If you liked the video, can you please, please, please share (Twitter/Facebook) and subscribe on YouTube?!?! It would mean SOOO much to me!

And here’s the long version of Friend Zone advice…

Please my friend Fionna.

She’s pretty, outgoing, and has a great smile. You guys met a while back, and over time, you’ve fallen for her. You’re not really sure how to go about moving forward and out of the platonic relationship you’ve begun, so you opt to drop subtle hints. Whether or not you are aware of it, SHE KNOWS. SHE KNOWS YOU LIKE HER.

Fiona won’t clue you into the fact that she knows you are being tortured with your unrequited love for her. Oh no. She will relish in it and drag it out as long as possible. She’ll keep you hooked with minor, semi-flirtatious gestures, but always remind you that you are indeed, like, total BFF’s. Women are taught that they are to be desired and sought out, so who are they to brush aside admirers? You give her the attention, and she takes it, without question.

Oh F***. You’re in the Friend Zone… now what? GET OUT, immediately. Become less available. Stop immediately returning her calls/texts. She’ll start to worry she’s losing one of her adorers.

At this point, she’ll start worrying about losing you. It will force her to think about whether she wants to be with you in a romantic relationship or not. When she realizes that she can’t forever keep you in the Friend Zone with her tactics, she’ll have to make a decision. If she doesn’t understand what’s going on, or fails to give you any kind of clear signals as to what the future may hold for you, then you’re going to have to take a leap of faith and tell her how you feel.

It sucks, but it has to be done. Otherwise, you’re gonna end up like this guy:

And here’s a bit of harsh reality. If you’ve been in the Friend Zone for a long time, and you haven’t hooked up at all, you’re probably NEVER going to get out. It’s more than likely that she doesn’t have a strong enough physical attraction to you. If you have hooked up (drunken nights or whatever) at least a couple times, then you have hope!

My advice is to do whatever it takes to get out of the Friend Zone. Loving someone without the same in return is just heartbreaking. To willingly continue putting yourself in a situation like that is bordering on masochism.

Of course, this is just my opinion, and all situations/friendships are different.

I hope you guys liked this post and/or video!!! Remember to check back next Wednesday!

-Kris

As you can see from the look of the site, I put in some work updating things! By some, I mean a lot, because it takes me forever to figure shizz out. I’m no website developer, but I like to do it myself (that’s what she said). I rewrote the About section, fixed broken links, created a new header, and de-cluttered. I also added a “Funny” category after rereading a bunch of my ridiculous posts that had nowhere to go (like this one on Tiger Woods, WTF?)

In 2011, I didn’t write much (I got drunk a lot last year), but I’m ready to get back into it after receiving encouragement from my friends. I also really want to post more in the Men’s Corner section because I’m constantly asked for advice on women, and for the most part, I think I’m pretty helpful!

So I’m making a commitment to post every Wednesday (HUMP DAY!). I also am considering creating a YouTube channel/Vlogs, inspired by Jeff Madsen and Phil Galfond.

Please, let me know in the comments what you guys think about the site, my blog, possible vlog, or whatever! Check back Wednesday for a new post! I think I may address what is known as “The Friendzone.”

<3 you guys,

Kris

My January and start to 2012 is abismal. Just before leaving to go to the PCA, I had one of my biggest winning sessions ever, and I felt like I was playing at the top of my game. I went to the Bahamas, didn’t play a hand of poker for two weeks, and came back to Vegas ready to grind. After a couple of losing sessions, I already started to feel less confident. This is a huge l leak that I know I have, and I recently discussed it with Jared Tendler (author of The Mental Game of Poker) in one of the Strategy with Kristy podcasts. When I start to feel less confident, I begin to doubt myself, have less trust in my instincts, and make mistakes which obviously exacerbates the problem. I recognize that directly correlating my confidence with my results is completely irrational, but it’s hard to immediately break a habit I’ve had for years.

I’ve always been that way. If a bunch of people are like, “You’re awesome. You’re pretty. You’re good at your job,” I feel on top of the world. I feel like I can do anything and no one can stop me. If I read some comments or forums and people say, “She’s so ugly. She sucks. She’s annoying,” I have a habit of wanting to fold in on myself. In the past couple of years, I’ve become much stronger and my self confidence doesn’t hinge so much on what other people say about me anymore. Now, it motivates me to improve.

But for some reason, I’m still working on gaining that strength in poker. I think it’s maybe because I’ve had a chip on my shoulder. I’ve always felt like the girl who always has to prove how good I am. I want the pros I talk to at my job to approve of me as a player. I want my friends to respect my opinion when we all discuss poker. I guess I just wanted recognition for the hours and hard work that I’ve put in. It’s taken me this downswing to realize that it doesn’t matter.

Whether it’s poker, your career, or whatever, you have to do things for you. Of course recognition will come when you are “owning” in whatever you’re doing, but it shouldn’t be a motivator.

The most helpful thing that Jared taught me was how to “Inject logic.” Whenever you are feeling sorry for yourself at the tables, tilted, or even over confident, talk to yourself with rational reminders. I know that I am a huge winner in the games I play. Variance is an essential and inevitable part of the game. I know I still have a lot to learn. I know I still have leaks. I know that hard work is ahead of me, but I’m ready.

I woke up this morning ready to conquer the day. I ate some oatmeal and headed to the gym. (side story: There was gorgeous blonde with tiggo bitties on the middle treadmill of three, so I had to get on the one next to her. She was walking at a good pace. I started jogging and so did she. I stopped to stretch while she kept running. She stopped a minute later and smirked at me. I smiled back, not really sure what was going on. After stretching I got back on and started running again. So did she. I pushed the button to go a little faster. So did she. WTF? I continued with the plan I had in my head of how long/fast I was going to run. After two miles, I went faster. So did she. I laughed. Ok broad, is this really happening? Let’s go. I clicked the up button a bunch of times and kept running. Finally, she let out an exasperated sigh and slammed the Stop button. I ran a few extra yards for good measure and stopped. What the hell just happened? All I know is, if there was some sort of competition going on… I won. So yeah, I’m competitive) Anyway, I’m going come out of this downswing in no time. I’m not sure if I’m going to play today because I’d been making a ton of mistakes as an affect of my time of during the Bahamas, waning confidence, and frustrating of my downswing. I may take today off, depending on how I feel, but I plan on getting back on the saddle soon.

I’d love to hear about how you guys came out of your downswings, and what helped you. Leave a comment or tell me on Facebook or Twitter.

Kris

P.S. It helps to know that even the most amazing and talented players go on downswings. Phil Galfond recently posted this:

P.P.S. When I’m feeling down, memes always make me laugh. Yeah, I know, I’m a nerd. Whatever. I dare you not to laugh!

EDIT: Perfect timing. Jared just came out with a new podcast of his where he addresses confidence. Great listen.

On Wednesday, I flew from Vegas to Grand Rapids, Michigan alone, without my husband, Andrew. Other than my clothes and my Macbook pro, I arrived without a significant indicator of my new life, or at least my life post-Midwest habitation. My dad picked me up and drove to my family’s house in Portage, about an hour away.

The house isn’t the one I grew up in, so it doesn’t really feel like “home” but within minutes, the scent of sesame oil popping in a pan full of thinly sliced beef and white onions filled my nose, and I was suddenly drowning in memories. My mom was making my favorite meal, and if I knew what the real, authentic name of the dish was called, I’d tell you. I’ve always just called it “yum-yum” (pretty sure it’s a Vietnamese).

I spent some time catching up with my family, and the next day my sisters and I decided to go to the mall. As they came down the stairs, Lindsey in her black tights and loose sweater, and Liv in her black jeans and t-shirt, I noticed that they both have a distinct and equally adorable style. If I could sum it up, I’d say Lindsey is preppy chic, and Liv is supermodel emo. Anyway, they are far from the days when I used to come home from college, and they’d run upstairs and put on anything they had that would resemble the outfit I was wearing. Once, we couldn’t leave the house until Olivia found her white skirt so that she could match the one I was wearing. Lindsey put one on too. It was the cutest damn thing ever.

My sisters are all grown up now!!! (Me, Lindsey, my Mom, Olivia)

Lindsey, the middle sister who’s 18, drove us to the mall (the only one in town). I still can’t believe she can drive. The stores were different, but the mall mostly looked the same. My friends and I used to have our parents drop us off (obviously at the back of the parking lot so no one would see us) to “hangout” for a few hours, but without any money to spend, we were mostly just looking for hot guys. I found one there once and his name was Logan Thomas. He went to a different middle school, but everyone knew of him. He had a great smile, he was a talented athlete, AND he played the piano!! Whooo hoo! (We ended up going to high school together, and he turned out to be one of the most genuine people I have ever met. He’s somewhere in New York now, making a living playing piano, likely still swooning the ladies.)

On Friday, I left Portage and drove down to Fort Wayne, Indiana. I’d made this drive so many times. Two hours later, I arrived at a Catholic Church with no shoes on yet… Should I wear my thigh-high boots or my black heels? Hmmm… well, the boots show way less skin. I’ll go with that. (Wrong answer: Apparently, I wore hooker boots into the church. Whoops)

I walked in and saw my girl, Nicole. We’ve been best friends since college (and I can never say this without thinking about Lynn – they must be tied now), and she was getting married. She looked great. Just the sight of her reminded me of so may stories – eating ice cream cake until we got sick, kicking soccer balls into each others vag’s (yeah you read that right – we called it “Giner-ball”), driving to a city 45 min away super hungover to drop off the keys to my car that had blown up there, only to find that I’d forgotten to bring them, and winning a pillow fight in Windsor, Canada (ahhh wish I could tell that story). Now, she has a baby, and she’s married. Oh my, how time flies.

The wedding rehearsal and ceremony went smoothly (aside from a few profane outbursts by me—sorry, I have a potty mouth, shit), and then it was time for the reception. Our soccer coach was there, as were a few girls from our team and a couple of the guys from the men’s team. At one point, we were all gathered at the bar, trying to convince the bartender to give us whiskey shots. She ended up giving us watered down whiskey sours, but hey, we didn’t complain. After all, it was with these people that I used to drink $10 gallon bottles of McCormicks vodka or $12 30-packs of Keystone light. Anything this bartender could hand me is miles better than that (ugh, I’m barfing in my mouth a little just thinking about it).

