[Rockfish]

You're getting to the core of the matter aren't you?

Do you really want to know? Just between you and me, I have a really cool job that doesn't pay too badly, but twice as much would be nice. If we had more disposable income I would probably have an easier time convincing my wife that we "need" x or y toy. She might buy it, she might not. She would have a definite say in it though.

A little background. My wife leaves my bankroll alone and doesn't even ask about it. She did recently comment though that she is not interested in having yet another set of speakers in the living room (7.1 surround is a little too much for her, go figure).

So despite the fact that money is fungible, what I make at poker is mine, whereas if I were to take home twice as much as I do at work, it would not be mine alone.

Therefore, if I were to turn pro, that would be my income. There would be nothing to replace the poker on the side that I have now that generates income, that I can do sitting in my chair listening to music that I buy with what I win at poker on the stereo I built etc. etc.

Damn, I have a great life. I don't think it would be as good if I were a professional poker player. That's my perspective.

Additionally, there's a whole level of satisfaction I get from coming to work every day and interacting with the people I work with. I actually have the coolest job in the world (I'm a scientist) and I work with some of the smartest people you will ever meet in your life. I don't want to be at work every day, and I don't always enjoy the work, but I think my life would be a little less interesting if all I had to do was get up, fix toast and coffee, and go to the computer.

I'm not trying to convince you of anything. If this is right for you, go for it. You're obviously giving it a great deal of thought and you have a safety net. What the hell? Go for it and let us know how it turns out.

If I were a younger, single man knowing what I know now, I might do things differently than I have. Not if I were given the chance to marry the woman I did again. I would do things exactly the same, but you know what I mean.

I want to wax poetic here about how short life is and how you only get one go-around but you know that. You're in a good spot here because you can give this a try and it won't be a disaster if you decide that it's not right for you.

Your move.