PoolSynergy - What's in the Case?

First, before I get started, I want to thank Samm Diep for the invitation to contribute to PoolSynergy. I’ve enjoyed reading the collective blog’s over the past 9 months or so, as it’s a wealth of information. It’s also very appropriate that Samm is hosting this month's topic, “What’s in the case”, as this is a bit that she’s been doing for InsidePOOL video for sometime now. You can see the rest of the "What's in the case" blog’s from PoolSynergy here:

Samm's Pool Tip Jar - PoolSynergy: What's in the Case?

When I saw Samm’s recent post on the Pool Tip Jar regarding opening up PoolSynergy to other bloggers and what they have in their cases, I was actually a little disappointed. Not in the subject matter, because it’s something that is very much of interest to me. But I was disappointed that I was going to have a hard time participating. For those of you who do not know, I’m a Soldier in the U.S. Army, and currently deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. It goes without being said that my pool and billiards equipment is not here in country with me, so going through my case and explaining the reasoning behind everything is a little difficult.

For someone who is not OCD.

Fortunately I am a little OCD, (or a lot, depending on the circumstance. Keep the skittles away from me please.) I actually believe that each person who has gotten hooked on this wonderful game is at least a little OCD in their own way. With that being said, I do know what I have in my case. And I mean everything that I have in my case and everything that is hanging off of it as well.


The Case


So first things first, have to talk about the case first. I carry a 3X6 Vintage Line Jim Murnak case. It’s black on top and bottom, fading to a medium brown leather in the middle. The lettering up top, “Dagz” refers to my online handle that I use on the discussion forums, “Dagwoodz”. All of the metal work on it is silver instead of the normal brass.






There are a few things that I absolutely love about this case, and the way it’s designed.
- The back pack straps make carrying this case in a crowded venue extremely convenient.
- The pocket layout which Mr. Murnak uses in his vintage line cases is quite remarkable. There is a side pouch for a jump cue butt, another side pouch for papers and whatnot, the two main pockets which have an amazing amount of room, the middle pocket for various nick-knacks, and the top pouch for chalk and joint protectors.
- The leather used is very durable, and the stitch work is very sturdy.
- The interior uses Kydex tubing to protect your cues and shafts. This is the same material which is used to create gun holsters.

I keep a towel hanging off of my case because I’ve got notoriously sweaty hands. Of course, it's a Masters towel, because when I'm back in the states, I live in Augusta, GA...the home of The Masters PGA tournament.

The Cues

I shoot with a Barry Cameron Custom Cue. I’ve been shooting with Barry’s cues for about 10 years now, and love the way they play. This particular cue is one I had made for my previous deployment to Afghanistan. Veneers aside, all the wood is natural colors, no stain. There really isn’t any specific meaning to anything in the cue, but it’s a design that I worked very closely with Barry on and I LOVE the way it came out. The forearm is made of curly Hawaiian Koa, with Ebony points with ivory spears centered. The veneers are blue, yellow, and green. In the butt sleeve, are four ovals of Curly Hawaiian Koa cut into ebony. Centered in each oval is an ivory diamond. Everything white is Ivory as well. It uses a 3/8 10 pin for the joint, weighs in at 19.45 lbs., and has matching ring work to the veneers. Along with this I have three shafts, one which belonged to a previous cue of his I owned, so the ring work does not match this cue. The two shafts which came with this cue have straight taper, ivory ferules with Kamui Black (S) tips, 13.125mm. I tried out the Medium Kamui Blacks, and found that they were just a little too hard for my liking. My playing shaft is different from others, in that it is a curly maple shaft. It provides a unique hit, especially when combined with the ivory ferule and joint.








Right now I’m not carrying a break cue, as I just break with my playing cue. But I do have a jump cue. It’s a cored Purple Heart handle, phenolic tip break cue by Woodworth Q’s. It is ultra light and can get the cue ball up in a hurry. I’ve been able to perform the 2mm jump with this cue. (Granted, it took many, many attempts)



Ok, now to check out what I carry in the contents of my case's pockets.

Top pocket:



I carry my chalk in here. It’s pre-flag masters chalk. When my supply of this runs out, I will possibly try the Blue Diamond chalk, but we’ll see. I’ll most likely try and find some more pre-flag Master chalk.


I also keep my tip tools in this pocket. I carry both the normal Willard tip tool, (nickel radius), and the Ultimate Tip Tool. If I ever need to shape a phenolic tip, that’s what I have the normal Willard tip tool for. The Ultimate Tip Tool gets used for everything else.




