Consequences

Even though it was all for fun, writing this blog has really been somewhat of a life-fulfilling activity (there have been reasons that I have not been writing in the past couple years and that will addressed at a later point).  Writing this blog over the years has had a lot of great consequences.  I've met interesting people, discovered great music, shared and received fascinating ideas, and found a lot of humor in the world.  

However, the best consequence was re-connecting Angie.

It all started with a little blog post congratulating Angie for becoming Miss Wheelchair Iowa 2009.  I had met Angie through a friend nearly 10 years earlier, at a time before she was involved in an automobile accident and becoming a quadriplegic. Around the time of the accident, our mutual friend moved and we lost touch...until the blog post.  We started hanging out again to catch up and then more often as friends and after about a year we started dating.  It's been a wild few years since then full of ups and downs - we became engaged on Dec 24th 2013. 

One Ring to rule them all...

I thought we would take is slow, maybe get married in a year or two but Angie was all "Nope, let's do this."  We were married on September 6th, 2014.  It was an exceedingly busy 9 months of planning and I am mightily thankful that Angie actually handled most of the planning and organizing.  Angie did an incredible job and created a wedding that reflected us and preferences. It wasn't your typical wedding (we are anything but typical) but it was an amazing day.

We decided to do a theme wedding...I know, I know some of those are horrible, but we decided it would be fun to have a 1920's Hollywood themed wedding.  The basis for this being that we are both big fans of both theater and movies, plus you know the outfits back then were just elegant and fun.  That was our base point for planning and the ideas developed from there.  Sticking with the theme, I had hoped to get married at the old Billy Joe's Picture Show location since I was always such a fan but unfortunately our guest list (correction - Angie's guest list) made that space a little too tight.  So after much searching we decided on the Iowa Events Center.  IEC used to be called Veterans Auditorium and I had seen many great concerts there like Kiss, Motley Crue, and Ozzy (and yes it is where Ozzy bit the head off a bat); how could I have a problem with a historic institution like that?  I think it is cool.

Of course, Hollywood themed we had to set the mood...so we started brainstorming.  We let our imaginations and desires run a little wild (sorry, this is probably going to just be a bunch of pictures).

We needed people to know where they were going.  We needed a lighted marquee.  This was created by my dad.  He did a great job, especially because I just said - "Will you make us a lighted marquee?"  We didn't know how it would be hung or where it would go, but it ended up being incredible.  Unfortunately, this picture doesn't do the lights justice.

Our names in lights

Red carpet and red curtains were a must and of course our bridesmaids and groomsmen would be seating in movie theater seats.  Gold stanchions and velvet ropes to keep the crowd in line.

The walk down the red carpet

We thought it would be funny to have us photoshopped into various famous movie posters like we have been in all these movies.  It was a fun photo shoot and our photographer (Black Label Studios) did a great job of making the posters.  The frames came from the Re-Store in Des Moines - only $10 each!

Grease, Phantom of the Opera, The Princess Bride, Singin' in the Rain, The Wedding Singer.

Top Gun - close up

Refreshments - movie popcorn and candy...what else did you expect?  Movie film, popcorn, and the velvet ropes and stanchions were loaned to us by the Merle Hay Cinema (I miss you guys already).  Movie reels were loaned to use by Fleur Cinema.  Both are places we visit regularly.

Popcorn and candy waiting for the guests.

Our star ready for the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  We also pressed our hands into "cement" ala Grauman/Mann's Chinese Theater for our unity ceremony (probably shouldn't trust us with fire).  Unfortunately that didn't turn out as great as I would have liked, just too much rushing on the day of the wedding to get it done right.

Our star

We decided we were famous enough that we needed life-size* cardboard cut-outs of us.  OK, I thought of the idea because I really didn't want to pose for a lot of pictures and figured this way that we could still let everyone get pictures with "us."  It worked like a charm.

*not quite life-size - mine is a little shorter, Angie's is a little taller to make for more balanced photos.

Feeling a little flat

Real vs Doppelganger -
Is it strange that facebook recognized and automatically tagged the cutouts instead of us?

My grand entrance song was the theme to the Muppet Show.  "It's time to play the music, It's time to light the lights..."  Angie did the more traditional wedding march, but we left to Red Sweater by The Aquabats.  Seriously, could she have been more open to strange ideas?

