Windy City Open Sept15th - 17th 2006

Okay to after finally getting some satisfaction and a whole lot more aggravation from the hotel staff it was off to bed. After a couple slices of long since cold pizza and arguing about towels it was time for some much needed rest.

Sunday morning came early and I felt horrible. After a long 5 flight round trip up and down the stairs I retrieved some morning beverages in an attempt to rehydrate. And after a quick shower and drying off with my Tshirt it was time to warm up.

The first event was Men's Doubles Cricket. First round Frank and I meet up with Rob Dragon and the only guy I practice with Mark Kokot. And Mark I bring my own board! We start out slow but I warm up into the match and suprisingly find myself playing pretty well.

In the second round we meet up with Johnny K and Ray Carver. I'll spare you the details but I know Johnny has tarot cards and a voodoo doll of me in his room! Were out again...

So 501 singles is the last stand of the weekend and really the one event I came to win over all. After a long wait I finally get called against Ed Debenke who just finished the Doubles finals. Ed is tough any day but on days hes in finals its definately gonna feel like swimming upstream.

Ed wins the first leg in the race to three. In the second its my start and despite shooting well Ed earns three darts at 40 to go up two legs on me. Its not to be and after Ed lets me back in the match I run off the next 3 legs to advance 3-1.

I fly through the next few matches never dropping a leg and start the money rounds against Denis "The Heat" Ovens. Another close contest and Denis is playing well. For me it was just another case of missed doubles to cap off the weekend. My shot a 71 for the match hit the bottom wire of the D20 and Denis cleans up his out to advance to the quarter-finals.

So all and all it was a weird weekend. But as Forest Gump would say "Darts is like a box of chocolates, you never know what your going to get".