JenLeoLIVE!

Find Jen Leo at Plazes

I've been having fun with Twitter, but since I'm not blogging that much here on JenLeoLive, I signed up for Plazes so all of yous could still know where I'm at and where I'm going next. This will come in handy while I roam around sans Mr. C. He leaves for the Barcelona EPT next Sunday and will be staying over there for the 2007 WSOP Europe.

CURRENT: Las Vegas

NEXT: Los Angeles (Aug. 23 - 26)

NEXT for John: Barcelona &  London (Aug 26 - Sept 17)

Do you play Settlers of Catan?

I'm nutso for Settlers of Catan. Harold & Jenny introduced it to us and we went right out and bought one the next day. I want to buy one for all game lovers I know, but the ole ball & chain has a flag on my expenses until I pay off my share of the wedding. (We went over a bit...). Actually not really, but I like saying the ole ball & chain.

You can find out more about Settlers of Catan on the all new Catan Online. I've even already signed up for a Catan Meetup alert in case we can find people to play with. But I'd rather just seduce our friends Leigh & Brian into it.

John is shocked at how competitive I am when playing. He beat me twice in a row the other night. Despite all marriage advice, I sure as hell went to bed mad at him. He had an 8 card with sheep next to a sheep port and dominated to no end. I awoke and insisted on a re-match and got my ass whooped again. I hate him.

"How come you're not this competitive with poker?" he asked.

I had no reply. And I still don't know.

So, we haven't played Settlers in 24 hours. Instead we played some poker. I got a nice warm welcome back reception at the TI poker room. I guess you could say I got to know the dealers by name, or they got to know me by name rather, shortly before the wedding. When I showed up today they were all excited that I wrote about their new ladies tourneys in my Bird on the Rail column in BLUFF. Word on the street is that Caesars heard  TI was starting their Monday night ladies No Limit Holdem tourney and started theirs back up. At the time I wrote the blurb Caesars had shut their Tuesdays ladies tournes down until January. The bonus at TI is that they'll be giving out spa packages to the first place winner. So, not only do you get the biggest piece of the prize pool, but you'll also win a $100+ gift certificate at the TI Spa—Wet.

First ladies event at TI: Monday August 20, 2007. $60.
(I think it'll be at 7pm - but call 702-894-7291 to find out)

But that's skipping ahead. You want to hear about last night's tourney. We went to The Orleans with Leigh & Brian and played in a $105 tourney. I took 5th place! I think John said there were 108 players, but I can't remember. Prize was $680. Considering all three of them are better players than me, it was unexpected for me to last the longest. I almost didn't even rebuy. (You pay $65 first then $40  later). Anyway, it was a late night. I think we left The Orleans at around 1:30am.

Ummm, yes. We went out and did this fun stuff instead of looking at our wedding photos and writing thank you notes. SORRY! Had to get reacquainted with Vegas, baby!

CURRENT: Las Vegas
NEXT: San Francisco - Marin (Book Passage: More Sand event Aug 15, then Travel Writers & Photographers Conference 16-19)

 

Wanting More (professionally)

I'm in San Francisco for a minute. We're on our way back from Washington. I wasn't going to blog until the renovations were complete but I'm busting at the seams with desire. I think I'm going through another identity phase. Part of it might be because of the new marital status. Even though John and I have been together for a few years, and serious from the beginning, I will admit that it does feel different being married.

Our "where are we going to live?" question consumes us. It'd be great if we could pass an answer to our geographical dilema, but you could say that we're domestically constipated.

We're staying at Harold and Jenny's. A visit with Harold is always good for the creative, if not entrepreneurial-thirsty, soul. He took an un-intentionally malicious crack at me being a professional blogger. Hello, I'm fully aware that blogging is not all that. It's marginally cool even and practically passe with several exceptions. I am really enjoying blogging for the L.A. Times Daily Travel Deal Blog. And I've been recently hired to fully renovate the MobiTV blog. But trust me, I want more than what I'm doing now.

I feel like I've got a bunch of knowledge and experience and kinetic ambition that is just building up inside of me and waiting to be released. A few months ago an interested literary agent was talking to me about a project that was pitched to me. I had asked her if I should tell publishers that she's my agent and she said, "Jen, you've got two agents that want to work with you, you just need to find your project."

This is becoming an overall sign on my marquis. You Just Need to Find Your Project.

I can't think in little projects anymore. Writing a book isn't interesting to me anymore unless it's a side-product of building an online community, a successful blog with video/pod casts, and is also connected to a two book deal and a TV show.

This is what I'm capable of. I'm capable of thinking and delivering LARGE.

Yes, currently I'm a professional blogger. People pay me to blog for them. And I like it. But it is unsatisfying unless I'm touring and speaking, building my own community, contributing inspiration and teaching others how to get their next leg up, and progressing myself and my project at hand to the next level.

Believe me, I'm thinking about what this next project/passion will be. I don't want to think too long as I'd much rather be in the middle of doing it. In a nutshell, the lack of being part of a larger online community is troublesome. But there are none that I'm eager to join, I'd much rather build my own.

 

CURRENT: San Francisco
NEXT: Los Angeles (WED)