Center Stage  - Fur stole and tails and top hat.

We both love the movie, The Princess Bride, so we thought it was only fitting that we convince our minister to re-enact that scene at the beginning of the wedding.  Luckily, The Princess Bride is also one of our minister's favorite movies, so it didn't take much convincing (Thanks David!).  Not everyone got it...but to us, it was hilarious.

Wuv, twue wuv.

As our minister went to change into his normal clothes, our wedding had a short interruption by Elvis who serenaded us with some "All Shook Up."  This was a surprise that I did not know about until the rehearsal the day before.  Why Elvis?  I had been joking with Angie for years that if I ever got married, I was going to Vegas and getting married by Elvis.  So this was an inside joke that no one else would understand.

Ladies and Gentleman...Elvis!

The Feature Presentation

The fun and surprises continued with the reception.  I don't care for cake, of course, I would happily eat it on my wedding if Angie wanted a cake...but she agreed that we should go with Rice Krispie treats (one of my favorites).  Angie had a Rice Krispie cake made with Princess Leia and Han Solo toppers.  We also had a large selection of Rice Krispie treat flavors including: original, scotcheroo, peanut butter and bacon (the Elvis), and Fruit Pebble.  Instead of a full sit down meal, we decided to have a lot of appetizers of our favorite foods such as mini-corn dogs and white cheddar cheese curds (it had to be white cheddar...I am picky like that).  IEC did a great job with all the food and I wish I had been able to eat more.

mmmmm....

"I love you."  "I know."

Angie then surprised me with a Groom's Cake.  It was styled after a pinball machine with a hockey theme.  I had originally wanted to set up my pinball machines so everyone could play during the reception.  However that idea got thrown out early due to some demands from the IEC. So this cake was a really cool way of Angie bringing in more of my favorite things.  I am not even sure what a groom's cake is, but it was really thoughtful of Angie...and also made of rice krispie (with marshmallows and candy for various buttons and lights).

Delicious, delicious pinball

Our good friend, Tim AKA DJ NSFW, spun records for the first half of the reception.  Then our favorite local band, No Good Deed,  played a set for the second half.   I would recommend either or both for all your Des Moines area music needs.  I wish I had more time to rock out.

No Good Deed

It was a great day...and we passed the line of paparazzi as we left triumphantly.

Here are just a couple photos from the day that I thought turned out well.

On the new pedestrian bridge in downtown DM

A quiet moment before all the craziness

Thank you Angie for all the hard work and effort that you put into our wedding.  I feel like a total slacker for not doing nearly as much and for not having the creative surprises for you that you had planned for me.  I love you and think that you are wonderful.  I am glad that having you in my life has been the best consequence (by far) of this blog.  

Thank you to everyone who was able to help us celebrate or wished us well,  Special thinks to everyone who was in our wedding or helped along the way, it would not have been the same without you.  We appreciate you all.

Great Ideas...update.

About 5.5 years ago, I posted about an idea about a baby beer smuggler, basically based on the fake boobs or fake beer belly flasks that you fill with beer and sneak into a sporting event or concert.

You can read about it in detail here.

http://gubbyblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/great-ideas.html

Well, I would like to proudly announce that someone has stolen this idea and is working to make it a reality (I have nothing to do with this).

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1295271146/the-cool-baby/

Please Help Us!

Hi Everyone,

Many of you know about my love for pinball.  Many of you also know that my fiancée, Angie, who is the president of the Spinal Cord Injury Association of Iowa and  who loves helping others.  We have the unique opportunity to combine both of these passions.  We hope to purchase a wheelchair accessible pinball machine for the Spinal Cord Injury Association of Iowa.  We plan to take the machine to various locations and organizations allowing people with disabilities the chance to access life and enjoy pinball.  Some places we plan on working with - local chapters of Easter Seals and Paralyzed Veterans of America, local hospitals and rehab units, nursing homes and in-patient facilities.

This is a rare machine - only 15 machines were converted for use by people with limb impairments and other disabilities...and that was over 20 years ago, it is not known how many still exist (my guess would be very few).  This machine allows rooms for wheelchairs to fit underneath, is on wheels so that it can be brought to a person's bed, has large buttons on the front of the cabinet for easier pushing, has a remote set of buttons so that the person can sit them on their lap, table or whatever works best, and has a straw-style sip/puff adaptor for those with severe limb impairment.

