

May
Disneyland, California
Trip to visit my friend Leo at Loyola Marymount with my friend Zach.

1997

June
Lake Shasta, California
Trip home to Portland with Kerri after school got out.

May
San Francisco, California
Kerri and my first trip together. Ate at the Grand Café and saw Phantom of the Opera for the first time.

1996

July
Petaluma, California
Vacation to my friend Dylan's house for a month prior to going back to Santa Clara University.

1995

June
Lincoln City, Oregon
Trip to beach with Zach, Leo, George, and Rob for high school graduation. Stayed at Shilo Inn.

April
San Francisco and Los Angeles, California
Visited Santa Clara University and Claremont McKenna to decide where to go to school.

1994

March
Boise, Idaho
Vacation with Dad for Final Four. Saw Alonzo Mourning play final games for Georgetown and Shaq play final games for LSU.

1993

July
Tijuana, Mexico
Christian Service trip while in high school. Built houses for three weeks.

1992

April
Albuerquerque, New Mexico
Western Regionals for high school soccer.

October
Lincoln City, Oregon
Vacation with friend Zach and his family to the beach. Met Mewkie.

1990

March
Seattle, Washington
Vacation with Dad and Jeff for Final Four.

1988

March
Dallas, Texas
Vacation with family. Went on JFK tour.

March
Florida
Vacation with family. Went to Disneyworld, Epcot Center, Kennedy Space Center, St. Petersburg, Gatorland Zoo, Lipton International Tennis Tournament, Key West, and Miami. Went to Olive Garden before it came to the West Coast and became a joke on Will and Grace.

1987

March
Lincoln City, Oregon
Vacation with family to the beach. C'mon Kristin, sing along..."Goin' to Lincoln City, goin' to Lincoln City…Lincoln City here we come!"

1984

March
Disneyworld, Florida
Vacation with family to Disneyworld and Epcot Center.

1982

July
Black Butte, Oregon
Vacation with family and Chetwoods at the Kane's house.

Top 10 Restaurants

The following are my Top 10 Restaurants of all time:

1. Barton G (Miami, Florida)
Best restaurant of all time. Only dethroned La Fondue in the last 6 months. Usually "play" food is gimicky and not tasty. Not here. Best meal I've ever had start to finish.

2. La Fondue (Saratoga, California)
Held the #1 spot for 8 years, but was bound to be unseeded at some point. You haven't had fondue until you've been to La Fondue. And the chef salad is a meal in and of itself. Just wish I didn't live so far away.

3. Spaghetti Factory (San Jose, California)
When Kerri and I were young and broke, this was a "treat". Will always be comfort food for me.

4. D'Bartolo's (Escazu, Costa Rica)
Best salad, best lasagna, best wines, best desserts. They can't miss! Just bring extra boconcini on the salad please.

5. Capitol Grill (Denver, Colorado)
I used to think that if I was rich, I'd have my own table here and eat here every Friday night with all of my friends before going out. Oh well, there's always credit cards.

6. Al Forno's (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Winner in "Best Bread" category. Pesto tortellini to die for. And just a stone's throw away from 275 I Street. A great combination all around.

7. Bounty Hunter (Napa, California)
Winner in "Best Non-Restaurant" category. You are supposed to be tasting wine here, what are you ordering food for? Because the upscale macaroni and cheese, pulled pork sandwiches, and cheese plates gives the wine a serious run for its money.

8. Le Creperie (San Francisco, California)
Nothing like waking up on a lazy Saturday morning, bundling up against the chill, and walking down the street for a late morning chocolate crepe. And then doing it again on Sunday.

9. Ruth's Chris (Denver, CO)
Best steak in the world--hands down.

10. PF Chang's
Okay--not 5-star fare, but you can't knock a Chinese food restaurant (ahem, sorry, Asian Bistro) that can make Chinese food not greasy. Lettuce Wraps, Chicken Fried Rice, Kung-Pao Chicken. Done and done.

Other Contenders: Grand Cafe, Three Forks, Morton's Steakhouse

Top 10 Vacations

The following are my Top 10 Vacations of all time:

1. Disneyworld...the Lipton time
With 6 kids in private schools for 12 straight years, we didn't "vacation" much. So a trip like this wins hands down. Disneyworld, Epcot Center, Gatorland Zoo, Kennedy Space Center, meeting Andre Agassi and Jennifer Capriati at the Lipton International Tennis Tournament. And for those of you keeping score at home, this was also the same trip that the Butler's first ate at an Olive Garden. Historic.

