In a time long ago...

Notice the date on this first post. It says 1990, but that's the earliest date you are allowed to enter. The year is really 1961. That's when I was shooting pool pretty well. I was in college and didn't have much else to do. Studying didn't interest me as much as shooting some straight pool, or 9 ball. I liked testing my skill against Johnny Green. He was about the best in school. 

1961 was also the year that the great movie "The Hustler" with Paul Newman was released, and when I was given the nickname "FastMikie" (Paul Newman's name in the movie was "Fast Eddie").

This post just sets the stage. What followed my college pool-shooting days were The Dark Ages of No Pool, 40 years when I rarely played, and then just as a social event. Nothing serious at all. Needless to say, I got out of stroke.

Over those 40 years, I had a pool table in a couple of different homes, but it was seldom used because I was focused on bringing home the bacon as a computer genius, and that takes a lot of time. Most of the pool I shot was late at night after coming home from a very long day. It helped me unwind. Never any competition. For 40 long years my skills were not tested, but my love for the game stayed strong, and I knew someday I would return to the game with enthusiasm.

And so, it has begun again...