Well I last blogged on my birthday and if you are on my Facebook you know already how that went... but if not here is a video of it all on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afHF3spw78M.

It was a real fun time and would love to do it again as I think I would do better then the 5 seconds I lasted this time :)  So not much has been happening on the dart front at all.  I passed on going to London Canada for the PDC as it was a pricey and difficult trip to make...add in my heart was not into it so I stayed home.  I am going to San Fransico next weekend to play... it is always a fun time and I am playing with Scotty Burnett and now PDC Woman's World Champion Stacy Bromberg so it should be a great weekend.

I have really been using this time to enjoy life bu going camping, fishing, learning about horsemanship and horse training...been doing it alot and really enjoy the horses.  I am planning to play more in the fall and will look to go over for the PDC World Championship qualifier but at this time have no intention of doing the Q-School to have a players card for next year.

It's my birthday and I will.... RIDE A LIVE BULL!!!  If you follow me on Facebook you will see video and pictures tonight....

Yes I have been taking time off darts to LIVE life and I am about to go to the next level LOL  Do something that could really hurt LOL.  Am I nevervous?? YES!  I am WAY more excited though.... It is like walking up the stairs from the practice room of the world championships.... your heart starts racing from excitement, it starts racing with thoughts of what is to come, your mind races to what could happen... Then there you are !!!! Waiting for the RFed Light to come on the camera and all that is left is excitement!!!  I know that sitting in the chute waiting for it to open will be scary!!!!  But living life means you DO things that scare you to expand who you are as a person.  I have never been called a dull person nor one to back away from anything.  As it has been said "It is fear that lets you know you are alive, if it is facing your fears that lets you LIVED!!"

I have a few shoots coming up as I started to practice again... Heading to San Fransico and Corpus Christi in the start of September ( if the bull lets me).  Still have elbow issues but that's life....Stay tuned for the results of my Birthday Celebration!!!!  LIVE LIFE MY FRIENDS!!!!  LIVE LIFE!

Well I have no need to tell you how Vegas rolled out for me!!! I will say the worst draws I had ever had would be fair? Umm ya !! I did lose a bad match to Peter Wright the first day of real competition missing 3 chances with 2 darts each time to break in a 6-5 loss... then I played James Wade 6-4 followed by 3 time World Championion qualifier Nick Fulweld(spelling?)  Not the draws I wanted after a 8 day drinking vacation in Cancun Mexico.  Some ask why I would go Mexico then but the truth is we booked the trip long before they released the dates of Las Vegas....

Since then I have moved.... worked a ton and been giving much thought to what I want to do?  The PDC as basically shut off North American shooters to the tour next year.  I am ranked high enough to kepp my card if I go over a few times but the price of airfare is so high?  How do I justify???

I just passed on a free entry to the USA 501 Nationals as it would still cost me $300 after what they gave me... and even with that? Not worth going in America.  What the people just don't get that the way America plays darts??  IT DOESN'T WORK!!!

Well I made it back from Cancun Mexico last night.  Was not sure I would as we left late from Cancun and I barely made my connection in Houston.  I literally got on as they were closing the door but my bags did not make it :(

The trip itself was simply AMAZING!!  From the people I went with to the people I met in Cancun, it was the best thing I have ever done for myself.  Up to this point always said Gibraltar was my favorite place that I had visited but it is now Cancun for so many different reasons.  I did the whole inclusive hotel part but also ventured into the real Cancun a bit on three different occasions which is a completely different experience.  I have been learning Spanish for the last few months so I was able to get by but I also made a wonderful friend that became my own tutor and showed me a bit of the place.  The nightlife there was crazy but the best place I went to was COCO BONGO a MUST if you ever go to Cancun.  It was like all the vegas shows rolled into one with free booze (well cost 50 to get it but worth every dime) in fact I went twice it was so good with the second show being a bit different then the day before.

I went with Chris White's family, Robert Heckman's family, Joe Custer and his special friend Nina ;)  We had a blast and everyday we were saying "this is the real paradise"

Well once again I am sitting in a airport about to fly off to a foreign land after nonly being home for 3 days.... but this time it is for me :)  I am actually head to Cancun Mexico to take my first non-dart break away from work and life...God knows I need it right now but the only down side is when I get home I literally have to pack my bag and leave to Las Vegas for the PDC.  The upside to this vacation is I am going with some of my best friends who are also dart players, Chris White and Rob Heckman.  We planned this trip months and months ago before the PDC set the dates for Vegas so there will be some great daily practice with Ocean Views from my suite :)

I was out in Houston Texas last weekend for the Houston Open, a event that I really have enjoyed over the years and one of the few events I still go play in the States.

