I Broke My Arm, Then the State Broke Me

Where have I been? 

First I'd like to apologize to all my readers (or, what's left of them) for not posting the next chapter in my broken arm saga.  The truth is I have been unable to find the motivation to write it up. 

I suppose I could blame the relative lack of positive (or really, any) feedback to the first three posts for failing to motivate me to finish.  That plays a part in it, but really only a very small part.  I know when I post something that is non-poker it usually doesn't get much of a response.  Besides, I have to admit that I have maybe lost my touch in the ability to put an entertaining spin on the weird things that happen to me. 

But really what has me demotivated, demoralized, disillusioned and depressed is what is going on in the country right now, and more specifically in my state, and in my city of Los Angeles. 

Just when things were starting to look up, lockdownwise, everything went to shit.  I mean, my arm was well on the way to mending, I was actually able to use it for a lot of things (but by no means everything).  And the state was starting to open up.  Restaurants had re-opened, and even poker rooms had re-opened.  While the poker room out in Ventura remained closed, both The Bike and Commerce were opened and spreading 8-handed poker (I think it was 8-handed, anyway). 

So things were looking up, and there was light at the end of the tunnel. I was getting ready to write up my next post (although part of the initial delay was due to my finally having to get my nose to the grindstone and complete my taxes, which as usual I had put off to the last minute, and the last minute had been delayed three months), and then….. 

And then, California Fascist Dictator Governor Gavin Newsom re-closed the state in most counties (including mine and all the ones near me).  Poker rooms were shut down again, just weeks after opening to good attendance.  Restaurants were closed to indoor dining.  It was take-out only unless they could find some space for outdoor tables.  Gyms, barbers, hair salons, nail salons, all put out of business. 

Just as I was done with my taxes, just as I was feeling well and able enough to get out and do some things…..the rug was pulled right out from under me (and everyone else in the state). 

I could no longer find a reason to drag myself out of bed, and certainly didn't feel like sitting at the keyboard hacking out a blog post about my damn broken arm (which as you will recall, only happened because of the initial lockdown).  I felt like my arm had been re-broken.  I vowed not to post again as long as CA was closed.  It was a pretty easy vow to keep because I couldn't motivate myself to write anyway.  And since I make zero money from this blog—it has always been a labor of love—no one else could motivate me either.

Yes, I know, I know, it could be worse.  Plenty of people are suffering through this crisis more than I am.  Yes, many people have died or been really, really ill. This pandemic is horrific. But I'm not everyone else, I'm just me.  I'm telling you how this is affecting me. 

Although actually, I am thinking of the many victims.  And not just those who have died or those who have lost loved ones.  I'm thinking about the people who are the victims of the lockdown. I think of those poor small business owners (restaurants, gyms, hair salons, etc) who were closed down for several months, losing huge amounts of income, then went to great expense to redesign their businesses to meet new safety standards, only to have the rug pulled out from under them by being shutdown just a few weeks after re-opening. 

For example, during the brief period of freedom before the latest lockdown, I managed to get a haircut. At the time, Los Angeles Fascist Dictator Mayor Eric Garcetti had not deigned to reopen Los Angeles (might also have been due to the fascists on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors) so I couldn't have gotten my haircut in L.A.  Fortunately I have been going to the next county over to get my haircut so I was able to get it cut in that brief window I had.  The lady who runs the shop had gone to great expense to accommodate social distancing rules, put up plexiglass everywhere, relocated the chairs, printed up forms for all her customers to fill out, set up chairs ouside her shop to wait since you couldn't wait inside.  Must have cost her a fortune, and this was after she lost several months of income.  Plus she can no longer handle the volume she could before because she had to take some chairs out and reduce staff. 

I imagine restaurants had the same issue, taking out tables, putting up plexiglass, paper menus, etc.  And of course, if a restaurant isn't running at full capacity it is probably losing money.  So all that expense just to run their business at a loss!  But at least they had some money coming in. 

Imagine how they felt when the Fascist Dictator Governor pulled the rug out from under them and forced them to close again?  My heart breaks for the families who have lost loved ones to the virus, but my heart also breaks for the small business owners who are losing their businesses day by day by this lockdown. 

Sometime after Newsom reclosed businesses, Garcetti revived his stay at home order.  So once again, not only is there no place to go but I have been placed under house arrest and confined to my quarters. And I am in solitary confinement! I am still waiting to be advised of what offense I am being punished for, having no knowledge of being convicted with any crime. I haven't even been charged with one.  Is this America or some third world dictatorship? 

I should also point out that not only am I being denied the ability to do anything, but just like those small business owners, my financial situation is being impacted.  My livelihood—my income stream—depends on live poker.  Not just in Las Vegas (where it is coming back), but the entire country.  And particularly in California.  There is no worse state for poker to disappear from for me than my home state.   

So anyway, I guess that explains what's taken me so long to post and why I still am not in any mood to finish my broken arm story.  And seriously, this may be my last blog post.  I dunno if I'll ever feel like finishing that story, and besides, what am I going to write about after that?  I seriously doubt I'll ever play another hand of poker.  As long as California Fascist Dictator Governor Gavin Newsom is in charge, live poker is unlikely to return to the state. I'd be willing to bet no currently closed poker room will re-open in CA before year's end (or maybe early November).  And circumstances prevent me from travelling to Vegas right now. 

When Fascist Dictator Governor closed us down recently, he said it would be for three weeks.  That was five weeks ago and in the meantime he's only closed down more of the state, not re-opened any part of it.  And before that, remember back in March when they locked us down the first time, it was "Fifteen days to slow the spread," or "Two weeks to flatten the curve."  That was bullshit too.  I guess you just can't trust a Fascist Dictator Governor to keep his word.  Who knew? 

That's all I've got to say.  Is this good-bye?  Kind of looks like it, but we'll just have to see. I really had to force myself to write this but I did feel I owed you some sort of explanation.