Middle Pocket:


I tend to keep this pocket relatively empty, as this is where my cell phone, iPod, or various other items might get stowed during play. Some of the things that do get kept in here however, are two bottles of Cue Silk and some Goody’s Orange powder packs. I’ll explain the Cue Silk later on. As far as the Goody’s, it’s the absolute nuts for headaches.




Main Pockets:

Ok, these get pretty full. In them I have:

One Pro Justa Bridge












A World Cup Measle Ball













Nick’s Edge burnishing papers













Super glue and usually 5-6 folded paper towels.

Sorry, not going to get a picture for the last two .

The bridge and cue ball is pretty self explanatory. The Nick’s Edge burnishing papers however, I’ve found are ideal when cleaning the shaft of your cue. I’ll take you through a quick cleaning.

Using three paper towels, I’ll wet one of them with water. Not so that it is dripping, but completely wet. I will go and first take some of the higher grit content burnishing papers out and start going over the shaft. (White, blue, green, yellow; roughest to finest). After I’ve addressed any problem areas on the shaft, (small dings etc…), I take the first wet towel and start wiping the shaft down. Then take one of the dry towels and dry the shaft off. Once again, I’ll go over with a medium grit burnishing paper, then fine. Once again, clean the shaft with the wet towel, then dry. Once this has taken place twice, and the shaft has dried off, I will seal the shaft with the Cue Silk. In the third paper towel, drop 3-5 drops, (until a penny sized puddle is formed), and begin coating the shaft. Take a good minute or two to ensure that there is equal coverage along the entirety of the shaft.

DO NOT GET THE CUE SILK ON YOUR TIP!!

After I have finished with the shaft, I will carefully clean off the ferule with the wet towel, making sure that I do not touch the shaft wood. Then, using either water or a little saliva, wet the outside of your tip. Using the smooth side of one of the burnishing papers wrapped in multiple layers of paper towels or clothing, wrap around the tip, pinch, and rapidly twist the shaft until it becomes hot to the touch. When you take it off, it should be a nicely burnished tip. Re-scuff your tip lightly, and your shaft will be ready to go!

In the side pockets, I keep a couple of things. Of course, in the pocket designed for the jump cue butt, I keep my Woodworth Jump Cue. In the other however, I keep three things:

- 60 grit emery cloth for emergency tip maintenance









- a bottle of Advil for body aches, (and hangover prevention)












- The notes and drills which were given to me by Charlie “Hillbilly” Bryant. It’s an invaluable tool to fall back on for me when things just don’t feel right. But I’m not going to divulge what he taught me just yet.


And that’s what I carry around when I go to the pool hall. Nothing too crazy. I hope that you enjoyed the tour through my cue case. Until next time…

The Dreaded Return (3 of 3)

I was debating finishing out the Vegas portion of the trip on the last section of the blog, but decided against it as it was already fairly lengthy. The next portion I really should have a separate blog entry for, but instead, I’ll just make a monstrosity of a blog post and let everyone sort it out. Happy reading!

So after returning from the Aria buffet four hours after we had started, (it was good conversation and good times), I decided that an early night was on the books for the night.

Now, in the other blog post, I had said that I left a $20 bill for the cleaning lady on the first day of our stay. Well, apparently when I was down playing poker, the cleaning lady came in. Now mind you, Matt wasn’t feeling all that well and was still in the room. I guess she saw the $20 and really went overboard, even going so far as to ask Matt if he needed anything ironed…!!! All I wanted though was to make sure that we never had to worry about running out of clean towels. With that being said, it kind of backfired on us, as we were getting knocks 2-3 times a day from the cleaning lady wondering if we needed more towels. This last morning, I really didn’t want to get woken up…but forgot to flip the little sign that says “do not disturb”…F M L. So, of course, come 8am….

“Knock, Knock…”
Me: “WTF...Oh s***!”
(Door handle jiggling)
(me running full steam in neigh but my boxer shorts for the door)
(Matt passed out on the couch)
I get to the door right as it begins opening. And just due to timing, scare the ever living hell out of the cleaning lady cause all she see’s is a half naked man standing in what was previously an empty doorway.
I apologized, and explained that we were checking out that day and wouldn’t need any turndown service.

*shrug* There goes sleeping in….

So, by this time Matt had gotten up and we started milling around. I had a serious hankering for eggs benedict. I hadn’t had it in ages, and it just sounded….GOOD. Of course, we weren’t going to go searching for a place to go have breakfast. Just order room service.
Then I saw the menu….more specifically the prices.

