People are not their nicest in the wet weather. I was pushed, prodded and given dirty looks by fellow squashed train passengers; I was beeped at by cars as I crossed roads even though they were supposed to give way to me. I got pulled up on a few things by the boss: a few things I didn't know I was supposed to know, and a few things I should have known but couldn't answer on the spot. I had meetings I didn't know I had, and as a consequence, I missed out on lunch with the rest of my colleagues. Friday just wasn't my day, and the wet weather just made everyone irritable.
Friday evening, however, was a hoot. I went for birthday drinks with a group of colleagues at the Irish pub in Melbourne Central after work. Becs, the birthday girl, works as part of my team, and I recently realised she is the same age as me. I thought she was a little older; hell, she's a lot more mature than me. But then, I'm an idiot and very immature :)
She wanted to play some pool, so we did. Now, for those of you who were there in Canberra, or know of the pool story up in Canberra, this was like that. Only worse. We were playing pool, and were pretty crap at it, when two guys approached Becs, asking to join us in the next game. They had watched us for a while. Becs was fine with it, so sure, ok, that's cool. It's her birthday, it's up to her. That, and, I had no idea what kind of taste she had, so thought perhaps they could have been 'potentials' for her. I didn't like them from the start, though, and that was because one guy kept laughing and smiling in a really fake, non genuine way, whilst the other guy thought he was God's gift to women. I'm serious, and not exaggerating either. The first thing he said to us, after joining us, was, 'Hi, I'm Paul.. I'm English, you know,' with a very, faint English accent. He sounded more drunk than English.
One of the girls with us, Kaz, yells: 'huh?!'
Paul drawls on: 'I'm English, you can definitely hear it in my accent.'
Kaz yells again through the loud music: 'I can't hear it!'
Paul attempts again: 'I'm English, it's very obvious. I have a definite English accent.'
Kaz thinks for a bit, and then yells again: 'Nope, can't hear it in your voice..'
He stopped talking to her after that. I don't remember the other guy's name; he was scary, laughing and smiling in a fake way. Anyway, the game starts, with Michelle and Kaz up against these guys. It's Paul's turn, and he starts showing off, doing all these gestures to calculate how he'll hit each ball, measuring the distance, measuring the angle.. but not in his head. He uses his hands, and his body!! Before every hit, he bends over the pool table, stretches his arms out really wide to measure this and that, huffs really loudly in an obscene manner (at least I thought it was obscene), before he would shoot the ball. He did it every time! So then he sinks in four balls consecutively in an entirely exaggerated manner. Then on his fifth ball, he hits it wrong, and he thumps his foot, and whacks his hand onto the pool table, disappointed with himself, in the same exaggerated manner. I must have had a disgusted look on my face, seriously, because those guys didn't like me. It was a game, for Christ sake.
So up stepped Michelle in HR, who turned out to be like Nikki in Canberra!! She was a pool shark!! She saw Paul play, and knew he was playing us, so turned it on!! She had told us beforehand she'd played once or twice before, and did exactly what Nikki did up in Canberra: basically knowing the rest of the us couldn't play too well, blindly shoots everywhere, not taking it seriously. After she sees Paul showing off, she then sinks in the next four balls as well! Game on!! So then Paul makes up some bullshit rule, trying to change things up a bit, 'coz he's being outplayed by a girl, but Michelle has none of it. It went down to the final black ball, with everyone just smacking it.
The guys win it, though, the pricks.
But then he wants to play again, but with me and Becs the second time around. And the amazing part of it was that Becs was up for it!! Oh my God, I thought. So alright, not wanting to be a party pooper, we started playing. With my first shot, I hit the ball wrong and the ball just goes straight, not near any pocket. The guy smiling laughs his head off at me, and smacks his hand on his thigh, thinking it's hilarious. I gave him a quizzical look, but it makes him laugh even harder at me. Odd fellow. But then on my next shot, I accidentally snooker him, and the smile is wiped from his face, and he stares at me. So he walks up to me and says quietly, 'You're playing rough'. And I said, 'No, that didn't mean to happen', and he says sarcastically, 'Yea, sure.. You're playing rough'. And I shake my head and walk away from him. So then across the table, he gives me the slit across the throat gesture with his finger!! So I gave him a really dirty stare in return.
But amazingly, Becs and I find ourselves winning the game, when Paul brings up another rule we've never heard of: I had shot the white ball into a pocket, and the smiling guy with his next shot puts one of our balls in. Paul started arguing that it's a free shot, and it's still their turn, even though they get our ball in, and not their ball. I've never heard of such a rule, and neither had any of the girls. Not happy with us saying we didn't want to play with that rule, he starts getting very passionate, and then goes looking for security to find him the book of rules. He comes back, unsuccessful, and we start arguing again. It gets really heated, and suddenly Paul grabs Michelle's arm, and Michelle tears her arm away from him, and says to Becs, 'Just keep playing, and ignore them'. She starts arguing with Paul again, telling him not to touch her, before walking away to a different part of the table so she wouldn't have to listen to him. Meanwhile, Paul carries on for the next 10 minutes about the same topic, basically talking really loudly to himself.