But we aren't buying this machine for ourselves, we hope to take to many locations and functions across the state so that all people can enjoy pinball.  You can learn more and donate through our indiegogo fundraiser page.  A plaque will be made and attached to the machine with all donors’ names.  We need to raise $2500 for the machine and shipping.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/wheelchair-accessible-pinball/x/6977685

Any extra money will be donated to the Spinal Cord Injury Association to help others through different projects.

Thank you for any help that you can offer, also if you could please share this with others, it would be appreciated.

Sincerely,

Michael 

Thank You - It Was A Great Effort

Thank you everyone who voted and sent their thoughts and well wishes to Angie in the Wheelchair Van contest.  We appreciate all your efforts and every single vote meant a great deal to us.

Unfortunately, we came up a little short.  Angie ended the contest with 9,458…which was around the top 6.5% of voting results.  She needed to be in the top 5% to make it to the semi-final round.

It is a little sad, but I am sure that the vans will be awarded to some great and deserving people.  We are lucky that we have a van to be able to chauffer Angie around in for the time.  We will continue to work saving for the hand-controls that she needs to be able to drive and hope that we can find a decent van to have them installed in once that time comes (the hand control equipment is very expensive and can’t be moved from one vehicle to another, so you don’t want to have it installed on a vehicle that will not last).  We are trying to work out some future fundraisers to help with the cost.

I wanted to let everyone know how the contest turned out, but mostly I want to sincerely thank all of you who had voted and shown your support.  Thank you so much!  Even though we didn’t make it we feel very blessed by you all.

With sincere and heartfelt gratitude – THANK YOU!

Michael & Angie

Angie Update and a Favor

Hi everyone,

I've had a lot of people asking how Angie is doing.  She is doing well…although we there is still no resolution with the insurance company in sight (it has been 10 months…and could be up to another 4 years).  Angie was just given an award last week at the state capitol for “Advocate of the Year” for the help and awareness that she has provided for people with disabilities.

Can you please do me a favor?  As part of Mobility Awareness Month (May) a group of national dealers of adapted vehicles will be giving away three ramp vans to disabled individuals in need who are “local heroes.”  To be considered as a semi-finalist, she needs to receive the top 5% of votes.  It is a national contest and right now there are

Please vote at the following website:

http://www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com/entrant/angie-plager-cambridge-ia/

You will need to fill out your first & last name, email address, and complete a simple math problem (as a human check).  You can vote once a day from each IP address (computer location), so please vote from work, home, and your mobile devices.  It will be a lot of work but, I think if we can get her in the top 5%, she has a good chance at winning.

You can also get an extra vote by answering a question.  Each computer location can vote once a day through May 10^th…please vote and please share with others (email, facebook, etc..).

There is a short list of some of Angie accomplishments and the picture is from her award ceremony last week.

If you want more information on anything.  Please let me know.

Thank you so much for all your thoughts and help.

Comedians - Don't Do This

We have a new comedy club in Des Moines called Jorker’s. I had a couple weekends without definite plans, so I thought I might check it out…but then I checked their schedule. You want to know the fastest way to make me not want to watch you as a comedian? Make this face:

 All I can think is that there is going to be a lot of angry yelling. I don’t know, maybe that is not what you do but that is the first impression that I get from your photo…and I had more than enough of yelling comedians in the late 80s/early 90s with the likes of Sam Kinison, Gilbert Gottfried, and Bobcat Goldthwait.

 You might be really funny…but I can guarantee that my desire not to listen to someone yelling all night trumps your humor. The funny thing is that I know that at these guys are not really screamers…but I initial response to these photos was so repellent that I can’t overcome my desire to not go to these shows.  My reaction probably would not have been nearly as visceral if there had only been one over-weight, bald, bearded man making this face but two was too many.

I know, I know - don't judge a book by its cover...but I read a lot and I am really good at judging books by their covers.  I am even better at judging albums by there covers.  If you don't take the time to pay attention to the cover details, chances are that the innards are going to be equally mediocre.  That doesn't mean that it has to be an amazing cover; but a well thought out, well executed, and consistent design offers a pretty darn good insight into what lies inside.  Comedians - please do not make this face in your publicity shot, it will make me not want to see you...even though I know that it doesn't match your style.

