Happy Halloween

Five little halloween balls sitting on the table,
The one ball said,
"Oh my, i'm feeling a little unstable"
The two ball said,
"But we don't care."
The three ball said,
"I see the player making the cue ball flying in the air."
The four ball said,
"Let's roll, and roll, and roll."
The five ball said,
"Ut oh, our destiny is to the holes."
Then miscue went the stick,
and knocked out all the lights,
And five little halloween balls rolled out of sight!

Trick or Treat. Trick or Trick Shots?

I love gadgets - things that are unique and even more impressive, that some genius thought of creating something to make our lives easier or just plain fun.

Here is a cool little rack that teaches you how to do trick shots. If you saw "The Huster", which came out in 1961, Paul Newman made this cool little shot in the movie. With this rack, you just rack the balls, aim your cue ball smack down the middle and the 6 balls will travel to their respective pockets - one in each hole. Once you get it down, who needs the rack! But until you do, rack your balls in this rack and then enjoy the magic.

If you want one, they are about 15 bucks and you can order it from a website called Things You Never Knew Existed.

The best lunch I've had in a long time.

Today was such a great day - one of those days where everything goes right, and if anything did go not as you planned, it turns out better than you could of imagined.

My closest friend said, "Let's do lunch". I hadn't seen her in over a month - She offered to stop by my work and pick me up so we'd ride together and be able to catch up on a month worth of living in 1.5 hours. Funny, it's easy to do. Everytime we see each other, we are non stop chatter boxes.

We agreed to go to our normal dining establishment, a Chinese buffet off of Burnet. They have great food, superior service with a smile (although the wait staff speaks little english, they make you feel at home). The manager always remembers us, which is something I've always treasured. He smiled and said, "You both haven't been here in awhile." All I could do is agree and make it an effort to stop by more often. Lunch was great, company was great, and the fact that the manager took time out of his day to let us know that he enjoyed having us there was great. That's 3 greats in less than an hour. We caught up on the past month during lunch and on the way back to work.

Take the time today to show a friend how much they have impacted and made your life just that much better. You don't have to even tell them - just your actions and they will know. I want to list the things that without her advice and friendship, I'd be in a different place. She knows I love change and new challenges and she's supported me 110% no matter what - noone will prolly understand this, but her. Yep, she will laugh.

1. Thanks for showing me what a real smile could look like. It took 2 years, but the metal worked.
2. Thanks for giving me advice on medicine and great doctors. It took 6 years, but now reflections aren't so bad *smiles*
3. Thanks for being there for our other friends, we couldn't of made it through our most trying time without your strength - and you know that. She thanks you and I do.
4. Thanks for all the stories and experiences - all of em'. My favorite is still the Oasis one...unbelievable.
5. Thanks for giving me the springboard to go to the big "S". That was the most important trip to date and know no trip will trumph that.
6. Thanks for always helping me with whatever endeavor I start - you've helped me every time I start out and make it that much easier.
7. Thanks for the suitcases (both of em')
8. Thanks for bringing the magazine, book, and critter and letting me know what a nut I am. You stilled smiled although you didn't agree with my decision and plan. Thank you for doing that.
9. Thanks for all the extra things you always do - the glass, the glass, and the glass.
10. Thanks for saying great words at the most random times. "Glow" "And..." "Oh no..." "Outfit!"

I've got some wonderful friends and I love lists. I enjoy creating them about things - lists for everything. I could create them and read them again 10 years later, and never forget what each sentence represents.

To end the perfect day, I've got my 4 little furry ones surrounding me on the sofa. Well, going to go back and watch my Sex & The City episodes - they are a pleasurable addiction.

Till again...good night.

Google Apps

Google goes over the top again - building it's empire.

Google Apps was released last year in August of 2006. I've started using it for the email client for a small business in Austin that needed an all in one solution for email and communication. Anytime you start a small business, budget plays a huge role in the success of the business. Anytime you can save money, it's vital to the business. That's what Google Apps provides...

Google Apps is a great resource for small companies that don't have their own IT resources at their disposal. It brings together communication services to unite your organization. The best part, it's easy to set up, nothing to install, no hardware needed and no maintenance required on your end -- also, did I tell you, it's free!

Here are just a few of the cool communication tools it offers:

1. Gmail - Offers 10 GB of storage for each account
2. Google Talk - You can send IM anytime, anywhere - file sharing and voicemail is included.
3. Google Calendar - You can organize your schedules, share events, meetings and calendars with others. Even publish events to the web for your users to view.

Here are some publishing tools it offers:

1. Google Docs - Create documents, spreadsheets and presentations - collaborate with other users in real time.
2. Start Page - A central place for users to view their inboxes and calendars, important content and search the web.
3. Google Page Creator - Create and publish web pages for your domain easily - you don't even need to know html.

Google Apps offers gmail to organizations with your own personalized email address - ie: irock@ialwaysrock.com. It has powerful virus, phishing, and spam filtering, POP capabilities, free forwarding and mobile access (easily install Gmail mobile app to your BlackBerry for access anytime) to provide you a complete mail solution.

Google Apps offers 99.9% guarantee uptime for all premier edition users. Bonus!

Also it's supported by all of the most widely used browsers, IE, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Netscape and others.

Expect it to evolve as all of Google's applications do...

Oh, I just downloaded Google SketchUp 6.0. Google SketchUp combines a compact yet robust tool-set with an intelligent guidance system that streamlines the 3D drawing process. I'm going to play with it a bit and blog my review of it on my next posting. I love 3D modeling and think this is going to be another one of my new passions. Stay tuned.

It's been over one week

I have to mention that it's been over 1 week since any of my things have been mutilated beyond repair. Can you believe something so cute is possible of such?

I still wake up each day and let my eyes peruse the room to see if anything is missing or destroyed. It's been a wonderful one week without anything missing (usually find in the backyard shredded) and nothing at home being torn to shreds.

I'm so proud of Boomer...*smiles*

Not sure how true this is...

A cool cat friend of mine, took a "nerd" test. He's brilliant beyond belief - one of those people that know so much and are talented at whatever they do! Well, he took the test and he ranked pretty high on most of the categories and it referred to him as a Cool Nerd King. Well, it's 33% correct. He's is very cool and could possibly be a king if the opportunity presented itself.

I just took the Nerd Test V.2 and here were the results. It's false though. It's 75% wrong! I'm am never kinda in anything. It's all or nothing! I am not a dork by any means - geez. Nerd - nope, nada. The part I completely agree with - yep, I'm a queen.

There is a quote that all us girls should think like a queen.

"A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness."

Har, so all my failures are just helping me reach my grandness! *Whew*

Hermit Days...we all have them and we are okay

I go in periods where I surrender myself at home. I do not have the desire to connect to people on messenging or on the phone -- I want to be a ghost. I'll entertain myself with sketching, reading or creating something that is unique -- perhaps sleep, then wake up after a few hours still feeling like I didn't accomplish everything that I am destined to accomplish for the day - something is always not finished.

