On The Road Again with Perfect Aim....

Have you ever seen anyone die from lung cancer?

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Yes, up close and personal.

I still oppose forced-backed legislation that takes away pool hall owners' property rights.

Since this came up here, again, I will now offer a comparison of someone who favors taking away the pool hall owners' rights to control THEIR property with his advocation of govt control over the pool hall's air supplies :

This guy wants the govt to make pool halls safe for his lungs (nevermind he chooses to put them at risk). He argues it here a lot. Yet, recently this same guy decided to take his flu (which kills ~20K per year in the us) virus directly into a crowed room and expose everyone in an international tournament to this deadliest of diseases.

Hello?


Jeff Livingston
 
Had some fun....................

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It snowed 9 inches in Eau Claire just before this tourny. It was too much snow for me to shovel with a 2 car driveway and the house being on a corner so I had my brother in law, John come over with the snow blower. There are some places that he couldn't get with the blower so I did it the old fashioned way with the shovel.

Broke my back in 2000 and had surgery so shoveling is not my cup of tea.

As I'm driving to Nekoosa for the Jacoby Open I can feel a little discomfort in the lower back hoping that this is as bad as it gets.

Got into a little motel the night before called the Camalot. The room was ice cold and the lady said the room only gets to 70* so she gave me a little electric heater. It's only about 5" by 5".

She turned the heat on for the room from some other room and I turned on the little heater. It's midnite now and the tourny starts at 9:00AM so I need to get up at 8:00AM to be ready.

At 5:00AM I wake up after tossing and turning thinking maybe I was having more seizures only to realize that this little heater had the temp up to about 95*. I had already woke up about 10 times from the heat which really sucked as far a good sleep and rest goes. Now it's 5:00AM and i never got back to sleep.

I'm thinking O boy. This is going to be a tough tourny.

I was surprised to see that i played well all day with no losses and hardly missed a ball or shape.

Now I could get to the room and get some real sleep. I had about 9 hours of time to use for sleep.

Had to get up at 8:00AM again and started to play.

Played pretty good and then all of a sudden it just happened. I could hardly straighten up. My lower back would hardly let me stand up straight.

I play Duncan and still lost on the hill but my play was substandard to say the least.

Duncan played pretty good and got out on 2 racks that i don't think Houdini could have gotten out on. he deserved to win.

About a half hour latter I played JR Perron for 2nd and third. i couldn't have beaten my sister by this time. It was pretty terrible.

The sad thing is I got on the phone and called Pat Hefron and Chad Cunningham and told them sorry that they are driving 4 hours to get to the 3 man tourny that starts that night and they are going to have a cripple to play with. You can only have one master per team and I'm it. Without myself playing the way i should are chances are pretty slim.

I went to Walgreens and got a bag of ice and went to the room for about 3 hours resting and doing the ice thing. I also bought some pain patches. I figured if we could just get through the night without a loss we might have a chance at this 3 man tourny.

I held up my end and Chad and Hef came through and we made it to the second day on the A side.

Got up the next day and the same thing. My back was pretty bad. Oh well, here we go.

We did pretty good and then we finally lost a match to the Jacoby team headed by Brondon Jacoby himself. They played great with brandon running out a real tough match on me that sealed our fate for that match at least.

We had to win a match or 2 to get back at them and that we did in short order.

Now we have to beat The Jacoby Team twice. I know it is going to be a tough match for sure.

I'm really walking and bending careful trying not to hurt my back worse than what it is.

All of a sudden i realized that there is no pain. It's gone. Somehow what had happened has healed itself somehow, so i thought at the time.

The first match I held up my own. Running every rack that I broke and ran out the others when I got a shot. I won all 5.

But the real hero of the match was was Pat Hefron. He ran out a real tough rack hill hill
to force the second match for the title.

The second match I ran out 4 of my games but lost one. Pretty much holding up my end. The race is to 8 by the way.

We're ahead 6-5 with Hef playing on one table and Chad playing on the other. We just need to win one of these to close it out.

