China!!!

Well, I have again kind of stunk up the updating. Finally there are some tournaments coming up. I am going to try to find a way to blog from China during the World Championships even though it is blocked. I don't have much time because my flight is boarding. Thanks to everyone who helped with this trip. I will be back with a big update soon! For now, I have about 14 hours on a plane then a really long wait and 5 more hours on another plane. This is going to be great!!

I'm Alive....

I'm alive, but I needed a break. To be honest, my thoughts and feelings about the pool world have really been mixed lately. I needed to get away from it all for a period of time and rethink everything. The lack of tournaments and the lack of pool in general in my area has really sucked. I started to question whether or not I should even play anymore. I didn't play pool for nearly two months. Now, there are some tournaments approaching and I have something to look forward to. I know, everyone says that you should practice anyway. Stay on top of your game. I agree, but it is possible to just get burnt out from time to time. This was one of those times.

I don't think I have posted anything since before Vegas. So I guess I will start there. Everyone get in your time machine and go back a couple of months to the BCAPL National Championships in Vegas. I was invited to play in the US Open 10-ball tournament and I worked in the MezzUSA booth. I got to meet a lot of really cool people and hang out with old friends at the booth. I can't say that I played all that well in the tournament though. I drew one of my favorite players, Ralf Souquet. I was in awe of who I was playing, a huge mistake of course, but I had never played him before. I had lots of chances, but I was playing horrible to be honest. I got beat 9-3. My next match was against Jeremy Sossei. I had a big lead and blew it. I lost the match 9-7. It was a bit upsetting since I was ahead but it taught me that I need to work on closing matches. The highlight of the tournament for me....Jose Parica forfeiting first round. He misread the time on the bracket and showed up late. It isn't the way I would like to win a match, but it happened.

I did get to watch a lot of great pool though. Jason qualified for the World Pool Masters and finished in the top 32. The 10-ball event was full of great players. It was possibly the best field I have ever seen in an event. LeeVan Corteza was the eventual winner.

I got the chance to stop by the pawn shop where Pawn Stars is filmed, of course it was closed. We also ate at another Man Vs. Food spot, Hash House a Go-Go. Here are a few pictures from the trip....


My favorite part of the whole summer came after Vegas. I got a chance to do a charity event in New York City. If you have been following my blog you know that I love NYC. The event was put on by New York Giant Justin Tuck and it was for Literacy. It was held at Slate Billiards. I've never been around so many famous people! I got to meet Justin Tuck, Paul Sorvino, Melle Mel, lots of football players and my favorite, new Chicago Bulls player Carlos Boozer!


I also got a chance to hang out with all of my NYC friends and try some new stuff. I went fishing for the first time ever and it was awesome! I think I am hooked.....literally...yes, that is a hook, with bait on it stuck in my hair. A big thanks to Caroline, Rob, Supi, Justin and Jason for going along with the fishing trip!


I also got a chance to go to a Yankees game. I originally wanted to go to both a Mets game and a Yankees game, but I only got a chance to go to one. I can mark off another ballpark on my list to see! It is really a cool place to visit. We even got lucky and scored awesome seats by chance.



Another cool thing about NYC is the number of friends I have. Caroline was so nice to let us have a cookout every night. Another friend and Heartbacker, Chris Kurzwiel was nice enough to send us a bunch of meat from his farm, including a Turducken. If you aren't familiar with that it is a turkey, layer of stuffing, stuffed with a duck and a layer of stuffing, stuffed with a chicken!! Here is a pic of the turducken, the people who demolished it and part of the cooking crew...


After the fun in New York it was back to life as usual...back to work. I decided to take about a month off and just work. I got to root Jason on in the Canadian Championships. He won the 8ball and did well in the other divisions. Then he went off to Qatar for the World 9-ball Championships. Again I got to root him on from home. He did great there and finished 9-16th!!

I also decided to make a big change. I have been growing my hair out for about two years so I could donate it to Pantene for Kids. Finally it was long enough. I went and made the big cut about a week ago and had 11 inches of hair to donate!