Well it was just over a week ago I returned to competitive play at the Scottsdale Wild West...been busy so sorry fro the delay on the updates but if you follow me on Facebook you already know how it went ;)

I had the National Qualifier on the Friday and started off a bit soft but really got rolling going 14-1 with having 11 darts in the loss at the out :( so it was not a bad start to the day.  The disappontment came in the final round where I seemed to struggle a bit on finishing which I had been so very strong with on the day. (I think it may have came from a too kind of bartender to be honest) So on to Saturday where I was playing with Chris White in the 501 Doubles.  We were rolling along quite nicely but then were dismissed after some lax finishing on our part... it happens sometimes.  I did feel I was getting stronger and stronger with each game I played though so was not overaly upset.  In the cricket singles I really started to come around and started hitting everything I aimed at it seemed up until the semi (I think) where I was so far ahead I began to just shoot fat numbers for closes and either bounced out darts or had them deflect off the board and ended up losing the game.  Again I was not upset at all as I was really starting to get confident for the Sunday which was 501 singles.

Well I do not have a ton of time as I am about to head out the door to warm-up for the National 501 Qualifier for my area but a few words never hurts...most times.  I do not get to play in many National Qualifiers being a PDC member but this one I do and you win a trip across the Nation to play in the Finals.  The last time I played the nationals 2 years ago I lost out in the semi's to the eventual easy winner...I missed 14 match winning darts over 3 legs so I would like to go back and redeem myself :).

What this weekend does mark though is the active return to darts.  My elbow seems to be responding to treatment nicely and have been practicing almost daily now for two weeks.  I have also been doing something a bit different for me and that is playing againist someone in practice and not practicing alone.  The matches for the most part are not ones that push you but it gave me some experience hitting shots when I needed to.  I am not really sure what to expect as only having two weeks in after months and months off can lead to some up and down play.  The one thing I have noticed that my focus is steadily improving and overall very pleased with my finishing.  If those two things line up for me today I should win easily.. but we all know darts is far from easy.

Well off to warm-up... here's hoping for a good day.  It is a round robin format which can be a bit tough for me to hold focus but I need to games if nothing else.

Well as you have read (if you read any other blogs) I have been fighting tennis elbow for months and got extrememly bad after playing tons of darts in Vegas for the NDA soft tip finals.  It was caused by me playing 4-6 hrs of tennis on my days off  and ignoring the early signs of trouble.  I have done none of my normal racquet sports now for 3 weeks in attempt to get it under control and awoke today with it feeling a bit better.  I have been icing, compression, stretching, heating, anti-innflams and even looking at accupunture to help it along... and when I say I awoke to it being better?  In realistic terms, it went from a being a 10 pain level down to a 8 but I am plain running out of time to get ready for a return to the PDC level of darts so I went out to throw with a local player this afternoon.

I packed up my ice bags in a little cooler, iced it on the way to the place we were meeting and hoped to be able to get through a hour at least.  I have been throwing for about 30 mins the last few days before it tightens up and lets me know its time to quit then on comes the ice....but like I said I HAVE TO start ramping it up.

Well I can not delay serious treatment any longer... the elbow is a serious concern now.  It has been bothering me for months but I was always able to do everything in moderation.  Ever since I played all those hours in Las Vegas two weeks ago it is trashed and not getting better, in fact, it is so bad I awake to throbbing pain.  I can only throw for a bout 10 mins before it says enough.  The sad part is it doesn't really stop me from throwing but the pain I have is like a tooth ache while doing it followed by a lot of pain after.  I have not been able to play any sports at all for a few weeks trying to let it rest but it is time to go to Physical therapy for aggressive treatment to knock down the inflammation so I can be ready for Las Vegas.  I am strarting to throw a bit and just ice a bunch after as Vegas is only 7 weeks away and I NEED to play well.  Who we kidding I need to perform at my best which means I need to squeeze a few shoots in before that.

I had hoped to go to England this month but just can't justify it with my elbow so I will be looking to the fall to hopefully secure a players card after the summer swing through North America.

Well the NDA Finals was held up in sunny Las Vegas last week.... 8 long days of darts.  I had not been throwing much at all going in and really the results ended up being what I could expect.  I had some really great games and a few not so good games LOL but the worse part is with everyday that past my elbow got sorer and sorer.  It is not a excuse for a mediocre performance as it did not impact my throw just made it miserable.

I went to this event a few years back for the first time and played all 8 days and said I would not do it again as it is seriously DRAGGED out way too long at the top level.  I get that there is a lot of lower rated player teams and they need more days but CONDENSE the "Masters" down to two days!!  Well for a few years I would go to just play the first weekend which is Singles and doubles but last year I played all the events and walked out saying not again.  Well I did it again this year and now I REALLY mean NOT AGAIN.