We raised our plastic cups and said cheers. A flicker of sadness could be found in all of our eyes. We used to do this on a regular basis five years ago. All of us used to be so close — studying together, dragging one another to class, and going on soccer road trips. Now, most of us rarely speak. We all have our own “grown up” lives with real jobs, careers, and husbands/wives. Gone are our carefree college days…

The rest of the night consisted of more shots, some karaoke, and woozy dancing. I got drunk, passed out at a friend’s house and slept in the same bed as another soccer girl. Ahhh just like old times.

The next morning, I had brunch with Nicole. We’re still close despite the distance, and most importantly, we play “Giner-ball” every chance we get. I miss her all the time.

I then drove back to Michigan. Hours before I left to go back home to Vegas, I had lunch with a couple of old friends, Maggie and Scott, who was my high school boyfriend. They’re good friends, and when he saw that I was in town on Facebook, he thought it’d be good to catch up. We talked about our lives, work, and gossiped about what people from high school are doing now.

When it came time to get on a plane, I was more than ready to get back to Vegas. During the flight though, I reflected on my weekend. I missed high school, I missed college, I missed soccer, and I missed… being young… er, than I am now…

After landing, I was so excited to see Andrew, I literally tripped over my feet in a rush to get outside. I anxiously stood at passenger pickup, and as soon as I saw that silver Prius pull up with my pup’s face out the window and my gorgeous husband in the driver seat, I knew I was really home. It hit me that even though I miss those earlier times, I would never actually go back to them if given a choice. My life right now just so perfect, and I’m trying to enjoy every minute of it. It’s so amazing, I often feel guilty. I know that in a few years, I’m going to look back at this time in my life and feel just as, if not more, nostalgic than I did this weekend.

When the kids go off to college (they effing better go), I’ll say to Andrew, “Baby, remember when we were newlyweds living on the Strip in Las Vegas? We traveled the world, partied in the most amazing places with incredible friends, and had the best dog anyone could ask for?” We’ll kiss, and he’ll say, “I remember, my love. I miss those times.”

If there’s any wisdom I’ve acquired with age, it’s that we’re always going to miss something, whether it’s people, places or certain times in our lives. All we can do is try and relish every moment we can because they instantly become memories… ones that you’ll inevitably miss.

And one more thing I wanted to share… When Andrew and I were packing to move to Veer Towers in City Center, we came across a bag full of mementos. I pulled out a piece of crumpled, white construction paper folded hotdog style. On the front, it said KRISTY BABY in bubble letters, colored in with crayon. We sat down together in our soon-to-be-ex closet, opened it, and ended up in tears.

Now before you read it, I’ll preface you with some background information. This was a Christmas card Andrew made for me in December 2006. In January 2007, we were scheduled to pack our lives into both of our cars and drive to Las Vegas. We had no money, and no solid job prospects.

And one more thing — I’m doing NaNoWriMo, and I’m counting this blog in my word count (I DO WhAT I WANT).

“Yes, of course. It was the uncertainty of everything… but hey, try not to worry. Wait for your results.” I chose my words diligently. When someone confides in you because you’ve had cancer, and they’re asking because they are scared they might have it, every word matters.

Thuy called me shortly after she scheduled an appointment with a doctor to examine a lump in her leg. We’d met only a few weeks prior through mutual friend Phil Galfond, but like anyone who knew her can attest, she was warm and genuine — easy to befriend quickly.

“I’ll try, but I just don’t know what it could be,” she said, with hints of worry layered in her words. Her instincts were right. For the next two years, her health updates were such a rollercoaster, but her positive attitude remained consistent. From chemo, to the hair loss, to the amputation, to the hip replacement, to alternative medicine, she fought.

The aggressive cancer was relentless, selfishly destroying the body of a 25-year-old girl who had limitless potential and an enormous capacity to love, until her final health diagnosis was terminal. Terminal. The word hit like a wrecking ball into a cement wall.

“Are you scared?”

“Sometimes. There are just so many things I want to do.”

I couldn’t believe that such a short time after she’d asked me the same question, I’d be asking her. There’s no doubt that if she had more time in this physical world that she’d continue to touch and inspire people, which she still does even in her passing.

In one of her last blog posts, she wrote that she’d give up everything she owned for just five healthy years to accomplish some of things she wanted to and that nothing is more important than health. If there’s anything to come from her tragic death, it’s the lessons she shared with us about the food we consume, health care, and alternative treatment for cancer.

Life is fragile, and it’s short. Take care of your body and do what you can that’s within your control. Do what you love and spend time with the people who are important to you.

She was a prime example of strength, courage, and beauty.

Rest in peace, Thuy Doan.

So wait, let’s back up. On Friday, I decided to play the $1,000 Ladies Championship at the WSOP. This event is inevitably one full of controversy. There are differing opinions about whether or not the event should even exist, but in addition, because of Nevada state law, men cannot be legally excluded from the event. I wrote about this last year after Shaun Deeb decided to dress up like a woman and play, and after all the flack he got, I was optimistic that there would be much less men entering.

I was wrong. There were more. On Twitter I called them “attention seeking EV whores,” which I think most people agree with me. What’s funny is that this year, I decided to dress up like an online grinder (slippers, basketball shorts, hat, hoodie, and beats by dre). For those who are really into poker, or play a lot live, the joke is hilarious. People who didn’t understand just thought I was, “gangster.” Anyway, three of the guys who busted the Ladies Event were wearing my exact outfit. Go figure.

I tried to be the table captain, ran into a few big hands, made one pretty big mistake, and then busted in the third level. Feeling a bit tilted, I went to twitter to see how my other friends were doing in the event, and came across a link that Ali Nejad posted about a chance to win free Rihanna tickets. I followed the link to a FaceBook fan page for NiveaUSA which is a sponsor for her concert tour. I submitted and just kind of forgot about it. I continued to mope around, lamenting about the tournament, but a few hours later, I got a call saying I had won the tickets!

Immediately, I asked my HUSBAND (haha yeah, still getting used to that) if he wanted to go. He gave me a funny face and said, “Sure, but actually, I think you’d have more fun if you went with Lynn or something.” He was really cute about it, and I kind of agreed since I knew that Lynn LOVES Rihanna. I called her…

“Hey Lynn, I got tickets to Rihanna tomorrow for free. You want to go?”

“WHAAAAAAAAAT? YES!!!!!!!!”

“They are 8th-row tickets!”

“SQUEEEEEEEEL SCREAM SHRIEEEEK”… and I almost blew an eardrum… Needless to say, she was excited.

The next day, I picked her up right after she got out of work, and we headed to Mandalay Bay. We showed up early and grabbed a bite to eat by the poker room. Oh yeah, we don’t mess around when we’re hungry! After shoveling it down, we stopped at the bar to grab dirty martinis. We double fisted two drinks like the classy ladies we are.

On the way to event center, we passed the famous body part’s wall. Even though we aren’t tourists, we couldn’t help ourselves. I made her motorboat it… Again, we are quite classy.

As we walked in, I saw a huge sign for B.o.B.! He was opening for Rihanna! I was so excited because I LOVE him too! If you read my post called BEAST MODE, you’d know that he’s the guy who raps that song! After he performed, Lynn and I went to get more drinks and we just kept running into poker players! We saw 2009 WSOP Main Event winner Joe Cada, nose-bleed online cash-game player Sami Kelopuro aka LarzLuzak with a super smoking hot blonde girl, and Jon “Pearljammer” Turner who was going to late register for the $50,000 Players Championship right after. What a degen, right?

We got settled back into our INCREDIBLE seats just before Rihanna was about to start. When the stage lit up, and the music began pumping through the auditorium, I got mountainous goose bumps! I was beyond excited. Rihanna came out to “Only Girl in the World.” She was just such a phenomenal performer. The sexiest number was “S&M” for obvious reasons. She was wearing a skin-tight patent leather white corset and was chained to her backup dancers. She performed lots of songs from her new “Loud” album, but also tons of other hits too including Umbrella! Jay-Z’s part was of course from the album. When she sang, “Live my life,” I looked at Lynn and she was tearing up!

We thought Rihanna had ended the show with her solo rendition of “Love the way you lie.” It was beautiful. After the stage went dark, and I signaled to Lynn that we should leave. She leaned in and said, “If she’s a real performer, she’ll have an encore.” Seconds later, the music started back up, and sure enough, Rihanna reappeared.

Lynn and I had so much fun and couldn’t stop talking about it for the next couple of hours. I told her that we should try and win tickets again! There’s a competition called, the “Skin2Skin” Challenge on the NiveaUSA FaceBook page. In case you don’t know, Nivea is a skin care line hence the name “Skin2Skin.” Hahaha, just thought I’d explain since it could sound raunchy. You can enter by submitting a picture. You can win a trip to NYC to see her perform, or if you get the most votes on your picture, you can win a trip to Europe! You guys would LOL if you heard some of our ideas for the picture we are going to submit. I think I’m getting some free Nivea stuff too (which I’ll share with Lynn obv) which I’m excited about since I currently pay silly money for what I use now.

Anyway, after the concert, I was feeling kind of silly about being sad about busting from the Ladies Event. It obviously led me to these tickets! Seriously, Rihanna is my new girl-crush. Not only is she sexy, but she’s strong too. I couldn’t help but think about what a d-bag Chris Brown is. Kind of like all the men who entered the ladies event… total tool sheds. (That’s right. Not just a tool, or a tool bag… TOOL SHED).

That’s all for now. And btw, Part III of the Amo + Kmo Wedding Story won’t be posted for awhile. I’m going to wait until we have the rest of the pictures edited and maybe even the video.

My wedding day began waking up next to Lynn Gilmartin cheerily chirping, “Good morning bride,” still with the tired, rasp in her voice. While Andrew and I decided on a few non-traditional aspects to our wedding, we liked the idea of a built up anticipation before the ceremony, hence me sleeping in Lynn’s hotel room (no, this wasn’t a last hoorah hookup, sorry if I may have burst your girl-on-girl daydream).

I smiled at her, feeling calm, but just as the grogginess cleared my head I instantly got out of bed and walked up to the closed curtains. It was the moment of truth. The moment all brides stress about who plan an outdoor wedding. The weather had been rainy all week, but the day before was perfection. I didn’t know what to expect. I took a deep breath, and opened them. I squinted as the sunlight hit my eyes, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I couldn’t have asked for more beautiful weather. It was blue and sunny with just enough cloud cover to make it a comfortable temperature. Thank goodness. I had been stressing about the unpredictable Indiana weather all week. Plan A was an outdoor ceremony next to a gorgeous flowing waterfall followed by a reception beneath the stars at the Fort Wayne Botanical Conservatory. Plan B was a less dreamy ceremony and reception inside. I wanted Plan A, and I wanted it bad!

First up was a lunch with my bridal party which consisted of my two younger sisters- Lindsey and Olivia, my two best friends from college- Nicole and Shannon, my best friend from High School-Maggie, and of course, Lynn. I am willing to bet I had the most gorgeous bridal party of all time! So, of course I know how beautiful they all are, but I guess it didn’t hit me until someone genuinely asked me if they were all supermodels… I think implying that maybe I had hired them!

We had a lovely lunch (and one dirty martini that went straight to my head), and I wish shipped off to get my hair done. Afterwards, we all met at the Botanical Conservatory. There was a room reserved for all of us girls to get ready together. I hung up my dress, removed the garment bag, and my heart sunk. It was wrinkly. Andrew’s sister, Tiffany, (who threw my bridal shower and single-handedly put my anxiety at ease by taking care of so many loose ends) had already gotten my dress steamed,

but somehow, in two car rides it was creased everywhere. We tried to steam it with an iron Lynn brought from her bunk hotel room, but it ended up just dripping water on the dress. Meh, minor set back. Nothing we could do about it.

We all continued to get ready, and without my realizing it, my bridesmaids were distracting me from the window… distracting me from the looming, grey clouds that were ready to burst with raindrops at any moment. I curled my sister’s hair, put her make up on, and then hastily started whipping colors onto my face. Then, all of a sudden, it hit me. I’m getting ready for my wedding! MY WEDDING! Holy balls, I’m getting ready for my WEDDING! I should take my time… haha.

As soon as I was ready to step into my wedding dress, my bridesmaids couldn’t hide the weather any longer. It was officially raining. I opened the door that lead to a private courtyard outside and reached my hand out. Well, it wasn’t cold rain. My maid of honor, Nicole, looked at me, smiled sympathetically and said, “It’s your call. If you want to do this outside, we will stand in the rain with you.” I chocked up a little, considered the options, and said, “EF, it. Let’s do it in the rain.”

At five minutes to start time, Lynn and Nicole were still working together to lace me up, but for some reason, they couldn’t figure it out. (Insert blonde joke ☺) Finally, just as the bow was to be tied, Nicole uttered, “Oh, my god,” under her breath and screamed, “I just got blood on your dress!” Somehow, Lynn scratched her with a nail. I started laughing, and I told her not to worry about it! It was my honest first reaction. Her eyes welled up and she ran to the bathroom. I yelled, “Stop crying woman! It’s no big deal.” I was just thinking, the dress is just a dress. Yes, an expensive dress, but not worth me getting mad over and making one of the most important people in my life feel bad. After a bunch of a commotion, it ended up wiping off just fine. Who knew wedding dresses were blood proof?

About 15 minutes late, we finally walked outside and into the garden. We hid behind a wooden shed with just enough of a roof to keep our faces from getting wet. This is the point where I started regretting our decision to write our own vows. I was so scared I would forget them that I just repeated them over and over in my head. It seemed like ages that we were waiting for the cue. Then, I heard it. Canon in D began to play.

Ever since I was a kid, I loved the song. As I grew older, and I began to picture myself getting married, I knew thatI wanted to walk down the isle to that song. It was just so beautiful. That’s about as far as I got in my wedding fantasizing, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t a romantic…

I used to fall asleep listening to “Easy Love Songs” with Delilah every night. I knew lyrics to every heart wrenching, sappy love song that was popular in the 90s. I’d lie in bed, and picture my perfect man. He was tall, handsome, and he adored me. He was going to be like the love songs. He was going to love me, treat me like a princess, and even cherish my imperfections. (I actually remember writing in my diary that I hoped I’d find someone who would like my gross boy legs with scabs, shin guard tan lines, and circle birthmark).

He’d understand me without speaking, he’d comfort me with just his arms, and he’d miss me when he closed his eyes. He’d be someone that I’d love without fear. I had found that person, and he was waiting for me at the end of the isle…

One by one, my bridesmaids kissed me, and filed out from underneath the shed and into the rain. Once my maid of honor was gone, I took a deep breath, and began my walk as well. I met my dad, and my stepdad to walk me down the isle, a decision I am so happy I made. I looked up, and saw Andrew. As I inched closer, I felt the world fall away, and it was just us. I’ll never forget his face, and the way he looked at me. Whatever strength I had left in me to hold back tears was demolished when I saw him cry. At the end of the isle, I hugged both my dads as they prepared to give me away, but lost in the moment, I had to remind Andrew to come take me from them. He laughed, and took my hand.

The ceremony began, and our good friend Shawn Green began speaking. To be honest, I can’t remember the first few things he said because I was so overwhelmed. I just stared at Andrew as we smiled at each other, saying everything we needed to in our faces which, which were romantically covered in water droplets. I remember laughing a bit when Andrew’s grandfather came up to hold an umbrella for us. Eventually, I got my wits about me, and began listening to his words on love, friendship, and marriage. He was funny, honest, and completely encapsulated everything we wanted in a ceremony. We also had Andrew’s mother speak, who of course, captivated everyone with her heartfelt advice to a successful marriage.