Tips for Disassembling Your iPhone 4s

Sad Broken Screen

A couple weeks ago, I (with the help of my dog) broke the screen for my iPhone 4s.  Unfortunately, it is still about 4 months until I can upgrade at the cheaper price ($99 vs $600ish).  The LCD still worked, the touch screen function, everything on the phone worked...it was just ugly and sometimes hard to read.  More annoying than an actual problem.  Maybe I am cheap (sometimes) or maybe I am lazy and hate switching phones (definitely) so I decided to check into fixing my phone.

I did a quick search and found that you can order just the glass for $10 - including a micro tool kit and the cost of shipping.  I also knew that my brother had replaced his screen on his iPhone 3g several times.  My brother and I are pretty handy with electronics and small items (feel free to insert a penis joke here) from our pinball experience.  Google revealed that there were also plenty of articles and youtube videos of people taking apart their iPhones (please note, I didn't actually read or watch them yet...I was just checking the possibility).

I thought myself, "How hard can it be?"  I ordered a screen and wrapped my broken screen in a layer of clear packing tape to hold it together for a few days until my new glass arrived.  A few days later, I head over to my brother's place to disassemble and fix my phone.

Tip #1 - Don't

Do not take your iPhone 4s apart.  It is a much more complicated process than on older models.  It can be done...but the whole process is tedious and frustrating.  It starts off easy enough - you remove two pentalobe  screws from the bottom of your iphone (and your screen kit even came with the pentalobe screwdriver for this).  These screws are small but if you've ever had to wear glasses you are probably intimately familiar with this size of screw - not the easiest to handle, but no big deal.  Then you slide off the back...and Fuck!

Tip #2 - A Clean Environment

Not even the smallest screw that you will have to remove

The inside of the 4s is much, much, much more complicated than the 3g.  Seriously, my accolades to the people that produce these...you are amazing.  And I can't say that it is not well made and designed to stay together.  Those 2 screws you previously took out of the case?  They were largest of 4 or 5 sizes of screws that are contained inside...by a large factor.  Here is a picture of one of the screws sitting on a penny.  It is barely bigger than Lincoln's nose...and that is not even the smallest screw.  It would help to be in a place where there are not kids, pets,  or distractions.  If you drop one and you have to search for it on a hardwood floor, it is nearly impossible to find straight on...but hold a flashlight parallel to the floor and you might be able to spot the elongated shadow.  If you drop it on carpet, I have to think you are out of luck.

Tip #3 - You Need More Tools

Some of the screws you will need to remove

Your kit came with a screwdriver for these tiny phillips-head screws. It isn't too bad taking these screws out,   but a miniature screwdriver that was magnetic would help a lot putting them back in (the one in the kit isn't). There are also a couple flat head screws that need to be removed and your kit doesn't come with a flat head and the screws are so small that almost any screw driver you have at home will be too big...we ended up having to use the edge of a razor blade to get these out (couldn't find any of the old eyeglasses repair kits that might have worked...might, they might still be too large for these screws. There are a lot of screws...more than I would have guessed by a  factor of 3.  There are even screws that screw into screws.  It is literally a ridiculous amount of screws They are hard to see and hard to handle (especially to re-install), I would recommend having an offset tweezers to help you hold the tiny screws and a table mounted magnifying glass to be able to see what you are doing would be a nice touch.

How my hands felt

Tip #4 - You Need Smaller Hands

Even with all these helpful tools, your hands are still too big and disassembly/reassembly process is awkward for your human sized hands.  Even after you get all the screws out, you still need to remove all the shields over the electronics and unhook all the ribbon cables between the various components...and once again these things are tiny.  I normally think of my hands as slightly smaller than the average person and maybe not nimble but at least functional...but working on this phone made it feel like my hand was an over-inflated balloon with polish sausage fingers.  These was some serious Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum feelings on my part.


Tip #5 - Don't Buy Just the Glass

So remember at the beginning where I said that I did a quick search and there were tons of articles and videos on disassembling your iPhone...but that I didn't actually read or watch them?  Well it turns out that you can't replace just the glass screen.  The glass & LCD screen are permanently epoxied together...if you try to remove them, you end up destroying your LCD.  You can buy the glass & LCD as a unit for about $40...but I only bought the glass.

