2/15/2010 Winter Olympics, Day 1

Our Winter Olympic Games started today. No downhill skiing, speed skating or snowboarding here. No, our games are a bit more on the tamer side.

This, our first day of a weeklong event, opened with Men’s Ping Pong.

Last year’s Gold medalist Bill T. giving it his best shot.

Bill and Arlee share a huge high five after their match.

This is going to be a busy week for me because I’m the “official” photographer for the Winter Olympics. That would be fine in itself but its a little difficult when two events are scheduled for the same time and one of them I’m even involved in with another to follow. So I had a busy Monday!!!

Our friend Wilf in his quest for gold….or at least a medal. In the end he didn’t end up in the top three but he had fun all the same.

Our buddy Neil finished either first or second but I’m not sure which as I type this.

While Men’s Ping Pong is going on, so is Ladies Pool, an event I signed up for.

I had started this season playing pool on Monday nights but then I got sick with that flu type thing going around for a few weeks and I missed three weeks and just never went back. Oh boy, did my pool playing show lack of practice!

Of course it didn’t help that my opponent did the break and I was left with this! What was I supposed to do with this?

While we take our pool playing seriously,,,,,,,,

Here’s Barb T. taking her shot.

We also know its a time for friends to get together and spend some time,,,,,,

Nel A. and Jean B. take a break from their game to pose for me.

And then there’s time for “play'” too,,,,,,

Here’s Marlene showing us all how she can chalk her pool stick with only one hand.

So, I didn’t take Gold, or Silver for that matter. In fact I wasn’t even in the running for Bronze. Oh hell, if the truth be told I wouldn’t have even qualified for a medal made out of a lid from an old tin soup can, but the laughs I had and the great time spent with friends was worth more than any ol' medal.

As it turned out, Deanna took the Gold Medal.

My friend, Donna, sizing up the table for her next shot.

So these two events are over and we roll right into the Domino event.

Here is where we play Mexican Train.

Every players dream, the “perfect” train.

Here’s Sig. Sig is one my favorite people here in the park. There is a group of us who play Mexican Train together quite a bit and I like to sit next to Sig. When he messes up my play I grab his suspenders and pull it out way out and let it go….just my way of showing my displeasure at this choice of plays. Sig is just a great guy!

My friends Janet and Betty waiting on their next play.

Now, here in Arizona, we take our Mexican Train very seriously.

But of course not EVERYONE takes the game so seriously….

and some….well, some just don’t know what NOT to do when I’m around with camera in hand! Especially, when I’m around with camera in hand because I also write this blog and anything and everything is fair game,….. Oh Bill, will you never learn?

So there was day one in Quail Run’s Winter Olympics. A great start to what promises to be a great week!