Hmmm, do I or any of us really exist? Well, I think I'm alive, I think I still exist, I know I'm breathing and I'm tangible. But who can prove the truth of that when people don’t see or hear from you? Are you actually alive? Perhaps it's the same - If we have no contact with the outside world, is it the same as not existing. So does that mean I like not existing?

Heh, then I can easily rationalize that I am walking the fine line of sanity with a dash of insanity.

It’s defintitely an experience, actually, to feel like a ghost -- when I'm walking through my home as the sun is rising, sunlight barely filtering from the blinds which makes my vision blurred, swaying a bit because I am not fully awake. I don't feel nervousness, panic, happiness or sadness -- nothing --just a neutral twinge of habit. Just like a newborn -- you rest your weary bones on your bed as night falls, then suddenly, you watch the moonlight rise and shine and you feel archaic nostalgia as if you’re remembering the world when it actually began. You feel wise, and all-knowing, yet possibly not alive.

Even when I go out alone, many times I walk through crowds and I feel invisible as if they don’t see you at all. Am I really alive?

I don't long for what many others do - warmth, comfort, or love. In turn, I don’t tire myself from experiencing the emptiness of some emotion. Am I just selfish and want to not have to experience what many do with emotions? Is it easier to remove emotions and then we have no expections of others, just myself.

I am a friend of solitude and melancholia. I like to sit in the shadows, observing the miracle of this world watching it go by, and I feel omnipotent -- almost like a god.

And just like that, I am affirmed that it’s all right to go on my hermit days. It's ok being alone -- away from the world. For myself, anyway. I exhibit unexplainable behavior if I am kept from my alone time.

For the life of me, I don’t even know why I’m designed this way -- that I need time apart from this constantly mingling, constantly talking ecosystem of temporary bonds and sometimes superficial happiness.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I am so fortunate and honored that I get to experience and communicate with individuals who are built differently than I am. I see the smiles and pleasantries involved in dialogue and they are completely happy and content. I thank my friends and loved ones who show me their worlds.

And now, as I sit here as midnight approaches, with the silence for company in the background, and I realize how it pleases me to be alone. I do get a sense of a god-like complex. I get a better hold of myself, my feelings, my thoughts -- and I am finally be able to just enjoy the quiet that I seek after a day full of experiences that create us. It’s not even the "loser-kind" of being alone. I actually thrive when I am left alone. I get peace from the warm and bountiful silence -- and I'm okay, always okay whether I am existing or ultimately, not existing.

[wahyld-kahrd]

Deadly Strokes, my awesome Wednesday night team, didn't make high enough points to secure a place in the top three. The beauty of APA Billiards, is they draw a wildcard at the end of the season and that team gets to play in the play offs. We got lucky (um, thanks to the pool gods of course) and got the Wildcard!

There are just some things in life that really excite me to no end...getting a seat in playoffs via the Wildcard draw is definitely one of them. *so excited*

Look forward to a good match against Woody's team on Wednesday.

"GOD CREATED BILLIARDS TO KEEP MAN HUMBLE."

Still arresting folks using open WiFi networks...When does it stop?

Geez, can we please quit arresting folks that are using open WiFi networks?

Over the past few years, you have heard about people getting arrested for using open WiFi access and is it really a crime that deems getting arrested?

I just read about a guy in Chiswick, West London, that got arrested for using someone's open (yes open) WiFi network. The cops saw him sitting on a wall using his laptop and they proceeded to ask him what he was doing. He admitted he was using someone's wireless connection to browse the web. In the UK, it's considered a violation of a communications law and a computer misuse law - which makes no frakkin' sense. Heck, in Singapore you can get 3 years in the slammer. Yikes.

This guy wasn't physically trespassing on the property and the owner of the WiFi has it open. What's the real issue here. If the owner really wanted it closed, he would of closed it. It lies in the access point owner to secure their WiFi connection.

It's all radio waves, so when will the cops start arresting folks who use their neighbor's light shining through the window to read a book or newspaper from the street? It's the same thing right - radio waves or streams of light emitted from someone's property and hitting public areas.

In conclusion, I find it interested that cops would go around asking random people on their notebooks, "are you using unsecured wireless access?" Um, "Oh yes, officer, I'm sitting her using someone's unsecured wireless access..yes sir, I am."

Personally, If I was aquiring the wireless connection from a neighbor or other outside source, and was asked that question...well, I would just say, "I'm browsing the web." Enough said.

Now if I was honest and they arrested me...I would be sitting in a jail cell and my friendly cell mate would ask, "What are you in for?". I would reply, "I was on the internet." *giggles*

Note: I did "borrow" the WiFi image above.

In 4 hours...

Tonight is the last night before play offs in our 8 Ball league. We are tied for 3rd, so need to have a really strong match tonight for us to seal a seat. (You must be in the top 3 for play offs unless you happen to get lucky and pull the wild card).

We are playing a pretty strong team tonight, so we will all need to be on our best game possible. I feel good about tonight. I spoke briefly with the pool gods and they are on our side...thank goodness.

We'll have a great match tonight no matter what. I love the team we are playing and they will force us to be on our best game. Ultimately the pool gods do hold the outcome, so whatever happens...it's for a reason.

Good luck to our team and our opponents tonight.

May all your strokes be smooth.

It's about time...

Click here for the story.

Michael Vick pleaded guilty today on the indictment that was given this past Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Richmond, Virginia.

It's a very sad issue and I wish that there would simply be an eye for an eye, let the punishment fit the crime. I guarantee that people would serioiusly think twice about actions they take.

I remember watching a movie called Amores Perros about 7 years ago and it involved dogfighting in the plot of the movie. I never realized there was dogfighting and this movie made me aware of this horrible activity. (No dogs were hurt during the filming of this movie).

I have always grown up with animals and know my pets not only have made my world a better place, but have been a huge part of what completes my happiness. They are what we put into them - they are innocence, love, loyalty, respect and companions. Personally, laying down at night knowing they are right next to me, either by my bedside or laying their paw or head on my arm without wanting anything else in return...well, that's unconditional love.

I have a beautiful cat and two amazing dogs. They have the same routine everyday that I know they are going to do. They sleep until I wake up, they wait by the bathroom door until I get out of the shower and they greet me with smiles as soon as I open that door. My cat will meow until he's next to me, my puppy will stay on top of my feet where I almost trip, and my oldest dog will stay by my side with his ears pointed and tail just waggin'. It's the most awesome feeling - if you have pets, you know what I mean.

Something I can't fathom. There are over 40,000 people in the US that are involved in professional dogfighting and bets up to 100,000 for just one fight. It's illegal in the US and a felony (with the exception of Idaho and Wyoming where it is a misdemeanor). Who are these people that enjoy or seek out this? I do not get it and it turns my stomach ill.

The law states that violators can be sentenced up to three years in jail and pay over $250,000 in fines. I hope Mike Vick gets this + permanently banned from the NFL. End of story.

1. What is dogfighting?

Dogfighting is a sadistic "contest" in which two dogs—specifically bred, conditioned, and trained to fight—are placed in a pit (generally a small arena enclosed by plywood walls) to fight each other, for the spectators' gambling and entertainment. Fights average nearly an hour in length and often last more than two hours. Dogfights end when one of the dogs is no longer willing or able to continue. In addition to these dogfights, there are reports of an increase in unorganized, more spontaneous street fights in urban areas.

