Tournament day didn't get started the way we'd hoped when we discovered three packs of buns we'd bought for making chicken salad sandwiches had mold on them.  This necessitated an unplanned trip to the store and put us a little behind in getting ready for the tournament.  It ended up not being a big problem but was aggravating.
Once we got I setup for the tournament I went and checked out the pool assignments and found out our pool looked brutally tough.
In the first game we played the always tough Big Muddy Monsters on the Silkworm court.  We got on the board first but the Monsters got a little run to jump out in front.  We answered and closed the score but ultimately lost 9-6.
In the second game we took on Molly's Pint who Roll'em had never played before.  Herbster and Clutch had on their previous team though.  Roll'em started out strong, jumping out to a 5-0 lead before cruising to a 9-3 win.
In our third game we took on Here 4 Beer where whoever won the game would advance to the playoffs.  Here 4 Beer jumped out to a 2-0 lead but we answered right back and tied it up.  This was as close as it got as Roll'em lost 9-2.  We actually rolled pretty well but if we had a ball 10" away they'd put it 4" away.  If we had a ball 5" away they'd put it 2" away.  If we had a ball 2" away they knock it away.  Here 4 Beer played all four of their games on the Silkworm court while we played the second game on the middle court and while this wasn't why lost it certainly didn't help matters.
Not the way we wanted to end the season but it happens.  The Glues chicken salad sandwiches went over BIG and she got a lot of compliments on them.
In a surprise to everyone including themselves, Mission: Imbocceball won the championship.  This was definitely a Cinderella story but they played awesome.  Congratulations to Mission: Imbocceball and their players Mike, Teresa, Angie and Chris.  You guys played great.
Hurry back Herbster and Clutch.

It will be a bittersweet feeling when Roll'em takes to the court today for the league tournament as Herbster and Clutch have decided not to play this fall.  This is disappointing news but doesn't really come as a surprise.  For a while it's seemed like their interest in bocce has waned but I was hoping that getting off the board would get their interest level back up.  For now the plan is for them to come back in the spring hopefully recharged and ready to go for the long haul. 
Have no fear though, Roll'em will play in the fall season with Roberto and probably Ted playing taking Herbster and Clutch's spots on the roster.  Both players have subbed for us in the past so it won't be a big adjustment.
Herbster and Clutch were a big part of the growth of the MBC both in membership and with facilities.  Hurry back you two.

Yesterday we went to Giant City Lodge to meet our Saudi friend Valya, Bailey and the grandtwins for lunch.  It's been a few years since we've been there, mainly since I don't trust myself around their food.  I did better this time limiting my intake than one of my table mates but Valya has good reason as she'll be heading back overseas in a few days.  The chicken was good but I don't think it's as good as Bottoms Up.  Mashed potatoes, slaw and chicken and dumplings were my sides and were also good.  The twins enjoyed walking around the lodge and looking at the things there.  They both really like the stuffed bison in the lobby which they called dog like they do most animals.
Me and the Glue took a little drive around Giant City and the through Pomona via Cobden and then on home on the back roads.  Nice little drive and when we got home both of us had a much needed nap.  When I woke up it had become overcast and shortly afterwards we got the rain we'd been needing for several weeks.

As the #2 seed in the interpool tournament Roll'em tool on the winner of a first round game.  The winner of that game turned out to be long time nemesis Squatchy Bocce.  Roll'em caught another bad break when a game on the Silkworm court got over quickly and we had to play Squatchy on the same court they'd played their first game.
We got on the board first but then the Squatches jumped ahead with five straight points.  We then made a run at them with a two point frame which should have been three but I missed on a throw that I just made for the second point.  That got us going though and we finally tied them up at 7-7.  Squatchy had a point and a ball left for the win but John hit our ball forward into the point and we had the lead 8-7.  We got the ball on the pallino but for the second time in two weeks Squatchy had a player come through with a big knock when Chris hit our ball leaving them with the point.   Our last throw was too hard and they had two wide open chances to win the game but it only took one and we lost 9-8.
Squatchy then won their next game and and advanced to the championship game against Holy Ballz Batman.  Squatchy jumped out to a big lead but between them having a lull and Holy Ballz getting hot they ended up losing their chance a redeeming a disappointing season.
Congratulations to Holy Ballz on their second consecutive much coveted towel as interpool champion.

Yesterday afternoon we went to Hook, Line and Sinker in Steelville for a late lunch.  As is normal for us, we sat in the bar area.  There were only a few people in the place and everyone was very friendly except one lady sitting at the bar who was mad about not getting a pedicure.  I went with cod with sweet and sour slaw and onion rings while the Glue went with fried chicken, hush puppies and cucumbers and onion.  They also had Killians on draft which is always nice.
The fish was very good as were the onion rings while the slaw was just ok.  The Glues chicken was also good but nothing special and she said the hush puppies were good which really aren't my thing.  Neither of us really liked the cucumbers and onions.
We'll definitely go back but will probably stick to fish.
We then decided to go to the White Rooster in Sparta but on the way there the Glue found out they didn't open until 4pm and it was about 2:30.  We started to turn around but decided to keep going to Sparta and see what happens.  What happened is passed by Southside Ribs which I'd heard are good so we turned around to check the place out.  We'd been there years before coming back from a track meet but I don't think it was a rib place back then.  The bar maid was very nice and talkative since the place was almost empty.  We debated getting a rack of ribs for later but decided against it, something I knew we'd regret but we were both full at the time.
After a beer there we decided to go home via Pinkneyville to check out Twisted Vine.  We both decided on sangria and they had both red and white but after a couple ladies at the bar recommended mixed we both went with it.  It was good but I think I'd rather have just the red.  My big mistake was when I asked what were in the slushy looking machines.  The bar tender offered us a taste and it was awesome.  We decided to get a couple of those and I'm afraid they could get a person in big trouble unless the sweetness got to them.  Twisted Vine is a cool place to stop in for a drink.
After that it was time to head home for an early evening.  Very fun day in Southern Illinois. 