When it was time to exchange vows, I tried not to think of forgetting them, but rather, to just remember all the promises I wanted to make to him. I figured if I could do that, somehow the words would come out of my mouth. He went first, and was soincredibly cute. I knew he’d be a bit nervous, but I could feel every word he said. I hope he felt the same when I recited mine as well. It’s funny, I was so nervous about forgetting my vows, but I can easily recall them now, a month later. I thought about posting them in this blog, but I think I’ll save that for the 1-year Anniversary blog…

We exchanged rings, and KISSED! Weeeeee

“Ladies and gentleman, may I present to you, for the first time, Kristy and Andrew Moreno!”

We walked down the isle together, hand-in-hand, dragging my wedding dress through the puddles. We saw the faces of everyone who was there, and truly happy to have witnessed the happiest day of our lives. It was perfect, rain and all.

… to be continued – Part II (The Afterparty)

And here are some more wedding pictures taken during the ceremony and just after… (Will Thomas and Tennille Olsen, you are amazing!)

The rings

Final touches

Our godchildren, Vu and Thy

Andrew's Mom

High fives!

To be honest, most of it is a big blur, but it’s a good thing I had a camera!

First up, Lynn comes a week early… and this is what ensues. Pure chaos.

At some point, we meet up with Sarah Grant and hit up the $1-$2 tables at Oshea’s. I’m pretty sure we took this after some dude at the table tried to explain to US what a string bet was. He thought it was cute that we didn’t understand the rules when he was CLEARLY wrong.

Right after, the three of his hit up a $30 nightly tournament at Bill’s Gambling Hall… and I win? And proposed to Sarah?

Then, the real bachelorette party began… This was Thursday. One of my bridesmaids, Shannon, came early. It started with drinks at the poker table at Aria (Lynn and a I semi-crushed poker, and Shannon crushed the free drinks). Then, we continued to Tao for free dinner/drinks (it pays to be a local lady).

When we came home, the house was packed with Andrew’s friends as well, including our favorite Swedes! Friday morning, Andrew told us girls that he had a surprise for us… He booked us a room at Aria for the night. When we got there though, we found out it wasn’t just a room, it was a gigantic suite. It was so big it had a conference room in it! Plus a living room, bar, and an amazing view… I couldn’t have been happier (or so I thought). This is the video my friend Timeka took. She catches me hugging Andrew, thanking him for doing this for us.

After Andrew left to join his bachelors, Lynn, Shannon and I headed to the pool. We decided to check out Liquid which is basically like a club/pool. We walked in sober, totally unprepared for this type of place. All the girls were wearing full faces of makeup, heels, and bathing suits that were were so fancy, they were definitely not intended to get wet. There was no where to sit or laydown, so we just ordered a drink and aimlessly walked around. Just as we were about to leave, a dude told us we could hang out at an extra day bed they had. We were skeptical at first, but thanked him and laid down on the bed next to theirs. We slowly sipped our drinks, and enjoyed the scene. The guys who let us use their bed were 100% not creepy. They were totally friendly and actually, the guy who invited us over was the bachelor in a bachelor party. As the drinks kicked in, we were having a full blown amazing time. As we were laying down, soaking up the sun, drink in hand, I actually looked over to Lynn at one point and “Really? This is our life?” She laughed and acknowledged her own personal motto: Life’s good. Then… suddenly we heard the Rocky Song and the shrieking of whistles… The guy ordered a bottle of Cristal on his friend’s tab who was passed out. Ouch, that’s gonna be expensive. Then we made Shannon do the worm for not knowing what Cristal was.

We left the pool and went back up to the room. That’s when Andrew’s sister and her friend arrived. It was time for Thunder from Down Under!!! We met up with a bunch of my Las Vegas girlfriends and prepared for some Aussie booty… These pics were taken pre-show (looking fresh).

We sat down and waited for the show to begin. I was obviously already pretty intoxicated at this point. Just a quick tidbit to showcase how amazing Lynn is… So, all week I told her NO TIARAS, NO FEATHER BOAS, NO PENiS STRAWS etc.. well, in my drunken state, I looked around the room at Thunder From Down Under, and saw a million other bachelorette parties and all the brides had Tiaras.

I looked at Lynn and like a diva and I screamed, “Where’s my Tiara!”

“You said you didn’t want one! Our tickets came with one for you but I told them you didn’t want it!”

“I want one now!”

“AHH! Ok, I’ll make it happen.”

Boom. ship it. I got a tiara! Ahh I love Lynn. Unfortunately though, a few jello shots in, and I was dunfer. I literally passed out during the show… This is me after.

We got in a cab and went back to Aria. I told everyone that I just needed to nap, and I would rally. Sure enough, we got out of the cab and I was ready to go. We walked straight into Haze. We were dancing, and having a great time, and I let my mind wander to Nicole, my maid of honor. She’s been my best friend since freshman year of college. We had been through so much together (multiple heart breaks, college exams, cancer, parental issues, moving apart… growing into adults) I was devastated that she couldn’t come. I tried to push her out of my mind and continue having a great time. She wasn’t there, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Suddenly, I had the urge to check my cell phone. I had just missed a call from Andrew. He texted me saying “Please call me ASAP.” I walked out of the club where it was quiet enough to carry a conversation. He told me he had to talk to me, and that he was outside the club. I walked out, spotted him, and SAW NICOLE! I BURST into tears and just squeezed her. I was in shock. I looked at Andrew in disbelief. He said that he, Tony, Donnie, and Garry rallied together to bring her. I couldn’t believe it! Now, everything was perfect. Andrew didn’t let me linger too long, and he pushed us back inside the club to have fun.

