Chance encounter with a pool player

Gotboost95

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So this afternoon my son 11 and daughter 9 were riding their bikes to the store. I get a phone call saying some old man was yelling and cursing at them. And my son proceeded to flip him the bird and then called me. He tells me he drove off so I didn't jump in the car just then.

Later this evening on our way to have dinner I decided to stop by the mans house and figure out what the misunderstanding was. Fully ready to drag this guy out in the street and beat the tar out of him. What I found instantly changed my mind. An 82 year old man with a hell of a stout hand shake and stage 1 Alzheimer's. I spoke with him for a few minutes and then called my son out of the car. Convinced this gentle old man didn't have an angry bone in his body. And find it was just him talking on the phone with his wife and my son thought he was talking to him. We apologized and shook hands.

As we were leaving he mentions he started playing pool when he was about my sons age 11. I responded with I play a pretty strong game myself. He proceeds to invite us into his home to show us something. In his garage are 100's of beautiful paintings and under a sheet and blank canvas is about a 30 year old 9' Brunswick gold crown. He tells us stories of growing up in the Midwest near Omaha. He then says he used to rub shoulders with many old timers like Willie Hoppie, Irvine Crane, and rattled off a few others. Said he used to teach pool and was on the payroll at a couple different pool halls as an instructor.

I was talking to my wife about the stories this old man was telling me at dinner. And then I came up with an idea. I'm planning on speaking with this gentleman's wife and asking if it would be ok to drag him along with me to the pool hall if he's up for it. having a grandfather with this disorder I understand what they are gong thru. Figure it might help him stay sharp and let him do something he loves.

The guys name is Ted Valdez
 

punter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Great idea, and good for you! I'm sure the man would enjoy that. I, too, have had experience with that awful disease (my father). God bless both of you!

Edit: And please do post about it if it does happen.....thanks.
 

SWN99

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sounds like a very noble thing to do, I can believe a few minutes of the day giving someone a bit of fun and attention is better than being left at home any day.
 

philly

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I too have been through this with two very very close relatives. It teaches you it is not good to live too long, unfortunately. Whatever you can do to give this man some enjoyment while he is still able to understand what is going on would be a blessing on you.
 

minnesota_slim

Registered
I used to play Ted quite often in the Portland area. I am sorry to hear about his condition- he certainly loved to play (a good straight pool player).
 

Gotboost95

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I used to play Ted quite often in the Portland area. I am sorry to hear about his condition- he certainly loved to play (a good straight pool player).

Yes sounds like he's got a high run of 80. Said he's been close to that number man of times. Said he used to play another game sounded similar but didn't recognize the name.

He actually invited me over to play on his table anytime I would like. Just give him 10 minutes to clear off his painting stuff.
 

3andstop

Focus
Silver Member
Yes sounds like he's got a high run of 80. Said he's been close to that number man of times. Said he used to play another game sounded similar but didn't recognize the name.

Back in the late 60s a very popular game that straight pool players enjoyed was called 1 Ball. (at least that's what we called it).

It's a single rack game with all the rules of straight pool except to win the rack you had to be the first player to put the 1 ball in your side pocket. (each player had his own designated side pocket) The 1 ball was racked where the 8 ball gets racked in an 8 ball game. Safe opening shot, and all called pockets.

Wonder if that's the game he was talking about?
 

Gotboost95

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Back in the late 60s a very popular game that straight pool players enjoyed was called 1 Ball. (at least that's what we called it).

It's a single rack game with all the rules of straight pool except to win the rack you had to be the first player to put the 1 ball in your side pocket. (each player had his own designated side pocket) The 1 ball was racked where the 8 ball gets racked in an 8 ball game. Safe opening shot, and all called pockets.

Wonder if that's the game he was talking about?

At least that's not the name he told me. Sounded similar to one 14.1 but called something else. When I asked him 14.1 he said no not straight pool but my high run is 80 in that.

I'll ask him next time we talk.
 

david(tx)

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So this afternoon my son 11 and daughter 9 were riding their bikes to the store. I get a phone call saying some old man was yelling and cursing at them. And my son proceeded to flip him the bird and then called me. He tells me he drove off so I didn't jump in the car just then.

Later this evening on our way to have dinner I decided to stop by the mans house and figure out what the misunderstanding was. Fully ready to drag this guy out in the street and beat the tar out of him. What I found instantly changed my mind. An 82 year old man with a hell of a stout hand shake and stage 1 Alzheimer's. I spoke with him for a few minutes and then called my son out of the car. Convinced this gentle old man didn't have an angry bone in his body. And find it was just him talking on the phone with his wife and my son thought he was talking to him. We apologized and shook hands.

As we were leaving he mentions he started playing pool when he was about my sons age 11. I responded with I play a pretty strong game myself. He proceeds to invite us into his home to show us something. In his garage are 100's of beautiful paintings and under a sheet and blank canvas is about a 30 year old 9' Brunswick gold crown. He tells us stories of growing up in the Midwest near Omaha. He then says he used to rub shoulders with many old timers like Willie Hoppie, Irvine Crane, and rattled off a few others. Said he used to teach pool and was on the payroll at a couple different pool halls as an instructor.

I was talking to my wife about the stories this old man was telling me at dinner. And then I came up with an idea. I'm planning on speaking with this gentleman's wife and asking if it would be ok to drag him along with me to the pool hall if he's up for it. having a grandfather with this disorder I understand what they are gong thru. Figure it might help him stay sharp and let him do something he loves.

The guys name is Ted Valdez

Really enjoyed the story but your 11 yr. old son is flipping grown ups the bird ?A kid in my home town did this , he was a wise ass and the person caught him alone and beat his ass. Since it was a stranger he wasn't caught.
 

