Friday, September 24, 2010

I'll take those pants, please.

As with anyone else who has spent significant amounts of time in a pool room, I have seen and heard some hilarious things…been part of some really fun stories…and have witnessed a couple things that I wouldn’t believe if I hadn’t seen them.

Every now and then, I’d like to share a story from my past here on my blog. This is the first of those stories.

Like 99.9% of all female players of a certain skill level…I have been challenged to play by guys of all persuasions. Rich guys, poor guys, old guys, young guys, scumbags, gentlemen, executive types, military boys, pros, ball-bangers, cocky guys, nice guys, girls that I thought were guys…the list goes on and on.

The ones I have the most fun with are the guys who really have no clue about the pool world…but who think that they play really, really well.

I have a friend…let’s call her Jane. Jane was dating an older man…we will call him Bob. One night…Jane calls me up and asks me to go to dinner with her and Bob. When she picked me up…she informed me that Bob’s two nephews would also be joining us for dinner...and that they would meet us at the restaurant. She also clued me in that Bob’s nephews were 17 and 19…and that the 19 year old thought he was a pretty big hotshot on a pool table. I had basically been invited to dinner to teach 19-year old Nephew a lesson on the felt after dinner…if I was up to it.

During dinner, Bob kept grilling his nephews about their hobbies…what they liked to do. Finally, 19-yr old Nephew says that he loves to play pool…and he is better than anyone where he lives. The door has been opened…and Bob steps right through. He tells his nephews that there is a pool room close to his home…and says that we should all go play after dinner. 19-yr old Nephew accepts the challenge very cockily. Bob says that we can play some doubles…and that he will even take a girl for his partner…either Jane or me. Bob also tells his nephew that he will bet $100 against his nephew’s pants. Nephew wins…he gets $50. Uncle Bob wins…and nephew has to drop trouser right then and there. Now 19-yr old Nephew is quite excited…because he believes that he is going to whoop his uncle’s ass on the pool table.

So…after dinner, Jane and I drive to the pool room…which just happens to be my home room. I called the manager on the drive…and asked him to tell the staff to pretend they don’t know me, but to have Table 1 for us when we get there…and to have my cue and a copy of a recent Billiard’s Digest magazine (with a feature article about me) ready to go when I asked for it.

When we got to the pool room…Bob asked to rent a table and of course, the manager gave him Table 1. 19-yr old Nephew racked up a game of 8-ball and told his uncle that he would spot us the break. Bob broke, missed a ball, and then let 17-yr old Nephew shoot. He made a ball or two, then missed. It was my turn…and I got up and shot a ball left-handed. It was my plan to look awkward and totally random at the pool table…but I managed to leave 19-yr old Nephew without a good shot. He misses and it’s Bob’s turn again. Bob misses and now it’s back to 17-yr old nephew…who also misses. Now that it was back to me…Uncle Bob caught my eye and said, “Go ahead. Do it.” So…the manager brought out my cue, I switched from left-handed to right-handed…and promptly ran the table out. Both Nephews stood there dumb-founded…jaws on the floor…until I looked at 19-yr old Nephew and said, “I’ll take those pants please.” Everyone burst out laughing…and he started to undo his belt buckle. Of course, we let him off the hook…there was no way we actually wanted him to walk around in his skivvies for the rest of the night. Once the manager showed him the article about me and told him I was a pro…Nephew was definitely humbled and appreciative of the prank we had played on him.

It was a fun night…and a story that my friends Jane and Bob love to tell to this day.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Ready or Not...Here I Come San Diego

Of course...the "ready or not" refers to me...not San Diego. As the first WPBA tournament of the year rapidly approaches...I find myself completely unprepared as a player. See...I am on the Board of Directors for the WPBA...as well as being a player...and 2010 has started a little roughly for the organization. So...instead of focusing on practicing my game...I have been a busy little bee helping to make sure that this event runs smoothly for everyone else. (I also had to put together the RTC in February...and I am also working to try and start a So Cal Regional Tour...in my "spare time".)

Is it fair that I have placed the organization's welfare above my own for the time being? Depends on who you ask, I guess. My friends and family would tell me that I am working too hard...am too stressed...and that I need to quit trying to juggle so many balls. Other players have counseled that I need to try and forget my responsibilities before and during a tournament...because they don't want my pool career to suffer. I've had very wise people advise me that...at some point...I have to make sure that I am happy....and if not having time to play is making me unhappy, then I need to make changes in my life.

On the other hand...I have players who thank me for the hard work I do for the WPBA. The other Board members and various WPBA staffers (or former staffers) also tell me how important the work that I am doing is...and how difficult it would be if they didn't have access to the knowledge I have accumulated over the years. So...when I take those things into consideration...I don't regret most of the choices I have made. Yet...LOL.

So...back to San Diego and the first event of the year. I suppose I will do what I did all last year....get back to work to make sure the tournament runs smoothly....and try to cram some practice in this weekend in hopes that I can get my stroke going and my groove on.

Wish me luck...I may need it.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

3 Cheers for Bar Trivia!!!

So I am a trivia buff. Most of my friends know that...because they are also trivia buffs. Self-proclaimed geeks, nerds, know-it-alls. We enjoy playing games involving trivia...constantly trying to one-up one another...or teaming together to show off our collective knowledge of little known facts. Which is why we were so thrilled to find King Trivia at a local Chuy's one night after a softball game. Let's just say it gave our inner geeks a place to be truly free...where having the right answer isn't dorky...but will instead win us acclaim and prizes!

Week in and week out...my team would consistently finish top 3 in the trivia contests...often taking home the top prize....a $20 gift certificate Chuy's. We saved those gift certificates for several months...and eventually amassed almost $300 worth...at which point we had a big party when our softball team won our division that season.

But I digress. The point of the story is that I finally have use for these random facts that float around inside my brain. Things like...
  • What WD40 stands for...and how it was invented in the first place
  • What popular actress started modeling at 16, and landed her first movie role in a comedy at the age of 21
  • What a somnambulist is
I have always loved being a closet geek/nerd/dork/dweeb/etc. I read a magazine called Mental Floss. I take IQ tests for the fun of it. I play a daily online Trivial Pursuit game. And now...with bar trivia...I can finally make a little $$ from all of it!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Restlessness

I've been restless lately...wanting to explore new things, get stuff done, achieve something special or meaningful. Don't get me wrong...I live a good life. I have a good job, I'm a professional pool player, my home life is happy. But I've begun to realize that I could do so much and be so much more...and the resulting feeling is restlessness...the desire to DO...not just BE.

I'm starting a regional tour here is So Cal. This is my first serious effort at giving back to the sport that has given me so much. There is plenty of talent here...and I want to give these players the same opportunity I had to realize their pool dreams. It's hard work...but I know it will be worth it once I'm done.

I've also started a Bucket List...and the first item on the list is to create the list...LOL. It's harder than you think. Try coming up with 100 things to do before you die. I've only come up with 49...which means I've either done a lot of things that I've wanted to in life...or I'm a serious underachiever. Unfortunately...I have a feeling it is the latter...but I'm going to keep working on it. I was telling J-Bar about my list the other day...and she wanted to hear some of the list. Here are a few of the more unusual items...

  • Get dressed up in traditional geisha attire and make-up.
  • Go to a black church in the deep south and sing gospel with them.
  • Voice a cartoon character.
  • Be a DJ for a day.

More about my Bucket List once it is finished.

This blog itself is a direct result of my restlessness. After reading J-Bar's and Liz Ford's blogs...I was inspired to my thoughts to the page.

That's it for now. No need to exert myself on the first day ;)