Sarah Rousey

I'm Back!

2011-05-05T22:45:00.004-05:00

Well, I am finally back to blogging. It has been pretty uneventful lately in the pool world for me for the past year or so. I'm not traveling so much this year and there aren't as many WPBA events. What does that leave to talk about??

Finally, something very important to me has come along. I have been offered a position with Cue Sports International as the Junior Program Coordinator!! As everyone knows, I started playing pool as a young pup. Now that I'm all grown up, I'd like to help the future of our great sport. With the help of Mark Griffin and all of the great people at CSI, I am getting that chance. There are lots of big plans in the works.

Something coming up very soon will be the BCAPL Nationals. Throughout the event there will be Challenge the Pro matches being held on 9ft tables, from 4-6pm at the Straight Pool Challenge area of the main tournament room. Each day there will be top pros to challenge for a small price. There will also be a Challenge the Stars event on May 17th on the bar tables in the main event room from 8-10pm. All proceeds will go toward forming the junior program. There will be prizes, raffles and auctions throughout the event as well.

If you are wondering what we mean by junior program, here is a hint. Some of us noticed that the USA is falling behind a little bit when it comes to international events. On top of that, pool is not a mainstream sport in this country so the future is a little bleak. The only way to change that is by promoting and building the game from the bottom. By bottom, I mean age. Pool isn't promoted at all to young kids in a positive way. We would like to change that.

The money raised will go toward providing coaches for the players that win the Billiard Education Foundation Junior Nationals. The coaches will help those players prepare and stay focused for the World Championships. They will also accompany them to the World Championships.

There is also a regional Cue Camp idea that is being thrown around. All of the details need to be ironed out, but once they are, all levels will get a little guidance. Everyone deserves to see the beauty of this game.

I really can't wait to get all of this going. I am hoping this can lead to really great things and a really great future for the kids.

If you would like to help us raise money, you can donate here through the blog by using the donate button on the right-side of the page. You will get a confirmation that says the purpose of donating. If you are attending the BCAPL Nationals, please take advantage of the chance to play some of your favorite pro players, meet some of the top junior players, and learn about the pro side of the sport!

If you are someone that can offer products to raffle or auction, please contact me at sarahr(at)playcsipool.com.

I have had some questions about the Heartbacker program for 2011. I have decided not to do it this year since I am not planning to travel overseas at all and due to the lack of big events to fund this year. I didn't think it was right to ask for money for expenses when there are virtually zero expenses! If you would still like to donate money...please put it toward this project. It will benefit plenty of people rather than just one. I promise, they will be just as grateful!

China!!!

2010-08-23T09:35:00.002-05:00

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....

2010-07-13T18:48:00.010-05:00

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!

2010-04-23T11:20:00.003-05:00

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!

2010-04-12T12:37:00.003-05:00

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

2010-04-08T23:53:00.004-05:00

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!!

2010-04-01T22:10:00.029-05:00

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!

I'm Home!

2010-03-28T23:41:00.002-05:00

I am finally home from a very long trip! I will be back tomorrow with a long post and lots of pictures. It was really great to meet a lot of new people throughout my travels and as always, great to catch up with old friends!

Thank you to everyone that became a Heartbacker this trip. You guys are so generous and I greatly appreciate all of the support you have given!

Pez, it was nice to meet you in person as well. I am glad you enjoyed your trip to San Diego!

Talk to everyone soon and look out for a trivia question tomorrow.

A Little Something..

2010-03-12T05:23:00.002-06:00

I know, I haven't done an update again! The trip to Taiwan was so-so and of course, I am not pleased with how I played. I will be back with pictures and updates later.

The WPBA event here in San Diego has been going well so far for me. I have been battling jetlag pretty bad, but I can't complain too much considering there were about 10 other players right there with me. Tuesday I went to visit the Naval base and the Marine base. I met some really, really cool people and had a great time! Thanks guys for the confidence boost and for the fun times and friendship!

I won my first match 9-5 against Dana Aft. I didn't play great. I made mistakes and just wasn't confident at all. I did enough to win the match...barely. My second match I played a bit better against Lisa Marr. I got a couple lucky rolls which made up for the few bad misses I made at the end of the rack. I won that one 9-5 as well.

My next match is Friday night at 7:45 pst against Karen Corr. I know that I better start out strong in this one and not make the careless errors that I made today. It will be a battle that is for sure!

So far there aren't any huge upsets. The usuals, Karen, Allison, Jasmin, Xiao-Ting, Ga Young, Monica are all still going strong in the winners bracket. Some of the newcomers have shown that they can play with some upsets over some lower seeded players. I think it is going to be a very interesting tournament!!

I promise to be back with a better post and lots of pictures. For now, it is 3:30 am and I need to attempt to sleep! Damn this 16 hour time difference!

If you would like to watch the live stream beginning at 1pm pst on Friday you can click here or watch below!
Live TV by Ustream

Break is Over! and Trivia

2010-02-26T12:29:00.011-06:00

I left you all hanging because I needed a little break. Too bad it wasn't much of a break but more of a jam packed couple of weeks. I worked and practiced and cooked and organized and who knows what else in my "break" time. Where to start...how about Valentine's Day weekend...

I went out to lunch with my Mom, sister Brandi, and niece Alexia to the Tea Room in Mackinaw, IL. It was awesome food and a fun time...a couple pics for you.. After a nice lunch and shopping with the girls I had a date...woohoo. Jason and I went to Jim's Steakhouse here in Bloomington for a nice dinner. Sorry I didn't take any pictures of that. Overall it was a pretty full day, literally!

I also decided to try my hand at cooking. It isn't my specialty and I have been known to burn water. Usually I just stick to things like pop tarts, toast, you see the point. Thanks to the Klatt family at Christmas, I fell in love with eggs benedict. And thanks to Germany, I fell in love with crepes. I had to try to make both of course. I didn't take pictures of the crepes because one, I forgot and two, the weren't all that beautiful to look at. That one is a work in progress. I am pretty proud of the eggs benedict though. Forgive the lack of makeup!

I also decided to go arts and crafts for a bit too. I had a request for a baby Heartbacker t-shirt. So I decided to try that out. I think it turned out great! So if you have a little one that would like a t-shirt, just let me know. I can do pretty much any color you like since it is on a white shirt.

I also made a bet with my buddy Chris Bartram that I would practice a lot before the Amway Cup in Taiwan. So I decided to put in at least an hour everyday. It has been strange actually putting in a little work but with my coach around to keep me focused, it was a little easier. Now I am on my own to keep it up. Only a few days left until I leave!

Last weekend I went to Olathe, Kansas for the Midwest 9-ball Tour tournament. It was held at Shooter's Billiards which is one of the most awesome places for pool in all of the United States. It is home to some of the biggest action, biggest tournaments and best players. I would be willing to bet that it is hard to find a top player that hasn't made a trip through Shooter's at least once in their life. The tournament was held on bar tables, thank god it was 9-ball not 8-ball! I played decent, not great, but decent. I had some rough matches and some good matches. Overall though, I played just well enough to win! The men's turn out was also great, 100 players with quite a few top names. Jesse Bowman won, James Baraks got second and the one and only Jason Klatt got third. I have to say it was a great weekend for us! Even Frank got to go along this time.

The other great part about visiting the Kansas City area is the food. For those of you that don't know, Kansas City is famous for Barbecue! Last year when I went I tried a place called Arthur Bryants. This year I decided to try a different place, Gates Barbecue. My buddies Kyle Odell and girlfriend Connie and Chris Jeffers went along for the adventure again this year. Thanks guys! After two Presidential Platters, we were all stuffed!!

One of my favorite shows is Man vs. Food on the Travel Channel. Not too long ago they did a show in Springfield, IL. Luckily, I just happen to go right through Springfield on my way back to Bloomington! We had a plan to stop at both places, Cozy Dog for the corndogs and Joe Rodger's Chili for the chili, but of course, the chili place closes at 4pm and I got there at 4:30. Geez, don't they know who I am?? Just kidding. I did get pictures though!

Now it has just been back to work for the last week. My other half went back to Canada so that was pretty sad, as always. Good thing I have my little buddy at work with me to keep me company...introducing Leo the dog. Yes, that is my messy desk.
I also need a little help from my readers. I am an avid reader and since I have the big long trip to Taiwan coming up, I need some suggestions on good books to read. I'm open to reading a little bit of everything but mystery, horror, crime, etc are my favorite. Please help!

Also, a big thanks to everyone that has become a Heartbacker this year so far! I really appreciate all of your help!! I am very excited for the trip to Taiwan and I will do daily updates to keep everyone in the loop. I will also try to find the link to the live stream.

And last but not least, PoolDawg trivia!!!!!!! I am going to change it up this week and do a photo caption contest instead of the usual trivia question. I am going to announce a winner on Sunday night. Please be sure to include your email address along with your answer in the comments. Here is the picture. Thanks to Markus Hoffstaetter for taking the funny pic and sorry Oscar, this was way too good to pass up!

The winner will receive a $10 PoolDawg gift code! Remember, you can always save 5% at PoolDawg by using the discount code ROUSEY.

Thanks everyone for the long wait for a post. I appreciate your patience!

I'll Be Back

2010-02-23T11:17:00.001-06:00

Sorry I have been gone for about a week. I will be back later tonight with a post. Thanks everyone for checking in and waiting for something new!

Changes, Europe part 2 and Trivia!!

2010-02-10T19:52:00.028-06:00

I'm sure that you noticed the changes as soon as you came to visit my blog today. With the help of my friend Jay, the site has gotten a face lift! There are now different tabs at the top of the page. If you click on those you are taken to a new page with different features.

The first page, Home, is obviously my ramblings.

The second page, Heartbackers 2010 has a donate button and an example of what the t-shirts look like. I am also planning to add some other features, but I need a bit of help from all of the Heartbackers. I would like for everyone that has decided to donate this year to take a picture either wearing or displaying your t-shirt. I am going to post those pictures (with your permission of course) on that page. I am also planning to make a map of where all of the Heartbackers are from. Here is an example of the Heartbacker pictures I am talking about. Thanks Dad, Mom and Jason for modeling!
The third page is the Media page. Here you can find all of the videos, interviews, pictures, and articles that I have done over the years. I will be adding more to that later, but for now, it has been started.

The fourth page is the Question and Answer section. A few people have asked if this section was possible. There isn't a way to directly ask the question on the page, but if you email me the question (sr9ball@hotmail.com) and I will post and answer the question ASAP on that page. Feel free to ask anything. I really enjoy the interaction!

The last page is my schedule. I haven't done anything yet, but I will soon add places that I know for sure I will be playing or watching.

Alright, enough business and on to the German fun that took place last week. I got a chance to do some site seeing after the guys were eliminated. We took the train to Hannover, which took about 15 minutes to get to the city center, and began our wandering. One cool thing about Hannover is the red line that goes through town. You can buy a guide and follow the red line to all of the interesting things to see. Each one is numbered and the guide explains what you are seeing. It seemed like a good place to start!

The main reason that I wanted to visit Europe was to get the chance to see the architecture. In the United States we have some really cool places, but we don't really have any places that were built as far back as the 1300's. Here are two churches that were built in the 1300's, Aegidien Church and Market Church. The third picture is the inside of Market Church. I really liked the high ceiling and I was in awe of how this church was built so long ago.

Next we moved on to New Town Hall. It was pretty elaborate as well!
We also visited Old Town. To me it was traditional German architecture. There were little shops and outdoor markets...
All throughout the city there are different sculptures. Some of them were very old and others were pretty new. Here are a few of them that I thought were interesting...

Now on to the food and drink portion. I know everyone has been waiting for that!! There were some things that I thought were essential to try while in Germany...beer, pretzels, sausages, and what I really fell in love with, crepes! And I can't leave out McDonalds. I have pledged to try it out in every country I visit. First up, beer! My only complaint was that the beer is served a little warmer than it is in the States. Other than that, it was all good!

I tried a pretzel from a vendor on the street. I did notice though that everywhere had pretzels and they weren't served warm.
Perhaps the funniest thing that I saw was this brat vendor. I didn't try one from him, but I did try one at the expo. The bun is about a quarter the size of the brat!

As for McDonalds, it tasted exactly the same as at home. The one big thing that I noticed a huge difference was with this sandwich, the big toasti. It is hard to tell anyone that this isn't an instant heart attack!
Now for dessert...crepes! I've never really tried them but the entire USA team was raving over them. I had to try them. I have also never tried Nutella. It is warm chocolaty goodness!!

I mentioned before that the tournament was being held on the grounds of the 2000 World Expo. There were a ton of cool buildings. We tried to get a little creative with some of them.

There were also other expos going on including a Harley show, car show, home show, outdoor show and a travel show. Here are some of the interesting things that I saw...

Did I mention that there was a pool tournament going on??? I have to say that this was probably the most awesome tournament that I have ever seen. There was excitement and upsets. It was well run and on time. There were plenty of tables and practice tables. The promoters really went all out. In my opinion, I think this is a tournament that can really take off and I hope they continue to have this event. Hopefully more teams will be involved and rumors will not swirl just before the next event. Here are some highlights of the finals....the Philippines against Great Britain. I think everyone had Great Britain pegged as a real underdog. They showed a ton of heart and were the eventual winners! Congrats guys!

I have to say thanks to one person, Markus Hofstatter. He helped us when we needed translation or to find something good to eat. He is also an awesome photographer with a great blog. If you want to see more pictures from the event or other European events and places to visit, check out his blog! Thanks Markus! Here are Markus and Jason enjoying some smoked salmon and halibut from the expo...
Overall I think it was a really great trip and I am glad I didn't pass on the experience. I got to root on my man... and after all of the trips to Asia, I was really happy to have a normal bathroom with a toilet and toilet paper! Sorry no pictures of that. I am glad to say goodbye to Hannover.. simply for the fact that I don't like have to sleep both of us in a bed like this...!!!
Now I am back home with my family... and it is time to start practicing big time for the Amway Cup!!

Of course I didn't forget the PoolDawg Trivia! I am going to make it very easy this week because I am really, really tired!

Who was on the team for the winners of the World Team Championship??

Please remember to leave a comment with your answer and email address so I can send the $10 PoolDawg gift code to the winner. Remember, even if you don't win this week you can still save money on your PoolDawg purchase by using the discount code ROUSEY.

Good luck everyone and I hope you enjoy the new layout and pictures!

European Vacation part 1

2010-02-03T01:33:00.011-06:00

It took me 27 years, but I finally made my way to Europe! I know, most people don't really think visiting Germany in the winter is all that smart...with all of the snow on the ground and the bitter cold, I might agree..haha. I haven't had much of a chance to see anything yet. The venue and hotel are a little ways away from the city center. I plan to make it there as soon as we get a chance.

We started the adventure in Chicago on Thursday night. We had a straight flight to Copenhagen, then a long layover. The flight itself was really pretty easy compared to all of the trips to Asia that I made last year. Eight hours is a breeze! When we got to Copenhagen airport I was in shock. It was the nicest airport I have ever been in. I wasn't sure if I was in an airport or a luxury casino or a fancy shopping mall!See what I mean! That is only a small portion of the airport!

The other thing that I found fascinating was the prize drawing that we saw. For 50 euro you can get a raffle ticket to win a luxury car. By luxury car I mean ferrari, lamboghini, etc. The big advertising point that they used was that you could win the car tax free. Here is the ad and one of the cars.
With some bad weather our layover went from six hours to about nine hours. Not much fun but luckily, since this was no ordinary airport there was a quiet area. I couldn't believe it! You could pretty much lay down, take a nap, read book and just get away from everything.
After a nice nap and relaxation it was finally time to board the plane to Hannover. We didn't realize that we had to take a bus to the plane or that a major snow storm had started. Here is a view of the snow and a very shaky picture of Jason and I freezing while waiting to get on the plane.

We finally arrived in Hannover late Friday night. We got some rest and the guys started playing Saturday evening. The venue is really very nice. Lots of seating, nice lighting, good amount of practice tables, and quite a few spectators. Obviously, they are rooting very hard for the two home teams.
It is a huge area with about thirty different buildings. I was told that the 2000 Worlds Fair was held here in Hannover and the tournament is being held in one of those buildings. There is really a lot of cool architecture but I haven't had a chance to check much of it out. This is the structure right outside of the venue.
So, if you didn't know, there is a pool tournament going on! Everyone knows that my boyfriend is Canadian so I am here rooting on both the Canadians and the Americans. The Canadians had a pretty tough draw, Germany II. They had a great chance but ended up losing 4-2. They came back with a strong win against Austria in the first round losers bracket. The format of the event is two 8-ball doubles matches, race to 6, two singles 9-ball matches race to 8, and if needed, two 10-ball singles matches race to 7. Canada was down 3-1 going into the 10-ball matches. Jason and Erik both came through with wins to force a play-off. Here is where it gets really exciting. If the score is tied 3-3, it goes to a shootout. The shootout is a race to 6. Four players on the team are chosen to shoot a modified spot shot. The object ball is placed along the first diamond from the end rail, in the middle and the cue ball is placed on the opposite spot. Here is a picture to make it a little more clear.. As you can see, it isn't a very easy shot! Canada made it look a little bit easy though. They made six out of nine shots for the win 6-3. They play Israel today at 1pm. Here are a couple action shots from the matches with Germany and Austria.

The USA is having an easier time. They are playing really well and are undefeated. They have won matches against France and Morocco so far and are in the final sixteen redraw. Here are a couple pictures of them in action...

Some of the other teams looking good are Sweden, Philippines, China, Germany I and the USA.

There is also a car and motorcycle show going on. The Harley Davidson show is along with the pool tournament. There are probably about fifty different bikes from different eras all on display. I will post pictures later. But now I am off to watch Canada move on in the tournament! I will be back later with updates and more pictures.

A Week to Forget

2010-01-28T11:50:00.004-06:00

Have you ever had one of those weeks that you would just like to forget? That is how I am every year when the week that January 21 falls upon. That is the day I was diagnosed, my anniversary as I call it. The celebration of the day my life changed and my longest relationship thus far, 17 years now. Maybe it is the psychological part of things that make that week suck or maybe that week is just doomed in my book. Usually, I am the one to get sick. This year I was alright though. It was just a bad week.

The pool room was closed for a few days this week so they could get new carpet. Hopefully they will decide to recover the tables sometime soon as well. That means there was no weekly tournament this week. I decided to be a little lazy instead. The week was going by fine and then Friday morning I kept getting a phone call early in the morning from the same number. It is no secret that sleeping is my favorite thing to do and one thing I do very well. After about four calls from the same number, I finally woke up. It was the emergency room and my dad was there having chest pains. Apparently my mom is also a champion sleeper because they couldn't get a hold of her either. We both rushed to the hospital and got to talk to my dad. Thankfully we only live about three blocks from the hospital and it wasn't too busy at the hospital. My dad got in quick and the doctor took great care of him. He ended up having a heart attack. After a few days in the hospital he was free to come home and consider the changes in life that need to be made. He is just about back to normal now. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers! Dad in his new hangout spot with a little help getting better from Sophie the really fat cat:

After all the excitement, the week was finally over. Sunday was a good start to the new week. My grandma, Flo, celebrated her 88th birthday. Her favorite dish is spare ribs. Lucky for grandma, we have a good cook in the house...Jason. He whipped up some awesome ribs, corn, sweet potatoes, and fruit salad. I took care of the corn bread. I do have pics, but since I am at work, I will have to add them to the post later on. Use your imagination for now! Grandma and the ribs:

Sunday I also went to the Brad Paisley concert here in Bloomington. I am not a huge country fan, but I must say, this concert was an absolute blast! Thanks to my big sis Brandi for helping me get tickets months ago. I will add pics later!

