Austin360 blogs > Bottlecaps & Wingnuts > Archives > 2005 > July > 13
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
How far do you pitch a washer?
This week I installed a washer-pitching pit in my back yard. Actually, the area where I put them was all dirt anyway, no need for pits just yet.
My in-laws had given me a washer-pitching “set” (this was four regular washers, four painted washers and a wood block to secure them — there’s some marketing genius involved there).
I bought two pieces of 4-inch PVC pipe at Home Depot and sunk one into the ground. Now how far away to put the second one?
I looked at the instructions on the “set.” It said 20 feet. I measured that out … heck, that’s a pretty far way to toss a washer. This couldn’t be right. So I set mine 16 feet apart.
Today it occurred to me to doublecheck with a higher power: Google. I found the Washer Pitching Association, which told me 21 feet.
Not satisfied, I found the International Association of Washer Players, which told me 25 feet.
Now, feeling very emasculated by my washer pitching “short course,” I’m gonna have to reconsider. I don’t care if I have to account for the curvature of the earth in my throws — I don’t want people mocking my washer pitching.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: By Dave Thomas
An epiphany at Sam’s
It’s been so long since I blogged about Sam’s Town Point — the bar in the former doublewide at 2115 Allred in far South Austin — that I couldn’t even find the blog in our archives.
I’d promised you’d hear more about the place from me, and I’ve tried. But on my past two visits, my arrival has boosted the bartender-to-customer ratio from 1:1 to 1:2. True, 6 p.m. on Mondays isn’t every bar’s most happening hour, but it makes it hard to write about the place.
Still, this Monday, I had an epiphany of sorts: These kind of bars are the places to find a mechanic. Think about it. I’d say at least 70 percent of the guys who drink in Sam’s are the kind of fellows who work on their own cars. Now, they might have to turn to a mechanic for the toughest work, but they’re knowledgeable enough to not tolerate the kind of mechanics who will rip you off.
Next time the old truck is broke down, I know where to turn for advice.
Permalink | | Categories: By Dave Thomas
