Hello Pete, I'm sorry you sound no happier with your life than I am with mine. Both of our lives have their good aspects, but for both of us there seems to be too much drudgery involved.

It's nice for you that you have some spare cash. However, if I spent as many hours working as you spend on your job and your poker combined, then no doubt I'd have spare cash too.

I'm not that keen on my job and I'd be delighted to stop doing it if I could afford to; but from your description I don't think I'd enjoy playing poker either. And I probably wouldn't even make money at it as you manage to do. If you want to make money at poker, I'm sure it helps to be interested in the game.

As you seem to have enough money for your needs, the obvious solution would seem to be to cut down on your poker playing somewhat and try to find ways of enjoying it more. But these things become addictive and I understand that it's very hard to pursue an addiction in moderation.

I still play Civ from time to time although the game is far too long, grossly unrealistic, and gets very dreary in its later stages. I don't know why computer games are always so long and involve so much tedious micromanagement. It's hard to escape drudgery even when playing games... Sigh.

-- Jonathan