I am a little upset that I didn't get to make it to the Derby City Classic this year. That tournament has been the official start and one of the highlights of the year for the past seven years or so. After all, it is the tournament to blame, err...responsible for introducing my boyfriend and I five years ago! I miss the action and getting to catch up with everything and everyone, but hey, life happens sometimes! If you would like to follow along with some of the action, here you goOnline TV Shows by Ustream Thanks to The Action Report for their great coverage of the action.

Other big news, I am going to Germany today with Jason. He is on the Canadian team along with Erik Hjorliefson, Tyler Edey and Alain Martel in the World Team Championships. I have never been to Europe so this is really an exciting trip for me. Plus, it is kind of a vacation. Don't worry Heartbackers, this is not where your money went. A sponsor of his helped us get there! I will have plenty of pictures and updates from the tournament action all week! This 8 hour flight should be a breeze compared to all of the trips to Asia! You can follow the tournament with online coverage starting on Saturday. There is a seven hour time difference from the east coast. Here is the website link. I am going to stay safe and say that I am going to cheer on North America! We made it to the airport, and no, I don't have food on my face, that is a big zit:

Last Thursday I got a chance to film a small spot for the local news. I was contacted by Brandon Arnold from WMBD in Peoria about doing a weekly, light hearted spot where he is challenged. We played a couple games of pool and chatted a bit. Thanks Brandon and WMBD for the opportunity! You can watch by clicking here.

So I can't say it was a horrible week, but I did need some time to just calm down and take it all in. I apologize for just leaving everything behind for a few days.

Here is what everyone has been waiting for, this weeks trivia, a little late! Thank you PoolDawg for sponsoring the trivia!

This weeks question: What players won titles in Banks, One Pocket and 9-ball at the first Derby City Classic??

Good luck everyone! Remember to leave your email address along with your answer so I can send you your $10 PoolDawg gift code. Remember, even if you don't win, you can always save 5% on your PoolDawg purchase by using the discount code ROUSEY.

Lastly, thank you to all of the Heartbackers who have donated so far! I greatly appreciate the support you have given. Everyone should have already received their shirts or will receive them by next Monday. I have plenty of shirts left! If you would like one, just donate any amount, $25 and up.

I will add pics to the post when I get to the airport tonight. Check back around 6pm for pics to be added!

Hot Off the Press!

2010-01-18T16:40:00.005-06:00

Finally, all th decision making on the shirts has come to an end. I picked them up this afternoon and I have to say, they look awesome!! Here are some pictures.

First, the front of the shirt:
The back of the red logo:
Back of the purple logo:
If you would like to become a Heartbacker for 2010, just click the donate button on the right of the page. Donations of $25 and up will all receive a t-shirt (If it is your first time donating, you will also get an autographed cueball.). The shirts come in sizes small to 4x. You pick which color you want. If you don't have paypal but would like a shirt, just send me an email and I will be glad to help you out! Thank you to all of you that have already donated and those of you that are considering a donation. This money helps me travel all over the world to tournaments. Without all of you, there is no way I could do it. I grately appreciate the help!!

On to the weekend wrap-up. I decided to torture myself yet again with a bar table 8-ball tournament. I have decided that I must be a masochist to keep putting myself through this. The tournament that I went to is just too good to pass up. The Carom Room in Beloit, WI hosts two tournaments a month that are without a doubt, the best tournaments to come to the area in a long time. If you are ever in the area, try it out. They have an open event and a no masters event once a month. They alternate between 8-ball and 9-ball each month and usually have a range of 50-96 players each event. They also just got all new 7ft Diamond Smart Tables. Oh yeah, they also have a really good cheeseburger!!

Anyway, I have decided that I should take a little more time to prepare for these tournaments. I always walk in with such an awful attitude toward the game. It takes me either a couple of matches to be out of the tournament or a couple of matches to realize I can play as long as I try and stay positive. Of course, my first match things were going alright, but I just kept getting out of line at the end of each rack. I gave away so many games! I lost 6-5. Then I went on a decent little run in the losers bracket, won three matches. Then the match before the money I turned right back into a blubbering idiot. I couldn't get out of a rack to save my life and ended up losing 6-4. Oh well, I tried.

And now, on to what you all are waiting for, the PoolDawg weekly trivia!! The person that answers correctly will receive a $10 PoolDawg gift code!

And the question is: Who was my favorite player growing up??

Please remember to include your email address along with your answer in the comments section. Thank you to PoolDawg for another week of trivia! Remember, even if you don't win, you can always save 5% at PoolDawg by using the discount code ROUSEY.

Thanks to my t-shirt model Jason Klatt (and also one of the 4 players to split the final pot at the Carom Room!)

Happy Birthday!!

2010-01-14T14:49:00.002-06:00

To this blog!! I can't believe it has been a whole year already! This past year has been lots of fun and tons of travel. I visited four different countries and played in about 30 different tournaments around the United States, posted 95 posts, tried lots of strange food, took lots of pictures and best of all, made lots of friends!

Thank you to everyone for reading and commenting and going along for the ride with me. Doing the blog has helped me slow down and take some things in. I go visit places when I travel. By places I mean somewhere othe than the pool room and hotel room. It has also helped me let out some of the feelings that I tend to hold in. Sick around and I hope this year will be just as much fun, if not more!

Winner!!

2010-01-13T11:57:00.002-06:00

Congrats to Jordan for winning this weeks PoolDawg trivia!! The correct answer was Dorothy Wise. It is pretty inspiring that a woman that played at at time when pool was dominated by men, that she could break through. I don't have a ton of info on the subject, but I did get a chance to hear Mike Shamos speak at the WPBA Pacific Coast Classic. He gave a lecture on the history of women in the sport. It was really nice to see where it all started for women playing pool. If you would like to find out more about the history of billiards in general, you can look for Mike's book, The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pool. I own a copy of this and there are tons of great stories and pictures!

As for me so far this week, I went to the weekly tournament here in town and didn't do so well. I got beat by my dad and my boyfriend...nice guys! My dad was the always proud father and took a copy of Billiards Digest to show everyone. I jokingly told him that I am 27, not a baby and these are not baby pics. Of course the comeback was, "well, you haven't changed or grown much since you were a baby." Ha, Ha, Ha.

Next up, making the decision of missing some work and going to Nashville for the Music City Open or making a weekend trip to Beloit, Wisconsin for the monthly tournament at The Carom Room. Tough decision!

Thanks for playing the PoolDawg trivia and thank you to PoolDawg for the gift code! I'm going to start thinking now about next Monday's question. I will try to make it a tough one so stay tuned!

Trivia and The Weekend...

2010-01-11T11:45:00.004-06:00

Like I said in the last post, I headed to Oconomowoc, WI for the Olympia Open III. The weather did kind of stink, but we made it there safely. I was surprised that there were so many people there considering the weather! Each division had at least 50-70 players and the women had about 30. It was a handicapped event. I didn't get to play in the women's division so I got to play in the men's upper division as a six. I think it has become very clear that bar table 8-ball is not my game! This weekend was not any different! This is the range of emotions I felt....
I started out well. I broke and ran the first rack of my first match. I was playing a five. That made it even. Then all of a sudden, the little doubts crept in. It is impossible to do well if you are telling yourself that you have no clue what you are doing! Honestly, I should have lost the match. Trailing 4-3, my opponent missed at the end of the rack each game. The hill-hill game was a nail-biter. I dogged it, then he dogged it, it was ugly. I pulled out the win though. Not a bad start.

My next match was against another six. Sure, it should be even. It became painfully obvious that it was not. My opponent knew the proper patterns and the shots that you need to know playing on a bar table. I lost 6-1!

On to the left side of the board for me. My next match was another six. I was down 4-1, then mounted a small comeback. When the score was 4-4, I had a chance to get on the hill first. Instead, I played a really awful shot and ended up hooking myself with two balls left. I lost that game. I did come back and make it 5-5. It seemed like I had a great chance to break and run out. I made a ball, had a shot, the stars were aligned! NOT. Again, I played the wrong pattern and came up short. After a safety battle, I had one of those awful 50/50 shots. Do you go for it, do you play safe? I think everyone knows that you have to make up your mind BEFORE you shoot the shot, not DURING the shot! I was undecided and just got down without making up my mind. I got what I deserved, I left him a shot, not just a shot, but a perfect breakout shot. He ran out and my tournament run was over.

I think we can all see the theme or rather, the problem when I play bar table 8-ball. I obviously need to work on pattern play and confidence. It amazes me that clusters of solids and stripes on a 7ft table can put me in a state of shock and make me feel like it is the first time I have ever played pool! If you guys have any ideas how to get over this, feel free to chime in!

Thanks to Dr. Pool for having a great tournament. If you are in the southern Wisconsin area in January of next year, I highly recommend checking it out. If you are a ski buff, you can even go skiing! My friend that roomed with us this trip was tempted to try it out and so was I, but to be honest, I'm scared. If I broke a bone I wouldn't know what to do! Here is a view of the ski hill at the Olympia Resort...
This weekend I also got the proofs for the Heartbacker t-shirts. I have to say, they look awesome! I decided to go with both red and purple. I will have a range of sizes, small-4x. They will be done by Friday! I'm so excited. If you would like a shirt, you can donate any amount $25 and up. Specify the color and size you want and make sure that your address is current on your Paypal address! I have to give a big thanks to those of you that have already expressed interest, ordered and helped me decide what to choose!

I also have to thank the local paper here in Bloomington, The Pantagraph and sports writer Randy Sharer. Randy and I did an interview last week and it ran today in the sports section. Thank you Randy. You have been a big supporter of my career for the past 15 years or so! I greatly appreciate it and the exposure you guys have given me over the years.

Okay, now what you have all been waiting for, the PoolDawg weekly trivia! I have been trying to think of a question all weekend but I am drawing a blank. I am going to go with a general pool question this week. Here you go: Who was the first woman inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame??

Good luck and remember to leave your email address along with your answer. The winner gets a $10 gift code from the folks at PoolDawg! Remember, that is the place to go for all of your pool supply cravings. Even if you don't win, everyone can save 5% off of their purchase by using the discount code ROUSEY.

Have a great week everyone and I will be back with something this week!

This Weeks Review

2010-01-08T11:42:00.006-06:00

Wow has this ever been a busy week! The Billiards Digest article, PoolDawg re-signing, trying to figure out a plan for 2010, a snow storm, ahh, time to breathe for a minute! Okay, get moving again...

Monday I did something that I haven't done in a long time...I went to the pool room. Shocking, I know. One thing that kind of bugs me is when people say, "Don't forget about us when you get famous." or "I'm sure you won't speak to us again once you hit it big." That is not the kind of person I am! It is obvious when I go to the pool room here in town. My parents used to own it and there is still a crowd that remembers me from when I was about 10 years old. When I was that young, I tried to compete with these guys. My favorite part about going to the pool room on Monday night is seeing all of these guys and hanging out. It is a guarantee that there will be a bank ring game and I love it when they ask me to play. You will probably never hear more smack talking anywhere in the world! So for $5 a game entertainment, we played for a couple of hours. The whole time I get a chance to catch up with everyone and have a laugh. My favorite part, they all still see me as the kid I used to be. They don't see me as anything else but I can see how proud everyone is of what I have accomplished. It is almost as if I walk into a room of adoptive Dads! I will share my embarrassing, first time banks ring game moment now. When I was around 11, I decided I wanted to try it out. My first shot was a cross-side bank. I walked up, ready to shoot, thinking I was just going to fire it in...I called my shot...Cross-eyed. hahaha. I still don't live that one down!

The rest of the week has been dedicated to catching up at work and also doing everything I can to promote myself for the upcoming pool season. Sure, I blog at work, that is no secret. Sorry momboss! There aren't enough hours in the day to do everything!

Also this week, a nice snow storm decided to hit the midwest. I'm not sure if I have said it before, but there is NO use for snow in Illinois! We don't have any mountains, hills, anything that we can use to make snow fun. To go sledding in my town, we go to the golf course. Otherwise, just thank the snow for making a mess of your car, house, clothes, ugh! Since this storm came on Wednesday and Thursday it put a damper on my plans to head to Wisconsin for the Olympia Open III. The roads in central and northern Illinois were closed yesterday. So, we missed the 9ball tournament. Don't worry, I promised to be there and I will be. I am leaving work early today to make the trip up to Oconomowoc, WI to play my favorite game, barbox 8ball. Yep, that is sarcasm! Last year I met a lot of cool people and I hope to catch up with them and meet some more cool people this year! There are two streets hidden somewhere in here...

So lastly, the t-shirts. I have sent the design off and I am hoping they are ready next week. Thank you all for your help with the design. I had a lot of feedback via comments, Facebook, and email. I really appreciate it. I have narrowed it down to design 3 (surprise, surprise) but now I am stuck on the color. Keep in mind this design is going to be cleaned up. Let me know which you like better. Do guys like purple?? The design is going to be on the back of a black t-shirt. On the front, over the left side of the chest will be my autograph, nickname, and website. What do you think?

Thanks again everyone! I have received a lot of emails and Facebook comments and messages regarding the article. I really mean it when I say that I couldn't have done much of anything without everyone that reads here and follows along with what I do. You guys have built me up when times are tough and helped me enjoy the good times. I can't wait to start this year!

Help!!!

2010-01-06T16:19:00.008-06:00

I am trying to come up with a new Heartbacker design for 2010. I have it down to three designs so far. I would like to know what everyone thinks. I realized that I will hopefully have a lot of return Heartbackers so I had to come up with something other than an autographed cueball. I have decided on Tshirts. If you donate $25 and up, you will receive a Heartbacker t-shirt. That means if you donate, please be sure that your paypal account has the correct mailing address and you include your shirt size.

Here we go. Please use your imagination on colors. The pictures are rough sketches that my dad did for me last night.

Option 1: Keeping it simple.

Option 2: Keeping it pool related.

Option 3: Matches my wrist tattoo and is my personal favorite.

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think! I can't wait to start the year and start the Heartbreaking and Heartbacking for 2010!!

I just got my invite to return to Taipei, Taiwan for the Amway Cup, March 1-7, 2010. I would appreciate the help to get there, but even if you can't donate, kind words and encouragement help too!

Also, my friends at Billiards Digest were kind enough to send me a picture of the January cover. I can't wait to read the story. It should be up on the website tonight or tomorrow! Thanks to Billiards Digest and Mike Geffner for doing the story.

My other piece of exciting news, PoolDawg has decided to keep me on for another year! That means that the Monday trivia will continue and the discount code ROUSEY will still save you 5% on your purchases! Thank you PoolDawg!!

Christmas, New Years, Thank You's and Trivia!

2010-01-03T20:46:00.005-06:00

I had a little hiatus for the holidays. I hope everyone had a great holiday season, got all the gifts they wanted and partied safely!! I had a true adventure for my holiday season!

It all started on December 21st when Jason and I went to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada for Christmas. For those of you that don't know, my boyfriend of about five years is Canadian and from Winnipeg. He hadn't been home to see his whole family for the holidays in about four years. I had never experienced Canada in the winter time, especially not a place referred to as "Winterpeg". After a little delay due to some customs issues, we were finally on our way. I forgot to mention, I was sick yet again, bronchitis to be exact. Now I had the full experience, family, cold weather and sickness...what a combo! Here is a look from the car...
I didn't take a ton of pictures, but I did have a great time. Since I was sick we didn't get to go along on an ice fishing trip. That kind of upset me because I have never even been fishing, let alone ice fishing. Jason's brother and his girlfriend went and brought back a couple of fish. I don't have the gross pictures to prove it, but I got to learn how to gut a fish and fry it. Wow, is fresh pickerel, aka walleye, delicious! I never knew how many parts of a fish you can cook! I got to learn how to play a lot of new card games and board games and most of all learn the power of getting to know people. We sat around and told stories and caught up...of course there was beer consumption since that seems to be the Canadian way!

One thing that I am really glad I got to experience is stick curling. As an American, I kind of laugh every time curling is on TV during the Olympics. It looks ridiculous, I mean sweeping ice to get a tea kettle into place...that surely can't be fun. I was so wrong! Jason's dad took us curling on Christmas night. The first thing I didn't know is that the rocks, tea kettles to me, weigh about 30 pounds! The second thing, sweeping is really hard. It was my first time being on ice of any kind, of course besides the kind I tend to fall on during the winter. I had so much fun and we won! Do I look like a pro??
Here we are after our victory!
On the 28th we headed back to Chicago...or at least we thought. Due to the attempted terrorist attack on Christmas, the customs agents were really strict. They gave Jason a hard time about spending time in the United States. It was really an awful experience! I ended up heading home and he got to spend a few extra days in Canada. But we were back together on New Years Eve!!

I'm sure everyone thinks that I am some wild party animal and that New Years would be my day to shine. That would be so far from the truth! For New Years Eve we had family time with my family. We had a night of eating, board games, TV watching and pajama wearing. We were a lazy bunch of Rousey's! It was nice to spend time with my family for the end the year.

Here is where I would like to say thank you to everyone. My sponsors, PoolDawg and MezzUSA. Without you guys life would have been much tougher. I got a chance to experience some new things, meet new people and do some hard work! I look forward to working with you again in 2010!

I have to give a huge, huge, huge thank you to all of the Heartbackers. Without all of you, I wouldn't have been able to do anything this year. I wouldn't have been able to travel the world and fulfill my dream of playing on the worlds stage. Thank you all so much! I am coming up with a new logo for the 2010 Heartbackers and it will be ready soon. If you would like to donate, it would be greatly appreciated! I will come up with new gift ideas as well. Like I have said before, I can't thank everyone enough!

I also have to thank all of the readers of this blog. It has been almost a year and tons of fun. It has given me a release when I am feeling up and when I am feeling down. I looked today and I saw that I had nearly 25,000 hits in 2009! Thank you all for sticking with me, checking in on me and sometimes checking up on me! It really means a lot and I can't wait to keep the entertainment going in 2010.

And now, what was supposed to be the final trivia question of 2009, but got delayed until now. This will require doing a little bit of work. It involves the map that can be found at the bottom of the blog. It is totally filled out with everywhere that I have gone in the world in 2009. The winner of this trivia will win a $25 gift code to PoolDawg! A big thanks to PoolDawg for allowing this trivia to happen every week! Now for the question: What are the places I visited outside of the United States in 2009(please list the city and country)?? How many places within the United States did I play in tournaments??