2. Jamaica
Our honeymoon. Without a doubt the single most relaxing trip I've ever been on in my life. All inclusive. Massages. Golf. Tennis. Horseback riding. River rafting. I didn't think there was anything that could have spoiled that trip...until we showed up at the front desk to check-out only to find that our travel agent had booked our plane ticket a day early and we were supposed to have one more day at the hotel. How hard is 8 days and 7 nights to calculate?

3. Martha's Vineyard
Pumpkin pecan pancakes, the leaves changing color, playing Monopoly, and rain outside your window. It doesn't get much better than that.

4. Europe...with Kerri
Paris, London, Dublin, Barcelona, La Cadiere, Nuremberg, Paris in 14 days. Planes, trains, and automobiles to say the least. We saw it all. And half of our family!

5. Europe...with Zach
Zach, I only put hers ahead of yours because she lives with me and has a greater ability to inflict daily pain on me. You only get Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the occasional J-High reunion to inflict pain. Two words: glass pitcher.

6. Black Butte
Like the Disneyworld trips...historic. Bike riding, golf, tennis, horseback riding and yet--at the same time--no need to do anything. And it didn't hurt that the Chetwoods/Mainwairings/etc. were usually there.

7. New York
Not a relaxing vacation per se, but you are at the center of the universe when you are in New York. The best hotels, the best restaurants, the best shopping, the best shows, etc. Although I don't think it would be nearly as much fun if it weren't for the TKTS booth.

8. Las Vegas (all of them)
Never sentimental, but always fun. Grown-ups get to have vacations too!

9. Oregon Coast
"Lincoln City, going to Lincoln City, here we come!" "Rockaway, I'm going to rock-a-way to Rockaway!" 'Nuf said.

10. Summer Drives to Nana's
3 days of driving with 6 kids in a station wagon. How can that be fun? I don't know...but in some ways, I almost remember those trips better than any of the others.

Other Contenders: Carmel/Monterey, Sun River, Cancun, Cabo San Lucas

Top 10 Broadway Shows

The following are my Top 10 Broadway Shows of all time:

1. Phantom of the Opera
2. Rent
3. Wicked
4. Fiddler on the Roof
5. Mamma Mia
6. Chicago
7. Contact
8. To be named later
9. To be named later
10. To be named later

Note: I haven't seen enough shows yet to make a full Top 10, but rest assured I didn't just include all of the shows that I have seen. I left off Gypsy, Les Miserables, and 42nd Street--all of which I hated. I'd like to see The Producers, The Lion King, and Cats.

Top 10 Hotels

The following are my Top 10 Hotels of all time:

1. The Hotel (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Every room is a suite, flat screen TVs in every room (including the bathroom), and unbelievable service. And just a few steps outside your door is the infamous Strip.

2. Bluelake Ranch Bed and Breakfast (Durango, Colorado)
Most relaxing hotel i've ever been to. Your own private lake, fresh made granola and berries for breakfast every morning (the owner wouldn't give us the recipe!), and a cabin suite like nothing I have ever seen before.

3. The Atlantis (Paradise Island, Bahamas)
One of the Top 10 resorts in the world. However many billions he spent on the hotel, Saul Kirsner must have spent equally as much on the aquariums and lagoons that surround every inch of the hotel. Truly paradise.

4. Ka'anapali Beach Hotel (Maui, Hawaii)
Where Kerri and I got engaged. She almost found the ring twice before I could spring it on her. A local hotel with true Hawaiianservice.

5. The Oak House Bed and Breakfast (Martha's Vineyard, Massachusettes)
Pumpkin pecan pancakes, playing Monopoly, and listening to the rain fall outside. Total relaxation.

6. Sandals (Ocho Rios, Jamaica)
Where Kerri and I took our honeymoon. Unquestionably the most romantic of all of the destinations on the list. A private, secluded resort full of jungle paths and private pools.

7. The Majestic Hotel (San Francisco, California)
An old Victorian hotel that has maintained all of the charm of the original. A night here also requires a stop at the Grand Cafe for dinner and catching the latest Broadway show playing in the city.

8. Los Suenos (Jaco, Costa Rica)
An amazing golf destination on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. A fantastic set of interconnected pools that span the entire resort. And the biggest suite I've ever stayed in.

9. Hotel Zaza (Dallas, Texas)
A very modern hotel in the genre of W Hotels. The most comfortable bed I've ever slept in. An amazing spa. And a 5-star restaurant (Dragonfly) that turns into a club at night.

10. B Hotel (Barcelona, Spain)
The most modern hotel I've ever seen in Europe. All the amenities that you could ask for including bathroom windows that darken when you enter. And a balcony overlooking this vibrant Spanish city.

Note: In order to qualify, I had to have stayed at the hotel.