Saturday, June 18, 2005

Too good, too bad

Ah, an evening out of the Hive... Walking with YACHT friends along the Pt Pleasant boardwalk. We went shop-hopping and people-gazing, and debated the joys of deep-fried Oreos.

It occurs to me that the realtors have a point when they say "Location, location, location." Company is key, but one needs a medium conducive to enjoying the company. Case in point - chess in the park. I and two friends took in an evening pushing wood in Lakewood Square a few weeks ago. I'd been before a couple of times and had fun; but I hadn't yet met Vincent.

Vincent was sort of the live-action equivalent of Leeroy. I was losing my game and Vincent and his girl happened by to watch. "I want to watch," he said, helpfully. It wasn't tournament conditions (not that it would have helped me against Brian), but Vincent got impatient watching me slowly shoved around the board.

"No, man! Don't do that!" He actually grabbed my arm after one move. "Man, I'm so mad! I'm gonna throw my liquor!" He hopped around impatiently. After my loss, I surrendered the chair to Vincent, who decided that watching was for chumps and chose to prove he could beat Brian.

Soon we all realized why Vincent was so confident - his pieces moved in ways heretofore unknown to chess. It didn't stop him from dropping his queen a few times. "Man, you all too good... I gotta get back to the computer and practice. I haven't played since I got out of jail."

"You were in jail?!?" Vincent's gal yelped. Too much for her, I suppose, since she left very shortly afterward; but it didn't keep her from asking if Vincent had a light. "Nah, I don't smoke no more, girl," he said.

He had a cigarette in his mouth at the time.

From now on, I'm sticking to walks on the Boardwalk.

-- posted from the Mobile Command Unit (thanks!)

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