When You Really Need to Smoke....

Visiting a pool room in Louisiana in June, I ventured into the bathroom and saw this little gem:

Is this bathroom really that old that an ashtray is in there still?

I hadn't seen this in years, so of course I had to take a pic of my "find."

Yikes....

Trigger Caught Trigger

I went to Destin, Florida in early June for a short vaca after a work trip and went on my first EVER Charter boat fishing trip!

Had A LOT of fun!

Caught LOTS of snapper!

After the ten of us on the boat caught a lot of snapper and met our limit (each boat as a limit), then we went to another areas to catch additional/more fish.

We all weren't catching as much fish as before (the red snapper were biting constantly and we were catching them EASY!), but every once in a while someone would catch something in this new area.  We threw most back, including one I caught.

I asked the shipmate, "What is that I just caught?"

"A trigger fish," he replied, as he took it off my hook and threw it back in Gulf of Mexico. 

WHAT?  OMG!  I caught a triggerfish!  Trigger caught a trigger!

I didn't snap a pic of it, but here is what the little fella looked like:

Put In The Box

Last week I was out of town for work and my Partner In Crime (PIC) and I went to the local pool room.  The town was very small and so there was only one pool room.

League was just about over and my PIC was able to get a game with one of the league players.  After he won (one set for $200), somehow scotch doubles came up and it was agreed we would do a race to 5 for $200.  But then right before we started, they wanted to raise the bet to $300.

Okay.  We're game.

I was trying to impress my PIC and so I didn't play too well.  What sucked it, coaching was allowed, but I wanted to impress him so instead of asking what I should do, I went for some shots and got him bad shape a few times.  Ooops.

But we still won 5-2. 

After that match, one of the scotch doubles players of the other team came up to my PIC and offered to play me for $160 for a race to 5, again in 9 ball.

I agreed to play and I think I surprised my opponent because I played much much better sparring with him, than when I played scotch doubles.  He didn't know I played decent because it didn't show up in doubles.

I felt pretty good being put in the box and having the faith from my PIC.  He can read players well and even though we didn't know our opponents, he knew it would be a good match up for me.

A few days later I was put in the box again, this time in another state on a nine foot table playing 8 ball. I won the first game for $50 but then lost the next two and was down $50.  My PIC suggested I not play anymore because it was too tough of a game, but it was still cool again to be put in the box. Especially since I hardly ever gamble;  much less gamble strangers.

Playing With Strangers

I think sometimes it's actually better to play pool where no one knows your name. Yes I know that is a reference to the show Cheers, but it's very apropos.

The reason I say that is I have heard lately from several players that when people start complaining about how good you are or have improved a lot, it actually leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

One local player was venting on Facebook about needing a break from pool because everyone was giving him a hard time about all the weight they needed to gamble with him. He was just really frustrated with all the nits and the complainers that he is finding in the pool room of late.

I actually got a lot of complaints when I played at BCA Texas state because some people were upset that I was just an open player.  But I actually don't know why they would get upset at me when I'm not the one who decides my ranking.  It's the national guys who figure out the rankings... so getting upset with me doesn't even make sense.  And like my friend who is hearing a bunch of complaints too, I understand because it is very frustrating and takes away from the fun of the game.

A couple of other friends are very high ranked players and so when they enter tournaments they get slack as well because players complain that they are playing in a state tournament.  Or even when they show up to weekly tournaments, they get slack as soon as they walk in the door.  "Oh, you're playing here tonight.  Really?"

And what's crazy is the good players just want to play pool like everybody else.

So that's why I think it's sometimes a lot better to play around strangers.  Where no one knows your name.  Or you won't get comments, nits around you, and you get to play the game we all love.

Surprises at ACS Texas State

I mentioned already that my singles results was a huge surprise to me.

But there were a few other surprises that trip I wanted to share. 

First, I got sick (a cold/sore throat type thing) at the tourney.  And this is what I found near me after I returned to my chair after shooting in a match:

I have such great friends!  They all know I'm all alone and they treat me like their kids, and I really do need that at times as I don't take care of myself enough.

And then, I was thoroughly surprised when I received a THANK YOU note from a maid!  It might seem weird, but I have left tips at most all the hotels I stay (even for work) and have never, ever received a thank you before.  It really made my day!

(yes, I know she misspelled it, but still!):

And then another surprise was FOR someone.