So then I'm completely disgusted, and the look of disgust just hangs on my face. The smiling guy continues to laugh obscenely, trying to distract Becs and I by blocking the balls, sticking his face where the ball is etc.. I almost smack him with my cue stick in one shot because he just put his hand in front of me when I was about to shoot. I was so not amused, and I refused to talk to them, and continued to snooker him every time I could, but deliberately by then. It goes down to the wire, again! Down to the last black ball, and I was SO close to getting it in! It hits the side of the pocket, just millimetres away from sinking in, but then bounces back out. Damn!
So then it's the smiling dude's turn, and he says something to Becs, which I don't really pay attention to, refusing to really look at him. I was just so digusted. Becs starts laughing at whatever he says, and shakes her head, and he says it again to her, and she's still laughing. I'm not sure what happened next because I wasn't watching, but then he hits the ball, and sinks it into the corner pocket, and before I know it, he's kissing her!!!!!
What the &*(*?!
I was flabbergasted. I honestly didn't know what to think. In hindsight, I think Becs is just wayyy too nice and didn't know how to say no emphatically. I'm going to have to ask her what the hell was up with that kiss!
So.. Has anyone heard of such a rule in pool?
Friday evening, however, was a hoot. I went for birthday drinks with a group of colleagues at the Irish pub in Melbourne Central after work. Becs, the birthday girl, works as part of my team, and I recently realised she is the same age as me. I thought she was a little older; hell, she's a lot more mature than me. But then, I'm an idiot and very immature :)
She wanted to play some pool, so we did. Now, for those of you who were there in Canberra, or know of the pool story up in Canberra, this was like that. Only worse. We were playing pool, and were pretty crap at it, when two guys approached Becs, asking to join us in the next game. They had watched us for a while. Becs was fine with it, so sure, ok, that's cool. It's her birthday, it's up to her. That, and, I had no idea what kind of taste she had, so thought perhaps they could have been 'potentials' for her. I didn't like them from the start, though, and that was because one guy kept laughing and smiling in a really fake, non genuine way, whilst the other guy thought he was God's gift to women. I'm serious, and not exaggerating either. The first thing he said to us, after joining us, was, 'Hi, I'm Paul.. I'm English, you know,' with a very, faint English accent. He sounded more drunk than English.
One of the girls with us, Kaz, yells: 'huh?!'
Paul drawls on: 'I'm English, you can definitely hear it in my accent.'
Kaz yells again through the loud music: 'I can't hear it!'
Paul attempts again: 'I'm English, it's very obvious. I have a definite English accent.'
Kaz thinks for a bit, and then yells again: 'Nope, can't hear it in your voice..'
He stopped talking to her after that. I don't remember the other guy's name; he was scary, laughing and smiling in a fake way. Anyway, the game starts, with Michelle and Kaz up against these guys. It's Paul's turn, and he starts showing off, doing all these gestures to calculate how he'll hit each ball, measuring the distance, measuring the angle.. but not in his head. He uses his hands, and his body!! Before every hit, he bends over the pool table, stretches his arms out really wide to measure this and that, huffs really loudly in an obscene manner (at least I thought it was obscene), before he would shoot the ball. He did it every time! So then he sinks in four balls consecutively in an entirely exaggerated manner. Then on his fifth ball, he hits it wrong, and he thumps his foot, and whacks his hand onto the pool table, disappointed with himself, in the same exaggerated manner. I must have had a disgusted look on my face, seriously, because those guys didn't like me. It was a game, for Christ sake.
So up stepped Michelle in HR, who turned out to be like Nikki in Canberra!! She was a pool shark!! She saw Paul play, and knew he was playing us, so turned it on!! She had told us beforehand she'd played once or twice before, and did exactly what Nikki did up in Canberra: basically knowing the rest of the us couldn't play too well, blindly shoots everywhere, not taking it seriously. After she sees Paul showing off, she then sinks in the next four balls as well! Game on!! So then Paul makes up some bullshit rule, trying to change things up a bit, 'coz he's being outplayed by a girl, but Michelle has none of it. It went down to the final black ball, with everyone just smacking it.
The guys win it, though, the pricks.
But then he wants to play again, but with me and Becs the second time around. And the amazing part of it was that Becs was up for it!! Oh my God, I thought. So alright, not wanting to be a party pooper, we started playing. With my first shot, I hit the ball wrong and the ball just goes straight, not near any pocket. The guy smiling laughs his head off at me, and smacks his hand on his thigh, thinking it's hilarious. I gave him a quizzical look, but it makes him laugh even harder at me. Odd fellow. But then on my next shot, I accidentally snooker him, and the smile is wiped from his face, and he stares at me. So he walks up to me and says quietly, 'You're playing rough'. And I said, 'No, that didn't mean to happen', and he says sarcastically, 'Yea, sure.. You're playing rough'. And I shake my head and walk away from him. So then across the table, he gives me the slit across the throat gesture with his finger!! So I gave him a really dirty stare in return.