And now we get to what has made me want to play pool again. I got the chance to help out at the Billiard Education Foundation Junior Nationals last week. I got to see a lot of kids that I have watched grow up and I got to meet a lot of new people that are so hopeful and excited to be playing pool. It was so refreshing to see kids that want to do nothing other than have fun playing pool. It was a reminder to me that that is what it is supposed to be about. There are some really amazing players out there and the future looks bright for American pool. Congrats to Landon Shuffett and Briana Miller for winning their divisions and winning their fourth National title in a row!! Congrats to Liz Lovely for winning her second straight title and to Billy Thorpe for winning his first. Each will get a chance to play in the World Championships in Reno in November! Here are the top finishers.... I also got to meet seven year old Eric Roberts from Florida. This little guy plays pretty good! I had to get a picture because there aren't many people out there that I can pose like this with...
Now it is time to start practicing hard again. The WPBA US Open is coming up July 28-August 1 in Norman, OK. I'm excited to have a tournament come around finally! I also just got news that I will be playing in the World 9-ball Championship in ShenYang, China and in the China Open in Shanghai, China. One tournament is in August and the other is in September!! Jason has also been invited to play in the World Cup of Pool again this year in Manila, Philippines. He will be teamed up with John Morra for team Canada! It seems as though it will be a month long trip to Asia!

If you would like to become a Heartbacker to help me get to these events you can donate on this page by clicking the donate button! I have plenty of t-shirts left for those of you that donate. I am really excited to get this opportunity again this year and hope to do as well as last year, if not better.

Well, that sums up the past couple of months. I apologize for leaving everyone hanging but like I said, I really needed a break! I will be back to doing at least weekly updates, if not more. Check back in a couple of days for a PoolDawg trivia question!

Update and Trivia!

I haven't been around for an update in quite some time. I really haven't had a ton of things going on since I got home from my big adventure known as the month of March! I have just been getting back to the daily grind of work and catching up. I am going to start my everyday practice next week until Vegas. I've also started an exercise program....that is the most shocking news to date! So now on to the other things that are important over the past couple of weeks...

First, earlier this week my buddy Mike at PoolDawg let me know that I will be traveling back to my favorite place on Earth, New York City!! I get to go hang out with lots of famous people playing pool for a fundraiser put on by Justin Tuck of the Giants! Frank and I will get to do a little hob-nobbing with some professional athletes and stars! I have never done anything quite so star studded so I really can't wait! Plus, any reason to go back to the place I love!!!

Second, I have decided to run a BEF Junior National Qualifier here in my hometown. I keep in touch with quite a few kids that I met at last years tournament and realized that they need another place to qualify. The BEF has been something very important to me over the years so I decided that I should try to help out a little bit. So if any of you know anyone under the age of 19 that would like to participate, please contact me here, on azbilliards, facebook or through the email link over to the right. If you don't live in my area, please consider holding one of these tournaments. It isn't too costly and it is really appreciated by the kids. They are the future after all! You can contact Laura Smith of the BEF by visiting the website.

Here are the details of the tournament:

Date: May 29, 2010

Where: Illinois State University Bowling and Billiard Center (site of last years BEF Junior Nationals)
700 West College Avenue
Normal, IL 61761-4405

What: 19 and under division, Top two finishers receive entry into the 2010 BEF Junior nationals in Dekalb, IL.

14 and under division, Top two finishers receive entry into the 2010 BEF Junior Nationalsi in Dekalb, IL.

Entry: $20. $15 goes toward BEF membership and $5 to the venue.

Equipment: 9' Brunswick Gold Crowns

Format: Race to 7. Double elimination with one race to 9 final.

Doors open at 11am and play will begin at Noon.

There will be trophies for first and second place in each division. If you have a girl that is any age under 19, please let me know. I would like to help any girls that would like a chance to play as well. I will gladly nominate them to play in the girls division.