F*** it.

So after calling down and spending entirely too much on breakfast, this is what I had for my last meal in the Bellagio:



I had to take advantage of the steam shower / Jacuzzi one more time. So after soaking in the steam for a while, we went out and waited for Shannon to pick us up and bring us to “the compound”.

THE FATBOY COMPOUND

Now, as I said above, this could have its own blog post. But I’m going to include it in here.

For those of you who are not a part of the AZBilliards discussion forums, or very heavily involved in the pool and billiards industry in America, you probably do not know who Eric “Fatboy” Petersen is. In laymans terms, he’s a pool fanatic who happens to have made a large, very large, sum of money in business. And he enjoys sharing what he has with others who share his passion for the game. One of those things that he enjoys sharing most is the property that he owns in Las Vegas. It’s situated about 5 miles off the strip, and is a little over 11 acres of land. Pictures cannot do this place justice. I’ve been to the Breakers in Newport, RI. I’ve been to Hurst Mansion south of Big Sur, CA. I’ve been to the Winchester House in the San Jose area of CA. And they can’t hold a flame to this estate. Eric’s girlfriend Kelly was kind enough to give us a tour of the place. It took over an hour to give us a very abbreviated tour. Yeah, that’s what happens when you have over 70,000 sq. ft. of living area. (I didn’t believe it either until I saw it with my own eyes) I’ll just let the pictures do the talking…

Not going to take up a huge space posting individual pictures. Needless to say, I was blown away. What impressed me even more was Eric and Kelly. Just like Sunny and Mark the night before, Eric and Kelly were a breath of fresh air. Eric is genuinely interested in everybody who comes by his place. He loves sharing what he knows he is fortunate enough to have with others. And he has a very strong passion for the game of pool, something I can entirely relate to. I fully plan on going back and visiting with Eric and Kelly another time.

While we were there, Shannon and Eric matched up against two other players who happened to be there in a partners 1-pocket match. We all enjoyed watching the banter back and forth, and watching Shannon, who hasn’t really shot too terribly much in the past few years, make some pretty sick shots. He really is an incredible shooter, and I’m fortunate to count him among one of my best friends.

So, after hanging out with Eric and Kelly, it was time for Matt and I to head on out and get to the airport. So we stopped back at the Bellagio to grab our bags, then ran right on over to catch the first of many flights….three to be exact…to get to CT. (oh yeah, there was a train ride in there too)

Las Vegas to Ft. Lauderdale

Now, the last time we were in an airport to catch a flight was in Atlanta, and I tore the ass out of my brand new Wal-Mart shorts. Definitely a highlight of the trip….just not for me. Well, there was some excitement this time around at the security point as well.

So, Matt and I go to get in line and we get greeted by a USTA security agent with:

“Welcome to the Las Vegas Security Checkpoint! I hope you enjoy your experience!”

Ok, weird…so we get through the line and put our stuff in the bins to go through…I get through without the dreaded beep.

Matt tries, and Matt beeps. And beeps again. And beeps again…this happened five times. Finally they figure out that he has a pack of gum in his pocket and the foil is setting it off. So he sets the offending gum in the little cup and walks through, and it beeps again, just a little longer than before…..

Security guards in unison in a very happy sing-song voice: “RANDOM!”

Yep…Matt was chosen for the random security screening. And the security guards there were just a little too giddy and happy that it happened. For some reason, the joke was on Matt at that point. Well, it went pretty quickly, and we made it on to our gate for a flight on Spirit Airlines.

Ok, for those of you who have never flown on Spirit Air…well, count yourselves lucky. No leg room, seats that are falling apart, and they try and charge for CARRY ON baggage. WTF? Anyways, we get on the plane and of course there are a lot of the younger crowd on the plane. I happen to sit next to a young guy. I’m watching everyone get on, keeping an eye on the kids, hoping that one isn’t next to us. Well, of course, right in front of us, sits a 2 year old.

*sigh*

Yeah…great. So I continue to watch the passengers get on and I see this one chick who was attractive in that “I’m looking for attention” sort of way. So, to make conversation with the guy next to me, I say:

Me: “Oh wow, she looks like she’s a dirty girl”

Neighbor: “Who? Her?”

Me: “ Yeah…”

Neighbor: “She is. She’s a friend of mine”

Me: “Oh shit…wtf…”

Neighbor: “Don’t worry, she’s knows she is.”

