EPT
Day 1:
After class on monday and debate practice I hit the road at around 8:30 PM, got home (Seattle) by 1 am. My mom had waited up for me and was really excited to see me. The house was extremely clean/decorated because my PR madness started the next day, with a news crew coming to my house for a video interview.
Waking up I found myself realizing I was going to have to be on TV and talking about a game I have played for 10years, 3+ hours a day. That was kind of embarrassing. The crew came and it all went down fine. I am pretty cool headed and good in front of people so the process went swimmingly. After that I took my mom to Circuit city to get her a camera. I had received a 1k$ gift card to said store for winning the US and I wanted to pay her back for the ticket to Orlando so I did so with a camera/memory card/case. She was SO happy to get this. It will help her with her work and beyond. I felt blessed I was able to win and repay her, she would have sent me anyways.
After a day of shopping (I also got myself ALL the DVD seasons of "Curb your Enthusiasm," "The Office" and "Family Guy" + Heavenly Sword for the PS3)I was ready to take off for the hotel where the players would be meeting.
Right when I walked into the hotel a giant german spread his long wingspan and yelled "GEOFF" it was of course Mondragon. Possibly one of the most impressive people I have met at WCG, Dissy is extremely funny, kind and intelligent. The guy speaks english AMAZINGLY well. He had a possie of germans around him and they all stood with me as I checked into the room. We were all very comfortable right from the get-go, laughing and poking fun at each other. I had to spend the first 15 minutes reminding them not to speak german.
I got up to my room put my stuff down in a hurry and got back down to the lobby with my metal case of poker chips. We had around 8 germans interested in a game and so we decided to find a place. No room would suit this large crowd (GERMANS ARE TALL) so I found a ballroom that was closed off. We snuck inside turned on some lights, threw a blanket over one of the tables and WALAH, poker was in business.
This activity allowed me to get to know these guys really well. Dissy is quick to laugh and always willing to lead. He is a natural leader. Helping retarded germans with math and showing others how to play the game. I broke about even and I think Dissy lost his money (small buy-ins) but all in all the first day was awesome.
Day 2:
I was told by the team USA manager that I'd be able to practice so I decided to drive from the hotel to Qwest field. Getting there I found out that wasn't the case, they were still setting up. The venue was MASSIVE. WCG was putting on a huge production, really impressive eye candy all over the place. I ran into more of Team USA's management and some PR guys from WCG USA. They started to book me for interviews and other things. They were really impressed with how I handled the media thus far and wanted to milk me for more.
After yakking it up and checking the place out I decided to drive back to the hotel and find some more players.
The hotel was crawling with players and their teams. It was here I ran into Jamie. Jamie was with team UK and saw me first, came up to me and said "Hello." I was startled because at first I didnt recognize him, but then I remembered that goofy smile and hilarious accent (he says I cannot do an english accent, what a tosser). I took Jamie to Mondragon and they hit it off as well, ToT was on the scene. Jamie of course was interested in playing some poker so as the night was coming on and everyone was done with their respective meetings/etc we decided to have another poker game. Again we broke into the ballroom just off the lobby and sat down with Jamie/Team germany and myself. My phone started ringing with various bw people wanting to know where I was, Stars, Tasteless etc. I go outside of the poker room to look for Tasteless and a bushy haired canadian comes walking up in some insane white jump suit riddled with Canadian emblems. "HEY!" He yells, it was Testie. We hug and laugh because I tell him hes not tiny like I thought and I bring him inside.
Hilarity ensues.
I Have testie to my left, Jamie to my right, Mondragon across from me, and empty space filled in by extremely hilarious and racey germans. Well our poker paradise would not remain a secret, people were poking their heads in and seeing what all the fuss was about. Eventually Trev, FuDDx and others leaked in and started a second poker game behind us. White-rA, Ex and other Russians followed to join in. Russians cannot speak a lick of english, love their beer and are very loud / funny people. White-rA promptly offers me a heineken with a huge grin on his face, I accept. They laugh at me because I dont know how to use a lighter to open a beer, evidently this is common practice in russia. Jamie is fucking hilarious. He was calling people a "Tosser" which evidently means a "Wanker" which means to jerkoff. Testie is bad at poker (in this game). He identifies himself as a "calling station" and quickly calls away his money as the night wears down. Jamie eventually decides he is done with poker so does the "proper" thing and blows his chips all over the table with dumb raises, bad calls and horrendous all-ins. With 30 people in a room playing poker and drinking beer, it was only a matter of time before hotel management found us out right? Well security came in and was checking for any gambling or illegal drinking. The ONE ID he checks is White-rA. Close to 30 years in age and father of 2 children, ROFL. People kept trying to get me drunk the night before my matches but I would not be corrupted!
We cap the night off with the good byes and retire to our rooms. I find Nyoken there and am glad to be rooming with a guy I respect / enjoyed at Orlando.
Day 3:
Game day is here. Have to be on the bus by 9 am and at the venue by 9:30 or so. I play a few practice games with Nyoken and win an amazing 30 minute ZvT on Paranoid which I was sad to find would never be seen again. We pack up our gear and head over to the actual gaming spot for SC. Satanik introduces himself but I dont understand a word/recognize him so I kind of brush him off. Later I see his name in a game and go "Oh shit! That was nik?" So I reintroduce myself and laugh some with him at my own expense. The gamers who play the next day are on the railing watching us get ready and set up. I am not nervous because I feel that this was all just extra. Winning WCG USA was my goal, this was the reward. I had no internet post USA wcg and was hence out of practice for this. I knew if I was to advance I would have had to have been in top shape, so I was just looking to have fun and try my best. My games were awesome. All were around 30 minutes in length and very close. I just couldnt make the decision fast enough/play less sloppy that would have won the games for me. I should have gone 3-0 but alas, was unable to do so. People can say I am making excuses or whatever else they want to say, frankly I dont care. This is what happened, and this is how I explain it to have happened. If you do not like it, or buy it, that is fine.