Chad looks like he is out and all of a sudden gets hooked like a dead fish in the water. Hef had been waiting to see what happened on the other table because if Chad would win he wouldn't have to try to run out the nightmare rack he is looking at.

After seeing what just happened to Chad, Hef knows that the whole tournament is riding on his game.

All of a sudden hef is in a pickle. he has to cut a ball in the corner and drift up to the other end across the line with Perfect speed or he will get hooked behind the opponents balls or not be able to get back to the other end for shape on the 8 ball.

As Hef shot you could have heard a pin drop. Both teams were totally silent as was the rest of the gallery. Chad was standing at the other table still hooked waiting to see if hef could pull off some more magic.:sorry:

even though he got Perfect shape on the ball before the 8 ball he still had to execute the shot with perfect speed again.

As he strokes the cue the cue ball goes drifting down to the other end of the table and stops perfectly to leave himself a straight in shot.:yeah:

Hef pops in the 8 ball. Even this shot is tough though with the match being tied hill hill.

Hef was our hero of the tounament and i think Chad would agree. He got it done in both hill hill matches with all the chips on the line. We were all in and the match rested totally on his shoulders to get it done.

The Jacoby Team with brandon, Shannon and TJ from Minneapolis all played well. My hats off to them for sure.

But nobody in the house was ready for what Hef did at the end.

This is what makes a player a champion, being able to get it done with all the bananas on the line. And Hef showed his true colors in those special moments locked in time forever.

This was an unforgetable weekend for me.

I want to say thanks to Chad cunningham and Pat Hefron for asking me to play in this really fun event.

I also want to say thanks to Brandon and dave Jacoby for all the things they do for pool to make it fun for us all with a Special thanks for starting this 1st Jacoby Open with more to come. 2nd, 3rd 4th and so on.

Thanks you everyone.:thumbup:

PS. I will be watching the football games from bed today. It will take a few days for my back to feel better. Looks like I will not be going to Derby again this year. The thought of 12 hours in the car to get there is out of the question.

If I knew I was going to live to be 60 I would have been more careful and took better care of myself:p;):)

Oh, and by the way. Jacoby does make one of the finest low deflection shafts in the business. The jacoby Hybrid Edge.

I'm also really impressed with the empire these guys have built up over the years with one of the best playing pool cues in the world.

I guess the old saying, Practice makes Perfect. And they have been at it for a long time.

Thanks Brandon and thanks dave and the whole rest of the Jacoby family. :cool:
 
Got some good news today and some bad.....

I found out this morning that I will need surgery on my neck.

I talked to a player from Lacrosse and he just had surgery on his neck about 2 weeks ago.

I was told after my accident that I should look into getting this done for sure. I called my neurologist today and he affirmed that this would be the smart thing to do.

My hands are going numb and my neck is still sore all the time. I kind of got used to it so most of the time I don't even notice. But there is no way to get comfortable with my neck lying down to sleep no matter what kind of pillow I use. Kind of messed up.

After the car accident it was really bad but mostly from jerking around from the seizures.

It's a pretty simple surgery where they go in and enlarge the openings in the bone taking pressure off the nerves.

If I want to continue to play pool I need to get this done.

Now it's figuring out how to come up with 85,000 dollars.

Affordable heath care might just be in the nick of time.

Checking out my options today.

In the meantime I will still be playing but might need to stay close to home.

Kind of funny. My vision gets blurry and my eyes burn a little. Have a small headache,
I put the neck brace on stabilizing the neck and this all temporarily goes away.

Would be nice to get rid of this all together.

This type of neck surgery has a very high success ratio.

Just another speed bump in the life of a pool player.

One man a van and the road.
 
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I had the bottom 3 in my neck fused last January. One year until full release. I played golf 4 months after surgery. There is nothing simple about this Gene. I am still doing physical therapy trying to regain full feeling in my hand. Good luck and listen to what they tell you and you will be fine. If you don't follow up on everything you've wasted your time and money. God speed

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Nice write up on the Jacoby tourney Gene! Hang in there on the back problems, I've fought those on and off for a lot of years myself. No fun.....
 