We both laugh it off, and the flight, aside from an additional neighbor who was “kid-a-phobic” complaining about the kid in front of us, went by quickly, if not uncomfortably. (no leg space = no sleep) Everything was going smooth…until we landed. Now, I firmly believe that you need to be courteous to the flight attendants. While not at the gates, they are the eyes and ears of the captain, and as such, have a very large say in how comfortable/enjoyable the flight will be for you.

Apparently, one of the younger crowd did not share this sentiment. We had just touched down and were taxiing to the gate. We still had a minute or two before the plane stopped when he got up from the rear of the plane, (before the “it’s safe to unfasten your seatbelts “bing” and light went off) and started walking towards the front.

The head flight attendant asked him to return to his seat.

He kept walking.

She told him in a much sterner voice that he must return to his seat.

He kept walking…and waved back at her.

She gave him one last warning.

He physically turns around, and while walking backwards, waves acknowledgement of her statement.

Flight Attendant: “Ok sir. You got it.”

That’s when I knew he was f***ed. We finally arrived at the gate, the doors were opened, and we filed out of the aircraft. When I arrived to the terminal, I saw our intrepid twenty-something pulled off to the side by airport security, being cuffed. I’m sure there was some sort of “full scope security screening” done when he was taken to the back.

We made it to our next flight and into Atlanta without any problems. Thank god.

Now, at this point we’d been traveling for about 12 hours. We still had a 2-3 hour flight to NYC, then another 3 hour train ride into Mystic, CT. Ok…time to just get it over with.

So the next flight thankfully was on Delta airlines….and we were able to stretch our legs out a little. And no kids either. Land in NYC without a hitch, and catch a ride over to Penn Station for our train.

Which wasn’t leaving for four hours.

*sigh*

At least there were some food places in Penn Station….specifically a pizza joint.

So we finally board the train and head to CT.
(I have to say that I really enjoyed the train ride. Very comfortable seating, much leg room, and very smooth. I will definitely be doing that again.)

BACK HOME!

For those of you who don’t know, I’m originally from Connecticut. Southeast Connecticut to be precise. And, in my opinion, there may be more picturesque areas of the country, (Yosemite, Big Sur, Grand Canyon, Smokey Mountains, etc…), this is the most diversely beautiful area in the country. Especially during the summer months. If you ever get the chance, it’s an area that you should visit.

Anyways…so we get there, and get up to the lake.



This is where we pretty much stayed for the next week. Occasionally we left to check out Foxwoods Casino and the Mohegan Sun.

So, in case you were wondering, yes, Mystic, CT is the same place that is referred to in the movie Mystic Pizza. And yes…Mystic Pizza really does exist.



Now, I have to say that my father is without question my best friend, and he enjoys the occasional game of pool himself. So of course we went out one night and hit the bar to shoot some pool. And wouldn’t you know it…my father showed me and Matt up. He made a few shots that just dropped our jaws. Shots that a very strong player would have difficulty executing. Matt and I were beside ourselves…and Dad couldn’t stop gloating. It was great.

The next morning, Matt and I headed up to Foxwoods to play in a poker tournament. I didn’t do so hot, but Matt ended up winning the thing. Excellent!

The following night, one of my best friends, Meghan, came to join Matt and I at the Lake. I haven’t seen her in a while, so it was good. The same night another friend came down to visit from where he was working up near Boston….Eric “Easy-E” Charlton. We met up at Foxwoods to have a good night of beer and gambling. Of course, it’s never straight forward with Easy-E. So, Matt, myself and Eric decided to wear some offensive shirts. I’m trying to keep this post PG-13 at least, so I’m not going to get into what the shirts said…but they definitely drew a crowd and plenty of attention.

So we ate some Chinese food, drank some beer, played some blackjack, (walked away winner!) We eventually stumbled back to the valet port (where I used to work prior to joining the Army) and retrieved my truck and headed back to crash at the lake.

But we didn’t go crash…we floated some beer first.

For those of you who don’t know what floating beer is…take your favorite beer beverage. Add yourself. And some sort of floatation device…in this case floating pool chairs. Mix and enjoy…and don’t spill the beer.

Yep. 1am. Pitch black. And we’re on the water. Drinking more. In nice warm water that’s warmer than the air was….can’t get any better than that.

After about an hour and 2 six packs later…we decided it was time to pack it in. The next morning was time to go play poker at the Mohegan Sun.

Easy-E was not done with the show…because this is what showed up for poker that morning.



One word to describe it….EPIC.

