We're back after visiting our pards in Texas for the Southwest Regional. This match was highly anticipated with good
reviews from years past and good word from the US Open which is run by the same folks. I truly expected the best large match experience I've ever had and I may have just had it. Maybe. The folks that run the match bill it as a party with a shoot attached and that's exactly what it is. There's plenty to do and everyone is your best friend, they are without a doubt, some of the kindest folks I've ever met and I had a wonderful time at Badlands Bar3 ranch with its beautiful setting. I've never felt more welcome anywhere.
The weekend started for us on Wednesday last week as we stopped by Memphis, TN to, well eat Bar-B-Que and visit Beale Street for music and spirits. We hit Corky's early for excellent Bar-B-Que and with our stomachs full, we headed downtown to a hotel. BB King's bar is where we spent almost all of our time on Beale listening to the house band and sampling a few more food items and drinking excellent beer while enjoying a good blues band.
Thursday was Graceland and touring "The King's" mansion certainly put a legendary American figure into perspective for me. I was pretty young when he passed and never really delved into his music and life, but this is a truly American experience that allowed me to see why people thought of him the way they do. The hall of trophies is incredible and while this house is considered a mansion, by today's standards, it is merely upscale.
After Graceland, we left Tennessee behind and made our way to Texas, set up in the hotel and then wondered why the heck I picked New Boston to stay in. There's really nothing there, the hotel was great, but there's nothing to do. Long story short, we were in a dry county!!! I mean really, who'd have guessed that the shoot was in a dry county? We prevailed however, and managed to find a package store at the crux of two dry counties on Friday. We also ventured into Texarkana for some of the best steak you'll ever eat at the Cattleman Steakhouse. This isn't the Cattlemen chain, but a family owned steakhouse that treated us like kings and stuffed us with shrimp cocktail, calimari, clam chowder and a big, tasty ribeye steak, YUM!
Thursday was the Wild Bunch Match, I didn't shoot it particularly well, but I managed to barely make the top 10 of 37, so I guess that ain't all bad. The WB match was free and started at 3pm on sidematch day, bad thing is that due to some hickups at the start, we finished in twilight conditions, but we finished and had a good time. Nothing like knocking the rust off before the main event.
Friday we shot stages 1-5 on the early shift, I shot pretty well for me with one miss on the day. The stages looked fast and initially we thought these were all going to be burners, but they were really well written with choices to make and things that made you slow down a bit. They weren't dumbed down stages that let you rip away, you had to think and choose the best way for you. I find it highly pleasing that Judge and I shot stages differently and when reviewing why we made the choices, figure we both got it right. That's a good stage when there really isn't a single best way to shoot it no matter your category.
Saturday was stages 6-10 on the afternoon shift. I had one miss on this day, but I was slower, so not as good a day on Saturday. I'm still pleased overall and the stages weren't the issue, they were all pretty well written (except for one) and I don't think anyone can complain. Well, maybe the chickens, everyone hated them.
Comin' At Cha 09 stage 8
Sunday, Judge and I headed out for home early. We didn't stay for the awards, I kind of regret that, but he had to work on Monday and with nothing to really do other than watch an awards ceremony, we figure it was best to head out for Indiana since it was 12 hours away.