2. How does it cause animal suffering?

The injuries inflicted and sustained by dogs participating in dogfights are frequently severe, even fatal. The American pit bull terriers used in the majority of these fights have been specifically bred and trained for fighting and are unrelenting in their attempts to overcome their opponents. With their extremely powerful jaws, they are able to inflict severe bruising, deep puncture wounds, and broken bones.

Dogs used in these events often die of blood loss, shock, dehydration, exhaustion, or infection hours or even days after the fight. Other animals are often sacrificed as well. Some owners train their dogs for fights using smaller animals such as cats, rabbits, or small dogs. These "bait" animals are often stolen pets or animals obtained through "free to good home" advertisements.

3. Are there other concerns?

Yes. Numerous law enforcement raids have unearthed many disturbing facets of this illegal "sport." Young children are sometimes present at the events, which can promote insensitivity to animal suffering, enthusiasm for violence, and a lack of respect for the law. Illegal gambling is the norm at dogfights. Dog owners and spectators wager thousands of dollars on their favorites. Firearms and other weapons have been found at dogfights because of the large amounts of cash present. And dogfighting has been connected to other kinds of violence—even homicide, according to newspaper reports. In addition, illegal drugs are often sold and used at dogfights.

4. What other effects does the presence of dogfighting have on people and animals in a community?

Dogs used for fighting have been bred for many generations to be dangerously aggressive toward other animals. The presence of these dogs in a community increases the risk of attacks not only on other animals but also on people. Children are especially at risk, because their small size may cause a fighting dog to perceive a child as another animal.

5. Why should dogfighting be a felony offense?

There are several compelling reasons. Because dogfighting yields such large profits for participants, the minor penalties associated with misdemeanor convictions are not a sufficient deterrent. Dogfighters merely absorb these fines as part of the cost of doing business. The cruelty inherent in dogfighting should be punished by more than a slap on the hand. Dogfighting is not a spur-of-the-moment act; it is a premeditated and cruel practice.

Those involved in dogfighting go to extensive lengths to avoid detection by law enforcement, so investigations can be difficult, dangerous, and expensive. Law enforcement officials are more inclined to investigate dogfighting if it is a felony. As more states make dogfighting a felony offense, those remaining states with low penalties will become magnets for dogfighters.

6. Do some states already have felony laws?

Yes. Dogfighting is illegal in all 50 states and a felony offense in almost every state.

7. Should being a spectator also be a felony?

Yes. Spectators provide much of the profit associated with dogfighting. The money generated by admission fees and gambling helps keep this "sport" alive. Because dogfights are illegal and therefore not widely publicized, spectators do not merely happen upon a fight; they seek it out. They are willing participants who support a criminal activity through their paid admission and attendance.

8. What can I do to help stop dogfighting?

If you live in one of the states where dogfighting is still only a misdemeanor, please write to your state legislators and urge them to make it a felony.

Texas Open 9-Ball Championships

The 34th Annual Texas Open is just around the corner...literally. It's the annual event where some of the greatest players in the country meet up to play. It has two divisions - one of the males and one for the females. If you win the male event, it pays about 10,000 big ones to the winner. Hmmm, a weekend of pool (i'm sure plenty of action) and getting paid 10 G to have fun.

The beauty of the location is it is only 2 blocks from my house, so I know where I'll be hanging out throughout the weekend. It is held at G Cue Billiards, which usually closes down at midnight, will stay open 24 hours that weekend.

I remember hearing through the pool circuit about an amazing feat in 84' that everyone still talks about today. It was the finals, and Bob Vanover was playing Steve Smith. Steve won the coin toss and broke -- Bob Vanover walked up to the table and ran it. The winner then breaks and Bob ran 9 racks in row....yes, for all you APA folks, that's one inning. *bows to Mr. Vanover*

I can't wait!

Bell, Chico & Sting

Yesterday I spent the day with the daughter, Caitlin, of some close friends of mine. I had to write a summary of the day since it was truly one of the best Saturdays on my list of "Great Saturdays". She's one of those bright, witty, talented, hard working teenagers that is going to make a great impact in this world. Just you wait and see.

The day started a little late since I stayed up all night watching movies and didn't get to bed until 5:00am the night before. I woke up around 9:30am and let her know that I would be at her house to pick her up around 11am (which is noon in Jen time). I arrived to her home, picked her up and started the day. The plan was for her to assist me with two of my pet clients this weekend. I can always use help and the company of a bright young girl is always great to have.

We started out the day driving through Mc'Ds. Yes, Mc'Ds. She said she never had a Big Mac before and I gasped! I thought, "well, it's time.", so I ordered a #1 - Big Mac Combo and she did too! We were eating in the car on the way to the client's house and as she finished her meal, I asked, "Ok, on a scale of 1 - 10, how does the Big Mac rank in comparison to other hamburgers?" She said, "I'd give it a 7." That's pretty good for the first time chowing down on a Big Mac. I still couldn't believe this 13 year old girl had never had a Big Mac! I'm going to have to talk to her parents and find out how this is even possible.

We arrived to the first client's house and the cat's loved her - they went right up to her and started purring away! She's great with animals - they really adore her. We proceeded to the 2nd client and same thing, they went right up to her and started purring loudly. So adorable.

We finished the 2 visits and we were passing a house on the corner and it had a For Sale sign in front of it. It caught my eye, so we pulled over and looked in the windows. O MY - it was the cutest house. It was only 400 - 500 square feet, and it is perfect for one person. It had a living area, bedroom, bath and kitchen. Around the side and in the back, it had this gorgeous deep brown wood deck with metal trim around it. It the back, it overlooked a creek and was surrounded by trees for shade - very peaceful.

Sometimes things just catch your eye, and this home definitely did that. It had hardwood floors, a beautiful kitchen with track lighting. The bathroom was small, but again perfect for one person. Even it was gorgeous. That was about it to the house - no den, no laundry room, that's it. But for it be "that's it", It was pretty awesome. I decided to call to see what it was priced at. I assumed 80K. When I called the gentleman was very kind and proceeded to tell me how it was completely remodeled and described the property. After talking about the home, I asked him the price. He said, it's 199,000. *Gasp*. Um, for 400 square feet home? I didn't say that of course, but boy I thought it. I said, thank you and I'll keep that in mind. He told me he would be happy to meet me to show it. I don't think I will meet him *smiles*. For 199,000K - you can build a brand new home + have it completely furnished. But geez, it was cute...

So next on our agenda was to head to another friend's house that was have a BBQ. Mmmmm, more burgers! They just bought their new home together and wanted to test out the BBQ. We decided to stop by Bark and Purr to pick up some treats for their two cats, Earl and Mooch. We picked out 2 balls, 2 bags of treats, 2 collars, and one catnip cigar toy. The gentleman at the counter said, the kitties will go crazy for it. We thought we'd bring dessert since they were providing the burgers and stopped by the local HEB. We got a cake that was this 3 layer chocolate, mousse, cream filling, strawberry topping, fudge topping thing! Perfection. That's what I call it. We arrived and got a tour of the new house - awesome house guys! We gave the kitties their new cigar. They adored it and wouldn't let it go! Too funny. It's drugs for cats!

