Why me?

"In confessions of a winning poker player, Jack King said "Few players recall big pots they have won, strange as it seems, but every player can remember with remarkable accuracy the outstanding tough beats of his career." It seems true to me, cause walking in here, I can hardly remember how I built my bankroll, but I can't stop thinking about the way I lost it."
Mike McDermott (Rounders)

The $1-2 NL game. It's a home game I go to here in town. Always full and always fishy, Without fail. I bought in for $150, and started off playing fairly tight, trying not to get involved in as many hands as I find myself playing when I sit down for $.25-.50 PL. A quick outline of the first 3 hours:

$1-2 NL (Started at: 9:00 PM)
7 handed.

9:30 ($140)- Red cowboys UTG. I make it $8 to go. Folds around to the CO who re-raises to $20. Button cold calls, blinds fold, I jam for $125 more. CO has me covered and calls immediately. He flips over QQ. Flop comes with a Queen, but I spike one of my two outs on the river to double up.

9:45 ($290) - I stay in with 9Ts and flop the nut straight. LAG in EP check-raises me *evil grin*, so I call and let him lead out on the turn. When he leads out with a pot-sized bet, I put him all in.. He calls with top pair. He doesn't catch his miracle cards and I'm up to $500.

11:00 ($450) - Pocket 8's, we get a family pot and the flop is all small rags. I lead out with a pot-sized bet and get called by two people. Turn brings my wonderful 8 and I take down another large pot.

I'd like to insert a note here. This next hand was the last hand of the night for me. It has a lot of significance for me, since it represents the largest pot I've been involved in to date. I'm a little sore that I lost so much money here, but I got it in when I was the favorite and that's what matters.

1:30 ($650) - I have JJ on the button. 2 people in EP fold, everyone else limps to me, I raise it to $10. 2 callers. Flop comes J 4 8. Checked to me, I bet the pot. Both call. Turn is a 4. MP player bets $100 (pot bet), player behind folds, I jam for the additional $500, he calls and flips over pocket 8's.

[J 4 8]
[J 4 8][4]
[J 4 8][4][8]

Yup. He caught a 1 outer to take me down. The only consolation I have was the look on his face for the 2 seconds before his miracle card appeared. That pot ended up being just over $1100.

I have no doubts about the quality of my play, or my skill as a player. Still, this is hard to take... my confidence is shattered. How can skill stack up to luck?

I went home and stared at a wall for three hours.

Feeling: Stunned and depressed