Pool Boy Wonder - Christmas Day 2006

A bunch of years ago, I bought an 8 foot slate pool table, nothing fancy, but the real thing. We nestled it down in the basement (it really isn't big enough, or at least shaped properly, to hold the pool table with comfort) and then we (mostly Eli, my younger son, and myself) played lots of pool - 8 ball, 9 ball, cut-throat, etc. It was great fun and Eli quickly became very good (he was in his early teens at this point). And one of his special skills was his ability to pop the cue ball over one or more other balls, to then knock in his ball of choice. He would do it with total nonchalance, as if he barely needed to pay attention to what he was doing. And he often did hit the ball in. I was always amazed. I could never muster up the skill and confidence to do that without worrying about ripping the felt (Eli never did).

Well, then Eli turned 15, 16...and he was soon way more interested in playing with his friends, so we played but not as often. Now Eli is 20, living in his own apartment 8 miles away, studying jazz guitar fulltime at DePaul University. All very wonderful.

But he came over on Christmas for dinner -- and some pool. Hurray! So we played some games and that was fun, but then before he left, he had a very amusing time popping the cue ball off the table....why do that? Well, click here to watch the movie and you will see what I mean.