We munched on some snacks and then tried out the burgers. They were the BEST. Thick burgers, cooked to perfection and the toppings to make it perfect. We were both so stuffed and plopped down on their sofa. It was about 7:30pm by now and next on the agenda was to head a little north to feed horses. She said I could help her. Kinda funny, she helped me with my pet clients and now I was going to help her with her pet client that had 3 horses. Ok, this my sound strange - but I have never been near a horse. Seen them along the side of the road, at the horse track, etc -- but never been more that 15 feet from one.

We got to the property where the horses resided and she explained what we would be doing. She said that we would feed them their dry food, feed them hay, groom them and spray this fly, bug, go away forever, kind of spray. We opened the gate and the three horses, Chico, Bell and Sting came right up. I wasn't sure if they were going to kick me or lick me. The did neither, just wanted to be petted. These three horses were so absolutely gorgeous. They were very intelligent - they knew it was feeding time and went into their individual stalls to get ready for dinner. As they were eating, we loaded the hay into their stalls and groomed them. It was fun brushing them - their coats were so shiny. After that - we sprayed them with the "flies go away" spray. We rinsed our hands off and then headed back to the car.

Next on the agenda was to play a poker tournament back at the BBQ Rocks House! We stopped by to pick up poker chips and headed back to the new home. We gathered around the table and started the tourney. It was almost midnight and three of us were still in it - me, Caitlin and Kristin. Caitlin's curfew was 12:30am, so we weren't able to finish the tourney. We just decided that the top two chip stacks would take the winnings. That was Kristin and Caitlin! She's a solid poker player for being 13 and in another year - she's going to be killer on the table.

I took her back home and thanked her for a great Saturday. As I was driving home I realized that we all get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and rarely take the time to just relax and just take the day as it comes. This was one of those days - nothing set in stone, but the day was filled with great times. I didn't think about work, I didn't answer any work calls, I didn't check my email and I didn't rush anything that day. It was perfect.

Action Figures! Who knew?

Ultra Jump, the manga serial in which Gunnm (Battle Angel Alita) Last Order is currently running, announced on their website plans to produce a special edition Gunnm Gaiden (”side stories”) manga volume complete with Masaki Apsy-sculpted Gally (Alita) action figure. Price, release date, and preorder availability have not yet been announced *stomps feet*. I'm a huge fan of hers and it's pretty sweet that they are releasing action figures that move. Of course, since I adore her - a badass female cyborg that kicks ass, it's on my must have list. Yesyes, must have.

They are really cute. I can't wait. *smiles*

Poker Pup thinking...

This little guy is going all in. Does he want a call?

Drinking while playing pool

I was talking to a friend today about the mental part of billiards and having confidence. This has always been my most difficult part of the game which I have never seem to overcome. It holds me back and keeps me from getting to the next level. It's a strange, but exciting feeling when I walk up to a table to play a match. My heart starts pounding lightly and I get really excited about getting up to the table.

My weakness falls here, I get so nervous with shots and worrying about if I am making the correct shot decision, if I'm hitting it right, the right speed, right english, etc. So many factors to make sure you pocket the ball and get your next shot. This is just within me! Now, toss into the mix these extra pressures: your stronger opponent, the pool room (music, lighting, smoke) and your current state of mind (stressful day, lack of sleep, etc).

I've heard a few different tactics for keeping calm or being about to play stronger during the match. Here they are:

1. Take a deep breath between each shot.
2. Don't think about your opponent, and just play your game.
3. Play with confidence, look confident, even if you know you cannot make a shot.
4. Practice drills before your match - get comfortable with the table speed and your stroke.
5. Have a few drinks

Ok, #5 is the one I have always wondered about. I often hear other players saying a drink or two increases their confidence level and they shoot better pool. Is that true? Or is playing pool just a reason to take a drink? (The social aspect)

I can see how a drink can relax you and make your stroke more fluid, instead of a jerky stroke which leaves you with no control over your shotmaking. I've never drank during a match because I think it would impair my game even more;).

Alcohol impairs your concentration and I would imagine it makes your line of sight a bit blurry. Even your stance would be a little off. Still, I see players shoot lights out when they have a couple of drinks vs. having none.

I can't ever see myself being able to take those couple of drinks and playing my best. I don't think liquid confidence can ever substitute for true confidence which comes with dedication and practice of the game.

You know, when you see someone walk up to a table with natural confidence - that's very intimidating and they have an advantage from the start. I guess it doesn't matter how you get it - with liquid or mental, it works the same.

It's close to midnight and something evils lurking in the dark...

Just got home about an hour ago since I tend to roam around Austin late at night. Seems like I do my best thinking and get the most accomplished when there is no traffic or people crowding the stores. I can go to a Walmart and have the store to my entire self...pretty nice. I can drive on the streets and not get stuck in traffic or have to step out into the blazing sun (get's warm here).

We all have things that are routine for us. Mine is opening the door to find 3 cutie pies waiting for me. Of course they are just hungry, so when they see me, they think "FOOD". Yes, Boomer, Jordan and Pumpkin - you are just using me for food. No, not true -- they are very loving and always brighten my day/evening.

Where am I going with this...Oh, yes, well as part of my evening routine, I feed the gang, take my shoes off, get a diet coke and start browsing the internet. Tonight, I was searching for some songs and then thought about finding some songs about billiards. Never really heard a "billiards" tune. I've got some good poker songs, but billiards, nada.

Well, I found a parody about billiards to the tune of Micheal Jackson's, Thriller. It's awesome! I even found some balls with monsters on them just to enhance this song *smiles*. Here goes ladies and gents:

It's time to chalk cues
And set the balls up, now it's time to play
Will not lose to you
Don't think so, no sir, no losing today

You try to aim
But sweat will make you miss the ball completely
May be a game
That doesn't mean I'll play a bit more fair
No need to swear

We're playin' billiards
Chalk your cue
And if you sink the black ball 'fore the rest
That's when you lose
I'm lovin' billiards
And I'll bet
That if I'm six ahead
I'll get to take your, eat your French fries!

I love the sound of
The plop that balls make when you sink them in
And there's the snap from
Your mind exploding when you know I'll win

You wince your eyes
Because you've just set me up for the 5 ball
You realize
That it was not so smart to challenge me
Now for the 3

I rule at billiards!
All the time
You've still got seven balls or so to sink
I'm on the 9
I've won at billiards
Once again
You almost sunk the 10
But I still owned you, p4wn3d U, tonight!

Nine balls are sunk
And you've still got all your balls on the table
There's no surrender or the throwing in of the towel
(Time's run out)
You have to play, can't step down!

I can't belive you
You wanna play again? You've lost your mind
Prepare to lose, fool
You shouldn't mess with the skills that are mine
The time has come
For you to stop playing me 'cause I'm better
Again I've won
Should save yourself from copping all this crap
Like you're on crack

You've lost at billiards
No sunk balls
Although you've beat the rest, up against me
You lose them all
Man, this is billiards
Not ping-pong
Just stop smoking your bong
And just start winning, owning,
Singing, grinning here tonight!