My father was going to play in this too, so we make it to the poker room and register. And wouldn’t you know it…but I bombed out of this one too. As did Matt. And Eric.

But my father…he won it. Well, he chopped it with 5 players left. But when they chopped, he had more than 1/3 the chips on the table. His choice….I wouldn’t have.

I ended up playing in the 2-5 game there and walked away with a little bit more than I started with. SO I was happy. Matt ended up winning a little bit on the blackjack table. Eric…the Vagitarian…well…not so much. But he had a good time. Eric had to get back to Boston in order to finish a paper for school and get to work the next day, but it was good seeing him again. Another person I’ve met through pool who is just great people.

That night, we had a nice little dinner with my parents, sister, Matt , Megh and me. The Maine course you ask?


I love lobster…especially when it’s done cooking…cause you can eat it.



NOM NOM NOM NOM

Yeah…all was right with the world. I had more lobster in my tummy. I had beer. I had family. I had friends. I was at the lake. Couldn’t ask for anything more.

Matt had to leave the next day, and I brough Meghan back to her place, unfortunately didn’t get a chance to meet her new beau…but that will come eventually.

The rest of the stay went nice and smoothly, and got to see the rest of the family. We had a nice picnic at the lake, until the sun went down and everyone started heading home.


Every time I go home it reminds me how blessed I am to have the family I do.

But as all good things do, this part of my trip had to come to an end. So that Sunday morning, I had to catch a train back to NYC. Before I left I got to see what had become of my father’s gardens and his Dahlia’s, which he grows as a hobby. Here are a few pictures…






And then it was off to the train station for a teary good-bye. It’s never easy for me leaving Connecticut and the family. I can’t imagine what it is like for them. Here’s me and my father right before the train arrived.



Surprisingly, the train ride and the flight back were pretty un-eventful. I got back to Atlanta, and just got a hotel room there. Wasn’t going to go anywhere as I had to be back in town in two days. I did stop at WalMart to grab a few toiletries that I was going to need back in Afghanistan. While I was there, I encountered an old foe…



Decided to go play some pool though at Mr. Cues II that Tuesday. And, just like last time, found out they were having a tournament. Except this time, it was a handicapped 9 ball tournament.

I made it all the way to the finals…and after all that, figured I’d just take the split. We had started at 8 and it was 1:30am. I was tired. So the opportunity to get out of there with more cash than I went in with was a blessing. Before I got back to the hotel though, I had to get one thing…one thing was missing from this trip. And that would be an early morning feast at the Awful Waffle.



I will say that it was good…very good.





So back to the Airport the next day. And another flight. This time…it was back to hell…the dreaded return.





I hope you enjoyed the recap of my R&R vacation. It was an experience I'll never forget. Next week I will be doing an article for Pool Synergy.



I look forward to contributing to their collective mind...until then, as always, take care, and comments always welcome!

The Dreaded Return (2 of 3)

Ok, so last post left off with me and a fresh set of jeans after I lost the back of my drawers at the security checkpoint. We boarded the plane and hoped, beyond hope, that it wasn’t full. No dice. Fully booked. But, it was only a short flight to Vegas, (3+ hours isn’t too bad after an 8 hour marathon trip).

We landed and headed on to the baggage claim terminal. I grabbed my luggage pretty quickly, then Marge, then Shannon….but Matt had yet to find his. So after 20 minutes of waiting, and checking various bags which looked like his, we were about to head to the lost baggage area when Matt looks at one of the bags that had been there since we arrived.

Viola

It’s his.

He forgot it was “two tone” and not straight black like he thought it was….oops. So off to the car rental center where Marge and Shannon had rented a vehicle for the week plus they would be there. The reservation was confirmed and we headed over to the garage to pick the car up. That’s when it happened. Shannon tried looking for a deal. Now understand, they had gotten the “Compact” size. After finding a decent vehicle, we watched as Shannon started perusing the other vehicle lines asking the attendant if these were available, or these…without luck. Marge was about to pull her hair out. Matt and myself were just laughing at it all.

So FINALLY, we pile in the Nissan Versa, (yeah, tiny), and head on to the strip. On the way there, we stopped at a convenience store for some energy drinks, a small water for Marge, and a lighter for SD. We walked out with the energy drinks, a Monster Chai Hai (see below image), a HUGE water for Marge, and no lighter….which we had to wait an additional 5 minutes for Shannon to run back inside to get. Again…Matt and I were laughing as Marge was cussing Shannon out under her breath.