Thanks there Sonny,

I had the bottom 3 in my neck fused last January. One year until full release. I played golf 4 months after surgery. There is nothing simple about this Gene. I am still doing physical therapy trying to regain full feeling in my hand. Good luck and listen to what they tell you and you will be fine. If you don't follow up on everything you've wasted your time and money. God speed

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Terry Miller from Lacrosse, Wi had the same thing done that I need done. It's a small cut in the front.

Terry got allot of relief from te surgery. I'm hoping for the same.

I can't have it until Mid march so until then I will just keep trying to win tournys.

This could be the reason I'm having the seizures also. Right now the meds help me sleep by stopping the nocturnal seizures. There are some nasty side effects from the meds.

It sure would be nice not to have to take them. A friend of mine thought maybe I was playing better because of the meds. I told him of course it was. I can sleep.

Thinking they were some kind of super focus pill he asked me for one. I obliged knowing it wouldn't help him and watched him play terrible for a couple of hours. About 2 balls below his speed for sure. How Funny that was.

But until then.

Let's play some pool.........
 
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Sure is fun spending time with my son......

Being on the road for almost 5 years I havn't been able to spend much time with my son. He plays at a pretty high level himself but he runs a business and he has some mysterious illness that they can't seem to figure out.:confused:

So when he has time to go play with me somewhere he sometimes is too sick to go. Kind of sucks for the both of us but mostly for him. He's the one that is sick.

I was real sick at the last Oshkosh tourney 3 weeks ago and now he just came down with the same thing. A real nasty cold that sticks in your sinuses like glue with a nasty fever for about 3 days.

He's signed up for the 9 ball tourney in Oshkosh but might not be ready by Sat to play.

Also John Stitch is having an 8 ball tourney at Two Stooges this Friday with a team tourney Sat and Sunday. That's about an hour closer. 2 hour drive instead of 3.

At this one we would be able to play together on a team. Something we havn't done much of in the past. Would be great fun.

On the other hand if he's still too sick to play I like my chances in Oshkosh. It's a race to 8 9 ball with winner breaks. I really like this format because I break pretty good but it's on 7 ft diamonds and that helps even the players with bad breaks to break fairly good. Still like my chances though.

Bottom line though is since my mother passed 2 months ago I look at life in general so much different. The time I don't spend with my son is time that I can never get back especially if I'm gone for good.

Personally for me these moments are so precious. Etched in time forever.

How lucky we both are to share a game like pool and be able to do it together.

More fathers and sons should be so lucky.:yeah:

So if you get a chance to share some pool time with your son or daughter I recommend you do it whenever you can. Build your own legacy that will be remembered by them forever.

Derby is out of the question.:frown: The back would never hold up to the 12 hour ride right now.:rolleyes: I can still play but that would be pushing it for sure.

One man a van and the road...seeing if I can win one more. It always seems like there is one more to win.

Got ot love this game wherever you are....;):cool:
 
Nice Felony there Gene.

A man, a van, a pair of handcuffs, and a bad back.........

Thinking they were some kind of super focus pill he asked me for one. I obliged knowing it wouldn't help him and watched him play terrible for a couple of hours. About 2 balls below his speed for sure. How Funny that was.
 
Doc said I could take all I wanted...

Nice Felony there Gene.

A man, a van, a pair of handcuffs, and a bad back.........

Thinking they were some kind of super focus pill he asked me for one. I obliged knowing it wouldn't help him and watched him play terrible for a couple of hours. About 2 balls below his speed for sure. How Funny that was.

How funny,
With all the drugs in the world today I'm sure they want to put me in jail for something that is pretty harmless.

I'm a bad man. Hopefully I can show how bad in the tourney this weekend.:rolleyes::grin:
 
Taking preperation to the next level....