I would also like to mention that any money that is donated via paypal from now until May 29, will go to the four kids that qualify through this qualifier. I know it is very costly for the kids and parents to travel to these tournaments. If you would like to donate, you know the drill, click the donate button and send it on over. Please specify that you would like to donate the money to the juniors. I really appreciate the help and I am sure the kids will too!

Third, I finally finished my next article for AZbilliards. I'm not sure if everyone knows that I started writing a monthly article last month. It is located at the bottom of the main page. I'm not sure when it will be published but it should be soon. I hope everyone enjoys it and thank you to AZbilliards for giving me the opportunity!

Fourth, a fellow blogger in this crazy blogosphere has decided to do an interview with me! I have to thank my buddy p00lriah for coming up with some serious questions! If you haven't read his stuff, it is pretty interesting! He is part of the monthly Pool Synergy stuff as well. There are links to all kinds of other blogs as well. I was told the interview will be posted on April 28th so be sure to check it out by clicking here!!

And last, but not least, PoolDawg trivia!!! This weeks question isn't all that hard but to start to get the Vegas fever moving a long it will be a Vegas inspired question! Who won the World Pool Masters event last year??? Remember to include your email address with your answer in the comments section. The winner will receive a $10 PoolDawg gift code!! You can always save 5% on your PoolDawg purchases by using the discount code ROUSEY.

Good luck everyone! Now that I look back, I guess this week really hasn't been quite so lacking in excitement!!

Big News!

I have to give a big thank you to my sponsor PoolDawg for entering me in the 2010 US Open 9-ball championships!! I have to give a big thanks to Barry Behrman as well for opening this years tournament to men and women. I think it will be a big success for everyone!

Here is the press release courtesy of PoolDawg:
PoolDawg to Enter Sarah Rousey In the US Open 9 Ball Championships

Lafayette, CO April 12, 2010 — PoolDawg, the recognized leader in online billiards and game room supplies, is proud to announce that they will be sponsoring WPBA Touring Pro Sarah Rousey in her attempt to become the first woman in history to win the US Open later this year. As the first woman to officially enter this event, Rousey will be breaking a long standing gender barrier that previously restricted entry to men.

“This is something we’ve wanted to do for some time now, so the timing of Mr. Behrman’s announcement allowing women to enter the US Open couldn’t be better.” said Michael Feiman, PoolDawg’s Director of Marketing. “Sarah continues to do a wonderful job representing our brand at billiards events and we are proud to have one of the up and coming stars of the WPBA represent us at the most prestigious domestic event in pool.” When asked about being given the opportunity to play in this event, Sarah said “After years of experiencing this great event as a spectator, I am thrilled to get a chance to play with the best men and women in the world! Thank you Mr. Behrman and PoolDawg for this opportunity.”

Sarah Rousey, a resident of Bloomington Illinois, is one of the rising stars of the WPBA, coming off a 5th place finish at the 2010 San Diego Classic. She holds wins over top pool players from around the globe and will pose a unique challenge to the 2010 field of the US Open. She will be accompanied to the US Open by PoolDawg’s trusty mascot, Frank. Fans will be able to follow Sarah’s training and preparation at http://www.sarahrousey.com and http://www.franksdawghouse.com.

About PoolDawg.com, Inc
With over 3,000 pool cues, cases, and game room accessories, PoolDawg is the premier destination for pool players of all levels. PoolDawg offers one of the widest selections of cues, cases and accessories on the web and carries billiards products from over forty manufacturers including Scorpion, Cuetec, Mezz, Lucasi, McDermott, Schon and Viking and can be found online at http://www.pooldawg.com.

Contact: Michael Feiman
mike[at]pooldawg.com
http://www.PoolDawg.com

Please remember to thank and support PoolDawg for helping me! Remember to use the discount code ROUSEY to receive 5% off all of your PoolDawg purchases.

I will be back later with a post and a trivia question.

Inspiration

I don't have too many words this post. I think I used them all up last post! What I do have are some commercials that many of you may have seen that I find quite inspirational.

First, a Nike commercial. If you listen to the song and what what is going on it is the most inspirational of them all. It is true. We all work hard and we all get knocked down. I think of this commercial when I get down on myself. It ultimately says that we make our own decisions, stay down or get up. Okay, enough blabbing. Here is the commercial:

Since I am a basketball fan, I have seen some cool and inspirational commercials while watching games. First up, determination:

Second, hard work. One thing that I tend to forget and then remember, then forget again is that hard work pays off.

Third, clutch. That is something that great athletes, business people, competitors of all kinds have nearly perfected. In my opinion, being clutch is the ultimate sign of having confidence in yourself.

And last but not least, a song that I think is pretty inspiring when things are questionable in your life. The Middle, Jimmy Eat World:

A non-lazy bum thing that I use for inspiration is keeping a couple of letters that I have received over the years from friends or fans or random people that were really nice and uplifting....I keep them in my case. I also like to keep emails and stuff and look them over here and there. I could be crazy, but I think it helps.

Feel free to leave a comment on what inspires you.

So now everyone knows that I watch a little too much TV, but hey, at least I got something out of it! Remember, you never know when someone is using you as inspiration.

Thanks to Nike and the NBA for making awesome commercials.

C'mon Slacker!!

Okay, okay, I'm sorry this took so long! So in case you have lived under a rock for the past month, you would know that I have done a little bit of traveling. By little bit I mean about 25,000 miles worth!

My trip began with a short little flight to Tokyo, then on to Taipei, Taiwan. By short I mean about 24 hours including layovers!! I flew on Japan Airlines and I have to say that is by far the best airline I have flown on for overseas flights. I caught up on movies and got hooked on a stupid game called Bejeweled. Before I knew it, my flight was over and I hadn't even slept!

The first matter of business when you play in the Amway Cup is a lunch banquet and a live press conference. By live I mean live TV. It is really pretty cool. We all go up on a stage and are introduced by group and seeding. Then they called Xiao-ting Pan, Allison Fisher and Chieh-Yu Chou up on stage. Apparently the website had a vote as to which player was the fan favorite and which type of flower suited their personality. Allison was a rose, XTP a snap dragon, and Chou a carnation. They each got about three dozen of their said flower. Here is a picture of that part of the ceremony...
The highlight of the press conference was the mispronunciation of my last name. I suddenly was turned into Sarah Roozey. Of course that led to a lot of laughs from the fellow WPBA players.

And if you don't think that pool is big in Taiwan, consider this, we were shown live on a major network for 8-12 hours a day. All of the editing was done on the spot and the production was really very cool. Here is the press talking to Ga Young Kim at the end of the press conference...
On to the tournament...My group was pretty brutal. Since I was the fifth seed in my group I had to play the top two players in my group on the first day. My first match was against Akimi Kajitani from Japan. She has been a top player on the international level for a very long time. I played her years ago in Las Vegas and won. This match I had plenty of chances but I just couldn't capitalize. I lost 7-2.

My second match was against the #1 seed, Allison Fisher. Everyone knows my history with Allison. We were scheduled to play at 7pm...directly after the opening ceremony. Well, as pool tournaments go, the earlier matches ran a bit late and all of a sudden our match was bumped to the last of the night and since I was playing Allison, they insisted that we wait to play on the TV table. We started our match at midnight! Again I started out really strong and then fell apart. I had lots of chances but just didn't capitalize and lost 7-2 again.

I finished my day in awful shape to move on in the tournament. I had to win all of my matches the following day to hope to have a chance. My first match was against the qualifier of our group. Of course that is generally the "easy" match. Boy was that untrue in just about every group! The qualifier in my group was 16 year old Siming Chen. She beat Allison her first match. I was trailing in the match 6-3 and suddenly things changed. I made a comeback. I remembered how to play safe and make balls...amazing when that happens! I came back to win 7-6! Chen went on to beat every other player in our group and finish 3/4th in the event! Good start to the day.

My next match was against the fourth seed in the group from Malaysia. Of course I started out shaky and lost the first few games. Typical from me lately. I actually started feeling comfortable and came back to win the match 7-3. Now I was putting myself in great shape to squeak through to the final 24. Going into the last round of the night there were four players of the group with a 2-2 record.

This set up my match with Pei Chen Tsai, winner of the China Open. I played like 100% garbage. I missed so many balls and just crumbled. Tsai and I have the same kind of tournament deal as Allison and I in the states...I tend to draw her in every international event. It is amazing that every time I travel around the world I run right into her! Anyway, I lost the match 7-2..again. My chances were shot of making it to the next round. The players that moved on were Fisher, Chen and Tsai. This is the gift I had for Tsai...
Here is a picture of the venue. We played on the ninth floor of a huge shopping mall. If you got bored you could always stop and buy a speedo!
Since I was out of the tournament I got to hang out and watch a lot of great pool. I'm sure since I am a month late everyone knows that Yu Ram Cha won the event. She really played great. Here is the beautiful trophy she won...
Here are some of my favorite things about the trip. First...soup dumplings!! If it wasn't for these, I would have starved to death!
Second, making new friends (and Heartbackers!) Thanks to Alison Chang for helping out so much with everything!
Third, the wonderful after party that is thrown for us every year...Thanks Mr. Tu!
Fourth, trying to iron in Asia. Good thing my clothes are small!
And the best of all, hanging with this rowdy bunch for a week overseas!
After all the fun it was time to leave. Thanks to the after party, I had a rough ride home. Free Heinekin is bad news! After another very long flight and lots of layovers I made my way to Alpine, CA for the WPBA event. I thought I was planning well going a few days early. I thought I would have plenty of time to sleep and catch up and feel normal. Boy was I wrong! I did the stupid thing and fell asleep very early in the day and it led to a week of either being awake all night or waking up at 3am and ready to conquer the day.

I got a chance to do something really cool on the Tuesday before the event. Along with Laura Smith, Dawn Hopkins and Allison Fisher we set out for the 32nd St. Naval base to do challenge matches. There was an awesome turn out and I got a chance to meet so many cool people. The entire crowd cheered when Allison finally lost one game...the whole day! Here is just about the whole group. Thanks to Ashi Fachler for the picture.
After the trip to the Navy base, Laura, Dawn and I head to Miramar for another few hours of challenge matches. I had a great time and got to meet more great guys and girls there. I didn't get a group picture but I have to say, some of those Marines can play! Stay safe everyone and thank you for serving our country!

On to tournament number two. I wasn't really sure what to expect in this event. I usually have a little trouble playing after traveling a long distance and adjusting back to life in the United States. My first match was against Dana Aft from Atlanta. I played alright, not great but not horrible. Dana was still a little nervous and you could tell. She is making great progress and I think she will be playing in a lot more pro events in the future. I won the match 9-5.

My next match was against RTC qualifier Lisa Marr. Lisa is a good player from Arkansas who played in quite a few pro events in the past. She played really well and we were neck and neck up to 5-5. A couple of mistakes on her part luckily gave me a couple of games. I finished out the match and won 9-5 again.

The next match was against Karen Corr. I have never had much luck playing her and I don't even remember a time that I was close to beating her. I have so much respect for her game that it nearly paralyzes me. I can't lie and say that I didn't have some chances, I just didn't have many! I made a little come back but it was way too little, way too late. I lost the match 9-4.

Saturday morning I had my match to get to the Final 16 redraw against Brittany Bryant. I had never played her before but I have a lot of respect for how she plays. I knew I had to play well and play smart. The match was back and forth until 5-5 again and she missed a 9ball. That kind of gave me a glimmer of hope and I ran with it. I made my way to the final 16. Who would I draw???