BTW, I had no idea that Monster Energy Drinks had released this, but if you like spiced chai, you’ll probably like this. I was skeptical, but it really is good. (not getting paid for this pitch either)



So…Marge and Shannon drop us off at the Bellagio, where our room for the next 4 days is waiting for us. They scoot off to Fatboy’s place a few miles off the strip, (pictures later on). Now, before I get into the hotel room, or anything else, let me tell you….it’s been 10 years since I’ve been to Vegas. Last time I was here, you could tell where one casino ended and the next one began. Yeah, not so much anymore. It’s one big conglomeration of neon, reflective glass, concrete, water fountains of various degrees, and valet jockeys (attendants) running around.

So, this is what we walk into when we get dropped off.

The valet port



The front lobby



Pretty impressive. The lines weren’t too long, so we went ahead and checked in. Only took about 5 minutes. I don’t think they were ready for us, because the suite they were going to put us in wasn’t cleaned yet. (WTF?) But, they did find one ready to go. We get up there to the 19th floor via VIP elevator, (which really wasn’t too VIP. It was in the same damned area as the other elevators. You needed a key to get the thing going was the thing) But it was worth the hassle….

View from the room



Bathroom #1 (the steam shower)



Bathroom #2 (the Jaccuzzi)



So we get settled a bit. And I’m curious to see the poker room, and Bobby’s room in particular where the Big Game is played. So I head on down, and check in at the counter…and there’s open seating at the 2-5 limit tables. Ehh, what the hell. So I get a seat and buy in for $400. About 5 hours later, Matt shoots me a text that his stomach is about ready to eat itself, and Shannon and Marge are on their way to hit the Mirage Buffett. So I get up and cash in for $1125…woohoo. Already winner…I was up a little more than that, but just started going card dead at the end, so it was a good thing that it was time to eat.

So off to the Mirage Buffet!
….which had just closed when we got there.
WTF *sigh*

So, we wandered back towards the entrance and ended up eating at the California Pizza. Not too bad at all, even if it wasn’t real East Coast Pizza. Finished there and decided that with all the traveling, ripped shorts, and closed buffet’s, it was time to call it a day. We headed back to the room, and Shannon and Marge headed back to the Fatboy Compound. (Hereforto referred to as “the compound”)

The next morning, this is what I wake up to….



That’s right, we’re in Vegas….ahhh. So what do I do? Head down to play poker again, before Matt wakes up…and break even after about 3 hours of play. Before I had left, I went and left a $20 for the turndown service, and called for fresh towels and sheets, as well as an extra set.

So, Matt comes down and we decide to hit up the Bellagio Buffet and see what it has to offer. We get in the long line and are waiting...when an employee comes asking for groups of 2 or smaller...we raise our hands. And are promptly taken out of line and given a table.

OH YEAH. Feed. Me. Seymore.

So we get to the serious business of buffet eating. Lamb, roast beef, all kinds of goodness went on the plate. But then...

My world stopped....because I spied the dessert table. And it was good.

So, began the serious business of desserts. Pictures say it better than I....



I wanted to go back for seconds, but knew better. There would be another time. Yes...we would meet again.

After gorging ourselves on the buffet, we decided to venture out and see what was available.

Yeah...we weren't feeling it. So back to the room.

I decided to try the Steam Shower. Now, I know that the desserts downstairs were great and all, but this steam shower sh** is just insane. I want one. I will have one. It's going to happen. And whoever thought to put a jacuzzi in the bathroom right next to it...PURE GENIUS.

So after all was said and done, I felt nice and refreshed, and promptly passed the hell out until Shannon and Marge called for dinner. We were going to....drum roll please....

Bellagio Buffet!

Hahahahahaha....I have you now, dessert bar. (even though I was still full, I did however manage to get regular food down as well...the lamb was great!)

Take 2 on dessert...



So...we fill up. And then it's time to head out to a club, but Marge isn't feeling so hot, so she goes up to the room and crashes. That leaves me, Shannon and Matt. And the Voodoo Lounge at the Rio...oh boy.

Off to the cab stand...and Shannon is convinced that they have the tickets to the clubs. Little does he know that the law has changed and they are now no longer allowed to give those tickets away. But that's ok...

About that cab ride...

So our driver, he was of the, well, older, original Woodstock era type people. Kind of quiet at first. But, Shannon was sitting up front...and he was on a roll. The conversation went somewhere along these lines....

Shannon: We're here from out of town and I was wondering if you could score us some tickets to the Voodoo Lounge?

Cabbie: No, I'm sorry, don't have em...any passes I do have are in there though.