Many players out there don't really understand what it takes to get to the next level and stay there. It just doesn't happen, you need to make it happen.

Plus you need to want it more than anything in the world.

Rhea Brooks has that want and desire and is doing more with it than even she thought was possible. What she learned in the 3 or 4 months we were together was priceless.

Right now though it is time to concentrate on myself. I feel a little greedy because I feel I have an obligation to help players learn the most important aspect of the game and that is aiming. Unless players know Perfect Aim that I teach they are just letting the brain try to sort all this out naturally not knowing that brain just doesn't do as good as you can do manually if you knew where the natural sights for you are. The brain is multitasking on each and every shot. By manually doing this part of the process of shooting the brain can do many other things it needs to do so much better.

And the players that have really learned this from me know that this is ground breaking info and no one on the planet is teaching exactly what I teach. They understand how important this is to getting the most out of your ability.

My day today is all about getting prepared to win. Now that I can sleep I can really put to work my knowledge and ability to play the game we love.

I go to Sams Club first to get some great food. Then to walmart to get some medical stuff for my son and then it's off to Menards to get a real good light for his bar table at his home.

Then it's off to practice and play. It hasn't taken long for my son to step up to my level either.

Tomorrow I get a new tip. The one I have now is almost gone. About as thick as a sliver.

The best way I know how to show what I have learned and I'm teaching is results.

In the last 3 months I have Quietly won about 6 tournament.

One in Virginia, One in South Carolina, Oshkosh, Bloomer, Nielsville, Faribault, MN Nekoosa, Wi I guess that's 7. I think there was one more but I can't think about it.

I played in about 4 other tournys and usually made it into the top 4.

I'm 60 years old and have some pretty significant health issues but for the most part I've learned how to overcome them. It is what it is.

The main thing is I'm having fun and building up a very serious bankroll the old fashion way. Winning .

I'm going to Oshkosh again this weekend to one of the toughest tournys that they have in Wisconsin other than Beloit. I expect to win. This is not being cocky but just part of winning. Feeling confident.

Sure I could lose because there will be so many great players there but the main thing right now is they will have to beat me. I will not beat myself.

Having fun and still doing lessons again. Not advertising at all but now players are just calling me.

I will work with an old friend tomorrow teaching him Perfect Aim. His name is Joe. I'm again as excited as I will be this weekend at the tourney. I know that what I teach him will get him to the next level.

There is no doubt about it.

Got to go and get it on.

These tournaments are not won on the weekends but during the week with the preparations.

Can you imagine a fighter not training for a fight for a month for sure. Or not going to sleep when sleep is needed during training.

Or a fighter not being trained by a good trainer. One that's been there and done that.

For A FIGHTER THAT DOESN'T TRAIN RIGHT HE WILL GET HIS BRAINS BEAT IN.

POOL PLAYERS KEEP GETTING BEAT UP ALL THE TIME. LEARNING PERFECT AIM WILL HELP KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING. WHY DO SO MANY PLAYERS THINK THEY CAN FIGURE I OUT ON THERE OWN?

Not a cure all but it will sure make it so much easier to make the balls.

Well, for the most part we are kind of self taught with this pool game of ours. But actually not. We learned many things along the way by watching and working at what we see.

Some players get lessons but now very many. Players can't even imagine how much that there is to learn that would make this game so much easier.



So many things go into winning.

But the main thing is going out there, be prepared and give it all you got.

That's what I plan on doing.

Oshkosh here I come. Get ready.

One man a van and the road.........
 
Preparing for the Varsity Club 9 ball tourny in Oshkosh, Wi

Done just about everything I can do to get ready for this great tourney. Race to 8 9 ball with winner breaks. Just like they did in the old days. It don't get any better than this.

Could have used more sleep and could have practiced more but wrecked my knees a little putting up a light on my sons bar box. I was on my knees for a while on top of the table when I realized I shouldn't be doing this. It was too late.

Iced them both up tonight. Last night I couldn't even stand solid. But tonight was better.

