Earbuds Are Broken

So, I went to practice on Wednesday night. Got there about 615pm, noticed how quiet it was, hardly anyone in there, no smokers around me, etc. I put the earbuds of my ipod in my ears and off I went, practicing ten-ball on the 9 foot tables to some great hip hop music!

A few people started to wander in an hour later and the friends who I knew would walk by and I would graciously stop, take one of the earbuds out to say hello, maybe even give a hug, and then get right back to my practice. Then about 730pm, the dreaded drunk walks in. The place is getting fuller and fuller of the young peeps drinking around the pool table, thinking they can play; the regulars that hang out near the bar area; the video game masters of the evening; the two teams playing in their league that night; and the guys who showed up for the 8ball bar table tourney.

But the drunk guy distracts me. He walks straight over to the tall, round table near the 9foot I am playing on, can barely keep his head up and eyes open, as he sits there, smoking his cigarette and stares at me playing by myself.

I ignore him, as others still walk up to say hi every now and then. A friend brought in his dinner and was watching me play across the other table, but he knows when I practice to just say our hellos and let me go back to conditioning my fundamentals.

The drunk... well, he knows no better.

After 30 minutes of watching me, he finally stumbles up to me as I take out a few balls in the pockets nearest him and place them on the felt.

I take out my earbud, as he is obviously standing right next to me trying to say something, but I can't hear him.

"What?"

"Do you work at..." (some place that starts with an L)

"No I don't."

"Oh..." he mumbles.

I put my earbud back in and take a few more balls out and he walks back up to me.

I have to take my ear bud back out, "What?"

"Do you know Sally?"

"No."

I look at him and put my earbud back in and go about my business. He stammers back to his chair.

I shoot a few shots and of course he comes back.

"What?" I say (again!) as I take my earbud out, clearly agitated by now. Everytime he walks up to me, he is saying something, but I can't hear him and I *thought* it was obvious I was busy anyway.

"Have you played in the Texas Open?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Okay. "

He stands there a few seconds, not talking, then adds, "My name is Buddy."

He shows his hand, I shake it and reply,

"Hi, I'm Melinda."

"Oh, okay."

I try to put my earbud back in and he interrupts my action,

"Do you know Little David?"

"Yes."

"Oh, do you know...." (he couldn't remember the other name he was trying to think of)

I just looked at him. Waiting with anticipation (yea, right) and finally gave up on his lack of remembering and put my earbud back in and shot a few more balls.

He walks back up. He is trying to again talk to me when I can't hear him; I take my earbud out again, "what?"

"Do you know the big guy from Austin?"

"I dunno."

I put my earbud back in much quicker this time and try my darnedest to focus back on pool, wondering when he might walk back up and interrupt me.

I need to get rid of these earbuds, they obviously don't work.