Traditions & Rituals

A SkeeBall Throw Down...Almost

One thing about growing up at Hampton Beach is that I certainly know my way around an arcade. Well, old school arcades I guess. There's a honky tonk vibe to our beach, not the sand part of the beach, but the strip. It brings back many good memories.  When our family comes to visit from Dublin we have a tradition of going to the arcade (Funarama to be exact and make it no other), to have a little friendly skeeball competition, earn as many tickets as we can and come away with a new stuffed lobster for Lucan.

I usually beat the Gar man, simply because I've had more experience working on my skeeball off-the-side-bumper-delivery which gains me more tickets. Winning at skeeball is one more reason to practice my snoopy dance. So Saturday, our nieces Caroline (who I call Carolina because that's the way I am) and Ali were hankering for our arcade tradition.

Of course, in order to be ready for a competition like this, you must fuel up first so we were off to the 401 Tavern to see the our friend Desi, The Mad Cuban. If there are any Cubans reading this, this is not a dis to your nationality, it's simply an extremely appropriate name we gave to our friend Desi. He's Cuban and he's mad. It's that simple. He's also the host with the most.

Of course he had to let the people at the next booth know that these girls had been visiting him since they were yay-high. 

Then we had to get down to business. Gar was on a mission. He knew he had to fuel up to have enough stamina to win at skeeball.  Of course, after several days spent in the well, he deserved a king cut.

Everything was fabulous. Gar nearly finished that baby.

When we were good and full, we were off to the beach.

Oh yeah, we filled our pockets with quarters and headed for skeeball. I passed this guy along the way and had to get a picture. Number one, he's carrying tequila on his rump and you know how I love margaritas, and number two, my other brother in law and I have an ongoing donkey joke.

I'm sorry to report, I negelected to get any pictures of skeeball. I'll have to wait for Ali to download them from her camera. I was busy trying to whoop some butt. Then we forgot to keep track. Honestly, what kind of competition is it if you forget to keep track? Then this little boy stood next to me with big sad eyes. I said, don't you have any money? He hung his head low and shook his head no. I gave him a quarter....this was classic....he started to walk away. I said, 'hey hey hey, you gotta play that quarter in the skeeball'....'but I don't know how to play'. I coached him through it. The kid nailed a 50 on the first roll. Then another 50, then a 100. By this time, his family had gathered around him to cheer him on. Oh yeah, another skeeball maniac in the making. He did so good I gave him all my tickets too. He deserved them. He was so pleased with himself, you should have seen his face. His Mom was so thankful, it was too cute.

Then we changed modes. I couldn't walk by the pacman game. I had to see if I still had it. I can honestly say....I've still got it. Oh yeah. Don't mess with me Mr. Pacman.  Then onto air hockey. I was beating Gar good and then swooped the puck into my own goal three times in a row. So Gman was winner winner chicken dinner and had to next play his niece. He was taking care of business.

Until he got to his older brother. The girls looked on while...........

they're Dad won. Poor Gar just couldn't keep his winning streak up.

All in all we scored a good bunch of tickets to cash in.

Then the girls had to decide.....a lobster or something else. Then we spied a honey badger. We thought Lucan needed the honey badger for sure.

Alas, the counter girl couldn't find the honey badger out back so Lucan now has a new friend. Leo the leopard.

Our mission was complete. If only Lucan wasn't scared of his new friend. He's a little on the big side and he thinks it's alive. I am not kidding. It's freaking him out.

Of course, before we left we had to do the photo booth thing too.  I think maybe bil John and Gar got an eyeball in each shot, or part of a forehead but that was about it. Those booths are smaller than I remember.

Do ever get to do the old school arcade thing? What's your favorite game? Skeeball? Air hockey?? Pacman?  Or something completely different? 

We spent the rest of the weekend in the pool for obvious reasons. It was hot and it was there. Oh, and enjoying sunsets.

That's the way we roll at Sunset Meadows. 

If you're participating in the Photo Challenge (open to everyone!), tomorrow is the last one. Get me your submissions by end of the day today so I can included them in the final post!

Hope you're having a great Tuesday.

Ciao for now,