Got a massage today to loosen up the tight muscles in my back.

My son and me will be taking off to Oshkosh at about 2:00. Get there about 6:00.

Got a room through price line .com. An $90 room for $50 per night. All player should use this priceline.com it saves a lot of money for sure.

We got the room for 2 days in case the tourney lasts for 2 days. Chances are it will. The one 3 weeks ago did.

Hurting the back last week is what kept me from going to the Derby. 12 hour ride just wouldn't cut it right now.

Plus this will be another fun weekend with my son. He's going to cash big in one of these. He just needs to play in more to practice keeping his focus all the time. .

I could get some pretty good action there but the tourney will be plenty for me to handle.

It's so much fun to compete but half the fun is the journey. Who you go with and what you make of it. Years ago I would go with some of the players to these tournys and they would get drunk and be real butt heads. Soon I didn't go with anyone . Went by myself.

The great thing about my son is he's all business when we go. Trying to do things that will give us the best chance to play good. He went to some tournys with me when he was real young and he learned well.

This will be another nice trip that will be in our memories forever. Winning is just icing on the cake.

If it goes 2 days again I will be doing some lessons after the tournament, even if I make it to the final. No matter how tired I am.

See ya all there,

One man a van and the road.
 
Can't wait until you post (with a smile on your face) that your son trounced you in the finals. :) Best of rolls to pappa and son!
 
That would be sweet......

Can't wait until you post (with a smile on your face) that your son trounced you in the finals. :) Best of rolls to pappa and son!

Problem though, I would buy only half of myself in the Calcutta and he would buy all of himself.

They would be accusing me of making a deal and dumping if I lost.:rolleyes:

But I can guarantee this.

At this point it would be worth so much more than the money. I would want my son to show his mustard at this point. It's already a win, win situation.

Another father son moment that would be played out to the last fighting moment.

Another golden moment locked in time forever.

One man a van and the road...
 
Light recomendation

Done just about everything I can do to get ready for this great tourney. Race to 8 9 ball with winner breaks. Just like they did in the old days. It don't get any better than this.

Could have used more sleep and could have practiced more but wrecked my knees a little putting up a light on my sons bar box. I was on my knees for a while on top of the table when I realized I shouldn't be doing this. It was too late.

Iced them both up tonight. Last night I couldn't even stand solid. But tonight was better.

Got a massage today to loosen up the tight muscles in my back.

My son and me will be taking off to Oshkosh at about 2:00. Get there about 6:00.

Got a room through price line .com. An $90 room for $50 per night. All player should use this priceline.com it saves a lot of money for sure.

We got the room for 2 days in case the tourney lasts for 2 days. Chances are it will. The one 3 weeks ago did.

Hurting the back last week is what kept me from going to the Derby. 12 hour ride just wouldn't cut it right now.

Plus this will be another fun weekend with my son. He's going to cash big in one of these. He just needs to play in more to practice keeping his focus all the time. .

I could get some pretty good action there but the tourney will be plenty for me to handle.

It's so much fun to compete but half the fun is the journey. Who you go with and what you make of it. Years ago I would go with some of the players to these tournys and they would get drunk and be real butt heads. Soon I didn't go with anyone . Went by myself.

The great thing about my son is he's all business when we go. Trying to do things that will give us the best chance to play good. He went to some tournys with me when he was real young and he learned well.

This will be another nice trip that will be in our memories forever. Winning is just icing on the cake.

If it goes 2 days again I will be doing some lessons after the tournament, even if I make it to the final. No matter how tired I am.

See ya all there,

One man a van and the road.

Gene..what light did you get for your son?
 
Tough weekend for myself.....

After hurting my back the weekend before it took about 3 days to start feeling better. Sitting around too much is not a good thing for a diabetic though,
The best part of the trip was getting to do it with my son.

The first day I played great. Dave coles and myself played on the winners side. The score was 4- 3 for me and I'm running out. I got a little tough shape on the 7 ball having to hit it kind of hard and using all the pocket. It rattled tying up the score. Big swing. 5- 3 and I'm breaking to 4-4 and Daves breaking.