I would also like to know what you guys would like to learn about, read about, see pictures of, etc. I know I did that before then slacked off. I will go back to answer those as well. I like the feedback and would like to know what everyone likes to know or wants to know.

Thank you everyone for a great 2009 and I'm looking forward to an even better 2010!!

Heads Up!

2009-12-30T00:42:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday! I made it back from Canada safely last night. It is a whole big long story that I will do tomorrow. I wanted to give everyone a heads up on something first. My friends and sponsor PoolDawg have a great opportunity that started at midnight. They have a brand new Southwest cue for sale. You can see it here. It is a great opportunity. I know the waiting list for a brand new Southwest is very long and the prices are rising. Remember, you can use the code ROUSEY and save 5% on the purchase. That saves you quite a bit on a purchase of this size!

I will have a trivia question and a recap for everyone tomorrow. I got home much later then expected so sorry for the delay! This week will be a $25 gift code from PoolDawg!

Another big announcement is that I found out that I will be on the cover of the January issue of Billiards Digest!! I have not seen the cover, pictures or read the article so I hope it is a good one. I was really shocked to find out I would be on the cover. Not trying to be too humble, but I really didn't expect to get something like that until I did something worthy, i.e. winning a tournament. The issue should be out later this week or early next week due to the holiday. It will also be up on the website and on the Facebook fan page soon.

Happy shopping everyone!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-21T11:41:00.001-06:00

I am getting ready to board a flight to Winnipeg, MB, Canada for my first Canadian Christmas!! I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!! I will be back next Monday with a new trivia question and a year end wrap-up. Granted I don't freeze to death!

I hope everyone gets what they wanted!!

Big Time Trivia!!

2009-12-14T11:53:00.004-06:00

This week for the PoolDawg trivia we are upping the stakes!!! Since it is the Christmas season and I know you slackers are probably still waiting to do your Christmas shopping, what better place to do that then with PoolDawg?? Maybe someone needs a new cue or some chalk or a set of NFL inspired pool balls, PoolDawg is your place to go!

Alright, on to my point. This week the awesome guys and gals at PoolDawg have decided to give away a $50, that's right, I said $50 gift code to the person that can identify these two former/present NFL players.

The taller guy to is the person we are trying to identify.

Please post your answers in the comments section. Include your email address so I can send the gift code. Good luck everyone and thank you PoolDawg!!

Up, Down and All-Around!

2009-11-30T21:57:00.016-06:00

I apologize for leaving everyone hanging. It was a busy month of November, to say the least. I know everyone already knows the outcome of pretty much everything, but no harm in rehashing it in my own words. So, as the title of this posts says, I have been up and down emotionally and all around the world, all in the past month!

Lets start with the second weekend of November. My younger sister Kaeleigh, came back home for a week. If you all remember, she went off to school in Phoenix this year. Since I was going to be traveling for Thanksgiving and she would be back in Phoenix my family decided to have Thanksgiving a little bit early. I think my past posts have proven that I don't argue much when food is involved! I didn't take any pictures of the food but here is my family...well almost the whole family. My dad snuck the picture.
The siblings...yes, I was trying really hard to keep my eyes open.
And last, me, very, very, very full!
After all of the eating it was time for the long drive to Hollywood, Florida. Yes, I drove, along with my boyfriend Jason and our travel buddy, Chris Bartram. The total drive time was about 24 hours. Of course it doesn't make any sense to drive to Florida then fly to China and back to Florida then drive to Ohio...but that is the plan we went with. We made the trek and didn't have too much rest before the festivities began.

First we had the meeting and short awards ceremony. Congrats to Veronique Menard for winning the Rookie of the Year Award and Denise Belanger for winning the Most Improved Award! After that, the Pro-Am. I have to say that this is the biggest, most star-studded Pro-Am of the year. The Seminoles have a way of bringing in the big names. My team didn't win but we did have a really good time. The star on my team was Mark Duper of Miami Dolphins fame. Here is my team... Thanks for playing guys and it was great to meet everyone!

After all the fun, it was supposed to be time to get serious. I'm not sure where I got lost in between the fun and seriousness, but I did. I could make a ton of excuses but I won't. I know what I did wrong. My first match was Vicki Paski. I mean no disrespect when I talk about this match or before the match, but I'm sure it will come across that way. I took things for granted big time. I hate myself for doing that. It is the one thing that I tell everyone not to do and the one thing that I try my hardest not to do. I never talk about my draw. For some reason this time I did. I noticed it wasn't as difficult as the others I had this year. I was also remembering how great things went at this venue last year. All of this was a recipe for disaster. I played absolutely horrible. I can't say that I didn't have a chance to win, I had plenty. The worst part about the match, the straight in 9ball that I missed. Not a long, straight in, but a short, not even two feet from the pocket, cue ball two feet from the nine. I know everything that I was thinking while I was shooting. I was beating myself up. I was telling myself "You idiot, you don't deserve to win this match. You haven't been practicing, you played horrible the whole match, you should just miss this nine." This is not a new experience for me. It happens often. The difference is, I can usually keep my dark emotions in check. I can force myself to stand up and start over. This time I just got to learn a lesson and move on to the next day.

The next day I thought I got myself under control. I went into the match with Liz Taylor feeling confident and ready. Things were going alright, I was playing alright and I was ahead the whole match. I got ahead 8-5 and it seemed to be smooth sailing. Instead I choked. My dark little friend crept up behind me and took over. I had a chance to win every game and found a way to talk myself out of it. Liz made a great out to win the match hill-hill.

So, I went two and out for the second time in my pro career. The sad part, I wasn't really upset. I kind of felt like karma or something caught up with me. All of the time that I didn't spend practicing, all of the things I could have done to prevent this. I will never take things for granted again! I got to hang out with some friends though in Florida. Caroline helped console me after my bad finish...And Justin was giving me the punishment that I deserved!
Now that I have shown my totally psychotic side to you all, imagine how I felt after this horrid finish on my twenty-some hours of travel to China! I will fill you in now that I was not looking forward to the trip so much after all that happened. I was wondering if I even deserved to go to the World Championships. But at 6am on November 16th I boarded a plane to Chicago, then the Shanghai, then to Shenyang. Oh yeah, I have to mention the flight from Shanghai to Shenyang, a two hour flight, was delayed about ten hours. Good start! I will also fill you in on the fact that I forgot my camera charger at home, bought a replacement and it started my camera on fire...sweet! All of the pictures I am using are courtesy of Angel Paglia. Thanks for taking some extra pics for me Angel! Alright, enough complaining!

At 3am on November 18th, I arrived! The streets of Shenyang were dead and the lobby lights at the hotel were off when I arrived. This definitely wasn't Shanghai! The hotel was beautiful though. There was a welcoming banner for all of the players and a board for everyone to sign. If you all remember from the last trip to Asia, I roomed with Kelly Fisher and I did the same this trip. She arrived before me and was all checked in. I got my key and thought I was going to bed finally. All of a sudden, all of the lights turned on and I had to sign the board and have a picture taken. Yes, at 3am with about 27 hours of travel on me. I looked beautiful! Here is the autograph board in the lobby...I finally got a little bit of sleep and was wide awake at 7am. That would continue the entire week. Yes, it is the first time I have seen 7am that many days in a row in about ten years...at least! We went to the press conference, which was a really big deal. There were a lot of speakers, sponsors, the mayor, etc. Even better, tons of photographers. It really made us all feel like something special. Here is a look at the panel of speakers... and a view of the room, players and press.... After the press conference there was a dinner party for all of the sponsors, refs, players and guests. It was really pretty awesome. The food wasn't too suspicious looking or tasting and there was some pretty cool entertainment. Here is almost the whole room. As you can see it is a really nice party... and here is the entertainment. This girl caught bowls and silverware on her head while surfing on the board. There was also a contortionist....
The draw was done and at noon the next day it was time to head to the arena. None of us really knew what to expect. We had about a 30 minute bus ride to the venue and when we pulled up it was a huge university. We got a tour of the venue and to everyone's surprise, it was amazing! Two TV tables and six outside tables. Comfortable seating to watch and plenty of spectators to fill the seats. The only complaint, which we had at the hotel too, was that it was way too warm in the playing arena. Probably about 80 degrees...no lie! Here is a picture of the outside (meaning outside the TV area) tables... My first match was against Sabrina Naffschnigger from Austria. I didn't play all that well but I capitalized on some mistakes that she made. I won the match 7-2. That moved me on to the evening match against one of the Chinese players, Gao Meng. When I got to the match I knew I was in for something difficult. I know all of the Chinese players are top notch. What I didn't know until later and until after she beat Jasmin in the single elimination stage, was that my opponent was only 14 years old! I won the match 7-5 but I know that there were some very uncharacteristic mistakes made in the short race. One of my lucky rolls was making the nine on the break when the score was 6-5. That was an expensive nine-ball since it moved me on to the single elimination round of 32 and put me in the money. Yes, I had to go all the way to China to cash in a tournament during the month of November.

Before the round of 32, Kelly, Allison and I decided to go to the market. We thought it might be just a small night market type thing. We got there and it ended up being a huge, underground mall. We lost track of time and then got news that we all had to play at 7:30. That wouldn't be a problem except it was already 4:45 or so. We all had a serious panic attack trying to make it from the market, to the hotel, to the shuttle and to the venue. With a little bit of stress, we made it. Little did we know how disastarous this would be.

My opponent in the round of 32 was Pei Chen Tsai, the winner of the China Open. I played her at the Amway Cup and didn't feel like much of an underdog. I was ready for the match and started out pretty well. Unfortunately, I didn't finish the match well. I lost 9-6. I had so many chances and just couldn't capitalize. Oh well, live and learn. I finished my tournament run with a 17-32nd finish. I wasn't in bad company though. It seemed like the wheels fell off for the majority of the WPBA players and the strength of the young Chinese players showed.

Since most of us were out of the tournament we turned to hanging out and having a little fun. Ga Young Kim took us out to a pretty cool night club. Nothing like hearing popular music translated into Chinese! It was a really good time, thanks Ga Young!

After the fun wore off we only had one non-Chinese, WPBA player to cheer on, Karen Corr. If you have followed the results of most of the overseas tournaments you will notice that Karen's name is right there at the top every time. She was really playing great all tournament and it looked like she was on her way to winning her first 9-ball World Championship (she was runner-up three times previously). After escaping a 9-8 win over one of the top Chinese players, she got the pleasure of playing yet another young Chinese player, Lui ShaSha who beat Xiao Ting Pan 9-8 to reach the finals. Here is a view of the finals table. Notice how packed the place is! Karen seemed to be on her way to a victory. She was ahead 5-1 in a race to 9. She missed a six ball that game and that was that. At 5-2, Lui ShaSha showed what she was made of. She broke and ran five racks like it was nothing. Suddenly the score was 7-5. A scratch on the break gave Karen another chance at the table finally. Unfortunately, she couldn't capitalize. With the score 8-5, Lui broke and ran out with ease. The whole time the crowd was roaring. Karen was left as the runner-up for the fourth time and a new Chinese champion was crowned. Did I mention she is only 16?!?! Here is the winner...
How do I feel about my trip? It was definitely worth it. It was great to play in such a well run, classy world championship event. I hope to get the chance to do so many more times during my career. I got to experience new things, eat some funky food, hang out with old friends and make new friends from all over the world... Thank you to everyone who helped make my trip possible!!

I would like to say I made it home without any delay but of course, that was not the case. My travel agent, aka, me, did a lousy job of checking times. I needed to get from Shenyang to Shanghai...almost an hour by mini bus to the airport then a two hour flight. Then I had to wait about ten hours in Shanghai. Shanghai to Chicago with only about an hour to spare before the flight to Tampa. Not a good plan since it takes a long time to go through customs! I got redirected to Orlando, another two hour flight and voila, I'm back with the boys. Oh yeah, that's right, then we had a twenty hour drive back to Ohio! Oh the joys of jet-lag!

I spent a couple days trying to sleep and get back to normal (is that even possible??). After that we had a nice Thanksgiving meal at Chris's house and we were back in the car for the annual Thanksgiving tournament in Hudson, Ohio. This is a weekend of zero sleep. The singles event started Thanksgiving night around 7pm. There were 26 women in the 8-ball and 105 guys in the 9-ball. I got very lucky to win the tournament. My opponent made the eight in the wrong pocket when the score was hill-hill. I got to sleep about 8am. I was pretty excited because this was my first time to get to play on a team. I've never had the pleasure of doing so before. Thanks to Deidra, Sandy, and Dana for inviting me to play with them. The first day went well, we won two matches. Then there was a scotch doubles tournament. Jason and I got third. We got to bed about 6am. Play started at 10am. We played all day to reach the final day of the tournament and got done with the team event for the night around midnight. Then another scotch doubles event. Jason and I battled all night to win the tournament...we finished at 10am. Oh, did I mention, the team event started back up at 10am! Unfortunately our team lost a nail-biter to another Columbus, Ohio team. We finished 4th though! Thank you again for inviting me to play!

I made it home and back to normal...well kind of. Of course, just like last time, I ended up sick after all the lack of sleep and traveling around the world. I slept for about a week. Then I got a call from Billiards Digest. I'm not sure if I mentioned before that they will be doing a feature article on me! Mike Geffner interviewed me a few months back. I wasn't sure when it would be published until this week. On Friday I got to do a photo shoot in Chicago. The article will be in the January issue!!

After all of that, I slept....a lot! So again, sorry to keep everyone hanging. I hope you enjoyed the recap of events!!

Trivia!

2009-11-09T11:28:00.003-06:00

Ah, palm trees, what a sight to see when it is getting cold at home! That is what I am headed for tomorrow, sunny Hollywood, FL for the WPBA Nationals!!

In honor of this tournament, I will give you a semi-easy question this week!

What are my finishes in past years at the WPBA Nationals??

Thank you PoolDawg for sponsoring the trivia and thank you to the readers for playing! Be sure to leave your email address along with your answer in the comment section. Good luck!

I will be back to post more about the weekend and my feelings about going to Florida later tonight. For now, I have to get back to work!

Teaching

2009-11-05T20:28:00.006-06:00

Last week I was contacted by a pool player here in town, Mark Otto. He told me about the pool club he was allowed to start at Chiddix Junior High in Normal, IL. I thought it was pretty cool. When I was a freshman in high school, I proposed a pool club or pool being added to the PE curriculum. I was laughed at. Of course, pool has such a bad reputation, at least that was the school boards excuse. I was happy to find out the Mark got something going. Hopefully it will grow into something more and eventually all of the local schools will give pool a chance!

The first day that I went to help out was last Tuesday. There were only three kids that attended, Will, Deion, and Zack. The flu has hit the schools really hard and there are usually at least ten kids in attendance. It was fun and I got a chance to play some challenge games, do some trick shots and answer questions. Here is the Tuesday group:
I was supposed to go back that Thursday but I got stuck standing in line waiting for the H1N1 vaccine for four hours! Sorry I missed it kids. I had to take the precaution for traveling and having a chronic illness.

So today (Thursday) I went back and took Jason along with me. Wow, what a turn-out!! Sixteen kids showed up. We got a chance to meet and play lots of games. Thank you all for being so nice and willing to learn about pool! Now for the list of everyone there, Sam, Kenny, Robbie, Jordan, Kevin, Michael, Juan, Michael, Katy, Adison, Oliver, Brysen, Dylan, Omar, Colt, and Daniel. It was fun guys and I will definitely be back!
One thing that Mark has is something that can help people learn to play pool. He has a training aid that helps show the where to aim on virtually any shot. He showed it to me last week. I think it is something that can help any beginner. I would say it is a hands on tool that is similar to the ghost ball method of aiming. I highly recommend it to anyone that is just learning or is interested in learning. Here is a picture of the trainer. Each trainer comes with a DVD that will help explain. Please check out his website www.teachmepool.com and keep this tool in mind especially if you are planning to teach your kids how to play.

While we are on the topic of kids playing pool, the WPA Junior 9-ball Championships began today in Nicaragua. You can click here to watch the live-stream and see score updates. Good luck Team USA, Nick Tafoya, Skylar Woodward, Jesse Engel, Landon Shuffet, Brendan Crockett, Briana Miller, Nicole Jaynes and Liz Lovely!! All of them were winners or top finishers in the 2009 BEF Junior Nationals.

The other excitement of this week was doing a radio interview. Brent and Kevin from the radio station B104 originally contacted me when I was in Taiwan. I couldn't make it that time since I was in Taiwan so we scheduled it for this past Wednesday. It was just a short interview talking about visiting China and how I got started. If you would like to listen it will air Tuesday, November 10 at 7:40am cst. Here are the links for the radio station B104 and the page that links directly to Brent and Kevin in the Morning.

All in all, I would say this was a pretty interesting week. Thanks again Mark and all of the kids that participate in the pool club! Thanks B104 and Brent and Kevin for inviting me to be on the show! I really appreciate it.

**edit: Sorry I left Brendan Crocketts name off the list of competitors from the USA. I apologize Brendan, good luck!!

Winner!

2009-11-05T11:39:00.002-06:00

The winner of this weeks trivia was BrklynJay!! The first world championship that I played in was the WPA Junior World 9-ball Championship. Since I was the only girl junior at the time to qualify, I got to play with the boys. The tournament was held in October, 2000, in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. That was also my first time out of the United States. From what I remember Quebec City is a very historic place to visit. I really enjoyed my time there even though it was pretty cold!

Congrats Jay! Enjoy your PoolDawg gift code and a big thanks to PoolDawg for their continued support of Sarah Rousey Trivia!! Thank you to everyone that played. Come back next Monday for another chance to win!

I will be back tonight with a post. I have been doing a couple of interesting things in the past couple of weeks. I went to teach at a Junior High School (pics later) and I am going to do another session today. Sorry for the lack of updates, I was trying to get both sessions in so all of the kids would be pictured. I also did an interview with a local radio morning show (links later) that will air next week! I'll be back with details later!

Weekend Happenings and Trivia!!

2009-11-02T11:44:00.003-06:00

First off, I have to congratulate last weeks winner Tim. Thank you for playing Tim and thank you to everyone else for trying. Good thing Monday comes around once a week!

Here is the PoolDawg question of the week. In honor of getting the chance to go to another World Championship in a couple of weeks:

Where and when did I play my first World Championship?

Be sure to leave your email address along with your answer! The first person to answer correctly wins a $10 PoolDawg gift code! Remember, everyone that shops at PoolDawg can also use the code ROUSEY to get 5% off your purchase!

Now, this weekends happenings. I went to Brickyard Billiards (formerly Airport Billiards) in Indianapolis. They had their semi-annual bar table 9-ball tournament. I did not do so hot!

A few weeks ago I kind of decided that I hate the bar table. It is the type of hate that I imagine addicts have. They hate the way it feels, but they have to try it again and again. That is how I feel about bar table pool! Sometimes I don't mind playing on the bar table, other times I can't stand it. I have had my fair share of success and I think that is what keeps me coming back. Something about the inconsistency of bar tables gets me. Sometimes you can play on really nice ones (Diamonds) or really crappy ones that are not well maintained. Sometimes you get a good set of balls, other times you get a mismatched hodgepodge. Sometimes you get a good cue ball, sometimes you get a mud ball. It all doesn't help when you play pretty horrible too!!

