Curling at the Dykes

So this past weekend I gathered a couple of guys frm the club together (well really Eric did the gathering) and went up to the Francis Dykes Men's 5 & Under Bonspiel. We didn't go up with high expectations. Our plan was simple:

1. Have Fun!
2. Try and stay close in every game
3. Get some experience under our belts
4. Win a game if we could

I have to say we were fairly successful in all of our endeavors. Of course we had fun. Of the 3 Philly teams in attendance we were the least experienced so we had the least to loose. Also for many on the team it was teh first away event so we were just looking to meet people and have a good time. Item number one... done.

I felt like we held our own in every game we palyed. The first team we played was very good, and ended up running away with the game, but we really didn't give up very big ends and while the score was high by the end of the game we all curled well. The game would have been much different if I could have made a few keys shots. But I just couldn't execute, which was a shame, but we didn't want to compete in the first event anyhow :-)

The second game was a game we could have won. The other team was good, but I made the mistake of underestimating the team's ability based on their front end. That lead us to not put up some guards early on. Our opponents vice was very good a take outs and seemed to hit every stone near exactly where he needed to. That combined with my continued inability to make a few key shots saw us off to an early deficit. Towards the middle of the match we were down 5-1 and our opponents were sitting 4. Ends like this (especially at our level are tough to come back from. We can generally take a point or two, but getting 3 or 4 especially late in the game is difficult. To make things even more interesting the front was well guarded. There was only really one shot for me to make. I just had to wing a stone down and hopefully knock one or two out and maybe out count a few more.

So I slid down to the hack and lined up for the shot. I let the stone go and just hopped I didn't get caught up on one of the front guards. Amazingly I cleared all of the guards and hit everything in just the right order (fortunately we had the hammer). Suddenly I instead of being down 9-1 we were only down 5-2 and with a few ends left we had time to mount a comeback. We stole one in the next end and suddenly we were only down by 2. The details of the rest of the game are a bit fuzzy. But we kept it close. We ended up eking out a defeat, but were all very happy with our performance.

Finally we arrive at Saturday morning. Thins seemed like they were falling into place. We had curled well the night before (especially in the last half of the game) we were curling in Albany, which our club is modeled after, which makes it feel like home. So we started out really well. We kept winning end after end. We had a very good lead built up going into the 5th end. Then I got a little off the game plan and fouled some things up. That combined with another missed shot by yours truly left out opponents sitting 5. In this end the gaurded up the front well and had some points counting. I just needed to draw and cut them down to maybe 2 points, if I was lucky (or good, but lets face it I'm not good yet) I could have out drew them and maybe even come away with a point. But instead I was wide and ended up one of their guards. Unfortunately my weight was perfect and I ended up knocking another of their stones into the rings. So now instead of being up by 7 we were only up by 2. It was a very bad feeling. But I had to make sure that we didn't let it get to us. We still had a game to pull out.

It came down to the last end and we were up by 2 or 3 points. We had a nice house set up. The middle was open and we had 2 guarded stones on either side of the 4 foot about the T-Line depth. It would be very hard for our opponents to come away with enough points for a victory. The opposing vice managed to sneak a stone onto the button and I was ready to call a guard to conceded the end in favor of winning the game. Then our vice reminded me that if I successfully removed this stone the other team would not have enough stones to win. The down side didn't seem to bad either. At worst I would hang up on a guard of ours and block the whole maybe tap some stuff around. But it would still be hard for the other team to get 3. Again things fell into place and I managed to take the stone out leaving us sitting 3 and making it near impossible for the opponent to win. The skip conceded the game and we had walked away with our first victory (and my first victory outside Philadelphia).

I would love to be able to report that we won our next four games (which we would have had to 2 to win the 3rd event. But alas out winning streak stopped at one.

In the end it is safe to say we all had a great time and we accomplished all of our goals. I hope the team wants to get back together next year. We should have an even better time.

Reconnecting

A few months a go some dear friends of mine set of on an amazing adventure. Rachel and Sudhir planned to visit Nepal (Sudhir's home) so Rachel could spend some real time with her new family. During their trip they kept an amazing blog which you should really check out. If you don't have the time or patients to read about the trip at least look at the pictures. However I suggest you read the stories as well. R&S had an amazing trip and the blog is very well written.

Upon returning to the US R&S settled on the left coast, a pretty major change from Somerville, near Cambridge, where they met. Of course since I no longer love in Boston I really shouldn't have much to complain about it isn't like I get to see these guys all that often any how. But Boston is just so much closer. When Neeraj was living in San Diego it was alwasy difficult to communicate. Of course e-mail works great, but phone calls are tough. The 3 hour time difference is really just enough off that schedules are strange. Usually when I am thinking of friends it is to early to give them a call because they would be at work. And by the time I am ready for bed they are probably eating dinner.

Anyhow, R&S got to San Francisco on the 4th or so of January and have since been looking for a place to live and employment and all the things you need to do when you move to a new place. How delighted was I when I found out I would be in the Bay area for a few days in earl February! I sent Rachel an e-mail to let her know of my plans hoping that our schedules would match up and fortunately they did. I was able to arrive early enough the day before my meetings to meet up and catch up on life.

I made my way to their new apartment which is in a very nice part of the city. They live sort of towards the top of a hill in a larger apartment building. The street they are on dead ends at their building and someone in the area has done an amazing landscaping job at the end of the street. Walking through the garden to the building is enjoyable and sets this place apart from mot other locations.

of course Rachel and Sudhir's apartment was still awaiting furniture, but they have a great place. It is very open and inviting floor plan and they have a balcony that looks out over to garden/entrance. I am sure they will make it an even better place to visit once it is furnished.

We decided to head to dinner and we choose a BBQ place Memphis Minnie's. The web site looked interesting and the food sounded great. After a bit of an adventure getting there. The bus had to let us off a few blocks away because the street was closed due to a movie being filmed. We discovered that the place had apparently sold out of BBQ and closed early. We were so disappointed and since none of us really knew the area finding a second place was a bit of a challenge. If I make it back to the area, I think we will have to try this place again, the interior looks similar to a few other BBQ places I have been and all of these places were amazing.

After a bit of walking and peering at menues and in windows we ended up at the Asqew Grill which had an interesting manue and concept. It is basically a meat (chicken, fish, or vegtable) on a stick establishment. You order your "main course" and choose a starch to server with it. They have a number different choices. We decided to each order something different and then we could share. The food was all very good. Very flavorful and well prepared. The atmosphere was very casual and laid back. It was great to spend some time catching up. Even though I didn't get a chance to see them often when they were in Boston California is just so far away, I hope I have some more opportunities to visit.

After dinner we meandered back to Rachel and Sudhir's apartment, with a bit of a bus fiasco do to the movie again, where I hopped in the car and headed home. It was sad to have to leave, but I had been up since 4 AM EST (it was now like 1 AM EST) and R&S had to work. So back to my hotel I went hoping I could make it back to the Bay area soon.

So if you guys are reading this, thanks for a great night. The East coast misses you! But I hope you are having a great time getting settled into your new place.