Well the first couple of days here in Reno have been uneventful really. I left Phoenix on Sunday around 2.30pm and flew direct into Reno. I was really trying to rush and make sure I got the 1st shuttle possible to the GSR so I could get checked in and watch the finals of the U.S Bar Table Championship. All went my way, bags came out of the shoot fats the plane was 10 mins early and the line at the front desk was small. I stopped and got myself a 12 pack for the room and I was in. Now I have to find the place where to tourney is at, it was kinda hidden and would have thought it would have had more signage to help. This place is pretty big and it seemed like I walked 5 miles until I found it. I got to see the end of Busti V Thorsten and got to chat with a couple people before the finals. Spoke to Justin a min from (TAR), Mark Griffin, Toastie, Rodney, My buddy Ken Shuman, Lee Brett, Daz. Seemed like everyone was right there just chatting and hanging out so that was nice. The final wasn't that great of a match to be honest but Klatt did a good job.
So I decide to head back to my room and all of a sudden feel drained and tired and hungry all at the same time. By this time its around 6pm and so I watch a little tv and have a couple of beers. I have nothing to do now and bored still feeling really tired and hungry so I went down to Johnny Rockets and got some food and took it back to the room. Chilli fries (a decision I would regret the next day). Nick's flight didn't come in til 10.30pm and its now only 7.30pm.
As some of you may know from my other reports, Nick is very close to his money which is probably a good thing but it still makes me laugh sometimes. So I had looked up the hotel for the best deal and for the time we are here I got $35 per night. Nick told me he thought he could get better and was going to wait and see what he could do at a different hotel maybe. Well come the day of travel he asks "How many beds you got in that room" I tell him 2 and I knew where this was going. He says "well I will just stay with you then." Thats ok, no problem we have roomed together before with no problems.
Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, its 7.30pm I have no idea why but I was tired. I had not done anything really but I know traveling can wear on you. I had told toastie that I felt drained from traveling all day and he asked with a quizical look "Vear deed you come from?" I told him Phoenix And he kinda snorted and laughed. It is a little weak to be tired its not like I was going to the UAE or Phillipines. Anyway I decided to just crash and crash I did until around midnight when my phone started ringing and texts were dinging me awake. Nick had arrived and needed to know what room. So I told him and got out of bed knowing he wasn't gonna just come in and go to sleep. I was half right Nick had been traveling all day and was very tired too but we chatted for a while until I began just grunting my responses and I went back to sleep til 7.45am. So almost 12hrs sleep. Nick slept til around noon and so I was kinda stuck, I didn't t want to make too much noise and so I just went and got coffee and walked around the casino for a while and arranged for us all to meet for lunch so we could go over the game plan for the show that night and a forcast of how things would go the rest of the trip. Well I didn't realize that Nick and Darren really have not spent much time together talking or anything other than at the Mosconi Cup and so as much as I tried to get the order of business addressed all they wanted to talk about was the Last IPT event as it was held at the GSR and the bar tables championships and just about anything pool. Very interesting actually to hear their thoughts but I had a job to do here and I was gonna get it done. So I waited til our food came that way I could get a word in and that worked. We arranged to meet up again at 7pm to go to the show at Diamond Billiards. This was the first time we had done a show with Darren and although Nick and I have done a hundred of these things together and know exactly what happens when Darren doesn't other than an explanation I gave him earlier. We don't know if he is going to be quiet and reserved etc. We lead him into each section of the show so he knew what he was supposed to be doing all the time and he was great. Very happy with his performance, he ran racks and talked in detail about what he was thinking and why and how he planned to execute each shot all with a smile on his face. Thats all we can ask for. We had poked a little fun at Nick on the way to the show because I have always been to but of the joke saying I talk funny and they couldn't understand a word I said while with JA or Earl and so this was my chance to give him a taste of his own meds
So we harrassed him for a little while since there are 2 of us now but he didn't take it laying down. He explaned that Darren and I should go and have sex with ourselves, and that we should not even be allowed to talk in this country if an American wanted to talk first I am sure you get the idea. So when I was introducing the guys I thought I would have a dig at Darren as his accent is much thicker than mine and said "here is the only guy in the room that talks funnier than I do." Darren looked right at Nick and said "He must be talking about you pal" Nick didn't quite get it at first and snapped back "I think he was talking about you" so they are both now wondering who I am having a dig at. It may be one of those that you had to be there. During a little break he told me how much he enjoyed everything he was doing and having a good time with the spectators. Thats a bonus, if you are enjoying yourself I think the people involved with the shows and clinics can feel if someone is having a good time or not. Darren also told me that he really enjoys teaching so there are going to be some lucky people taking clinics on this trip.