One of the refs has seen me through triumph and failure for many years. The time I won ACS State, it was about 2am in the morning and there was only about 5 people in the whole place, and that included Shannon.  She has been so cool and nice and a GREAT ref all these years for us.

At one point in the singles match at 9am on Friday, I needed a ref.  I raised my stick in the air and waved it, and then I saw Shannon walking over to call the shot.  For some reason, I decided I would mess with her.

This is the layout of the table:

I am standing near the cueball, and I need to hit the 12 ball clean (click photo to enlarge).  She walks up and she says, "what are you trying to shoot?" as she surveys the table looking near the cueball.

I reply, looking down at the cueball area, too, "I'm trying to hit the 7 ball."

She looks up at me, and I start laughing right away!  She busts out laughing too and I finally confide, "Just the 12 ball."  LOL.

It was a really great moment.  It showed I was in a good mood, it put HER in a good mood, and it started our morning off well since it was so early for us all.

:)

Old Habits Die Hard

It's true, ya know.  Old habits are hard to break. 

I saw this clear as day my last two outings away from the pool room.

I went to a karaoke place with my friends one night of the OB Cues Ladies Tour stop in Oklahoma City.  While all my friends were trying to figure out what to sing, I was too busy focused on two bar tables and wondered if anyone else in the place would want to play for a couple of twenty dollar bills, lol.

A month later, I go to a local bar to watch football with my friend Teri and while she was yelling at the 49ers (her favorite team) I was eyeballing the cute little pool table that some idiots were trying to play pool on, wondering (again to myself) if they would want to play for money.

Here was my view:

However, my boyfriend was the one who always initiated the conversation and got us a game, and since he wasn't around, I didn't approach any of the players at either of those places I just mentioned above. 

Although in one full year my boyfriend and I only gambled about 8 whole times in small bars with lonely pool tables, it was still weird to me how I was already used to wondering if the weekend warriors would want to gamble... and if I could get a game, lol.

I know that urge to gamble like that will pass; I'm not around it anymore.  Still, it was funny to me how fast I was curious about gambling, and wanted to share that with you!

Parking Sign (photo)

While on my September vacation, stopped by this small pool room in a REALLY small town in the Carolina's.  Only about 3 cars were there on this afternoon in the middle of the week, and so we parked in the next open spot in front of the old building that housed the pool room.

And we see this sign on the buidling right in front of our vehicle, lol:

While we didn't play pool this day, we do feel like winners.  :)

Travel Tips (link)

Since many will be traveling soon, or travel a lot, here is a cool link I found with travel tips.

Some are actually new to me!

http://news.distractify.com/dark/trivial-facts/24-travel-tips-that-will-change-your-life-forever/?v=1

And as a reminder for those traveling with your cue, this is how I save from paying an extra baggage fee, by putting my cue and case inside a large suitcase:

Roommate with a Twist

A many of you have guessed, I am going to the BCAPL Nationals in mid to late July.

I was not able to get a really low rate for a room at the Rio, like I normally could in the past.  Even though I am a Total Rewards card member, I could not find a decent room rate there at the Rio (where the tournament is held) and honestly, no where else even on the strip that wouldn't cost me an arm and leg.

I asked a league teammate if she had a roommate, as I would like to find someone who I could split the room cost with.  She said she already had a room, and several roommates.

Dang!

I was going to ask a few more of my girlfriends, but then she called me back.

She asked, "what days I was going to be there?"  I told her just scotch doubles and singles.  She expressed she might be able to help, as two of her roommates weren't coming til the team events.

Really?  Cool!

She had to check with all the ladies not only for their dates of being in Vegas, but also if they were okay with an extra person staying there.

My girlfriend called me back about a week later.... she and said I could stay!

I was SO excited! 

While I haven't stayed with 4 total women in a room in a LONG time, I was willing to do it to save so much money! 

However, there was one little caveat.

One of the roommates told my friend, "I know the room is really your room, but if Melinda beats me in the tournament, I'm kicking her out."

LMFAO!!

I love my friends!  :)

My Journey to the Mosconi Cup!

I have been going to Vegas (my favorite city) every year for 22 years straight.  Sometimes more than once a year!

I have never driven to Vegas, though.  Never really had the time (had to be there at a certain time to play in the BCAPL Nationals) or the trip didn't coincide with being able to take enough time off to play in Vegas AND drive.

Well, this year, for the Mosconi Cup, everything fell into place for me to drive to Vegas for the first time ever!