This is useless without the LCD attached

Sadly and a little angrily, I stared with disbelief at the pile of parts that used to be my phone.  I could order and screen/lcd combo but it would take about a week to get here...so I had no choice but to put my phone back together as it was.  This is trickier than it sounds because all the electronics fit in the case very snugly.  When I was about halfway through reassembly, I realized that one of the ribbon cables was slightly snagged on the underside of the screen.  This caused the ribbon cable to be about two millimeters short from connecting to the circuit board...with frustration, I had to take everything back apart and start the assembly process over.

Finally, once it was all back together (well mostly...a couple of the shields were not replaced due to being a huge pain in the ass)...we go to slide the rear cover back on but it will not fit snug down all the way.  Some component is sticking up just a little to high.  I am pretty sure it is the loud speaker/mic unit but I am too tired to care.  We try to force the cover back on but it applies too much pressure on the electronics and causing the phone not to work at all.  Removed cover and adjusted the pressure on components but didn't want to start taking things apart again to fix the slight bulge.  I am totally sick of the project by now and decide the cover will be slightly crooked.  And of course after removal a couple of times the super fine screws pretty much just strip out.  Fine!  The cover will held on by packing tape...to match packing tape on the front!  If I am going to have a ghetto phone, might as well go all out.

Tip #6 - See Tip #1

I figured this project would take 20-30, it took over 2 hours and was just a totally frustrating experience.  I was amazed that my phone still worked once it was back together.  Can it be done?  Yes.  Should it be done?  Probably not.  It would have helped and been much less frustrating if we actually accomplished something...but it would still have been a huge pain.  I wouldn't recommend it.  I don't want to take it all apart again, I am just going to keep using my ghetto phone for a few months until I can upgrade for cheap.  Actually, junk phone is kind of growing on me...plus I know when I do get a new phone, I will appreciate it that much more (and maybe have enough incentive to actually use a protective case).


PS - if you are going to make portable gadgets with glass screens, you really need to make them easily and cheaply replaceable.

A Short Update on Angie

Heading to the Civic Center in November

It's been a while and I've had a few inquiries, so here is an update.  Angie is doing really well, although healing is still sluggish and tedious.  After an appointment last fall with her bone daddy (Orthopedic Surgeon), she was told her femurs are healing slowly but well enough that she doesn't need to come back for monthly checkups...she will return this summer (around the one year mark) to hopefully finalize everything for the healing process, and resume all normal activity.



Unfortunately, she has been experiencing a little bit of depression lately due to the loss of personal freedom, independence, and mobility (again).   This is mostly due to not having a van she can drive.  Family, friends, and I have been trying to get her out of the house several times a week to help diminish this feeling; but she misses being able to just do it herself and doesn't like burdening others.  It's not a deep depression but if you spend time with her you might notice at times that she is not quite as vibrant or as patient as she was previously.  It is all temporary though, she is working through it.

Hunting in the fall thanks to Whitetail Challenge
(I am pretty sure you are turning into
Bonebreaker from the Reavers)

Angie is back to as normal a life as she can be, working part-time from home, continuing her advocacy for people with disabilities, etc...  Angie tires more quickly than before the accident, although her stamina is increasing as she heals.  Her body has trouble regulating temperature...she is normally cold as it is, but it seems much worse than it has in the past and it takes her much longer to feel warmed up.  The bruise on her hip also seems to reappear when she is stressed or tired.  Angie doesn't seem to have any other physical after affects from the accident, but we still need to be careful with her legs and moving her around as any jarring can still cause jolts of pain. We try to do all the activities and stuff that we normally would do..she even went deer hunting again this fall (no luck though).  There was some things Angie had hoped to do this year that she just cannot attempt because of the fragility of her legs - like skiing.  Hopefully next winter.


Still no decision on an insurance settlement.  Nine totaled cars + Nine insurance companies = One Huge Mess.  Originally, we were told that it could take up to two years before it is settled...we have since been informed that the insurance companies have five years.  Ugh.  Unfortunately, we need a decision (one way or the other) before she can obtain a new wheelchair, and she needs the new wheelchair before she can get hand controls installed in her van.  We are still not sure how everything will be paid for, but we are trying to save money in case the insurance does not come through (donations are still welcome and much appreciated).