After the show we were all hungry and it was about midnight and so we went to the Atlantis on the way back for some breakfast. Daz and I were starving and I think we went a little overboard with our orders and maybe ate too fast along with it cos we both were not feeling that great after we got done. Got back to the GSR and in bed about 1.30am and straight to sleep. We will be leaving for Redding tomorrow morning and have a show at night at Hotshots Family Billiards. Starts at 7.30pm. Who knows what today will bring, gonna meet up with Darren about 1pm probably for something to eat. I will be back maybe.
So I decide to head back to my room and all of a sudden feel drained and tired and hungry all at the same time. By this time its around 6pm and so I watch a little tv and have a couple of beers. I have nothing to do now and bored still feeling really tired and hungry so I went down to Johnny Rockets and got some food and took it back to the room. Chilli fries (a decision I would regret the next day). Nick's flight didn't come in til 10.30pm and its now only 7.30pm.
As some of you may know from my other reports, Nick is very close to his money which is probably a good thing but it still makes me laugh sometimes. So I had looked up the hotel for the best deal and for the time we are here I got $35 per night. Nick told me he thought he could get better and was going to wait and see what he could do at a different hotel maybe. Well come the day of travel he asks "How many beds you got in that room" I tell him 2 and I knew where this was going. He says "well I will just stay with you then." Thats ok, no problem we have roomed together before with no problems.
Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, its 7.30pm I have no idea why but I was tired. I had not done anything really but I know traveling can wear on you. I had told toastie that I felt drained from traveling all day and he asked with a quizical look "Vear deed you come from?" I told him Phoenix And he kinda snorted and laughed. It is a little weak to be tired its not like I was going to the UAE or Phillipines. Anyway I decided to just crash and crash I did until around midnight when my phone started ringing and texts were dinging me awake. Nick had arrived and needed to know what room. So I told him and got out of bed knowing he wasn't gonna just come in and go to sleep. I was half right Nick had been traveling all day and was very tired too but we chatted for a while until I began just grunting my responses and I went back to sleep til 7.45am. So almost 12hrs sleep. Nick slept til around noon and so I was kinda stuck, I didn't t want to make too much noise and so I just went and got coffee and walked around the casino for a while and arranged for us all to meet for lunch so we could go over the game plan for the show that night and a forcast of how things would go the rest of the trip. Well I didn't realize that Nick and Darren really have not spent much time together talking or anything other than at the Mosconi Cup and so as much as I tried to get the order of business addressed all they wanted to talk about was the Last IPT event as it was held at the GSR and the bar tables championships and just about anything pool. Very interesting actually to hear their thoughts but I had a job to do here and I was gonna get it done. So I waited til our food came that way I could get a word in and that worked. We arranged to meet up again at 7pm to go to the show at Diamond Billiards. This was the first time we had done a show with Darren and although Nick and I have done a hundred of these things together and know exactly what happens when Darren doesn't other than an explanation I gave him earlier. We don't know if he is going to be quiet and reserved etc. We lead him into each section of the show so he knew what he was supposed to be doing all the time and he was great. Very happy with his performance, he ran racks and talked in detail about what he was thinking and why and how he planned to execute each shot all with a smile on his face. Thats all we can ask for. We had poked a little fun at Nick on the way to the show because I have always been to but of the joke saying I talk funny and they couldn't understand a word I said while with JA or Earl and so this was my chance to give him a taste of his own meds
After the show we were all hungry and it was about midnight and so we went to the Atlantis on the way back for some breakfast. Daz and I were starving and I think we went a little overboard with our orders and maybe ate too fast along with it cos we both were not feeling that great after we got done. Got back to the GSR and in bed about 1.30am and straight to sleep. We will be leaving for Redding tomorrow morning and have a show at night at Hotshots Family Billiards. Starts at 7.30pm. Who knows what today will bring, gonna meet up with Darren about 1pm probably for something to eat. I will be back maybe.