Usually the Mosconi Cup falls on a weekend, well this year the dates were December 2-5, A Monday through Thursday.  And with Thanksgiving the week before, I already had that date off.  So, the dates and weekends just fell into place for a longer-than-normal trip.

So, my b/f suggested we drive.

Really?

"Sure.  Have you seen the Grand Canyon?"

"Um no," I say with a little sparkle in my eye.

"Well, then we have to drive!  And I'll show you some other cool places, too!"

And the plan was set!  :)

I have to say it was the best road trip ever!  Sure, Vegas was fun and the Mosconi Cup is always a treat, but to drive and see all these cool places I had never been was THE BEST.

Here is my trip in pictures and words:

Day One (Wednesday, Nov 27th):

Drove from Dallas to Amarillo where we ate at the famous steak place, The Big Texan.  Home of the 27 ounce steak.  We were not impressed AT ALL with the steak we tried.  :(  But, I HAD to eat there - it's famous!

Then drove to Albuquerque.

Day Two:

Drove to Lake Powell in Page, Arizona.  OMG that lake is BEAUTIFUL!  And we made a little fire by the lake!

Day Three:

Next day we drove to the Grand Canyon.  when they say you have to see it in person to appreciate it, they ain't lying!  These pics do NOT do it justice.  It was SO cool though because there was snow on the ground, too!

We also made a camp fire there in the campgrounds and even cooked steaks and had a really sweet dinner of beans, steaks and a salad.  Of course, it was in the 20s and we were COLD!  Our steaks had to be reheated b/c they kept cooling off, lol.

Day Four (Saturday, Nov 30th):

Drove to Lake Havasu, Arizona, in Lake Havasu City.

WOW!  It was in the low 70s and we got to walk around easier to see the water, sights, and amazing small city with breathtaking views!

This is also where we played in a little tourney that Sat night. and then later that week heard they looked me up, lol.

Day Five: (Sunday) Drove to Vegas, Baby!

We visited all the pool rooms in Vegas that most everyone frequents:  Pool Sharks, Best Billiards, and the Cue Club.  Mosconi Cup started Monday, so we walked the strip and did a little gambling before settling in.

Days Six- Eight:   Mosconi Cup.

USA didn't fair too well and lost to the Europeans by Day 3 (even tho there is 4 days slated for the tourney) FROWN.  However, it's still an awesome event to witness in person and I dare say a Bucket List item for pool players for sure!

Here are some pics from the event:

Fans getting autographs from the USA players during commercial break, and Jeanette Lee saying hi to Buddy Hall and Nick Varner.

 

 And me, drinking a Mai Tai during my breakfast at the Venetian. Hey, it's Vegas!!

Day Nine:

Drove to Tuscan, Arizona for some pool and spent the night there.

Day Ten:  

Drove to Midland/Odessa, Texas.

Day Eleven (Sunday, December 8):  

Drove back to Dallas/Fort Worth.  HOWEVER - the whole metroplex and 250 miles around it was ICED over.  It took us literally 10 hours to drive from Midland to Fort Worth, normally that would be 5 hours, but we had to drive SUPER slow on all that ice.  Honestly, we shouldn't have drove at all, but it wasn't about to thaw out any time soon so we risked it.  Eeeek!

I know the pictures don't do the trip justice, but I had such a great time seeing the USA like I had never seen it before!

First Time For Everything... Getting the Line

At the small tourney I wrote about before that I went to out of state in late November, even though I signed up as "Melinda," my b/f would say out loud, "Nice shot, Trigger!" after some good shots.  People at the tourney were confused - was my name Melinda or Trigger?  lol.  But I shared that "Trigger" was just my nickname.

Anyway, the guy I played for 3rd said if his wife wasn't sick at home, that he and her would like to play scotch doubles with my boyfriend and I.

Wow, Really?  Bring it!

After how well I played in the tourney, I was surprised he would even offer that, lol, but that told me maybe his wife played well, also.  But, I also knew that we would still win.  lol.  How's that for confidence!?

We had to leave the next morning, so my b/f got their phone #.

My b/f contacted them during the week to coordinate the discussion and all of a sudden they guy tells us he and his wife won't play us after all.

What??

He says, "I was drunk when I said that."

So he counters, "well, then just play my girl some." 

"No, can't do that either."

"Why not?"

"We looked her up.  She plays good!  Trigger/Melinda/From Texas."

I couldn't believe it - my first time someone looked me up to get a line on me!!  LMAO.

