BILLY AARDD'S CLUB
REUNION
A recap of the day.
Updated:
I (Ray) wrote this a couple of weeks after the reunion so my time line may be off on a few things (other things may be a bit off too). If anybody wants to elaborate or add to this let me know.
The game room was reserved Saturday of 49ers weekend from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and again from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm for the billiard club reunion gathering. Our dinner gathering was set for 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Bodega.
I arrived a bit before the 10:00 start time and found John Hardy waiting in the hallway, cue case in hand, ready to go. We had at least two carom players now! Sam opened the doors and let us in.
Within several minutes Jack Bender, Mark Martinez, Kennard Wilson, James Robnett, Dan Lunceford, Glen and Dawn Jones, and Tom Kollmeyer had shown up. Carom, Snooker, and Pocket billiards were all going to get some action now.
Kennard, John, and I went out to bring in the crock pot with the hot links, a pot of onions and green chili (in case the hot links weren't hot enough), and associated items before we got too involved in shooting. Jack and Dan headed off to the store for buns and a few more things.
Before too long Jeremiah and Pam, Larry Padilla, and Nick and Danielle arrived. Most of the tables were in use now. A few individual games of pocket billiards (8-ball and 9-ball) were being played on the 9' tables. Team games of 8-ball were being played on the 10' pocket table. Both the snooker and carom tables were in use. A ring game of Korean 9-ball was being played on the carom table (we didn't bother with the poker chips, though we did use the playing cards).
Thomas Leeper arrived around noon. Dave Byrd made a surprise appearance. Then Trista, Kara, and Jesse Jackson arrived a little later, as did Syngen and Annie.
Scott Rollins, Liam Hallada, Seattle, and Tim Olszanski (some of the club's current members), also joined us.
It struck me that much of the billiard banter at the tables seemed to run pretty much as it had when people were taking classes. Through the day, as people were catching up, there were a good many questions about people who hadn't been able to make the reunion. We're hoping they'll be able to make some of the next ones.
Jeremiah gave out some preliminary copies of his book "Bullseye Billiards" (an instructional book on cue ball control and position play that is geared toward having fun during practice).
From what I caught of some of the non-billiard related discussions I think chemists out numbered any other group (it was not engineers and physicists this time). Hearing about some of the real-world experiences was interesting.
A bit before we were to head off for dinner Jeremiah gathered us together and on behalf of our group presented me (very much to my surprise) with an appreciation award and gift certificate for inspiring billiards at Tech.
Stephan Witz caught up with us for dinner. After dinner those who didn't head out for other 49ers activities, or head home, returned to the game room for more billiards.
Being a reunion of billiard players it took a bit to get the tables empty by 9:00 pm. Some of us headed to my place for more carom, conversation, and refreshments.
It was a good time - catching up with one another and enjoying the pleasure of playing billiards together again. Here are some photos from the reunion (2014), and a BBQ in the courtyard of the SUB (some time around 2001?).
The hanging question - "Who will be at the next reunion?".
Billy Aardd.