Blair Dreyfus
I can’t believe that it’s been a month already and I’m searching for topics for my monthly President’s message. The only thing that comes to mind is damn it’s hot! This is my first summer here since I retired. I had been going back to the East Coast to spend summer there with my sons and grandchildren. This year my youngest is a sophomore in college so I wouldn’t be spending as much time with the family as when they were all younger. Sons are working and have things to do after work and so do the older grandchildren. That sophomore will want to spend most of his summer with his peers, as we all did, and I’m good with that. Those friendships are key to his development and I wouldn’t want to curtail that.
My wife said that she was happy to have me around this summer. I was concerned, at first, as I assumed she liked her three months of freedom. Half the laundry to do, half the food to cook, the house smelled better, and things that we haven’t used in like forever magically disappeared. What she really meant was she was happy I was here because I brought cooler weather with me, I must have, because this July had the fewest number of really hot days than any other July in memory. Now I think she’s rethinking that as we are making up for it this month in August with every day so far over 110—My oh my! Summer in Arizona is not for the faint of heart. But … that means I have more time to play pool, and I’m OK with that.
I’ve taken this indoor time to watch a lot of YouTube videos and it shows in my personal performance both inside of PebbleCreek in our club events and outside in the APA leagues that I participate in in the evening. I encourage all of you who enjoy playing pool to do the same. Playing well is fun! Playing better is even more fun! Hearing your peers say “wow, nice shot” will MAKE YOUR DAY. I know on those occasions when I hear it or get to say it—I leave feeling like it was a good day in the pool room!
That said, make sure to go out of your way to compliment your opponents when they do make a good shot and try to accept their compliments graciously. On rare occasions I do hear some utterances like scratch or keep going so a player has no shot at the next ball but, as I said, that is on rare occasions. I like that about our group—most of us want our opponents to do well, which makes us try harder and do better ourselves to earn our victories—not have our opponents lose.
Enjoy your summer in AZ—stay cool and PLAY WELL. Here are July’s tournament winners and player of the month.
Monday noon to 2 p.m.: Blair Dreyfus (3), Don Moser (2)
Tuesday 8 to 10 a.m.: Don Moser, Dan Harris, Johnny Henson, and Lynn Warren (1 each)
Thursday 10 a.m. to noon: Lynn Warren (2), Jim Padgitt (1), Blair Dreyfus (3)
Friday 8 to 10 a.m.: Bob Macy (1)
Friday 4 to 6 p.m.: Lynn Warren (1)
Player of the month honors go to Blair Dreyfus. Hey, I know that guy!