(points to the glove box)

Shannon: These are all stripper flyers...what are we going to do with these?

Cabbie: That's what I have...so where you from?

Shannon: Oh I'm a pastry chef working in Zimbabwe who flew in for a conference at the Wynn and met my friends here from the southeast. (Shannon is a professional pool player and tournament promoter)

Cabbie: Oh that's cool, I've been to Mali and Zambia a couple of times. It's real cool over there.

Shannon: I guess so if you can deal with all the infestationism' there....

Cabbie: Yeah that's pretty bad.

(lull in conversation for about 30 seconds)

Shannon: You know where I can get some *insert illegal substance here*

Cabbie: Oh I don't know about that...

Shannon: Well what about some pot? You look like you smoke some good ganja...

Cabbie: Yeah I do on occasion...

Shannon: Makes you do crazy things...good pot, huh? Like *insert vulgar act of depravity here*

Cabbie: Oh no! Not that, but I did screw a seagull once...

Shannon: A seagull! How the hell did that happen?

Cabbie: I was up on some real strong sh** and was horny. It was there and I gave it what for. When it started flapping it's wings I went cross eyed though...

At this point in the conversation, we had reached our destination and Matt and myself exited rather expeditiously, both laughing hysterically.

Shannon catches up with us and we go upstairs to the VooDoo Lounge...

If you didn't know, it's on the roof of the Rio. The views are pretty spectacular.



So, after a few of these



and some dancing, it was time to head on back. We were all a bit schnockered, so it was straight to bed after SD and Marge headed out.

And the next morning was a firm reminder on why I only drink like that maybe once a year. Thank god for the steam shower. 30 minutes in there, and I felt right as rain, with only a lingering headache.

So that day I was, (originally), to have lunch with Sunny and Mark Griffin of CSI (Cue Sports International). However it got pushed into a dinner arrangement...and we decided to go to the Aria City Center for their dinner buffet. On the menu, for $38 was 1lb. lobster, and all you can eat crab legs.

MMMMM....Lobster....

I have to say that their buffet was at least as good as the Bellagio. Of course, the desserts were a highlight...



What can I say, I've got a sweet tooth...

But it was an absolute pleasure to meet Mark and Sunny. They are both extremely passionate about the pool and billiards world, and just plain good people. It's people like them which make me happy to be involved in pool, and I look forward to the next time our paths cross, hopefully, sooner than later.

I'll cut this short here. In the final part, I'll go over the last day in Vegas at the Compound, an odyssey getting to CT, a nice time back home with family and some monster crustaceans...

The dreaded return (1 of 3)

So I’ve dreaded the behemoth that this post was going to be, since my last entry was back in the April/May timeframe. Truth be told, there really wasn’t anything to write about in the intervening months. Life out here is pretty sedentary and predictable. Take one day, wash it, rinse it, dry it, and use it again. Of course there are little things that I could bitch, gripe about…but that is not what this blog is about, and I seriously doubt everyone here wants to hear about my daily grievances.

Anywho…

When we last left our intrepid hero, he was taking us through the process of making white wine clam sauce…..huh? Let’s spice this up just a little...I did just get back a couple weeks ago from my mid tour leave, so I do happen to have things to talk about……………and pictures to share.

“A vacation is like love - anticipated with pleasure, experienced with discomfort, and remembered with nostalgia.” -- Author Unknown

The Prelude:

So it was that at the end of July, I was getting to go home for a couple of weeks for some R&R. (Rest and Relaxation). Getting out of the country was not too bad…it only took 2 days just to get to Kuwait. Of course, while in Kuwait, we were treated to the wonderful goodness that is McDonald’s, KFC, Subway, and Pizza Hut. Great, it’s as if they were telling us:

“Here you go G.I., get fat before you see the family!”

I had liberal amounts of the goodness. Thrice. Never pass up the opportunity for a good meal. EVER. It’s one of the Soldiers’ mantras. (though I’m sure OMGWTF will totally agree with that assessment)


In all actuality, we were not in Kuwait all that long. Maybe a total of 24 hours before we were loaded on a DC-7 and flown into Leipzig, GER. (get to mark another country off the list! YES!) While there, I took the opportunity to buy some German Bon Bon’s. Berry and Citrus flavors respectively. I have yet to finish them. Not that they aren’t delicious…rather, they are to be savored. That and I’m trying to lay off the sweets since I’m back. You’ll see why later on…

So after Leipzig, GER, we take a LONG flight into Atlanta, GA. Back home. Only 2 hours from Augusta, where this whole journey started. So I go get my bags, go through customs, rent a car (this process took 3 hours mind you), and get on the road. I get back to Augusta and make a quick stop by my old company to say hello and let them know how the deployment is going. I run by the Clothing Sales store to see about getting a new dress uniform, but they’re out of my size. (damned my wide shoulders) From there, it’s all about relaxing for a couple of days.

