The Talker

On Saturday my boyfriend and I went to a local pool room to play in a tourney and low and behold the guy I played back in October and April was there.

And he was barking.

And we said yes.

I have already mentioned I'm kinda in a rut and boy did it show this day!  Ouch.  Not to mention I was hung over and tired, so the combination wasn't a good one at all, lol. 

During the first set I notice a friend of mine watching.  Older gentleman, always nice to me.  Then I noticed he was practicing, so I didn't even think about it anymore.

The guy I'm gambling with is a HUGE talker.  He talks before he shoots; after he shoots; while he shoots; after he misses; when he gets out.  ALL THE TIME.

However, this doesn't bother me. 

I'm actually used to it.

The first time I played him, the guy backing me told me, "he's a talker, he likes to talk, so I'm going to talk to him for you."  So I knew right then and there what he was about.

And it didn't bother me.

Even this third time, he was still a-talkin'.

Didn't bother me.

My boyfriend talked right back to him the entire time, too, and I just played pool (well, tried to through my struggling game).

The first set goes hill-hill, even though I was up 8-6 in a race to 9 for $150.

We start over for $200.

I am down 4-5 and I win 5 in a row to win 9-5!  Saweet!  I was rushing and felt like I was trying to much and once I said that out loud to my boyfriend, I worked on NOT doing those things and it really helped me focus to win the set.

During the next set, he jumps up 3-0 on me.  I'm starting to struggle real badly.

All of a sudden, the older gentlemen slides over from his far away seat (which I didn't know he had come back to watch) and whispers to me "He's trying to get into your head.  Don't listen to him."

What?

No THAT bothered me!

Let's see now.  I go hill-hill the first set.  Win the second set, and now you think his talking is bothering me?

Honestly, YOUR talking is bothering me!

He made me AWARE of my opponents nonsense!  More aware than I had been the whole time, honestly.

I am struggling more and finally get a game.  I'm down 1-5.

And then... yep, he tells me that AGAIN!

I finally retort back, "It doesn't bother me!"

"Oh, okay."

I found it ironic every time he said something to me my boyfriend had gone to the bathroom. shm.

I keep trying my little heart out to come back but I'm still struggling so badly.

The gentlemen tries to tell me one more thing and I just nod my head but didn't hear him.  This time my boyfriend heard and they discussed not to chat with me anymore (thank GOD!).

I admit I was pretty miffed.  I had to vent to my boyfriend about it because it was bothering me so much.  He told me not to worry about it and already took care of it (he could tell I was bothered).  But, to deal with struggling, people pointing out things, being tired, trying to catch up, made it very difficult for me to FOCUS.

I made a small comeback but it wasn't enough and I lost 9-4 or 9-5.  :(

Although it was a good practice session for me, and although breaking even isn't losing, still sucks I broke even when I should have won the first set and the whole day could have been different.

But hey, don't let this talking get to you.