None other then the only person I draw in the redraw...Allison Fisher. Seriously, how many times does this have to happen!!! I was reminded by someone as I drew that I shouldn't be upset about drawing her because that is what you prepare for. You prepare to come to a tournament and play the best. Then I remembered that I had won before, why not do it again. And that I did. I was down in the match 4-1, then I had some life thrown back into me and I ran with it. Suddenly I was up 6-4. That is when my mind started racing and I starting thinking about winning the match. Just for that, it was 6-6 as soon as I blinked. I got to the hill first, 8-6. Then I made a mistake and it was 8-7 with Allison breaking. All I could think was "great, here we go, hill-hill. She is going to break and run." Well she did just that...down to the nine and missed! Holy crap she missed! Here is where I should mention that I am a nervous person. I tend to shake when I get nervous. I had to get up from my shot a couple of times because I was convinced that everyone could see me shake! Finally I calmed myself and made the winning 9ball!

Now if only the tournament ended right then and there. The emotional rush of a match like that does not have a good end result or beginning result of the next match rather. My next match was against Xiao-Ting Pan. Again, I had my chances and just couldn't get it together. Everything I did went wrong. I hooked myself. I scratched. I missed. Then I decided when I was down 8-3, maybe I should put up a fight. I did just that for a few games but the alternate break format got me. She broke and ran out when the score was 8-6. Oh well, so close, yet so far away.

All in all, I am very pleased with how things went. I know there is room for improvement, but I also know that I don't give up without a fight. It was great that my Dad and sister could be there to see me do well in a tournament. My dad said that the match with Allison is the best pool match he has ever seen. Obviously, he hasn't been to enough tournaments!

I got to hang with some cool people as always. It was great to make some new friends and hang with these crazies! Justin from TAR, thanks for the stream and part of the Asian invasion, trying to see how many of us fit in Justin's sweatshirt.
After a couple weeks away I thought I was going to have a smooth trip home. Think again. My flight was at 6am. I got to Chicago at 12pm. I then got to sit there until about 9pm waiting for Jason's flight from Toronto. Customs sucks sometimes! After that we had a two hour bus ride home. What a day! I got to sleep in my own bed for about 12 hours then it was in the car for the 14 hour drive to King of Prussia, PA for the Super Billiard Expo.

Hopefully everyone knows that I am sponsored by Mezz Cues. I got a chance to work at the booth along with Caroline Pao, Mika and a whole slew of others. I really like to work so this type of stuff is great in my opinion. I got to meet so many people! Here is the best part...I got my own poster! It was so awesome and nearly life size! Here is a look at team Mezz...
There was also a small women's tournament that Allen Hopkins added some good money to. It was sixteen players, single elimination, 10-ball. My first match was against My-hanh Lac. I actually played okay for working a lot and multi-tasking all weekend along with Caroline. I won the match 9-5 if I remember correctly. My next match was against Amy Chen. She made some errors but I really started feeling comfortable and won the match 9-3. This put me into some decent money and the semi final match.

My match was against Brittany Bryant. I was playing great and was way ahead in the match...6-1 to be exact. Then I started thinking. My head is a huge problem with my pool game. I started thinking about the next match, thinking of what I would do with the extra money, thinking about how I needed to get back to work, thinking of the weather, thinking of everything...so stupid!! I missed a 9ball to go ahead 7-1. After that the flood gates opened and I couldn't do anything right and she started playing incredibly well. Next thing I know, it is 7-6, and not in my favor! It has been a really long time since I have done that to myself. It is a snowball that starts rolling and doesn't stop. I lost the match 9-7 and I was very disappointed. I absolutely hate losing, but I hate losing even more when I self destruct in the middle of a match. Ugh..so I finished 3/4th.

Some of the cool new things I picked up at the Expo are the Magic Rack (available through MezzUSA) and some +Spot clothing. The rack gives you a perfect rack every time. It is a cool invention and is very affordable. The shirts are fashionable and new. Definitely check them out!

The best part of the whole Super Billiards Expo is meeting people and catching up with old friends. I especially love hanging with my friends from JimboArmy! Here are a few of my favorite people. Don't worry, the scared face is just acting!
I have to give a huge thank you to everyone that became Heartbackers at the tournament. I greatly appreciate it! You guys are so awesome and I can't believe how generous people are! It also helped to position the t-shirts near the beer cooler and thanks to my enforcer Paul!