But amazingly, Becs and I find ourselves winning the game, when Paul brings up another rule we've never heard of: I had shot the white ball into a pocket, and the smiling guy with his next shot puts one of our balls in. Paul started arguing that it's a free shot, and it's still their turn, even though they get our ball in, and not their ball. I've never heard of such a rule, and neither had any of the girls. Not happy with us saying we didn't want to play with that rule, he starts getting very passionate, and then goes looking for security to find him the book of rules. He comes back, unsuccessful, and we start arguing again. It gets really heated, and suddenly Paul grabs Michelle's arm, and Michelle tears her arm away from him, and says to Becs, 'Just keep playing, and ignore them'. She starts arguing with Paul again, telling him not to touch her, before walking away to a different part of the table so she wouldn't have to listen to him. Meanwhile, Paul carries on for the next 10 minutes about the same topic, basically talking really loudly to himself.
So then I'm completely disgusted, and the look of disgust just hangs on my face. The smiling guy continues to laugh obscenely, trying to distract Becs and I by blocking the balls, sticking his face where the ball is etc.. I almost smack him with my cue stick in one shot because he just put his hand in front of me when I was about to shoot. I was so not amused, and I refused to talk to them, and continued to snooker him every time I could, but deliberately by then. It goes down to the wire, again! Down to the last black ball, and I was SO close to getting it in! It hits the side of the pocket, just millimetres away from sinking in, but then bounces back out. Damn!
So then it's the smiling dude's turn, and he says something to Becs, which I don't really pay attention to, refusing to really look at him. I was just so digusted. Becs starts laughing at whatever he says, and shakes her head, and he says it again to her, and she's still laughing. I'm not sure what happened next because I wasn't watching, but then he hits the ball, and sinks it into the corner pocket, and before I know it, he's kissing her!!!!!
What the &*(*?!
I was flabbergasted. I honestly didn't know what to think. In hindsight, I think Becs is just wayyy too nice and didn't know how to say no emphatically. I'm going to have to ask her what the hell was up with that kiss!
So.. Has anyone heard of such a rule in pool?
First and foremost I'll answer the pool question for you. Not that I am a pool shark. I'm quite useless. But if they hit your ball in on a free, it's still there shot. Unless they pot the black ball. Then naturally you'd be an instant winner. Oh, but was it the nominated ball that they hit in?? Hmmmm, it can be confusing. Basically as I remember it when I played years ago it was ok to pot another persons ball on a free. If you had not have potted the white ball and their next shot had been one of yours, then yeah that is not ok, but they were on a free. Anyway I hope that helps, even though it wasn't the answer you really wanted..sorrryyy..:/
ReplyDeleteHmmmm sounds like an interesting night though. And the kiss. As I was reading that came totally unexpected even to me. Bad call by Bec in my books. But if she finds those types of guys attractive, what can you say??..lol..
Anyway, hope you're all good. :) Rake care and umm take care too. *hugs*
Rake care, eh?
ReplyDeleteI asked Becs what was up with that, and she thought it was a low probability shot, and really didn't want to kiss him at all.. think she's just wayy too nice.
But that's interesting, 'coz Niks mentioned she'd never heard of the rule either. Am going to ask others around here, too!
Nikki said...
ReplyDeleteAbout the pool question.. there is no such rule. They get two shots provided they don't pot the white or any of the oppositions ball in. If they pot your ball in, then it's imediately your turn and you get two shots. I'm 99% sure!! But there is that 1%. If I'm wrong, could you let me know babe because I've been playing that way for 10 years!!! hang on I've got the rule book at home, will let you know for sure !!! *wink*
I was talking to Phuongy on the phone (Phuongy, comfirm?) and she said she did a search on rules, and apparently there is such a rule! She's going to send me the book of rules, and see.. But I told the girls tonight, and Winnii had never heard of such a rule, and some of us know how good she is (as well as you, Niks). Winnii was adamant there was no such rule. Will continue asking, and will update once I know more!
ReplyDeleteps. Niks - you write exactly the way you talk.. i can HEAR you talking in those words, as well as the gestures you'd make, and your facial expression!
Well.. I had a look at our rule book and that's according to the Australian billiard's 8 ball championship rules and I couldn't find exactly what we were looking for. But what I did find was that in the foul section, it states that if they pot your ball in, you get an additional shot like I explained in the other comment. Now it wouldn't make sense now if the opposition pots your ball, then get's another shot, then you you get your turn and you get two shots. It just wouldn't make sense! gees things can turn complicated!! *shaking head* Now I'm curious because, I've played with so many different people in the past and I'm talking about pool experts, pool joint owners pool joint workers, even strangers (challengers)and so much more..!Now Thuy, stop laughing it's not funny! I'm serious!
ReplyDeleteYeh i don't know why I talk like that. I'm glad you saw the facial expressions because I was doing definately them!! Well better go, see ya babe!! *big hug*
ps.I like this comment thing, it's cool!