The 1 Up - bar - Denver, CO

Yes, that is me

Greetings Readers

I found a couple of pictures from the 1 Up bar that I frequently go to now with the ex out of the picture.  One was taken by the ex and the other I took last month.  Both feature the pinball Machine Tron, which is actually my favorite pinball game there at the moment.  I am finally getting very good at the machine and now know the layout and scoring of the pinball game.

I do like the AC DC pinball game as well as the Getaway 2 pinball machine (especially with the ZZ Top La Grange).  The Wizard of OZ is visually awesome, but the play is kind of tricky due to the side exit lanes.  The Star Trek pinball is nice as well.  I do like the variety of modes when trying to complete the missions.

In addition to the pinball games there are a lot of video games.  A lot of games that I am sure that you will remember from your past.  There is also skee ball and Jenga outside on the patio.

I am trying to remember last year about this time.  I went to the Kong Off that was held at the 1 Up bar.  What I can not remember if the ex was with me.  I do not the ex was, but I am drawing a blank.  I know I was there for Day 1 or perhaps it was Day 2.  I know the ex went with me on other times, but I just can not remember that specific weekend.

This is kind of the reason why I am blogging about this-  Usually in November for the past three years the 1 Up bar has been the spot for the Donkey Kong World Championships.  The best in the world come to play.  There is an open play tournament for non-professionals, but the best of the best are in Denver for usually three days in November.  I just checked the Facebook site and I do not see any events for this year yet.  So, I guess I will have to check Facebook every week for the next week or so to see if there is another Kong Off, which would be Kong Off 4.

This bar is heaven for me.  A dive bar so to speak, but the ambiance is awesome.  The ex- was hesitant in the beginning and sure burned through my quarters when we first started going to the 1 Up, but towards the end of our relationship the ex actually got good.  Yes, I am damn proud I taught the ex to play pinball.  I even taught the ex how to tilt, so to speak.  The ex was banging and rocking a few of those pinball machines in the past year like we use to in bed.  LOL.  We played pinball most of the time, but did manage to play some of the video games here and there.

A couple of years ago the 1 Up had the Sopranos pinball machine and I loved playing that machine.  Especially the mode where every ball hit makes a character say "Fuck"  It was awesome.

Well, the 1 Up is still and will continue to be in my life.  Just a place I love going to.  In fact, when my brother was visiting in August I took him to the 1 Up club.  He enjoyed it.  We both enjoyed it.  We were only able to go once, but we had fun.  I think we went on a Saturday night, but maybe not.

And that is that.  I do have more pictures

, and may post some later, but I think the two are enough for now.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Pinball player

Another friend from my Past

Greetings Readers

Another old friend from my past has surfaced into my life. And wouldn't you know it was during the same time I was working at TCI back in the 1990's.

I have not thought of her in about 5 to 10 years and I think it has been 15 years since I last talked to her.

So, how did this come about?

I was on Facebook on Saturday night and somehow her name just popped into my head. I did a name search and was hoping that I was going to be able to be able at least have a chance to find her among millions of people with that name.

Now, her name is common I think, but I had to be general so that was going to open the searching results even bigger than I wanted. Lo and behold, I got lucky and soon I was looking at a picture that would be a picture of the same woman I saw back in 1990's or so. I just had to imagine that person older and what she would look like in 2011. Not to mention that I do not remember where I have that old picture of her, her daughter and the family dog.

What also helped was that the person's picture I was looking at was the same State that I knew she was in when I last knew her. That helped alot. Minutes later I composed a short message on Facebook and clicked send (or whatever button that you click).

Fast forward to the morning, Sunday Morning that is, I see an email from her and it is confirmed it is her and she also remembered me.

We never met face to face, but we talked to each other almost every day that I worked at TCI and her where she did. We got to know each other as well as our family and our lives. Though at present I can not re-collect most of her life anymore. I guess that is the sign of being older. Hah hah. No Readers, mostly likely to not thinking of her in such a long time and losing the memories that I knew of due to new memories of people after her. Readers, there is only so much my mind can hold and remember.

There are times these days that I am walking from one room to another and in that time frame I get to that other room and I forgot what I was getting or going to do. The signs of getting older, I guess. Or perhaps I better hope so. =).

Fast forward a day's time - we exchanged information, phone numbers, email address as this blog site. I called her Sunday evening got voicemail left message and then she called back got voicemail and I got her message.

I have to admit it was the same voice, yes older, but the same voice I talked to day after day while I was at TCI back in the 1990's. As the "man with no name" said

"Well now...
....seems just like old times."

Her voice on my answering machine just made my day - hell, my week. Even my Month.

Anyway, I hope to catch up and at least see what's been going on. And I, of course, will tell her every time that I happen to see that movie "Trapped in Paradise" I remember her dog since her dog had only three legs. Funny how you associated something to someone.

Until the next time

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete