8:22am, free wifi, breakfast and a bottomless coffee cup… I sit here flipping through craiglist ads and trulia looking for the ideal housing situation to rebuild what I left behind 2 years ago when I left to Asia. This time, however, I promised myself I wouldn’t come back until I found a place BETTER than what we had before.
It’s been a week… the mansion that I originally thought was THE ONE didn’t end up as perfect as it appeared online. The house itself was great, but it was in a high end residence with a security guarded gated community with strict HOA’s. Not what I’m looking for. The last 7 days I’ve been looking all over town and still haven’t found it.
I won’t settle for anything less than perfect. Fantasy Mansion… I will find you!!
I’m back in Bangkok after vacationing in Hua Hin. My decision is between Bangkok and Vegas and since I’m having a little trouble finding the right place for the right price in Bangkok, I’m starting to lean more towards making Vegas my home for the next few years.
Here is the location of the house we are looking into. It’s very close to 2 major highways and Fremont street, the old strip. The main Las Vegas strip isn’t very far and easily accessible by a bus line very close to the house. This is one of the best locations you can have in Vegas excluding being directly on the strip- which I wouldn’t want because then you are always having problems with traffic. So, I’m loving this location personally.
A friend was kind enough to go by the Vegas mansion and take some pictures which I have included below along with the pictures from the original real estate post. This appears to be a 6 bedroom house with lots of space downstairs as well as some big open areas upstairs to create plenty of fun social environments in different parts of the house. Looks like we have 4 of us total wanting to move in as soon as soon it’s finalized and that’s with keeping everything on the down low.
Me, Ryan Parker, A new friend from Netherlands, and Allana McOsker from Las Vegas. Ryan and Allana are awesome people and the new friend from Netherlands seems pretty chill as most people I have met when I used to live near Amsterdam.
As I sit and ponder about the past I smile as I remember these 5 friends and the good times we had together.
Kristina Smith, Blake Kelso, Kalli Horne, Joe Busi, Courtney Faber
Kristina Smith
I can’t say I’ve met anyone else who actually made “Ke$sha” look like sober church girl! We first met when she came to the house after responding to a roommate ad for a spot that opened up in the Seville house. She stuck around and that night we met up with Shawn and Michaela at Cadillac Ranch. We put down a lot of beers, shots and more than I could count. We were the last two left in the bar as it was closing and we had to go. Unfortunately she had drove and I couldn’t drive stick. She convinced my drunk ass that she could and we ended up about 3 blocks before I realized her eyes were closed. Luckily my roommate Blake was awake and came to the rescue. We had many good times after that, and plenty of times that pissed each other off, haha, I remember the time I got pissed for some reason and took the phone out of your hand and threw it across the room. I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking. I miss you smile, I miss your jalapeno cheesy eggs and most of all, i miss your FACE! I hope life is treating you well and you continue to your dreams!
Blake Kelso
I first met Blake at the Excalibur Poker Room during a 1/2 NL game at the new electronic tables they had for a trial period. It failed, they brought the dealers back after 6 months. I had entered my Poker Stars name “Sandviper23″ and after a few hands Blake had recognized my name. It turns out we had played quite a few hands together online and we got to talking. Blake was pretty wasted that night but we did talking about the new poker house. About a month later he moved into our 9 bedroom poker house and we’ve been friends ever since. He met his girlfriend Lee at one of our parties and they are still together after 2 years. Here is a video of his birthday party at the poker house when we through him in the pool! Haha! Hope poker is going well for you buddy! 2012 WSOP Champion! You’re due!
Kalli Horne
I first met Kalli at the Seville house with Ashley and we became roommates for several months after. She was always down to do anything, but also capable of changing her mind on the way out the door. Horne, Dash, what is your real last name anyway? One of the funniest things I remember was when we were sitting on the couch and you gave your password away to someone who told you they had naked pictures of Breese or something? haha, i don’t remember exactly, but BAM! you’re facebook got hacked and you struggled for an hour to try to beat them back into it. Straight up, the most down to earth and chill girl I know, even though you love to hate on the ones you love, its all in good fun. Until Vegas brings us together again, bottoms up!
Joe Busti
Its been a while since I’ve seen Joe. We first met through John Tollison and the WPDG “Wed Poker Discussion Group” which we all attended regularly way back in they day. 2004? We became roommates in my first Vegas house and played more internet poker that year than I ever remember. Joe was the only person I knew that was so into grinding that instead of taking breaks to go pee, he’d keep empty Gatorade bottles in his room so he didn’t have to miss any hands. After moving back to Austin, he’d occasionally come back to Vegas and rent the out the closet under the stairs cause it had just enough room in the back to fit a twin size mattress. Joe is doing great now and has a beautiful family. I wish him all the best!
Courtney Faber
I met Courtney back in 2005, when I first moved to Las Vegas. Courtney didn’t drink back then, so our adventures were not of the partying type per say… but more of the random things that normal people wouldn’t consider fun. One day she decided to go on a Canadian road trip with one of my roommates at the time, and although I knew it was headed for disaster, they both seemed to think it would be a good idea. I still don’t know exactly what happened… Anyway, I never met a sweeter girl ;-) Miss you! Hope all is well!
But like all good things, eventually… they come to an END…
You will be missed…
Late September 2010 – The Cops had had enough….
We had to move out
Teaming up with Roommates Ryan Parker and Jonas Dick, we went to Los Angeles for a few days
October 2nd 2010… Everything I now owned was in 2 suitcase..
Getting HAMMERED at the Airport
Good Bye America! Boarding the plane highly Intoxicated.
I do not remember this...
22 hours later, with a massive Hangover, I arrived in Bangkok, Thailand.
Spent 3 days in Bangkok
Temporary stay in Bangkok, then caught a Flight to Phuket.
The Island of Phuket
Phuket “Pooh-Ket” was another world…
1st Night Kata Beach with Ryan & Jonas
Beautiful Beaches all over Island. Kata Beach only a 5 minute walk.
The Island of Phuket (October 5th- December 26th 2010)
Found a hotel for $15 (500 baht) a night and partied it up for all of October.
Me, Ryan, Rudy and Thai Girls.
Rudy (yellow shirt) a fellow poker player and poster on twoplustwo, has been living in Phuket for many years and really helped us adjust to the new life in this strange land.
Beach House, November and December 2010.
Moved into a Beach House where I lived for 2 months with some fellow poker players
Partying in Patong Beach, Phuket.
Flipping for Shots with new poker player friends who now called Phuket home.
And as the life of a poker player goes, the ups and downs come with them. In late December 2010 had a bad run on the tables and had to give up the luxurious beach house and move to a different.
October-December 2010 Results
Instead of paying $900 rent for a beach house room, I got my own place for $250 a month in Chiang Mai
Phuket to Chiang Mai 2 hour flight.
Ryan had arrived a few days earlier and we celebrated New Years Eve
I love Belgium Beer!
My sister Courtney came to visit for 6 weeks and loved Chiang Mai
Chang Beer Tower only $7
April 2011 Song Kran!!
Song Kran is the Craziest Holiday EVER!
What is Song Kran?? Its a giant water fight for between everyone in the entire country for 5 whole days! Yes, 5 whole days. Not lets stop and think about what this means exactly. Yes, its hot, yes, everyone has water guns, water hoses, huge water buckets in back of trucks and no one is safe. The 1st couple days were fun, but when I just wanted to go to grab something next door I would get drenched by someone. Yes, 5 days! But I loved it!!
I loved Chiang Mai, $4 1 hour massages and this …
Popp'n Bottles for $10
Played some softball with the local college team, Payap University.
I'm a FOOT taller than EVERYONE
Next Stop Philippines for 2 weeks
Manila in May 2011
After living in Thailand for a while, I didn’t care much for the Philippines. Everything seems over priced and EVERYONE tried to ripped you off, hustle you, and bother you. We had repeated horrible experience with cab drivers, over charging, having faster meters, one drop us a few miles in the wrong direction to run up the meter, making us 10 minutes late. Manila was dirty, over crowded and a headache.
White Beach, Phillipines
Went to White Beach, Philippines for a few days and it was better than Manila, but still not a place I would recommend vacationing too. Plus I found out the next day that the hot girl I was making out with all night was a lady boy. Yeah, don’t go to Philippines.
May 2011 off to Prague!
After that, flew to Prague to spend the summer drinking and playing baseball for the Praha Eagles. Now its the end of August and that concludes what happened over the last 12 months.
Miss you! Hope all is well!
