Last week I dropped my cellphone in the toilet. Luckily it was “pre-game” and I was willing able to fish it out. It started working again the next day – although it doesn’t ring anymore. That’s kind of been a metaphor for my life over the last few weeks – a number of “oh shit” moments that eventually worked out to some acceptable level.

Like Prissy in Gone With the Wind, “I don’t know nothin’ ’bout birthin’ no babies.” But I’m beginning to think that getting a book out is like having a baby. At first, you’re all starry eyed with the romantic notion. By the end of it, you’re calling everyone in the delivery room a cocksucker.

The only difference is that just as you’re ready to push out your book, the doctor starts saying things like, “Are you married to the name? Let’s change the name” or “It would be a lot easier to deliver if we could lose a few apendages. Look, it’s never gonna be a Major League pitcher. We can lose a few fingers and the kid won’t even miss them.” In the end, you hope that what comes out resembles the vision you had going into the project.

Sometime in the next few weeks, I’ll post the original opening of the book – which may still be the opening scene of the movie.

Any one I know who has had a baby spends the first 48 hours after delivery talking about how painful it was and how they’ll never do it again. Within a week, they are caught up in the wonderment of it all. And before you know it, they are bringing another one into the world. Maybe I’ll feel that way about writing another book some day. But I’m glad my first was Mikey’s book. It’s a project I wanted to be involved with since 2004 – long before it was even a twinkle in his eye.

Also on the birthing front, I’ll be launching my first monthly investment newsletter next week. I was so worried that my “personality” might be a little too over the top for my company. But when I read the promotion material for the newsletter, I realized they had swiped a lot of the content from my “50 Things About Me” page. Poker was mentioned more than once. So I think that’s all going to be cool.

I’ll be back at the blog, now that the book is truly out of my hands. In the mean time, here’s some things that should be read:

The new issue of Truckin’ is out. It’s fabulous – as always.

There’s a great article about Andy Beal in Forbes – also written about in Clusterstock. Btw, Clusterstock writer Joe Weisenthal is also into poker and investing – and is also a UT grad. Siblings separated at birth? Al, we might have another brother. The true test will be if he plays Omaha.

I never met Chip’s son Casey, but just reading Doyle’s short blog post about his death had me in tears.

Be back soon…