Angie Plager Recovery Fund

32541 585^th Ave

Cambridge, IA 50046-8568

 Or by Paypal

Poppin' Tags

Since I have been able to drive, I've been shopping at thrift shops.  Not that I particularly needed to save money, I just found it fun to see what over people would throw-out/donate.  I've never found some of those incredible deals...you know, like the stories where someone will walk in an find a 1950's Stratocaster guitar for $25, or long lost painting by one of the masters for $10.  However,  I've got some pretty good deals throughout the years (at least to me).  Dr Marten boots?  Don't mind if I do for $6.  Laserdiscs in the vinyl record section for $1...that happened several times back in the days when Laserdiscs still cost $50-$75.  Probably the closest thing I ever saw to something amazing (and I just missed it by about 20 minutes...the guy was checking out) was someone's entire wood shop equipment set up for $10 each: table saw - $10, router with table - $10, drum sander - $10, squirrel fan dust collectors - $10, lathe - $10, etc...this guy literally got an entire woodshop for a couple hundred dollars.  Some of the equipment was older, but it was all top tier and very well maintained.  I would have loved it but I didn't really have the room at the time either.

Shopping at thrift stores is not all about great deals.  There is also the "WTF" factor.  Where you see something and you have no idea why anyone would ever own or buy.  Ugly Christmas sweaters abound, but I enjoy the trinket section for a good laugh, there is always something perverted there.

Thrifting does take work - clothes are only loosely sorted according to style (t-shirt, jeans, long-sleeves), you are going to have to look at sizes on anything you think you will like.  Records, CDs, books...all just thrown on their own shelf with no sorting, rhyme, or reason.  To go through and entire store properly could take hours the first time...but I am rarely that committed, I don't like shopping that much.  Subsequent visits every couple weeks will drastically reduce that time for future visits.  My favorite thrift stores (that I usually visit around once a month) I can usually go through in about 30 minutes or hit the highlights in about 10 minutes.  There is a lot of turnover, but enough is the same that I just need a quick glance to spot the newly arrived items that I might be interested in.  I usually only buy something about 30% of the time.  I wish I would stumble across all the old Megadeth t-shirts that I used to have...but so far it is not to be.

A couple months ago, I stopped in at Goodwill since I had some time to kill.  There happened to be a Crosley CR66 5-in-One entertainment center (record player, AM/FM radio, CD player, cassette player, with audio inputs to connect an MP3 player).  It looked like it was in good shape and the record needle looked brand new but the unit was marked "AS-IS." It was only $26 (they sell at Target for around $120).  They are not the best stereos in the world but I had been thinking about getting something like this to hold me over until I decided to build a new component stereo system...this is a cheap system, but for $26 it is a decent deal...I am not expecting miracles.  I wanted to check out a few other things before I left, so I didn't grab it (yep, broke the number one rule in thrift shopping...grab anything you are slightly interested in).  It was a little too awkward  to carry it around and I hate shopping with a cart.  

Ten minutes later, I go to grab it and check out but it is gone.  Oh well.  I go to the checkout to buy a couple CDs and their is a lady in front of me with record player.  She isn't happy, she seems like one of those people that has to argue about everything.  She's already argued that a shirt has a small tear so she needs a discount and now she wants to argue about the price of the record player.  The clerk gets the manager and the customer starts saying that $26 is too much for something that is "AS-IS" and she can't test it.  The manager didn't look like he wanted to deal with her so he dropped it down to $15.  She still wasn't happy. "This thing is only worth $10 and you'll be lucky that I pay that...no one else is going to buy it, it's probably broke.  I'm probably just throwing my money away as it is."  The manager looks very conflicted...hiss face tells you that he doesn't want to go lower, but that he also doesn't want to deal with this woman who is just being a bitch.  

I decide to help out.  I poke my head around the lady and say "I'll buy that for $15."  Relief and joy floods over the manager's face and he says "Please step this way and I will check you out."  The look on the lady's face was awesome...just a stunned look of 'But....but...but...'  20 minutes later, I am at home.  The radio works, the CD player works, but the turntable doesn't.  Sadness.  I pop a C-clip off the spindle and lift the platter...within a minute I have the belt re-seated and everything put back into place.  It all works greatly.  not too bad for $15.  (OK, I haven't tested the cassette player because I gave/donated all my cassettes away about 10 years ago).

