At least for now, but not always.  Somewhere down the line poker got boring for me, I think it was around the time when I realized I'm about as good as I'm going to get.  Not that I couldn't improve, but that improving would require more time and travel than I was prepared to expend.  I am good enough to make a living at it as long as I stay disciplined, but I've never been motivated by money alone.  It's not like I was brought up as some rich kid, there was a time when I was "donating" (selling) plasma to make ends meet.  A string of good sessions might mean parts for the supra (which I no longer have, as it was a ticket magnet) but still, I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth.

The Russians I work with got into the practice of flipping cars; meaning buying wrecked or beat up cars, fixing them to point and selling for profit.  I thought about it, and bought a '90 Eagle Talon Tsi last month (Same as Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX with different bodywork) not really sure what my plans are.  My "geek" brain won't let me put some cheap parts on it, sell it and call it a day.  1-2 & 2-3 shifts sometimes grind so I got the car at a reasonable price, it took me about a week to get used to "always" rev matching on shifts, like driving a dog (straight cut gears, no synchros) box.  Also, it's very much like driving an understeering FWD rather than driving a more modern AWD, there's a certain simplicity that I love about it, something that leaves room for improvement without turning into an overwhelming project. 

If I were a rich man, I would be racing.  You can take almost any addiction and wouldn't come close to a racing budget.  It's no big deal to burn up $1,000 in tires and fuel for a couple good runs just for time trials.  112 octane is currently $9.25/us gal. a good racing tire like a BFGoodrich G-force R1 goes for about $250/ea. and they don't last long.  Also the contingency's suck at the amatuer level, if the race is sponsored by a tire manufacturer 1st place might be $500 worth of tires, if the race is sponsored by an company like mazda or ford, 1st might take $2,500 - $5,000 if you drive a miata, or focus...

I did get storylines planned out for two screenplays that I will start at the new year, I found an "in" through friends of friends so hopefully I can make something work there. I think I just need to sit the hell back and plan some things out, I feel like an enthusiast in everything I do, at some point I fail to really commit to something all the way and accept it as a profession. 

All the best to you, and hope no one "shoot the rocket to your eyes in new year"

 

-ck