I could make an entire blog about the games but I feel that I wont. I am more interested in re=telling the social aspect and not so much the gaming aspect.
Later at the hotel...
Obviously with Jamie, Nyoken and me out it was time to do some drinking. I had gotten Jamie some Guinesse(sp?) the night before and decided it was time to share. I drank some Bud Light and Jamie tried to drink his pints but could not as we had no bottle opener. "Let me do it Jamie.." I took the bottle and tried to smash the cap off on the corner of the table but it wasnt really working. I kept trying and POP it came off.. with the top of the bottle. We made some obligatory references to Clerks II (*igger knife ROFL) and gave Jamie a glass to pour the drink into. That would have been fine had Jamie not tipped the bottle, he tried to catch it but really only sliced open the top of his finger. And it was DEEP. Gnarly gash that began to bleed bad. Jamie being a man of manliness, down played it and wrapped the thing in tissue. I told him to just use one of the towels since we were at a hotel and nobody cared but he said "That would not be proper" I laughed, as well as did he. Nyoken is a huge pussy, kid wouldnt drink beer because of the taste. So we had decided to go to the liquor store and get some hard stuff. Oh and Testie is there now (ROFL). I demand that Jamie finishes his booze before we make the trek, he does so. Nick pounds 2 beers (after drinking 1) and I pound the rest of my beer. Bit tipsy we set off. I get Captain Morgan's Spiced rum, and fend off Testie's attempts at getting pussy shit like Kaluah and some other garbage. Jamie gets Southern Comfort and Nick settles on vodka and some other stuff (that guy can drink). We go back and begin the night of terror for Jamie (ROFL).
I dont fuck around when I drink. We had these tiny whiskey glasses that hotels put in the bathrooms for our mixed drinks so instead of making proportional drinks I put same alcohol less soda in. Jamie was downing 5-6 shot drinks with 1-2 shot of coke as mixer. I was doing the same and Nick was drinking a bit lighter as he had to play the next day. Nyoken was initially reluctant to drink, he said he just didnt want to. I made him a drink of rum and coke, he guzzled, asked for another. At this point the dude known as "White Ethiopian" said "Ok I am done." Few minutes later he is making himself another drink, PR brought in some weak rum and Nyoken was fumbling around to make himself some more, each time going "Ok, stop me after this one." We are playing some drunken cards on the floor and Jamie is getting HAMMERED. I keep making him drinks and setting them next to him, he keeps complaining about this and that and drinking them. By this time a lot of people have found their way into my room and a fullblown party is underway. [my memory is hazy on all of this as I am usually pretty drunk during these moments/forgetful, maybe jamie/nyoken/testie can fill in at parts] I dont know when, but at some point it was clear Jamie was not going to make it on his own to his bed. He stands up, wall walks to the bathroom, stumbles inside and slams the door. I decide it best to help him out and follow him in there (evidently some girl went to go check on him before I went in there, he slammed the door on her and said "GO AWAY" hahahaha). I go in to find jamie standing up tall at the legs but bent over at the waste in an incredibly awkward and fucking insanely funny pose. Both hands gripping the sides of the toilet as he fights gravity and his imbalance to stay upright while puking into the toilet. I go in and close the door. "Jamie, I need you to bend your knees and lean in so you dont fall ok?"
"Ok"
"Jamie, can you do it?"
"Ok"
"Jamie.. here, bend the knee.."
Jamie is not bending it so I forcibly grab his foot and brace his back while I basically trip him with my arms to get him to the floor (LOL). Jamie is puking black stuff into the toilet. We later speculate that the blood loss from his finger + he never ate = BAD DRINKING NIGHT. I get Jamie water and keep him balanced as he finishes the deed. He sits back and says "I think I need to sleep." I pick up the lump of brit and walk him to his room. We get inside and I find a water bottle for him to drink. He takes it from me, feebles the top off and shakes the bottle at me. Yes, Jamie shakes the water at me. He doesnt laugh so I dont know if he was joking or just thought it was a good idea. He drinks the remains and throws it into the sink. Jamie is now perturbed (minutely) about something.
"Fuck, FUckkk... FUCK, fuck fuck .. FUCK fuckkkk." Is pretty much a direct quote. Jamie tears his shirt off throws it with a "FUCK" and falls back onto the bed.
"No Jamie, I wont let you pass out on your back with your shoes on."
So he tries to take the off with his feet. Probably the most pathetic thing I have ever seen. He scratches at his heel with his other foot for a few seconds missing horribly and doing nothing to get it off so I remove his shoes. Jamie strips down to his boxers and crawls into bed. I set up a blanket by his face and the garbage just off the bed with a glass of water on the nightstand. Feeling that jamie is situated I left. Holy shit that was hilarious, I laughed the entire way back to the party. Jamie would not. I just spoke with him on MSN and he STILL feels lousy. In fact we barely saw Jamie the next day, the entire event he felt sick and that night he just went to sleep. But I assure you, more went on without him
I will talk about day 4 in a bit.
Did you forget you represent the USA -,-.