Needless to say, I didn't play all that well and pretty much did horrible in the tournament. I did get a chance to practice a little on a nice Diamond nine footer. That was a good thing since I don't get a chance to practice on nice equipment.

If you get a chance to visit Brickyard Billiards, do so. The new owners have really made the place look nice and if you are looking for a little action, you will definitely get that!

Good luck everyone with the trivia! Thank you PoolDawg for sponsoring the weekly trivia!

Trivia!

2009-10-25T20:26:00.007-05:00

Since the US Open 9-ball Championships ended this Saturday with a repeat winner, Mika Immonen, I used it as inspiration for this weeks PoolDawg trivia question. Congrats to fellow Mezz rep Mika Immonen for his second consecutive US Open Championship title!!

Who are the other players that have won two or more US Open Championship titles??

Please name all of the past multiple winners. Be sure to leave your email address along with your answer in the comments. The first person to answer correctly gets a $10 gift code for PoolDawg! Thanks PoolDawg for your continued support!

Thanks to Justin Collett for the picture!

Do You Remember?

2009-10-23T20:49:00.003-05:00

This week as I was looking around on the net and I came across a video that I thought was pretty cool. It made me wonder if any readers here can relate. Do you remember the first time you met your idol, reached a goal, or rose to the occasion when it was needed?

This video is of a 12-year old that got a chance to hear Tiger Woods speak at the opening of his new golf course. Tiger asked if anyone wanted to drive. Out of the crowd the boy confidently said "I will.". He proceeded to hit two perfect drives. The interview showed what a once in a life time opportunity he just had. I also like how Tiger compliments him and asks him to do it again. Notice how fearless only kids can be!

Here is the video:

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/video.

Now my answer to my own question. I had a moment kind of like this. I remember walking up to all of the top pros at the BCA trade show back in 1993. I was 10, almost 11. I played a challenge game with every pro that I could. When I was young my favorite player was Vivian Villarreal. I think my parents might have paid her off or something, but she came to watch one of my matches during the Junior Nationals. I was nervous as can be, but wanted to prove that I was a pool player. I won my match and got to meet my idol. Knowing how different I was at that age, I probably told her to look out for me when I grow up!

I had a moment too during my first pro event that I felt like this kid. He said he didn't want to top the ball, I didn't want to embarrass myself. I actually won a match and lost two hill-hill matches, so just like him, I was surprised but I rose to the occasion.

Please feel free to share any stories that you have about yourself or your kids or anyone that has had a similar experience. They can be very uplifting and I can't wait to read them!

Winners!

2009-10-21T23:24:00.004-05:00

Last week I didn't get a chance to post the winner of the movie trivia question. I am happy that the person with the first answer was honest in saying that he had already won this month and wanted me to pass it on to the next person. Thank you for that! So the winner, with the answer Goonies, is Justin Harris! I have sent your PoolDawg gift code. I hope you enjoy it!

The winner of this weeks trivia question is Ron! The correct answer is Seaside, Oregon. I have also sent your PoolDawg gift code. Here is some proof that it is the correct answer! Look closely.

Thank you to PoolDawg for sponsoring the trivia and thank you everyone for participating. I'm glad I could give a little bit of a history lesson. Next Monday there will be another question!

To see all of the places I have visited so far in 2009, please check out my map at the bottom of the blog. Each place has a description and a picture. Remember, be sure to scroll all the way around the world!

Winners, Losers, Oregon and Questions.

2009-10-20T20:43:00.013-05:00

What a busy week! I wasn't anticipating not having internet access at the hotel in Lincoln City. I was stuck using my phones to do small updates on Facebook and Twitter. Sorry for the delay. First I will start with last weeks trivia winner. I have a little problem. The answer I was looking for was The Goonies. Now the problem is that the first person to answer was right but didn't include their contact info so I can't send the code. If the person could please contact me so I can pay up! If not, the winner will be the second person to answer correctly. I actually got a chance to visit the town that The Goonies was filmed, Astoria, OR and Cannon Beach, OR. You might recognize one of the pictures from scenes of the movie.

Now on to the trip. This was my moms first trip to the Pacific Northwest and I believe my fifth or sixth. I absolutely love Oregon. I think it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever had a chance to visit. Over the years I haven't had a chance to see much more than Lincoln City. Luckily, Mom needed a vacation so we got to see the sites! First, the view from the Chinook Winds Resort...After some rest and relaxation and a tip on where to visit we decided to head to Depoe Bay, Cape Foulweather, Yaquina Head Nature Reserve, and Newport. All of these places are within 30 minutes of Lincoln City. First, mom and I at Depoe Bay. We were right outside a whale museum. Depoe Bay is one of the top places to see gray whales. Unfortunately, we didn't see any.
The next stop was Cape Foulweather. It is a pretty high cliff with a gift shop. Supposedly it served as a lookout during World War II.
Next up, Yaquina Head Nature Reserve. This is the site of one of the most photographed and oldest lighthouses in America. We got there too late to do a tour, but got a chance to walk on the black rock beach and take plenty of pictures! Here is the lighthouse and the beach...
It finally started pouring rain and getting kind of cold so we headed to Newport to eat and see the Harbor. There is a pretty cool bridge, great fish and chips and sea life right on the dock. It was the first time I had seen sea lions in the wild! I had no idea how loud they could be!

After a day of taking things in it was time to get down to business. This tournament always has the annual meeting and banquet followed by the Pro-Am. This makes for a very long day and an early start. I forgot my camera at the banquet but the Tournament Directors award was given to my buddy Caroline Pao and the Hall of Fame honored Robin Dodson. After a good meal and catching up we all headed to the Pro-Am. It was a really great turn-out and a lot of fun. Unfortunately, my team didn't win! Here is the team.
My first match was at 1:30 against Belinda Calhoun. I was feeling alright going into this match. I have played Belinda many times with success but I know she is a great player and is very capable of beating anyone at anytime. The match was an ok match. I'm not happy with how I played. I started out really slow, even missinig ball in hand on a two ball! I finally woke up a little and finished the match. I believe the final score was 9-4.

Later that night I played the second round match against Nicole Keeney. She is an up and coming player that just keeps getting better and better each event. I started really strong, jumping out to a 5-1 lead. After that, I decided it was nap time. Suddenly, I was down 6-5. It went back and forth and luckily for me, she missed a 9-ball that would have put her ahead 7-6. I got a little bit lucky and won the match 9-7. I got a break until 6pm the next day.

My next match was against Jasmin Ouschan and live on the PoolDawg live-stream. I have only played Jasmin one time before and coincidentally, she won that tournament too even though I beat her 9-7. This time I wasn't sure what to expect. I have been fortunate that the right Sarah has shown up when it matters considering how inconsistent I can be due to lack of practice. The match started out with a mistake for me the first game, then a 9-ball break from Jasmin. The table we played on had the nine headed to the pocket every game! I know Jasmin made some mistakes and I think I capitalized on most of them, definitely not all. One thing I know is that my break was suffering. Scratching on the break three times is not excusable! I felt like I played well but a couple mistakes late hurt me. The games I gave away ended up coming back to haunt me. I lost the match 9-8.

Since there were two days of ESPN taping this event instead of losing the match and coming back the next day we had to continue playing. I was due to play the winner of Monica Webb and Veronique Menard. Monica had been sick all week with the flu and I guess it got really bad since she forfeited her match. I played Veronique and it was very hard to get focused after the tough loss. Lucky for me, she made some mistakes that led me to a comfortable 9-4 win. Once again, I made it to the redraw! I walked over and drew Gerda Hofstatter.

I'm not sure what was going through my head while playing Gerda. I am comfortable playing her and we have a pretty even track record over the years. I started out ahead 2-1 then it was all Gerda. She played so well that I cannot even be upset about the loss. It was one of those matches where you are in awe of what is happening! She played great and ended my tournament run by beating me 9-2!

Overall, I am happy with the 9th place finish. Maybe I am somehow becoming a little bit consistent. I know that I am right there and with a little hard work, I can be a contender. I have made a promise to myself to practice hard before the final tournament of the year and the World Championships. Not only am I going to practice, I am going to get myself in shape and get healthy. No more excuses!

I got a chance to hang out with some of the girls. Melissa Herndon and Jennifer Barretta were kind enough to get a group of players together to go sing karaoke. I have only done karaoke one time in my life and that was in China were no one could understand me! Needless to say, I wasn't singing tonight. Most of the girls did though and I must say, we have some hidden talent within the WPBA! Here is the majority of the WPBA group singing "We are Family". Thanks for inviting me girls!
Sunday was the last day to do some site seeing so my mom and I head north up the coast. It was very strange that Thursday night a History Channel episode of Modern Marvels was about Highway 101. There was a bridge mentioned that was in Astoria. I think it was described as one of the longest bridges in the US. Mom and I drove the 120 miles or so to the bridge that would take us into Washington. This was the most beautiful drive I have ever taken!

We made our way to Astoria and the Astoria Megler Bridge. Here is where I will mention that I have a serious fear of bridges. The type of fear that you can't breathe, have some cold sweats, and turn very pale (yes, I can get whiter than I already am!). So it wasn't cool to drive over this bridge but I did it! Technically, I visited about 10 miles of Washington state. Does that count? Here is the bridge and my white-knuckled driving across the bridge. Regardless of my fear, at least I got to see where the movie Goonies was filmed!
On the way back to Lincoln City we stopped in Seaside. They have a really cool downtown area with all kinds of restaurants and shops. The beach was beautiful and full of people flying kites. On the drive back there were quite a few places to stop and take pictures. Possibly the greatest place I have visited was about 50 miles from Lincoln City. It was described on all of the placards that it is where sea, sand, mountains and sky meet. The road sign and the beauty!

So that is my Oregon trip. I really enjoyed myself. It was nice to get a chance to see some things and take in the natural beauty. The people are friend, the food is good and I remember that a beautiful day can mean a lot. I hope everyone enjoys the pictures and the little stories. One last thing, since I was traveling all day on Monday here is your trivia question. It has to do with Oregon.

In what town did Lewis and Clark end their trail??

As usual, the first person to answer correctly will win a PoolDawg gift code. Please remember to include your email address so I can send you your prize! Good luck everyone.

Adventure and Trivia!

2009-10-12T07:36:00.006-05:00

The trek to the WPBA Pacific Coast Classic has begun. As I type this my mom and I are hanging at the airport in Peoria, IL awaiting our day of planes and automobiles. My mom finally listened to me and decided to take a break and see the beautiful northwest! Hopefully this flight goes better than the last few times.
Over the weekend Jason and I made the trip to Cape Girardeau, MO to play in the first annual SEMO Open at The Billiard Center. I did not play well at all! It was a good tournament though and I hope they continue to hold some great tournaments considering it is only 4 hours from Bloomington. Jason ended up splitting the tournament and we barely made it home in time to pack for our separate trips and very early flights. I think I am getting too old for this staying up all night stuff!

Last tournament I got the experience of flying on my first prop plane. I was scared to death! I am pretty sure that won't be happening this time. Here is a look my first ride from Durango to Phoenix.

I am pretty excited for this tournament. Oregon is one of my favorite places to visit. The scenery is beautiful, the people are friendly and there is so much to see! I wasn't playing too bad when I practiced last week either so that is a little exciting as well. Be sure to watch the live-stream and check the brackets on the WPBA website!

Now on to the PoolDawg trivia! Just leave a comment below with your answer and email address. The first person to answer correctly wins! Here is this weeks question:

What 80s movie was filmed near Lincoln City, OR?

My flight is boarding! Thanks PoolDawg and good luck everyone!

Observations and Ramblings

2009-10-09T15:21:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I went to the Houston Open. I am not pointing fingers at that tournament in this rambling. I am talking about observations that I have made over the past 13 years or so that I have been competing in pool tournaments. That covers the lowest level and the highest level. Alright, to get to the point, I have noticed the vast difference between men's events and women's events. Why are women just there to play and have fun and the men are there to compete? That is the question I ask.

I have noticed more lately that when you go to an event that has an Open division and a Women's division there are many differences. One being the entry fee. The men pay anywhere between $60-$100+ to play in a weekend regional event. The women pay anywhere from $20-$50 to play in a women's division. Now I understand that there are maybe 100 men playing and only a handful of women, but why is it acceptable that a man who might just be a "field filler" pay so much and think it is okay. The women have to have such a low entry fee to even have enough players to play! Are women smarter with money and they don't want to waste money? If they aren't confident they are going to cash they don't enter? Why is there such a big difference in the thinking of men and women? I have heard so many guys say that they would gladly pay up to $100 to play against the best players. Many guys are getting ready to pay $600 to play in the US Open just for that same chance. I hope that some of the women who don't feel like they have the confidence to jump in there and play realize that it will help you get better. It took me years and years to do well in tournaments. Along the way I learned a lot though. Take the risk, who knows, you may be better than you think you are!

The second thing is the attitude of the players. This doesn't go for every area. It seems that the women in certain areas are very, very competitive and others are not. I have traveled all over the country playing in a variety of tournaments. Maybe the men have a ton of pride and are there to compete. Maybe it is the manly thing to compete to relax. Sometimes when I go to women's tournaments I can pick out the few girls that are there with that competitive attitude. Then I can look around and pick out the majority that are just there to relax and catch up with friends all while playing pool. I am not against making friends or catching up with friends but I am not going to do it while playing in a tournament match. So many times I have seen women sharing pictures or telling stories to catch up. There is plenty of time to catch up after the match. It kind of holds up the tournament and the girls are forced to play shorter races. You are supposed to put up a wall that blocks out friendship while you are playing. I'm sorry, you may be my best friend off the table but I guarantee you are my enemy while we are playing! This doesn't go for all tournaments of course, but there it is a huge difference between the men and women.

Third, the added money. I understand that you want to draw the guys so you add anywhere from $1500-$10,000 for the men, but why do you only add $500 to the women? Of course you aren't going to get a great turn-out even if you have a ton of good women players in the area (by area I mean about a 6 hour radius) if you only add a small amount of money. Most of the women's events I go to hardly cover expenses to get there and stay for a couple days. Therefore, I don't travel as much as I did in the past to play in tournaments. If you are holding a tournament somewhere and you know you have a high concentration of female players, why not add a little more money. Make it worth it for the girls to show up. I can't guarantee that tons of women will show up, but I know I would be willing to go more often.

Lastly, women are catty. I know this, I am a woman and I admit it. When I go to tournaments in other areas it is like I am the enemy. The guys don't look at someone like Shane Van Boening showing up at a weekly tournament as the enemy. They are all hyped up to get a chance to play him and learn from him. The women seem to have the attitude like "Oh well, is here I can't win." I was a beginner once too and for a little while, I thought that way. I quickly learned the lesson that anyone, at anytime, can win one match. When I started playing on the WPBA I had that thinking. "Oh great, I drew Allison. I'm going to lose." Then the matches would get closer and closer. One day, I realized I could win just like any single person out there can win ONE match! Please girls, quit being beat by the names. Have a little faith in yourselves! Plus, I will let you in on a little secret, all of the pressure is on that good player that shows up. They have everyone telling them that they are going to win the tournament. They start shaking in their boots when someone gets close to beating them or beats them.

I know there are people reading this and saying, "quit complaining, you could always just play in the Open division." That is true and usually I do play in the Open division if I can play in both tournaments and it doesn't conflict and I do play a lot of Open events that aren't too incredibly far away.

These are just my observations. It is hard to see a sport that women have a chance to be equal with the men but yet we are still kind of held back. I am not saying anything bad about the people that go to tournaments to relax and have fun. I just don't see why the only market for women's tournaments that are held with open tournaments to be the women that either accompany their significant other or those in the immediate area. I hope that it changes. This is a sport that has a mass appeal to all people no matter what age, sex, color or physical ability. I just hope that the women can grow and be somewhat equal in the future. This is a tough sport to make a living. Please remember that the girls are paying travel expenses to get to these events too. I know everyone would like to not only win the tournament but walk away from winning the tournament with a little bit of profit!

Alright, that is my rant. I hope I didn't offend anyone. As always, I am open to comments!

Trivia Winner!

2009-10-07T13:33:00.003-05:00

Congrats Chris Nunley for guessing the correct answer this week! Pink Floyd has been my favorite band since I was about 8 years old. I guess that is what you get for growing up in a pool room! And just for the record, I have never done drugs so that is not the reason for liking a "stoner" band!

Those of you that guessed the other guesses...Jay, I have never been much of a boy band fan. Although, I did have a short period of time when I was about six that I really liked New Kids on the Block. I try to forget those days. I did like Tiffany and Debbie Gibson too when I was about the same age. Village People never really made it onto my radar...I guess it just isn't my style unless I am at a sporting event and they are trying to hype up the crowd.

Thanks everyone for playing and thanks to PoolDawg for the gift codes! Enjoy yours Chris! I'm not sure if next weeks question will be on Monday. My mom and I are traveling to Oregon on Monday. Hopefully I can think up a question and get it posted during all of the travel. I will be back tonight or tomorrow with a non-trivia post.

Trivia!

2009-10-06T11:37:00.003-05:00

Yes, I realize it is Tuesday, not Monday! I went to the Houston Open over the weekend and on the way there and the way back it was full of airport nightmares! Of course, I was so smart that I didn't have the computer with me so I couldn't post. Sorry for the delay. This weeks question is just one I thought up real quick and it has nothing to do with pool.

What is my favorite band?

Thank you to PoolDawg for bringing you the chance to win a gift code! Just leave your answer along with your email address in the comment section. The first correct answer wins the PoolDawg gift code!

As for the Houston Open, I didn't do all that great. I played in the Open division and finished one spot out of the money. In the womens I got third. I had flashes of brilliance in the beginning of the day and then flashes of stupidity at the end of both days. Maybe it was sitting in the smokey pool room for hours on end that did it or maybe I should consider practicing! Either way I live and learn and move on to the next adventure! If you are ever in the Houston area check out Legend's Billiards. They have a mix of Diamond and Brunswick tables and no shortage of good players!

Good luck everyone!

Colorado Classic Recap

2009-09-30T13:13:00.007-05:00

I know, it's been over a week since the tournament. Sorry! Real-life called and wanted me to come back. Everyone knows the outcome of the tournament. I finished tied for 9th after going into the redraw undefeated. Ga Young Kim won the tournament and Kelly fisher got second, Xiao-ting Pan and Jeanette Lee tied for 3rd. So now, you can hear it from my point of view!

First off, I have to say the Sky Ute Casino and Resort is absolutely beautiful! I did a post while I was there that showed my room and the view. Here is another look at the view from my hotel room...

I didn't get a chance to go see Durango or any of the surrounding area. I know I really missed out. Maybe next year I will get a chance to do all of that but for this year, I was pretty happy to still be focused on the tournament and in the tournament long enough to put off sightseeing!