He broke and ran the next rack and the rest was history.

Now I come back for the final day with only 6 players left. I went over to a table and could hardly play when I practiced. It never got any better. The writing on the wall was there. I couldn't have beaten my sister. I lost 7-0 and knew how this was going to turn out before we started.

Superman I am not. I had fun before this but it is really tough to know you just can't get it done at all.

I gained 10 pounds during the last 6 weeks dealing with my mothers passing and just kind of not watching what I eat. I started today trying to really get this back on track. It might take a week or 2 but I need to get this blood sugar thing under control.

The seizure meds make this even harder because I feel like I need more to eat when I take them or I feel kind of sick. One of the side effects.

So getting the blood sugar more under control this will allow me to eat more when I need the energy.

Kind of a juggling act for sure.

On the way home in the truck I could hardly stay awake for about half of the trip. I might have had some seizures the night before, I don't know for sure but I sure was wore out. I don't even wake up for these. My doc did up my dosage but that ups the side effects.

Anyway, I got a few lessons to do this week and trying to be very dedicated to getting this puzzle figured out but the blood sugar thing is a must.

Playing real good but need to keep feeling good to get there.

Dave Coles played great against me and deserved to win this tournament for sure. I was feeling real good for our match. Dave just kicked my ass.

Great job Mr Coles. Looking forward to the next time.

Maybe at your place in a couple of weeks.

Great tourny at the Varsity Club in Oshkosh Wi.

Thank You Jeremy West and his very able crew.

One man a van and the road.......
 
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It's been fun being back home for awhile but the road is calling.

Had so much fun meeting old friends and making new ones in one of the hottest pool areas in the country.

It snows and blows and gets under 50 below zero but the pool players just keep coming.

There are so many small tournys here that it is almost unreal. When you look to find a tournament there are 5 small ones within 1 hour at this bar or that one.

This weekend is that case.

There is a great tourny at Colby Wisconsin this weekend. 8 ball single Friday night and 3 man teams Sat and Sunday. There is also a small bar tourney tonight close to my house that is within 20 minutes drive. Small entry and the last one to play in before the $1000 added final week. So it looks like I will be going to the smaller one to be able to play in the Sat $1000 added tourney.

I'm also still giving lessons and still trying to figure out this seizure thing with the doctors. Got some trouble with the insurance company. Need to get a lawyer. It seems they thinks they are all done paying when legally they are not done at all. But that is insurance. Need to have it but you need to fight for the money when you flat out need it and deserve it.

No brainer here for sure though on the tournys.

I was going to Colby until my friends that were going to play on the team decided not to go. That's OK because the smaller one tonight with the $1000 on Saturday is probably the best deal right now in the state and nobody far away knows about it.

I guarantee it won't be stealing either. These boys and girls can all play up here in the little bars from the top to the bottom of the state.

Soon I will be back on the road again going after some bigger prize money and giving Perfect Aim lessons.

Regardless of the health issues I will be back on the road. It's just a part of me that just never went away. Like many of us pool just kind of gets in our blood and stays there.

One man a van and the road........

See ya all in Denver at Nick Varners big one and the great Bar Table tourney at Four Bears after that one.

In the mean time taking care of business on the health and home front. Getting my ducks in a row......
 
NO!!!!! don't go to the $1000 added on saturday. Almost every one is at colby 3 man or neillsville....I thought I would just have Radar to worry about at that tourney ;)
 
Rods working his magic for pool......

NO!!!!! don't go to the $1000 added on saturday. Almost every one is at colby 3 man or neillsville....I thought I would just have Radar to worry about at that tourney ;)

I was pretty impressed with what Rod has done for pool in the area.

Running these tournys and then having this $1000 tourney at the end is pretty cool.

He's created his own little slice of heaven in Osseo Wi.

Pretty cool. Great job there Mr Rodney:wink::D
 
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