Parity is the theme of Wednesday night as seven teams entered the last week of the season with a legitimate chance of winning the Wednesday night league champion.  Roll'em was in first place with a 7-3 record while the other six were 6-4 so winning both games would give us the championship.
In the first game we took on long time nemesis Squatchy Bocce.  We got off to a typical Roll'em got off to yet another slow start falling behind 4-0 after three frames but we got back in the game with a four point frame to tie the game.  The game turned in the next frame tough when Clutch put her last throw on the pallino with nothing else close then Big Squatch made the throw of the game moving her ball off the pallino and his onto it.  They ended up with another good throw and a 6-4 lead.  The next throw they had a point and on my last ball it veered left towards the end and moved one of theirs into scoring position.  They then capitalized with another close one on their last throw giving us a 9-4 loss and putting a big damper on our championship hope.
In the second game we moved to the new court to take on Holy Ballz Batman who also had four losses.  Roll'em jumped out to a 2-1 lead when Holy Ballz left an big opening and me and Herbster walked through it for four points and a 6-1 lead.  After an exchange of points The Glue and her brother ex-super sub Fred exchange great throws with the Glue coming out on top on her second throw.  Their next two throws were off and after coming to terms with seven plus one not equaling nine Clutch put her next throw in for a point and a 9-2 win eliminating Holy Ballz from the championship chase.
Four of the six teams including Holy Ballz lost during the course of the evening leaving Roll'em, Can't Be Trusted and Biotches as the three teams tied at the top of the standings.  Can't be Trusted beat both us and Biotches so they win the tie breaker and win the championship.  We beat Biotches so we win the second place tie breaker and for the second strait season we tie for the best record but lose the tie breaker and for the third straight season we settle for second place.

With two weeks left in the regular season Roll'em got off to a horrible start giving up an easy four point frame to Bertha's Ball Handlers in the first game.  We settled down some after the rough start but for every good throw we made they either made a better one or knocked us out and we laid a big egg, losing 9-0.
In the second game we played Usual Suspects.  In a reverse of the first game we started out strong getting four consecutive one point frames jumping to a 4-0 lead before the Suspects could get on the board.  We did miss out on what should have been an easy four point frame during this run though which always seems to bite us in the butt.  We then scored a three more points and they got one which moved the score to 7-2 when disaster struck.  We had the ball resting on the pallino when they successful hit our ball and moved the pallino deep.  In what should have been an easy throw I threw our last ball woefully short and allowed them an easy three point frame.  They closed to 7-6 but the Glue got her second ball close and they missed their remaining throws and Clutch came through with an easy second point and we escaped with a 9-6 win.
In keeping with Wednesday nights parity theme all three co-leaders lost their first game so all teams on Wednesday night have at least three losses.

On Saturday the Glue and I decided to try out Downtown Abbey in Cobden.  We'd stopped in previously but only for a quick beer.  We decided on a pepperoni, Italian sausage and mushroom pizza and the Glue wanted to try the pasta salad.  Our waitress was Baileys classmate Alee and she did a great job putting up with us.  I have to say the pizza was real good, probably in my top three pizzas in the area along with Quatros and Cummares.  It had a unique taste to it that I really liked however the Glue said the pasta salad was just ok.  I'm thinking this will be a regular stop for pizza in the future.

In view of the controversy a couple weeks ago it's worth pointing our that Roll'em If Ya Got'em has always been able to field a complete team of four players.  Last year me, Herbster and Clutch all had a period where we missed several games in a row.  We've used a variety of players with differing degrees of experience levels.  Our goal, of course, is to have the Glue and Clutch at one end and myself and Herbster at the other for every game.  Oddly, several of the subs we have used now play on Wednesday night so we can't use them anymore including ex super sub Fred who got interested in bocce through subbing for us.  Me and the Glue also got our start subbing for our friends BBJ and Tina on the High Rollers and a big thanks to the two of them for finally getting us started.
As best as I can remember here is a list of subs that have played for Roll'em or the Grumpy Shillelaghs and what their experience level was the first time they played for us:

DRip - experienced player (brother to Clutch)
Ryno - experienced player
Roberto - experience player (cousin to me)
Fred - never played before (brother to the Glue)
Twink - never played before
Valya - played one game the previous year
Bake - never played before
Jean - played one season prior
Ted - played one season prior

I'm sure there are a couple other people who have subbed for us over the last several years but I don't remember who they are.