My first match was rough. I played Dana Aft who I have known for a little while from the time I spent living in Atlanta. She has come such a long way! I think we will be seeing more of her in the future. I had a lot of trouble getting going but I finished well.

My second match was against Morgan Steinman. If you all remember, she is the one who eliminated me from the US Open in August. It was my turn to get revenge! Again, I was down in the match, 3-1 I believe. I came back and it was neck and neck until 6-6. Finally, I pulled away and won the match. I didn't feel real good about how I played. I knew I was making too many stupid, simple mistakes at the end of the rack. I was giving games away and that is not a good feeling. I felt very lucky to win that match.

My third match was against the number one seed Monica Webb. I think a lot of my readers got to watch the match since it was on the PoolDawg live-stream. I won the lag and looked to have a very easy run out. Then of course, I tried to get cute and show that I can play lefty instead of using the bridge. What did it get me? How about a miss on an easy six ball! I can't exactly remember what happened but Monica played a rail to rail safety on the nine. I looked at it for a minute or so then decided that the safety and going for it were equally tough so I went for it. Here is the shot:

Anyway, throughout the match I was getting a little fortunate but I was also playing well. Monica made some uncharacteristic mistakes that allowed me chances at the table. I felt pretty good about it and think I took advantage of about 90% of the opportunities I got. Not perfect, but not too shabby!

That win put me in a situation I have only been in once before...coming into the final 16 on the winners side! I had a whole day to not do much. I got to meet with the PoolDawg guys, Mike, Keven and Brent. We took care of some business matters. For example, the new promotion being run by PoolDawg. If you use the code SRCUEBALL and spend over $100 you can receive an autographed Sarah Rousey cue ball! I had to sign lots so please support them! Okay, back to the tournament. I went to witness the draw at 4:30 and my name was one of the last ones to be picked. The people coming out of the losers bracket were absolute killers, Kelly Fisher, Kim Shaw, Yu Ram Cha, Jeanette Lee and a four others (sorry I can't remember all 8). So it came down to Kelly Fisher and Jeanette left and my name hadn't been drawn. Of course, Jeanette draws my name. She yelled out "Oh but I wanted to draw Vivian!" in a kind of whiny voice. I couldn't help myself and in return yelled back "Oh darn, that's too bad." So our match was set to begin at 5:30.

I took my time getting ready and practiced and felt pretty good. I know playing Jeanette can be a task not only because she is a great player, but also because she puts on quite a show. I have said before, I respect what she does for the sport, but man, that is brutal! Jeanette really played great. I had a really slow start and only kicked for the first four games or so. The only games I won were games that she made a mistake. That only happened a handful of times. Her safety play, kicking, and shot-making were all working in unison that match. I lost 9-4 and my tournament run ended with only one loss. Jeanette went on to get her match with Vivian that she wanted and won convincingly, 9-3 I believe the score was. I guess you do get what you ask for!

The topic has come up before with the single elimination from the redraw and whether I like it or not. I have only experienced coming to the final sixteen from the winners side once before this event. Both times I have lost my first match. I have had a lot more success when coming from the losers side to the redraw. I think the person coming from the losers side gets a warm-up match. They are loose and awake and ready to go. Perhaps ready for their second chance. The person that comes from the winners side hasn't played a match in around 24 hours. I talked to one of the other players, a top player, about it. She felt the same way. It is nice to get a break, but very hard when your day isn't starting until 5:30 or 7:30 pm after playing your last match 24 hours earlier. Maybe we should go back to almost true double elimination. Who knows? For me, I have mixed emotions. I love it when I'm coming from the losers side and so far hate it coming from the winners side!

I spent a lot of time relaxing after I was done with the tournament. I did the last of the PoolDawg live-stream commentary along with Melissa Herndon, Jennifer Barretta and Michell Monk. Doing the commentary is always awesome. I love getting to chat with all of the fans and actually offer some insight into what is going on. After all of that, I just hung out. I wish I would have made it to Durango but the only shuttle service would have stranded me there for hours and hours. I got to catch a little bit of the finals by the time I got done being lazy. From what I heard Ga Young played incredibly well. She is making her mark as the real deal on the WPBA. I think it will last for years to come! Thanks Anne Craig and the WPBA website for the photo!

Here is were I would have some really cool pictures, but since Casino security was so tight, we couldn't take any pictures in the bar. I tried to sneak in one but the security person came over immediately and made us delete all pictures that were taken! Anyway, the really awesome part of this, which I would like to think is because we are all friends and like hanging out opposed to thinking that we were all stuck in the casino with nothing to do, but a big group of players got to hang out. It was nice to hear and tell stories of all of the different experiences we have all had. I will try to remember everyone in attendance and make a list...here it goes, Myself, Val Finnie, Kelly Fisher, Helena Thornfeldt, Julie Kelly, Karen Corr, Xiao-ting Pan, Ga Young Kim, Morgan Steinman, Anne Craig and Linda Pault. It was really so much fun. I wish I had pictures. It is nice to see that while we are all so competitive, we can all sit down, have a drink, share stories and just have good old fashion fun!

All-in-all, this was a great trip. Sure the altitude was a lot to get used to and we were kind of in the middle of nowhere, but hey, that's okay! I learned that sometimes a break from things is what you need. I didn't spend much, if any time practicing. I know that is not a good thing but I really needed a rest. I don't recommend doing it every time and I am going to try to squeeze in a bit more time on the table. I also learned from this trip that it is good to go in with no expectations. I put a lot of pressure on myself. I don't only want to make myself happy but I like to make others happy. I know that I have a huge support system out there and I thank everyone for that, Heartbackers and everyone else! I need to go in and expect to only give it my best. That could mean even if I am feeling like crap, maybe had a low blood sugar and don't feel like functioning, give it my best. Or if I am feeling great, give it my best. Just do what you can, the best that you can, no matter what the situation is!

I would like to thank my sponsors, MezzUSA, PoolDawg and the Heartbackers for the support. You guys are really awesome and thank you for your undying support! Thanks to my dad and sister for making the long drive from Phoenix to watch and to my mom for sweating it all from home! Thanks to everyone for watching the live-stream. I hope you guys thank the sponsors for making it available!

Finally, check out CueTable, the website that provided the diagram in this post. It is really a great way to communicate what you are thinking when it comes to shots and game situations! Support PoolDawg for providing the live-stream and me! And last but not least, keep checking out the live-stream and bracket updates live from the WPBA tournaments!

Since I am doing this post from work (sorry momboss) I will try to find some pictures when I get home to add to the post. Thank you all!

Winner!

2009-09-30T11:41:00.004-05:00

The correct answer this week was Oklahoma. I had never won a state championship until August of this year! Above is the picture I posted after the tournament with myself and Bonnie Plowman. Jeff, if you would have just stopped at OK! I wish I had won a championship in my own state, but unfortunately, I have played pretty poorly when those used to come around! George, congrats to you for winning for the second time since the trivia started a few months ago!

I promise another post today on Colorado and answering the questions that have come in the comments! I really appreciate the questions and comments. Keep'em coming! Check back for another post in about two hours.

Thank you PoolDawg for your letting me do this awesome weekly trivia! Remember, everyone can benefit by visiting PoolDawg and using the discount code ROUSEY, all caps, to receive 5% off their purchase. If you spend over $100 and use the code SRCUEBALL, you can get an a Sarah Rousey autographed cue ball!

Monday Trivia!

2009-09-28T10:23:00.003-05:00

It's that time again. Myself and PoolDawg bring you Monday Trivia! Remember, just answer in the comments and be sure to leave a way to contact you. I was informed that you should enter your email address using at instead of @ to avoid spammers. The first person with the correct answer gets a $10 gift code from the wonderful people at PoolDawg!

This weeks question: Where did I win my first state championship??

I was going to do a post this weekend but I was really caught up in the action going on. I watched pretty much the entire Oscar Dominguez/John Morra race to 100! That was some awesome playing and definitely and awesome production by The Action Report! The world of livestreaming has really come a long way. The TAR guys have definitely raised the bar! Way to go guys. If you didn't get to see it, you will have to support TAR and buy the dvd! Be sure to check out their store. They have a great variety of t-shirts, hats and dvd's. They do great things for pool so please try to support them!

As for me, I am headed to Houston on Friday for the Houston Open. I will post somethign again later in the week. If you are planning to attend please leave a comment or send me an email. I'd love to meet some players and fans from that area!

Good luck everyone!

Thanks PoolDawg!

2009-09-23T21:24:00.003-05:00

I wanted to give a big thanks to one of my sponsors, PoolDawg. I know, I know, I plug them a lot but this time I want to let you all know about a promotion that they are running. Anytime you put together an order for $100 and up you will not only get free shipping, but also a free cueball autographed by yours truly! You have to use the code SRCUEBALL to take full advantage of the offer. Be sure to use all capital letters. Remember, you can also get a 5% discount by using the code ROUSEY.
I slaved over a couple boxes of cue balls at the WPBA Colorado Classic so you better hurry!

Read all about the special on the PoolDawg Blog

Keep in mind, PoolDawg is not only my sponsor but also the sponsor of the WPBA, Liz Fords blog, and various other things within the pool industry. I appreciate the chance that I am being given by them! Thank you so much PoolDawg!

Winner(s)!

2009-09-23T12:32:00.004-05:00

Well, wasn't this week fun. I really thought that I had stumped you guys! Of course, I was wrong. Apparently you friends and fans are very resourceful. There was a bit of a discrepency in who won this week. Venom answered with the correct answer, but not the location. Then Chuck Peters added in every detail! I felt really bad since you both had the right answer in a way and since PoolDawg is such an extremely cool company...you both win this week! Check your email for your discount code.

Thank you everyone for playing. Those of you that are soooo close to winning, keep trying. Every monday there is a new question! You can only win once a month so who knows, everyone might get their chance! Thank you again to the awesome folks at PoolDawg who are so generous! Remember, if you didn't win you can still use the discount code ROUSEY (all caps) to get 5% off of your purchase.

Thanks for playing everyone. I'll be back tonight with a new post or two!

Monday Trivia!

2009-09-21T12:39:00.002-05:00

It is that time again. In honor of having a decent finish last week at the WPBA Colorado Classic I figure I will make this weeks question about my past finishes.

Where did I have my first top 10 WPBA finish and what year was it?

I know, it might be a tough one! A big thanks to PoolDawg for letting me do the weekly trivia and giving me the awesome gift certificates to give to the winners! Please check them out and give them a little support! Remember to include your email address along with your answer down in the comment section! Good luck!!

I am on my long trip home and when I finally arrive, I will give a tournament recap. Thank you to everyone who checked out my blog, wished me luck, and showed a lot of support. I really appreciate it!

The Joys of Winning

2009-09-18T13:44:00.008-05:00

This is a shock, prepare yourself. I won my second round match! If you have been following along you know that has been rare so far this year. The joy of that is that I don't have to play until 10pm tonight! So, I took some pictures. Warning, they may be graphic! just kidding.

Here is the view from my hotel room balcony. No, I am not a big spender, every room has a balcony! It is beautiful outside today. I'm no meteorologist, but I would say it is about 75 and sunny!

Next up, the hotel room I was raving about and the affect I have on it. I cleaned up a little bit!
As you can see, the room is quite roomie.

And now for my shameless sponsor plug. A close-up of the table which houses my goods and used patches and whatever else ends up there. Thanks so much again to PoolDawg, Mezz USA and of course, most importantly, The Heartbackers! As you can see, you each get a plug on my messy table.
Now on to my entertainment while I am here. I am pretty wild and crazy so be warned...That's right, not one, but two books! Two of my favorite authors, Dan Brown and Jodi Picoult.

Last but not least, the most graphic picture of all. Me waking up in the morning and realizing that I won and don't have to play an 11 am match. Conan O'Brien inspired the hair.
That is my trip in pictures so far. My dad and sister are arriving today so I will have a car to get around a bit more and take more pictures of the area. This is my first trip to Colorado so I need to see what it has to offer!

If you are wondering about that match I played last night, sorry I forget I actually play pool sometimes. I played Morgan Steinman. It was an okay match. I need to get started a bit earlier in the match and not make such silly mistakes at the end of the rack. I am taking things for granted and it is really kicking me in the butt. The final score was 9-6. I have to get it together tonight. I play Monica Webb who is the number 1 seed for this event. No more getting lazy for me! The match is not until 10pm mountain time and it could possibly be streamed. Be sure to check out the livestream provided by PoolDawg! You can get to the stream by clicking here.

Colorado Day 1

2009-09-17T19:18:00.002-05:00

Well all of the doubts that people had about the Sky Ute Casino as a venue, were pretty wrong! This place is kind of in the middle of nowhere, but it is beautiful. The rooms are great and the venue is very nice. So far, there has been a pretty good turnout and everyone is very appreciative of the WPBA being here!

As for me, my first match was against Dana Aft. She is someone that I have known for a few years and met when I was living in the Atlanta area. She has come such a long way and is playing well. I didn't play great in the beginning, but got it together in the end and won 9-3. My next match is somewhat of a revenge match against Morgan Steinman. She beat me at the last event! Hopefully I can pull it together and stay on the winners side!

You can watch the livestream here:

Monday Trivia!

2009-09-14T10:50:00.003-05:00

Yep, that's right, not only is it Trivia time, but it is also my birthday!! For those of you that are wondering how old I am (I don't think it is much of a secret) the answer is: 18!! Oh wait, my age calculator is a bit off today...let me think, oh that's right. I'm 27 today! This weeks question is going to be pretty easy.

What did you get me for my birthday?? Fine, that is a joke

The real question, brought to you by Myself and PoolDawg:

Who else in my family celebrates their birthday today??

Good luck everyone! A big thanks to PoolDawg as always for being so kind. Remember you can shop at PoolDawg and use the discount code ROUSEY and get 5% off your purchase! Okay, that's my shameless sponsor plug, but hey, those guys rock!

As for me, tomorrow morning I am off to Ignacio, Colorado for the WPBA Colorado Classic. Check out the WPBA website for the live streaming that will begin Wednesday for the pro-am and Thursday for tournament play.

Along with that I would like to wish everyone that will be or is competing right now a kind of late Good luck in The World Classic. That tournament is being held in Galveston, TX. I wanted to go to that event but money and scheduling just weren't cooperating with me! Check out the website for nightly challenge matches and tournament results.

Have fun watching pool this week everyone!

Winner!

2009-09-09T12:48:00.004-05:00

Way to go AndyB!! You were right in answering Elmhurst College. I went off to the big city of Chicago (well, the close suburbs) in 2000 when I was 17. This is where I tried to not be a pool player. Instead, just a short time later, I was playing in my first WPBA event! Justin and Jenny, you also had the correct answer, unfortunately, AndyB is an early riser and beat you to it. Venomus9s...good try. If I was schooled on the streets, I would fit in perfectly when I visit all of you crazy people in Brooklyn! Don't worry, next Monday is yet another chance to win.

Thanks to Pooldawg as always for letting this trivia game happen weekly. You guys are awesome! Everyone comeback and play again!

As a side note, I have decided to pass on Galveston and I'm off to Ignacio, Colorado for the WPBA Colorado Classic. I will be back with a new post soon!

News, Randoms and Trivia

2009-09-06T20:14:00.002-05:00

I promised some posts this week and technically, it is not this week anymore. I have been kind of in my own world lately. Life has been making me think way too much. As John Mayer said in one of his songs, "It might be a quarter-life crisis". I go through these times often and this time, it's lasted a bit longer than usual. I question what I'm doing with my life and wonder what in the world is going to happen. I think this makes me human and everyone goes through the same thing. My birthday is coming up soon and this always gets me thinking. Pool is my life and my passion, but it is getting harder and harder to survive out there. My life has been consumed by pool for almost 17 years now. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have made great friends, met cool people, and traveled the world. Still, I wonder if I would know what to do without all of that. Would I know how to live a 'normal' life? I am not meaning to sound like I am sitting on the pity pot, just trying to rant. I know I am very lucky so please don't think I am not grateful.

Anyway...This week I decided to practice for the first time in a month. Mentally, I haven't had much desire to play and like I said above, haven't exactly been in a good place. Physically, my elbow is still hurting but I can't go without practice. Wednesday I headed to the local pool room, Ride the Nine and started hitting balls. I haven't really been to the pool room in months since I have been traveling and working. It usually isn't very busy during the week besides a few regulars. The pool room is essentially a bar that happens to have 18 pool tables. I spent about four hours practicing and catching up with everyone. It was really awesome to get to talk to a few people (you guys know who you are). I had no idea that people really follow along with everything I do and how grateful people are to get to hang out or talk with me. It was very flattering, but I still insist I am no different than anyone else in the world. Just another person who likes to play pool. Thank you guys for lifting my spirits Wednesday night. It really meant a lot.

That leads into the question that was posted when I asked what people wanted to know about. How and what do I practice? To be completely honest, practice has never been my strong point. I hate drills and I am not very good at staying focused for very long. I usually just hit balls for about half an hour, then end up playing the ghost. My boyfriend is a drill freak. He will do drills for hours on end. It makes him crazy that I won't do the same. When he is around, I am more structured. He is there to set stuff up or watch and tell me if something is off. Last year when I started playing well he was around for a few months and really helped me stay focused and practice drills and shots that come up often. I have been pretty lazy in my practice as of lately. Just playing the ghost and shooting shots that I have trouble with. I have also been practicing using spin more and controlling it better. My position play has never been a strong point! If you look back in previous posts I posted a drill. The post is called 'Not so simple'. It is a good drill to start with. As for me, I have to get to practicing a lot for the next few months!

That leads to the big news. I have been invited to represent the USA again on the world stage. I am going to China again to play in the WPA Women's World 9-Ball!! If you have followed along and remember the last trip to a "world championship" it didn't go so well. This event is run by a different promotion group that I got to experience on that trip as well. The same group that promoted the China Open is in charge of this event. I am really excited to play in my first Women's World 9-ball Championship! I am happy to say that all of the Heartbackers that have donated so far in 2009 will be represented on this trip as well. If you would like to become a Heartbacker you can do so by donating through paypal over on the right side of the blog or contacting me. Everyone that donates receives a Heartbacker patch and some other goodies. Thank you so much to everyone that has been involved in helping me this year. I cannot thank you enough! You have helped make my dreams come true! I will definitely be prepared for everything this time and I look forward to real Chinese food again! Now you see why I need to whip myself into shape!!

The next adventure for me is up in the air. I am definitely going to Ignacio, CO for the WPBA event. What happens the week before is in question. The big tournament in Galveston is there. The women's division ends the day before the WPBA event begins. What to do, what to do?? I will let everyone know what the final decision is.

I hope everyone has enjoyed all of the live-stream pool action from this weekend. I was really overwhelmed with the choices! All week I had been staying up late to watch the World Cup of Pool. Congrats to Efren and Bustamante for winning. There was also the match between Jeanette Lee and Vivian Villarreal, the Texas Open, a Predator Tour event from New York, and the NCS Championships from Vegas. I hope that this means the pool world is growing. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to show all of these tournaments!