Out of State Weekly Tourney

I drove to the Mosoni Cup that was held in Vegas, my first time to EVER drive there, and I have been going to Vegas for 1-3 times a year for about 20 years, lol.  I'll be sharing pics soon of my travel there because I stopped at a lot of cool places I had never seen before.  :)

On one night, my b/f and I went to a local $5 tourney in Arizona.  I wanted to play in it to see how I would do, to test out how I would play in front of strangers.  Normally my heart beats right out of my chest and I think too much in these type of situations.

However, although all eyes were on the out-of-towners, I still played really freaking sporty!  Every guy I played, people would tell me, "he's plays good" and then I would win 2-0, lol.  I was really coming with great banks and shots!

I even impressed myself, lol.

The tourney was on open bar tables at a bowling alley, and the players were really nice!

I ended up playing my b/f in the hotseat.  I broke and ran the first set and was about to win the 2nd, but instead of playing conservative, I got too cocky and wanted to show off a little, and instead of taking a long shot on the 8 ball, I tried to be fancy and move around the table and missed.  He got out and broke and ran the last game to win.  Ugh!  One shot cost me a seat in the finals!

I lost the next match 1-2 and got $21 for third place and $5 for last lady (which they paid me about an hour before, lol).

It was cool to play so well in front of strangers.  Everyone told both of us how well I played.  It was cool.  :)

Dibs

I don't know if others are like this, but thought I'd share my thoughts on travel mates and dibs.

When I travel to tournaments with others, whoever is doing best in the tournament at the end of the first day gets dips for Saturday night decisions.

I normally am very choosey where I go eat, but if they are still in the tourney and I am not, then they get dibs on where to eat.

They also get dibs on if we stay out late or not, or go somewhere other than straight to the hotel room.  They get dibs on if the tv can be left on or not, who gets what bed, who gets to sleep alone (if there are 3 people in the room for example).  You may think these are little things, but imo they are BIG things that can help them do well in the tourney the next day.

I think it's very important to get a good nights rest and have a GREAT night, esp the night before the final day of a tournament.  I want my roommie to have the best chance at doing well, so I want to make sure she has a good night so she feels great for the next day.

I have been with travel mates who are not doing as well as I am going into Sunday and there is nothing worse than being upset the night before the Sunday matches.  They may want to stay out late, or go to another bar, or whatever.

The point is, I want a nice, peaceful, restful night before my Sunday matches.  I don't want roommates coming in late, waking me up, OR keeping me out late if I am dependent on riding with them (for example).  I need sleep and I need to be in a good frame of mind.  If I am upset the night before at my travel mates, that's not a very good mindset to play good pool for the next day.  Makes for unnecessary distraction.  When... I should be focusing on pool.

I have been in this situation a lot in the past, so I am very cognizant of ensuring my travel mates get dibs if they are doing better than I!

If I happen to be doing better, then I will speak up and say nicely I need to get rest or need to get to the room sooner than everyone else.  In these situations, we MUST think of ourselves.  We are there to compete.  We must be prepared.

So, think of your travel mates, too!  Help them be in the best frame of mind to compete.  Be their little corner man!

DIBS!

Private Pool Club in Switzerland

As I mentioned before, I visited Switzerland in Oct, shortly after my Mom passed, to help fellow pool player and friend Crisitna De La Garza move her and her 8-month old son there.

Her boyfriend, professional pool player Marco Tshudi, kept mentioning we would visit "the Pool Club."

I figured it was their pool hall, just called a "Pool Club."

Nope, I was wrong again, lol.

A private pool club is what the name implies:  a place that a certain number of people belong to for a monthly fee.

They are all across the country and they usually have no more than 25 members.  The fee varies, but because the pool rooms are very expensive to play by the hour, many private pool clubs are established for economical reasons.

Everything in Switzerland is expensive - it goes hand in hand with the minimum wage being so high.  Waiters and Waitresses have to study and get degrees, so tips are not the norm because they already get paid a lot to work.  Hence, the price to play pool and eat at a pool room establishment is also expensive.  So, the private clubs save the players a lot of money.

This particular private pool room club, that Marco is a member of and we visited, has their own little kitchen area with a fridge and pantry, a laptop with internet access, and even some cues (if you bring a friend and they don't have a cue to play with).

It had 6 good nine-foot tables with lots of space around them, some couches, a stereo system, and good lightning  Very nice, cozy, comfortable, and simple.  It is housed in an office building with other different types of companies, so it's basically a large room in the office building.  Every member has a key, so you can play there whenever you want, no matter what time of day. But it's not open to the public and it's not advertised. 