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So this afternoon my son 11 and daughter 9 were riding their bikes to the store. I get a phone call saying some old man was yelling and cursing at them. And my son proceeded to flip him the bird and then called me. He tells me he drove off so I didn't jump in the car just then.

Later this evening on our way to have dinner I decided to stop by the mans house and figure out what the misunderstanding was. Fully ready to drag this guy out in the street and beat the tar out of him. What I found instantly changed my mind. An 82 year old man with a hell of a stout hand shake and stage 1 Alzheimer's. I spoke with him for a few minutes and then called my son out of the car. Convinced this gentle old man didn't have an angry bone in his body. And find it was just him talking on the phone with his wife and my son thought he was talking to him. We apologized and shook hands.

As we were leaving he mentions he started playing pool when he was about my sons age 11. I responded with I play a pretty strong game myself. He proceeds to invite us into his home to show us something. In his garage are 100's of beautiful paintings and under a sheet and blank canvas is about a 30 year old 9' Brunswick gold crown. He tells us stories of growing up in the Midwest near Omaha. He then says he used to rub shoulders with many old timers like Willie Hoppie, Irvine Crane, and rattled off a few others. Said he used to teach pool and was on the payroll at a couple different pool halls as an instructor.

I was talking to my wife about the stories this old man was telling me at dinner. And then I came up with an idea. I'm planning on speaking with this gentleman's wife and asking if it would be ok to drag him along with me to the pool hall if he's up for it. having a grandfather with this disorder I understand what they are gong thru. Figure it might help him stay sharp and let him do something he loves.

The guys name is Ted Valdez
Your story is interesting but I don't like the idea you went to someone house because you felt some personal slight and wanted to get even. That by the way didn't even happen.
Is this your habit and how you deal with problems??

Is this what you are teaching your kids as a way to deal with imaginary problems, go beat someone ass? I live in Florida and your story is a common one, they are in our papers almost daily, except it results in an unnecessary shooting and lives ruined.
 

Gotboost95

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Really enjoyed the story but your 11 yr. old son is flipping grown ups the bird ?A kid in my home town did this , he was a wise ass and the person caught him alone and beat his ass. Since it was a stranger he wasn't caught.

Agreed that he was wrong for him to flip off an adult. And he was very quick to toss that up. Luckily the guy was very nice about it. He apologized shook his hand and received a stern talking to. Also received a better lesson by this gentleman on forgiveness.



Your story is interesting but I don't like the idea you went to someone house because you felt some personal slight and wanted to get even. That by the way didn't even happen.
Is this your habit and how you deal with problems??

Is this what you are teaching your kids as a way to deal with imaginary problems, go beat someone ass? I live in Florida and your story is a common one, they are in our papers almost daily, except it results in an unnecessary shooting and lives ruined.

It's funny to me how you read and comprehended the story I wrote. And if your son called you and said someone was cursing at them and took a swing at them you wouldn't have an aggressive response?

I never said I had a personal slight to get even. He yelled cuss words at a child and took a swing was the story. If I saw your child on the street and I witnessed an adult doing the same thing. I'd stop and have a nice conversation with them. If it came to blows so be it. I can more then handle myself and have plenty of control.

I found my son to be in the wrong and told him so. It obviously didn't come to blows and hopefully gained a friend out of the situation.

BTW my wife said don't feed the trolls!
 

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Agreed that he was wrong for him to flip off an adult. And he was very quick to toss that up. Luckily the guy was very nice about it. He apologized shook his hand and received a stern talking to. Also received a better lesson by this gentleman on forgiveness.





It's funny to me how you read and comprehended the story I wrote. And if your son called you and said someone was cursing at them and took a swing at them you wouldn't have an aggressive response?

I never said I had a personal slight to get even. He yelled cuss words at a child and took a swing was the story. If I saw your child on the street and I witnessed an adult doing the same thing. I'd stop and have a nice conversation with them. If it came to blows so be it. I can more then handle myself and have plenty of control.

I found my son to be in the wrong and told him so. It obviously didn't come to blows and hopefully gained a friend out of the situation.

BTW my wife said don't feed the trolls!
Where in your story did you say someone took a swing at you kid?
You also stopped at the guys house much later as you are still living this imagined slight you can't let go of it. You were going to show him weren't you.

Your words not mine,
"Fully ready to drag this guy out in the street and beat the tar out of him."
 

PRED

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Lucky for you it wasn't George Zimmerman's house. Your kids would most likely be orphans.
 

philly

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
That's the way to take the thread off course guys. The thread is about an old pool player entering dementia etc. and the guy is trying to help him out and all you guys want to do is pick out flaws in the OP's character. And members wonder what is wrong with AZB these days! In a nutshell: too many self righteous haters. Live an let live for crying out loud. We all live in glass houses so put that stone down.
 

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
That's the way to take the thread off course guys. The thread is about an old pool player entering dementia etc. and the guy is trying to help him out and all you guys want to do is pick out flaws in the OP's character. And members wonder what is wrong with AZB these days! In a nutshell: too many self righteous haters. Live an let live for crying out loud. We all live in glass houses so put that stone down.

You are exactly right but it jumps off the screen at you what he wanted to do and warrants comment. He could have easily told the same story of meeting this man without all the negative details. He even had his kids in the car as he went to this guys door for the confrontation he wanted. Make no mistake about it, he was looking for trouble.

Yes, it did require comment regardless of the final outcome. This story did not have to have a happy ending. I am sorry, I didn't get the warm and fuzzy feeling after reading it others may have.
 
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