Finally, I am posting this weeks trivia question early. I have to go to Chicago for the day tomorrow so I won't be able to post it tomorrow afternoon like I usually do. So in honor of me paying off my school loans this week, here is the question:

What college did I attend??

Good luck to everyone and thanks again to PoolDawg for everything! Be sure to include your email address in your comment below!

That's my rant! Sorry for the lack of pictures.

And the winner is...

2009-09-02T12:20:00.006-05:00

Congrats to Alan Wong again! The first time I won a tournament was when I was 16. I had lots and lots of second and third place finishes prior to that but my win came in Schaumburg, IL at Cue-Can-Do. It was a National 9-ball Tour event. I can't remember how much I won, but I know I felt like I had a ton of weight lifted from my shoulders! I tried to find an embarrassing picture of myself at age 16, but then I realized that I look exactly the same. Just for the sake of adding a picture, I was somewhere between here..
and here...
Just picture me a little chubbier and with a bowl cut and you get me at 16!

Thank you for everyone that played. I'm glad to see some more participation. Be ready for a new question next week! And as always, thank you so much to PoolDawg! Coming up later on, answering your questions and maybe some big news!

Monday Trivia!

2009-08-31T11:01:00.002-05:00

I have been slacking on the job here. Congrats to last weeks winner Josh Johnson. Hope you enjoy your PoolDawg gift code!

Now for this weeks question: How old was I when I won my first tournament?

You guys know how it goes. Leave a comment with your answer and email address. The first person to get it right, wins a $10 PoolDawg gift code!

Thanks again to the cool folks at PoolDawg.

I promise to be back with some posts this week.

Monday Trivia

2009-08-24T11:04:00.002-05:00

It's that time of week yet again. The first person to answer correctly with a comment below wins a $10 PoolDawg gift certificate.

This weeks question: What year did I win the Junior Nationals?

Good Luck everyone. The winner will be announced on Wednesday! Thanks again to PoolDawg!!

Trivia Winner

2009-08-19T11:46:00.003-05:00

Again, my question was too easy. Congrats to George Cheung for being the first person to answer and the person to win the PoolDawg gift certificate! The answer of course is a Mitsubishi Lancer. Next week I better come up with something tougher! Thanks for playing and thanks to PoolDawg!

I'll be back tonight with some new stuff!

Trivia!!!

2009-08-17T10:43:00.005-05:00

It's Monday again. That means it's time for another PoolDawg trivia question!! Remember, just leave a comment at the bottom of this post. Be sure to include your email address so when you win, you can get your goods. The first person with the correct answer wins a $10PoolDawg gift certificate!

If you have been reading, you can figure this one out...

What make/model car do I take on all of my exciting road trips?

Thank you to those of you that gave feedback on what you want to know about. I will start answering those this week.

Good luck everyone!

What do you want??

2009-08-14T12:38:00.002-05:00

Sure that is what I say sometimes to people at work, but this is my chance to say it to you. What do you readers want to read about. What do you want to know about me, pool, or anything? This is the first time I'm asking for the reader feedback. Let me know what you want instead of what I pick for you to read!

Also, in case you didn't realize, I gave in and joined Twitter. You can follow me there if you would like. My name is sarahrousey...how original!

I look forward to your ideas!

Good-bye, adios, au revoir....

2009-08-13T12:08:00.007-05:00

Don't get your panties in a bunch, I'm not getting ready to fall of the face of the Earth or anything! I'm just talking about what has been happening this week. It seems as though Good-bye has been the theme for pets, siblings and boyfriends.

On Monday my cat Max was put to sleep. I know, how girlie, but this cat was really awesome. He was fifteen years old and possibly one of the coolest cats to ever live. He was there for me all the times I was sick or wanted to play or needed to keep warm. He was not exactly a small cat. If any of you ever spoke to me on AIM in the past, you saw a picture of dear Max. He wasn't exactly a small cat..usually weighing over twenty pounds. Rest in peace Maxie! Here is a blurry rememberance of Max..
Next up, my baby sister Kaeleigh. On Wednesday she began her own life adventure and a really long drive to Phoenix, AZ. She is going to grad school at ASU. She's my best bud so it will be sad to not have her only a couple hours away or her weekend visits to home! The only good thing, I'll get to go visit Phoenix. I've never been there, but I hear it's nice! Here she is...my baby sis, leaving the nest..
And finally, today Jason went back to Canada. It is tournament time in Toronto and he is playing in the Canadian Championships. After that he is off to the Philippines again to play in the World Cup of Pool. For almost a month I'm losing my own personal chef, coach, and everything in between. Good luck Jason. See you when you get back!Even my cat Newton was trying to leave for Canada with Jason!
As for me, it looks like this is the only place I will be going for the next couple of weeks...
The big question is, where will my next adventure be. I have choices. Should it be to visit my pals in New York City or to go work at the APA Nationals in Vegas?? I guess it all depends how much time I can get off work!

Trivia Winner

2009-08-11T15:39:00.002-05:00

I guess I didn't try hard enough to stump you guys! The correct answer (a day early) is the Chicago White Sox. For those of you that picked the Cubs...keep dreaming! The only time I've been to Wrigley Field was for a Hockey Game! Go White Sox Go!!

Congrats to Alan Wong. You won a $10 gift certificate to PoolDawg. I hope you find what you have been looking for (perhaps that cue for a special someone..hint, hint, wink, wink).

Next monday there will be a new question (hopefully tougher!). I will have to think of something much harder. All readers are eligible so go on and comment away!

Let the Trivia Begin!

2009-08-10T11:24:00.004-05:00

Thanks to PoolDawg, I am going to start a weekly trivia give away. What am I giving away you ask? How about a $10 gift certificate to PoolDawg! These may be questions about me, pool, life, PoolDawg, or whatever I can come up with. Answers may be found here in my blog, facebook, myspace and twitter. I hope you all have been paying attention!

This weeks question: What is my favorite Major League Baseball team??

What do you need to do?? Answer: Leave a comment with your answer to this weeks question. Be sure to leave your email address so you can receive your goods! You have until Wednesday at lets say....Noon to answer. Good luck!

EDIT: I forgot to say that the first person to answer correctly will receive a $10 gift certificate. Sorry!

A New Addition

2009-08-07T22:19:00.009-05:00

If you wonder what there is to do on a Friday night in Bloomington/Normal, IL, the obvious answer would be...get a tattoo. My little sister, Kaeleigh, came up with the bright idea earlier in the week. She is getting ready to move to Phoenix, AZ for grad school and thought it would be a good way to start a new part of life. Of course, I'm always game for something. She had her tattoo all picked out, a quote that she saw somewhere (I think someones facebook page. Yes, I'm being serious!). Her quote, "Fear is momentary, regret is permanent."

As for me, I thought about my options...hmm...I love pool (most of the time at least) maybe something pool related. Or, how about one of my sponsor logos, I mean I do love those guys too...
But for some reason, I don't love them enough to advertise on my body permanently! You will have to keep reading to find out what I decided on.

After work we headed off to Graphic Flesh in Normal, IL.
I decided earlier in the week that my tattoo would be in the middle of my upper back. I heard it was kinda painful in that spot but when I got there, my guy Tim, told me the tattoo on my wrist hurt more than this one. I have to agree with him on that one! Since Kaeleigh's tattoo only took about 15 minutes, she was on hand to take pictures of me in a bit of pain (I'm sure she liked that!).
What the picture doesn't show is the sweat beading up on my forehead and my sweaty palms! All-in-all the whole ordeal only took about an hour. And here is the end result... I think it is a pretty cool quote and a good motto for life.

So remember, if you for any reason are ever in Bloomington/Normal and get a hankering to get a tattoo or piercing, go toGraphic Flesh! The staff is pretty cool, especially this guy, Tim. He did a great job and from what I hear tattoos are addicting so I will be visiting again!Other than all that...check in Monday for the beginning of PoolDawg trivia questions. I'm going to test you guys how much you've been paying attention. Thanks to PoolDawg, we will be giving away $10 gift certificates!!

Oklahoma and Billiards Digest

2009-08-05T11:33:00.013-05:00

While I wasn't all that ready to go to Oklahoma and play, I had to do it. A little known fact, about a month ago my right arm started really hurting. My elbow to be exact. I went to the doctor and found out that I have something called Golfer's Elbow along with some tricep tendinitis...sweet! So this whole typing stuff for work and pool is finally paying off, in a painful way! Enough whining...on to the event!

It all started with the 10 hour drive to Norman, Oklahoma and the Riverwind Casino. Myself, Jason and Frank the PoolDawg got in the car and were on our way. Along the way we went through St. Louis, MO and go to see the Gateway Arch and in Oklahoma, home of Will Rogers, we got to see a little of him too.

I made it there just in time for the players meeting and Pro-Am. The Pro-Am was really a lot of fun. Sometimes it can be something that players are not looking forward to...this one was not that way. I was paired with a Riverwind VP named Jeremy and unfortunately we lost our first match pretty bad so we couldn't advance to the final even though we won our next two matches! Afterward we had challenge games and for me, it was hibernation after that. I had a tough first match the following day. I have to add, the Riverwind Casino is kind of in the middle of nowhere, but it is really nice. Everything is brand new, the staff is friendly, everything is really great for the players when we visit.

My first match was really up and down. My lack of practice is really showing. I played Miyuki Sakai who is a top player that doesn't play in every tournament. I played alright and luckily took advantage of early mistakes she made. I ended up winning that match 9-7. Making progress since last event!

That same night, my second round match was against one of my best friends, Tracie Hines. Tracie finished 9th in Indiana and is playing great. I came out ready and strong, up 3-0, then she didn't miss...3-3. Then another lead, 6-3...then down 7-6. I made some really stupid mistakes that were laziness to say the least. My position play at the end of the rack was horrible! Tracie won 9-7. Congrats on another 9th place finish Tracie! Don't shoot me for using an old picture Tracie...I couldn't find a new one.

With that loss and the eight players getting TV spots, that meant a lot of play on Friday. My first match was against Belinda Calhoun. I started out strong and thought it was going to be an uncharacteristic quick win. That's what I get for thinking. Belinda is one of the best players to ever live for a reason! I was ahead 5-0 and then she started her comeback. She broke and ran out and took advantage of any small mistake I made. Suddenly, it was 5-5, then 6-6. Finally, I re-grouped a little and came back firing. I won the match 9-6...but don't worry, my tournament life flashed before my eyes!

My last match was against Morgan Steinman. I knew she just finished a 9-8 match and I was hoping she would be tired. Wow, was I wrong. She played really well and got a few great rolls to help her along. As for me, I tested the rails really well and everything I did came up a little short (kind of the story of my life, haha). Morgan steam-rolled me 9-3!

So my WPBA tournament life was over. Luckily, Jason looked on AZbilliards and found out that the Oklahoma State 8-ball Championship was being held just a couple hours away in Tulsa at Magoo's Billiards. With nothing else to do and it only being Friday night, we were on our way early Saturday morning.

I am going to be totally honest and say I absolutely hate bar table 8-ball. I think it is one of the worst games in the world. I blame that on the fact that I never learned how to play. It makes me frustrated and ready to pull all my hair out. I was debating on even playing in the event. They had a players auction and I didn't want someone to spend a lot of money thinking they had a great player on their hands. After debating with myself for awhile, I decided that it would be better to play than sit around and wish I was playing or being asked why I didn't play. Of course, the auction comes around and I go as the first blind bid...$140! Joe Salazar of Salazar Custom Cues bought me. I gave him the warning of not really being a good 8-ball player blah, blah, blah. There were 25 players and I didn't have any expectations.

I got lucky to win my first match hill-hill over Susan Mello. Something happened (I think relying on breaking and running out) and I found myself coming back the next day still in the winners bracket. Sunday morning I figured my luck would run out. I played Julia Gabriel, a good bar table player and frequent player on the WPBA. Somehow I won! Then on to the winner's bracket final against Bonnie Plowman. Bonnie knows what she is doing when it comes to 8-ball...I thought I was doomed. I got lucky and won again! Then in the finals, a rematch with Bonnie. She came out firing and beat me 5-1 the first set. Then she decided to miss in the second set. My break worked for a few more games and helped me win the Oklahoma State 8-ball Championship!! How ironic is that? I've never won a state championship before and it ends up being an 8-ball tournament...strange!Bonnie tried to take out Frank and I both after the finals!

The men had around 60 players and it definitely wasn't an easy field with the likes of Buddy Hall, Gabe Owen, Shane McMinn, Jason Klatt, Joey Gray, Chip Compton and lots of others. The final came down to Joey and Chip, the two young guys. Joey ended up beating Chip two sets and winning the Men's Oklahoma State Championship!

As always it was great to see Danny and Evelyn Dysart who run the Midwest Tour. They always run a great tournament and if you are going to be in the Midwest be sure to check their schedule!

After another eight hours in the car, I was finally back home in Bloomington and back to the daily work grind. The highlight of that though, my Billiards Digest magazine came in the mail on Monday.
I was mentioned a few times. I did a short interview at the WPBA event in Indiana and got a little blurb about playing overseas and what it is like. Then this blog was co runner-up for the Best Blog award!! Stinking Frank beat me! Way to go for OMGWTF as well...the other loser to Frank. The other way I was mentioned was about my rant over the World 10-ball. I guess I didn't realize my blog would be quoted. Since it was, and commented on...I am going to go ahead and start working to "understand the business of pool". If you read the article, you will understand that. Apparently, I am just another stupid pool player after all! Glad I know now. Thanks Billiards Digest for the coverage and the award. And thanks to everyone that reads here for staying interested or being intersted in general! It is much appreciated.

All-in-all, I have to say I was disappointed in how I played in the WPBA event but it was sort of nice to relax and hang out with old friends and meet new people in Tulsa and Norman both. I know what I need to work on and I will get to it before the next event in Colorado. Who knows where the travels will take me between now and then.

Pictures of players here were taken from various websites that came up in a google image search. Inside Pool, Billiards Digest and the WPBA website.

Public Speaking and the BEF Junior Nationals

2009-07-24T00:40:00.014-05:00

As I said in a previous post, the BEF Junior National 9-ball tournament was being held in my hometown of Bloomington/Normal, IL. I got a chance to attend the banquet and give a speech. It was a packed house! The banquet was really awesome. I wish there would have been something like that when I was playing! There were prizes and different awards given out...most of them directed toward good students. Everything was fun, then it was time for the speech. I wrote my speech a couple days ago and practiced here and there. Once I got up there, I was so freaked out and nervous, I couldn't see the words on my notes! I had to wing it and my voice was super shaky...but hopefully I got my point across. First a picture, then the video of my speech at the bottom of the post. Are politics in my future?? I think not!

After the banquet, Dr. Cue, Tom Rossman put on an exhibition. If you haven't seen his show before, it is definitely one of the best when it comes to trick shots. He put on a show for over an hour and could have kept going! To end the first night, Laura Smith, Dawn Hopkins, and myself did challenge games. I was determined to not quit until everyone had a chance to play.

I went to watch as much as I could. Saturday night I got to do some more challenge matches and meet a lot of the players. Sunday, the finals were pretty exciting. Landon Shuffett moved up a division but still came out the winner. Brianna Miller defended her title as the 14 and under division. Liz Lovely won the 19 and under girls and Brendan Crockett won the 14 and under boys division. All of these kids are really amazing talents. We all have to watch out for them soon!

I have to give a big thanks to all of the kids and parents. I had a great time and I got to go back to having a good feeling about pool. Everyone was so friendly and appreciative. Thank you for the opportunity to be around that!

Here it is...in two parts, the speech. Part of it was cut out in order to take some pictures. The camera is a little shaky so you might want to close your eyes! My opening line was cut out. I said "I was really worried about what to wear tonight, but I guess I didn't need to worry since you can't even see me behind this podium!"

Part 1

Part 2 (on YouTube since blogger wouldn't let me load it)

Thanks for watching! Next up is the WPBA US Open. The live stream sponsored by PoolDawg isn't going to be running for this one but you can find the brackets on the WPBA website.

PoolDawg Rocks!

2009-07-22T22:56:00.005-05:00

I would like to give a big thanks to PoolDawg! They have decided to add me to the team for the rest of 2009. In case you didn't know, PoolDawg is located in Colorado. In honor of that, all employees and players have to have a South Park character. What do you think? Is it me?
On a serious note, I have a link to PoolDawg over to the right of this article, but now you can also go to the site and use the promotion code ROUSEY to receive a 5% discount. There is a huge variety of things all pool related. The people that work there are awesome and easy to get along with. I'm sure they would be more than happy to answer any questions you have. Just don't talk about baseball...they have some questionable favorite teams!

From now on, and for the past couple tournaments, you have and will see me carrying around Frank the PoolDawg. He looks pretty real, but don't worry, he doesn't bite. He does like to have a good time though, so if there is a party, he will find it and probably make me go! If you see us, please come up and meet us both or if you have already met me, meet Frank. Everyone gets a picture taken. He got kicked off of myspace because he is just too cool so now he has his own blog that you can follow along with and see the pictures and hear what he has to say about our trips. I hope he likes his new home in Bloomington, IL!
Now, I know, everyone, including me, are really missing Debbie Schjodt! She is so busy working at a new pool room that she is going to take some time off. I believe I have mentioned before that Debbie is my roommate on tour...so I really miss her! Debbie, you are awesome and thank you for passing the responsibility on to me. I hope I can fill your spot well and I hope Frank is comfortable with me. Luckily, we have already had some good times together!Come back soon Debbie!

Look out for trivia questions, contests, and whatever else I can come up with (that could be scary) to win some cool prizes from PoolDawg. If you haven't already checked them out, please do!

Thank you again PoolDawg!!!

P.S. The speech is tomorrow! I had a post started that is going to be a long one, with lots of pictures. I will post it after the Junior stuff is finished. Then we will be all up-to-date. I had to give PoolDawg some much needed attention first!!

What a Jerk!!!!!

2009-07-21T11:04:00.002-05:00

I know, that is what all of you have been thinking of me for the past month or so. Sorry. I needed a break from all things pool related. For a couple weeks, I didn't even read the forums, answer emails, or check blogs. That is something I have never done before...NEVER!

When I got home from overseas, I was exhausted and had to go right to the WPBA event in Michigan City. I know, quit complaining, I wasn't the only one that had to do that. I did however, think I was getting a cold. It got worse and worse and I really didn't play all that well. I didn't even stick around to watch much of the tournament. I left as soon as I was knocked out...by Helena, who played great. When I got home, I kept getting more and more sick and gave in, finally, I went to the doctor. Let me tell you, that swine flu test is not cool! A big swab, stuck up your nose, not just in your nose, but tickling your brain practically!! Ten minutes later, no swine flu, but a nice case of pneumonia. Nothing like a couple weeks of coughing up a lung or two. With some breathing treatments and antibiotics...I was alive and well again, kinda.