While I was lounging around, I happened to catch a movie that people had been talking about quite a bit, Inception. I knew nothing about the movie, aside from people were raving about it. So I go by my lonesome….and came out smiling from ear to ear. Incredible. I’m not going to get into anything about the movie. If you have not seen it, and do not know anything about it, I will say this:

SEE THIS MOVIE. DO NOT READ ABOUT IT BEFORE HAND. JUST SEE IT.




I liked it so much, I went back the next day and saw it again. And it was even better the second time around. Even if it does have Leonardo Dicaprio in it. (Hey, I liked him in Gangs of New York…well, not his character, but Daniel Day Lewis was awesome as the Butcher!)

So on the fourth, I started the ride to my friend Matt’s place in Auburn, AL, which took me back through Atlanta. I was going to hit rush hour traffic, so I stopped in at Mr. Cues II, one of the largest pool rooms in the south. Now, when I got into country, I had my cell phone turned back on. Being an iPhone, there was a particular application that was intriguing me…the break speed application. It is able to, by means of the sound of the cue stick hitting the cue ball, and the cue ball hitting the rack, determine how fast your cue ball was moving. So I go ahead and download the application, grab a house cue off the wall, and give it a test run. I found that I was consistently hitting in the 24.5 mph range when I was hitting it mildly hard but controlled. When I sped it up, I would lose some control of whitey, but was able with a 20 oz. house cue, to get up to speeds of 29 mph. I’d love to see what I could accomplish with a lighter cue and a phenolic tip. Heck…just a lighter cue.

Very pleased with myself, I began to turn the table in, when I saw that they were running an in-house handicapped 1-pocket tournament. It was only 7pm and rush hour was still kicking, and Matt wanted some time to get some stuff done before I got into town. It worked out. So I go and pony up the 20 bucks to play. Single elimination, race to 3. Don’t know who I drew, but he had to spot me the first break and 8-7. He won the first game, I won the second, then he made a couple of real good moves to get out of some traps in games 3 I won game 4, then he won game 5 to win the set on the hill. *sigh* oh well. I did however, in the case game, make a shot that surprised him…and put me on the hill on balls. Unfortunately, I made a critical error in the following set of moves by scratching. It didn’t take long for him to capitalize. Meh…I hadn’t shot pool in a long while. So…back on the road. By the way, we don’t really bring too much in the way of civilian attire with us to a combat zone…I raided WalMart in Augusta for the latest fashions….this is what I was wearing in the pool hall:



I love ugly Hawaiian shirts. :D

So I get to Matt’s place, get settled, get sleep. Get up, and head out…back to Atlanta. (kind of redundant isn’t it? Just wait) Why back to Atlanta? Because I’m getting back on a plane and heading out to where dreams are made, but more often broken.

VEGAS

But before we got to the neon jungle, there was ticketing and airport security to deal with. So, Matt and myself get to the terminal where we waited for a couple of people…two more of my best friends…Shannon and Marge. We go and get our boarding passes, and pay for our luggage, (that still chaps my ass that the airlines are doing that now…what a rip-off). Then head on out to the security point. We waited in line for a bit, and upon getting through security, and consolidating our stuff, I dropped the blue-tooth piece to my phone. Weil, I hadn’t yet put my belt on, and my pants were a bit saggy….of course…the next thing that happens….

RRIIIIPPPPP!



Yeah…tore the entire ass out of my pants. In front of more than a few thousand people standing in line. And no underdrawers. *sigh* Gave everyone a show….oh boy. Hope they enjoyed it. Shannon and Marge were waiting for us about 30 foot away, and when I looked over at Shannon, he was about ready to pass out he was laughing so hard. I couldn’t help but chuckle…and almost entertained the thought of taking a bet that I could get all the way to the Bellagio room and checked in like that…but ended up declining. So, the rest of the journey walking to the gate was spent with my laptop case held over my buttocks to prevent giving people an unwanted surprise. Thankfully, I had a pair of jeans in my carryon bag.

We hadn’t even gotten to Vegas, and I had shown my ass to the world….what a great portent of things to come. Many more pictures and stories to come…2 more parts as well….