You sick of billiards?
Well, no duh
If I kept losing to some stuck-up prat
I'd quit for sure
Billiards!
Want some more?
I'm starting to get bored
'Cause I keep bragging, taunting

Let's play some billiards tonight!

("Rap" by the poor sod who keeps getting 0wn3d)
All my balls are on the felt
They're never sunk, my heart it melts
Backspins, jumps and other tricks
Employed by him, it makes me sick

All who face him always lose
Some turn to drugs, some turn to booze
Some stand and say that he's a prick
He says "I know" and pulls his stick

The men defeated hang around
To see who'll try to take him down
And fools who bet on who will win
Will lose their food, their drinks in tins

And though some try to kick his ass
We need some kind of wizard
For no mere mortal can defeat
The master of the billiards

(Sound of another game starting,with the laughter of the master, and
the soft music played to ease the uncomforting silence)

The grandest ever?

Regardless of the sport, the easiest way to stir up a heated discussion is to pose the question, "Who was the greatest ever?"

In pocket billiards, that question is still cause for great debate. The general consensus is that the finalist are William Mosconi and Ralph Greenleaf. Greenleaf, a child prodigy from Illinois, reigned over the pocket billiard world from 1919 - 1938. During that time, the classy showman won 14 world pocket billiard titles. Mosconi won the first of his 15 world championships in 1941 and simple dominated the sport until is retirement in 1957.

Although their careers intertwined only briefly in the late thirties, Greenleafand Mosconi did spend the summer of 1934 together, touring the South. Greenleaf, 38 at the time, won the majority of the early matches against his 21 year old opponent, but Mosconi held is own in the later exhibitions. After 107 matches, Greenleaf had won 57 to Mosconi's 50.

Perhaps the greatest legacy of Mosconi's career are his high runs. The Philadelphia native still holds the recognized mark of 526 balls in a competition in Springfield, Ohio, in 1954. He did this remarkable run on a 4 x 8 ft table.

I can only imagine what the matches looked like back them, but I can see the gentlemen dressing up in black suits and a tie just to compete. Can't really seeing them drinking beers, but something like martinis. Who knows, I wasn't there, but I like to visualize;).

Greenleaf never matched Mosconi's high runs, but exhibition wasn't really his style. Greenleaf was flamboyant and a great admirer of the good life. It's been said that Greenleaf, a natural talent, never practiced a day in his life. He indeed was the "Babe Ruth" of pocket billiards.

I think it's pretty amazing that both men are still strong legends in your local pool hall. Mention either name - and you know who they were. I often wonder who the "Legends" are from Austin. There's some remarkable players here and I believe a couple of them will be a future name in the billiard world.

Jordan Baby!

It's rubbin' off on me now...

Wayne starting doing the cat captions like LOLcats has and I've fallen into the same path of starting to create these. They definitely make me giggle.

Mini controller for Guitar Hero

Ok, Are there times you want to play Guitar Hero at your friend's place on their PS2? You can pack up the game and a couple of guitars and lug over there....or....

You can get a couple of these babies and toss them in your deep pant pockets. Yep, they are mini guitar that let you play GH on a pint sized version of the controller (it's about half the size of the original plastic ones) . The XFPS Mini Guitar has all the same controls as the life size version. Even cooler, it's made out of wood, just like a real geeeeetaaaaaaaar. It's got a pretty strudy metal whammy bar and there are led lights on the neck of the guitar.

They aren't cheap - they run about 70.00, but it looks pretty darn cool and so I think they are worth it. Cool = Always worth it.

Also, for you Xboxers...you can use it with that console, but you'll need to get an adaptor. Interested in buying one or two of these, you can at Play-Asia.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is simply Amazing

I've always been a sucker for good pool players and prolly always will be. What is even more impressive is a great snooker player.

The game of Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a table that is 12 ft x 6 ft and is played using a cue ball, 15 red balls (value of 1 point each), and 6 different balls with numbers (value of 2 - 7 points). Most people play eachother and choose a set number of frames and whoever has the highest points is the winner.

There are two snooker tables that I know of in Austin. One is at the Warehouse and the other one is at Eric's Billiards. I've enjoyed playing at the Warehouse because there are two guys that I usually see at the table and they are very open about teaching and playing the game with you. Both are strong players and play a pretty mean game.

Snooker is a popular game in Europe and just has never really taken off here in the States. It's bout' time that it does!

The highest score you can get in a game of Snooker is 147. Ronnie O'Sullivan holds the record for shooting a 147 break in 5 minutes and 20 seconds. If you have never seen a snooker game, I've posted a video of his game. It's one of the most amazing videos I've seen in a long time (in a billiards way). I know there a better videos in general about more important things *smiles*.

As you watch this video, he makes it seem like it's an easy game. If you ever get the opportunity to play on a snooker table, it's one the most difficult cue games I've ever played. You'll see why if you step up to that table. Promise. Why is it harder than billiards?

1. Pool balls are 2 1/4", Snooker balls are 2 1/8"
2. Billard tables range from 6ft - 8ft, Snookers range from 10ft - 12ft
3. Billiard tips range from 11mm - 14mm, Snooker tips range from 9mm - 11mm
4. Snooker pockers are much more narrow - poker lead-in curved (there is no forgiveness)

Someone once said, "Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." There's many things to do, life is shot, and you need to hustle (make things happen). Rack up those pool balls, and play on.

Thanks Mr. Lincoln.

There's not much in life that makes me sad...

I just got home from pool league tonight and that seems to be the game that can make me pretty sad (when I lose). It's just a game of course, and we are all playing in league for fun -- there's just something about walking away from the end of the match with a firm handshake and saying "good game", and all the while your heart is crumbling.

It's all mental. The game of billiards get my heart beating and brings me face to face with myself, bringing out both my strengths and weakness in the same game.

It's funny - winning your match is the best feeling in the world. For me it's the following reasons.

1. You helped your team by adding a "win" point to your standings. Good feeling.
2. It's always nice to win - you feel accomplished.
3. I make a promise to myself to play just a little bit better with every stroke of the cue. If I show .0000000005% improvement, I feel I've improved.

Losing your match just stinks.

1. I feel like you have let your team down.
2. I feel like I should of made different shot choices, played a safety, taking that extra 2 - 3 seconds to line up that crucial shot...
3. Again, my heart hurts.

Tonight, I played a very strong "5". The race was 4/3. He had to win 4 before I won three. He won the first three games. I then won the next two, so we were double hill. The games that I did win was in 1 inning and the other was 3 innings, so we both played well. The last game we both had one ball left on the table + the eight ball. There was two options for me at this point: Go for the win and make my object ball or play a safety and get ball in hand for better position. I went for the safety and that was actually the wrong decision because he was able to play a perfect safety on me where I was not able to hit my object ball, and even if I did - he had a run out. My last shot is shown below with the red arrows and my opponents is with the orange arrows. As you see, the cue ball landed behind the 8 ball on his shot and I was not able to kick at my object ball, giving him ball and hand for the win.