They have tournaments on the weekends, so that is pretty cool.

At this club, everyone's picture was on the wall and I was impressed with how many women were a member of the club. 

It's nice not to be bothered by the weekend warriors if you want to get some good practice time in or maybe get/give lessons.  Because members have access 24 hours a day, you get a lot of freedom when you want to play and it's normally not packed all the time.  And of course, the equipment is taken care of, which is another nice treat for those of us who are at the mercy of ball bangers who abuse the equipment at the pool rooms in the U.S.

Here are some pics.  I hope they encapsulate the atmosphere of the "private pool club."  I was impressed by the room, and the idea.

Honor System in Switzerland

As I wrote in my personal blog, I helped my friend and fellow pool player Cristina De La Garza move to Switzerland last October.  Little Marco and her needed a travel companion because of the long flights and layovers, as Cristina gets motion sickness and would be traveling with her 8-month son and a lot of luggage.  Since it wasn't just a "trip" (she was moving from Texas to Switzerland) she had her hands full.  If you wish, you can read about my amazing venture (get your hanky).

While I was in Switzerland, Cristina's fiance', pro player Marco Tshudi, showed us around the city and we ventured to pool rooms (you can view my video tour of the pool room Billiardino) and I also went to a private pool club which I will explain soon.

But what fascinated me most was the culture of Switzerland.

Cristina recently wrote about this in her blog, and it reminded me I had written a similar blog entry about the differences between the U.S. and Switzerland, but had not published it yet.  After you read her well-written thoughts, here are my startling revelations:

Basically, I had NO idea about the culture.  The country, and it's surrounding neighbors, are EXTREMELY very honest people.  Honest to the point that when you visit after growing up in the States, you are alarmed and shocked!

As we drove around one day, Marco pointed to a large strawberry field, where people could just take strawberries and leave however much money they seemed appropriate.

What?

Or, the acre of flowers, people could just pick fresh flowers and then deposit cash in a box - all on the side of the road, unmanned.

What?

I noticed that people would leave out candles on their porches, and maybe flower pots or other personal important things. 

Huh? 

I had my bicycle stolen from the THIRD floor on a BALCONY in Fort Worth, Texas in a GATED apartment complex, and over there people were leaving all sorts of things on their first floor porches - where others could just walk right up and touch/grab/take.  But, people just wouldn't do that in Switzerland.

In this extremely clean city (Zurich), it's very common to take the buss/train to get around the city - and you pay by the honor system.  No one is there to take your money to ride the train.  Or to ensure you paid your money.

Honor System.

Something that is nonexistent in America, IMHO.

Marco then shared something very intriguing to me about pool and honesty.  And now it makes sense, b/c I have seen how true the honor system is in their country.  This is how everyone is raised.  It's their belief system.

So, imagine when Marco came to America for a spell a few years ago and he ran into the U.S. road players.  He was shocked at their demeanor and rudeness.  He even wrote about one of his tournaments in the US and you can read his frustration here in his blog entry from about a year ago.

But it's because of his upbringing and his surroundings that make some of the U.S. players seem very rude.

Marco shared that in Switzerland (and the surrounding countries) that if a person racks and accidentally gives a bad rack, the player feels very embarrassed about it.

Why?  Because of their unwritten honor system, it's not proper to give a bad rack.  So, they genuinely feel bad about it, even if it's an accident.

Then he comes to America and runs into players that deliberately put "the rack" on their opponents.  He is seeing a side of pool he had only heard of.  And because these actions go against the way he was raised, it upsets him.

I can only appreciate, truly, how he felt because I understand now about the honor system over in Europe and how everyone is raised.

If I hadn't any knowledge of just how much honor and honesty is engrained in their culture, I would not begin to understand why a bad rack could be embarrassing, or why a deliberate bad rack would upset him so much.

We (in the U.S.) run into dishonest people all the time.  We see bad racks, sharking, intentional fouls, theft, cheating, etc.  Of course we do.  We live in a society that locks their bicycles up on the third floor\balconies, wont leave anything on their porches, and holds our purses tight against our bodies as we walk in the daylight.

I am still so very impressed about their culture!  It was an eye opener for sure.  Glad I was able to experience it, too!

Executive Airline Clubs Include Billiards

Saw this article a while back and found it most interesting!

Since today I seem to be sharing many media stories related to billiards, I have to include this!