The coolest part of the whole deal was going to dinner with a pretty diverse group. Mezz owners, Mika Immonen, Shane Van Boening, Caroline, Robert, Jason, Eric Crisp, Justin and myself. Shane won the tournament so he was on cloud nine. He and Mika someone got seated right next to each other. The dinner consisted of them making a game. Perhaps we have a big match coming up!! Stay tuned. Here is a picture of that side of the table...
So the Expo was over and I thought I would be heading home for a few days before moving on to Omaha, NE for a small tournament. Then I was kidnapped. Here is a picture of the happy group after dinner. They all look so pleasant. Who knew they were going to force me to visit New York City!! Of course I kicked and screamed the entire way...haha.
New York is absolutely my favorite place to visit. I love it there and would move there in a heartbeat if I suddenly became rich. I was pretty sad that I could only stay for two days. Of course the first place we had to go was Joe Shanghai in Chinatown! More soup dumplings. These are a little different then the Taiwan version. These take some skill to eat. Clearly I have not perfected it!
****TRIVIA ALERT****
The food tour didn't stop, the next meal was at a Korean Barbecue place. I have never had this and little did I know what I was eating. Here is your PoolDawg TRIVIA for this week. What am I eating in this picture.... All I have to say is this was my reaction to it...
I got to do a driving tour of Manhattan...scary thing, I was the driver! Thanks to Caroline for giving such a good tour and thanks to Jason and Justin for taking pictures. Here you have a foggy view of the Empire State Building, the New Years Eve dropping ball, the Late Show, and the World Trade Center rebuild...



I also stopped at my favorite NYC pool room, Skyline Billiards in Brooklyn. I've been lucky to make a lot of friends there and also run into some great competition. I absolutely love this pool room. From the action to the banter to the tables...even the burgers are good! They also have an awesome Tuesday night Open tournament. Race to five on the winners side, race to four on the losers side. Usually there are a lot of top players there. Lucky for me, they all must have been worn out from Valley Forge! I got lucky and won the tournament..woohoo! Thanks to Rob and Sammy, owners of Skyline.

My trip to New York was cut short by an invite to play in the Omaha Classic, an invite only tournament for 8 players that with the Omaha Home Show in Omaha, NE. Of course, me being me, I decided to push it until the last minute to get from New York City to Omaha, NE. Just a short 1241 miles to drive. Yes, sometimes I do think that I am insane!

Along the way we stopped at another Man vs. Food spot, Quaker Steak and Lube. They have some of the hottest wings ever made. I am a big sissy so I didn't try them, but Jason tried the level below the hottest and lived through it. I tried a very tiny amount and thought I would die!
After the long drive I arrived in Omaha an hour before I had to play. The tournament was an eight player, double elimination, race to 7. My first match was against Helena Thornfeldt. It was an ugly match that went hill-hill. A miss on the six ball left me a shot and I ran out. Next match was none other then, Allison, again. I lost 7-4. Then came another breakdown moment. I played Laura Smith and I was leading 6-3. Again my stupid head got in the way. I started thinking and I didn't close out the match. Another missed opportunity. Oh well....it happens. Thank you to Dick Johnson and Brian Hamburger for bring us back to Omaha!

If you ever get a chance to visit Omaha, it is really a cool city. You wouldn't expect anything to be so modern and also in the middle of nowhere! There are tons of restraunts, bars, galleries and specialty stores. My favorite thing to see was the construction of Ameritrade Park, the future home of the College World Series!

Finally, after a month of traveling, I am home! I get to sleep in my own bed and that definitely makes me happy! The next adventure is the BCA extravaganza in Vegas!

Remember, I put a trivia question in this post. The winner gets a $10 PoolDawg gift code!! Also remember, even if you don't win, you can still receive 5% off all of your purchases with PoolDawg by using the discount code ROUSEY! Good luck everyone.

Thank you everyone for checking back and waiting around for another dose of me. Sorry it took so long!