I should of just gone for the win and let the Pool Gods control my destiny. It hard to know if you should go for it or just play safe. As you see here, playing it safe was wrong.


I love the game, so don't think I'll ever stop playing. I love watching great players shot - they amaze me and I strive to be at their level. My goal is to become a great player that just get's better. All great players do *smiles*.

Actually, I have always believed the Pool Gods want the player who had the worst day out of the two people to win. So, I am thankful that I had a pretty good day over all compare to his *smiles*.

Don't ask why...

See what happens in the middle of the night when it's quiet and I'm just finding random things that have no real purpose. It my mind, it's pretty entertaining. Press PLAY! (If you want to see a cross-eyed girl, put your mouse on her nose)

Graphical Representation of Poolgods

I found this cool little utility on a friend's blog, whall.org. It takes a graphical representation of your blog or website and creates a really beautiful picture. I just did mine and here was the output:

What do the colors mean?

blue: for links (the A tag)

red: for tables (TABLE, TR and TD tags)

green: for the DIV tagviolet: for images (the IMG tag)

yellow: for forms (FORM, INPUT, TEXTAREA, SELECT and OPTION tags)

orange: for linebreaks and blockquotes (BR, P, and BLOCKQUOTE tags)

black: the HTML tag, the root node

gray: all other tags

Credits and Kudos go to Sala, the programmer of this HTML Graph Applet.

Hitchhikers Guide to Galaxy Release 20th Anniversary Edition

This is pretty awesome. As most know, in 1984 - Douglas Adams released the Hitchhiker's text based version of the game and it was one of those games that could keep you glued to your Commodore 64 for days. Back in my day, computer games were text based. No sound, no graphics, just text. This kept me busy for many hours because I could control the game by simply typing text of what I wanted my character to do (and hope I didn't die). Thank goodness for floppy disk and saving the game each time I got to my next check point. This was the very first game I got for my Commodore 64 and what initially got me interested in the gaming world. Wow, then I was introduced to Bulletin Boards - and the rest is history.

BBC has laughed the 20th Anniversary Edition. *Drum roll* It has graphics!

How is this different? Well, it's very sweet. They've launched two editions with graphics - both are the same game, just a different look and feel. The cool part is if you don't want to register, you can easily save and restore your game at anytime. When you save, it stores your game in a shared directory (you create a folder name). If you want, you can even switch from edition one to edition two in the middle of a game.

Check out this new release of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. if you have some free time - and remember to always save periodically. Otherwise you'll end up back in the bedroom.

The 2007 Enjoypool.com Championship

It's just around the corner, the airing of the 2007 Enjoypoll.com Championship that was in May. It is the finals - Karen Corr vs. Allison Fisher. If you want to record or watch it on Monday, it's airing on ESPN at 2:30AM EST.

I'm not telling you who won, so don't ruin it by googling it either. Just enjoy the great match.

Head blasting...in a couple of ways

Last night I starting getting a migraine - one of those headaches that you just don't want to move and you don't want anything in the room moving or any sounds. Anything that falls into one of those categories just made it worse. I took aspirin before I laid down, but it just continued and woke up with the headache that never went away. I took more pain medicine, then laid back down since I didn't go to work. The only thing I wanted to do was cover my head with the pillow and be knocked out. Didn't quite happen that way since it's hard to go to sleep with a throbbing headache. Not sure how to get rid of it - but I know it has to go away.

I had the exact same thing this past Saturday and couldn't even get out of bed to move. It went away by Sunday afternoon, so something cured it!

Anyway, I laid down this morning and let Boomer lay next to me since he still does that piercing whine when I crate him and that was making me want to lock myself up in a padded, white room. He did sweetly lay next to me and I saw his eyes doze off. "Perfect," I thought.

Jordan was laying down next to the sofa, Pumpkin was laying at the head of the sofa, and Boomer was laying right next to me with his paw on my arm and head against my shoulder.

Okay, I guess I should let you know I took 2 more Advil and a cold tablet just in case I was getting some sort of Summer cold (my body has some aches too, so wanted to nip this).

I shut my eyes and all I remember is waking up and seeing Boomer on the floor chewing on something. I look down and he has taking a liking to the wonderful world of telecommunications. Yep, he has seen me use the cell phone before and I guess he wanted to try it out. Perhaps he couldn't figure out how to open the phone to dial, so he just thought he'd open it with his pretty, pretty, sharp, sharp teeth. Battery is missing - assuming it's tucked somewhere in his stomach. The phone now looks like crumpled tin foil.

Lesson number #49: Never leave your cell phone near you when you go to sleep. [I left it tucked under the sofa just in case anyone was trying to reach me for anything urgent so I would hear it]

I had it about 9 inches tucked under the sofa. Not sure how his radar found it. I'm going to have to conclude that Boomer is really a Cylon, like my friend told me. There is no way that a human dog could swallow a cell phone battery and think that chewing on a metal phone taste good.

Yes Wayne, you were right. Boomer is a Cylon. You know everything...

With all of this, the headache still has just been amplified. Oh, and no one call me...

Battle Angel Hand Painted Pieces

In the night's drifting waves,

As we stand immersed in the flow,

Heaven relases its pouring rains,

Turning my heart into a block of ice.

The warm glow of your body's fire,

Draws my cold lips to yours,

but...I don't feel the heat.

Oh, just once...I'm promising you,

You'll see your heart's secret coming true.

Oh, just once,

In the sea of the sky,

I'd give up my eternal soul to the winds,

should I fail you...I'm an INSIGNIFICANT girl.

Thinking about a pet?

I was reading about one of our endangered species, the Ocelot, in today's newspaper. I was flipping through the paper and what caught my attention was a striking photo of this beautiful cat. They are about twice the size of the average household cat. They are sleek, powerful, gorgeous and get to be about 30lbs once they reach adulthood.

They mainly live under the leafy canopies of South American rain forests, but can also be found in Southern Texas.

They feed primarily on rodents, but also on other small prey such as fish, snakes, lizards and insects. These cute little guys are active for about 12 - 14 hours a day, so you better be ready to play! They are primarily nocturnal, guessing they do their best thinking at night. *smiles*

Unfortunately they are becoming extinct and unless mankind can help them, they will eventually no longer exist. Most mothers can only produce 1 - 2 kittens per litter, so the it's becoming more and more difficult to protect this beautiful cat.

So you want one for a pet now? Well, they are not the easiest wild cats to raise. Owning an ocelot puts limitations in your life that differs from owning a domestic cat. A commitment to raising and breeding an ocelot cannot be taken lightly. As kittens, they are like the normal domesticated kitten, they like to play and keep near the owners. They sometimes throw their own temper tantrums if left alone to play independently. They even whine.

A carefully raised ocelot can be a very affectionate animal. They will play ball or rope with you...Some just want to suck on your fingers and sit in your lap and purr. They are content with that. (They are also usually bottle fed as babies)

Ok, the breeding part - be aware. Once they are paired up with a mate, they become less interested in their human owner. Once the female is in heat, they growl, roll, become more affectionate, and call loudly in search of their mate. They don't necessarily become more aggressive, but they might become more stand-offish.