To Donnie, Garry, Tony, and Andrew… I will FOREVER be grateful for what you guys did. I’m so lucky to have such amazing friends. It was so incredibly kind and I cannot thank you enough.

The weekend continued as soon as we woke up. We went back to Liquid, ate sushi, took a nap, rallied again, and went back to Tao… Yikes.  This night was a total shit show and most of the pics are completely unexceptable to show the public.

Tidbits from this night…

**Shannon couldn’t make it out (She was partied out)
**I gave in and wore a feather boa (Thanks Alex)
**We partied at a $5K minimum table for free because it was vacant (again, it pays to be a girl)
**Jamie Fox showed up and performed unexpectedly
**Then night ended with Lynn and I WWF-style wrestling in middle of the Venetian (security was called)
**Our cab drivers hated us

The next day, my body was wrecked. I had been partying day/night for three sleeps. I swore off drinking forever… until the Swedes said, “One more night?”

The thing about Andrew and I is that we have almost ALL of the same friends. Most of my closest friends are the guys who were at Andrew’s bachelor party, so when they wanted me to go out Sunday night, I had to at least consider it. We all had dinner together, and the boys went to XS. Lynn and I went home and watched a couple episodes of Gossip Girl. I was so ready to just go to bed, but I started getting texts from the boys. “Are you coming? Please come!”

I threw my hair up, slapped some make up on, slipped on some heels, and went out the door.

I was SO happy I went… Unfortunately though, I tried a little to hard to catch up. My body must have been pissed at me. Andrew and I left to… umm… well, Ahem, engage in some adult activity (no, we didn’t wait until marriage). We got home though, and it wasn’t pretty. I tried to laid down, but just as I did, my mouth started to water. NOOO!!! I got up and ran to the bathroom, and didn’t quite make it to the toilet. There was red puke EVERYWHERE (cranberry vodka/PF changs)…

“Ughhhhhh, Andrew. I’m so sorry!”

“OMG, Kristy, this is sooo gross!!! What did you EAAAAT???”

“idk… (mumble)… I’m sorryyy. So sorry babe.”

“It’s everywhere!! I’m literally mopping the ceiling! How did projectile so faaaar?? Ewwww Kris!”

“I didn’t know I drizzank soo much baaabe.”

“You’re gross!”

“Andrewwww don’t be mean, I’m sorry!”

“Kris, I’m sorry! I love you. And you were so sexy I couldn’t wait to get you home but now I’m mopping the wall and it’s naaaasty!! But I love you. Are you ok?”

Whoops. Still, the weekend was the best time of my life… until the wedding of course. That will be Part II of this blog that I will hopefully post next week.

One last thing though. I want to say that Lynn Gilmartin is absolutely amazing. She organized the entire weekend, handled every roadblock, hooked us up with every deal in town, held my nerves together, and couldn’t have been a better friend to me. I’m SO LUCKY to have youuu, LYNN! I frickin love you man.

Wow, writing this blog makes me want to go out…

<3Kris

EXAMPLE:
Male—“I’m liftin’100 lb dumbbells 9 times son, no spot. Getting pool ready! I’m in beast mode!”

Female—“I been workin’ out and my ass is lookin hot! Imma rage and drink at least five martinis girl. I’m in beast mode.”

This “beast mode” talk has been an inside joke between me and a few of my friends. It’s sort of a half serious, half joking bit that allows us to all let our inner d-bag out. Hahaha, come on, you know you have a little bit of “The Situation” inside of you.

As many of you know, Donnie Peters (PN Lead Blogger) and I had a $500 prop bet on completing Insanity. For those of you guys who don’t know, Insanity is a 60-day workout program that is exactly as hard as it sounds. The first week, I could barely walk, and I seriously wondered WTF I was thinking. There were lots of times that I regretted making the bet (like when I was sweating my balls off at 4 a.m. after working all day, or when I had to pass up martinis on many occasions because I still hadn’t done my workout for the day), but in the end, it was worth it. A few people on FaceBook wanted to see pics which is a little embarrassing, but whatever, I try not to hold back on my Blog, so here it is! Ahhh, don’t laugh!! I cut out my face because I looked crazy and had no make up on. Also, I apologize for the nasty sweat marks in the middle pic (Insanity makes you DROWN in sweat). The left pic is before starting Insanity, the middle is from the halfway point, and the right one is from today.

I don’t have crazy results like the before and after pics on the infomercials, but I’m so much stronger. I was in OK shape before I started. I don’t think many people can recognize there’s a difference, but I see and feel it BIG TIME. At first I was frustrated because I just kept gaining weight during the first month, but by the second month, I leaned out a little. I got back to my starting weight, but with way more muscle. I play soccer every Monday (that I’m actually in town), and Andrew says I now beast-mode steam-roll all the moms on the other team… hehe whoops. Also, there are fit tests every two weeks, and I crushed my numbers every time.  Now, I’m basically in beast mode all the time!

My Examples (based on true events):

“Babe, can you open this jar of pickles for me? Wait a minute, I CAN OPEN MYSELF! Booooom. Beast mode.”