Player 1 Has Joined The Game

As I mentioned earlier, pinball is going through somewhat of a resurgence.  One of these signs is that there in now a pinball league in Ames, IA.  It has existed for a couple years now but I only joined for the latest season.  I'd been looking/hoping for a league in the area for a several years, but there was nothing...and then when I did see the league in Ames...I had excuses.  The league is run by KD Amusement, the big arcade, pinball, billiards, darts, jukebox operator and supplier in Ames.

I've wanted to join since the beginning but came up with excuses on why I couldn't join...

• I'm too busy
• The season has already started
• I'm not good enough
• I'll have to miss some nights, so it's not worth it
• I don't like bars
• It's a long way to drive to just play pinball
• A league run by an operator seems sketchy
• I tend not to like people that take any subject too seriously
• etc...

Some of those excuses have various degrees of validity but mostly it was just an excuse for me to not try something new and to just be lazy.  I can play pinball at home, but I forced myself out of my comfort zone and joined the league.  I wasn't sure what to expect when I first joined but league night has become one of my favorite nights of the week.  I don't know my fellow league members that well yet, but I am enjoying hanging out with others and playing pinball...unfortunately pinball had become a more and more solitary hobby for me, so it is nice to get out more often with others.

How pinball league works - we meet on Main Street in Ames, every Tuesday at 7pm.  You are randomly assigned to a team competitors of 3-4 players and then randomly assigned a location and machine.  The league plays at four different bars on Main Street all within about a block of each other...the machines can vary throughout the season as the location setup is changed for variety. So far this season I have played on five different machines (Medieval Madness, Revenge From Mars, Iron Man, Twilight Zone, and Pirates of the Caribbean).

Your team will play 4 rounds, and you are scored on how well you did versus the other members on your team.  1st place machine score gets 3 points, 2nd place machine score gets 2 points, and 3rd place gets 1 point. If the 1st place player's score is more than the 2nd & 3rd places score combined, the first place player will get a bonus point...if not, the bonus point goes to the 4th place player.

So here is the responses to my previous excuses:

• Luckily, I have an understanding girlfriend who encourages my hobbies and understands why I am not spending time with her.  I am busy and sometimes it is a little bit of a hassle getting home from work, taking care of my dogs, and then making it up to pinball league...but it isn't too bad if I keep focused.
• In the past, I had always remembered/found out about the league after the season had started.  I was worried that I would just be thrown in and not part of the group...but the group is very welcoming and it is easy to make up past games (stay late and play more rounds with others).  You can join any time and be welcomed and if you stay to make up some games, you can easily be competitive.
• I was worried that I wouldn't be good enough...but there are all levels of play and each round can very significantly.  I haven't had a team where one player completely dominated.  To show the variance one week, I finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th throughout the night's match.  I must admit that I am in the lower rankings of the twelve league members, but that is more due to just having off nights when others are doing good and random team assignment.  I don't feel like I am being embarrassed by the other players.  Just bad luck...but I am still having a lot of fun.
• I have and will miss some nights this season, but it is fairly easy to make up the games the following week (or later), you can even pre-play some games if you know you are going to be gone.  The league is fairly flexible with that.
• I still don't like bars, but being with like minded people and keeping busy playing pinball makes it tolerable.
• It is a long drive to play (about 35 minutes) but I am usually looking forward enough to it that I don't really even notice...plus there can be added benefits (like last night were I found a perfectly good two wheeled cart that someone was throwing out - you know the kind that is nice for moving pinball machines).
• I was a little worried about the league being run by the operator (corruption), but it all seems good.  it seems to be run pretty well and KD only takes a small percentage of league dues for overhead.  It is actually kind of nice that someone from the company is usually there to help fix the pins if anything goes wrong.  It is also kind of cool  to get some "inside" type info on the industry and the games.
• Most members of the league are pretty easy going and don't take the game too seriously.  There is much less cursing and hitting things than I thought there would be (although there is a little of that from certain members).  Mostly it's just a good time even if you are doing badly.

If you'd like to join the Ames Pinball League send an email to janna@kdamusement.com.  And there is still plenty of time left in the season...so join now!

I am really enjoying pinball league.  If there is one near you, you should join.  It is a fun time, just hanging out and playing pinball and usually drinking.  In fact, I am thinking about starting a league for Des Moines this spring or summer.  If you are interesting in that, drop me a line and I'll keep in touch (and probably bounce some things off you too).