You'll need to keep them in a cage if you cannot watch them. If you leave them in your backyard, expected climbing and digging. If you train them young, you can let them have free roam of the house too. They love water, and diving for toys in the water - so kiddy pools are perfect for them. You need to make sure what kind of toys you are tossing since they tend to swallow small things like tennis balls, legos, kongs, etc. So perhaps a few more trips to the vet's office than normal;).

Researching a wild cat is always a good idea and more importantly, hands on work to see if you are able to raise a wild cat before you take one it. It's not just taking care of the ocelot when it's a baby, it's a lifetime of 14 years that you need to dedicate to it.

Hmmm, I want one, err two.

They grow up to be beautiful as you see in the photo below:

Twist & Treat

Just got in from getting myself spanked at pool. *sigh* Just one of those nights where the pool gods predetermined my path for the evening. I can't argue with them - I just have to roll with em'.

But, it was an overall great evening at the ol' Slick Willies. Laura, brought me two great gifts for Boomer. Boomer loves his Aunt Laura - she's the gift master! She brought this cute little gadget called a Twist & Treat. The name says it all -- it's a durable rubber toy that untwist and you fill it with treats.

You then twist it back together and it's ready for Boomer to do his magic to get to the treats. Hmmm, wonder if he's going to figure out how to twist it open with his paws and mouth. It's kinda like the Rubix cube for adults. You remember those things?

The first thing I did tonight was filling that up with treats and tossed it to Boomer. He LOVED it and started rolling it around. He's in doggy wonderland right now. He's still trying to figure out how to open it - pretty darn cute. She also gave him a nice little chewing rope that is good for his teeth. He is chewing on that too! He's got a little toys-r-us for puppies round here.

Animated world: Pets

These are the guys that make my world great.

Animated World: Pool Hall

Why can't we live in an animated world - it would just be fun. Plain, simple, fun.

Everyone is doing it.

Billiards...it's a sport anyone or any animal (heh) can play. I came across this picture during my nightly quiet time on the web. It's pretty cute and I can easily see something like this at my house if:

1. I had a pool table

2. I had two kittens

3. I had batteries in my camera to take pictures

I just wonder what these two kittens are thinking? Maybe, "These balls remind us of our squeaky toys, but they don't squeak!" or "Where are the purr-ple balls?" or "Let's count the balls, one, mew, three..." or "Let's play some purrrr-fect pool." or "Is that wooden stick a log? If so, then what do you get if you cross a cat with a log? A cat-a-logue!" or "Have you heard the mews? We have to play eachother next." or "Why are you rolling the ball the same way as me...you are a copy cat!" or "Let's play a race to 5, whoever wins get's a chocolate mouse!" or "You just ran the table for a purrrr-fect score. Do you want a treat or some catnip?"

Whatever they are thinking, I'm sure it's pretty funny. Still can't get over how adorable this picture is. I must try and duplicate this one day. *writes note to myself as goal*

I'm gonna cry

It was one of those days -

I got home, let Boomer out of his crate, feed Jordan and him, played in the back yard, turned on the television and sat on my sofa. Next thing I know I wake up to a TV commercial.

Doesn't sound too bad since falling asleep on the sofa is one of my favorite ways to get some shut eye.

New Rule in life: NEVER fall asleep on the sofa. (with your puppy not in his crate )

Now, understand how I am when I sleep...nothing wakes me up, I take forever to get going in the the morning and it takes 3 alarms just for me to open an eye. I woke up not only to a TV commercial about Aveeno Sunblock, but I as I glanced over to check on the two guys, I jumped up the quickest I ever have...

My main back love seat pillows have been destroyed! This is the back padding of the loveseat, not the little side pillows that you can easily replace. I thought maybe I could restuff them, but the material is torn up and the zippers are missing.

This stinks royally.

Am I going Crazy? Is there a pill for this?

It's been a crazy week training my new pup, Boomer. I'm not home as much I as would like to really dedicate to him, but somehow he forgives me.

I've never had a puppy, only dogs or cats, so this new puppy phase is a new experience for me and I feel like I'm failing at being a good "mom". I think I have patience, but it seems lately I'm saying "no", "stop", "Boomer!!", and "What's this?!" more than ever.

I'm going to be blunt and honest here. Things that drive me crazy with Boomer!

1. He chews up all my shoes.
2. He's started chewing, chomp chomp, on the bottom of my computer chair (thinks it's a bone I guess)
3. He chases my older dog, Jordan, and always tries to mate with him. Of course, Jordan doesn't like it at all.
4. He whimpers and whines when I crate him, as if I'm hanging him from his toes for a good 3 hours every night until he is exhausted. I have to crate him, or he has many surprises for me in the morning. This could include one or all of the following: Trash can emptied, toilet paper everywhere, pillow stuffings all over the floor, chewing up anything he can find that is not too heavy for him to lift up.
5. Eats and drinks like there is no tomorrow - and well, too much food or water in a puppy = a suprise all over the floor.
6. Jumpin' jumpin' maniac. He loves to play and wants to jump, jump, jump. I want to rest, rest, rest. *smiles*
7. I get about 2 - 3 hour of sleep nightly since he wakes up throughout the night and starts the normal crying. He's either wanting to play, go outside or just wants to wake up! He doesn't know how to eat only his food, he will eat Jordan's and Pumpkins! Oink!

Don't think I'm being a whiner - I do adore this little guy. I'll tell you the things that I adore about him and these definitely outweigh my crazy complaints on Boomer.

1. Love the way he looks up at me and his eyebrows are wrinkled.
2. Love the way he appreciates a small treat - he will sit down and not move until I say "get the treat".
3. Love the way he welcomes me home after a day at work.
4. Love the way he responds to "Boomer"
5. Love the way he lets me rub his cute ears and scratch softly under his neck.
6. Love the way when I get the leash he runs in circles.
7. Love the way he strrrrrrreeeetches when he comes out of his crate (I would do the same).
8. Love the way he loves Jordan and Pumpkin as if he's known them forever.
9. Love that he still doesn't know how to bark.
10. Love the way he finds me giving him a rib bone is the best thing in the world.
11. Love his brown ears and tail w/the white body.
12. Love that gives me the doggy kisses when he thinks I need cheering up.
13. Love the way he tilts his head to the side when I'm speaking to him. He pretends he understands me!

I'm really lucky to have these three guys in my life. Jordan is a complete angel, Boomer is an angel in training, and Pumpkin is the best cat I've ever had. He's definitely and angel.
The best part - all three of these guys came into my world unexpectedly because they had no home and they let me take care of them unconditionally.

Jordan was a good friend of mine, Alinda, and she trusted me to take care of him. Thank you Alinda - he's been an amazing companion. We both miss you...

Pumpkin was found by a client of mine and they were not able to take him since they had two cats of their own. Thank you "J" & "L" for thinking of me when you wanted to find him a home.

Boomer was found by a good friend of mine that I play pool with. She found him at her doorstep and could never find the owners. Thanks for thinking of me and I'm glad you did!

Alright, I better attend to Boomer - he's into something - just heard a crash. *smiles*

Bobblehead (n.)