The above pic is from the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, London. Below is another pic from the article, but I'm not sure where this one is located (maybe it's just a mock-up):

Either way, pretty cool to be able to play pool on our layovers!  For the professionals who travel most among us, I bet they would be elated.

Here is the link to the entire article:  Executive Clubs: Which Admirals Clubs Have the Best Perks

All photos copyright of amog.com

Angelina Paglia on CNN

Have you seen this yet?  If not, my beautiful friend (and female pro pool player) is highlighted on national TV!

I so love it when billiards gets mainstream attention, even for a little while.  :)

Angelina Paglia on CNN Road Warriors:

Essentials for Vegas in SuitCase

Haven't really packed yet for Vegas, I mean, not completely.  I leave tomorrow night.... Eeeek!  But the 3 most important things for my trip are now in my suitcase!!

Yoga mat, cue/case, and my bathing suit.  :)

TaxiCab Confessions

One more Vegas story.

Back in 1998-2000 (yes, THAT long ago), I was living in Florida and had left all my Texas friends.  :(  I loved being ten minutes from the beautiful Atlantic Coast, tho.  :)  I lived in Florida for 1 1/2 years for my job, before another promotion moved me back in Texas in 2000.

In 1999, I traveled to the BCAPL Nationals, as I had been my routine for the previous 5 years.  I was very excited to see all of my friends from Texas (and around the U.S.) during that tourney.

As I came down the escalator at the Las Vegas airport for baggage claim carousel number 5, excited about being in my favorite city, I was shocked to see one of my Texas girlfriends standing at the bottom of the escalator to surprise me!  She had taken a cab from the hotel to surprise me and meet me AT the airport!

It was SO very very awesome of her.  :)

We get my bags, stand in the LONG taxi cab line.  It takes over 15 minutes to get through the long line, but it's okay because we get to chat and catch up.  :)  Then finally, it's our turn at the front of the line.

We get into the cab and all of a sudden the taxi cab driver says, "How was your trip from Florida?"

WTH?

I look up and I'm like, how did he know that?

Then my girlfriend starts busting out laughing in disbelief!

This was the SAME taxi cab driver that had dropped her off an hour a go!  She told him on the way to the airport she was surprising a friend who was flying in from Florida, and then we get the SAME guy!

It was AMAZING of all the cabs in the cab-infested city of Las Vegas that we would get the same driver an hour apart!  What are the odds??

Seriously, think about this for a minute:

They guy picks up my friend at The Riviera, drives her to the airport, drops her off.  He then drives to the taxi waiting area, so he can be in line to pick up a a fair FROM the airport.  He waits in the long line (probably over 40 cabs in front of him), finally gets to the taxicab line stand, and of all the people in the line (there were about 60 in front of us), we are paired with the SAME guy who dropped her off about an hour ago!

Amazing!

BCAPL Vegas Preparations

As we all know by now from my blog, BCAPL 8 Ball Championships is one of my most fav tourneys for me.  :)

I literally, just now bought my plane ticket to Vegas!  I had to use AA miles because the prices were outrageous, but I am so excited I have my plane ticket purchased.  OMG, my heart rate is up!

And to top it off.... looking through the Newsletter for the event, I noticed an advertisement for an extra event this year: 9-Ball Open Singles.  They normally have the 9-Ball Challenge (a 9 ball event open to anyone (pros/amateurs/men/women) but this new event, 9-Ball Singles, is for BCAPL Open Level Players only and there is a separate women's division.  I love me some separate women's divisions for my skill level!  :)  I therefore pulled up my "on-hold" airline reservation and moved the date back one day so I could play in this event on Thursday, May 12th.  WOW!  Look at me taking risks!  hehe

I also noticed this advertised in the awesome newsletter:

First, the 14.1 High Run Challenge note on the right - is another new thing this year.  While I doubt I'll win any top prize with my measly runs, you bet I will be watching and learning!  What a great opportunity for me - my first event that has 14.1 Challenge associated with it!  I will be absorbing it all in like a big-ole knowledge-seeking newbie-sponge!

Second - TAR.  It's just not that TAR (theactionreport.com) will be there (I mean, the guys at TAR are awesome and I love helping commentate), but also what excites me is that the matches will be shown IN each Riviera hotel room!  I can't begin to express how cool it was to watch matches on tv from my lazy bed each day in the room for ten days (or more).  I could watch matches before heading down to the pro room to take pics, or watch matches while I was getting ready for my own tourneys.  It was pretty damn cool if you ask me!