I went to the tournament in Bristol, played awful, but had a good time. I will have pictures and stuff later. I am at work and I was feeling really guilty about not doing this in so long...so no pics right now. I can say Janet's pool room is awesome. If you get a chance to go to Bristol, TN, definitely visit Borderline Billiards.

If you are friends with me on Facebook, you saw that I am pretty nervous about giving a speech. Well, here in my hometown (Bloomington/Normal, IL) the Junior Nationals and ACUI championships are being held at Illinois State University. Laura Smith, a fellow WPBA player and head of the Billiard Education Foundation, asked if I would be the guest speaker at this years opening banquet. This is really an honor, but I am not the greatest public speaker. In fact, I passed out once in speech class and haven't given a speech since! That was twelve years ago!! I have the speech written and after I give the speech tomorrow night, I will post it here. I don't want to ruin the excitement of all the kids getting to hear my shaky voice give the speech. I sure hope video cameras are prohibited!

Again, I'm sorry about the break. I have had a lot going on personally, just trying to figure things out with myself and I didn't want to rain my gloom upon all of you. I will put pictures and everything else up tonight when I get home from work.

Thanks for sticking with me and checking up on me. Thanks to my friends that sent emails making sure I was still alive. I appreciate it....and I am alive!!

WPBA Great Lakes Classic, Match 1

2009-06-18T11:47:00.005-05:00

As I have learned lately, life is a challenge. This tournament will be no different. Not that anyone is an easy draw, but there are some tough ones. My first match is against former top 10 player Sarah Ellerby. She has missed three tournaments so she was no longer ranked in the top 32 coming into this event.

Me
Sarah Ellerby

I'm still a little jet-lagged but I think it will be a good, tough match. It is nice to be home and some of my family is coming to watch. If you check this before 3pm CST you can catch the match live on the WPBA website.

I'll be back later with a re-cap!

Back in the U.S.A!

2009-06-17T06:23:00.004-05:00

The adventure has ended and boy, was it an adventure! I got home Monday night and since then I have managed to eat, sleep and do laundry. Of course, if you know me, you know what my first meal back was... A cheeseburger of course!

Of course I also had to have a steak last night and a couple big glasses of milk! Wow, did I miss those things!

I don't have too much time right now to do a full update. Myself and about 10 others that have been in Asia for a month have to go to the WPBA Great Lakes Classic. The players meeting and Pro-Am are tonight so I have to leave in a couple hours to I can get there in time. Luckily for me, it is only about a three hour drive from home! If you live in the area, come check it out. The hotel and casino have been totally re-done including a new ballroom for us to play in. From the pictures I have seen it really looks great!

I will say this, China was awesome! The tournament itself was incredible, the hotel was awesome, the food was great and I could go on and on. I wish that I could have had about another week in Shanghai. I only got to see a small portion of all there is to see! On top of that, I didn't do too bad in the tournament...finishing 9-16th with a win live on TV...or well, half on TV since it got cut off by the local news. I wish I would have known that blogger was blocked in China. I would have done the Philippines updates before I left the Philippines! Luckily for myself and everyone else, I took notes. I will post more tonight when I have time to add in all of the pictures.

And finally, I have to thank PoolDawg for sponsoring me for the WPBA event! Unfortunately, my roomie and good friend, Debbie Schjodt can't make it to the event and PoolDawg needed someone to fill in. Debbie nominated me! Those are some big shoes to fill, but I hope I can do well. Look for lots of pictures with Frank the PoolDawg on his blog! Hopefully he behaves for me since Debbie won't be here to keep him under control!

Thanks for hanging with me...I know it got boring seeing the same post over and over again. Check back daily for the Asia recap and up-to-date WPBA updates! I have to get back to laundry and packing...again.

Hiatus

2009-05-21T14:44:00.002-05:00

I apologize for the little hiatus from blogging that I have taken. The trip to Taiwan sorta killed me, then the crazy Vegas life, and on top of that I don't like the conspiracy of $12 a day internet charges in the hotel. I guess that makes me sound a little paranoid but come on, turn a few lights off or something and give free internet!! Alright, that rant is over...down to business.

I have pictures still to post from the tournament in Taiwan and I have lots of pictures to post from Vegas and lots to talk about. Right now I am re-united with my favorite airport of all-time, San Francisco International. Luckily, this isn't another thirteen hour stay. I am headed to Manila, also known as Pool Heaven. The first tournament is the Philippine Open starting on May 27th. Next is the Women's World 10-ball starting on June 1st. After that, I am headed to Shanghai, China for the China Open starting on June 10th. I have to admit, the excitement level for this trip is much higher than the Taiwan trip!

I will be back to doing daily updates and getting caught up. Thank you all for coming back and checking to see if things are updated. I hope the little break didn't scare anyone off.

Keep in mind that when I am doing updates there is quite a bit of time difference. Manila is 12 hours ahead of the US east coast. I will let you mathematical geniuses figure out the time difference with the other time zones.

Catch up with everyone soon!

Filling in the blanks

2009-05-04T18:19:00.013-05:00

When I left off last time I had lost my first two matches. Going into the next day I tried to not put too much pressure on myself. That was hard to do since I knew that I could win my next three matches and make it to the top 24. My first match was against the top ranked player in my group, Yun-Mi Lim. I watched her play the day before and immediately I could tell that she trains and plays with Ga Young Kim. They have the same style, on and off the table. The match started out slow for me. I got down quick and made a little comeback. My big problem, scratching on the break. I scratched on the break three times. Not a good thing when you really have to capitalize on your trips to the table. I lost the match 7-4.

Now I knew I couldn't make it to the final 24. I had to focus on winning my next two matches in order to get any money back and finish at least fourth in my group. I really wasn't feeling all that great. My confidence took a huge beating and my sleep was still a little screwy. I started feeling better in the afternoon though. My body started feeling more normal and I felt more awake rather than in a fog. My next opponent was from Venezuela. I was feeling pretty confident and started out strong. Then I don't know what happened. I kind of felt overwhelmed and unfocused. I managed to hold on and win the match 7-4. Right away, I had to play another match. This was against another Taiwanese player. She looked to be pretty strong. I played alright, but I was again making silly mistakes at the end of the rack. I won the match but it was ugly. The final score was 7-5. If I would have played with only a couple mistakes rather than a countless number of mistakes, the score would have been 7-1. I waited, hoping that maybe a miracle would happen and I would make it into the final 24...no such luck. I ended my run in Taipei and came home with $500 usd. I finished 25-32nd. Hey, it's better than last!

After the matches were over, a big group of us were absolutely starving. Myself, Monica, Kelly Fisher, Val Finnie, Joanne Ashton, Allison Fisher and Kristi Carter went for Shabu Shabu again. It is definitely not an everyday meal. One thing that is in the Shabu Shabu that is pretty disgusting in my opinion is condensed duck blood. It kind of looks like tofu for those of you that are wondering, here is a picture...Joanne decided that for $10 she would be the one to try this gross stuff out. What she didn't realize before doing it, the $10 was NT not US dollars. That is equal to about a quarter. Here she is during the act and after...

I thought this was a pretty cool picture. Monica and Kelly were doing something, I'm not totally sure what, but to me it looks like the passing from one Number One to another...
After dinner we didn't really have much to do. It was already midnight or so and most of us had nothing to do at all or until around 2pm. The hotel has a bar but it closes at 11pm. Luckily there is a little store just next to the hotel. That place had to love us! A group of about 10-15 of us had a fun night of catching up, joking, competing at various things and just being plain goofy! Here is what happens when they let all of us hang out...
This is the group of us that made it to the end of the night...obviously after some fun.
The next day, the only ones left to play were Monica and Kelly. Monica had to play one of my new favorite people and players, Rubilen Amit. Kelly had to play Gerda. Monica played well and decisively won her match. Kelly and Gerda played a great match. Kelly was winning 6-1, racing to 7. She looked like the match was going to be a blowout. Sure enough, here came Gerda, creeping closer and closer. The hill-hill game went through a roller coaster of emotions. There was a safety battle, then a shot kicked in and another safety battle. Finally, Gerda got a chance to run out and took full advantage. She would go on to play Jasmin Ouschan. Here is a shot of one of the two television tables.
Gerda went on to defeat Jasmin. I didn't see the match because I was absolutely starving! Ga Young Kim drove us to the dinner party that Mr. Tu was throwing. I have to put this picture up to prove that someone out there does parallel park worse than I do. Sorry Ga Young!
Now we get to the good stuff. One of the only things that I got to do in Taiwan was the night market. There are a few different ones in Taipei. Some have only food and some have shops and food. Joanne and I went the one closest to the hotel that had shops and food. All I can say is that is a smell I don't care to ever smell again. There were so many people there along with maybe 100 different booths with food being cooked. Some of it was totally unrecognizable! There were all kinds of stray dogs running around. I wasn't brave enough to try any of the food. There is just something a little suspicious about food just sitting out in the open air and unrecognizable. Here are a few pictures to give you an example...

Joanne was brave, but not brave enough to try any of this stuff...
Snails anyone??...
My flight is boarding to Las Vegas right now so I will be back later with more pictures, the finals and my thoughts on the trip!

Leaving Taiwan

2009-05-03T23:10:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry I left things hanging there after the first day. I wasn't expecting to have so many different types of ceremonies and dinners to go to! I am leaving Taiwan here in about 30 minutes. Then to Hong Kong for about an hour and a half. After that I will give a full update while I am waiting in San Francisco. I think I am going to do multiple posts because I have so many pictures and so much to talk about...any objections??

Good-bye Taiwan. It's been fun! Yes, I realize it looks like I am doing the Star Trek Vulcan signal....it wasn't on purpose.

Details!

2009-05-01T04:26:00.011-05:00

Okay, I'm back with the more in depth wrap-up of Day one. Monica and I headed to the venue and as we walked in all I could think was that it was probably the fanciest mall that I had ever seen! The mall is 12 floors! The only bad thing for us is that our tournament area is right across from a kids playground area. We get to hear little kids and whistles and whatnot all day. Here is a view of six of the tables. I couldn't really stand anywhere that would let me get a good view so you will have to use your imagination a bit.

Here is a view from the seventh floor where we are playing down to the first floor.
When I got there I found out I would be playing on the main television table. What a nice way to say Welcome to Taiwan! I was pretty nervous just finding that out. The other funny thing about this tournament is that we have scheduled practice time. When I say that you are probably thinking, Oh cool, probably 30 minutes of practice or so. NOT! We get 10 minutes of practice time and that is it. My match was scheduled for 12:50. My whopping 10 minutes of practice was scheduled for 12:10. I got to the practice table at noon and they told me that I wasn't going to get a chance to practice because the current TV match was almost over. Mistake number one on my part, listening to them. Being naive I just followed along and went downstairs to the TV arena. Then I got to sit for about 40 minutes....gee thanks! So without hitting a ball since I left the States, I started my match, live on TV to all of Asia and the world via internet. I started out alright. I had a 2-0 lead and missed a long straight in 8-ball. After that things went downhill. I started getting frustrated that I didn't get to hit a ball. The cloth is way different than anything I have ever played on and the knock-off Brunswicks are a little funky. Then, to really rub things in, the ref kept calling 10 on me. Now in the States we use a 30 second shot clock, here we use a 45 second shot clock. I've never really had a problem with having the 10 second warning called on me in the States so why was I now? Also, why was my opponent taking a really long time for shots and never getting a warning? I'm not saying something funny was going on since I was playing one of the Taiwan players...but I'm just saying...So I ended up losing the match 7-4. I was really beating myself up about things. This was a match that I felt I had plenty of chances to win and I just let them slip away.
In between matches we were taking the elevator from Basement 3 where the TV arena is to the seventh floor and we happened to be riding along with a pool celebrity...you may or may not recognize him. I had to be a pool fruit and get a picture with former World Champion Wu Cha-Chiang.
My next match was against Karen Corr. I was thinking this was my chance to beat her! Unfortunately, she played well and I didn't shoot much. When I did shoot, I ran out. But I still lost 7-2. I think Karen is by far playing the best out of everyone in my group. After the match I had to have a little talk with Ms. Corr about the beating she gave me...I got my revenge.
Next up, the opening ceremony. You might think "Oh big deal.". Try telling that to about 500 people waiting to get into the TV arena. Pool is huge here. We have people following us and chasing us down to get autographs and pictures. I had to take a picture of the pool papparazzi. I didn't catch them all with their cameras up but just picture everyone in this picture holding a camera as all of the players are sitting on the bleachers.
All of the sponsors of the tournament said a few words. I have no clue what they said considering I don't speak Mandarin. But we did get to find out why we had to do all of the TV stuff the day before. Here is a video of what was played at the ceremony. Sorry, I think I cut off the first two players because I didn't have my camera ready. Also, forgive the shakiness!
After the ceremony I was finished for the day and Monica had one more match. She is playing really well and won all of her matches yesterday. All of the groups are turning out as expected except for one. The qualifier in the last group is undefeated and hasn't just won, but tortured everyone she has played.

I told Monica that I thought the day of the meeting was the longest day of my life but apparently I was wrong, the first day of play was the longest! We didn't leave the venue at all. That is the picture from last nights post. Monica, Kelly and I were all so tired while we were waiting for our matches!

When the pool playing was done we finally got to change and hang out a little bit. Myself, Monica, Gerda and her boyfriend Dan went to get some food. Keep in mind, although I have traveled, I am new to the authentic cuisine. Last nights adventure was Shabu Shabu. It is a kind of soup that is put on a burner in front of you and then you put whatever meat, veggies, and who knows what else in there to cook. I liked it even though it was a little bit spicy. The best part was that the restaurant only had Coke, beer and tea to drink. No bottled water, no Diet Coke (or Coca-Cola Light as they call it here). So I had this super spicy meal with some really bitter beer to help wash it down. Nice combo there! Here is picture of the Shabu Shabu.
And how am I doing with the whole jet lag thing? I must say that it really sucks. Today I am feeling better but my head has been hurting like crazy, I keep waking up thinking I overslept, and I get tired at the wrong time. It is making me hate the fact that the whole flight thing got screwed up since now I am feeling better, a day late! Oh well, that's life!

Amway Day 1

2009-04-30T12:16:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure how many of you saw me play on the live stream, which was also on live TV here in Asia...but the only word I have to describe today is disappointment. I'm very disappointed with myself for how bad I played. I know I can say that I was tired and not used to things, but it was upsetting. I am just starting to get a lot of confidence in myself and I have to admit, I was knocked down quite a few levels.

I lost both of my matches today. Pei-Chen Tsai beat me 7-4 and Karen Corr beat me 7-2. I'm not exactly thrilled with how I played. I have updates and all of that but it is very late right now and I am very tired. I'm sorry to leave everyone hanging but right now getting a little bit of sleep is more important (not that you guys aren't!). My first match is at 10:30 am. I still have a chance to get out of my group. I need to be sure to win at least two of my three matches for the day.

Other players that are looking pretty good...Karen Corr, Jasmin Ouschan, Kelly Fisher, Monica Webb, and the qualifier out of group H..Xiao-Fang Fu. No one is playing exceptionally well but I think everyone will adapt a bit better tomorrow.

I will give a better update tomorrow when I have more time. Sorry! Here is a clue as to how tired we were at the end of today...

Website

2009-04-29T17:51:00.005-05:00

Alright, I realized that it was kind of rude to not put the link in again. Forgive me, I was definitely not thinking clearly! If you go to the tab at the top that says 'Schedule record in table" it will lead to live scoring. So here it is so you don't have to go searching through the blog to find it....Amway WPA World 9-ball Open

Here is another site that I just found thanks to the forum members on AZbilliards. Amway Video. Keep in mind, here in Taipei we are 12 hours ahead of the east coast in the US.

I know it will be late in the US and I have no clue what time it will be for everyone in Europe and if you are in Asia...you are lucky, but at least you have something to check the scores. I will be back as well after all of my play. Everyone can wake up to a little Sarah...haha!

Let The Games Begin!

2009-04-29T07:17:00.010-05:00

My first night in another country is done. I felt like I took a nap yesterday! I managed to stay awake until about 7 pm after I got here. I wimped out and had to sleep. It wasn't for too long though. I am rooming with Monica Webb and she arrived around 11 pm. I figured it would help if I got up and did some things then went back to sleep. We went for a walk to the store and ran into Kelly Fisher, Val Finnie and Joanne Ashton. Of course we had to stop and catch up for a couple of hours. After a little fun and lots of laughs we all decided it was time to rest. Monica and I bought phone cards so we had to call home and try them out since it was normal time there. I think you have to punch in 50 numbers to finally call! Finally it was time to sleep!!

We woke up bright and early and totally not rested to go to the players meeting at 11 am. I didn't know what to expect today. We went to the Taipei Sheraton where they had a whole buffet set up for us. All I was thinking was "YES, finally I can eat!" During the meeting we just had the general rules and whatnot to go over. The thing that was stressed the most was that things will be on time! What we had to do after the meeting was completely foreign to me...we had a press conference.

We had a practice run of us walking up on stage in our groups. Then a long break. I took this time to take some pictures. I think you can pretty much recognize everyone that I could actually get pictures of. Here are a few. Most important, Team USA!

I am actually the tallest one in a picture finally! Here I am with Rubilen Amit and Iris Ranola. Yes, they were both standing on their tiptoes.
I also got a chance to meet Kamila Khodjaeva. She is 13 years old and definitely the future of the sport!
Next we all had to line up in the order we are seeded in our group. We had to walk up on stage in front of tons of Taiwanese press to have our names and countries announced. All I could think was please, whatever you do, don't trip! Here we are lined up in the hallway by group. I am in group F.
Here is one of the other groups up on stage.
After all of that we got to hear a few words from the sponsors of the tournament. The most popular words used were Beautiful and Determined. Those words were used soooo often. I feel like I should have kept track of how many times those words were used to describe us. "Welcome 48 beautiful and determined ladies." The most interesting thing that we heard, through a translator, was that the Taiwanese government made pool one of its top national sports. Next we had a small orchestra group made up of twelve, twelve year olds. This was in celebration of the twelfth year of the Amway Cup. They were really pretty amazing. We got to hear the Forrest Gump theme song, a Japanese cartoon song and last but certainly not least, YMCA! Next we moved on to a small press question and answer session. Allison Fisher was questioned first, then Xiao-ting Pan, Kamila Khodejaeva, and the first and second place finishers from last year. Some of the questions asked were 'How do you stay so beautiful?' 'How do you stay so determined?' I hope you are seeing a theme! Here are Allison and Xiao-ting...

After all of that excitement was over, 18 of us headed to Videoland Studios to do small television interviews. Even though this only was about a 2 minute interview, we had to go through full make-up and hair. Here is Team Japan...
Then we headed to do some silly poses and say a couple of lines. Here is a picture of me being totally confused and Monica posing.

Later I will have the funniest picture which is of myself, Monica and Jeanette. We had to say all together "Hello Taiwan" then give our names and then all together again "We are from the United States" then strike a pose...very funny and very odd looking Charlies Angels to give you an idea. I have to have it emailed to me from the person who took it.

