Sunday 28th June 2009 – White Van Man

A quiet day sorting out the souvenir box, and organising things to pack Rozzie: I'm still figuring out how to pack myself in for on-the-road overnight stops.  It's one of those vehicles with lots of seat configurations.  As I was moving things about, I unexpectedly encountered a new position.  It was nearly quite painful.

This time next week, I shall be in California or beyond.

 

Later that same evening, while I was bidding farewell to my regular pool opponent, I had another encounter, this time with a serious senior moment.

You are probably all familiar enough with pool to know that one player tries to pot the balls with spots, and the other the balls with stripes, sometimes called 'little ones' and 'big ones'.  I had just finished a break, where I actually potted some balls, and was watching somebody playing some silly video game, when my opponent says "am I on big ones or little ones?" (I should point out that he had also potted some balls).  And, do you know, I couldn't remember: we couldn't neither of us figure out who was playing what.  At least being old allowed us to do the sensible thing and toss a coin to carry on.

While we were playing pool, it had been noticed that there was a white van outside, with the driver sitting in it getting drunker and drunker.  Of course, somebody called the police. 

In due course, a police officer arrived in the bar to report.  Turned out they were waiting to deliver something next door, and were probably going to sleep in the van.  As the officer was explaining that one of them was on a Quatamalan passport, "probably an illegal", I started to get interested.  After all, I might find myself in the same position if Homeland Security don't get their fingers out.  My ears were pricked up, straining to hear when someone says, right in my ear, "would you like to shoot pool?  Your other guy says it's OK."  And by the time I'd dealt with that, the cop was gone.

At least the newcomer was no good at pool, so I managed to win for a bit.  And he was quite young, so we didn't get confused about whose balls were which.