Double Hat Trick

Ahh yes! Playoff time! You know how I am. I've got my Red On. The banner is flying out front. Today is Game 6 in Nashville, and despite the fact that we're playing on Tennessee ice, I'm keeping my "tentacles" crossed that the boys will bring the quarter-final win home. If last night was any indication of a good omen, I'm thinking it will all be ok and Dave Lewis will be able to keep his job for another round.

We'd had a pretty rough week and so were looking forward to Pub Night on Friday. Charlie and I always try to get there early on Fridays. There's no crowd until later, and the dynamics are less bar-like and more restaurant-ish. The older regs are always in their usual barstools playing NTN, and as always, when we walk in the door, we get the "Cheers" greeting; "CHARLIE! PUA!" and then the drinks show up without so much as our asking. That accomplished, Roz (the owner) gets to the business of making sure I have a charged up NTN Playmaker.

For the most part, I keep a pretty low profile when I play. I don't sit at the bar with the regs. Charlie and I always take a table somewhere in the restaurant. That way, I can watch a hockey game on another tv and still see the NTN screen at the same time. I play under a nickname instead of my own name; I guess for a sense of anonymity. Or at least, if I have a really bad game, then no one will know that the bonehead loser is Pua. :o) I've had my good and bad days. Days where I couldn't answer a question for the life of me, and proposed no threat to the barfly regs sitting at the bar. These guys are Players Plus members with MILLIONS of points to my mere 82,000. It's pretty obvious that they burn a lot of hours sitting at that bar drinking beer and playing the game. But last night, I was a force to be reckoned with. It started out slow; me against 7 men, and for the majority of the first game, I held strong to seventh, or last place. But on question 14 (every game consists of 15 questions), an inquiry regarding Canadian government came up. What the hell do I know about Canada for goshsakes? I guessed. I hit paydirt and suddenly found myself in 2nd place. Suddenly, mumbling starts in barfly reg country. They turn and start scanning the room for this surprising upandcomer. With no satisfaction, they turn their attention back to the screen for the last question. "What producer gave us Agent James Bond?" Well crap. I'm playing against a bunch of middle-aged and older men. What chance do I have to pull this one out? Zero to none. Guess again. I had Broccoli for dinner. I literally ate them alive because for some reason, they went the actor route instead of the producer route and they either answered "Sean Connery" or "George Lazenby". Boys, eat your veggies!

So, by the first hat trick (three wins) with my name flashing on the screen as gamewinner, I could tell the Barfly Boys were positively seething. And Charlie and I, happily hidden but with them delightfully in our view, enjoyed watching as they kept looking around for this infiltrator. I honestly think Charlie was having much more fun than me just watching their reactions with every game I won. SIX games later, the frustration evident and no longer tolerable, the Barfly Boys got up from their seats, split up, and actively walked around the restaurant looking for a chick with a Playmaker. Finally, one of them, saw the Playmaker at our table, looked at me, approached our table:

Barfly Boy: Are you Kanani?

Me: (smiling) Yes.

Barfly Boy: Oh. Hi. I'm Bilbo. I just wanted to see who was kicking our asses.

Me: Well, I wouldn't say kicking your asses (okay, I guess I would). I'm just having a good night. You guys usually send me out of here with my tail between my legs.

Barfly Boy: Are you Hawaiian?

Me: Yes.

Barfly Boy: I used to live in Kona.

Me: Oh! My sister lives in Kona.

Barfly Boy: Where are you from?

Me: My family is on the North Shore; O'ahu.

Barfly Boy: Well, it was nice to meet you. I've seen your name on the screen lots of times before today, but never thought to come find you. Good games tonight.

Me: I'm happy to meet you as well. Thank you.

Barfly Boy goes back to the bar and resumes his place for the next game. I turn mine off. It's time to go and it's always better to leave the table when you're ahead. I think Kenny Rogers said that...right? Anyway, Charlie goes to say goodbye to our friend Jerry, the manager, and close out our tab, and I walk over to Bilbo and the rest of the Barfly Boys. I tap Bilbo on the shoulder:

Me: Goodnight Bilbo. Thanks for the fun games and I hope to see you again (which I will because he's ALWAYS here).

Bilbo: (turning around to face me) Oh, hey..nice to meet you too.

He turns to the other Barfly Boys:

Bilbo: Hey guys, THIS is Kanani (He says the "THIS" with emphasis. As if I were famous or something.)

They all turn toward me, smile, say their polite pleasantries about how it's nice to know me, when I know for a fact they all hate me right now. One of the them, he goes by the handle "Bullitt", says to me..."So YOU'RE the one. You're good. You're damn good." I thank him; "Coming from you, that's quite a compliment."

Bilbo: So you're leaving now?

Me: Yes, it's time to go.

Bilbo: Good. Maybe we have a chance now! Aloha!

As we walk out the door, Charlie says, "Wow..did you see how happy they were you were leaving? That's gotta feel great!" Any other time, a remark like that might make me cry. But this time, I was elated.