“Ugh, I hate opening the door to Subway because it’s so heavy… WHOA! I swung it open so hard and easily I almost broke it! Dizzaaam! Beast mode.”

“I’m gonna dance in the club all night long and toot it and boot it on the back of a couch so easily cuz I been doin them squats! Well hello there Young Gangsta.”

Yikes…  WTF? Who am I? Idk, guess I was just beasting.

Moving on! The picture I used at the top of this blog update is one that I photoshopped of my friend Garry Gates (click here to watch Garry in classic beast mode). He’s been on a major health kick, eating healthy (except for Saturdays – watch out) and working with a personal trainer. Just FYI, he’s so far from being a d-bag but is loving the results physically and mentally from making health a priority. Also, I must give credit where credit is due… the term “beast mode” was coined by Tony Moreno after a major confidence-boosting workout (edit: while listening to this song)

So what I’m trying to say is that staying in shape and eating even somewhat healthily can make a huge difference in your confidence. Obviously, it goes without saying that too much “love for yourself” can become d-baggy like I mentioned before, but there’s nothing wrong with feeling good about your new-found abs. Just don’t do this…

That’s Shaun T’s twitter picture. He’s the guy who created Insanity. REALLY Shaun T? Pouring water on yourself? Hahaha. It’s funny, I love the workout, and I do love how Shaun T yells at you to “dig deeper” but I find P90X’s Tony Horton much more likable. Look, you can tell by their comparing twitter pics.

Much less douchy IMO. Anyway, I highly recommend Insanity. It’s perfect for people who are on the road a lot because you can do it in a hotel room. It feels so good to have completed a goal. It was so hard, but what’s great about it is that there’s really no thinking involved. There’s a schedule, a DVD, and a dude who tells you what to do. And, if you listen, you’ll be in the best shape of your life. I must be addicted because I’ve already started round 2 and plan to integrate some P90x into my schedule too. I love me some AB RIPPER!!

Until next time, I’ll be in BEAST MODE!

<3Kris

P.S. Know who’s always in beast mode? Charlie Sheen… (btw, after posting this, I’m officially over him and never mentioning him or #winning again.)

P.P.S. Don’t forget to like my Snaptress FaceBook page

I’m laying in my hotel room, the Millennium Biltmore to be exact. I just arrived today to cover the Big Event as it’s being called now. I’ve been fighting a cold for the past few days, so I decided to stay in on this lovely Friday night in Los Angeles… pause for cliche EMO statement… OK, so I’ve had some time to reflect.

Don't laugh at my face! Haha I know you want to!

It’s been four years since I did my very first interview for Card Player TV. The first one took place at I the 2007 NBC National Heads Up Championship. I was working as an intern and decided to head down to Caesars to just to watch. When I got there, I was stunned. There were cameras on wheels, spotlights, and make up artists, just like a real TV show! And… SHANA HIATT was there! Now, this was before I had a million irrational complexes, so when I saw her, I walked straight up to her and introduced myself. I told her that I loved her on the WPT, and that she was a role model and inspiration. She was incredibly gracious and as humble as a one-piece swimsuit (which she would never wear because she’s so hot). She took a quick pic with me, and wished me good luck. Feeling my confidence instantly boosted, I said hi to LIzzy and instantly jumped at the opportunity when she asked me if I wanted to do an interview.

Then, one year later, I was at the NBC National Heads Up Championship covering it for Card Player TV, all by myself. This time though, I was better at my job but was at an all time low for confidence. I wrote all about that night in another blog about anxiety.

With another two years in the books, marked by the craziness that is this yearly made-for-tv heads up event, I can’t help but think about how things have changed. Four years ago, did I ever think I’d be in Brazil at a Carnival rehearsal at a Samba school? NO! But I was, and I had the time of my life! (sorry, slight pause for a video I made with my new Mac!)

I’ve consistently had experiences after which I say to myself, “Nothing can top that.” How lucky am I? And in two and a half months, when I get married, I’m sure I’ll say the same thing.

Why then, do I seem to always get a bit restless when I reminisce? When I think about how amazing and lucky my life is, I ultimately end on the same open-ended, unanswerable, and daunting question which is, “What’s next?” Sometimes, I really do believe in myself. I really think that I can do anything. Other times, I feel like a frickin idiot (Napolean Voice) for thinking myself capable of such outlandish accomplishments. Will I ever be a Shana Hiatt? Not likely. I just don’t fit the mold. Will I ever be a best selling author? Well, I gotta be confident and motivated enough to write my book first! Then I gotta not suck. Sheesh, sounds too hard to even try. Will I ever pwn in poker? Hmm… it’s possible with the people who are willing to help me.

Is wrong to never be quite satisfied with your current place in the race of life? Or is that a prescription for a lifetime of a glass being just short of full? Or is possible that no one is ever completely content, and my restlessness is really just a good healthy motivator for improvement and success?

I’m not sure of any of it, but what I do know, is that I am loving life but want to continue growing— now when I put it like that, it sounds AWESOME!

There is so much I want to write about still including poker, wedding stuff, Brazil, and random thoughts, but the Sominex is kicking in. I’m going to concede to it’s magical powers.

Goodnight everyone, and I frickin love you guys,
Kristy

P.S. Oh and if you had time, please watch this video of my friend Gary Gates. This is the best way to go all in!