Binge

Have you seen the movie Casino? I haven’t, but I read this and it got me thinking it might be worth 2 precious hours of my life. It's just that I’ve been on a movie watching bender lately. I find myself continuously looking for suggestions, as a result. I guess the whole thing has to do with that addictive personality of mine. I’d appreciate any feedback though, if you feel the aforementioned film is worth a watch.

It’s funny to joke about such said personality disorder, but it’s more important that I figure out how to live with it. I’ve realized that this strategy of adoption is more likely to help me succeed in the world, than just trying to blatantly ignore my character “flaws.” I know, know, it’s important to do everything in moderation, but that’s just not my style. Unless there is a pressing sense of urgency, or novelty for that matter, I hardly ever partake in anything. And when I do partake, you know I dive right in, very promptly after I dip that first toe. Besides, I would argue that everything in excess, equates to moderation. Can you follow that math?

Whether it is drinking, exercising, work or studying, I tend to get easily excited, and engrossed with, any given activity. I find myself enthralled with a pastime. Then I quickly get bored of it and move on; or, in the case of my brief Internet poker addiction, until it becomes too expensive to justify. Besides, I was always more of a blackjack guy anyways.

On the topic of gambling in Slovakia, aside from the mini-casino at the Hotel Carlton, which for lack of sheer size is unable to accommodate the plethora of games you might find here, there isn’t much in the way of establishments I’d want to invest a Saturday night at.

Don’t get me wrong; there is an array of what I’ll call “gambling shacks,” brightly colored storefronts complete with roulette wheels and flashing jackpot signs, that will happily take your money. It’s just that when you take into account the seedy location of most of these places, coupled with the lack of regulatory compliance and prevalence of organized crime in the country, it seems I would have a better shot at being complicit in a money laundering operation than beating the house. Given my predisposition to binge behavior and risk-taking then, it seems I’d be better served to stay home and virtually attend the Red Casino. As per my own business, I’m obviously a fan of the online way of doing things anyways.

I think most kids at Queen's exhibited this to some extent too. Never have I met so many people who hustle hard during the week, only to find themselves upside-down on top of a keg, come the weekend, -err Thursday.

So this has been the first step, recognizing behavioral patterns. I’ll keep working on strategies to curtail, and maybe even leverage, the way that my brain seems to be wired. Yes, if I could turn a seemingly negative thing into a strength that would be good…

Upside

I acknowledge that it is lamer than a llama with a broken leg to keep blogging about the weather; but to be quite frank, this is my blog, and I shall continue to muse as I please - thank you very much. Besides, this blog post isn't really about the weather.

As I was saying, the forecast for the next two weeks is exceptionally positive. The weather looks great. I'm spending a lot of time on my balcony, looking out over my kingdom, taking in the fresh breeze and watching a parade of Slovak MILS dropping their children off at kindergarten try to parallel park in spaces that are far too tight.

But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. The tentative meteorological predictions indicate that rain will fall. Rather than naively question the half-baked predictions of accuweather.com, I've decided to embrace the prophecies, despite their very nature being contrary to my ideal scenario. It's going to be April after all, in my experience that means rain. I'm not going to delude myself by hoping against hope (whatever that means) for the unlikely. That would be a waste of time.

Instead, I'm going to focus on the positive. I'm going to look for the bigger angle.

I love warm weather, particularly after such a bleak winter. This warm spell has me incredibly excited for summer. I’m grinning all the time and shit. I look forward to sitting on patios and watching the world (read: supermodels) pass by. I realize now then, that the inevitable rainstorms of Apri, are a necessity. Without them, I would never see the luscious green bloom that so delightfully defines Bratislava, through the months of May-September. Seeing this as a step in a larger journey, makes things much more bearable. Besides, who even needs to go outside these days? With X-Box Live and up scale casinos online a guy hardly needs to leave his house. If only I could figure out how to order a pizza in this country.

The same principal applies in sales. You need to understand why people are telling you “no” before you ever hear a “yes.” You need to dig through the shit, to find anything worthwhile. On your way to the yes, you better understand what people are looking for and how to best accommodate them. It seems futile, but it’s not.

When you begin to understand the greater forces at play, and briefly remove yourself from the toil of any given moment, you are able to see things in the proper perspective. You are able to see things for what they are, not just the microcosm that manipulates your current reality.

The rain, and wet socks that will assuredly follow, are a necessary evil then. If I'm interested in ushering in the greater good (summer), which I most definitely am.

Hilarious blogging planned for tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Blog Blog Blog

I've been blogging all irregular-like; as if I were the bowels of a Crohn's patient after a night at the local burrito bar. I'm working to remedy this problem. Things at the office, which generally dominate the VAST majority of my time, have eased up lately as things start to go "smooth-as-ice," whatever that means. As I iterated earlier, the key now is to keep them smooth, all silky and whatnot.

I just had the most domestic of weekends. Spring cleaning, mixed with a trip to Ikea, had me getting my "Betty the Home-Maker" on. I'm amazed at how a few euros spent on pillows, a floor lamp and bedside table add such value to space. I'm trying not to accumulate too much stuff while I'm here, but a few items here and there go a long way.

I don't know if thanks and praise are due to the sparse closets, following the weekend purge of a number of old and unwanted belongings, or the warm breeze, but I'm feeling quite invigorated these days. I would credit the egregious coffee consumption of this morning as fuel for my renewed energy, but this inspiration goes deeper than some magnificent caffeine dosing ploy.

I'm excited. There's a spark in my step. I haven't felt this way in a long time. I haven't felt this way since I first arrived here.

I like to think back to when I first arrived, standing alone at that desolate airport, waiting. Waiting. Completely incapable of improving my situation. I like to think about what's changed and what hasn't. I like to evaluate my routines. I feel as though such activities are a good barometer of how well-put-together my life is, on any given week. I used to go to the casino every Sunday with Sarp. They have free poker tournaments, and 1 euro black jack tables. Whereas, I spent last night in the office, trying to get a head start on the nascent week. Instead of hoping for a good draw, I'm actively working to improve my situation. Examples such as this intrigue me because I can see how my priorities have changed over the course of the last year. I like to think of it as progress, working away at something I value, rather than harboring a false-hope that the supermodel/dealer would slide an ace my way.

When it comes down to it, I realize I only have so much time, and I need to do what's most important. I need to prioritize. It sounds ridiculously simple, when I pen it out like this. But I just don't have time to be making weekly trips to the local gambling house. As per my business, I'm obviously a fan of the online approach. I mean if I do feel like a trip to the casino, I can do it without leaving the warm glow of my laptop screen.

The internet is awesome. And flexible solutions make sense for the busy man, whether it be a big-shooting business executive looking for the best competitive business information (Look at my website if you haven't already!!) or an ambitious twenty-something looking for a quick thrill at an online gambling joint. My number one priority then, is how to best use my time.