Definition:
a toy figure with its outsized head on a spring, which causes the head to bobble easily

Cute dog (you know who he looks like) + pool cue + pool table = Absolute cuteness.

I've never been a fan of bobbleheads -- but this one is adorable. Looks like I'm going to have to order one soon.

Is he a cute dog or a 'cue dawg'?

Puppy whines all night...

I'm trying to go to bed and for the past hour Boomer has been whining in his crate. He sounds like he's dying and has the highest pitched sound. I know it's a natural survival skill for dogs. I'm sure my upstairs and next door neighbor are absolutely loving this. They usually let me know by stomping on the floor. Yikes - sorry neighbors.

I have to ignore him to let him know who is alpha. I did take him out for a bit around 12:15am to see if he would calm down and go to sleep next to me and he just wanted to jump and play. He ran out of the bedroom and was pretty quiet - ut oh...know what that means. He's into something. So I get up and go to the living room. Yep, he's playing tug o war with one of my t-shirts (but in silent mode).

I put him back in the crate and put a cover over the crate and the whine fest starts all over again. I tossed one of my t-shirts in the crate so he has something to play with. It breaks my heart - but I know he's testing me. Mr. Boomer, you are not gonna win (yet).

His appointment to get neutered is on July 2nd. I'm thinking this will calm him down a bit - if I was a guy, it would definitely take me back a notch *smiles*

I'm going to take him out for some running after work tomorrow night - guessing a tired puppy is a happy puppy. Hmmm, as I'm writing this - there is silence for the first time in an hour. Now I should prolly quit typing and sneak back into bed before he wakes. Goodnight all. *softly walks back to bed*

Wow, I'm going to get to bed by 12:45am - it's an early night!

Boom! Boomer

This is the newest addition to the household as of Friday, June 8th, Boomer. I liked the name from Battlestar Galactica and it fits him perfectly. He answers to it *smiles* Although he answers to "hey you", "come here", "cutie", "baby", "oh no, not again!"

He prolly thinks that "Oh no, not again." is his name. I've said it a total of 28 times.

Friday - 6 times

Saturday - 11 times

Sunday - 6 times

Monday - 5 times

The reason I know how many times I've said that is because that's the number of times he has decided to use the bathroom throughout the house. Either straight in front of me or in his secret spots in the kitchen, bathroom, living room, bedroom, etc.

I've always had grown dogs or cats, so have never gone through the puppy training stages from potty training to obedience. Routine is to let him out ever 1 - 2 hours and especially after he eats or drinks. Not much sleep since I'm alway checking on him throughout the night or he decides he wants to play in the middle of the night.

He's wanting to play with Jordan, but Jordan is thinking, "I'm the guy of the house." So Jordan is going through an ignoring stage with me and growling or snipping at Boomer. Ah, jealousy.

The cat and him get along though - that's the good news. Now to get Jordan and Boomer to become playmates and more importantly getting him potty trained.

He's a cutie and I think eventually him and Jordan will be pals - they are both loving dogs, so how can they not be?

The best 8 year old I've ever seen shoot pool

I was at league on Wednesday and as I was walking in, I saw a young boy getting ready to break. I noticed him because he was the shortest person in the pool hall. As he got ready to break, he stood back up, chalked his cue, realigned the cue ball and then with a solid stroke, broke the balls. He broke them pretty solid and one went in.

I had to go over and watch just to see him shoot. It’s pretty rare to see a child shooting a good game of pool since it’s tough for them to even get into a pool hall to practice. He shot a mean game of pool! Very calm in demeanor, but was witty when he did speak.

He never got upset if a ball didn’t go in and didn’t act any different if a ball did go in the pocket. Very neutral with his emotions while playing. I asked him his name and he said, “Holmer. What is your name?” I said, “Jennefer. Very nice to meet you.” He was very sweet and shook my hand while introducing himself. I asked him how long he had been shooting and he said about 4 years. I then asked his age and he was 8 years old!

Oh my…he started shooting at 4 years old. His dad plays in the league and is an awesome shot. As I was talking to him, found out he had a table at home that he practices on and his dad teaches him the game – it definitely showed.

League was about to start, so I headed over to my team. We had enough players, so me and my captain were sitting out during the match. Wendy from the other team comes over and says, “Holmer would like to play a game with you if that is ok.” Um, Of course it’s ok! Holmer comes running over to the practice table that I was at and said, “You want to play a race to 6?” Ut oh, I’m thinking I’m in trouble if he knows the pool lingo. I agree to play a race to 6.

This is the crazy part. He won 3 before I won my 6 games. He won them straight up (not me giving him shots, not me scratching, just plain straight good pool). He very politely shook my hand after the match and said, “Nice game.” He looked a little sad – pretty much the same look we all have after losing a match. It’s never fun to lose. I told him he played a GREAT game and he would beat half of the people that play in our APA league. He could of easily beat me 6 to 3 – I think I just got lucky.

I would say on a scale of the 2 – 7 system in APA, he was a solid 4. He had a great eye for making his shots, knew banks much better than me, had a solid stroke, confidence, and great cuts shots. It was really amazing to watch him play and he was great at conversation throughout the match.

He said the funniest things that would make me and Wendy giggle. I have to list them! Here we go…

1. “I want to be just like Alison Fisher…BUT not turn into a girl.”
2. “I’m Alison Fisher’s biggest fan. I wonder if she gives autographs on her favorite pool ball? My favorite pool ball is the 15, do you think that is hers?”
3. “You better not break and run. I don’t mind losing, but I hate when people break and run.”
4. Wendy whispers to Holmer, “Play smart against Jennefer. She’s a 4.” He replies, “Oooooh, now you tell me!”
5. When I was at 5 wins and he was at 3, he whispers to Wendy, “I’m gonna play well and hold Jennefer at 5!” Too cute.
6. “If you don’t want to scratch on a straight in shot, us the field goal method.” (he was referring to coming off the rail and glancing the object ball into the pocket when it’s sitting smack in the middle of the pocket – when you come off the rail, the ball goes in a 90 degree angle and he called it the field goal because a field goal is 90 degrees)
7. “Do you play foosball? Do you want to play?” (I’m horrible at foosball, but played and got really lucky and won.) He then said, “You are good at everything!” (Boy is he wrong!)
8. “Do you play air hockey? Do you want to play?” (I’m really horrible at this game. He beat me pretty badly.)

Holmer is pretty competitive, but a great winner and great loser. Since he can win and lose gracefully, he will do well in whatever he chooses to do. He was so sweet, smart and witty – all at the age of 8. Amazing. He then said, “Dad says we are going, but I want to have a pool party (not swimming, but billiards) at my house in August for my birthday.” He then said, “Since I met you and Wendy, both of the teams are invited and you can meet my friends.” How sweet is that?

I’m still in awe about what a great game he plays. I expect and have a good feeling that he will be playing in some junior’s tourneys and will be a shark in the next year or two. If it was allowed for minors to play in APA, he would be one tough person to beat. Not only is he great at his shots, he plays some pretty darn good safeties. He snookered me several times to get ball in hand. He has the mental discipline and makes great decisions on the table.

Thanks again Holmer for the games…hope to play another match with you soon.

My new poker Alita cards