So that gives you an idea of what's going on. I have video as well but I am too exhausted to get it all uploaded. I will post it later though. We start playing matches at 10:30 am. I got lucky and don't play until 12:50 pm. I asked about the live-stream but I didn't get much of an answer. You can google Videoland and see what comes up or check that website that I posted a few days ago. I believe there should be a link on that.

I apologize for any spelling and grammar mistakes that I have made. The spell check is not working and I am extremely tired!

I will be back with updates!

Safe and Sound in Taipei!

2009-04-28T00:30:00.010-05:00

About half an hour after my last post I boarded a really huge plane. I believe it was a 747. All I know was there were a lot of people and it was pretty much booked full. So I'm walking and walking and walking and finally reach my seat, pretty much toward the back of the plane. The first bad yet kind of good thing, I was in a seat without seats in front of me, just the little kitchen and whatnot...the bad part, nowhere to store my bag so everything can be right near me. The second bad thing, my whole row was full of parents and kids under the age of three. So I sat down and grabbed what I thought I would need out of my bag and prepared for a 14 hour ride.

I guess I was pretty tired, I passed out as soon as we took off. Then maybe two hours later, all hell broke loose. Every little kid started screaming and screaming. I didn't know it was possible to scream that loud! So I attempted to watch a movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. That lasted about twenty minutes and I was out again. I think in total I got about 5 hours of sleep and 9 hours of screaming babies.

I think it was 6:30 am when we landed in Hong Kong. When everyone was getting ready to get off the plane they made an announcement about the Swine Flu outbreak saying that anyone that visited certain states should stop and have their temperature taken. Well technically everyone that was on my flight had just visited California, one of the states that is having the problem. When we walked through a checkpoint before reaching the other gates there were heat censors that checked how warm everyone was walking by. One of the men in front of me was stopped and an alarm went off...that was a little freaky! I also didn't know that when you change planes in Hong Kong you have to go through security again. That was a nice long line to wait in. I have to say, Hong Kong has the cleanest, nicest airport I have ever been in! There were so many stores and whatnot. I didn't have time to check any out or go to any restaraunts but I will definitely on my way home. Here is a picture of me after the longest flight of the trip and the beautiful view from the airport.

Here is my first meal in an sian country...a peanut butter and jelly panini from Starbucks in Hong Kong! Go figure.
Luckily, my wait wasn't too long in Hong Kong and soon enough I was on my final flight of the trip! This one was nice and quick, especially since I sat down and went right to sleep. I only had to endure about 10 minutes of the flight awake.

At 10 am I arrived in Taipei...finally! I had all the fun of the long walk to customs and then making it through customs. It was the strangest trip through I have ever made, granted I have only been through customs at the Canadian border. All I did was hand them my passport and my paperwork they looked at me and said something to each other, stamped it and I was on my way. Now for the most stressful part for any person, let alone a pool player, waiting for your luggage. I always worry but this time there was nothing to worry about. I also ran into a few of the other girls that are in the tournament from Holland. We all made our way out the door and found signs with our names on them. It's so nice to have all of that organized! It was off to the hotel. Now here is where I regret not having my camera out. The drive from the airport to Taipei is beautiful. Everything is so green! I would describe it as not quite mountainous but bigger than just hills, covered in plush, various colors of green trees. I will be sure to get pictures when I go back.

When we got within Taipei the first thing that you have to notice are how many people ride little scooters around. I will take a picture tomorrow of the streets lined with them. But I was wondering, keep in mind I haven't really slept in a few days, how in the world do you go grocery shopping if all you have is a scooter? And just as I thought that I looked out the window and saw my answer...I got to my hotel and was greeted by one of the organizers of the tournament, Sophie. She said hello and made sure I knew what time I was supposed to be there tomorrow. After that I just handed over my passport and credit card and I was checked into my room within five minutes! I got to the room and immediately noticed the difference between a room in the US and a room here. First thing, the beds. Monica Webb and I have a room with two beds. The two beds are TWIN beds and are maybe 6-12 inches apart from each other...Another thing that you will notice is quite different..Check out the bathroom and tell me how many times you have seen a bidet and would you admit to trying one out?? For some reason they really make me laugh!I haven't had a chance to go wandering around too much so the only site seeing picture you get is the view from my room. The biggest building in the background is Taipei 101. I'm not sure what everything else is, but I will find out soon.The one adventure that I did go on was for a walk about a block outside the hotel. To be honest, I was looking for a place that had pictures of food that I could just point at to order...no luck. So I stopped in the convenience store to pick up a few things. I hadn't had a diet coke since I left St. Louis so I am seriously going through withdrawals. It is kind of hard to find Diet Coke around here. I got lucky the store had a few. My shopping resulted in bread, diet coke, dried mango, and orange juice. Here you can see the comparison between my shopping in Taiwan and my food I packed with me from the states.
So now that you all know that I am here safe and sound, I'm going to try to get some much needed rest! Tomorrow I get to do something that I have never even seen in the pool world...a press conference! Thanks for reading and rooting me on. I'll definitely bring plenty of updates. As Roy commented on the last post, I know it is hard to find info on this event so I will do my best. One last picture...a happy me in my hotel room. And yes, I will change clothes now that I can!

Progress!!!

2009-04-27T00:40:00.005-05:00

The big flight is in sight. After this long day, I almost feel like it is the light at the end of the tunnel!! I made it through check-in, security and to my gate. I haven't seen the plane but I'm going to have faith that it is here!

My boarding passes to Hong Kong and Taipei, the little bit of money that I exchanged for when I get there, and the sign that proves I'm going somewhere!

Next time I post it will be from Taipei. Thanks everyone that has been reading, commenting and hanging in there with me!

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing....

2009-04-26T17:23:00.007-05:00

So far, today is going much better than yesterday! I made it on time to the airport in St. Louis. I got a chance to hang out with my little sister, get some new music on my iPod and not really sleep much. It wasn't too bad (yes, I'm trying to look on the bright side!). My flight went as planned and I arrived in San Francisco around 12:30pm. I got to see some nice scenery when we passed over the mountains. Looks like there is still quite a bit of snow.

With the luggage issue yesterday I had to hope that my bags would meet me in San Francisco. I waited for about half an hour and no sign of a flight from Chicago coming in. Oh great! Then I decided to actually use my brain and just go to the American Airlines office and ask...sure enough, there it was, safe and sound!

After my long walk of carrying my bags to the international terminal...I am finally here, waiting the long wait. My flight leaves at 1:20 am. That means I am about 9 hours from take-off as I write this. What do I have for entertainment?? Well, I have my little mini computer made by Dell. This thing is awesome to travel with. It weighs maybe two pounds so it is easy to get through security. If I was your typical girl I would probably say that it would fit in my purse...but I'm not, so I won't. Okay, so back to my entertainment...I have the internet so I can do all the fun stuff like chat with my friends, facebook, blog, and so on. If I liked making phone calls I could call people. I have five books but with all the drama of yesterday and one five hour flight already today, I have already read two of them. My other dorky love, crossword puzzles, I have plenty of those to do. And at some point in time, I hope I can get some sleep! A view of my entertainment...

One of the cool things that has happened today is talking to some friendly people. I decided to stick my sponsor patches on my backpack so I would know if I saw it. This has prompted people to ask questions about playing pool and where I'm going. It's been really nice to know that people think it's a really cool opportunity. It is making this hellish trip more worth it!

And last but not least, a picture of me after such a great day yesterday, not much sleep and one flight....please be kind. Warning: no make-up is worn in this picture and the photographer sucked! (yes, it was myself)

Travel Disaster!

2009-04-26T00:05:00.002-05:00

Well, my first experience in flying overseas was supposed to start today....but, unfortunately weather really ruined that plan. My flight was scheduled to leave St. Louis, MO today at 2:30pm. I was supposed to go from St. Louis to Chicago then stay on the same plane and go on the San Francisco. Then leave San Francisco at 1:30 am to head to Hong Kong, then Taipei. So where exactly am I now? ST. LOUIS!?!?!

Now I don't live in St. Louis, I live two and a half hours from St. Louis so I left bright and early this morning to get to the airport. I got there around 12:30 and I was ready to go, the weather was beautiful, no problems. I go to my gate and start reading a book, then at around 1:45 they announce that there are mechanical problems with the plane and they are trying to get them fixed...20 minutes go by....another announcement, still trying to fix the problem. Twenty more minutes, they have tow a new plane to the gate and it will be about another half hour. Half an hour goes by, "well, it will be about 15 more minutes.". Finally we start boarding over an hour late. By this time a pesky little storm has rolled into the Chicago area. We are told we will wait about half an hour, then another half an hour, then another hour, then another half an hour. Of course they gave us the option to get off the plane if we wanted. Finally, they started boarding again saying we would take off in 15 minutes. Then the call of doom came....the planes that were re-routed to St. Louis that should have gone to Chicago now had priority. Estimated time of take-off....four hours!

So here goes everyone off the plane and into a big line. It is now about 7pm and my options of flights to make it to San Francisco in time are gone. That means making my flight to Taiwan are gone. I must admit, I hit freak out mode and even shed some tears. Of all times for this to happen with a flight, today was not the day! After about an hour or so of waiting in line I finally got my flight rescheduled. My new itinerary is really not very cool at all. I now go from St. Louis straight to San Francisco...that is the good part. The bad part, it leaves at 10:15 am and gets there at 12:30pm. My flight to Taiwan, which I had to reschedule and pay a fee, isn't until 1:30 am!!! What in the world is there to do for that long in an airport?? The other really cool thing about today, I wasn't allowed to get my luggage off of the flight that was delayed so long. I have to hope that my luggage arrives in San Francisco tomorrow about two hours after I arrive!

I hope this isn't setting the mood for the trip!

Amway Cup

2009-04-24T00:29:00.003-05:00

The draw is up for the Amway Cup in Taipei, Taiwan. You can check it out here...Amway Cup website. I was nice and got the Google translated version of the site. Click around on the different categories. They have some cool pre-tournament articles.

There isn't a clear place that says there will be a live-stream but if you go to the icons on the right of the articles and click on the blinking headphones links to videos pop-up. There are some matches from last year on there so I am hoping there will be matches showing this year as well. I have heard that the matches show live there in Taiwan so possibly when I find out the network they will show on that. There is also a place that the score will be updated by the game. If there isn't a live-stream everyone can sit and watch that change....oh the suspense!

My draw seems pretty tough but I always love a challenge. The only name that I recognized in my group is Karen Corr. It is a race to seven in the early rounds. It should be interesting!

I'm sorry I don't have more exact information, but it's a start. I will definitely keep everything updated and I will ask about the live stream. I will have internet access at the hotel so I will do daily posts, probably more than one to keep things updated for everyone.

Spring Canadian Adventure

2009-04-22T22:35:00.008-05:00

This should catch everyone up with my travels. From San Diego I flew to Toronto, Ontario...yes, that is Canada. You are probably wondering "Why there?". Well, one reason is because my boyfriend lives there. The second reason is that the pool scene is actually pretty good...think about it, it's really freaking cold there in the winter, might as well play pool! I pretty much went to practice and try to get in a little competition before the big trip to Taiwan.

I arrived in Toronto late on Tuesday, April 7th. I have to admit I was pretty tired so I just took it easy and got some rest. The good thing about this area is that there is a tournament just about every night of the week. My friends Erik and Naomi that we were staying with live right near the pool room, Shooters, so it was really pretty convenient.

The first weekly tournament of the trip was at Shooters on Wednesday night. They have a different kind of format for some of the weekly tournaments. They call it modified. What that means is that you are guaranteed to play two rounds but it isn't double elimination. Doesn't make sense right. So the second time that I had it repeated to me, I caught on. It means if you lose first round or second round you continue to play but cannot win the tournament. If you lose third round, you are out. There is separate (lower) prize money for the one-loss side. My handicap was 8 so I had to win 8 games to my opponents amount of games. I won my first two matches and played so-so but then I ran into a brick wall named John Morra. The little brat tortured me 10-2. So that ended my tournament run.

There is a weekly tournament on Thursday, I believe at a place called The Edge in Ajax. I didn't make it there. Instead we decided to make a trip to the nations capital, Ottawa. There was a tournament scheduled at a pool room called TailGators. If you go to Ottawa, check this place out. The room is huge! I believe there are around 30 tables, a night club, large bar, and live entertainment. The tournament was divided into three separate divisions, Gold, Silver and Bronze. In the Gold division we were separated into AA+, AAA, semi-pro and pro. There were game spots in a race to 10 depending on the match-ups. The format was round robin, two groups of six...yes, that means that there were 12 players. I did pretty well in the round robin format and ended up second in my group. I was undefeated until the last match but ended up losing. Oh well, it was still a ton of play for one day. Saturday the top three from both groups came back to play a single elimination tournament. I did not fare too well. My first match of the day I played the eventual winner, Steve. I was then demoted to cheerleader rather than player. It wasn't a bad thing. I got to meet quite a few very nice people. It was nice to meet you guys and get to chat a little. Best of luck to all of you in Vegas! As I said, Steve won and Jason got second.

Since I was in a place that is pretty important to Canadian history, I had to go exploring. The tournament was only held on Friday and Saturday because of Easter. The tournament finished pretty early so we went to downtown. The architecture is amazing in Ottawa. All of the government buildings are old and intricate. I haven't seen too much of that in major buildings in the US. Unfortunately it was a little late to visit the Byward Market. I heard from the locals that it is really cool in the warmer weather. I walked around the area and it seemed like there were plenty of bars and restaurants to keep people entertained. I'd like to visit again in the summer when it isn't so cold and things are open. Oh and I forgot to mention, there was a protest against Sri Lanka going on. That was the first time I had ever seen anything like that. All you could hear were hundreds of people screaming "stop the genocide in Sri Lanka". Some pictures from Ottawa. I believe this is the Photography Museum, the Parliament Building, a glimpse of the protest and the Byward Market signs. Someone please correct me if I got the buildings mixed up.

Since Sunday was Easter that meant no pool. And since I was not with my family it meant dinner at a restaurant and a movie....What movie you ask? I Love You Man. Yes, it was pretty funny. The next tournament was at Shooters again. This time it is a whole different format and yet another confusing rule. I'm going to attempt to explain this, but it might not work. Here goes...it is handicapped and a race to seven. The catch is that there are handicaps like 5, 6, 7, and so on. Then there are handicaps like tie 6, tie 7, tie 8 and so on. My handicap was tie 8. That means that if I play someone who is ranked higher than me, say a 9, if I make the 8-ball I don't win the game but I can't lose it. If I make the 8 and miss the 9 I tie the game and we replay it. So it came up that I played a tie 6. Since I was the higher player he tied if he made the 6-ball, won if he made the 7,8, or 9. This whole deal really kinda confused me. But anyway, on to the play...it is single elimination. I actually played pretty well towards the end of the tournament and alright at the beginning. When it came to the final match it was me vs. Jason. With some witty comments from the people in the room...something about play to see who does the laundry or who drives, we decided to split the money and not play. Woohoo...a little funny money in my pocket!! Colorful eh? Yes, there are people playing hockey on the $5 bill!

Tuesday I visited Le Spot Billiards. Of all days to forget my camera...this was not the day. Sorry no pictures. This is a room that you have to visit just to see the memorabilia on the walls. This is the room that Alex Pagulayan hangs out at when he is in Toronto. The room isn't a big fancy place, it is a pool room. They do however have the one Diamond Table in the area. I didn't get to play on it. I guess you have to get there bright and early to get that chance. When you walk in though you see that they have some cool stuff. All of Alex's magazine covers are blown up and put on the wall, all of his articles, photos, big checks...it is really awesome. I apologize for not getting pictures. I also got to meet a great snooker player that was just kind of hanging out, Kirk Stevens. It was cool to get to hear some of his travel stories. I did get in a little bit of action. Unfortunately it was all barbox 8-ball action. I ended up breaking even for the night after playing a few different people cheap sets. My lack of knowledge is really making me question the decision to play the 8-ball tournament in Vegas!

Wednesday I headed back to the tournament at Shooters. Again, I won my first couple of matches and lost my third. Oh well, I didn't play too bad, just not well enough!

Thursday I was really lazy but I did change up the practice routine a little. I played snooker. I had to take advantage of the fact that there are at least a couple of snooker tables in every pool room in the area. If you go to Shooters they have some good tables, I think eight in total. The Canadian Championships are played here each August. I used to play snooker everyday maybe seven years ago. I was never very good but I had fun playing. This was a little bit of a flashback for me. My poor opponent...had to get tortured then make excuses for the rest of the night...poor baby! I think both of us maybe had a high run of 40 or so...nothing to spectacular. I wish that there were more 12ft snooker tables in the states. It is a challenging but fun game. Everyone should try it at least once.

Friday the weekly tournament was in Missassauga at a place called Silver Tip. It is another good sized place with about 16 pool tables and 4 snooker tables. The tournament was handicapped and modified. I repeated what I did twice already...won my first two matches and lost my third...to John Morra again! I must say this is the first and only time I have seen Dufferin pool tables. They are pretty different from any table I have played on before. I think the best comparison I have would be Gandy tables. They are set a little too high for my liking...definitely not short person friendly! If I remember correctly they also have a tournament on Sunday nights.

On Saturday there was a Canadian Women's Pool Tour tournament in the area but I opted not to play. No, I wasn't scared but I do have good reason. It was Jason's birthday and it was the first time I had ever been there for that occasion. I opted to have a little fun after a lot of pool playing. It wasn't a massive party but we did have some fun. There are a lot of cool people that I have been lucky to get to know and make friends with. We started at a friends house to hang out, watch some pool, talk about pool and so on. Then we went to a few bars in downtown Toronto. Sorry, I never caught the name of any of them! It was a really fun night and thanks to Andrew, Bri, Alex, Gio, and Erik for hanging out all night and showing us a good time! Here is a pic of the group and myself and the birthday boy...and yes, I know my eyes are closed and no, I don't know who the people in the background are.

Sunday I just took it easy and watched a lot of hockey! My trip came to an end very early Monday morning when I head back to home sweet home.

I will leave you guys with one of my favorite food places that we go to every time I am in Toronto, almost on a daily basis...Alexandros World Famous Gyros. It's a small place that is great for a late night food fix.

The other thing is something that I guess they only have in Canada. I wish I never would have been introduced to it because now I want more and because I think I would eat them everyday if I lived there and gain about 200 pounds very quickly! It is called Poutine. When it was suggested to me I said, "what in the world is that??". Then I found out...fries, brown gravy and mozzarella cheese...in the words of my buddy Chris Bartram..."it tastes like more". Here is a picture for you to see it's greasy goodness!

Thanks again to Erik and Naomi for giving me a place to stay, Andrew, Bri, Gio and Alex for hanging out and everyone in Toronto that I got to meet or see again. I hope I get to visit again soon!

Well that should catch everyone up with all of my travels so far. The big trips are coming up...Taiwan, Vegas and Manila...I can't wait!! I'll be back with a couple more posts before then and I am supposed to have internet access at the hotel in Taiwan so I would like to do daily posts...we'll see!